HELPLESS | NARNIA AU

32 → REAL LIFE

REAL LIFE
❛ THE FACT THAT YOU'RE
ALIVE IS A MIRACLE ❜

"It's this way," Peter ordered to his younger brother at his side and the five guards centaurs behind him. His horse galloped faster, racing against the clock to find the missing noble and the night was creeping further over the horizon.

"Could you go a little faster Phillip?" Edmund asked.

"I'm trying my best, sire," the horse replied, turning left through the woods, following the directions the half-dead girl had described over the phone. "You're a little heavier than when you were once a child." The Just King silently laughed at the response of his companion as they travelled through the bleakness of the Owlwood. Although, he knew the joy wouldn't last long, especially as the thought of his best friend dying in a ditch plagued his mind and his smile dropped.

     The group turned through the woods for what seemed like hours. They scoured every possible area of land that matched Athena's description, but still, she was lost. The cold blasted through the air as they hurried and the shivers grew on both the Kings and their company. The horses were growing weary. Nothing was proving to be clear anymore and the hazed fog that had built up around them only clouded their vision further.

     Alas, when Edmund and his Knights thought all hope was lost, Peter called them to a stop at the sound of rippling water nearby. He took a long breath, dismounting his horse with a heart full of hope and clutching at the reins to support him over the boggy ground, wet with the river floods. Edmund later joined him after he had signalled that the surroundings were clear and pulled alongside Phillip with his armour weighing him down.

      "If we find her," Edmund whispered, receiving a stare from his older brother at his choice of words, "we'll need to be a quiet and as quick as we can. The Ettins are smart, she could be used as bait."

     Peter pivoted on his feet as the sound of heavy breathing. His eyes darted across the group to find the suspect, but his brother and the guards were practically silent.

     "Do you hear that?" He questioned in panic.

     "Yes," Edmund agreed, tugging at Phillip's reins a little more as they trekked toward the sound.

"Do you think—?"

Edmund cut across, "Try not to get your hopes up, Pete."

"I'm not."

Edmund raised an eyebrow, making sure he did once his brother had turned away and continued to walk towards the sounds of gasping breaths. He grimaced. If this wasn't it, if he didn't find Athena, he knew his brother would be devastated. Edmund couldn't let that happen.

The group trudged forwards carefully, attempting to be as quiet as humanly possible whilst making their way over the thick, boggy ground underfoot. Peter led the way, hoping that his optimism and desire to find Athena wasn't riddling his thoughts with unrealistic dreams and expectations. But he badly wanted her back; he wanted to hold her in his arms; he wanted to protect her from the dangers ahead. Most of all, he wanted to kiss her and tell her that he will never let her go again. One of those things were now only destined to be a fantasy.

Somehow, the snow was clearing. Edmund spotted it first, noticing the slushy mixture beneath his footing was slowing melting into a watery mix of marsh and grass. The Just King gazed above himself and found the leave sprouting through the barren branches that shadowed his movement. Droplets of ice slipped from the heavens to land on his face and weaved themselves through the black mess of his hair. It was only then Peter observed it too, as his armour grew heavy upon his shoulders from the humidity of summer and the atmosphere lightened his spirits.

Then Peter dropped his sword and dashed.

Before them lay a damaged girl, covered brunette head to worn feet in scars and bruises and sores from her battle torn memories. Her hair sprawled across a pool of crimson, neatly, but stained with fear. Dark surrounded her right leg, clouding it with darkness only a goddess could heal, and blood poured from it like wine from a goblet. The breaths that sounded from the body continued with a rough speed of lifelessness and her inhalations correlated with coughs. In front of the High King lay a damaged girl, one hanging onto the punishment of life with a fragile seal, desperately clinging onto the last hope of life.

Peter ran. Legs sliding across the wet ground, he powered forward to the Lady, letting his heart beat with ferocity and love that he couldn't control himself. In one scoop he plundered to the floor, wrapping his hands delicately around Athena's porcelain face, scared that one move could ruin her chance at survival. He was certain that he was going to mess up, but he carried on smiling like an idiot at the sight of her.

He whispered. "Athena. . . My love, wake up. . ."

In seconds, he was able to hear the soft breathing of his brother behind him, quite overwhelmed with the joy of seeing his best friend again. Edmund leant down, placing a hand on hers, careful to not disturb the elation of his older brother, and grinned.

"Pete, she's unconscious," Edmund said, still smiling through his words, but rushed by the urgent signals he received from the rest of their company to get out of the area quickly. "We need to get her to Lucy."

"Yes, of course," Peter replied, a little infatuated with the sight of Athena held in his arms, safe.

"Let us return to Cair Paravel, sire," a Centaur announced from behind as the two Kings lifted Athena off the muddled floor and onto the front of the High King's horse. Peter, caught up in joy, agreed swiftly before mounting his horse once more with his spare arm caught protectively around Athena. And before long they had begun their journey back home.

★ ★ ★