𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐄, 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 ✯ 𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑎 𝑓𝑎𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ✓

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄: 𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐈𝐑𝐀

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The sun sinks towards the horizon as the last Calormene soldier throws away his sword in a surrender. The golden desert beneath our feet radiates with heat and the air is dry enough to make even the toughest man long for a drip of water.

I sit on a grey dapple stallion, overlooking the battle field and trying to see if anyone -- friend or foe, needs my help. Caspian rides on his black stallion Destrier between the fallen soldiers, his face grim and eyes dark. Though this had been merely a rebellion, the King of Narnia had still lost more men than he'd like. As one of his best friends, I knew Caspian felt horrible whenever he had a battle to fight. Every man lost felt like a piece of his heart was ripped out.

'Please, help,' a Narnian soldier calls to me, and I jump off my horse, grabbing the satchel and kneeling down next to him. His hands are pressed to his stomach and his face is contorted in pain. Red blood flows through his fingers and I carefully lift up one of his hands to observe the wound but I fear it might be a lost cause.

'Can you help him?' Caspian asks, suddenly standing next to me and leading Destrier by his reins.

I look up to him, searching for the right words but I can tell the King has already read the answer in my eyes.

'I can ease his passing,' I say softly, my voice not much louder than a whisper. The man struggles more and more to breathe, and a rough cough rolls through the air.

Caspian presses his lips together as he nods sharply. 'Do it.'

I hastily search for a leaf of a flower in my medicine bag and crush it between my hands while Caspian kneels down by the soldier as well. He places a hand on the man's shoulder and closes his eyes for a moment.

I give the man a sip from my water bottle to make it easier to swallow the crushed leaf, and the soldier's face relaxes almost immediately.

'Thank you for your service,' Caspian says to the man. 'You've fought valiantly and protected your loved ones from danger. May you find your way to Aslan's country.'

'The honour. . . was all mine. . . Sire.'

The soldier takes one last breath but then his head falls down in the sand; his eyes staring into the nothingness.

A heavy silence hangs between me and Caspian as we try to accept the man's death. Our thoughts are interrupted, though, when a pair of footsteps come running towards us.

'My King!'

We turn around to see my brother Salvador sliding to a halt. Ever since our father Glozelle left Narnia, Salvador has been the new general of Caspian's armies.

'Yes?' Caspian asks.

'The leader of the rebellion wishes to talk to you. We've captured him as instructed, but he says he has something to tell you.'