School boy | Prince Caspian

07

Otto gasped as the forest faded out and the fort came into view. It was in the middle of a large open area littered with few trees. The whole structure seemed like a multi level temple with parts of it underground. It was all made of stone, with the roof and open parts covered in earth and grass so that it had the appearance of a huge hill. It was positioned on the green planes on the due of the forest. The structure overlooking the trees.

As they approached, centaurs had lined up on either side of the stone pathway. Their swords were held aloft like a silver archway as the Pevensie siblings walked in, not pausing to wait for the rest of the group. All of them standing straight and smiling at their subjects as they passed. In that moment, framed by steel as they descended down into the fort, Otto could imagine the crowns on their heads. They were well and truly royalty, respected and cherished.

He hung back slightly, waiting next to Prince Caspian and Trumpkin for a moment before following the Pevensie children inside. They were the kings and queens, they should enter first. Otto was new to narnia, he didn't deserve to walk with them. Caspian seemed to share the thought. He caught Otto's gaze for a brief second before his eyes turned back to the door. They waited a few seconds until the four siblings were halfway to the doors before following after them.

The entrance opened up into a large cavernous room filled with earth tunnels and lit by torches. Minotaurs, animals and Satyrs were busy forging weapons and stockpiling armour. As they walked past, they paused to bow before continuing with their task. Otto could see a pile of breastplates in one corner. A ginger Satyr with brown goat legs was adjusting the straps of one as he tried it on. The Satyr looked up and bowed at the Pevensie's. He nodded at Otto and Caspian and Otto found himself nodding back hurriedly. A embarrassed flush spreading across his cheeks as he tried not to gaze in awe at his surroundings.

Caspian led them through each of the rooms, explaining the organisation and the plans to Peter as they went along. Otto didn't understand half of it. He knew nothing of swords or battle tactics. The three other Pevensie children must have gotten bored of it as well because they had wandered off over five minutes ago. Otto would rather be with them. But Caspian was interesting and he had to follow the high king.

The conversation might have been more interesting if Peter didn't keep on questioning everything Caspian said. He talked with authority and a stick up his arse. Otto secretly rolled his eyes behind his back. Peter kept trying to speak like a king. But he hadn't been a king for over a year. Otto didn't understand why he was being so rude about it. He trusted Peter, and was his friend, but he still recognised when Peter was being a prat.

"SPH club", Otto muttered just loud enough for the two boys infront of him to hear. Caspian paused mid sentence to give him a confused look. Peter smirked at him, obviously assuming that he was meaning Caspian. Otto shook his head. "I was talking about you Peter".

Peter frowned. "Oi". Otto grinned with no shame.

"Aren't knights supposed to be loyal?" Peter asked, his expression was stern but there was a tugging of his lips and Otto knew that he was trying to to smirk.

Otto shrugged. "Do you want me loyal to a king or to a friend?"

Peter relaxed, face softening to a smile. "A friend of course". He swung his arm around Otto's shoulders with easy familiarity as they continued walking. Caspian watching them both with a curious expression before catching up.

"Peter", Susan's voice echoed thought the stone chamber. She poked her head out of a corridor and waved at them to join her. "You'd better come and take a look at this". She disappeared back the way she came. The three of them followed after her.

The corridor was all rough stone, starting narrow but growing steadily wider as they walked further in. Lucy, Edmund and Susan were waiting half way down. Edmund handed Peter a flaming torch and gestured to the walls. Carved into the stone were images. Faceless figures of two kings and two queens in a recognisable set of four. They stood with their thrones, hands resting on the chairs. Another image was of a satyr wearing a red scarf and holding an umbrella. Otto frowned at it. The satyr was standing next to a old fashioned street lamp. One that would be lit by a flame. He had seen them around England. It was strange to think that one would be in narnia.

"It's us", Lucy stated as the flames lit up each image. She turned to Caspian. "What is this place?"

Caspian seemed surprised. "You don't know?" The confusion on each of the penvensie's faces were answer enough. Caspian took the nearest torch out of the bracket on the wall and held it aloft as he walk past them and further down the corridor. All four children following him, with Otto lagging behind.

The corridor twisted round to a series of gentle stone steps. The bottom of the steps opened out to reveal a large room carved into the stone. Otto looked up at the darkness, barely making out the room's size. Each side of the entrance was decorated with square pillars which must have been hand carved. Otto gawked at the sight.

Caspian crossed over to one corner and lowered his torch. Flames sprang up, crossing round the room. A long troph of oil followed the walls to curve around the room. Flames danced along it, the light revealing carvings int the walls. Otto turned and took in the room in it's entirety. The walls were decorated with carvings of narnian people, different species depicted. Several pillars held up the ceiling, some of which had been destroyed and lay in rubble on the floor. Directly opposite the entrance was a massive stone arch. Framed on the wall within the arch was a carved picture of an enormous lion. While in the centre of the room was a massive stone table. The table was cracked in half down the middle.

Lucy was the first to move. She walked slowly over and placed a hand on the stone table. Her siblings followed behind. Otto hung back next to Caspian. There was something sacred about this place that he didn't understand, a importance. He assumed that it must be related to Aslan.

"He must know what he is doing", Lucy said. She looked at her siblings then at the lion carving. Her words part of a conversation that only her siblings could understand.

"It's up to us now", Peter stated, eyes also fixed on the carving.

Otto lifted his gaze. The carved lion seemed to smile at him. It's expression gentle and strangely perceiving, like it could see right through him. He blinked and looked again. Nothing. It must have just been a trick of the flickering flames.

Unedited