Black and Blue

AllzStar

Edmund, for once, didn't complain, even jokingly, as I clutched him for support. He let me squeeze his body against mine as I stared, shocked, at the disfigured form of the one thing that I loved the most in the world: his brother, Peter.

My Peter.

My love.

All of it…

…gone.

With one…bloody…boulder.

Edmund gently pulled me to my feet, but he must have seen the advancing army because he suddenly began frantically hauling me away, one arm wrapped across my chest, under my arms. I clutched his arm, still staring, wide-eyed and dumbfounded, at the place where Peter lay in a crumpled heap, his bright blue eyes open wide and staring.

I was too shocked to understand what had happened and what was happening now, and I did not fight Edmund as he dragged me away, his lips brushing my hair. I felt something hot and wet trickle down my scalp, and realized it was his tears.

Peter was dead.

I never thought I would live to think that. But there it was: a plain, had fact. But I couldn't properly grasp it yet.

Edmund suddenly stopped short.

He let go of me only to take my face in between his shaking hands. He leaned down to look me in the eyes, his chocolate brown ones full of tears.

"They need us," he said, his own voice trembling, like he was trying to convince himself. "He would want us to fight for Narnia, for what's right. You know he would. So we've…we've just g-got to." He paused to take a deep, shuddering breath. "And…and no matter what, we'll always have each-other."

Tears welled up in my black eyes, but they did not fall. I nodded, and then Edmund hugged me tightly. When we pull away he leaned in again to press his lips to my forehead.

"Lady Carmen!" someone cried.

Edmund and I turned just as a great rumbling explosion shook the ground. I fell back, but quickly scrambled to my feet and looked about.

Caspian was standing near us, looking frenzied. When I met his gaze he looked away, directing my gaze to the entrance of the How. When I looked, my heart sank.

It was destroyed. One of the boulders from the Telmarine catapults had destroyed the entrance, completely blocking any hopes of retreat.

Edmund stood up and gasped, and then he and I exchanged panicked looks. "What now?" was written plainly in our eyes.

Caspian ran over to us. "What are your orders, Lady Carmen?" Caspian asked me, sweat trickling down his face. "What now?"

Yes, what now, indeed. I felt stupid and useless and just plain horrible. The Lady Knight of Narnia had absolutely no ideas. "I…really don't know!" I wailed, leaning against Edmund again for support. "I can't think!"

Susan suddenly appeared at Caspian's shoulder and looked at Edmund and I, her eyes growing wide at our state. "What happened to you two? You're all bloodied?"

I hadn't realized it till then, but it was true. Edmund's lip had split open and blood was dripping from a gash on his cheekbone. I felt the itchy warmth of my own blood trickling down from my forehead. When I touched it, I winced, and when I drew my fingers away they were smeared with blood.

Susan was looking around frantically. "Where's Peter?" she asked, her voice an octave higher than usual.

My knees buckled and I fell. Edmund caught me before I fully hit the ground.

A moan of pure agony ripped through me and out of my mouth before I could suppress it. Finally, the tears came, hot and salty, burning my eyes, flowing down my face like a waterfall. The sobs raked through me, making my back heave, as I struggled for breath and the life that was slipping away from me, like water running through my fingers.

I was barely aware that Edmund was cradling me against his chest, stroking my hair, and crying as well. I barely heard Susan's sobs as Edmund told her what had happened.

And then Susan and Caspian were both frantically trying to get me to calm down, although Susan was quite a mess as well.

"Jaxx, Jaxx, please, it's alright, Jaxx, calm down, Jaxx," Susan cooed shakily.

"Please, Lady Carmen, we must fight!" said Caspian hurriedly.

Only Edmund wasn't trying to make me get a grip. He held me, patiently, understandingly, almost as if he…didn't want to let me go. He'd told me he would always be there for me. That he'd never let me down. Now it was my turn to love him the way he loved me, truly, and to not let him down and to be there for him.

I pulled myself out of Edmund's arms and stood up, wiping the tears away with my sleeve.

The Narnians were shifting uncomfortably, anxious about the oncoming army. Several were looking at me with confusion. Some were even poised as if they wanted to help me, held back by their comrades.

I looked them all in the eye, nodded once, and then turned to face the army. It was so close now. Only a handful of yards away.

I pulled Gemma from her scabbard and raised her high, the gems on the hilt catching the sunlight and sending pink shadows everywhere.

"ATTACK!" I screamed.

And we did.

I fought with vigour, more determined than I ever had been to completely annihilate the enemy. Peter's face, pale and drained of life, his blue eyes staring at nothing, flashing before my eyes with every strike of my sword.

I lost track of Susan and Caspian, but Edmund remained at my side, and together we fought for the loved one we had so tragically lost. I tried to push all the painful thoughts and images of Peter from my mind now. There would be time for grief and suffering. Later. But right now, we had a population and a country to defend.

Narnians streaked by me, but I was barely aware of them. My blood rushed behind my temples and I saw red. My blood sang. The bloodlust was so seductive it pulled me under, and then I was a murdering tyrant, slicing apart every single Telmarine within my path. I killed them because they had taken my love from me, stripped me of my only vice.

"Jaxx!" Edmund cried, but his voice was muffled, as if he was calling me through a glass door.

I didn't respond in time.

An arm wrapped around my torso, pining my arms to my side. I gasped in surprise and, regrettable, felt Gemma slide from my sweaty fingers. I was lifted off my feet.

An iron clad Telmarine, easily about five times bigger than the rest of them, was holding me six feet from the ground, and his sword was pressed against the bare flesh of my throat. My mail hood and helmet had long since fallen off, and now I was going to die.

I kicked and screamed for the first while, desperate to get back to my killing spree, but now I just went limp, waiting for death.

Peter was gone, and I wanted to join him.

"Any last words, Lady Knight of Narnia?" the Telmarine spat snidely into my ear.

My head was cradled in the crook of his neck and shoulder, and my eyes swivelled to his face. "Bite me."

The blade pressed tighter against my flesh, and a few beads of blood welled where it tore.

"Oh, don't worry," he hissed. "My sword will do that for me."

I realized with a start that this was General Glozelle.

With all the remaining strength I had, I kicked him in the groin.

He gasped in pain and I dropped, hitting the ground hard. I rolled to avoid his feet as he stumbled towards me, clutching himself.

He recovered quickly, though, and I had barely got to my feet before he swung his sword. I evaded his attack and frantically scampered around for Gemma.

Glozelle swung again, the blow coming too close for comfort as I dove out of the way.

I tried to get back up, but I was physically exhausted. I flopped back down and held my breath, waiting, again, for my untimely demise.

A glint of pink caught my eye. A foot away from me, an arms reach, was Gemma.

I scrambled forwards just as Glozelle's weapon came down again. This time it was a two sided battle axe, each blade bigger than my head.

I had barely felt the coolness of Gemma's hilt when Glozelle was upon me again. He kicked Gemma from my hand and then stepped on my arm, earning a scream from me. He practically stood on my arm, and I felt the bone snap beneath his weight. I screamed even louder, but didn't ask him to remove himself. Tough it out. That's what Peter would say.

Glozelle had his sword out again, and was aiming it straight at my heart.

"And now we see the true Lady Knight of Narnia," he sneered. "Begging for mercy. Screaming for death. I shall grant that last wish, Lady Knight of Narnia, but you, not I, shall be the fool in the end."

He raised his sword.

I stopped screaming and squeezed my eyes shut.

My skin rippled, anxiously awaiting the strike of the sword.

But it never came.

There was a cry of surprise, then of pain, and then there was a loud thud, followed by the clanking of metal and scrambling feet.

Someone hovered above me, and then hands caressed either side of my face. "Jaxx…," said a voice. It was too familiar, and it was the most beautiful voice in the world.

I opened my eyes and blinked him into focus. And then I blinked some more, because what I was seeing was truly impossible.

Sitting before me, unscathed and as beautiful as ever, was Peter Pevensie.