White Lion

Chapter Nine

Feeling somewhat calmer now that I'd had rest, I shifted into my human form, an arrow still sticking out of my side.

"Oh, good," Truffle hunter looked at me, "The lion form wouldn't let me remove the arrow."

"The lion form has a mind of its own," I sat upright carefully, wincing as Trufflehunter pulled out the arrow and handed me the roll of bandages.

I really wished Lucy was here with her healing cordial. That wasn't the only reason I missed her, though.

"I should get going," Caspian grabbed his sword and walked out the door.

I sighed, "He won't last five seconds put there alone. Both sides want him dead."

Carefully standing up, I grabbed my own sword and dagger, slipping out the door and silently following the prince.

A twig snapped.

"I know you two are following me," Caspian turned to see Trufflehunter and Nikabrik.

"Three," I stepped out from behind a tree, almost ahead of him.

Footsteps.

Heavy footsteps.

Hundreds of them.

"They've found us," I shifted immediately, the bandage growing onto my lion form, thankfully. I had somewhat thought it could stay the same size and choke me.

The moment they had definitely seen us, I let out the loudest roar imaginable.

They fired crossbow bolts, but I held my ground, dodging their terrible aim.

One hit Trufflehunter.

I couldn't do this as a lion. Not yet. I leapt at them, shifting into a human to slide past their defenses, and took down as many as I could with my sword.

They all started falling from something in the grass. I shifted into a lion again, smelling- a mouse.

The tiny thing landed on top of Caspian, raising his miniature sword to Caspian's neck, "Choose your last words carefully."

"You are a mouse," Caspian observed.

"I was hoping for something a little more inventive," the mouse scowled, "Pick up your sword. I will not fight an unarmed man."

Caspian stayed still.

"Pick it up!" The mouse exclaimed.

"I have a feeling I will last longer if I don't cross blades with you, little mouse," that nickname made my ears perk up. Hearing it, I partially expected Aslan to walk around the corner, smiling.

The mouse growled, "I said I wouldn't fight an unarmed man. I never said I wouldn't kill you."

"Stay your blade, Reepicheep," Trufflehunter sighed.

Reepicheep looked around to see Trufflehunter and Nikabrik as I shifted human, "I hope you have a good reason for this untimely interruption."

"No, he doesn't," Nikabrik growled, "Go ahead."

"He's the one that blew the horn," Trufflehunter shouted as Reepicheep raised his blade.

Reepicheep looked agitated, "Alright." In a second's notice, he had pounced on me, "And you are?"

I shifted back to a lion and roared in his face, "Get. Off."

"Madilyn Fox- the horn summoned you?" Reepicheep asked.

"I don't know what summoned me, but I was here a few weeks before he blew that horn," I snapped, still a lion, "Now get off."

The mouse leapt away, "Then Aslan summoned you."

"I think someone else blew the horn first," I said, "If my father summoned me, where is he?"

"Aslan always has his reasons," a centaur arrived, "For this is why we have gathered."

Oh no. Forest meetings were usually full of bickering, and the Narnians never really got anything done in them.

But why not? What could go wrong?

"We are meeting in the Dancing Meadow at sundown," the centaur informed us, "We hope to see you there."

With that, he galloped away.

"How are we going to get there in time without horses?" Caspian asked.

"Run really fast," Trufflehunter suggested, despite the arrow in his side, which Nikabrik removed.

I sighed, nodding towards my back, "Get on." As a lion, I was huge. Almost the size of Aslan, who'd once carried Susan and Lucy. So I should be able to handle a prince, a dwarf, and a badger, "Come on."

They awkwardly seated themselves on top of me, Caspian grasping the fur at the back of my neck, and Nikabrik holding Trufflehunter.

We reached the camp a few minutes after the centaurs at sundown, where they all dismounted and stood in front of the large gathering crowd.

Caspian tried to speak, but Nikabrik kept interrupting him, saying how he was never meant to be here and everyone should just kill him now and get it over with.

Even worse, many agreed with the dwarf. The crowd was so loud no one could hear anything. There was only one way to silence them.

I roared and stepped into the middle of the clearing.

"Aslan?" Murmurs arose throughout the gathering, "Madilyn?"

Everyone was silent as I spoke.

"Hear him out," I shouted, adding, "He can help."

I backed away from the center, letting Caspian explain himself.

Honestly, I had to admit, he was good at speeches. He'd make a good king. I would follow him, but only if Aslan agreed.

"We need supplies," a centaur pointed out.

They thought it best to leave me at camp while they went to raid supplies. But I roared in their faces and told them I was perfectly capable at taking care of myself.

"Fine," Caspian finally agreed. Not that he had any control over what I decided.

We finished the raid quickly, slipping in and out almost unnoticed. We made camp in the woods not too far away, protecting the supplies cautiously.

The next morning, I shadowed the prince. The professor had asked me to keep him safe, so that's what I would try to do.

Despite the fact that we were about to go to war.

"Aslan?" I thought I heard someone squeak. I must be imagining things. I wasn't even in my lion form.

Then, as Caspian saw a flicker of movement, he drew his sword and attacked.

He was fighting a tall blonde boy seemingly the same age, wielding a Narnian sword more easily that anyone his age should have been able to.

"Stop!" I shouted, stepping between them as one sword was lodged in a tree.

"What-" both warriors turned to me.

I turned to Caspian, "He's on our side." I then turned to the boy and pulled him into a hug, "Welcome back to Narnia, Peter."