Prince Caspian (Edmund x OC)

Chapter 2 Kings and Queens of Old

By the time Alex managed to finally stop Destier's desperate race through the forest, she had left Caspian behind a good few hours away and she had no idea where she was. Groaning, she pulled sharper than was necessary on Destier's reins.

"This is all your fault." She muttered. "If you'd just stopped sooner, I'd still have Caspian and found, not brother-less and lost!"

As the words left her mouth, she bit her lip. Brother-less... no. She refused to think about it. She looked about as the sky began to lighten.

Swallowing, she realized just how tired and hungry she was. Tightening her grip on the reins, she tried to ignore her fatigue and growing hunger as she attempted to go back in the direction that she'd come from. After a few more hours, she gave up, acknowledging the fact that she had absolutely no idea where she was. Hearing the sound of the river, she moved towards it and stopped when she reached the water's edge.

She hesitated but need overrode caution and she heaved herself off Destier. Slowly she approached the water, leading Destier. Together, they leaned down and lapped the cool liquid. It soothed her parched throat although it did little to alleviate her hunger. By now, the sun was already rising in the east, and she was feeling dead on her feet. Pulling Destier away, she lead them a little ways into the woods for cover. Tying Destier's rein onto a nearby lifted root, she lay down and soon fell into a restless sleep.

By the time Alex woke up, the sun was high in the sky, and she struggled up. Watching the river, she decided it would be best to start moving upstream. As she was turning around Destier perked her ears. Alex tensed and slowly turned around. There on the shore where she'd drank earlier, a boat was docking. But she frowned when she saw its passengers. There was one smallish figure, clearly Narnian. But the other four... they looked human. Her eyes were drawn to the dark-haired boy before she quickly turned her eyes away.

"Hello there!

Alex looked up alarm as she heard a soft voice call out. She relaxed as noticed the youngest girl in group was staring in a different direction.

"It's alright, we're friends." The girl continued encouragingly, and Alex frowned when she saw the girl was approaching a black bear. The bear stood up as the girl approached. Alex's eyes widened, and she quickly mounted Destier.

"Don't move, your majesty!" The dwarf cried out, and Alex urged Destier forward in a run as the bear started charging at the girl.

"Stay away from her!" Another female voice shouted, but Alex ignored it, her focus solely on the little girl.

*******

Edmund P.O.V.

"Susan, shoot!" Edmund yelled as he and Peter ran for Lucy. Lucy screamed as the bear charged and Edmund despaired of reaching her before the bear attacked.

At that moment, a figure burst out of the trees, racing towards the bear. The bear turned to look at this new threat as a female voice yelled out.

"Run, girl, run!"

The bear roared a reared back onto its hind legs as Edmund realized the newcomer was a young girl, maybe around his age, riding a horse dark as midnight. She whistled, keeping the attention from Lucy and the horse swished its tail frantically. The bear raised its paw and Edmund tensed when an arrow flew through the air, piercing the bear.

It fell over, lying inches away from Lucy. Edmund watched as the girl on the horse also took a shaky breath, brushing long, dark locks out of her face.

Suddenly she looked at him. Dark eyes locked and the two stared at each other. Edmund studied this new face: slim, with a hint of baby fat that suggested she was maybe a year or so older than Lucy, dark hair that hung to her waist, and large dark eyes that glittered and seemed to reach Edmund's soul.