The Guardian of Narnia

XIV

The army, led by a fuming Peter and Caspian, returned to the How. Lucy was sitting on the Stone Table, her cordial in her hand.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Ask him," Peter spat.

"Peter," Elvira said, trying to calm him.

"Me? You could have called it off. There was still time," Caspian argued.

"No there wasn't, thanks to you. If you'd kept to the plan, those soldiers might be alive right now," Peter said.

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

"You called us, remember?" Peter pointed out.

"My first mistake," Caspian spat.

"No. Your first mistake was thinking you could lead these people," Peter said. He turned away from the Prince.

"Hey!! I am not the one who abandoned Narnia," Caspian shouted.

"You invaded Narnia. You have no more right to it than Miraz does! You, him, your father... Narnia's better off without the lot of you!" Peter yelled in return. Caspian roared and both swords were drawn.

"ENOUGH!" Elvira roared, and though in her human form, halted both men in their tracks.

"This is not how I expect Kings to act in defeat," she scolded. The two looked down. She took both their swords. She placed them down on the Stone Table and looked back at the two. She took them both out of the room.

"There is no-one to blame for the deaths of all those innocent soldiers, but me. I caused the Prophecy to come into light that led the four Kings and Queens into Narnia, then you to join. If you should blame anyone, blame me. I started this. Yell at me all you want, contradict me, I do not care. But not each other. That sort of fight will lead to defeat before you go out for the second round," Elvira said. She walked off and gently spoke to her brother's carving. She heard him whisper gently;

"Be vigilant, my sister..."

~

Elvira opened her eyes to find myself standing by her brother's carving. He whispered something else.

"To the Stone Table, sister..." She heard the urgency in his voice. She jumped up and ran to see Jadis. She gulped as she saw Caspian being held in front of her ice carving.

"One drop of Adam's blood and you free me. Then I am yours, my king," she said.

"No!" Caspian yelled. A werewolf-like creature grabbed Caspian's hand, and the hag cut it. The White Witch stuck her hand through the ice. She smiled maliciously. Caspian looked at the Witch... and then seemed to stop resisting. Elvira opened her mouth to yell, but was cut off by Peter.

"Stop!"

Peter and Trumpkin ran into the room and drew their swords. Elvira followed swiftly. The werewolf crawled over the Stone Table and attacked. In the heat of the moment, Elvira had forgotten to transform and her sword clashed with the werewolf's long claws. She swung at it and it howled in pain. She hit the werewolf forcefully and it collapsed. Trumpkin thrusted his knife into Nikabrik and Peter having kicked the hag into a pillar, knocking it unconscious. The Witch kept reaching towards Caspian.

"Come on..." she whispered.

Peter pushed Caspian away and pointed his sword at the Witch.

"Get away from him!" he shouted. Elvira watched as the Witch fell back a little.

"Peter, dear... I have missed you. Come, just one drop," she said. She reached towards Peter.

"You know you can't do this alone," she cooed. Peter hesitated, and then lowered his sword a little. Elvira ran to him to barrel him out of the way, but suddenly, the Witch groaned and the ice wall shattered. Elvira ended up colliding into Peter, but not sending him into the ground, as Edmund stood behind, his sword still drawn. Both Peter and Elvira looked up, in each other's arms.

"I know. You had it sorted," Edmund said. He walked away. Peter's grip tightened on Elvira as both of them and Caspian looked at the carving of Aslan. Elvira closed her eyes and quietly thanked him for helping them. She turned around to see Susan quietly walk out.

~

Peter and Elvira sat in front of the cracked Stone Table and looked at the carving of Aslan, Elvira's head on his shoulder and his head on hers, and their hands clasped together. Lucy walked up and sat beside him.

"You're lucky, you know," Peter said to Lucy.

"What do you mean?" Lucy replied, when she realised her brother was talking to her.

"To have seen him. I wish he'd just give me some kind of proof," Peter said. Elvira closed her eyes.

"Maybe we're the ones who need to prove ourselves to him," Lucy said. Elvira smiled at the young Queen's high morale that her brother would help. She was right. There were footsteps behind them and turned. It was Edmund.

"Pete, Vira, you'd better come quickly," he said.

The four of them went outside, and saw the Telmarine army approaching, with Miraz, in full armour, riding at the front. Elvira gently pulled Peter back in to the room to make plans.

~

"Cakes and kettledrums! That's your next big plan? Sending a little girl alone into the darkest parts of the forest alone?" Trumpkin exclaimed, in disbelief.

"It's our only chance," Peter said.

"And she won't be alone," Susan added.

"Haven't enough of us died already?" Trumpkin countered.

"Nikabrik was my friend too, but he lost hope. Queen Lucy hasn't. And neither have I," Trufflehunter said.

"For Aslan," Reepicheep said.

"For Aslan!" echoed a bear.

"For Aslan," Elvira said quietly. Peter pulled her into him further.

"I'm going with you," Trumpkin said to Lucy.

"No, we need you here," Lucy said.

"We have to hold them off until Lucy and Susan get back," Elvira said, placing a hand on Trumpkin's shoulder.

"If I may..." Caspian spoke up, stepping forward, "Miraz may be a tyrant and a murderer. But as king, he is subject to the traditions and expectations of his people. There is one in particular that may buy us some time." Elvira looked at Peter and clenched her fists. She knew exactly what he was talking about.