School boy | Prince Caspian

12

Above on his balcony, Miraz watched impassively as the remaining narnian's fell. Crossbow bolts piercing their limbs and chests. Dead bodies littering the cobbled courtyard. At his side stood the captain of the guard and a few men. All of them looking down at the carnage with blank faces.

There was a shout and their eyes turned towards the gate. Someone was still fighting. Miraz  raised a amused eyebrow as another soldier fell back from Otto's spear. The archers raised their crossbows again but halted as Miraz held up a hand. "Don't kill the boy". He ordered. "He could be useful". 

The captain repeated the order, shouting down to the soldiers below. Otto looked up at the command. He bared his teeth at the balcony, eyes narrowed in anger. His hair was shiny with blood and sweat. Clothes filthy and torn but there was a stubborn set to his chin and his spear still shone. The soldiers once again tried to advance on him but jumped back as the spear blade swung round with deadly intent. Otto continued fighting, exerting all his effort to keep them back. But he was getting tired, arms drooping with exertion and Miraz was getting tired of watching.

"Finish this soon. I'm going back to bed", Miraz waved a hand as he turned and walked back inside. Down bellow, all the soldiers ran at Otto at once. He fought back the best he could but he couldn't hold out for long. One soldier managed to get in close and strike him on the back of the head with the hilt of his sword. Otto promptly crumpled, vision fading to black. Two soldier picked him up and carried him inside. The rest of the soldiers left to clean up the courtyard.

No one noticed a small drain in the corner by the gate. Where, a mouse with a rapier on its belt had been crouching. Having seen enough, the drain lid lowered again and the mouse scurried away. His little tail flicking behind him as he vanished down the tunnels.

——

As the remains of the narnian forces approached the temple, Lucy came running up to meet them. She took one look at the faces. The tired resignation in Susan's eyes. The blood stains in Edmund's face and the tear tracks on his cheeks. Peter was more shuffling than walking, his hands over his eyes as he lumbered forwards, back still shaking. Caspian was walking with a dead eyed gaze, head tilted back and face so blank that it looked like he wasn't there, just an empty shell.

Lucy scanned the wounded army. There was a fourth of their number missing and the remnants were filthy and worse for wear. Several were wounded and were carried past her inside. Lucy kept looking around. "What happened?"

Peter looked up at her and his face crumpled. Lucy felt tears begin to gather as she realised what had occurred. They had been defeated. "Where's Otto? Peter, where's Otto?" Lucy asked desperately. Peter sagged, his knees hitting the earth as he buried his head in his hands. Caspian was still staring at the sky but his expression was of fury, fists clenching at his side. Behind them, Susan shook her head as Edmund wept into her shoulder. Lucy began sobbing. Loud chest heaving sobs.

Trumpkin stepped forwards and laid a hand on her shoulder. "He saved many lives. Fighting until the last so that we could all get away. We would have lost far more people if it wasn't for him". His words rang out in the mournful air.

"This shouldn't have happened", Peter moaned. "He shouldn't have come. Why did he come? I lead my best friend to his death!" He began sobbing again. His cries ugly and raspy and heart breaking to listen to. Susan was crying softly now. Seeing her siblings in such pain breaking her normally calm composure.

"It wasn't your fault", Edmund murmured. "He kept on protecting me, pushing me out of the way". His hand rose up to his forehead where Otto's blood still stained his skin.

"I shouldn't have called you", Caspian said softly, voice tinged with frustration and anger. "This should have never have happened!" He shouted loudly. "Why does Miraz always have to take from me? My father, my home! And now he's taken Otto too!"