serendipity - narnia

chapter 25

Chapter 25
Saviors and Single Combat

Dahlia and Lucy rode out of the hidden underground tunnel that ran from the How to the center of the forest. The mage tried to ignore the red glow of her necklace indicating that the fight between Peter and Miraz had begun.

Dahlia ducked under a tree branch, urging Destrier to go as fast as he could without hurting himself. She glanced up at the rocky ledge above them when she heard the sound of several more horses; Telemarine soldiers were following them.

"They've seen us!" Lucy said from behind her, sounding panicked. Dahlia guided Destrier out into a clearing and stopped, sliding off the horse and handing the reins to Lucy. She had to keep Lucy safe, and to do that she had to eliminate the Telemarines pursuing them. "What are you doing?" the valiant queen asked, looking down at Dahlia.

"I'm sorry, Lu. It looks like you're gonna be going alone after all," Dahlia said, stepping back.

"But I'm not a mage!" Lucy objected, desperately trying to get her friend to stay with her - Dahlia was their best chance at getting the trees to wake up. The mage cast a worried glance over her shoulder. The Telemarines were getting closer.

"You were our backup plan either way, you'll figure something out," Dahlia said, squeezing Lucy's hand. "I'll be alright, just go." Lucy looked like she was going to protest again, so Dahlia patted Destrier on the rear to get him moving. Lucy rode up a small hill, stopping the horse for a moment to look back at Dahlia. The mage nodded at her and the girl took off, disappearing from view.

Dahlia turned back towards the clearing. Beams of light shining down through the trees illuminated the Telemarine soldiers as they appeared. Dahlia swiped her arm to the side and the first soldier flew out of his saddle, slamming into a tree. His companions rode faster and Dahlia had to think quickly. She flung the second and third soldiers out of their saddles, crashing them together mid-air. She snapped the fourth one's neck with a flick of her wrist. The next soldier rode at her from the side and she had to duck to avoid getting her head chopped off.

She didn't react quickly enough when the next soldier came riding at her. His sword left a decent-sized cut on her upper arm, ironically the same arm she'd been shot in. Dahlia hissed in pain and moved to fling him out of his saddle, but the hilt of his sword collided with her head and she crashed to the ground. She backed up against a log as the Telemarine raised his sword. She felt dizzy from the knock on the head and couldn't muster up the strength to stand and fight back.

Someone out of Dahlia's view yelled and rode forward into the clearing, stabbing the Telemarine and knocking him off his horse. It was Caspian. He sheathed his sword and rode in front of Dahlia, holding out his hand.

"I thought I told you not to get hurt this time," Caspian said as Dahlia grabbed his hand. He hoisted her onto the saddle behind him and she wrapped her arms around his waist, careful not to move her bleeding arm too much.

"You told me not to get shot, and I didn't," Dahlia retorted as they rode through the forest back to the How. "You also said you wouldn't be there to save me, yet here we are."

"You're welcome," the prince said as his horse jumped over a large rock. "Be careful with that arm, we'll have to bandage it when we get back."

"I know. And thank you, seriously," Dahlia said sincerely. Caspian turned around, albeit very briefly, and smiled at her.

"Any time."

***

Dahlia had a pretty bad headache by the time she and Caspian rode up to the How, but her head was otherwise fine. Her arm, on the other hand, had yet to stop bleeding. Peter, hunched over and visibly in pain, looked up at them when they arrived. He spoke to Miraz for a second and they appeared to agree to a respite.