Chronicles of Narnia: The Magic Begins: Prince Alexander: Book 3

Chapter Four: Poggin the Dwarf

Irma Rose and the others turned into their animal forms (back in their human forms they dressed in armor for the boys and girls were dressed in colorful dresses). Irma Rose was flying high in the morning dawn, she used the air currents for her advantage. The wind slid across her black-blue feathers as she banked through an updraft to gain altitude in search of a stronger tailwind. Ahead of her was a river, she was heading towards a wooden point of the mainland a little to their right, Irma Rose let out a loud screech to her siblings (that they turned back into their human forms), she alighted on a stick that's close to the river same thing with Marco and Chase, Irma Rose narrowed her brown eyes and hid behind a few large, healthy green leaves. They all felt sure that just beyond that point must be the mouth of the river. Then they caught sight of a single rowboat. When it had cleared the point, it turned and began coming along the channel toward them. There were two men on board, one rowing with the oars, the other sitting in the stern and holding a bundle that twitched and moved as if it were alive. Both these men looked like soldiers. They had steel caps on their heads and light chain-mail. Their faces were bearded and hard. Conor, Natasha, Vicky, Chasta, Chase, and Ila silently pulled out their weapons with narrowed and burning eyes.
"This'll do."said the soldier, who was in the stern.
"What about tying a stone on him Corporal?"suggested the other.
"Very well, since he is going to try to wiggle his way out those cords, Garn."said Corporal.
Irma could see that at the bottom of the boat was a Dwarf, he was struggling as hard as he could. But then the soldiers picked the Dwarf up and was about to drop the Dwarf when Vicky shot her arrow at the boat.
"Drop him!!"snapped Natasha with her sword drawn out and pointed to the men.
The men dropped the Dwarf into the water, Vicky shot another arrow at and struck the helmet of the soldier named Garn, the soldier fell over into the water, but then the other soldier named Corporal had jumped overboard and swam to the other side of the river.
"Quick! Before she drifts!"shouted Marco to Conor, after turning back into their human forms.
Marco and Conor jumped into the water with loud splashes. Marco helped the young, teenaged Dwarf get to the surface, while Conor pulled the rowboat in with a lasso. In a few seconds, they had hauled the rowboat to bank and lifted the Dwarf out of the water, and Irma Rose (who turned back into her human form) was busily cutting the Dwarf's bonds with one of her daggers.
When the Dwarf was free, he sat up, rubbed his arms and legs, and looked at the children with wide eyes.
Like most Dwarfs, he was stocky and narrow-shouldered. He would have been about three feet if he was standing up, and has fair-skin and golden hair, with a small nose that's around the same size of a bird's beak and twinkling blue eyes.
"Well, thanks for saving me."said the Dwarf.
"But of course."said Marco. "What's your name?"
"Poggin the Red Dwarf."said the Dwarf.
"Well, Poggin."said Natasha, her eyes on the Dwarf. "You may recognize us from fairy tales and stories."
Poggin's eyes widened as surprise and recognization sparked in his gaze.
"Are you the lost-legends of the Animal Warriors?"asked Poggin.
"We are the Animal Warriors."said Marco solemnly.
"Wait till the run away Prince meets you Sirs and Ladies,"said Poggin with a hint of a chuckle."He'll probably flip out."
"What's he like?"asked Natasha with tilt of her head.
"Beats me, I got caught by those cowardly chickens-need-for-brains when I, Zorro, and Trufflehunter first set eyes on that poor Prince of Telmarine."said Poggin.
"So where were you?"asked Vicky, giving the Dwarf a confused look.
"I got stuck in that bully's castle."said Poggin with a flashing memory look.
Vicky and Natasha exchanged a swift and blank glance to each other, Marco and Conor looked at each other with confused looks, and Irma Rose and Ila exchanged a confused glance to Chasta and Chase, who both looked just as equally confused as their siblings.
"Who is this rat-headed bully?"asked Natasha, who looks ready to fight down this bully with her sword. Her hand is on the hilt of her sword.
"King Alejandro, a few nights ago his wife Queen Mariana gave birth to his son and now the King will look to top to bottom in Narnia to find and kill Prince Alexander."said Poggin grimly.
"That reminds me,"said Vicky. "I saw a boy being chased by a group of guards in the courtyard at midnight, I followed him to a forest when he got hurt and brung in by a Black Dwarf into a small hill-house in my dream a few nights ago."
"Then let's gather up some more allies and meet him at the Dancing Lawn."said Natasha.