Whisked Away

69. Jill and Eustace

Eustace's POV
With Professor Kirk, Aunt Polly, Lucy, and Jill, we had boarded the train to meet up with Peter and Edmund who had the rings. I looked out of the window to look for them at the station, but the train suddenly jerked and a loud bang was heard. Suddenly before us was the man from last night and Shifra.

Turning to Jill, I smiled and said, "Gosh, that took one's breath away! I thought..."

"Hurry up and get them untied, and make sure Shifra's ok," Jill interrupted. I pulled my knife from my pocket and freed Shifra first while Jill held onto her and helped to slowly lower her to the ground as she was still passed out. Then I moved to the man. I quickly cut his bounds and when he was freed, he instantly fell forward on his hands and knees.

He rubbed at his legs and then stood, but when his eyes fell on Shifra, he instantly paled.
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Tirian's POV
When I saw the arrow in her shoulder, I panicked and rushed forward. I carefully examined the wound and deemed it was safe to take out. As carefully as I could, so as to not cause more damage, I pulled the arrow out and smelled the tip. "Cyanide," I muttered. Louder, I added, "We need to be off, for my enemies are close at hand. Will you come with us?"

"Of course," the girl replied, "It's you we've come to help." I nodded and carefully wrapped my wife's wings around her and picked her up in my arms. We quickly and silently set off downhill. I carefully thought through the terrain and planed planned to hit that were rocky leaving no trail and another with water to rid us of our scent.

About an hour later, we had spoke little and were just getting out of a shallow river when I spoke, "Now, we are out of danger from those villains for a space and may walk more easily."

As I spoke, I heard a slight groan from Shifra who I still held in my arms. "Tirian?" her voice whispered.

"I'm here, love," I replied, lowering her slowly to the ground. She unraveled her wings from around her and folded them behind her. "My dear we must keep moving, but I can continues to carry you if you wish." She nodded and I took her up once again.

"How about some grub?" the boy asked, drawing Shifra's attention to him and the girl. "I mean for the two of you, we have had our breakfast."

"Eustace! Jill!" Shifra exclaimed excitedly. They both smiled at her as they took out from their bags some sandwiches. Eustace handed Shifra the first sandwich and she took out the first half and ate it quickly. Taking out the second half, she broke off small pieces and fed them to me as we walked. We ate through all six sandwiches in this manner. "I think I can walk now," she decided.

I carefully stood her on her feet and we adjusted to interlining our hands and walking in that way. After a time we reached the stream I was aiming for and stopped for a drink and to splash our hot faces. Jill was just flipping her wet hair back as she began, "And now, aren't you going to tell us who you are and why you two were tied and what it's all about?"

"With a good will damsel," I replied, "But we must keep on the march."

Shifra began the story, explaining, "This is my husband, King Tirian and we learned from a dryad that the trees in Lantern Waste were being cut down-the holy trees of Narnia. We even saw it happen, for that dryad's tree was cut and we...we had to." I rested my hand on her shoulder as she continued. "Anyway, we tried to stop it and were tied up because we didn't like what they were saying."

"This accursed ape," I hissed, "claims that the terrible god Tash is the same as Aslan. He even said that Aslan was here."

"But when 'Aslan' came out it wasn't him. I would know if it was," Shifra added.

"Now, who are you two?" I asked.

"I'm Eustace Scrubb and this is Jill Pole," the boy explained, "And we were here before, ages and ages ago, over a year ago by own time..."
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Jill's POV
Eustace explained all about the rings and how we got here, but I tuned out until he commented, "Gosh! It's getting hot in this sun, are we nearly there Sire?"
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Shifra's POV
I chuckled at Eustace's comment and turned to my husband as he replied, "Look." A grey tower rose just above the treetops and after a few more minutes walking we came into an open patch of land. A stream that flowed through the clearing chattered as we looked carefully for anyone watching, but soon we had come into the tower.

I silently thanked Aslan that Tirian had not been robbed of his keys of he led us into the tower. "Welcome friends," he spoke, speaking more to the children than myself, "I'm afraid this is the best palace the King and Queen of Narnia can offer to our guests."

"Queen," Eustace questioned, surprised.

Elbowing him, Jill muttered, "They're married of course she's the queen." I chuckled as Tirian showed us to one of the many lockers. It had been a long time since I had been in here, but it was much the same. Just a few bunks and many lockers. The one Tirian showed us to held Calormen armor and a strange juice of my own design.

"With this," I explained, "We will appear dark like Calormens and once it hardens on us nothing but oil and ashes will remove it." We all took some and rubbed it on our faces and down our necks and up our arms to the elbows. Then we disguised ourselves in Calormen armor.

"Wait," Eustace exclaimed, "Why don't you just do that light thing and make us invisible?" I felt my face fall slightly and I crossed my arms as if to shield myself from the truth.

"During your time away," I began, "I was taken by the Calormens. They have always wanted Narnia and Archenland and I was always the greatest protector of both, so they held me for twenty years. I don't really remember it because I was passed out for most because they poisoned me over and over again...with cyanid."

"The one thing, as we've learned, that weakens her," Tirian added. I felt his arm move from holding my hand to wrap around my waist as he continued to talk to the children. "As for weapons, none of these swords are likely to be light enough for you, fair maiden, but this might work." He moved from my side to bring out a long hunting knife.

Eustace he gave a Calormen sword and Jill he also gave a bow and quiver full of arrows. I had retained my throwing knives, but my bow, quiver, daggers, and sword were gone. I quickly replaced them with regular Narnian swords as I was to hang back from the rest for most of the journey, for my hair was a dead giveaway that I was not Calormen.

We gathered firewood and began a fire inside the tower, for it was rather dark and a little damp. With the fire going, we broke apart the hard biscuits we had for food and put them in a pot with water and salt for a kind of porridge with only water to drink. Next for our plan.