Our Long Awaited Return Book #8

Chapter 5 The Red Dwarf Who We Saved

""Maybe it was best to go to Beruna," Peter said.

"But what if no one's there," I protested defiantly, "I think we should go to Lantern Waste."

Peter glared at me, "I'm the High King."

"So that makes us your subjects," I scoffed, "Look, if you don't listen to my advice..."

"I do listen to your advice, but if you overstep your boundaries, then it's best not to listen to you; you're only..." he retorted but stopped.

"What?" I crossed my arms, giving him my cold, stubborn stare.

"Never mind," he replied.

"Aren't those soldiers!" cried Andrew. We turned around to the sea. Two soldiers were rowing a boat; they stopped and stood up, carrying a dwarf who was gagged and had his hands tied behind his back.

"They're going to drown him!" Ruth cried.

Susan and Ruth got their bows and arrows ready, "Drop him!" Susan yelled.

I could hear the dwarf mumble something as Edmund, Peter, Andrew, and I unsheathed our swords.

Susan shot her arrow at one of the soldiers, who dropped the dwarf and jumped into the water, followed by his comrade. Ruth hit the boat.

Peter dropped his sword and dove into the water to help the dwarf.

Edmund, Andrew, and I swam out toward the boat and brought it back to shore, as Peter helped the dwarf.

He sputtered as his gag fell off, and Lucy used her dagger to cut the ropes loose.

He stood up and looked at the seven of us. "Drop him!" He gave an annoyed look at Susan and Ruth.

"What an ungrateful little friend," scoffed Ruth.

"A simple thank you would suffice," Susan retorted.

"They were doing just fine drowning me without your help," he scoffed.

"Maybe we should've let them," Peter told him sarcastically.

"Peter, can't you see this dwarf could be the only one who can help us?" Andrew protested.

"Well, in that case, he should be grateful he's alive," I added as I put my sword back in its scabbard.

"Why are they trying to kill you anyway?" Lucy asked him.

The dwarf sighed; he looked at us, confused for a moment. "They're Telmarines; that's what they do."

"Telmarines?" Edmund seemed surprised. We all were. "In Narnia?"

"I thought they had no interest in Narnia," Andrew commented.

"Where you've been for the last hundred years?" he asked in disgust.

"It's a bit of a long story," Lucy grinned.

Susan handed Rhindon to Peter, and the dwarf looked amazed at the sword and then back at us. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me, you're it, you're the Kings and Queens of Old!"

"Finally, you figured it out," I sighed, crossing my arms.

Peter held out his hand. "High King Peter the Magnificent."

"He has the longest title out of all of us," I explained. "I'm Queen Verity the Faithful. It should be intelligent, though, and this is..." I motioned to Lucy.

"You probably could have left out the last bit..." Susan interrupted me, talking to Peter. "And you don't have to put such an emphasis on your intelligence." She turned to me.

The dwarf laughed. "Probably."

"You don't believe we won the Battle of Beruna? That I made the battle plans, and Peter led the battle?" I asked, flustered.

"But your children, the Kings and Queens of old, were..." the dwarf began, still eyeing us with suspicion.

"You might be surprised," Peter said as he pulled out his sword, handing it to the dwarf.

"Oh, you don't want to be doing that, boy," the dwarf gave him a warning look.

"Not me, them," he pointed to Edmund and me.

"Either one of them," Andrew explained to our little friend. "They could both outfight Peter and me. Let's see if it still is that way."

"The boy," the dwarf said.

Edmund grinned and unsheathed his sword.

I stepped back as Peter handed the dwarf his sword. "Why didn't he choose me?" I scowled.

Andrew looked at me. "He probably only underestimates your skill because you're a girl."

"And my intelligence," I added.

"Do you always have to add that?" Susan whispered.

I glared at her; why couldn't people show me the respect I deserved?

I watched as the fight began. It was one of those fights where you jumped because the sword was always aimed at your legs so they'd get caught. Edmund did a pretty good job of it; I mean, he was just as good as me. I didn't want to think he was better in skill, maybe, but in intelligence.

The dwarf hit Edmund with the hilt of his sword, just below his eye.

"Edmund!" cried Lucy.

"Oh, are you alright?" the dwarf asked sarcastically, but Edmund regained his strength.

In a few minutes, he had the dwarf on his knees, his sword knocked out of his hands, and Ed's sword pointed at him.

"Beasts and Bedsteads, maybe that horn worked after all!" he exclaimed.

"What horn?" Susan asked him.

"The horn of, well, your horn, your majesty. There's a Narnia legend that if you blow the horn, it will call Aslan or maybe the Kings and Queens of Old," he explained.

"And someone did, that's why we're back," I asked, puzzled.

"Not just someone, Prince Caspian and his sister Princess Leona," he replied, his eyes lit up. "They need help to retrieve Caspian's throne back from his uncle. They're Telmarines, you see."

"Telmarines? Aren't they the people who tried to drown you?" Ruth exclaimed.

"And we're supposed to help them?" Peter was confused.

"It's not like helping the enemy; I think they might've joined forces with us."