Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.
Summary: 21 Yule 1006 will see the first lunar eclipse to occur on the Winter Solstice in four hundred years. Enemies of Narnia rejoice! For the time of the Golden Age will come to an end with the spilling of royal blood and Jadis will be revived!
A/N: If you have not read the first three stories in the A Light in the Darkness main story arc (Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed), I highly recommend you do so. However, if you want to give this one a whirl on its own, you can.
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Mountain Conflict
The blizzard enveloped them as they raced as recklessly as possible down the mountain, but above the shrieking wind, Katerina could hear the howls of the Werewolves. She leaned forward so her mouth was beside Oreius' ear, "They're catching up. Do you have a plan? Other than seeing if we can break our collective necks before the Werewolves get us."
He didn't answer. She reflexively tightened her grip around his torso as his next leap threatened to toss her over his head and shoulders. They were going to die by sliding off the mountain to Murphy's twisted amusement at this rate. And, my hands are freezing. The howl of both blizzard and Werewolves distracted her from the state of her hands. The howls were much closer than they had been and she leaned forward again, "Oreius! You have to let me down."
He glanced over his shoulder at her, and she could see his refusal before he ever opened his mouth. "No. We will-"
Two Werewolves slammed into them, pushing them...pushing Oreius so his hooves slipped in the snow and ice. Two more Werewolves jumped on them, toppling all six of them over the edge. Katerina screamed at the same time she heard Oreius shout.
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Peter watched in horror as Oreius and Kat were knocked off the ledge. He took a single step toward the ledge, hoping that maybe somehow they had survived. "Peeeeter!"
He whirled at Edmund's shout, raising his shield barely in time to keep a Werewolf from latching on to his neck. Instead, the Fell beast's teeth knocked against his shield as its weight drove him down to one knee. The Werewolf let out an unexpected howl of pain and then collapsed before Peter could bring his blade around. Peter looked up to see Edmund standing just in front of him, his sword still slightly raised from where he had stabbed the Werewolf. Lowering his arms, Edmund switched Shafhelm to his left hand and helped Peter back to his feet. "Back to back."
"Side to side." Not even a full minute passed before Peter found himself standing back to back with Edmund as Werewolves surrounded them. The rest of the Narnians were caught in their own fights, although he did notice several scrambling to disengage themselves, and the brothers were on their own for the moment. He shouted to be heard over the blizzard, "Ready, Ed?"
Edmund elbowed him in the back and then shouted, "Are you?"
Peter raised Rhindon as his answer and squinted against the swirling snow as he watched the Werewolves for the first hint of their next attack. Aslan, lend strength to our arms and courage to our hearts.
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Brutus snarled as he watched the Narnians. They had prevented Her from being summoned, prevented his pack from being returned to their former place of glory. But, he could still take their little pretender kings. He didn't howl as he leapt down to the ledge just above the pretender kings as they stood at each other's backs, each facing four of his pack. They would fear him when he brought silent death to them and they would regret foiling his efforts for his pack. Watching the pretenders as members of his pack prepared to attack, Brutus crouched in readiness as he chose which of the pretender kings he would kill first.
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Katerina opened her eyes and blinked the world into focus. Or at least as much as she could bring a swirling mass of snow into focus. I'm alive and in one piece...thank Aslan for really deep snow banks. But where's... She blinked again then awkwardly lurched to her feet as she focused on the dark mass that had to be Oreius. The Kentauri was also starting to move, which calmed the immediate fear that he had landed badly and not survived the fall, but there was still a possibility he might have broken something if he had landed wrong or if the snow bank hadn't been as deep. The snow came up to her waist, severely limiting her mobility until she finally found an area where the snow was firmer and held her weight so she only sank down to her ankles in it. And, those Werewolves had probably survived (most unfortunately) and had to be lurking nearby. She needed to see if Oreius was even going to be able to fight. Katerina cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Oreius! Kentauri, I want to lodge a complaint about your shortcut!"
Oreius finally looked at her and she felt the knot in her chest loosen. And, judging by the look he was giving her, he thought the fall had rattled her brain. A growl cut her off before she even had time to shout anything else. She spun and caught the Werewolf in the ribs with her knives, sinking in the snow as she tossed the Werewolf over her. The Fell didn't get back up. One down. Where, oh where are the other five? "Sepphora!"
Well, that answers that question. She twisted to the best of her ability since she had sunk to her knees in the snow, raising her knives as the Werewolf tackled her. One knife caught him in the shoulder but the other only nicked his side. His teeth just grazed against her cheek as she adjusted the knife in her right hand and drove it between the Werewolf's ribs, aiming for his heart. The foul creature collapsed just as he attempted to bite her neck. She could feel his teeth and a disgusting amount of drool resting against her neck. Yuck! Just yuck! I hate Werewolves!
She shoved the Werewolf's body off her and scrambled to stand on top of the snow again. Oreius had gained his feet and four Werewolves lay dead near him. That was...surprisingly easy. Katerina started toward Oreius, still keeping her knives at the ready. She didn't trust Werewolves and she most certainly didn't trust situations that were too easy in the face of all things Murphy simply loved. The blowing snow and wind stung her exposed skin and constantly threatened to blind her, making it difficult to keep track of her surroundings, even with her night vision being better than that of a pure human. Katerina paused then looked over her shoulder, but she couldn't make out anything other than the mountain side with some shadowed recesses. She turned back to Oreius, "How far did we fall and where exactly did we land?"
The Kentauri shrugged as he slowly waded through the snow, "Twenty, thirty, perhaps even forty feet though I think that unlikely. If the snow drifts had not been so deep and fresh where we landed...we would be dead." He pointed toward one of the shadowed recesses, "That looks like a way up to the main trail. We need to get back to the others."
Katerina had the sudden urge to laugh at how the Kentauri once again didn't mince words about matters, but a heavy, furry weight slammed into her before she could respond to him. The force of the impact caused her to lose her knives. She gasped as the Werewolf (she heard it snarl and really what else could it be when they were stuck on a mountain in a blizzard with a bunch of Werwolves hunting them?) forced her deeper into the snow. This is getting old and did he eat a lost Rhino on the way down here?
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Peridan could see the Kings surrounded by Werewolves. The Werewolves were taking care to keep anyone from aiding them. He met Captain Ardon's gaze and returned the Centaur's curt nod. Charging the two Werewolves in front of him, Peridan fought with renewed energy and purpose. They had to reach the Kings.
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Frome's lips peeled back in a gruesome smile as he watched the Centaur's face as he tackled his mate, forcing her deeper into the snow. He held her face down in the snow just long enough to make sure she was disoriented and weak. Her struggles to dislodge him worked against her and she weakened even faster than Frome had hoped. Flipping the Centaur's mate over, he yanked her up so they were both facing the Centaur and then trailed his claws along her throat. He was going to enjoy taunting the Centaur with his mate's death. He growled, "She will die very slowly, Centaur." He tightened his grip on her neck then shifted his other hand so it hovered over her heart and slowly sank his claws through her clothing.
She suddenly thrashed, reaching back to hit him, and Frome grabbed her arm. His nostrils flared as the sweet scent of the blood sluggishly dripping down her arm from a wound to her wrist caught his attention. Still keeping one hand wrapped around her throat, Frome yanked her bleeding wrist toward him and licked both the fresh and frozen blood up. She was tasty.
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Every time a Werewolf would advance, Peter and Edmund forced them to fall back as they were met with shield and blade at every attempt. Peter silently thanked Aslan for all of Oreius' intensive training sessions. He raised his shield and kept his back firmly against his little brother's as one Werewolf leapt at him. He lashed out with Rhindon and the Werewolf dropped soundlessly into the churned and trampled snow. Ptah suddenly leapt on the back of another Werewolf and they rolled, hissing and growling, away from Peter and Edmund, perilously close to the same edge that Oreius and Kat had toppled over earlier.
The Leopard and Werewolf collapsed for a moment, partially hidden form sight by the swirling snow. Peter felt a wave of relief wash over him when Ptah stumbled away from the Werewolf...and the Werewolf didn't move again. However, his moment's inattention to his own ongoing battle nearly cost him dearly. Oreius would be most displeased if...when he heard what happened. A flash of movement out of the corner of his eye alerted him just before two Werewolves jumped at him. One impaled himself on Rhindon, but the other knocked Peter back into Edmund, nearly causing both brothers to fall. Edmund snapped, "Watch your footing!"
Peter grunted as he awkwardly slammed his shield against the Werewolf's head and struggled to regain his feet. "Easy for you to say." The Werewolf growled and charged him again, causing him to knock against Edmund's legs. Edmund stumbled and hissed a curse as he fended off his own Werewolf. Peter let go of Rhindon in favor of punching the Werewolf thrice in rapid succession. The Werewolf yelped and fell back. Peter got to his knees, only to get Edmund's elbow in his eye as he tried to stand. He grunted then snatched Rhindon up and drove the blade deep into the Werewolf's chest, finally killing the Fell beast.
He blinked as he realized that his left eye was already swelling from the impact of Edmund's elbow. He really wished he had packed his helmet along with the rest of his armor. Peter quickly put his back against his brother's once again, hoping nothing came at them from his left that Edmund missed...of course, Oreius had trained them in the past where one was blindfolded and depending on the other to see attacks they couldn't and guide their response. Unfortunately, there was no warning for either of them when the next Werewolf attacked. Peter got a good look at the scarred muzzle and teeth of the Werewolf before the Fell creature toppled him on top of Edmund.
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Oreius watched the Werewolf as Alambiel grimaced when the Fell creature licked her wrist. He recognized the grey Werewolf as the one who had attacked both the High King and the Gentle Queen, the one he had wounded the first time Werewolves attacked their party. Alambiel winced just before the Werewolf licked her wrist again. Oreius suspected the Werewolf had dug a claw into her wound to make it bleed more. He needed to distract the Werewolf before he decided to start eating Alambiel. "You'll have difficulty killing that one, slowly or quickly."
Alambiel shot him an irritated look but the Werewolf had stopped licking her wrist. "Is that what you think, Centaur? You play with her life?"
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Katerina didn't bother to hide her irritation at Oreius, but she was also extremely grateful that Frome had stopped licking her wrist. The Werewolf's grip on her throat and wrist loosened slightly as he questioned Oreius. Just enough that she managed to slip her free hand toward the dent in the snow where one of her knives had fallen. Next time I go anywhere, I'm bringing all my knives...all of them. Her fingers brushed against the blade, but she ignored the bite of the blade as she grabbed the knife. She managed to adjust her grasp so she was holding the knife by the hilt instead of the blade and then she stabbed the Werewolf's hand that was wrapped around her throat. She didn't dare drive the knife into his hand as hard as she could since she didn't want to stab herself in the throat, but it was deep enough to force Frome to let go of her throat.
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Frome snarled as the Centaur's mate cut him, but he tightened his grip on her wrist, keeping her from running and keeping her mate at bay since he could still kill her before the Centaur ever reached them. He growled at the Centaur's mate and she bared her teeth in her own silent snarl as she slashed at his arm. This fight would be even more fun than Frome had originally thought.
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Peridan watched in horror as the Werewolf tackled the Kings. He raced toward them, but another Werewolf slammed into him, knocking him clean off his feet. One of the Wolves and Captain Ardon came to his aid, but for every Werewolf they slew, yet more Werewolves appeared and intervened in their attempts to reach the Kings. He feared it would be too late for the Kings by the time they managed to extricate themselves from the constant fighting with the Werewolves. Please Aslan, do not let it be so. Protect Your chosen Kings.
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Brutus still didn't make a sound as he stared into the eyes of the golden pretender king. He relished the alarm in the pretender's face, only slightly obscured by swelling around his left eye. But then the alarm vanished, leaving only a steely resolve. It was the same resolve Brutus had seen in the dark one's eyes when Medea had held him and Alambiel captive. The golden pretender surprised him by using his whole body to fling Brutus off his shield, rolling so as to allow the dark one to scramble out from under him. Brutus bared his teeth in a silent growl as he watched the two move to stand side by side and faced him.
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Katerina hissed then cut a long gash along Frome's arm, but the mangy mutt wouldn't let go of her wrist. Ignoring the pain from the pressure on her wounded wrist, Katerina twisted away from the Werewolf then kicked him just below his knee. The snow slowed her momentum, preventing her from slamming her boot against him with as much force as she wanted (and would have liked) to, but it still caused his leg to buckle. Unfortunately, he kept his grip on her wrist. She saw Oreius moving out of the corner of her eye and dropped down in the snow, giving him as much room to do whatever he was about to do as she could...while there was a Werewolf attached to her wrist. I don't know what you're doing, Kentauri, but don't you dare miss. She would never let him live it down if he cut her instead of the Werewolf. And, he'd better be planning on cutting the Werewolf.
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Peter watched the Werewolf carefully. It puzzled him that the Fell creature hadn't made a sound since he first attacked them...but he was certain the Werewolf intended to kill them. The blizzard kicked up around them again, momentarily blinding him. He instinctively raised his shield to help shield his face from the snow pelting him. It saved his life as not even half a moment later, the Werewolf crashed against his shield. Edmund grabbed his arm and pulled him back away from the Werewolf, but the Fell creature had already retreated out of striking distance. He could barely make out the Werewolf's form as the Fell beast circled around them. Then Edmund met his eyes, a cold, determined fire burning in their dark depths. Peter nodded and they charged as one toward the Werewolf.
Peter struck out with his shield as Edmund angled Shafhelm in a downward slash. The Werewolf still didn't make a sound but dark stains appeared almost immediately in the snow, confirming that the strike had connected. Then Edmund slammed his shield against the Werewolf's wounded side and Peter stepped forward, ramming Rhindon into the Werewolf's throat. He felt a faint sense of relief when the Werewolf with the scarred muzzle collapsed...he remembered Lucy and Kat's description of the Werewolf called Brutus and was relieved this Brutus could no longer hunt anyone else in his family and his people. But, that relief was short-lived as he realized the blizzard was getting even stronger...and they still didn't know if Kat and Oreius had survived their fall.
He raised his sword and shouted, "Narnia! To me! To me, Narnia!" The soldiers appearing out of the swirling wall of snow was a relief and then Peridan walked toward them, holding the reins of both his horse and Peter's, with Philip beside them. As they mounted up and then began another cautious yet swift trek down the trail, he prayed they would find Kat and Oreius...alive and in one piece.
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Katerina felt the pressure on her wrist suddenly stop pulling as Oreius gave a war cry and Frome let out a yelp. Raising her head, she grimaced at the sight of an unattached Werewolf arm still clutching at her wrist. It worked, but it was still so, so gross, in her personal and completely biased opinion. She forced the hand to let go of her wrist at the same time Oreius killed Frome by running him through the heart. She met Oreius' gaze and shrugged, "This wasn't my fault."
The Kentauri didn't say a word, just waited until she had found her other knife and sheathed them both before pulling her on his back again. Katerina grumbled, "I can walk, you know."
"Not fast enough."
He was probably right...okay, even she knew he was right, but she still tapped him in the side with her heel. She knew she was going to pay for that when they got back to Cair Paravel, as soon as they started training again. They barely reached the top of the main trail when out of the snow and darkness they ran right into the rest of their party. Katerina felt Oreius' relieved sigh when the Kings appeared slightly battered but unharmed. Now if only they could avoid freezing to death. Oreius didn't let them stop long, instead he quietly ordered them to march doubletime despite their fatigue. They did still have to get down the mountain before the blizzard killed them after all...
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A/N: Please Read and Review! Okay, a nice long chapter and they're still not out of danger. Only six more chapters left. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one.