Hoist the Colours

03

Caspian's eyes opened and he felt something on his head. Realising it was a bandage, he pulled it off and stood. Nikabrik said, "This bread is so stale."

"I'll just get him his soup, then," Trufflehunter, the badger, answered.

"You said you were going to get rid of him."

"No, I said I'd take care of him."

"I don't think I hit him hard enough."

"Nikabrik, he's just a boy!"

"He's a Telmarine!" Nikabrik cried angrily. "Not some lost puppy!"

"We can't kill him now, not after bandaging its head. It would be like murdering a guest."

"Ah, and how do you think his friends are treating their guest?"

"Trumpkin knew what he was doing."

Caspian bolted for the door, causing the badger to drop the bowl of soup. Nikabrik stood in his way and Caspian grabbed a hot fire poker and blocked his bows.

Nikabrik turned to Trufflehunter angrily. "See? I told you we should've killed him!"

"You know why we can't!" Trufflehunter yelled.

"If you're taking a vote, I'm with him," Caspian said, pointing at Trufflehunter.

Nikabrik shot Caspian a look. "We can't let him go! He has seen us!"

Once again, a sword was swung at Caspian, and he blocked it. In the midst of the fight, he was forced to sit on a cot. Trufflehunter frowned at Nikabrik. "That's enough, Nikabrik! Or do I have to sit on your head again?"

Nikabrik stopped and Trufflehunter turned to Caspian. "Now, look what you made me do! I spent half the morning on that soup."

"Wh -- what are you?" Caspian stuttered.

Trufflehunter scoffed. "It's funny. You'd think more people would recognize a badger when they saw one."

Caspian changed his question. "No, I mean... You're Narnians. You're supposed to be extinct."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Nikabrik answered sarcastically.

Trufflehunter returned with more soup. "Here we are. Still hot."

Nikabrik glared at Caspian. "Since when did we become a boarding house for Telmarine soldiers?"

"I'm not a soldier!" Caspian yelled in disbelief. "I'm Prince Caspian... the tenth."

Nikabrik's demeanour changed. "What are you doing here?"

Caspian looked down in shame. "Running away. My uncle has always wanted my throne. I suppose I have only lived this long because he did not have an heir of his own."

"Well, this changes things," Trufflehunter replied.

Nikabrik nodded. "Yes... It means we won't have to kill you ourselves."

"You're right," Caspian said, standing and putting on his armour.

"Where are you going?" Trufflehunter questioned.

"My uncle will not stop until I am dead."

"Wait, you can't go. You're meant to save us! Don't you know what this is?"

Caspian's attention was brought to the horn in the badger's hands. Queen Susan's horn.

CASTLE

Cornelius walked into his study and saw Miraz standing there, reading.

"You have quite a library, Doctor," Miraz commented.

"Is there anything in particular you see, my lord?" Cornelius asked.