Too Many Sunsets (Prince Caspian)

A tough History lesson

Down the river, two soldiers were rowing the captured dwarf who was still tied up and gagged. The soldiers row further down the river looking around at their surroundings, cautious of the rumoured Narian threat.

"He won't stop staring", one of the soldiers said.

"So don't look".

The dwarf continued to stare at the Telmarine. It deeply unnerved the soldier. 

"Here's far enough".

The soldiers stopped and moved to pick up the now alarmed dwarf. An arrow pierces the boat. From the bay, Susan and her siblings stand ready to attack. 

"Drop him!" 

The soldiers spot the Kings and Queens. 

"Crows and crockery", exclaims the dwarf. They drop him in the river. Susan fires another arrow into one of the soldiers as he tries to pick up his crossbow who falls out of the boat. Peter and Edmund rush forward to save the dwarf. Fearfully, the second soldier jumps into the river. The dwarf continues to sink when Peter dives in and picks him up. Peter pushes off the river bed and swims to the surface. 

Peter pulls the dwarf to the shore as Edmund retrieves the soldiers boat. Lucy takes out her dagger and cuts the dwarf free. He pulls his gag away and sputters out water.

"Drop him?!" The dwarf throws his gag to the floor, breathing heavily. "That's the best you could come up with?"

"A simple thank you would suffice", Susan scoffed.

"They were doing fine drowning me without your help".

"Maybe we should have let them", Peter interrupted. 

"Why were they trying to kill you anyway?"

"They're Telmarines, it's what they do".

"Telmarines? In Narnia?" Ed questioned.

"Where have you been for the last few hundred years?"

"It's a bit of a long story", Lucy laughs a little.

Susan hands Peter his sword. The dwarf notices the lion head on the pommel. He stares at the four siblings with a furrowed brow. 

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me. You're it. You're the Kings and Queens of old?"

"High King Peter, the Magnificent". Peter extends his hand. The dwarf stares at him.

"You probably could've left out the last bit", Susan says.

The dwarf laughs and shrugs his shoulder, "probably".

Peter draws his sword, "you might be surprised".

"Oh, you don't want to do that, boy".

"Not me, him". Peter looks to Edmund and offers the dwarf his sword. He accepts the challenge. His arm drops at the weight of the sword. Ed smirks discreetly. 

Suddenly, the dwarf swings Peter's sword. Ed narrowly misses and blocks the attack. He ducks but the dwarf punches Edmund's face. 

"Oh, you alright?" The dwarf asks with fake sincerity.

Edmund whips around the dwarf and steadies himself. As the dwarf attacks again, Ed parries and jumps over the sword. With six quick strikes Edmund disarms the dwarf. 

He sinks to the sand, "beards and bedsteads. Maybe that horn worked after all".

Caspian lies injured with a bandaged wrapped around his head on a bed covered with soft fabric. He stirs and starts to open his eyes but the pain forces him to wince. Reopening his eyes, he looks around at the wooden ceiling. He sits up and removes the bandage from his head.