Our Long Awaited Return Book #8

Chapter 6 We Meet Trufflehunter and Nikabrik

You know we all face insecurity. And sometimes we feel unqualified.
I'm sure you have. I did. But we should stop focusing on who we are and on who he is.

Well, we had been stuck in a tree trunk, really it was supposed to be a house, for a few hours. Caspian had been knocked out. He was resting in a back room.
I was sharing my silence with that black dwarf and badger. Well, I was silent they weren't. I had already figured out their names. The badger talked, his name was Trufflehunter, and the dwarf was Nikabrik. He mentioned another dwarf once in a while, Trumpkin, was his name.
"Hungry, child?" The badger asked me. I stay in my seat frightened.
"She's probably deaf; this bread is so stale," Nikabrik sighs as he cuts it.
"I'll just give them soup then the boy should come around soon," Trufflehunter says.
"Yeah, well, I don't think I hit him hard enough," Nikabrik mumbles.
"Nikabrik, he's just a boy!" Protests Trufflehunter.
"They're Telmarines not just some lost puppy. I should have killed him when I had a chance," he says.
"No, I'll take care of him; we can't kill him now; I've just bandaged his head; it would be just like murdering a guest," the badger said, sitting down at the table.
"Well, how do you think their friends are treating their guests," Nikabrik replies sarcastically.
"Trumpkin knew what he was doing. It's not the children's fault," At that moment, Caspian comes out of his room and grabs for the metal stick near the fireplace.
Nikabrik charges towards him, while I scream, "Caspian, don't!" He grabs Caspian's sword.
"Stop you two!" Badger and I say at the same time.
Caspian drops his weapon, but not Nikabrik."I told you, we should have killed him when we had the chance!"
"You know why we can't," Badger tells him frustrated.
"You can't just kill my brother!" I protest, stepping over to him.
"If you're taking a vote I'm with him," Caspian says.
"I thought she was deaf," Nikabrik looks at me surprised."And we can't let him go, he's seen us."
Caspian puts an arm on me, "She isn't; after the scare she had, there's no wonder she didn't talk."
"Enough Nikabrik, or do I have to sit on your head again," Trufflehunter told his friend.
I laugh at the look of disgust on the dwarf's face, as he sits down again.
"And look what you've done. I've spent half a morning on that soup," Trufflehunter scolds my brother. As he picks up a bowl.
"What are you?" Caspian asks confused.
"That's funny, you'd think everyone knows a badger when they see one." Chuckles Trufflehunter.
"No, your Narnians, you're supposed to be extinct," Caspian explains.
"Well, sorry to disappoint you," smirks Nikabrik.
"I'm not disappointed, I think you're a lot nicer than the Telmarines," I say boldly.
"Here you go still warm," he motions to me and Caspian, as he sets two bowls on the table.
I sat down beside Trufflehunter, realizing how hungry I was.
"Since when did we open a boarding house for Telmarine soldiers!" Exclaimed Nikabrik as he glares at Caspian and me.
"I'm not a soldier," Caspian stands up, "I'm Prince Caspian and this is my sister Princess Leona."
"What are you doing here?" Asked a confused Nikabrik.
"We're fleeing from our uncle," I begin, but turn to Caspian to finish for me.
"My uncle has always wanted to have my throne," he places his metal weapon back to the fireplace, "I've only lived this long because he couldn't have an heir of his own."
"We should go," I whisper to Caspian.
"Well, that changes things," Trufflehunter sighs, and he gives us a sympathetic look.
"Yeah, at least we don't have to kill you ourselves." Nikabrik scoffs.
"You're right," Caspian nods. He reaches for his mail shirt, "Come on, Leona, we have to go."
"Where are you going?" Asked the badger, I knew he was troubled about something.
"My uncle won't stop till I'm dead," Caspian explains.
"But you can't leave, you're meant to save us." He holds up the horn, "Don't you know what this is?"
"It's a horn," I reply, stating the obvious.
"Not just a horn, this horn is the horn of Queen Susan, legend has it that if you believe that help will come, the horn will call the six kings and queens of Old and maybe Aslan. But it only works with faith." Trufflehunter explains.
"Aslan and High King Peter, Queen Susan, King Edmund, Queen Verity, Queen Ruth, and Queen Lucy!" I gasp," I thought it was all a fable. So the horns magic."
"Not magic, no," Trufflehunter shook his head, "That is the witch's power and as Aslan told us, to meddle with the witch's power instead of trusting in him is a great offence. This is just a horn and it does what any horn does."
"We were also a fable in your eyes," Nikabrik adds; he turns to Trufflehunter, "Haven't you given up on Aslan yet."
"No, I can't because he is the king," Trufflehunter says, hope that in his eyes.
I look at Caspian, "We have to stay."
"But there's more hope," Trufflehunter adds, "You are the future king; you can bring us back our homeland."
"How can you be sure I'm a fugitive," Caspian asked; I pat his arm.