~By the Lion's Mane: The Call~

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

As we galloped back to the How, I scanned the dark skies with a rising panic. I could feel it coming up my throat, bitter and suffocating. Where was Edmund? But then I heard the beating of colossal wings, and I looked back over my shoulder to see Edmund crouched over the back of his griffon. I fought back tears of relief, and allowed myself a shaky smile. Thank you for keeping him safe, Aslan.

The ride back to the How that night was awful, but it was nothing compared to our arrival. We arrived at dawn, bloodstained, grimy, and a million years older. I slid wearily off of Anduril as Lucy ran out of the mound to meet us, a smile on her face. But it vanished when she saw how few had returned.

"What happened?" she asked, tears slipping down her cheeks.

Peter nodded stonily at Caspian, his face betraying his anger. "Ask him," he spat.

"Peter!" Susan reprimanded him.

"Me?" Caspian asked. "You could have called it off; there was still time!"

"But there wasn't, thanks to you," Peter shot back. "If you had just kept to the plan, those soldiers might be alive right now."

"And if you'd just stayed here like I suggested, they definitely would be!"

Peter was livid. "You called us, remember?"

Caspian clenched his jaw. "My first mistake," he said tightly.

"No. You're first mistake was thinking you could lead these people," Peter answered, his face red and contorted in fury. He turned to stalk into the How.

 I sucked in my breath. I didn't want this right now. Not after everything that had happened.

"Hey!" Caspian cried. Peter turned and faced him. "I am not the one who abandoned Narnia," Caspian said, his voice shaking with rage.

It felt like he had punched me in the gut. I couldn't breathe. I sank to my knees, trembling. Edmund knelt beside me. He didn't know why it hurt me so much. But it was because I had been the one to abandon Narnia.

"Rose, are you all right?" he asked, his brow knit together in worry. I shook my head as Peter and Caspian went on.

"You invaded Narnia! You have no more right to rule than anyone else does! Not you, your father-" Peter shouted after Caspian. Caspian stopped. "Narnia's better off without the lot of you!"

Caspian turned around, yelling in rage as he drew his sword. Peter's was out in an instant as well, and they raised them to clash once.

"Stop it!" Edmund and I screamed at once.

They froze and looked at us. They lowered their swords slowly as Glenstorm carried Trumpkin forward and laid him on the ground, and then Caspian turned and stalked away. Lucy rushed forward with her cordial. I knelt beside the Dwarf, barely noticing Nikabrik following Caspian into the tunnel. Glenstorm's wife sobbed over her lost sons.

Lucy dropped a few drops of the elixir into Trumpkin's mouth, and he breathed again. He opened his eyes, looking around at our anxious faces staring down at him.

"What are you all standing here for? Telmarines will be here soon enough," he said gruffly. Lucy smiled and got to her feet. Before she went, Trumpkin said, "Thank you, my dear little friend." She grinned and turned to go as Edmund and I helped him to his feet.

That evening, I sat stirring the small fire I'd started outside the How. I poked it with a charred stick, staring into the dancing flames. My mind was wandering and I was deep in thought, so I didn't notice the approaching footsteps until he was right there.