Camille, the Lionhearted Temlarine Princess

Chapter 6: Reepicheep

Caspian, Camille and Pearl waded through the tall ferns of the Shuddering Woods. They talked among themselves about how Pearl came to be in the stables of their castle. Caspian had so many questions.

"Well," Camille explained. "I met Pearl in the woods one time when I was shooting arrows. She told me that she was a Narnian and that her kind almost went extinct when a lady in white came. She wiped out all the flying horses except for her great-great grandparents who went into hiding. Pearl is the last of her kind along with her parents. I befriended her and she would often take me for a ride. Then, the day before we had to run away from uncle Miraz, Pearl snuck into the castle to visit me. I found her and covered her wings so she wouldn't be recognized as a Narnian-," a twig snapped behind them.

Caspian and Camille, however, knew what the noise was.

"I can hear you," Caspian said, turning.

The badger and Nikabrik the dwarf, came out from behind some trees.

"I think we should wait for the kings and queens," the badger, whom they learned by now was named Trufflehunter, told them.

Caspian and Camille, along with Pearl, just turned back around and continued walking.

"Fine! Go then! See if the others will be understanding!" Trufflehunter exclaimed.

"Or maybe I'll come with you. I want to see you explain things to the Minotaurs," added Nikabrik.

"Minotaurs? They're real?" Caspian asked.

"And very bad tempered," Trufflehunter put in.

"Yeah, not to mention big," Nikabrik agreed.

"Huge," Trufflehunter corrected.

"What about centaurs? Do they still exist?" Camille asked.

"Well, the centaurs will probably fight on your side. But there's no telling what the others will do," Nikabrik replied.

"What about Aslan?" Caspian asked this time.

The two Narnians looked at each other.

"How do you two you so much about us?" Nikabrik questioned.

"Stories," Caspian replied.

"Wait a minute. Your father told you guys stories about Narnia?" Trufflehunter asked.

"No, our professor," Camille answered.

"Listen, I'm sorry. These are not the kind of questions you should be asking," Caspian told them.

Suddenly Pearl's ears twitched and Trufflehunter sniffed.

"What is it?" Nikabrik asked him.

"Human," Trufflehunter answered.

"Them?" Nikabrik nodded towards Caspian and Camille.

"No," the badger replied, "them." He looked to a group of armed Telmarines just some feet away from them.

"There they are!" A shout rang out.

"Run!" Caspian exclaimed.

The Telmarines started shooting arrows at them, ran a little farther then stopped and shot again. They continued to do this as they went towards them.

"Now!" Came the shout and the next wave of arrows came towards them.

The trio and two Narnians kept running. Caspian and Camille ran in and out of the trees to avoid getting hit while Pearl took to the sky. She remained following them.

Suddenly an arrow struck Trufflehunter.

"Oh, no," Nikabrik started to go back to him.

"Wait. I'll go," Caspian offered.

"Careful Caspian!" Camille said stopping too.

Caspian ran over to Trufflehunter. He knelt down to scoop up the badger. Camille saw him hesitate and tuck something into his belt. With that done, Caspian picked up Trufflehunter and hurried back to the group.

"Get him out of here," Caspian ordered Nikabrik. Then he turned back to the approaching men and Camille knocked an arrow into her bow.

Without warning, a soldier fell. Then another and another until one last soldier was standing. "Where are you?" He shouted.

Both Camille and Caspian frowned. What was happening?

Suddenly, he too fell. The ferns rustled towards Caspian. Camille got ready to shoot. If the thing jumped out of those ferns, whatever it was, she'd kill it.

A streak of brown flashed through the air and Caspian was on the ground. What was that? Camille wondered. Her answer was a ....mouse?

"Choose your last words carefully, Telmarine," the mouse panted.

Pearl landed beside Camille.

"You are a mouse," Caspian said, stating the obvious.

The mouse sighed. "I was hoping for something a little more original. Pick up your sword."

Caspian looked at his sword lying on the ground beside him then back at the mouse on his chest, "Uh, no thanks."

"Pick it up! I will not fight an unarmed man," the mouse waved his sword at Caspian.

"Which is why I might live longer if I choose not to cross blades with you, noble mouse," Caspian replied.

Camille almost laughed. Her brother was logical and hilarious at times.

"I said I would not fight you. I didn't say I'd let you live!" The mouse waved his sword again.

"Reepicheep! Stay your blade!" Trufflehunter interjected.

"Trufflehunter? I trust you have a very good reason for this untimely interruption," the mouse, Reepicheep, said.

"He doesn't. Go ahead," Camille heard Nikabrik say.

"He's the one who blew the horn," Trufflehunter explained.

"What?" Reepicheep asked, surprised.

"Then let him bring it forward. This is the reason we have gathered," a deep voice said. It startled Camille so badly.