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Finally the war was here. Finally the reason they'd been sent back to Narnia had come. Finally the waiting had come to an end.
All of the royals approached that war with mixed feelings. On the one hand they were glad that battle was finally here. The waiting had always been the worst to them, sitting around, not able to do anything but making plans and growing fears. And they knew that fighting this war was the only way to sort things out, it was the first of many jigsaw pieces to adjust things to what they had been.
On the other hand they feared especially this. They feared getting certainty of Edmund's and Eustace's death and they feared being sent back to England again. But they knew this was a war they couldn't avoid, a war they had to fight, even if it would cost many of their lives, even if it would be their last battle.
Without losing time all of them had ridden to Aslan's How, where they had gathered all their forces. They had had a short argument, Peter and Caspian not wanting Susan to go with them, because they thought she was still too weak, but they had soon given up, knowing that they wouldn't be able to keep the gentle queen from this war.
When they arrived at the How, all of them were astonished by what they saw. Neither of them had ever seen such a large army, not even Miraz's army in the Narnian revolution had been that large.
There were men, wolves, centaurs, minotaurs, dwarfs, eagles, foxes, beavers, mice, phoenixes and many other Narnian creatures. And there was no enmity or hatred far and wide. All of them were helping each other to get ready for battle. All the hostility and antagonism the two races had had in the last time seemed to have gone.
"A common enemy unites even the oldest of foes." Peter said, smiling at the others as they rode through the masses towards the How.
"We cannot meet them on the open field. That would be our death. We need to make use of the forest." Peter confirmed, studying the cards in front of him. The Calormen had entered Narnia near the Glasswater Creek and had set up their camp there as well, but it was only a matter of time until they would intrude into Narnia further.
"But the Calormen know that we have an advantage in the forest, they won't attack us there." Caspian pointed out, tearing his hair in frustration.
"We need to trap them." Susan recommended, approaching the two kings, who looked surprised. Susan normally wasn't the one making battle plans. Just like Lucy, who always took a back seat in making battle plans, except for when she thought that they risked too much.
"What do you suggest?" Peter asked.
"We gather our forces here." she pointed at a place near the Glasswater Creek, "They will have to go through this little forest if they want to attack us. We hide small groups of archers in the trees, ready to attack them, when they don't expect us to. They will be focused on the army, their eyes will be blind for what happens within the forest."
"No!" Caspian exclaimed, "That's way too dangerous for the archers. If the Calormen find out where the arrows come from, the archers have no more chance to get out of there alive."
"Before they even notice what is happening, you and your forces will attack them." Susan concluded her plan.
"That's insane!" Caspian looked over at Peter, "Peter, tell me you are not considering this."
The High King looked at his sister thoughtfully, hesitating to tell his opinion, "Su, it's a good plan, but Caspian's right, it's too dangerous."
"Pete, you know that I am right." Susan tried to convince Peter, looking straight into his eyes, "It's the only way to trap the Calormen, they will get wind of everything else. This is something they won't expect."
"Then we'll have to defeat them in an open battle. We have a large army with brave men. We can defeat them." Caspian pointed out.
Susan shook her head, "No, we mustn't underestimate the Calormen! Their army is at least as big as ours and they are more experienced in battle."
Peter still looked thoughtfully from his sister to Caspian, "And I guess you would like to lead that group?"
"Well it's only reasonable that the best archer leads the group, isn't it?" Susan nodded.
Caspian gasped for air, not able to believe what he had just heard, "You nearly died yesterday and now you want to betake yourself into certain death?"
"You cannot keep me away from this war." Susan shouted, with tears in her eyes, "You know that this is the reason, we were sent back to Narnia. This is our war to fight! And we need to win it, not only for Narnia and for Aslan, but also for Edmund, Eustace and for ourselves."
"We don't want to keep you from this fight." Peter tried to calm down his sister.
"Well I do." Caspian whispered silently, receiving an admonitory gaze from Peter.
"But we mustn't risk the life of brave men." Peter continued, "If you hide in the trees, you can't wear an amour, because that would flash through the branches. And that way you are an easy target."
"We can were green tunics over the amour. That way they won't notice us until you and your troops attack them." Susan suggested.
Now Peter didn't know what else to say against it. No matter how little he liked the idea of his sister in the middle of all those Calormen, he knew he wouldn't be able to keep her from fighting and he knew that her plan was a good one.
"Well it's not my decision to make." Peter looked over at Caspian, "Caspian is the current king."
Susan also turned around to face Caspian, looking pleasing straight into his dark brown eyes.
"No! That's too dangerous. No." his voice grew more and more unsteady with every moment he looked into Susan's eyes, "No."
"Caspian, please!" Susan pleaded, laying one hand on his chest, "I will fight in this war no matter how you decide. I will risk my life no matter how you decide. The only thing that you decide is how effective it will be. Caspian, please."
Caspian sighed, "That's not fair. You know I cannot refuse you."
"Is it fair that you decide such a kingly matter on personal feelings?" Susan counter questioned.
Caspian sighed again, looking over at Peter, who nodded in agreement. "I will agree upon two conditions." he finally said.
"And that are?" Susan inquired, already smiling, knowing that she had won.
"Firstly, that I will hide with you in the trees to protect you." Caspian told them smiling.
"I don't think that that's such a great idea, Caspian." Peter objected, "It will arouse suspicion, when you aren't amongst your forces."
Caspian's expression darkened again, but before he could say anything, Susan suggested something else, "I am sure, Trumpkin would like to join the archers and I can stay close to him."
Caspian hesitated for a short moment, "But you need to promise me to look after yourself. Don't play the heroine. I won't forgive myself if anything would happen to you."
Susan hugged him, whispering, "And you look after yourself as well."
"And what is the second condition?" Susan asked, when she pulled back from him.
Caspian grinned, "I would like a kiss."
Susan smiled, tiptoed and covered his lips with hers. Peter turned around nerved, shaking his head, when he suddenly noticed, that Lucy had gone.
Lucy hated it. She had never had a say when they were talking about battle plans. She had already given up telling the others her opinion. She held that a war settled nothing, whether if they would win him or not. In a war nobody is the winner, everybody loses, not only land or authority but also men, lives. After a war everything is in disaster – the nature, the life of families, who have lost somebody.
But it wouldn't have changed anything, if she had told them this. So she had decided to take the matters into her own hand. They hadn't even noticed when she had left and now she was riding through the woods, just like she had been together with Susan, when they had been to Narnia the last time, searching for Aslan.
But with every minute she was losing the hope that she would find him like she had done the last time. Well deep in her heart, she had known that it wouldn't be that easy this time. Aslan had told her, that nothing was happening the same way twice, but she had needed to try.
Suddenly she heard horses behind her and when she turned around she spotted some Calormen soldiers. Maybe riding alone hadn't been such a great idea after all.
She spurred her horse, ducking her hand close to the horse's body, to elude the arrows that the soldiers were shooting at her.
She heard how once of the arrows hit the back of her horse, then a second and then suddenly the horse's leg became too weak and it sank to the ground, while Lucy fell to the hard forest soil.
When she looked up, the soldiers had already surrounded her, holding out their swords towards her. Then all of a sudden the young queen heard a battle cry and caught sight of a group of men that rode towards them, attacking the soldiers.
Well a shorter chapter and again a filler chapter ... hope you liked it nevertheless ...
I know the idea with the archer in the trees isn't exactly a new one but I kind of liked it ...
Leave me a review and tell me what you think about - even if it's just one word or sentence or what else it will make my day a thousand times better :) ..
thanks again to those who reviewed to far :) ... I love to read your thoughts!
I'll try to update soon :) ...
