A/N: Mmmkay so basically I suck at writing battle sequences. Also, I know I'm never going to want to write this part, so I never will, and the story will never be continued. So, I settled to switch to Jaxx's POV halfway through. That way you get some action and I don't die of boredom. I was considering just skipping this part altogether, but I'm pretty sure some reviewers would kill me! So I wrote it…sorry if it stinks.
Black And Blue
AllzStar
Bloodlust. I had never really given much thought to the word, and yet now, as I stood facing my enemy, the one who had invaded and destroyed my kingdom, the word 'bloodlust' was the only one to describe my present emotion. As well as anger, sadness, and love, bloodlust was reaping through my veins and pulsing in my temples and in my fingers as they clenched around the hilt of my sword.
When I had last fought a war in Narnia, the Battle for Beruna, I had been scared stiff of what might happen to me, or to any of the people I loved. Now all I felt was anger, fury. I wanted to fight. I needed to win. I had to win. For Caspian. For Narnia. For…Jaxx. I couldn't lose now, not with the circumstances as they were, as far as Jaxx went. I couldn't abandon her, and the possibility of our child.
I stepped onto a piece of debris and flew off of it, raising my sword high above my head, the metallic chink of my chainmail ringing in my ears as I hung almost suspended in the air. It seemed to take ages before my sword finally came down upon Miraz's shield. Blood rushed past my ears and made it impossible to hear anything, not the cheering crowd, the murmuring of Miraz's men and Jaxx and Edmund on my side. I couldn't lose focus. Just Miraz. Just him.
We flew at each-other again and again, our swords dancing off shields and armour, each of us constantly trying to fell the other. Miraz took a blow to my head and my helmet flew off, followed shortly by the chainmail hood. My exposed head was cooling off and my bangs dripping with sweat. I fell several times trying to avoid Miraz's one-handed claymore, diving and tumbling and rolling. He managed to get me lying on my back and stepped on my shield, which as attached to my arm. I cried out in pain as my arm twisted in a way it shouldn't, and heard a sickening crack and jolt. Fingers of agony shifted through my entire arm and torso. I took half a second to glance at my arm. Broken? I was doomed.
I managed to roll out of Miraz's way as he tried to step on me, and then trip him down as well. I scrambled to my feet, roaring with excursion. As he stood, I slashed the exposed fabric of his thigh, flesh coming exposed and bloody. He gasped and crumpled, clutching the wound. I paused, waiting to see what the Telmarine would do. He glared up at me, his black eyes ablaze. "Does His Highness need a respite?"
I scowled, forcing myself to keep calm. "Five minutes?"
"Three!" he snapped, then allowed himself to be helped back to his men.
Pain took over my anger and I winced, clutching my loose arm. Jaxx was at my side in a second. "Dislocated," she said immediately, probing my arm gently.
We joined Edmund and Glenstorm at our end of the mini arena and I sat on a small stool, easing the shield off my arm. Approaching hoof beats turned our heads, and we saw Caspian and Susan riding up on horseback. I couldn't help but glower when I saw my sister's arms snaked around the Prince's waist. I was about to speak up when I noticed something that made my face fall and all the fury drain out of me. "Lucy?" I asked weakly when Su was in earshot.
"She got through," my sister replied. She snuck a glance at Caspian. "With a little help."
I stood up as Caspian helped Susan dismount, and they both approached us. For once, I didn't feel any spite towards the other boy. If he had saved my sisters, I owed him my life. "Thanks," I said quietly.
Caspian nodded, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Well, you were busy."
After a pause I turned to Susan. "You'd better get up there," I said, gesturing to the How. "Just in case. I don't expect the Telmarines will keep their word."
Susan fixed me with a sympathetic smile before coming forth to embrace me. I winced as she squeezed my arm.
"Sorry," she said, pulling away.
"It's alright," I replied, the corners of my mouth turning up meekly.
"Be careful." Susan gave me one last look before taking off towards the How, her bow ready.
Jaxx brushed my bangs aside and wiped at my forehead with a damp cloth. "How do you feel?" she asked softly, her lips barely moving.
I sighed, trying not to wince as pain shot through my arm again.
Edmund glanced towards our crowd of Narnians, anxiously anticipating a report on how their King was doing. "Keep smiling," Ed grumbled.
With extreme effort I raised my sword towards the army. They cheered.
I sat back down on the stool as Ed came to examine my arm. "Jaxx says it's dislocated." Edmund said nothing as he bent to remove my gauntlets. I flinched, and then looked out towards the waiting Telmarine army. My heart sank. "What do you think happens back home if you die here?"
Jaxx dropped into a crouch beside me and placed a delicate hand on my knee. "Don't talk like that."
I placed my hand on top of hers, and then looked up at my brother, still hard at work on my arm. His almond-shaped eyes were solemn and his face was so pale his freckled seemed like very dark marks on his cheeks. I exhaled slowly, trying to think of a way to put my feelings without sounding corny. "You know, you've always been there," I began, licking my dry lips, "and I never really—"
Edmund suddenly jerked my arm back into its socket and I screamed. The pain was already subsiding, though, as Jaxx towelled off my sweaty forehead, murmuring consolations soothingly under her breath.
Edmund gave me a light pat on the back. "Save it for later," he growled.
Jaxx offered me my helmet, but I shook my head. I was overheated enough as it was. She squeezed my hand briefly before helping me with my shield. Edmund handed me my sword.
I faced Jaxx, maybe for the last time. Knowing this, I couldn't help but to reach out and touch her face, no longer caring what Miraz noticed. "You should get down to the How."
She smirked, but her eyes were tearing up. "Show him right, Peter," she said softly, touching two fingers to her lips and then pressing them to mine. "I love you."
"And I you."
She smiled at me once last time before flouncing off to the How to join our army below. I raised my eyebrows at Caspian and he shook his head. He wasn't leaving yet.
I advanced towards Miraz, and the battle begun again.
*
I climbed up the ivy laden walls of the How until I was on the platform with Susan. By her side, we watched as Peter and Miraz fought, wincing every time the odds turned against our boy. My heart was swelling so much I thought I'd be sick. Part of me had insisted on staying there with Edmund and Caspian, to be there for Peter while he duelled, but the rest of me said that I should listen to Peter, not stress him.
I hadn't completely obeyed his orders, though. I wasn't technically where I was supposed to be. But I didn't know anyone below, and I wanted to squeeze someone's hand. The first bit of the duel I had spent with my palm's sweat mixing with Edmund's, and I now grasped Susan's hand. I could feel her hand shaking as violently as her bottom lip did.
I knew Peter could beat Miraz. The Telmarine Lord wasn't as good a fighter technically as Peter was, but he was a great deal rougher. I had never known Peter to be merciless. If Miraz went down, Peter wouldn't kill him. He was too good, too noble for that. Perhaps that was just one of the reasons I loved him so much.
The minutes wore on, but it felt like a millennia before something exciting happened. Peter managed to get the best of Miraz, punching him in his weak leg. Miraz crumpled to the ground, his mouth open so wide I could see it from where I was standing.
Sensing trouble, I let go of Susan's hand and scrambled down the How walls as fast as I could. I rushed to join Edmund and Caspian just as Ed yelled, "This is not the time for chivalry, Peter!"
I saw what was happening. Miraz was open, waiting for the kill. But Peter would not strike. On the one hand, it would be nice to have Miraz permanently taken care of. On the other, I really hoped Peter would not kill the man, for the sake of Aslan.
Peter turned away, towards us, and his eyes found mine. He opened his mouth to say something, but I was busy panicking. Miraz had been pretending. He rose to his feet; raising his sword as if he was going to strike Peter's back…
"LOOK OUT!" I screamed.
Peter turned. He grasped Miraz's sword, twisted, and shoved it home. The sword slid up into Miraz's underarm, permanently disabling his sword arm. Peter had won. Surely, it was over now that Miraz couldn't hold up a sword.
Peter stood before the fallen man, his own sword clean of blood, holding it tip-to-ground. Miraz peered up at Peter. "What's the matter, boy?" he growled. "Too cowardly to take a life?"
"It's not mine to take," replied Peter fiercely. He turned and extended his arm, offering Miraz's sword to Caspian dutifully. I couldn't help but feel proud of Peter. He was really doing the right thing. He had finally accepted Caspian as one on his side.
Caspian hesitantly advanced, and I could clearly see the surprise on his olive-toned face. Nevertheless, he accepted the sword and stood before Miraz, raising it. Peter bent down to collect his own sword, and then came to join Edmund and me, taking my hand and squeezing it.
I could see that Miraz was speaking to his nephew, but I couldn't hear what he was saying. I could tell that he was making Caspian upset, though, because the boy began shaking. Suddenly he let out a loud battle cry and plunged the sword down. I squeezed my eyes shut and screamed. Peter's arms were around me, but he coaxed me to look up, murmuring that it was alright. I blinked and saw Caspian bent over his uncle, the sword's tip stuck fast into a crevice in the stone platform.
"Keep your life," he said in a strained, low voice. "But I am giving the Narnians back their kingdom."
With that, Caspian left his uncle there, kneeling on the ground, his pride and power stripped from him in one small instant. The rightful Telmarine King approached us, and I saw the tears swimming in his round, black eyes. I rushed forward and gave him a swift hug, telling him how good and brave he was, how he had made the right decision. Caspian thanked me and faced Peter, and for once their stares weren't cold. There was finally acceptance between them.
Our army cheered with the new victory.
Was this battle over?
Not yet.
"Treachery!" shouted a Telmarine behind us as we walked back to the How. "They shot him! They murdered our king!"
I spun around just in time to see Miraz falling to the ground, an arrow lodged safely in his side. He was dead.
Lord Sopespian rushed back to his men, yelling, "They murdered our king! They shot him!"
I gave Peter a panicked look before turning to Susan and the other archers. "Be ready!" I shouted.
"Lady Carmen!" screamed Caspian.
We both turned to see a Telmarine knight, wearing a helmet and armour not unlike Miraz's, approaching us with a huge sword whose type and weight I had never seen before. He ran towards us, and my heart sank.
I fumbled to draw Gemma, but didn't have time to even grasp the hilt before the knight belted me in the face with his shield, sending me flying into a piece of rubble. I groaned as I collapsed to the ground, and I tasted blood. When I looked up Peter had already taken care of the knight (I tried to ignore the decapitated head rolling on the ground) and he turned to yell at the army. "Go!"
He rushed over to me. "Are you alright?"
"Peachy," I replied, grinning lopsidedly as I wiped the blood from my lip.
Peter helped me to my feet and I pulled Gemma from the scabbard, my cheeks burning. Why had I been so clumsy? I used to be able to pull out my sword in only a second.
General Glozelle and another knight were riding back to their army, their swords raised, shouting out battle instructions. "To arms! To arms!" The Telmarine army cheered, their horses flicking their tails in anticipation.
The great wooden contraptions that were their catapults groaned into motion, swinging around and around, each time taking up a huge, round boulder. My mouth dropped open as this new technology dashed some of our own strategies. The boulders began raining down, never quite hitting us, but working wonders on frightening us. The ground shook with the impact and I thought of the army of Narnians below, just waiting for Caspian's signal. Caspian himself was already on horseback, ready to go.
Peter, Edmund and I stood, three Narnian Knights, all clad in silver mail and red tunics bearing the crest of Aslan, facing the army that was now approaching us at full speed. Dust exploded all around us as the boulders hit the ground.
I heard Susan's faint cry of "Archers to the ready!" above all the ruckus.
Caspian and Glenstorm bolted into the How, and after a few moments I knew that both armies were running.
A boulder landed merely metres from the three of us, dust scattering at our feet. Keeping my inky eyes staring only straight ahead, I muttered, "One" under my breath, my mouth barely moving. I took a deep breath. "Two. Three. Four. Five. Six."
"Take your aim!" shouted Susan.
"Seven. Eight. Nine…. Get ready!"
The army behind us rustled as weapons were drawn and battle positions taken. The land beneath me shook. Caspian had given the order. The support columns were being destroyed as we breathed.
The squeals of terrified men and whinnies of horses rang in my ears over and over again as the ground beneath the Telmarine army collapsed, sending dozens of men and horses into the pit below. Peter, Edmund and I could only stand watching as the opposing army panicked.
"NOW!" screamed Susan.
Above me, arrows were flying in almost perfect synchronization. There were more screams of pain as the arrows struck home in the Telmarines, killing the few survivors of the fall and some of the lucky ones that had avoided it.
A horse ran by and Edmund swooped up into the saddle, riding forward.
"CHARGE!" I screamed.
****
Hey guys!! I am SO SORRY this took so long to post up!! The next chapter might take a while too, simply because it's another battle sequence and I hate writing those. Hopefully I'll get it up within the next two weeks.
I need your help deciding what to do next. As you know, there are three stories in the Heart Of Stone saga, and Black and Blue is the second instalment. There is still the prequel (which is LWW) and the sequel, which is what happens after this story (PC) is over. I need your opinion. Should I write the sequel or the prequel first? I mean honestly, I really don't want to write the prequel just yet, I mean that kind of story has been done way too many times and I really want to just continue being original. What I thought of doing was making Black and Blue the first one after all and just writing two more stories following it, and then if I get around to it, write the prequel and make it a real saga. I just want to know what you guys want, and maybe that will help me make a decision.
Anyway, on to the questions!! Sorry I forgot to answer questions last chapter…
Sakuraangel1327: Those are good ideas, we'll just have to see where this all goes! And about the pregnancy thing, even if she did get pregnant, the battle and everything takes place only the day after she and Peter did it, so she wouldn't be pregnant yet anyway. I'm glad you like this enough that you're dreaming of it! Lol
Narnialove: Haha I watched that on YouTube! Man, I wish I'd waited until the 3 disk edition had been released to buy the movie! :-(
..: Hey, thanks for the shout out. I believe I already answered your review privately, but I think you make a good point. The reason why Jaxx was bleeding so much was because she was menstruating (meaning she got her period) while they were…you know. It was just bad timing! And there wasn't as much blood as described; Peter was just distraught so everything was exaggerated.
Iste': Well, thanks! Actually, I was a little hesitant about putting sexual themes in the story, but hey, it is rated T, right? You gotta take a walk on the risqué side once in a while, right? Haha.
Homely: uehwebgebguiebtebgtiewuklfgkj to you too! :-)
Sakuraangel1327: Yes I am French! In fact, French is my first language! Thank goodness I learned English just as well! And no, she won't lose the baby. That would spoil the fun!
Texanna: Sorry, sorry! :-)
