The Choice

Telmarines

After walking for a few minutes we noticed a small rowboat with two men in it, at first it looked innocent but then I saw that the men were wearing an armour and were picking up a little human. As they were about to throw him in the water Susan shouts " Drop him!", the soldiers drop him in the water and Susan shoots one of her arrows. "Really Su?! Not the best choice of words!" I said while sprinting towards the water. I jumped into the water searching for the small human, after I found him I swam us back to the shore and laid him on the ground. Lucy cut through the ropes around his hand so he could take off the rope that was covering his mouth causing him to almost die from suffocation. "Drop him?! That's the best you can come up with?" he said angrily once he caught his breath. " A simple thank you would suffice" Susan said annoyed. " They were doing fine drowning me without your help." the little man answered. " I agree with the little human here Su, it wasn't a great choice of words. But that's no excuse for you to be so unfriendly!" I said pointing to him. "I'm a dwarf and I'm not that little!" he said. "Why were they trying to kill you anyway?" Lucy asked trying to change to subject. "They're Telmarines. That's what they do." The dwarf explained. "Telmarines? In Narnia" Edmund asked surprised. "Where have you been for the last few hundred years?" He answered. Lucy laughed "That's a long story." The dwarf was now scanning us from head to toe until he looked up at Peter in surprise once he noticed his sword.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me. You're it?" he looked guiltily at my siblings "You're the kings and queens of old?"

" High King Peter...the Magnificent" I started laughing with his title and Susan noticed and said " You probably could have left out the last bit." "Probably" the dwarf said now also chuckling.

"You might be surprised" Peter said while drawing his sword. I look at him confused. "Oh, you don't want to do that, boy." the dwarf said. "Not me. Her" Peter said looking at me.

Why not, I can use some further practise

I take Peter's sword and take my stance, the dwarf lunges at me but I dodge him easily. I swung the sword at him but he ducks however that gives me an opportunity to kick him so he lands on the ground. The dwarf slashes at my feet but I jump over it. After a few seconds, he tries to stab him but I kick the sword out of his hands so now he's unarmed. I point the sword at him, he stares at me and falls back in the sand. " Beards and bedsteads! Maybe that horn worked after all." "What horn?" Susan asks. " Who are you anyway? There are only 4 kings and queens that I know off." the dwarf asks me. "I'm Maria Pevensie, I'm the oldest but I'm no queen because I didn't come with my siblings to Narnia for the first time." I answered. "So you're related to the Kings and Queens?" he asks. "Yes, unfortunately, I'm related to those idiots." I said. He chuckled but then tensed up, it seemed like he realised something "You know there is a prophecy about you?" "What do you mean, what prophecy?" Peter asked before I got the chance. The dwarf looked at me "There is a prophecy about a close relative to our Kings and Queens who will save Narnia and give the Narnians back their freedom." "You're kidding me right?! I'm not important, I can barely handle a sword!" I yelled. "No, you're important Maria and you CAN handle a sword! They needed five Telmarine soldiers to capture and disarm me, you did it alone within 5 minutes! Don't ever underestimate yourself!" the dwarf said eagerly.

The dwarf of which we learned his name was Trumpkin filled us in on all the details. He told us we had to find a prince, Prince Caspian. I don't know why but that name gives me a warm feeling. Anyway, we began our quest to find Caspian. First, we sailed a bit, Lucy was telling me about their first time in Narnia and how wonderful it was. She told me stories about centaurs, minotaur's, giants and dancing trees but when she mentioned the trees her face was saddened. "It will be ok Lu, they will dance again. I will make sure of it!" I said comforting her. After sailing for a while we anchored at a beach that was located at the beginning of a forest. While I was pulling the boat on the shore together with Peter, Ed and Trumpkin, I heard Lucy talking. At first, I thought she was talking to Susan but when I looked up she was talking to a bear.

You've got to be joking

However I don't think the bear could talk at all, instead, it took position to attack her. Susan grabbed her bow and threatened the bear but he wouldn't back off so I grabbed my dagger and throwed it in its heart. When I looked I saw there was an arrow sticking next to my dagger, I thought it was Susan's but when I looked back I saw it was Trumpkin who fired the arrow. "At least some of you got the balls to do it" Trumpkin mumbled while walking towards the dead bear.

After this incident we followed Peter into the woods, he claimed to know the way to Caspian. I thought it was a better idea to follow the dwarf who actually lived here for his whole life but hey, who am I? We walked for hours and hours, I started to believe Peter was just pretending to know the way and wouldn't admit he was lost. As if he read my thought he said "I'm not lost". "No you're just going the wrong way." Trumpkin answered. Peter started to get annoyed by him "You said you last saw Caspian at the Shuddering Wood, and the quickest way there is to cross the river Rush." "But, unless I'm mistaken there is no crossing in these parts." the dwarf said calmly. "That explains it then, you're mistaken." Peter said while walking. " I wished we listened to our DLF" Lucy said to me. "DLF?" Edmund asked. " Dear little friend" Lucy and I said at the same time. "That's not patronizing at all" Trumpkin mumbled. Lucy and I giggled, it was a good thing to break the tense atmosphere here, it seems like everybody could use a joke.

We continue walking until we reached a gorge, I guess that's the river Rush. We looked down at the water rushing beneath us and there is no crossing to be seen. "Over hundreds of years, water eroded the earth's soil..." Susan began, "Oh shut up" Peter said. "Is there a way down?" I asked our DLF. "Yeah, falling" he answered "there's a ford near Beruna. Any of you mind swimming?"

"Anything is better than walking" Susan said. We started walking, " Aslan?" Lucy said "It's Aslan, it's Aslan over there! Well can't you see?" she said looking at us enthusiastically "he's right there" she says but her tone was saddened and her smile faded, I think he disappeared. " Do you see him now?" Trumpkin said not believing Lucy. "I'm not crazy. He was there. He wanted us to follow him." "I'm sure-" Peter began but I cut him off "Listen this is what we're going to do, we follow Trumpkin to Beruna and search for a crossing there. If, we don't find it we follow Lucy. Got it? And if any of you even dare to tell me sister she's crazy, I will not hesitate to kick your ass. Now start walking."

As we were walking to Beruna Lucy came walking next to me "Thank you for defending me earlier sis" "Anytime" I said smiling at her proudly.

Turned out Beruna was not an option, it was crowded with Telmarines who built something that looked like a bridge. However, I did get a glance of this tyrant called Miraz and to be honest it send a shiver down my spine. So, we followed Lucy back to the place where she saw Aslan. Back at the gorge, "Where do you think you saw Aslan?" Peter asked her, still not believing it.

"I wish you'd all stop acting like grown-ups. I didn't think I saw him, I did see him." Lucy snapped at him. Trumpkin looked surprised and mumbled, "I am a grown-up." Lucy continued "It was right around..." But she couldn't finish her sentence as the ground collapses under her feet and she screams. "Lucy" I yelled worried. My siblings and I rushed over and saw her sitting safely just a few feet down. Lucy smiled and finished her sentence " ... here." Looking down, we saw a steep and narrow path going slantwise down into the gorge between rocks. We walked down the path and crossed the gorge. Lucy slipped but thank god Trumpkin caught her, I send him a thankful glare and he nodded.

As it was starting to get dark we decided it was a good idea to set camp and get some sleep. After we all got ready to sleep my brothers fell asleep immediately, I on the other hand was watching the stars. It was one of my favourite things to do, it gave me comfort. "Lucy, Maria are you awake?" Susan asked "Hmm" Lucy and I both mumbled trying not to wake the others. "Why do you think I didn't see Aslan, Lucy?" "You believe me?" Lucy said surprised. "Well, Maria does and you got us across the gorge." my sister answered. "... I don't know. Maybe you didn't really want to." "You always knew we‟d be coming back here, didn't you?" Susan asked Lucy "I hoped so." Susan sighed "I just got used to the idea of living in England." "Honestly guys, I don't know if I ever want to leave this place." I whispered but I think my sisters were already asleep. After studying the stars for another hour I fell asleep as well...