Black And Blue

AllzStar

The blood rushing in my ears was the only thing I could hear as I charged forwards, Peter right by my side, the front army behind us as we attacked. I could see the underground army streaming out from the trapdoors in the ground, advancing towards the Telmarines from behind.

Too soon I reached the opposing army, and then I was fighting. Gemma slashed through flesh and bone as I fought for my country, and I couldn't ignore the wonderful feeling that I was finally back in my element again. As much as I hated killing things, I knew this was what I was born to do. Fight for what was right, whether it be for my country or what I believed in.

"Jaxx!"

I turned and saw Edmund approaching me on his horse, firing his crossbow at passing enemies. I got ready, and when he was near enough he stuck out his arm. I grabbed it, and he swung me up onto the saddle. Still brandishing Gemma, I clutched Edmund with one arm while I swung at enemies on the ground.

When I heard Edmund cursing I looked up. The rest of the Telmarine army, and I mean very much more than half of it, was marching forwards, General Glozelle in the lead. I swallowed the lump in my throat and exchanged a worried glance with Edmund. "What do we do?" I asked quietly.

"What we've always done," Ed replied grimly. "We fight."

Griffons soared above us, carrying dwarves with bows and arrows. I watched in horror as the Telmarines released deadly crossbow arrows that struck several of the flying archers and their beasts to the ground. Across the battlefield, I met Peter's gaze, and then Caspian's. Peter turned and looked at Susan. I looked once again at Edmund. Why was this army still standing? Another part of our army was supposed to attack the foot soldiers from behind. Lucy's army.

"Lucy?" passed across everyone's lips.

"We can't fight them," I said to Edmund. "There are too many. Without Aslan's army, we're doomed."

"You'll have to call retreat, then," said Edmund. "Quickly."

I gathered the little breath I had left and screamed, "BACK TO THE HOW!"

All around me, Narnians began moving back towards our sanctuary, grateful for the order. Edmund spun the horse around and eased it back, kicking off a few remaining Telmarines as he did so. One of them got the better of the horse, though; he struck the animal's hocks. The horse bucked, and I slammed face-first into Edmund's mail-clad back. Blood instantly began trickling from my nose, but I didn't have time to wipe it off before the animal bucked again.

I felt my rear leave the saddle, and then heard wind whooshing past my ears, and then I was flying the air, somersaulting through nothing, everything a blur of color and shouts that I couldn't decipher. And then I landed, and the pain started.

I fought back the urge to just give up and pass out right where I was. Struggling to suck it up and continue back to the How, I tried to sit up, but it seemed like every single one of the bones screamed in protest and I flopped back onto the ground. Shadows passed over my face as people ran by me. I looked up at the pale blue sky, and I felt as if I was spinning even though I knew I wasn't going anywhere for a while.

Someone's hand game down on my shoulder and I looked up into Peter's dusty face. His bangs were plastered to his forehead, his blue eyes wide with concern as he took in my bloody, dazed aura. "Jaxx," he moaned, brushing a loose strand of blonde hair from my face and tucking it behind my ear, "you promised me you wouldn't get hurt."

I struggled to reply, but all that came out was, "Horse bucked. Edmund?"

Peter sat on one knee and propped the other up. He gently pulled me up to lean against it, and examined my face. "Ed's gone back to the How. You've got two huge gashes on your face. We've got to get you inside. The army's coming." With that he bent forward and scooped me up princess-style. He stood up and started running. After a few yards, he began to really pant, and I knew he wouldn't be able to lift me for long. I was very light, but with the heat and our armour I'm sure that he was struggling.

"Put me down, Peter. I'm fine."

"I have to get you inside, first. We're almost there."

"You'll exhaust yourself if you don't. Please. I'm fine."

Peter reluctantly set me down, slinging my arm around his neck. He helped me stumbled towards the How, but our effort was in vain. The catapults from behind were firing away, and one of the boulders landed so close I could have touched it. The impact of the enormous rock sent both Peter and me sailing backwards, and I flew from his arms. I landed a few feet away from him and crumpled to the sun stained grass, clutching my stomach as I was winded for the second time.

Again, someone came to my aid, but it was Edmund this time. He called my name and rushed over to me, and supported me in his arms as I struggled to breathe. He looked up several times, and I assumed that the Telmarines were still approaching. "Go," I managed to gasp out. "Get to the How. I'll be fine. Just help Peter. Go."

"Peter's going to need more than my help," Edmund muttered, and my heart sank. Before I could say anything, he said, "And I'm not leaving you by yourself. Come on, just breathe a few times steadily and then I'll help you up. You can do it. Come on."

I did. I really did try. But a good, steady breath evaded me every time I tried. Pain had now spread through every part of my body, and my lungs felt as if someone was squeezing them. But Edmund needed me, and Peter needed me, and everyone else needed me. I wasn't doing any good spread out on the ground doing nothing. I finally managed to get up with only that knowledge as my motivation. It hurt in ample amounts, but I stood up, and Edmund helped me hobble about twenty yards. I hadn't realized how far from the How I had come already. I guessed being on the horse had helped.

I finally took my eyes off my feet for long enough to observe the current situation. Edmund and I were the only Narnians on the battlefield from what I could see. The Telmarines were fast approaching us, though making no move to take advantage of the two helpless teenagers slowly making their way to safety. I scanned the area for Peter, and when I didn't see him, panicked. There was no way he could have run all the way back to the How in the short time I had been parted from him. He wouldn't have gone back without me anyway.

I looked to Edmund for some sort of explanation for Peter's absence, but he either didn't see me or was choosing to ignore me. Either way, my entire world became fuzzy with worry. Edmund had declared that Peter was going to need more than his brother's help. I felt sick very suddenly and doubled over, retching on all fours. I could hear Edmund murmuring my name, telling me to get up and move, but there was no way my stomach was going to allow me to stand again.

"Just go," I told him between gasps. "Please, Ed, I'll be fine. Just go…please."

For once, he obeyed me. He stood up and reluctantly ran towards the How, pausing every few yards to look back at me. I waited until he was standing with the rest of my army before I went back to my pity party. I looked around for Peter when I wasn't vomiting, and after what felt like forever I finally spotted him curled up only ten feet from me. I crawled over to him and turned him over.

My heart clenched so tightly I was sure it would burst. His face was completely drained of colour except for several rivers of bright red blood that coursed down the side of his face. His beautiful eyes were closed, and they did not move behind the lids. I gently touched his cheek, letting his blood stain my fingertips. He was absolutely motionless. One quick look at the rest of his body told me that he was broken in several places. And he didn't move. At all. A horrible word popped into my head, and no matter how hard I tried to deny it, remove it in anyway possible, the harsh reality was too much and no amount of strength could have changed it. Instead, I just sat there, holding Peter's lifeless body in my arms, my tears falling down onto his precious face. But the word loomed over us like a heavy cloud that wasn't willing to lift up. Dead.

Oh my goodness! I am SO SORRY that I have been away forever!! But seriously, I have been having the worst cases of writer's block EVER. On everything! This is the first update I've posted in a long time for any of my stories. I promise that I will be more frequent now that the battles are (mostly) over.

I don't wanna spoil the story, but I know you'll all kill me if I kill Peter, so I'm telling you right now that he doesn't die. Don't worry!

On to the questions…..and answers!

High Queen Crystal: Well, personally, I'm more excited to write the sequel, so that's what I'm planning to write first anyway. I hope that makes your decision easier! :-)

Texanna: Thanks bud! I dunno, I just never get enthusiastic about battle sequences. I get bored of them easily and they never get written. Remind me never to write an action novel. :-)

Sakuraangel1327: I call Black and Blue the second instalment because it is the second story in a trilogy. I'm just writing all three out of order. So the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe one is the first one, the Black and Blue, and then the last is going to be about when the Pevensies once again return to Narnia after Prince Caspian.

Homely: Well…we'll just have to see ;)

Next chapter will be up sooner than this one! I promise!!!!