༄ 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘦 (𝘗𝘊) ༄

Chapter 6: The Fight

"So... I don't know that much about you," Caspian began, trying to make conversation with me.

We had just gathered up the stockpile of weapons from an old Narnian hideaway. The sun was now beginning to set on our way back to Aslan's How and most of our group hadn't had a good rest in twenty-four hours. So once again we were resting before our return—though I think many would've kept going—because the Prince wanted everyone well-rested.

Several Narnia had volunteered to keep watch, rotating shifts this time, and I was banned from doing so. Caspian seemed to know I hadn't slept much since we left—and that I hadn't awoken the others for their shifts last time. He had ordered me to rest. Normally, I would've protested but I knew exhaustion was catching up to me. So I obeyed this time and made myself comfortable underneath a tree.

The next thing I knew was that it was early morning. As I sat up, I realized the rest of the camp was also starting to rouse. It told me that someone had awoken them, but no one had bothered to do so with me. I frowned, confused, wondering what such an action meant. Did they mean to leave me behind? The answer came with the approach of Caspian.

Apparently, his highness had given orders that I was to be left alone. He wished for me to sleep as long as I needed and the camp would move out afterwards. Once I assured him that no one had awoken me, everything seemed alright. Except it wasn't. It infuriated me that he would be looking after me. I knew my limits and knew exactly how much I could take. The fact that the Prince was more concerned with my health than an impending battle was almost ludicrous.

I hadn't been sleeping well because I couldn't trust my surroundings. It was hard to tell if the Narnians trusted me. I didn't want to take the chance that someone would try to kill me when my guard was down. It seemed rather foolish but I had seen the looks Nikabrik had been giving me, heard the whispers he told the others. If he managed to convince them, they could turn on me. But the previous night told a different story. I had finally managed to sleep all the way through, which meant that maybe I was more comfortable in the current company than I thought. Still, I watched Nikabrik carefully, unsure whether he was friend or foe.

Though the Prince seemed to want to talk, I excused myself from his presence. I was still a bit angry with his decision but didn't want to voice it because I understand his reasoning. So instead I busied myself with packing up the camp. Then we were moving again before the sun had even risen over the horizon.

Thus far, the scouts had seen no signs of the Kings and Queens. I knew the Narnians were losing hope with each negative report. It was harder for me to figure out what Caspian thought about the reports. He was more guarded and difficult to read. But he still planned to send another search out once we had returned to the How.

"I only know your name and that you knew Their Majesties," the Prince continued. "But how can that be? You don't look a day over fifteen but they disappeared centuries ago."
"I was meant to defend the castle before they disappeared," I answered. "Look how well that turned out."
"What do you mean?"
"The Narnian population was decimated, the castle is in shambles, and they lost their home all because I couldn't protect the Cair Paravel. I practically let the Telmarines take over!"
"You're being too hard on yourself," he said.
"But—" I began only for him to cut me off.
"No. You are. From what I understand you were left completely unprepared for an invasion from an army with nothing to lose. We took advantage of the fact Narnia had no ruler and tried to wipe out an entire race. But you saved them. They're here in numbers that we Telmarines could never have imagined."
"I had one task. Protect Narnia and... I couldn't."
"You need to stop blaming yourself. The only person I see blaming you for what happened is you. No one is perfect and even if you had managed to protect the castle, lives would've been lost. You can't save everyone. You were outnumbered and outmatched. What's the point of having a Kingdom if the people are lost? So what do you say? Can you stop blaming yourself for what happened in the past?"
"I'll try," I answered, a little shocked at the wiseness of his words.
"That's all anyone can ask for, Phoenix." I stopped in my tracks and he grinned. "I'll admit, it took me a while to figure it out. I would've asked about Phoenix before, but all records indicated that you were killed at The Battle of Cair Paravel. But from what you've told me, Phoenix survived."
"You're mistaken," I said, walking again. "Phoenix is dead."
"She can't be! You're the Protector of Narnia and her Thrones. You have the second-highest position in all of Narnia. You're a brave warrior and—"
"I get it," I interrupted. I didn't feel worthy of his praise or admiration and it had to stop. "You're a fan of Phoenix."
"I'm a fan of you, it would seem," he said.
"I'm not who you think I am. I'm Ana, not Phoenix."
"You have to be!" he protested. "All the stories I've heard match what you have told me. You and Phoenix are one and the same."
"Stories a Young Telmarine Prince heard from his Professor," I hissed. "Stories aren't always true. They twist facts and tell only what they want others to hear. They're meant to make a person feel better. They're fiction." He was taken aback and realizing I was being a little too harsh, I sighed. "Yes, I knew Phoenix. But she died centuries ago. She cannot help you—can not help us. I'm sorry."
It was the Prince's turn to stop. "What happened to you?" he asked in shock. I wasn't sure if it was because he believed me or realized there was some truth to what I said.
"Telmarines happened," I muttered.

After our discussion, we fell silent and continued walking. The Prince seemed to realize it was a touchy subject and let the matter drop. I had meant what I said. Phoenix was gone and in her place was a hardened warrior who would let no one in. It was much easier that way, easier to protect myself from the pain opening myself up would cause. I would soon find out how untrue those thoughts were.

~Prince Caspian~

Our small group traveled for a bit. We were careful to stay hidden amongst the trees and off the beaten path. Although no Telmarines had been spotted anywhere near here, we knew it was best to stay out of sight. They were searching for the Prince and any Narnians could be found in the process. Suddenly, I heard a voice and I immediately stopped.

"Aslan?" a small voice said and it struck a chord with me, but I didn't know why.

The others quietly continued, not noticing that I was searching for the sound. I looked in the direction of the sound and saw no one. I frowned and started to walk again, thinking I had imagined it. But my head whipped towards the sound of a snapping twig. I noticed several others also stop and look towards the sound.

It was a minotaur and they relaxed a bit. I frowned though, wondering what he was thinking. He was giving away our location. I moved to question him on it when I heard more quiet rustling. It was barely noticeable but I looked over my shoulder.

Caspian noticed him as well and started moving towards the minotaur. The Prince was likely going to lecture him and I figured both of us weren't needed. So I waited instead, watching for Telmarines or any other threats.

A sudden movement drew my attention again. A boy was sneaking up from behind the minotaur. He wasn't much older than Caspian but he wasn't dressed in typical Telmarine attire. But his sword was drawn, ready to kill the minotaur, and that made him a threat. I retrieved my bow but decided to wait for Caspian's order. He had already seen the threat and his pace had increased. His sword was drawn and with a shout, he jumped in the boy's path.

Their sword clashed and a fight broke out between the two. The blonde boy was highly skilled for his age, more than Prince Caspian. Within a few minutes of their duel, he had disarmed him. Caspian then had to duck to avoid being hit. Lucky for him, he was quick on his feet and the boy was unable to land a blow. I knew I would shoot him before he had the chance, I pulled an arrow from my quiver to be prepared. But they were too close together for me to risk a shot right now and watched carefully for an opportunity.

In the glimpses I could catch of him, there was a familiarity about the boy. I tried to figure out what it was, but they were moving too fast for me to get a good look. I hadn't paid much attention before but and it was bothering me. Both the voice and this person—who wasn't the owner of the voice—were familiar and I couldn't place either one.

After one particular dodge from Caspian, the boy's sword made contact with a tree. He hit it with such a force that it ended up lodged in it. As the boy went to retrieve his sword out, Caspian kicked him in the stomach, pushing him to the ground. The boy crumpled and it must've been a hard enough kick as he didn't bounce back right away. Caspian used his slow recovery to try and remove the sword from the tree.

However, the boy wasn't going to give up that easily. He finally recovered and as the Prince struggled to remove the tree, he approached. His arms were raised and I noted he had a large rock in one of his hands. I nocked my arrow, aimed my bow, and released it.

Just as I did so, a small voice behind me shouted: "No, stop!" It was the same one from before and I froze.