This is Home

Felix laughed and held the dagger harder against Estella’s throat. Caspian could see her thin skin break, and a bead of blood trickled down her neck. She whimpered.

“You don’t have to do this,” Caspian warned, stepping closer.

“Neither do you,” Felix replied coldly, still holding Estella at the throat. This time, she struggled to breathe.

Caspian glanced at Estella and then back up to Felix again. “I will fight you to the death, if you will let her go.”

“Caspian,” Estella gasped when the dagger had left her throat. She began to cry. “Oh, please, don’t! Please!”

Felix dropped his dagger and drew his sword, pointing it towards Caspian. “All right, Prince. I’d like to see the look on her face when you die.”

Caspian glared, standing taller. “Do not lie in front of the lady.”

Estella watched as they both bounded towards each other, their swords glinting angry silver, but could not watch as they collided with a heavy clank. She heard each brush of metal, the crunch of their swords. She smelled sweat and blood and heard their small cries. She kept her eyes squeezed shut, vomit rising in her throat.

And it had ended as quickly as it had started: she heard the gruesome slash of sword against flesh, and then heard a body drop dead. She shook with fear, and heard the winner’s footsteps head towards her.

“It is over.” And it was Caspian’s soft whisper in her ear, and as he wrapped his arms around her he untied her. When Estella managed to open her eyes she found herself looking straight into Caspian’s.

“I thought I would never see you again,” he sighed, and there was pain in his eyes. They looked dark and dangerous. Estella tried not to think of Felix on the other side of the room, his head severed from his body, his eyes gazing into nothingness. She felt bile rise in her stomach again.

Caspian moved his lips towards hers, but she pulled away. “Caspian... not when there is a dead man in the room.”

“Of course...” Caspian concentrated on untying her from the ropes, “My apologies.”

When Estella was finally free she stood up, but fell immediately from lightheadedness. Caspian caught her in his arms. He then carried her outside to the bushes, where his horse was waiting.

“Caspian,” Estella groaned. When she tried to walk again he discovered that it wasn’t only her lightheadedness, but her ankle seemed swollen.

“Oh my... Estella, I’m sorry.” He kissed her cheek and let her sit on an old stump. “You look famished... I’m going to go find you something before we go. I do not want you so unconscious that you fall off the horse.” He set off, and then Estella was left alone.

But she wasn’t alone for long, before the pile of leaves in front of her started to swirl and twist about with some form of magic. She thought that she was hallucinating until it said her name.

“Estella.” Its voice was eerie, almost as if it was writhing in pain. “Estella.”

“That is me,” Estella leaned forward to tell the dryad. “I am all right. Caspian has gone to get food.”

It only swirled about and then disappeared into the wind.

Caspian soon returned, with a piece of bread in his hands. “I could not find water. We will take a drink by the river when we pass it. For now, you should eat.”

He handed her the small loaf, and Estella looked up at him with curious worry. “You are not eating?”

He shook his head. They didn’t say anything else for a while.

Estella broke off a piece and handed it up to him. Caspian only shook his head again, “No. You have to be strong.”

“But so do you,” Estella pointed out. He only leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

“Let’s go, then,” Caspian sighed. He hoisted her up to the horse and they rode back to Aslan’s How, the sun coming up behind them.