𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 || 𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐞 𝐱 𝐨𝐜

𝔭𝔯𝔬𝔩𝔬𝔤𝔲𝔢

𝐀 𝐒 𝐇 𝐄 𝐑 𝐀 𝐇

"Retreat! Retreat to Cair Paravel!" Asherah heard her mother cry. Extracting one of her sabres from the chest of a werewolf and decapitating a hag with another, she began to run back towards the castle. Enemy soldiers attempted to block her retreat, but she just ran faster, leaping into the air and spinning her swords in a deadly arc to get rid of anyone in her way. A Minotaur growled at her and brought its broadsword down toward her head. It took all her strength to block him with both sabres, pushing up against his blade as hard as she could. She finally prevailed and slashed at his stomach relentlessly. He cried out, and fell to the ground with a mighty thump. Breathe, she reminded herself, and kept running. 

𓆩✧𓆪

All around her, Narnian warriors fell. As Asherah ran, she felt hot tears streaking down her face. She knew that battles killed many from both sides, but nothing had prepared her for the full on manslaughter that was the Battle of Cair Paravel. Her battle-mates lay dying all around her, crying in agony, but she was unable to stop and help them. The White Witch rode through the mayhem in her chariot, freezing Narnians into stone statues with her wand in one hand and ruthlessly killing with her sword in the other. 

She made it to the foot of the drawbridge just in time, collapsing on the wood slick with blood and sweat. The guards inside were pulling it up, trying to save what was left of the Narnian army. "Stop!" Asherah screamed, running towards them. "You can't just leave them there to die!" One of the guards looked at her sadly. "I'm so sorry...but we have to. It was the Guardian's final orders. She didn't make it across in time, but ordered us to continue raising the drawbridge." 

Asherah felt her stomach drop. She ran to the edge of the retreating drawbridge. "Mother!" She screamed. 

"Asherah!" The Guardian of Narnia roared, fighting desperately as she was surrounded by enemies. Too much blood poured from too many wounds on her body, and Asherah could tell she wasn't going to live much longer.

 "Mother! I'm coming, don't worry! Stay right there!" She backed up, preparing to make the jump from the edge of the drawbridge to the riverbank.

 "No Asherah! You must stay safe! You must leave me here!"

 "No!" She screamed. "I'm not leaving you!" 

"I love you, my daughter!" Vestia screamed with her last breath. She collapsed on the ground, unmoving. Her challengers pounced onto her body, viciously tearing at her flesh.

The drawbridge clicked into place with a soul-shattering boom, and Asherah's world faded to black.