Here we go! This chapter ended up getting split into two parts because it was originally 5,000 words long...that's a little too long, so the second half will be posted soon. Still don't own Narnia; also, thank you to my wonderful reviewers! :-)
No one else appeared to challenge them as they crossed the courtyard to the stables, and all their spirits lifted greatly when they heard the familiar sounds of the Dogs arguing loudly.
"I'm telling you; I smell human!" A Dog was insisting breathlessly.
Another voice, unmistakably Phillip's responded in an annoyed tone. "Of course you do Linus; these disgraceful ingrates are human."
"Not these humans!" Insisted Linus, who Edmund remembered was the grey wolfhound who led the pack. "One of our humans!"
"He's quite right Phillip," said Edmund, smirking as he stepped through the door; he instantly regretted surprising an entire pack of Dogs, for they inevitably began to bark and rushed at him, tails wagging and tongues lolling from their mouths. At the last moment, they skidded to a stop and dropped down to sit in a shifting, eager circle around his feet.
"Greetings, cousins," he said, laughing despite the seriousness of the situation.
"King Edmund! We thought you were dead," Linus declared happily, head tilting to one side as he smiled in his wolfish manner.
Edmund nodded; he had expected that. He looked past the pack of Dogs, rather concerned by Phillip's silence; the Horse was staring at him like he had seen a ghost and Edmund supposed that, in a manner of speaking he had. He shook his mane and stepped forward, almost timidly, picking his way between the Dogs until his head nearly rested on Edmund's shoulders. He blew out a deep, warm breath and nuzzled through the boy's hair, as if checking to insure he was real. Edmund smiled and put an arm around the Horse's neck, temporarily forgetting the urgency required by their mission.
"That witch said you were dead; when will you learn not to be a fool?" But the affection in his voice robbed his words of any harshness and Edmund knew he had been worried. "You look half dead at any rate." He nudged Edmund's shoulder affectionately with his nose.
Trebonius shifted his weight impatiently. "King Edmund? Perhaps this conversation can be continued once we are safely outside these walls?"
"Quite right." Edmund gritted his teeth at the thought of how Phillip was going to react to his latest plan; perhaps it would be better not to tell him until he had no choice but to accept it. They crossed back through the courtyard, with Edmund leaning heavily on Phillip. He took that opportunity to tell the faithful Horse all he felt he safely could. "I need you to go back to Cair Paravel; tell Susan to send the army. Lucy has been accused of murdering the giants' Queen and Peter is enchanted by the Green Lady; he will be of little help to us." If any, he reflected grimly, remembering the shock it had taken to free him from the Witch's enchantment.
Phillip nudged his shoulder; whiskers tickling Edmund's ear. "And you?"
"I'm staying here with Trebonius and Metelus; perhaps we can rescue Lucy, or help break the enchantment cast on Peter." It wasn't strictly a lie but he still felt guilty for omitting part of the truth.
Phillip snorted. "Send the Dogs; I will not leave you here. You'll do something foolish without me to watch over you."
"Dogs exaggerate; if I don't send someone sensible with them they'll have Susan thinking we've all been baked into pies and eaten. Don't argue," this as Phillip stamped his hooves crossly. "You know I speak the truth."
"Very well," conceded the Horse. "But you and I will have words about this when I return." Edmund smiled fondly at him; Phillip alone of all his Narnian friends never hesitated to speak to him as a friend and equal, rather than a king. They reached the door and he threw his arms around the Horse's before stepping to the side to allow the rest of the company to push their way through the curtain of ivy onto the, hopefully, deserted street. Edmund followed the others, making sure no giants were in view, before he stopped, just outside the door.
"Get them to safety," Edmund told Trebonius firmly, stepping back, towards the threshold and the courtyard as the Dogs poured past him through the door in a, for once, silent column. "Send Phillip and Linus to Susan at Cair Paravel."
Phillip planted his hooves and snorted in anger. "Edmund! Don't be a fool, you can't stay here!" Trebonius looked rather inclined to agree with the Horse but he did not dare to directly defy the orders of his king. Edmund nodded to the Captain, silently warning him not to argue, and stepped back pulling the door closed after him. Phillip screamed in rage and Edmund barely had time to fasten the door and pull the bolt across it before the Horse's hooves thudded against it, shaking the already weakened wood. "Edmund! Open the door!"
Edmund backed away, eyes burning. "Phillip, go! As your king, I order you to follow Trebonius!" The door shook again as Phillip threw his weight against it with another furious neigh; the noise was sure to attract notice before long and Edmund cursed under his breath. "Trebonius, make sure he leaves, then hide yourselves near the city. Wait for Orieus and the army; I will join you if I can." He listened as there was a brief struggle from the other side of the door as the Satyr fought to pull Phillip away, then he heard the scuffle of the Dog's paws and the clop of the other's hooves fade into the distance. He was alone; he squared his shoulders and turned away from the door, only to find that he was not in fact, alone. The Green Lady stood there, between him and the stables, smiling sweetly in a way that was not at all pleasant.
"Dear king! I'm so pleased to see that you're alive after all; your brother will be delighted to see you as well." She held out a hand to him. "Let's go see him, shall we?"
"What have you done with Peter?" Edmund demanded, backing away until he felt the wood of the door directly behind him; Metelus had been right, he was in no condition to fight.
"Now, dear boy, don't be foolish," her eyes flashed with sudden rage, though she still smiled. "Your charming brother is quite safe, in fact, I think he's rather happy here. Perhaps I'll keep him, and as for you, why don't you come along to see him?" Her voice took on a strange, musical quality and she stepped towards him slowly, her movements somehow reminiscent of a snake's. Edmund edged away from her, feeling his way along the wall; if he could shift far enough to her left without her noticing he might be able to slip past her and make it across the courtyard to the door which led back into the main rooms. And then what? But it was the best option he had.
The Lady stretched out her hand towards him and snapped her fingers; it was a strange action, and even stranger was the look of shock on her face when nothing happened. Her face contorted into a snarl, all semblance of smiles and sweetness gone in an instant as her cheeks flushed crimson with fury. She snapped her fingers again and still nothing happened. "What have you done to me?!" Edmund saw his chance and darted past her, shoving outward with his arm as he did so, hoping to unbalance her and give himself a moment's head start at least.
He stumbled on the uneven paving stones, nearly fell, and staggered on. The Green Lady had regained her balance and, by the time he reached the doors, she was scarcely five feet behind him. He could hear her calling out indecipherable words which might have been attempts at spells, or simply unfamiliar curses, but whatever they were they had no effect. A doorway opened to his left and he darted through it, the Lady nearly catching up with him. He slammed the door behind him and lent against it; holding his breath as he heard her footsteps approach, pause, and then continue on.
He slumped back against the door, coughing painfully, and trying to steady his shaking muscles. Don't collapse now; find Peter, find Lucy.
"You're dead." He froze, realising too late that he had not run into an empty room after all. Peter stood on the other side of the room, expression blank; eyes wide and unfocused, as he stared past Edmund.
"Peter?" Edmund took a cautious step forward, unsure how his brother might react.
"You're dead," he repeated, in the same, strange voice. "You betrayed me, and now you're dead."
"Peter; it's alright. Whatever she told you she was lying." The look in Peter's eyes frightened him more than he was willing to admit. "I need you to believe me now; this Lady is a witch. She-"
"I know," Peter interrupted quietly. "But all she has done since the first moment we met her has been to show us kindness, and all you have done is accuse her and doubt her intentions. Did you really think I would take the word of a traitor above the word of my Lady?" My Lady; traitor. Edmund was not sure which statement caused him more pain; the one that proved his brother, enchanted though he was, believed himself to be in love with a witch, or the one that showed him just how far gone Peter was to accuse him of being a traitor still.
Edmund wanted to scream, not that it would do any good, or possibly punch Peter, not that he was currently strong enough for that to do any good either. There was a dangerous glint in Peter's unfocused blue eyes, not unlike the one he had seen in the Green Lady's in the courtyard. "You are still my brother, traitor or no," Peter continued, coldly, as if the words meant nothing. "Because of that I will give you a choice. Leave now; go home, rule Narnia without me, that is what you wanted all along, isn't it?"
"And if I refuse?" Peter, please, don't let her do this to you. Fight her; you have to fight her.
"Then, brother or no, I will kill you myself for your betrayal." And there could be no doubt that Peter meant what he said.
Courage, dear one. It was the faintest whisper of sound, or a memory of sound, he could not tell which, but the words gave him strength. He half expected to see the golden form of a Lion emerge from the shadows, but even though he could not see Aslan he knew the Lion was with him. Have courage. And he knew then what he must do. He drew his sword and knelt, holding the weapon towards his brother, hilt first.
"Then kill me. I made my choice years ago when you ordered me to leave your side at the Battle of Beruna and I disobeyed you. I stand by that choice now, High King, and I stand by the vow I made on our coronation day. I will serve at your side, my brother; I will guard your back, shield you from what dangers I may, share in your joy and in your sorrow; till Aslan command me otherwise or death take me."
For a moment, it seemed as though the words had some effect. Peter blinked, his eyes clearing briefly, gleaming with sudden tears, then the mask was back. He nodded sharply and took the sword.
Courage, even now, Just King; have courage. Edmund bowed his head and waited.
Some Days Later:
"Queen Susan! Queen Susan!" Susan looked up from her needlework with a sigh; it really was frustrating being the only monarch left in Cair Paravel. It seemed that the moment she settled down to do anything someone arrived needing documents signed, disputes settled, or merely wanting to invite her to tea. She smiled at the enormous grey wolfhound standing before her with as much grace as she could muster and set her work aside.
"Yes, good cousin? What is it?"
The hound panted heavily, tongue hanging out if his mouth, and Susan with a sense of shock that he appeared to be in a rather sorry state. His fur was matted and caked with mud, his ribs showing beneath the filthy coat, and he held one paw slightly off the ground, as if it was painful to rest his weight upon it.
"I bring a message, from your brother King Edmund. You must rally the army and ride for the giants' city with all haste. Your sister is accused of murder, your brother the High King has fallen prey to some foul enchantment, the guards have been slaughtered, and King Edmund wounded." He swayed on his paws, looking ready to collapse.
Susan felt her own head spin alarmingly as she stared at him, trying to comprehend the stream of dreadful words she had just heard. "What?" She asked, feeling rather stupid. "I-How has this happened?"
The hound shook his head. "I do not know; I know only what King Edmund bid me tell you, and that he is wounded. Phillip and I have run all the way from Harfang." Susan could hardly doubt that he had run from Harfang, but, as for the rest, Dogs were very prone to exaggeration and she vowed not to think the worst until she had confirmed his story.
"Where is Phillip?" Surely Phillip would not have left Edmund if he was badly hurt. Perhaps the situation is not as grave as he says.
"In the courtyard, your majesty; talking with Orieus."
"You have done well." Susan forced a smile. "Go, rest, and have the healers see to you." She barely waited to see his bow in response as she half ran to the courtyard. Phillip was indeed there, looking, if possible, more thin and disheveled than the Dog; even his tail drooped, nearly dragging along the paving stones. Orieus stood next to him, head bowed as he listened to what Phillip was telling him, hands resting on the hilts of his two swords. Susan saw the tension in his shoulders, the uneasy shifting of his hooves, and knew.
"Phillip! What has happened?" Horse and Centaur both turned at her voice and Orieus bowed, face set in a scowl and dark eyes blazing anger.
"My Queen; we have been most grievously deceived. The giants' Queen has been murdered, and your sister Queen Lucy stands accused. King Edmund sends word that the High King has been enchanted by some foul witch and requests we rally to his aid with all haste, else both Queen Lucy and High King Peter may be lost." An avalanche might have struck her with less force than the Centaur's words. Susan stumbled back, feeling her face drain of all colour, and sank to her knees, fighting back tears.
I'm not ready for this. I knew they should not have gone; why did I not make them stay? Orieus bent over her, concern replacing anger in his expression. Susan waved him away, impatient at her own reaction. "What of Edmund?" She asked Phillip shakily a moment later. "The Dog said he was wounded."
Phillip flattened his ears against his skull and stamped his hooves, angry despite his exhaustion. "He is a damnable fool, that is what he is!" And before either Orieus or Susan could respond to his strange outburst he turned and walked away head hanging low, but from exhaustion or grief, Susan could not tell.
"Shall I call the army together, your majesty?"
Susan stared at the general for a moment, barely comprehending. The army; he's waiting for my order. Aslan help me! I'm not ready for this! "Yes," and she was rather proud of how steady her voice was. "Give the order, General." Please let them be alright; please don't let me send my people into a slaughter.
Have courage, Gentle Queen. The voice of the Lion whispered in her ear. Fear not for your siblings; they are between My paws.
"Orieus?" Susan straightened her shoulders and stood. "Send for Tumnus. He has charge of Cair Paravel in my absence; I will accompany the army."
Ummm...okay, please don't kill me. This chapter was horrible to write...I fought with t for hours and it still doesn't sound quite right, but it's late and I'm tired and cross, and I really wanted to post today. If you have a spare thirty seconds please leave a review anyway; hopefully the next half of this chapter will be better!
Cheers,
A