An Unexpected Romance

Chapter 3

I and the others get changed into more Narnian clothes. Sue lends me borrow a beautiful blue dress and belt of hers. My long hair had dried from our adventures in the ocean, and it's a bit wavy now. I pin it half up, and it perfectly falls and frames my face.

*seen in photo above*

Peter and Edmund have their swords hanging at their waists, Susan has a beautiful bow, and Lucy has her dagger and healing cordial. I know I'm not a skilled fighter or anything, but if the others feel a need for weapons I might need one as well. Susan seems to read my mind.

"Y/n," she tosses you a sheathed sword, "take this. Peter and Ed would be happy to teach you how to use it."

I look down at the weapon in my hand. I look up to see Peter looking at me with a bit of nervousness while Edmund is looking at me with an amused smile. I'm not sure why my standing holding the sword warrants either of those reactions, but if they're willing to teach me to use it, I won't complain.

I slide the sword into my belt and adjust it comfortably. The five of us exit the ruins and start walking. I don't know where we're going, but Peter seems determined, and the others are following him confidently. We're walking along the beach when we see a canoe with two soldiers rowing along the water.

"Do you think they're Narnian?" Lucy asked quietly.

Peter brings his hand to his sword.

"I don't think so. Keep quiet, everyone."

We remain still, just behind some rocks so that the men couldn't see us. Suddenly, the men stand. They pick up what looks like a bag-no, a body. It's...it's a dwarf. He's tied up, and it looks like they're planning to throw him overboard. Susan swiftly rises to her feet and brings an arrow to her bow in one move. She steps forward, and the others follow. I get up quickly and follow them.

"Drop him!" Susan demands, aiming her poised arrow directly at the men.

"Drop him? That doesn't seem like a wise choice of words," I say while standing behind Susan.

The men smirk, nod to each other, and toss the dwarf into the water.

"Yes, definitely a poor choice of words," Edmund says in my direction as he and Peter take off into the water to save the dwarf.

Susan let's her arrow go, hitting one soldier in the chest. He falls back into the water, and the other one surrenders by falling in behind him.

"Susan, I had no idea you were such a good shot," I tease.

"Well, I did have years and years of practice," she laughs back.

Edmund drags the boat to shore, and Peter emerges from the water holding the dwarf.

Lucy cuts the dwarf from his bondage, and he immediately stands with an angry look on his face.

"DROP HIM?!" He shouts. "That's the BEST you could come up with? They were doing fine drowning me without your help."

"Maybe we should have let them," Peter retorts.

"Why are they trying to kill you anyway?" I ask him.

"They're Telmarines. It's what they do," the dwarf says with disgust.

"Telmarines? In Narnia?" Edmund says.

"Who are the Telmarines again?" I whisper.

"They're residents of Telmar. At least, they're supposed to be. They used to be at peace with Narnians. I guess they're not anymore," Edmund replies.

"They invaded Narnia. They tried to drive Narnians to extinction. Unfortunately, they nearly succeeded," the dwarf says.

He catches eye of the sword Peter carries.

"No, you're kidding," he says with an eye roll. "You're it? You're the Kings and Queens of old?"

"High King Peter, the Magnificent," Peter extends his hand.

The dwarf laughs.

"There's that ego of yours, Peter," I laugh with the dwarf.

"Maybe you could have left off that last bit," Sue chimes in.

"Probably," the dwarf says with an amused head shake, "I thought you'd be...older."

Peter draws his sword.

"You might be surprised."

I glance nervously at Susan. She furrows her brow at her brother's proposal.

"You don't want to do that, boy," the dwarf replies.

"Not me-him," Peter hands his sword to Edmund.

A proud smile spreads across Ed's face, surprised at his brother's willingness to let him prove himself. He takes his older brother's sword in his hand and brings it up in front of him.

The dwarf takes my sword and brings it up, and the two clang their swords together. They maneuver their swords back and forth, and Edmund ducks under the blade as it swings at him. I cheer alongside his siblings as he jumps and swings his sword skillfully in rhythm with his opponent's.

Wow, he's quite skilled, I think to myself.

It begins to get intense. Their swords clash repeatedly, faster and faster until Ed knocks the dwarf's sword clean out of his hands and brings his sword up next to his face. Sweat drips down his face, and he breathes heavily as a haughty smirk dawns his face.

Something came over me for a second. I don't quite know what it is, but as I look at Edmund, I see a different side of him. He looks strong and confident-he is strong and confident. I tilt my head to get a better look at him. My face must have indicated what I was thinking because Susan glances at me inquisitively and raises her eyebrows. Luckily, her notice of my admiring her brother is interrupted by the dwarf's response to Edmund's win.

"Beards and bedsteads!" The dwarf announces as he falls to the ground. "Maybe that horn worked after all!"

"What horn?" Susan questions. The mention of the horn pulls her attention away from me immediately.

The dwarf comes to his feet. "My name is Trumpkin, and I know who summoned you, my Kings and Queens."