Chapter 10✨

Raina kept a distance from Edmund after their mini-blowout in the forest. She was very observant, and she knew that her words had an impact on him. Everyone else seemed to notice the air of slight animosity between them, well, more like why they aren't as close anymore. She really wished Edmund told her what happened, and why they stopped talking. It wasn't rocket science that it had something to do with the first time he came to Narnia.

Raina's mother fell ill about 3 years ago. She was in hospital for months, and was then sent to the States for treatments. Her father left soon after, to fight in the war. Who knows if he's alive, so she lived with her grandmother, until she left for the countryside during the evacuation. Once she returned, she lived with her grandmother again. Edmund was often the only person she confided in. Losing him was an arrow to the heart. She wasn't nearly as hurt over losing the others, well of course she was hurt, but for some reason, losing Edmund hurt a great deal. She didn't dwell on it for long, because she decided to start training for the night raid. After her spar with Edmund, she decided to take on Peter as well.

'Are you sure you want to do this?' Peter asked, worriedly. Raina just rolled her eyes.

'For the thousandth time, Peter, yes. There's some stuff I need to work out.' She replied, annoyed and hurt. Peter nodded.

They got into a fighting stance. Peter made the first move, as he swung high and Raina parried. Their swords were locked in an X-formation as neither were able to advance on each other. Raina twirled away and struck low, which Peter jumped over, as he struck again, and forced her back, as he attempted to disarm her. Raina jumped out of the way, and as he got closer, she swiped his ankles with her leg, and he toppled to the floor, his sword thrown out of his reach, as she levelled the tip of her sword at his neck. To say he was awestruck was an understatement.

'Wow.' Was all Peter could muster. Raina smiled, as she helped him to his feet.

'Thanks, I know.' Raina said as she laughed slightly.

'You're good, and I see you've already got a signature move.' Peter laughed, as Raina smiled coyly.

'I thought it seemed badass.' Raina shrugged.

'Don't worry, it is.' The two shared a laugh.

********

Preparations for the night raid on the telmarine castle were well underway. They were to leave in a few hours. Raina was still angry with Peter over this, but she decided to ignore it and focus on the safety of every Narnian. Peter explained that as someone with powers, she shouldn't be too deep in the fray because she could get overwhelmed, especially since it was her first battle.

'Peter, but I can help! I'm supposed to ensure everyone's safety! That's literally what I'm here for.' Raina said, exasperated.

'Which is why, you should be with Edmund on the towers, keeping a watch on what's happening. When it is needed, you can step in, without putting yourself in mortal risk. Besides, you don't want to be fainting because of too much power, now do you?' Peter asked, with an eyebrow cocked. Raina huffed, wanting to disagree, also because she didn't want to be in close proximity to Edmund, but nodded, knowing he was right.

'And Raina?'

'Hmm?'

'I know you and Edmund are on the outs..' He began, as Raina sighed.

'Peter, nothing will happen to him on my watch, even if he isn't my favourite person right now. I'd much rather do that myself.' Raina shrugged as Peter laughed.

'Raina, are we cool?'

Raina mulled it over.

'Let's talk when we get back, alright? I'm too jittery to focus on anything right now.'

'Fair enough.'

The two changed into their armour (Raina's armour given above). Raina's armour was different to everyone else's. She realised it's the same armour worn by the woman in the sketch she saw back at Cair Paravel. It was carefully stored by the Narnians. Once she put it on, she felt strange yet comfortable. The armour had multiple compartments for swords and daggers of all sizes. She strapped two swords to her belt, as well as 6-7 daggers. She'd never worn armour before, but it felt right. She tied her hair into a tight braid, and pinning her short front hairs. She looked at herself in a mirror, took a deep breath and nodded. It's time.

As she walked out, everyone stared after her. She emanated an aura of ancient power, and it was undeniable. Raina felt her strength dial up 10 times since putting it on. Maybe I won't get tired out wearing this then. She wondered. She walked out of Aslan's How, and found the Pevensies, Caspian, Trumpkin, and Glenstorm standing in a circle. Once they looked up and saw Raina, their jaws dropped.

'Uh...what are you all staring at?' She asked, curiously, as she turned back to see if there was something behind her.

'N-No, it's j-just..well..' Caspian began, when Lucy cut in.

'You look amazing Raina, like a badass.' She piped up excitedly, as her siblings turned to her bewildered she knew such words.

'Lucy!' They chorused.

'What?' She asked innocently.

Raina laughed.

'Thanks, Lu.'

'She's right though, you look powerful, Raina.' Susan spoke. Raina smiled.

'Susan, you're one to talk.' Raina challenged as Susan laughed.

Edmund gawked at Raina. He knew she was beautiful and strong, but she looked like a powerful queen. He just couldn't tear his gaze away. His jaw dropped, and Peter had to put two fingers under his chin to push it up.

'It's not nice to stare, Ed.' He sassed, as Edmund glared at him, completely flustered and caught. Raina didn't seem to notice.

'Alright, Edmund, you're flying in first, as according to plan. You have your torch?' Peter asked. Edmund nodded, as a gryphon landed in front of him, ready to fly him in.

'Raina, you're flying in too. The gryphon will quietly fly you in along with Ed.' Peter looked to Raina.

Raina mulled it over before speaking.

'Actually, no need. I don't want to endanger them.'

Peter looked at her strangely.

'How do you plan on getting to the castle?'

Raina simply smirked as she flew up a few feet, and stared down at him, eyebrow cocked. Peter made an 'o' shape with his mouth before nodding.

'Right. Okay. That settles it then.'

Raina laughed, as she came back down to the ground.

'Raina, what if you get tired out like last time?' Edmund carefully asked. She looked at him.

'Don't worry about me.' She said simply.

'Okay, get on it, you two. Stay safe. Raina? Please make sure Ed doesn't do something stupid.' Peter said in a big brotherly way, making his younger brother grumble in annoyance.

'How can I when you're taking all the stupid with you?' Edmund sassed. Peter rolled his eyes.

'Don't worry, Pete. Nothing will happen to him on my watch.' Raina said, sincerely. Edmund looked surprised.

'Come on, let's go. I'll fly ahead, make sure there's no trouble. You follow me.' Raina told Edmund.

'Oh no, we're flying in together, side by side.'

'Ugh, shut up.'

The gryphon held Edmund securely, as they lifted up into the sky, Raina flying beside them, as they flew to the castle.

Despite the imminent war on the horizon, Raina couldn't help but feel exhilaration at the prospect of flying.

'Wooooo!' She yelled out, as Edmund looked at her with an amused smile on his face. She narrowed her eyes.

'What?'

'Nothing.'

As they flew, darkness fell, and the reality of what was about to come set in. Raina's face clouded over with worry.

'Don't worry, it's going to be okay.' Edmund said, softly. She looked at him, emotionless.

'You can't promise that, Edmund.' She said, sadness tinging her tone. Suddenly, both of them were transported a year prior, when the speakers of these words were reversed. Edmund didn't know how to respond to that. The Telmarine castle came into view, surrounded by a thick fog. They flew towards the tallest tower, where a solitary soldier stood guard.

'I'm moving in, keep a distance.' Raina whispered, as she zipped towards the tower, before Edmund could give a response.

She landed behind the soldier on the tower, quietly as she jabbed a pressure point on his back, knocking him out cold. The gryphon dropped Edmund on the tower, next to Raina, and picked up the soldier, taking him away from view.

'Clear.' Raina said, as she looked in the hallway. Edmund nodded, and stepped up to the railing. He turned his torch on and off as he signalled to the others that it's safe to fly in. They noticed 4 gryphons flying in, holding Peter, Caspian, Susan and Trumpkin. As they passed Edmund and Raina, they nodded to each other, as they took off to their respective posts.

'How did you knock him out?' Edmund asked. Raina turned to him.

'Dad taught me self defense. By jabbing a pressure point on an opponent hard enough, they become unconscious. When your opponent outweighs you physically, you need to know how to fight back.' Raina said, solemnly. Edmund nodded.

'Raina, about earlier-' Edmund began.

'Not now.' Raina cut him off, swiftly. She suddenly noticed a Telmarine on the ground, level a crossbow at Edmund. He fired.

'No!' Raina yelled, as she held up her hand, and froze the arrow midair. It fell to the floor. Edmund was shocked, as he jumped to the side. The Telmarine didn't have time to react, as Susan fired an arrow at him, killing him.

'Be more mindful of your surroundings, Ed.' She told him in a reprimanding tone.

The two of them stood in awkward silence. Their job was done for the time being. Edmund started playing with his torch, tossing it in the air and twirling it.

'You might want to be careful. It might-' Raina was cut off as the torch slipped out of Edmund's grasp and fell to the tower below them. Raina glared at him.

'...fall.'

He gave her a sheepish look, as they walked down the staircase, to a window right above the balcony where the torch fell. A soldier was already there, looking at the unfamiliar object, accidentally turning it on and blinding himself. Raina grew worried as it could signal the Narnians at the wrong time. Edmund was about to make a move when Raina held her hand out.

'Don't, you've done enough, I'll take this one.' She whispered as she jumped out of the window, onto the soldier, jabbing the pressure points and knocking him out. She grabbed the torch and threw it to Edmund, just as bells rang out all over the castle.

'Trouble incoming.' Edmund whispered as Raina nodded. Footsteps were making their way up to where Raina and Edmund were. 4 soldiers noticed them, and made their way to attack. Edmund unsheathed his sword, standing protectively in front of Raina.

'What are you doing?' She whispered, furiously. 'You know what? nevermind.'

She stood next to him, and unsheathed both her swords, as the soldiers reached them. Two soldiers made their way to Raina. Raina tried to keep up with two full grown men attacking her, when she heard Peter's yell from below.

'Now, Ed, Now! Signal the troops!'

'I'm a bit busy, Pete!' Edmund responded, as he head butted the soldier fighting him.

'Raina! Signal the troops now!' Peter cried out.

'Be there in a second, Peter!' She responded, as she fought off two soldiers. She noticed Edmund kill one of the soldiers, as the other forced him up the ledge, making him lean over.

'Edmund, no!' Raina screamed, as she quickly slashed both the soldiers' chests and made her way to Edmund. She caught the soldier in a chokehold, until he passed out. She pulled Edmund back on the ground, the two breathing heavily.

'Thanks.' He breathed out. Raina nodded.

'Anytime.'

''Signal the troops.' Raina spoke, as Edmund frantically tried to get the torch to work. It finally turned on, and the Narnian forces made their way inside the Telmarine castle.

'For Narnia!' Peter yelled as the night raid officially began. Edmund and Raina were still on the tower, keeping a watch. Raina felt restless.

'We have to get down there.'

Edmund nodded, and just as they were about to enter the courtyard, they noticed archers aim at the Narnians fighting below, one of whom aimed for Peter.

'See you in a minute.' Edmund whispered, as he pushed himself over the ledge, sliding down, and knocking the archer off the railing. He screamed as he went down. Peter looked up.

'Ed! Look out!' He yelled, as Edmund now had every archer's arrows aimed on him. He rushed out of the balcony, and slammed the door. The archers noticed Raina above them, and they aimed at her. She smiled.

'That would be a mistake, boys.' She sweetly said.

As the arrows flew at her, she held a hand up, freezing them midair, and flicked her wrist, as the arrows embedded themselves in the chests of the archers. They all went down. Peter met her gaze and nodded.

Raina had no time to worry about Edmund, because the Narnians were losing. She jumped and ran down the roof, landing on a flight of stairs, knocking out 3 soldiers with her swords. She hacked her way towards Peter, and they fought back to back.

'Are you still sure this was a good idea?' Raina asked.

Peter gave her a look and kept fighting.

'Peter, DUCK!' She yelled, as she threw a dagger into the chest of a soldier, who was inches away from beheading Peter. He missed being impaled by an inch.

'Thanks.' He said, shocked.

'I seem to be getting a lot of that, these days.'

They continued fighting, the soldiers were an endless wave, never ending. Raina noticed Narnians getting injured and killed, and she couldn't take it anymore.

'Peter!' Raina yelled, catching his attention.

'We have to fall back.' Raina pleaded.

The two of them noticed a minotaur make his way to Miraz, standing on a balcony. He was about to kill Miraz, when General Glozelle shot an arrow at him, and Miraz pushed him off. Raina's heart tugged for him.

'Get that gate closed.' Miraz told his General.

Raina noticed Edmund trapped on a tower.

'Peter, sound the retreat if you want any of us to survive.' Raina spoke, solemnly. She shot up into the air, and called for Edmund's gryphon, and they made their way to the tower. They were right below, such that Edmund could jump and he would land safely. Two soldiers cornered him on the tower. He looked down and met Raina's gaze and she nodded at him. He looked back at the Telmarines, before falling off. He landed on the gryphon, and the two of them made their way to the skies.

'Fall back! We need to retreat now!' Peter's voice could be heard from the courtyard. Raina looked down, and noticed Miraz's forces trying to get the gate closed. A minotaur named Asterius rushed to keep the gate open, faltering a little as the minutes passed.

'If he closes the gate, it's over.' Edmund whispered.

'Not on my watch.' Raina huffed.

'Raina, you are not throwing yourself in there.' Edmund warned. 'Please don't..' He whispered, worriedly. For a moment, Raina's expression softened.

'I'm not letting anyone die on my watch, Edmund.'

'What about you?'

'I told you before, Edmund. Don't worry about me.'

'I can't let you go there, Raina..' Edmund said, quietly, his tone, emotional.

'Try and stop me.' She challenged, as she zipped down to the courtyard. She crouched as she landed, and summoned the ancient power within her. Her eyes flashed blue, as her hands glowed with pale blue light. She formed a shield around herself, as she used her power to break the gate. Asterius was pushed to the other side, carefully, as she completely destroyed the gate into smithereens.

'Narnians, RETREAT!' She spoke, her voice booming.

The Narnian forces began to retreat, but the Telmarines did their best to stop them. Raina used her power to lift the Narnians into the air, and safely transport them to the other side of the now destroyed gate. She caught a glance of Caspian on horseback, with another man following, and behind them was Peter. He reached for her as he passed, but she moved away.

'Go, now. I'll be fine.'

As he rode away, he kept glancing back at Raina, worried. She didn't dwell on it, she needed to make sure that all the Narnians were safe. Once she managed to get them to safety, she let down the shield she made for herself, and found herself to be the target for every Telmarine soldier. She smiled, sadistically.

'Sorry boys, maybe next time.'

Before they could even move forward, she used her power to create a shockwave that knocked the soldiers off their feet.

Once she was convinced everyone made it out, she jumped up into the air, and was about to leave, when she felt something sharp, embed itself deep in her right shoulder. She screamed in pain, blood beginning to seep through her armour. She noticed it came from General Glozelle's crossbow. Once he met her gaze, he was utterly terrified, as she ripped the arrow out of her shoulder, and threw it straight at him.

She didn't look back, as she flew out of the castle. Suddenly she felt lightheaded, the exhaustion a million times stronger than what she felt prior. She began to feel herself lose her grip on her powers.

'Ed? If you're here, I don't mind flying back on the gryphon with you..' She spoke, breathlessly. Just as she thought she was going to pass out, she felt two arms wrap around her waist. She was placed on the back of a gryphon, as her eyes kept fluttering shut.

'Ed?' She choked out.

'I'm here, I'm here.' He whispered, as he took her in. His eyes landed on her wound.

'Raina, you're bleeding. Why did you have to take so many of them on? Oh god, I TOLD YOU NOT TO GO DOWN WHY DON'T YOU-' He started yelling, and Raina flinched.

'I'm a badass, that's why.' Was all she could say before she began to slip into unconsciousness.

'Raina, no no no no no, stay with me.' Edmund pleaded as he tried to dress her wound.

'I'm just tired, Ed, I'm not dying just yet..' She laughed and then finally fell into a deep sleep.

to everyone reading, i humbly ask you to vote on the chapters as it would really help my fanfic.