CHAPTER THREE
vol i — FAMILY FEUD!

THE GROUP LOOKED over their shoulders, noticing the Telmarine soldiers approaching them on foot. "Why in the name of Aslan! Why can't they give up!" Alex whined as they started to run.

They could hear the shouts from the soldiers behind them as they tried their hardest to get away from them. The group tore through the brush, their lungs burning for air, their feet stumbling ever so often. The world felt like it was collapsing onto of Alex, but she kept running, not wanting to end up dead. She dodged arrows left and right, when hearing a grunt of pain, she whirls around and notices Trufflehunter on the ground.

"Oh dear lords, Trufflehunter," Alex whispered, turning around and trying to go back to him without getting killed by an arrow. Arms wrap around her waist and she gets pulled into a chest, turning around she notices Caspian.

"I'll go. Stay here." At those words she freezes, unable to reciprocate the kiss he gives her, unable to do anything as he runs back to save Trufflehunter.

All sound around her becomes static, all she can do is watch as Trufflehunter tries to hand Caspian the horn, only to be picked up and be tossed around over his shoulder. As the soldiers go to take aim, they start going back one by one, their disgruntled cries reaching the ears of the small group. When Caspian and Trufflehunter reach the group, Alexandra huffed and walked past her boy, reaching into Trufflehunter's flank and pulling out the arrow. She whispered I'm sorry as she gave the top of the badger's head a kiss, throwing the arrow onto the ground.

"Get them out of here!" Caspian ordered, pointing to Alex and Trufflehunter. Nikabrik tried to get them out go there, but Alex wouldn't budge.

She took out her own sword, standing tall next to Caspian. "You're a complete idiot if you think I would leave you do this stupid thing on your own." Soldier after soldier falls, leaving the brows to furrow on their faces. "What is going on?"

Alex goes on her tippy toes trying to see what is taking down the Telmarine soldiers. The last one throws his crossbow down, blindly swinging at the ground, trying to find the culprit. When the soldier falls, the rustle of the ferns comes closer to Caspian. A small object flipped out of the ferns and knocks Caspian down, a sword flies through the air, landing in the creatures hand, pointing at Caspian. Alex jumped back a little,m before laughing out loud at the sight in front of her. Reepicheep sent her a glare as she tried to keep her laughter under control.

"Choose your last words carefully, Telmarine!"
"You are a mouse."
"Well obviously, Cas."
"I was hoping for something a little more original. Come on, pick up your sword."

Caspian let his eyes travel over to his sword lying on the ground — in perfect reaching distance, but he made no move towards it. Meanwhile, Alex was shoving her fist into her mouth, trying her hardest not to laugh at the sight in front of her. "Come on you big baby, don't tell me you're afraid of a mouse."

"You would be too if he was holding a sword to your throat," Caspian snarked back, unable to hold in his comment. He turned his head back toward Reepicheep. "Um, no thanks."

"Pick it up! I will not fight an unarmed man."
"Which is why I will live longer if I choose to not cross blades with you, noble mouse."
"Noble mouse. Aslan, I love you."

Alex was too busy overthinking Noble mouse statement to notice the rosy blush that and spread across Caspian's face. The blush however, Trufflehunter noticed the blush and decided right then and there that he was going to do everything in his power to get the two of them together, not matter how long it would take.

"I said I wouldn't fight you. I didn't say I'd let you live!"
"Reepicheep! Stay your blade!"
"Trufflehunter? I trust you have a good reason for this untimely interruption."

Nikabrik found this the opportune time to butt into the conversation to put forth his input on the situation. "He doesn't, but go ahead."

"Reepicheep! He's the one that blew the horn!" Trufflehunter yelled. He was hoping to get it across to the stubborn mouse.

Reepicheep doesn't move, hoping that he heard wrong. "What?" He asked breathlessly, his brain trying to come up with ways that it is true.

From behind the trees, a bunch of Narnians come forward, each moving silently as if one with nature. "Then let him bring it forward," one centaur, Glenstorm, said. Him and four other centaurs come forward. "This is the reason we have gathered."

Alex's eyes blew wide, not able to comprehend what was in front of her, her childhood dreams were coming true. "Oh great Aslan! You're a centaur! This is the best day of my life!"

( ...🌼... )

ALEX AND CASPIAN had fallen to the back of the group, trying to figure out where they are and where they are going. Their feet were sour from walking for hours, the centaurs not stopping for any reason. The sun had started to set, casting a glow on the group, illuminating them, making them seem godly. Caspian glanced over at Alexandra, taken back by her beauty. Her golden skin radiating in the light, making him entranced with every little bit of her. Her long brown hair was back in a french braid, a few stray pieces framing her face. Caspian's breath hitched, catching the attention of Alexandra, she turned to him, stunned by his beauty.

The two of them, utterly enamored with each other, but too scared to admit it. His skin was glowing in the sun, chocolate brown eyes sparkling, only one thought going through her mind: Aslan, he is gorgeous. When she noticed him looking at her her cheeks flushed a bright red, causing a smile to grow on her own face. Caspian reached out, his hand cupping her cheek, her face pushing closer into his hand. She closed her eyes, enjoying the small moment between them when she felt a pair of lips on her own. She kissed back, unable to help herself, savoring the feeling of his lips on hers, until he breaks the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers.

"What was that for?"
"Thought you looked pretty, love."
"Love? I like that."

Caspian went to go respond when a cough interrupted his train of thought. The two moved their heads toward the sound of the cough, only to notice that it was Trufflehunter. He stood there with his arms crossed, foot tapping against the ground, standing in the ultimate mom stance. "What are you doing?" he asked the two.

"Making out."
"Sleeping."
"Sleeping? Really Cas? What kind of excuse is that?"
"I couldn't tell you. I panicked."

Trufflehunter let out a little hmph the two of them needing to work on their excuses. He would worry about that later, but the two of them had fallen far enough behind for him to worry about them. "Well I suggest you stop whatever you are doing and hurry up, we are almost there."

He left the two alone again, leaving Alexandra to lean up and press a quick kiss to Caspian's lips. "You are lucky you're cute because you can be really slow sometimes." She grabbed his hand, dragging him up with the rest of the group. Light had faded completely from the sky, leaving them to travel in the dark, blinded by the roots as the made it to the Dancing Lawn. Shouts of praise and rude remarks were shouted from every direction, making Caspian and Alexandra sent apprehensive glances at each other. The discomfort was present on their faces, each of them unsure of what to do about the mixed signals being sent.

"All this horn proves is that they've stolen yet another thing from us!" Nikabrik shouted. He was obviously playing the field, trying out for both teams.

"Didn't steal anything?! Shall we list the things the Telmarines have taken?" A minotaur shouted, not trusting them at all.

"Our homes!"
"Our freedoms!"
"Our lives!"

"You would hold us accountable for all the crimes of our people?" Caspian shouted at the crowd. Alex let out a sigh, wishing that she could have slapped him in that moment.

"Accountable...and punishable!" Nikabrik said. That little dwarf was getting on the last nerves of Alex, almost threatening her to throw a dagger into his heart.

She wasn't able to hold it in any longer, letting her anger get the best of her. "Weren't you just make sure we got here? What is up with you switching sides?" Alex blurted. All eyes turned to her, surprised by the outburst.

"That's words from you dwarf! Or have you forgotten that it was your people who fought alongside the White Witch?" Reepicheep argued. He was on the side of the two teens, taking a liking to Alexandra.

"And I would gladly do it again if it would rid us of these barbarians." Nikabrik didn't seem to have a filter, that much was becoming obvious.

"Then we are lucky it is not in your power to bring her back. Or do you want us to ask this boy and girl to go against Aslan?" Trufflehunter asked.

This statement caused an uproar from the rest of the Narnians, their shouting overlapping. It was giving Alexandra a headache, everyone talking over each other, it was getting in Alex's nerves. She had enough of the bickering, choosing to walk away from it all and lean against a tree. It was a nice distance away from the crowd, so far she was able to fall asleep. Caspian was so caught up in the arguing over his loyalty that he didn't notice Alex had disappeared. He had looked over to try and talk to her, only to notice that she was gone, spending the next few minutes trying to find her. He searched around the area, spotting Alex passed out, leaning against a tree, small snores leaving her lips. Caspian let a small smile creep it's way into his face, enjoying the way that she was able to find comfort in the dreams her imagination was able to cook up. To him, Alex looked enchanting in the moonlight — the pale glow highlighting each of her perfections, putting her on an even higher pedestal in his mind.

Caspian picked her up reluctantly, not wanting to wake her up and slowly walked over to Glenstorm, careful not to trip over anything. "Is there anywhere we can sleep for the night?"

"Yes. There is a tent the fauns set up in a small clearing after the meeting ended. Walk past the twin trees and you shall see it," Glenstorm said, his eyes never leaving the sky, too busy watching the stars. Caspian nodded his head in thanks, while Glenstorm heard Trufflehunter walk up beside him, making the centaur turn his head towards the small creature. "She will be our Queen. The stars have foretold it." Trufflehunter nodded his head in agreement, the two standing there in the darkness.

Caspian had found the tent, the soft fabric swaying in the light breeze. He was careful to walk in, making sure not to hit any of their heads on one of the posts. He placed Alexandra down on the blanket that was their mattress for the night, carefully stripping them of their weapons, placing them in the corner of the tent. Caspian had managed to unlace her boots and jacket slipping them off of her body and putting them in a neat pile next to the weapons before doing the same to his own clothes. After making sure Alex was covered by the thin blanket they had, he crawled into bed next to her, flipping the blanket over his own body. Caspian snuggled up next to her body, dropping his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him, falling into a deep slumber.