~By the Lion's Mane: The Call~

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

We stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the How as the crowd of Narnians roared and cheered. I followed behind Peter and Edmund, carrying their extra weapons. We were in our full battle armor, just to be on the safe side. I didn't trust the Telmarines to keep their word.

We heard the cheers of the enemy army as we made our way to the ruins in front of the How. Miraz and his men were on the other side. Glenstorm was holding a sword and nodded to us from his position. As Peter took his sword from me, I whispered, "Be careful." He gave me a tight smile and stepped out to meet Miraz in the middle.

At the call, the duel began. Peter ran up a fallen column and leaped off, bringing his sword down onto Miraz, who blocked the blow with his rounded shield. Cheers rang out on both sides. I chewed my lip nervously as their swords flashed brightly in the sunlight. They came together with a clash of metal, and then fell back apart for just a moment before colliding again with more hits and bashes.

I gasped as Miraz smashed Peter with his shield, hard enough to knock Peter's helmet from his head. Peter was knocked backward as his opponent hit him again, knocking his chain mail from his head also, revealing his entire head. His reddish hair was already plastered to his face with sweat, and both were breathing heavily.

Peter twisted suddenly and slashed Miraz across the thigh. The older man cried out and fell back for a moment. Peter also backed away. We were all distracted by the sound of thundering hooves.

I looked to see Caspian coming back on a bay gelding, Susan up behind him. Peter and Miraz stood panting for a moment, Peter clutching his arm and Miraz his leg.

"Does my lord need a reprieve?" Miraz rasped.

Peter nodded. "Five minutes?" he asked.

Miraz hesitated, and then snapped, "Three." They both turned back to their sides.

Peter limped toward us, his face grim as Susan and Caspian dismounted.

"Lucy?" I asked, holding my breath.

"She got through," Susan assured me. Then she glanced up shyly at Caspian. "With a little help."

Nodding, I ran to get some water for Peter while Edmund helped him to a stone where he could sit for a moment. I held the flask of water for him, and he emptied it quickly.

"What do you think happens if I were to die here?" he asked his brother. Edmund glanced at me and Glenstorm, unsure of how to answer Peter's question.

"I don't know," he said, looking back at his brother.

Peter sighed. "I think it's dislocated," he said of his left shoulder. Edmund went to pop it back into place as Peter went on, getting sentimental. "You know, you've always been here for me, and-- Ow ooh!" He groaned in pain as Edmund interrupted his little speech by popping the joint back into place.

"Later," Edmund said grimly, patting him on the back.

I went to Peter and hugged him. "I believe in you," I whispered into his ear as I gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Keep smiling," Edmund said quietly while looking in the direction of the worried Narnians. Peter raised his sword high and grinned, resulting in cheers from the poor creatures.

Turning back to his sister, he said, "Better get to your places. I can't be sure that the Telmarines will keep their word." She nodded and hugged him before striding off to the How to assemble her archers on the ledges and walls.

Peter and Miraz walked back out to face each other, this time to the death. I swallowed my terror, and tried to look unworried for the others' sakes, when in reality my entire body was trembling with nerves and adrenaline and fear. After a moment's pause, they commenced fighting with renewed energy. Blow upon blow of sword and shield clanged, almost too fast for the eye to catch. They whirled around each other, using every bit of experience they had ever had to gain the advantage.

For several moments, it seemed as if neither side was winning. But then Miraz smashed Peter with his shield again, knocking his own shield away. Peter spun around and with a slice of his blade, sent Miraz's long sword flying across the stone. Peter slashed his sword down with all of his strength over and over, Miraz blocking each blow with only his shield. Then he hooked his boot around Peter's leg and down he went. The king picked up his blade from the ground and stabbed down as Peter tried desperately to roll out of the way, blocking with his sword and the metal armor cuffs on his wrists.

He ran out of room to roll away, and as Miraz lifted his arm to finish Peter off, I thought for sure it was over. I squeezed my eyes shut and clutched Edmund's arm. But Peter wasn't finished. He kicked out, sending Miraz staggering backwards, giving him enough time to leap to his feet and bring his fist down upon Miraz's bandaged thigh.

The older man gasped in agony and dropped his sword, clutching at his wound. Peter stood, waiting for him to rise and continue fighting. It was a very knightly thing to do, but this wasn't the time or place for mercy.

"Now's not the time for chivalry, Peter," Edmund called.

Peter glanced over at us, and in that time, Miraz snatched up his sword again and charged at him. I screamed as Peter ducked under the arc of his sword and brought his own up through his enemy's side. Miraz gasped and froze, and Peter pulled his blade back out from under his armor, letting Miraz fall to his knees.

Peter raised his sword to kill him, but hesitated.

"What? Are you afraid to take a life?" snarled Miraz. Peter glared back at him, trembling with exhaustion and anger.

"It's not mine to take," he growled back.

He turned to look at Caspian, and held out his sword hilt to him. Caspian set his jaw and slowly walked forward and took the blade from Peter. My king, once he had handed off the sword to Caspian, visibly drooped. He limped back over to where Edmund and I were standing and took his place next to his brother. Caspian held the sword, aimed to pierce his uncle's heart.

"Perhaps I was wrong." Miraz said in a low voice that only those of us nearby could hear, glaring at the prince. "Maybe you do have the makings of a Telmarine king after all."

He bowed his head and Caspian raised the sword and screamed in fury as he stabbed down. I turned my head away, eyes closed tightly as I heard the point of the sword stab into... the ground.

I looked up again, and there it was, sticking out of a crack in the stone.

Miraz also looked up as Caspian spat back, "Not one like you." He stood up straight. "Keep your life. But I am giving the Narnians back their kingdom." His voice shook slightly, but as he turned back towards the How, cheers from the Narnians erupted.

The Telmarine generals looked lost for a moment, but then they decided they should probably help their king. I broke into a grin and hugged Caspian, and then Peter. Several friends raced forward to congratulate Peter and Caspian, and they grinned and nodded tiredly. I saw the gray bearded general walk forward and help Miraz to us his feet out of the corner of my eye. They exchanged a few words, but they were drowned out by the Narnians cheering. But then the general gave a sick smile and in one motion, thrust an arrow into his king's back.

I gasped and turned all the way to face them as Miraz fell onto his stomach, dead, a red-feathered Narnian arrow protruding from his back.

The gray bearded man looked back and forth in mock surprise and then shouted, "Treachery! They shoot him!" Pointing at Susan and her archers, "They murdered our king!" And then he ran and mounted his horse.

"Lies! He killed his own king! I saw him!" I cried out, but my words were lost to them. There was going to be a battle after all of this, and many more of us would lose our lives.

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A/N: Sorry this chapter's so short, I've been waaay too busy with school.

In other news, I have a proposition for ya.

For anyone with a knack for photoshop or cover-making, I am in need of a cover for a Harry Potter fanfic I'm working on right now. I'm going to wait to publish it until I have a few chapters saved, but I'd like to have a nice cover. If you're interested, send me a message and I'll give you the details. :)

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