Accidentally Falling | Narnia

50 | momentums

Dawn found Peter astride his unicorn, full armor on, Rhindon on his side, and the visor of his helmet up, with the Narnian and Archenland army on his back.

On Peter's right side was Oreuis, two swords dangling on his left side and another one on his right. On Peter's left side was Edmund sitting on his brown horse. He had no helmet on, only his sword and shield. Cor were among the Archenlanders behind them and Corin was with Susan and the archers. The twins of Archenland chose to be with their people and merely follow Peter's orders. Peter had wanted to have them close to him so that he could keep an eye on the twins (he would never forgive himself if any harm would come to those two; he had already regretted asking King Lune's help in a battle that was supposed to be his alone) but he knew that if it the situation was reversed, he too would want to stay with his army.

About a few paces behind the front lines stood the archers made up with dozens of fauns, centaurs, dwarves, as well as hundreds of the Archenlanders. Susan was with them, her bow on her hand and her quiver full of red-feathered arrows strapped to her back. On either side of her, both in full armor, were Trumpkin and Corin. The dwarf was leaning on his bow which was almost as tall as him while the Prince was staring intently at the edge of the woods a hundred yards from where they were standing, anticipation on his face as he waited for the enemy to appear.

Susan's heartbeat was slowly racing as she continued to stare at Edmund's back. She worried about him. Even though she was assured multiple times by him that there was nothing for her to worry about, but still... he was just a bloody thirteen-year-old boy! Let alone her brother! She was practically his parent all these years of them being orphans. It was her job to worry.

And then there was Peter.

The night before, when the whole army tried to catch their much needed sleep, Susan had half the mind to leave her tent and sought Peter out but didn't. She tried to tell herself that it wouldn't do to disturb him when he need all the rest he could get before the battle but really, it was her stupid pride and cowardice that was stopping her from going over to his tent and apologize.

And now, she wouldn't have the chance to talk to him again until after the battle is over.

Assuming both of them will survive.

Susan wanted to bang her forehead against her bow.

Trumpkin seemed to sense her discomfort. "Are you faring well, Your Majesty?"

Susan exhaled uneasily. "Fine. It's just..." she didn't know what to say. "This feels much more different than those archery practices of ours."

Trumpkin chuckled half-heartedly. "Believe me, Your Majesty, the--"

The sound of a horn interrupted whatever the dwarf was about to say. At first, Susan thought one of the Narnians had sounded it. Then she realised it came from the general direction of the woods.

***

The opposing army is large.

Peter didn't bother to calculate how many minions the Witch had managed to gather against him and just trusted Mr. Tumnus' "tens of thousands" because just the sight of the never-ending army marching out of the woods, stretching as far as his eye could see, was enough to make his knees shake against Flisk's side.

He was greatly outnumbered.

When the enemy stopped, their front lines were only a catapult away from Peter.

Peter could sense the uneasiness of the Narnians and Archenlanders behind him. He could hear Edmund's sharp intake of breath on his side. And it took much of his willpower to stop his hands from trembling, both because he need to maintain his brave facade for the sake of his army and because he was still holding on to Flisk's reins and it would not do for the unicorn to charge unexpectedly to the enemy's ranks (though Peter had ridden the unicorn many times now to know that Flisk was too smart for that.)