Chapter 19

Ladine pushed her way to the front and stared at the awe-inspiring site before her.

"That's just one army?" she asked and Caspian nodded. Ladine shook her head.

"We haven't got a chance!" she cried, but Caspian put a finger over her lips.

"Don't say that. We're going to win!" he said and he said it like it was a perfect fact. Ladine nodded and she turned away, unconvinced. It was huge, a glittering puddle of soldiers that stretched out across the land, stretching back from the horizon, dwarfing the Archenland and Narnian army put together. Ladine picked up speed and she ran over to her tent and burst in. she scrabbled around her bags and pulled out a small glass bottle full of a cloudy, colourless liquid. She smiled.

"Good. I haven't lost it." she muttered and fixed the little bottle to her belt. "Now I'm prepared." she said and smile came to her lips.

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Edmund surveyed the battle field from the back of Philip.

"Easy." he muttered, then he pulled on his helmet. He turned to Caspian and the boys nodded at each other.

"One... Two... Three..." Edmund murmured, then he and Caspian drew their swords and raised them over their heads and yelled in unison

"For Narnia! And for Aslan!" and they sped off in a gallop, with the huge rumble of horse hooves signifying that their army was following them in their descent. Edmund looked up and smiled as he saw a burning missile whistle its way over their heads and crash into the Calormen camp, burning their tents. He saw the Tisroc's son pull himself and the army together and rush forward to stop the Narnian attack. Edmund leaned down with his sword in one hand, the other holding the reins. He spurred Philip on and his drew his sword up from its deathly arc. He whirled his horse around and cut through a pike that a Calorman was holding. Edmund held the point of the sword to the man's throat.

"Where is Peter?" he hissed and the man raised his eyes proudly.

"I will not tell, no matter how many swords are held to my throat." he said.

"Wrong answer." Edmund said and pushed him over the cliff, where he fell onto the little ledge below. The man winced and clutched at his arm.

"Calm down. It's only a broken arm." Edmund said, before he turned Philip around and galloped back into the fight. He heard the swish of arrows and he lifted his shield to stop himself being hurt by the arrows. He saw a Calorman who had lifted his shield too, raise his sword in an attempt to surprise Edmund. Edmund tutted as he brought up his sword to stop the other sword.

"This isn't a practise." Edmund chided, as he expertly wheeled his sword around and finished the man's life. Sensing how many people were now crowding the battlefield he leapt off Philip and whirled round and faced a Telmarine sneaking up on him.

"Ah! Lord Drimaine! How lovely to meet you again!" Edmund cried, recognising the man in the armour attempting to kill him. The lord looked surprised and Edmund took full advantage, before he moved on. He saw Caspian standing in his own little circle of destruction and Edmund raised his eyebrows in appreciation, before whirling around and copying Caspian's lead.

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Lucy raised her arm in signal to let the flame-throwers go and she smiled as they hit the Calormen camp and set up a blaze. She turned to see Ladine and Susan commanding the archers.

"Everything's going according to plan!" she whispered, her smile lighting up her face. Ladine smiled.

"Don't speak too soon. I haven't seen the Tisroc's personnel guard, the Perak out yet. They're supposed to be ruthless."

"Personnel guard? But that should only be about 20 people!" Lucy protested. Ladine raised her eyebrow.

"20? Oh no. The Tisroc needs at least 500 men in his personnel guard, each one perfectly trained." she said, serenely. Lucy stared at her.

"500 men?" she asked and Ladine and Susan nodded.

"Oh dear, Lucy! How sheltered you are!" Susan said, notching another arrow onto her bow.

"It's not my fault! You're the one that should have told me!" Lucy protested pointing at Susan as the arrow sliced through the air. Susan rolled her eyes and fitted another arrow into her bow. She aimed, then sighed.

"I do wish Edmund would get out of the way!" she said, aiming again and wincing. "How do I know they won't move in the time it takes for my arrow to get there?"

"You don't. I suppose battle is just one big gamble." Ladine said, letting an arrow fly. Susan sighed.

"Well I'm a little more responsible than you!" she said, before she copied the younger girl's lead.

"That's your problem!" Ladine cried, a big smile all over her face.

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Caspian could feel the battle turning on the Narnians. There was just too many men! No matter how many lay dead, three more replaced them. Edmund had become a hotspot for Calormen soldiers and he sliced through their flimsy armour easily. But Caspian could see his king was tired. He might be the best soldier Caspian had ever seen, but even Edmund could get tired. And the enemy just replaced the tired soldiers with new ones. Caspian swung his sword and parried a killing blow. He forced his way through the wrestling mass of soldiers and reached Edmund. He saw the haze in front of Edmund's eyes lift when he saw Caspian, and Edmund grinned.

"Going down like flies!" he cried, absent mindedly parring a thrust from a Calormen.

"There's too many! There' still another cavalry and Aslan knows how many more foot-soldiers!"

"I can't retreat Caspian!" Edmund cried and Caspian saw the panic rise for the first time on Edmund's face.

"I'll hold on for a bit. You go get King Lune to send out his army to replace me. I'll pull back the Narnians when I see the Archenland flag." Edmund ordered, clearing his head and Caspian nodded and he backed off through the battle.

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Sorry for not getting this out yesterday, but my internet decided to play up as soon as I wanted to upload it! Oh well, here it is. The number of chapters per day is going down now, as I'm back at school, but hey, I'm trying. Tune in often and who knows? I might have uploaded!