22

SECLUDED SECRETS

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Caspian and Alex raced through the grounds of Castle of Caspian; not caring who or what they knocked over in their path as various shouts and orders echoed around them. Soon enough, fireworks started to explode in a fury of colours and designs above their heads. The sounds were too loud for her fragile ears and she fought the urge to cover her ears.

If she had covered them, she would have missed the various Telmarines shouting about the new baby boy that Prunaprismia had blessed the Lord Miraz with. The occasion would have been merry and bright, a festivity to be celebrated. But the terror and fear that it brought caused them to ride off once more.

"We've got company," Alexandra told him as a small armada of Telmarines on horseback followed over the drawbridge after them. As a response, Caspian tightened his grip on the reigns and leaned the heels in closer on Destrier. 

"Don't you have a magic axe?" Caspian cried out as they continued to race through the forests on Destrier, Caspian's horse that resembled that of Alex's own horse back in the Golden Reign of the Pevensie Kings and Queens.

Alexandra tightened her grip around the Prince's waist. "It isn't magical, it's loyal. There's a difference," she turned her head to see a single rider reaching faster speeds than his friends and catching up to them, so the girl reached one hand up into the sky which confused the boy, "It was left in the castle, give it a little time."

Caspian was not convinced, not one bit. That was until the rider got even closer than he was before, almost reaching up to the two on Destrier.

"Can't you hurry-" he was about to say to the girl clinging on behind him but was cut off as a loud pained yelp left the lips of the soldier behind him; what he couldn't see was the silver of the axe smashing through the glass window of Cornelius' office and then flying through the sky directly to the Crimson Knight's hand, taking the rider off his horse in the process.

"You were saying?" she asked him sarcastically as she inspected the hilt of her weapon.

Having it back in her hand made her feel complete, just like wearing her armour had made her feel during the battle. The axe was apart of her, it always would be. To go without it would be a sin to her, it was practically neglect. Thought she had just told Caspian that the weapon was not magic, she knew it was. Nothing mundane would make her feel that way; complete. 

As they neared the tree line for the forest, Alex noticed how each and every of the soldiers stayed back and refused to enter. Glozelle stared at his men angrily, "Which of you superstitious, old women wants to spend the night in a cell?"

Meanwhile, already deep within the forest, Destrier carried the two much deeper through the trees. The knight had no ideas as to why he didn't just ask the trees for the fastest route. Their journey involved hills, forests and even when they were faced with deep water to ride through, they didn't give up.

The water started to rise up to the horse's head as he whined out. Both riders felt the water soaking their shoes and clothing. Alexandra's dress started to weigh her down and she silently cursed Susan for not putting her in something more suitable, even if the white of her dress reminded her of one of the best days in her life - the coronation. 

It wasn't long until they were back in the cover of the trees and darting through the bark and leaves. Neither of them saw the branch hanging much lower than the others, if they would then they could have avoided it.

Caspian's head thumped against the branch and Brough him to the ground ontop of Alex. Yet, his foot was caught in the stirrup. The young Prince was dragged behind Destrier and through the leaves until he shook his boot free. Alex groaned loudly from a distance away, rolling over in pain from falling harshly on the floor. Her white dress now stained with mud and covered in leaves and twigs.

"Caspian?" she called out and pushed herself up onto her bruising knees before limping after him, finding the boy in a pile. Just as her hand reached out to help him up, they both violently turned to see the door to a hut hidden in the roots of a tree open up.

The last thing that both of them expected to see was two Dwarfs emerge from the doorway. With the light shining brightly behind them through the open frame, Alex saw that one had darker hair than the other and both were surprised to see humans.

"They've seen us," one whispered to the other.

As Caspian looked back for his sword a metre away, the light haired dwarf drew his dagger and was ready to wield it. Alex went to kick Caspian's sword back just as one ran at them, his eyes catching on the horn hanging from underneath the cloak around Alex. A loud noise startled them all to show that the Telmarines started to appear through the shadows.

A deafened look washed over the other dwarf as he turned to his friend, "Take care of them."

The man ran towards the horses to draw the attention away from what was going on outside his hidden home. Caspian shared glances with Alex before lunging and ripping the horn from around her belt and bringing it to his lips just as the remaining dwarf shouted not to.

Regardless, the loud blaring ran through the whole of Narnia and somehow managed to reach those beyond.

"Wait!" she shouted just as the hilt of the dwarf's weapon bashed across Caspian's head to silence the horn and it did.

The horses continued to whine behind them as the blade was suddenly pointed toward Alex who shoved her hands in the air to prove her innocence. A sudden idea popped into her head. One that could potentially save her life. 

Alexandra pulled the hood from her head to reveal the white curls that every Narnian would come to see as a symbol of hope, just as the Narnians from the Golden Age had. Audible gasps left the two and they even shared a doubtful look. There was no way that they were witnesses to the first sighting of the Crimson Knight since her fall.

"Help me get him inside," the badger commanded to his friend, Alex hadn't even noticed the badger lurking within the entrance of the home until he spoke up. 

"I've got it," she weakly smiled to the badger as she helped the dwarf carry the unconscious Prince into the home and close the door promptly before turning off all the lights and leaving only one candle to burn on the table, "Have you got a bed to put him on?"

The dwarf just grumbled and directed her over to the bedroom which was just up a small set of stairs, he even helped her lie the boy on the covers before his friend rushed over with bandages to cover the bleeding on his head.

"I can't believe this," the dwarf almost shouted but didn't, his voice stayed hushed to not bring any suspicion from the passing Telmarine soldiers, "We are aiding our enemy."

"Enemy?" she echoed off his voice and helped the beaver clean up the bleeding wound on Caspian's head, "The last time I checked, the Telmarines and Narnians had a treaty built from trade and mutual respect. Since when have we hated the other?"

The beaver glared at his friend before wrapping a bandage neatly around the wound, "The Telmarines wrecked Cair Paravel and took Narnia for themselves. They left Telmar and built Castle of Caspian on the other side of the Great River. Narnians were outcasted from their homes, hunted for sport and oppressed out of greed. Those who weren't killed either took refuge in the forests like us, or reverted back to their animal instincts."

The dwarf sheathed his weapon that he had out on the table to protect himself before glaring toward the white haired girl, "Narnians are the fairy tales that the Telmarines tell their children into scaring them to eat their vegetables and do their chores. We are practically extinct at this point. Outcasts in our own land."

Alex stopped what she was doing and sat on the floor to fully process what she had been told. she didn't even know if she could take it all in. Finding out that not only the land you grew to love had been destroyed, but the Narnians too was heartbreaking to say the least. She even feared asking about all her friends but more specifically she dared to ask about Peter.

"Let me tend to your hands," the Narnian beaver whispered and motioned his head to the table where the dwarf was already sitting and glaring angrily at the resting frame of Caspian, "What happened to you?"

Alex placed the back of her hands on the table so he could peel the bloodied rags from her wounds and clean them up, "I don't even know where to start."

"The beginning is usually a good place," the man grumbled out angrily and earned a harsh paw to the ribcage by his friend as he tended to her wounds.

"Well," she started and felt her heart tightening in her chest before she lied so easily, "The last thing I remember is staring at the flowers in my hand before I brought them to my nose... And then I was rudely awaken by a faun - or at least he reminded me of one, his feet made the noise that hooves do. He told me to go to the stables and then I got on the back of a horse and well, you know the rest."

The beaver and dwarf still shared looks between them. They knew something.

The beaver finished bandaging up the small cuts in her hands and jumped from his seat, "Would you like some soup?"

"I'll take the soup with a side of honesty," she remarked and raised her brows to them, "What aren't you telling me?"

"I can do a side of bread-" 

The dwarf interrupted his friend with a small grin, "Stale bread."

Alexandra abruptly stood to her feet and tied the cloak back around her neck, already limping to the door to leave. "Fine, if you aren't going to tell me then I will leave."

"Wait!"

Alex raised her brow even more and rolled her hand in the air to pressure the beaver into talking and confessing what was on his mind. She took her seat at the table and placed the silver axe in front of her, taking notice of how the dwarf surveyed each detail in the hilt and the sharpness of the blade. She could tell that he dreamed of wielding it himself.

"We aren't hiding anything from you, that's the truth. It's just so surreal to have the Crimson Knight in our home. The legends of your battles and struggles are inspirations between what remains of us. Your sacrifice alone had sparked and fuelled few of our attempted rebellions, though admittedly they didn't work as well as your own," the beaver didn't feel the need to face her as he poured her a bowl of the soup he had been preparing for the whole day, "Are you hungry?"

Alex's stomach growled hungrily and broke through the silence to answer for her. All three broke smiles but the dwarf turned his lips back down to a frown seconds later.

"Well, I can't believe that my meal is going to be the first that you eat after your eternal slumber! What an honour," he chimed and passed it to her, watching as she practically devoured it within minutes.

Alexandra couldn't tell if her heart was heavier than her stomach. She wished to know what had happened to everyone, she really did. But knowing was much more devastating than not.

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I hope you guys enjoy part two!