Chapter 4

Lucy pulled the heavy fur off her and swung her legs off the end of the bed as soundlessly as she could. She winced as pain shuddered up her injured leg as she moved it. She grabbed hold of a rocky outface and heaved herself up. She hesitantly limped forward and squealed slightly as the pain thundered through her thigh. She grabbed hold of the rock with her other hand and came forward a shuffle. She gritted her teeth and stumbled over to the door and let out a gasp, letting the pain rush over her. She fumbled with the door and heaved it open wincing as the use of energy made her leg protest. Her hands fumbled over the grainy wood, trying to find a place to get a hold. She found one and heaved herself outside, onto the rocky floor. She closed the door as quietly as she could manage then stumbled her way down the cave. After what seemed like hours, Lucy dragged herself to the opening. By this time her breath was coming in short gasps and her eyes were like two raindrops hanging of the end of a leaf; wet with tears, but not enough to cry. She reached up to her mouth and bit down hard on the fingers to stop herself screaming as a fresh tsunami of pain crashed through her tiny body. The fresh, salty sea deep within her eyes crashed over and ran estuaries down her cheeks. She drew her hand away, her breath shuddering out of her small body. She took a step on the tiptoe out on the rustling leaves and swung quickly onto her other leg, trying to minimise the amount of time her injured leg had weight on it. She looked around, wondering how far she was from Aslan's How. She looked around desperately, searching for a sign that would show her how to get back. She bit her lip in terror. She was trapped! There was no signs, she had no way of knowing where she was, what direction she should head in. she scrambled away a little, going as fast as she could. Just to get away from that hateful cave and that lying boy. He was just trying to gain her trust so he could use her for Miraz. How did he not see she saw through his ruse! She heard a rustling and saw a red snout peek its way out of the undergrowth. She picked up a stick, warily.

"Hello?" she said. The fox snarled. Lucy squeaked and thrashed at the fox with the stick. The fox snarled and dashed off and Lucy swallowed hard. She was scared and lost and tired and in so much pain! She cried again, the pain was constant now, a sharp reminder that she was weak and frail and wouldn't last long in the forest. She had to get away from here, back to Aslan's How. But she wasn't clever, like Susan. She hadn't thought to try and remember any signs from when that boy had carried her to the cave. She knew she could probably find her way back from where the boy had met her, but there was no way of getting to that spot. She leant against a tree, her chest heaving, her whole body racked with sobs.

"Someone, please help me!" she whispered and inside she begged for Susan, or Aslan or Caspian to come and find her. To pick her up and take her back to safety. She bit her lip again, but this time to stop herself crying out for help.

"Come on Lucy. Pull yourself together. Think like Susan." she hissed to herself. She needed something to help her walk, she looked back at the tree and tugged on a branch. It swayed, and a few birds flew into the sky in alarm. She tugged again and it came loose with a loud crack. Lucy immediately regretted her action. If the boy was in the forest, then she had just alerted herself to him. And, for that matter, anyone who happened to be in the forest. Lucy shook her head. She knew thinking like that would get her no where. She trimmed the stick and leant her weight on it, experimentally. The branch held and soon Lucy was off, trying to find her way out of the wood. She heard a growl and she turned and saw the fox from earlier. She swung her stick at it and it ran off again. She turned back, but as she did so, a stick slid through the material of her dress, tearing the bandage and dragging through the wound. Lucy screamed and passed out as the pain exploded down her like someone had poured poison into her bloodstream.

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Edmund gathered the little bundles up into a bag and slung the bag over his shoulders. He crept silently into his tutor's room and grabbed some more bandages, before he left. He looked behind him, wondering for the first time if he should tell his father. Miraz would be so proud. Edmund would be his favourite son again, instead of that idiot Peter. Edmund sighed walked to the stables.

"Hello, Edmund. Odd time to be riding?" questioned one of the stable girls, Ladine, a pretty little thing with a livid red brand scorched across her left cheek.

"I suppose." he said, smiling at the little girl. She smiled back, then turned and Edmund shuddered at the sight of the brand. When he is king, he will never brand people he promised himself silently.

"You got Philip ready?" he asked and the girl nodded.

"Yes. He's really frisky today. I'd give him a good gallop, if I was you." she said, her grammar failing as her odd Archenland accent came out.

"Thanks." Edmund said as he took the reins. "I will." he leapt on the horse and rode off, missing the girl sigh as she watched him disappear.

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Edmund dismounted and tied Philip to a tree. He breathed in the smell of soft dirt and wet leaves, and smiled. Edmund looked up as he heard the scream. He narrowed his eyes, trying to judge where it had come from. He thought for a moment, then his eyes widened, almost in a panic. Lucy! He ran back to the cave, he couldn't afford to lose her! She was too important in his plan. With her on his side, then he would have no problem fighting against Miraz. He ran up to the door, then smoothed down his hair and opened the door.

"Lucy?" he called and looked around. He hit the wall as he realised she wasn't there. He walked out of the cave.

"Think Edmund. She can't have gone very far. She's injured. Just follow her tracks." he told himself. He got up and went outside. There, very clearly, were tracks. They were clumsy, it was obvious she was limping and her leg was causing her great pain. Edmund leant near the ground, then followed the tracks, smiling as she went off on a tangent. He came to tree with a large white wound in it's grey brown bark. Lucy must have pulled off a branch to use as a walking stick. He looked around, cursing as he saw she had been clever enough to use the branch to wipe away her footprints. But Edmund could see the large swiping patterns on the dirt and leaves and he followed those faint trails, once again thanking Doctor Cornelius for teaching him to be able to track even faint trails. Suddenly, Edmund stopped short. He saw a large, grey wolf's tail shimmer in the undergrowth. He looked down and found the trails again. He followed, them till he saw the wolf slowly padding towards a body. Edmund barely had to look to know it was Lucy.

"Oh Lucy. Why do I always have to be the one to save you?" he murmured, then drew his sword and whistled at the wolf. The grey beast swung round and curled it's lip, showing it's jaws. Edmund hissed at it and it growled in return. Edmund swung his sword, and the wolf leapt at him, claws outstretched. Edmund's sword met it in mid-air, and the animal dropped heavily to the ground. Edmund heard a rustling and he saw another two wolves closing in. Edmund smiled grimly, then swung his sword in a deathly arc and two wolves were no more. Edmund sheathed his sword, then picked up the unconscious girl. He looked down into her beautiful face.

"You had better be worth it." he whispered, then walked back to the cave.