The Guardian of Narnia

XIII

A gryphon flew in, carrying Edmund, landing on top of a tower, out of sight of a patrolling soldier. The soldier looked up, but saw nothing. Then, the gryphon grabbed him and pulled him up. Edmund jumped down, and used his electric torch to signal the others. Peter, Susan, Caspian and Elvira, carried by gryphons, flew in and landed. Elvira transformed into her lion form and watched as Caspian flew low and killed a soldier on the way. Another soldier noticed Edmund's signals. He drew his crossbow, but Susan shot him before he pulled his trigger. Peter, Susan, and Caspian climbed down a wall. Caspian knocked on a window.

"Professor?" he hissed. He opened the window and stepped into a study. Peter, Susan and Elvira followed. Caspian found a pair of glasses on the table.

"I have to find him," he said.

"You don't have time. You have to get to the gatehouse," Peter said.

"You wouldn't even be here without him. And neither would I," Caspian retorted. Peter and Elvira exchanged glances.

"We can take care of Miraz," she said.

"And I can still make it to the gatehouse in time," Caspian said. He ran off without another word.

~

Peter and Elvira stalked the corridors. Silence covered the air like a thick, smothering blanket. That was, until, we got to what looked like the King's room. Elvira gently opened the door to see Caspian holding a sword to the throat of King Miraz, whilst Queen Prunaprismia was aiming a crossbow at Caspian.

"Put the sword down, Caspian. I don't want to do this," she said.

"We don't want you to either!" Elvira said. The two of them entered the room, both with swords drawn.

"This used to be a private room," Miraz said sarcastically.

"Caspian, what are you doing? You're supposed to be at the gatehouse," Peter said.

"No! Tonight, for once, I want the truth!" Caspian argued. He looked back at Miraz, "Did you kill my father?"

"Now we get to it," Miraz said.

"You told me your brother died in his sleep," Prunaprismia said.

"That was more or less true," Miraz said, shaking his head in a 'so-so' fashion. Caspian took a few steps towards Miraz, and Miraz was forced to step back against the window.

"Did you kill my father?" Caspian repeated.

"Caspian, this will not make things any better," Elvira said.

"We Telmarines would have nothing had we not taken it. Your father knew that as well as anyone," Miraz said to Caspian. Prunaprismia lowered the crossbow a little.

"How could you?" she said.

"For the same reason you will pull that trigger!" Miraz said. He started walking forward, and Caspian slowly stepped back.

"Stop! Stay right there!" Elvira said, her sword only inches further than Caspian's at the treacherous King.

"For our son! You must choose. Do you want our child to be king or do you want him to be like Caspian here? Fatherless!" Miraz pushed.

"No!" Prunaprismia cried. She pulled the trigger. Elvira quickly transformed and bit the arrow out of the air. The King was gone the moment she turned around. Everything was going horribly wrong. Because of Caspian's thirst for revenge.

Suddenly, bells began to sound, causing the Telmarine soldiers to rise. Peter, Caspian, and Elvira ran through the halls. Peter ran down a different hall.

"Peter!" she called.

"Our army is just outside!" Peter replied. Elvira changed direction and, taking Caspian with her, ran after Peter. He ran through the courtyard and killed two Telmarine soldiers.

"Now, Ed, now! Signal the troops!" Peter yelled.

"I'm a little busy right now, Pete!" was the distant reply. Peter tried to open the gate.

"Peter, it is too late! We have to call it off while we still can!" Elvira said.

"No, I can still do this! Help me!" Peter replied. She transformed into human form, but using her abnormal strength, helped Peter turn the wheel along with Caspian.

"Just who exactly are you doing this for, Peter?" she murmured to him. He looked up and caught her gaze. The three continued to turn the wheel. She saw the drawbridge being slowly lowered, now knowing that Trumpkin and the mice had succeeded. Edmund turned his 'flashlight' on and was flashing it to the army. The army charged into the castle. Asterius used his horns to smash through, obliterating the first gate. They charged past the wheel. Peter and Caspian drew their swords and Elvira transformed.

"For Narnia!!" Peter yelled. It was quickly
drowned out by Elvira's earsplitting roar. The Narnians, including their High King, charged through the courtyard, and began fighting. Elvira bit into a Telmarine, the metal armour causing painful oscillations through her teeth as she pierced it. There were many Telmarines with crossbows pointed at Edmund.

"Edmund!" Elvira roared. The young King looked to his left to see them. He dived into a room and closed the door just in time. Peter and Tyrus, a faun, were fighting their way up to Miraz' balcony. Tyrus was soon knocked down by a Commander and Miraz himself. Suddenly, the gate started closing. Asterius ran over and began holding it up. Peter called out words that would normally kill him to say;

"Fall back! Retreat!"

He ran around, telling all Narnians to retreat. Elvira clawed the Telmarine she was fighting, causing him to go limp and began running around, trying to get everyone out. Glenstorm swung Susan up as he ran out.

"Caspian!" she called to her in worry.

"I will find him!" she replied and turned around. Caspian and Cornelius emerged, with Caspian holding the reigns of an extra horse. Elvira head-butted a soldier and, seeing Peter, sent the horse to him. She barely made it out, before Asterius collapsed with the gate shutting on him, killing him. Elvira turned back and to her horror, many Narnians were still inside. Including one of Glenstorm's children. She turned back to Peter, whose eyes were filling with tears. Edmund's gryphon was riding high. Elvira watched, grief-stricken, as the drawbridge began to close up, sealing the fate of too many lives for one night.