༄ 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘦 (𝘗𝘊) ༄

Chapter 2: Trufflehunter and Nikabrik

We raced deeper into the woods, hearts pounding. I passed the Prince and ducked under a low, thick branch—or a fallen tree. I didn't waste time checking for sure. Scenery flew by, but I could still tell the woods looked different from what I last remembered. They were darker and lacked the feel of magic they once had. The child in me would've been afraid to be alone in them, especially at night.

A sudden thud pulled me away from my thoughts and I risked a glance behind me. What I saw, caused me to pull my horse to a stop. The Telmarine Prince was being dragged by his horse. I guessed he must've been knocked off by the low-hanging branch. He was too busy watching behind him that he wasn't looking ahead. As a result, he hit the log and his foot caught in the stirrup as the horse kept running.

They both charged past me when he finally managed to untangle his foot. Without a rider, the horse just kept running, disappearing into the forest as I waited atop my horse. Prince Caspian was left in the middle of the forest floor, breathing heavily and wincing a bit in pain. His sword and few other items were scattered about in the direction the horse had run. I sighed and debated about continuing without him. But I remembered my promise and knew I couldn't.

A door creaked, and I turned quickly in the direction of the sound. Two Narnian Dwarfs—one red and one black—walked out of a large tree, swords drawn. There was a third Narnian in the doorway but I couldn't make out what kind it was from my view. The commotion must have drawn their attention.

"They've seen us!" the Black Dwarf stated.

The Red Dwarf headed towards the Prince and I jumped from my horse. Tapping its rear end, I sent it running into the woods. There was no way they were going to harm him, but I couldn't harm them either. They were likely just afraid of the Telmarines. As I approached, ready to work this out, the Dwarf suddenly stopped and looked at something on the ground. I would've followed his gaze to see what he was looking at but the Black Dwarf was glaring at me. The look in his eyes showed such hatred and I didn't like it.

With a loud cry, the Telmarines that were chasing us appeared. The first dwarf looked to the other, hardly passing me a glance, before speaking.
"Take care of him!" he said before running off to face the Telmarines alone. I did notice that he was only referring to the Prince, unlike the other Dwarf.

I changed directions to help the Dwarf when a Badger, the one that was standing in the doorway, halted me. Confused, I looked at him about to ask why, when the Black Dwarf shouted "no!" and I heard a horn blowing. I looked just in time to see him knock the Prince upside the head. The Prince passed out, horn falling from his hand. I sighed and sent a small glare at the Dwarf, who ignored me.

"Why did you do that?" I asked and I thought it came out more desperate than worried.
"He blew the horn!" was the Dwarf's reply.
"And now you're just going to leave him there?!" the Badger asked him.
"That was the plan," the Black Dwarf replied, gruffly.
"No! Help me get him inside," the Badger demanded.

While the two carried the Prince inside, I gathered up his fallen items. The Red Dwarf provided us with just enough to get him quickly out of sight, but it would do no good to leave a trail. When I saw the horn, I picked it up carefully but I didn't pay much attention to it. Then I quickly erased any signs of our footprints and I moved towards the tree. At the entrance, I risked a glance at our pursuers.

The Telmarines had been held off for a little while but now they had overtaken the Dwarf. He was no longer able to fight and the Telmarines surrounded him. They couldn't be held off any longer and would soon be on us. I either had to get inside or face them. Without thinking about it, I took a step forward, only to feel a paw on my arm pulling me inside. The door closed behind me and I whirled around, ready to argue with the Badger.