The High Queen of Narnia

Chapter 8

The battle started out ok as their army of magical creatures charged into the courtyard of the castle and began ploughing through the Telmarine army. And Elodie was just fine swinging her axe as she dodged, ducked and sidestepped blows only to return them with equal, if not more, force as the soldiers began to fall.

At least until archers began to line the balcony above them.

They were about to release their arrows when Edmund came sliding down the roof behind them and knocked one off the balcony.

"Edmund!" Elodie shouted because while her brother took out one archer, the rest turned their crossbows on him as he ran. Meanwhile, Elodie had lost sight of Caspian while Peter was making his way up a set of stairs.

They weren't going to win this. It was a desperate move on Peter's part, but he had to know that they couldn't win this even as he tried to make his way up to the balcony that Miraz stood upon. But he didn't even get halfway before a guard was able to shoot down the counterweight for the door that promptly began to fall shut.

She didn't even see the brave minotaur that ran to keep it up because at that moment, as she'd been fighting a soldier that was about to kill a fallen faun, an archer had aimed an arrow at her. And while it didn't kill her, the arrow still went straight through her left arm as she let out a scream, the pain like a bomb that went off the second she comprehended the fact that there was an arrow in her arm. The same arm that Prunaprismia had injured earlier as well.

The second Peter heard his sister scream and saw the minotaur desperately trying to keep the gate open, he knew the battle was over.

"FALLBACK! RETREAT!" he screamed as his troops began to heed his order and head for the gate. "Get her out of here!" he asked Glenstorm as the centaur went running for Susan, hoisting her up onto his back as they made for the gate.

"But Ellie! And Caspian!" Susan had shouted back, having seen her injured sister attach her axe to her hip as she drew a dagger, trying to keep the movement of her arm to the minimum as she resumed the fight, her movements much slower and sluggish as she fought the pain in her arm, the arrow still there to try and stop the blood she knew was going to come dripping down her arm. Peter was running around now that he was back at the courtyard level, urging his soldiers to get to the gate whilst the minotaur could hold it. And he was also trying to make his way to his sister.

"I've got them! Go! GET OUT! Retreat!" Peter called as his sister disappeared out of the gate and the minotaur holding it was beginning to lose his battle. But suddenly a pair of large oak doors at the back of the courtyard burst open and emerged three horses. On the first, sat a man with long greying hair who Peter assumed was the professor. The second was riderless, and on the third sat Caspian as he held the reins of the second horse. But as they burst into the courtyard, Caspian had to stop to look at his traitorous uncle who stood safely on the balcony before he turned to Peter, flicking his head in a silent message.

"Get Elodie!" Peter called as he pointed with his sword at his sister who was quickly losing steam, a few fauns staying close to her as they tried to keep her safe. Caspian handed the reins of Peter's horse over to the professor as they headed for the gate, Peter chasing after them and Caspian reared his horse up as he went charging for Elodie.

His sword struck down the group of soldiers that were beginning to overwhelm them as he held his arm out to her. "Come! We must go quickly!" he said.

"Go, your majesty," the first faun urged.

"We will be fine," the second assured her as they began helping her onto the horse, so she was sitting in front of Caspian.

"For the freedom of Narnia," the third said with a small smile as they returned to battle, seemingly already knowing their fate as Caspian's arms encircled the wounded girl as he held the reins and spurred his horse towards the gate. She was cradling her arm to her chest as it began to rain arrows and the minotaur gave the last of his strength as he raised the gate back over his head, Caspian still gently pushing Elodie's head down as they ducked and made their way out of the castle. The bridge was near a third of the way pulled up as Caspian's horse barely made it over before they joined what was left of their army.

"How is she?" Susan asked, still sitting on the back of a centaur, watching her sister that was laying on Caspian's chest, her legs on one side of the horse as she held her hurt arm, her adrenaline coming crashing down. The prince tried to gently move the scraps of her sleeve to get a better look at the wound, but Elodie groaned in pain as she shifted against his chest, and he placed his hand on her back instead. If she hadn't been wounded, Elodie would've rather enjoyed her current position as she inhaled the scent of Caspian's hair. It was like woodsmoke.

"Keeping the arrow in has held off the bleeding but fighting with it in has aggravated the wound. She needs a healer and quickly," Caspian revealed as Solomon landed with Edmund on his back, Elodie's prediction of him getting into trouble being right as the boy jumped off a trellis and onto the griffin.

"We have to get her to Lucy. Her potion can heal her," Peter announced.

"I can travel faster than a horse, your majesty," Solomon spoke. "I can get her back to the Howe. She'll be safe with me."

"I'll go with her," Edmund volunteered as Caspian gently sat Elodie up so he could slide off the horse.

"Good idea," Susan praised as they watched Caspian lift Elodie off the horse, despite the girl being able to walk and place her on the griffin in Edmund's arms.

"I'm ok," she promised them all even though they could clearly see otherwise.

"You will be," Caspian returned.

"We'll see you there," Edmund said in farewell as Solomon spread his wings and launched himself into the air. And they were quick to return to their steeds as they headed back to the Howe, battered and defeated, but alive.