~By the Lion's Mane: The Call~

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

As we raced back to the How, the Telmarines broke out of their steady march and began running towards us. The catapults launched more stones, and they collided with the How, quaking the entire structure. Susan screamed, "Brace yourselves!" to her archers as the walls began to tremble.

I reached the ramp leading down into the tunnel right on Peter's heels when suddenly a boulder smashed into one of the ruined arches behind us, around the 'arena' where Miraz met his death. It sent the huge stone slab hurtling into the wall of the mound and the force of the impact knocked the stone surrounding the door down and closed it off right in front of us, burying two of our own before our eyes. Andy sat back on his haunches and slammed to a stop to avoid being crushed under the ensuing avalanche of rocks.

Peter and I and the rest of the Narnians froze for a moment, not able to comprehend the disaster that had just occurred. There was no way in now. We were trapped outside of our last walls of defense with an enormous army right behind us.

Several small trees that had grown on the ledges of the How began to topple over above us. I heard a cry and looked up to see Susan dangling over the edge, holding tightly to Trumpkin's hand. Caspian arrived beside me and Peter as Trumpkin dropped Susan safely onto a ledge below, and I turned with Peter and Caspian to see that the infantry had arrived and had surrounded what was left of our army. I felt my body sag in hopelessness. With a shiver I couldn't control, I realized that this really could be the end. We were far outnumbered, both in soldiers and in weapons, and we had nowhere to hide. And if Lucy had failed in her mission...

Edmund ran up beside me and my unicorn, breathing heavily as he threw down his splintered crossbow. He wiped the sweat from his face and looked at the three of us. Then I saw him set his jaw and he turned his dark eyes back towards the oncoming horde, slowly drawing his sword. I looked back at Peter, who then turned back to look at the enemy.

I closed my eyes briefly as I took a deep, rattling breath of the Narnian air, tainted by the metallic smell of blood and carnage. Then the five of us began running forward, followed by our faithful, brave Narnians. We reached the enemy again and resumed fighting with as much ferocity as before.

Even though I was sure that I wasn't going to live to see the sun set one last time, I was still proud. I would die fighting along with all of the people I loved, and then there would no longer be anything to fret about any longer. No more pain, no more evil. I would die fighting for Aslan and Narnia, and everything I believed in and loved.

Edmund was fighting as hard as he could, moving so fast that the weapons in his hands were reduced to silver flashes. He used two swords, sweeping them around his head, the iron glinting as he decapitated and disemboweled two different soldiers at once. Caspian killed and knocked soldiers with his sword, all of us slashing and fighting our hearts out. I yanked off my helmet to see around me better, letting my braided hair fall free. As always, there was that shock and hesitation as the soldier I was fighting realized I was a girl, especially since he was a Telmarine, and women were expected to be submissive housewives.

I struck at a soldier with my foot, knocking him backwards before swinging my blade around to slice through his body. I ducked and whirled and slashed and blocked, fighting until every muscle burned with the effort. I had cleared a small circle around me, and looking around, I saw that my friends had done the same.

Through all of the screams and shouts and clashing of swords and armor, I thought I could faintly hear a roar. I paused in my fighting, long enough for my opponent to get in a blow. Since I wore chain mail, the sword didn't cut me, but it did hit hard enough to knock me down. The soldier raised his pike to bring the axe head down on me, but at the last second I managed to roll to the side and fell down into the pit.