Queen Elizabeth the Courageous

Chapter Thirty Nine - Caspian

          "They're so still" Lucy said softly her gaze going from tree to tree. Penny sighed looking around sadly as well. The whole boat was filled with a gloom of sadness. Edmund reached forward rubbing his wife's back hoping to help her. He hated seeing her like this and wish everything would just get better.

"They're trees. What do you expect?" The dwarf, Trumpkin, questioned them sarcastically.

"They used to dance" Penny said and Trumpkin looked at her.

"It wasn't long after you lot left that the Telmarines invaded. Those that survived retreated to the woods and the trees have retreated so deeply inside themselves that no one has heard from them since." He said and Lucy looked down sadly.

"I don't understand. How could Aslan have let this happen?" She asked catching Trumpkin's attention.

"Aslan?" He asked. "I thought he abandoned us after you lot did" He said.

"We didn't mean to leave you know" Peter said bitterly. He knew they left and didn't need to be reminded of their mistake.

"Doesn't make much difference now does it?" Trumpkin questioned them and Peter gripped the ores tightly.

"Get us to the Narnians and it will" He said confidently. Eventually they went back to shore climbing out of the boat.

"Hello there" Lucy said walking up to a bear. "It's alright, we're friends" She said walking closer catching everyone's attention.

"Don't move your majesty!" Trumpkin said he said nervously making everyone confused. Weren't bears in Narnia supposed to be friendly? Weren't all animals? The bear suddenly charged at Lucy making everyone scared for Lucy.

"Stay away from her!" Susan yelled at the bear thinking it was a bear that as allied with the witch but the bear didn't stop.

"Susan shoot!" Edmund yelled worried about his sister. Lucy screamed as an arrow pierced it but the arrow wasn't from Susan but Trumpkin. Penny raced forward to Lucy.

"Are you alright Lucy?" She asked her and Lucy nodded slowly looking down at the bear.

"Why wouldn't he stop?" Susan asked beyond confused.

"I expect he was hungry" Trumpkin said as they all walked over to the Bear, Lucy and Penny.

"He was wild" Edmund noted.

"I don't think he could talk at all" Peter realized.

"Get treated like a dumb animal long enough and that's what you become" Trumpkin said. "You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember" Penny and Peter looked at each other remembering the letter and what Elizabeth had said.

Far away from them in the forest a certain Prince lays on the ground with a mouse on his chest threatening his life. The Prince, a Caspian, looks at it shocked that a mouse had knocked him over and killed the Telmarines that were chasing him.

"You are a mouse" He said not able to get over the shock. The mouse sighed annoyed.

"I was hoping for something a little more original. Come on, pick up your sword" He ordered. Caspian looked to the sword and shook his head. "Pick it up! I will not fight an unarmed man" The mouse said.

"Which is why I will live longer if I choose not to cross blades with you noble mouse" Caspian told him.

"I said I wouldn't fight you, I didn't say I'd let you live" He growled.

"Reepicheep! Stay your blade!" The mouse jumped around ignoring Caspian for the time being and looked at an old friend.

"Trufflehunter? I trust you have a good reason for this untimely interruption!" The mouse snapped.

"He doesn't, go ahead" The dwarf, Nikarbrik, said not liking the Prince.

"Reepicheep, he's the one that blew the horn!" Trufflehunter told him and the mouse looked at the Prince in shock.

"What?" He questioned when Centaurs moved forward.

"Then let him bring it forward" Glenstorm said his voice full of authority. He hoped this was true and he could finally help bring a peace of mind to his Queen. "The Queen demands possession of the horn" He said as other centaurs moved forward making it known that if they refused there would be more blood shed. They'd do anything for the Queen.

"The Queen? It is true then, she still lives" Reepicheep said his eyes widened. Everyone looked at him in anticipation wondering if they rumors have been true.

"Indeed it is" He said. "Come, we mustn't keep her waiting more than she has already" He told everyone turning around knowing they were going to follow him. The other Centaurs surrounded the others and basically forced them to follow even though they would have without them.

"The Queen?" Caspian questioned lowly not completely understanding.

"Yes, High Queen Elizabeth the Courageous. She still lives and she's leads what's left of the Narnians" Trufflehunter informed him and Caspian's eyes widened. His professor had told him about the Kings and Queens of old and how most of them disappeared but one. He had no idea she was still alive and he was nervous to meet her.