The High Queen Book Two

Chapter 16 - The Power of Narnia

Third-Person POV

As quickly as the events unfolded, the armies ready themselves for battle, General Glozelle galloping back to his men, bellowing at them to fire. At the command, the troops start loading the catapults with boulders before launching them at the awaiting Narnians. All watch with bated breath as the large rock comes hurtling towards them, but their soldiers wait for Tilly and Peter's signal for the plan to commence. As the first wave of Telmarines charge towards them, Tilly mutters under her breath, making it so only Caspian and the brothers can hear her.

"Sopespian is mine!" She growls fiercely, a great pain fuelling her anger, and the boys can tell that she isn't a woman they want to anger anymore, so they all just nod. As the army grows nearer, the High Queen glances at her Royal Partner and tells Peter it is time to signal Caspian. And the High King does precisely that, looking back at the Prince, making him and two other soldiers dash down into the How, to the underground tunnels charging with the awaiting creatures down under. As Caspian leads the group through the tunnels, slowly counting to ten above ground, the High King and Queen do the same, silently praying this goes to plan.

"One, two", Peter begins, his voice wavers ever so slightly.

"Three, four," Caspian's thick accent echoes through the passage. Susan yells to her archers for the next few seconds, readying them to aim for the approaching men.

"Eight, nine," Tilly finishes, thrusting her sword into the sky. "Get ready!"

"Now!" Caspian bellows and the army below smashes the pillars holding up the ground the Telmarines are riding across. Tilly watches, holding her breath until the earth gives way under the weight of the soldiers and their horses, many falling into the now gaping hole in the battlefield. The few lucky enough to not be crushed in the mass trampling begin to climb out, only to be rained down upon by hundreds of arrows. Edmund mounts a horse as Peter yells for them to charge, and Tilly lets out a battle cry.

"For Narnia and for Aslan!" The High Queen smirks, hearing her army rally behind her and Aslan once again, even though many of them don't believe in the Great Lion.

Caspian and the other underground troops pop out behind the shaken and confused Telmarines. The Narnians surround the army, taking them on from all sides. But it quickly becomes glaringly obvious to them that even though they are doing well now, their whole army is already fighting, and Glozelle and Sopespian are only now drawing the rest of the Telmarines into battle. Peter turns back to Susan and mouths his younger sister's name to her, hoping she can see where the younger one is, but the older girl shakes her head, making the High King worry.

"Don't worry about Lu; she can handle herself. We need your head to be here!" Tilly yells beside the King, stabbing two men who went for Peter. The oldest boy looks back at the battlefield as Tilly is swept away, deciding to call back his troops.

"Back to the How!" Edmund and Caspian reiterate the King's words, but the High Queen hears the harrowing voice that will forever plague her nightmares and command his men to cut off their escape.

"No! Don't!" She bellows, but no one listens to her as the boulders fly over their heads. With her heart in her throat and fear in her eyes, The High Queen takes a deep breath as a warm feeling washes over her, as if time stops.

"Hello, my dear," Aslan says softly to his daughter, who opens her eyes to see the battle still underway but moving slowly.

"You're back; Lucy found you!"

"Not yet, but I can sense her searching, so I've come out to meet her halfway." Tilly shakes her head, looking around her.

"I don't know if we can win this,"