It was a solemn moment. Those who were staying back wished their family and friends who were going to fight in the raid. Sobs filled the air, as the prepared army began gathering in groups to walk ahead. Raids were affairs just as ugly as wars. Y/N hugged Lucy - who would be staying back - and placed a kiss on her head. Just then, Peter walked out of the How and stood still, watching the bitter farewells that were going on. When he turned around, he found Lucy glaring daggers at him, and Y/N couldn't bare to be in the middle of that. She walked to Edmund, lacing her fingers in his, and watching the groups advance.

**********

On. Off. On. Off. On. Off.

That was the signal. Edmund continued flashing his torch, as the griffins carried Peter, Susan, Y/N, Trumpkin and Caspian towards the Telmarine castle. When they got closer, Peter nodded to Caspian, who led the way as the five of them drew their weapons. A guard had spotted them, but Caspian leaned low and slashed at his neck, blowing him off the building. As they came to a bridge, they noticed another guard aiming his crossbow at Edmund, but Susan nocked an arrow and shot him in the head, knocking him down before he could shoot. They were dropped on the bridge and Peter soon took care of yet another patrolling guard.

"His room is in that tower," said Caspian.
He was referring to his professor.
"It's probably the easiest way in."
Peter, Susan, Y/N and Trumpkin could do nothing but trust Caspian, for he was the only one among them who knew his way about the castle. They walked hastily to the turret of the tower Caspian had pointed to. Y/N pulled out the long rope they had carried, and tied it to the crenellation of the turret. Caspian went down the rope first, and climbed onto the sill of the first window from the top. Peter went next, followed by Y/N. Peter had to lift Y/N onto the windowsill, since the rope wasn't long enough, and she was too short to reach it by herself.
Caspian knocked on the window, saying, "Professor?"

When there was no response, he nicked the lock with a knife and opened the window. He walked into the room - a library - but it was trashed! Books lay open and torn on the tables and the floor. Susan and Trumpkin had just come in, when Caspian picked up a pair of 'pince-nez' glasses.
"I have to find him," said Caspian.
"You don't have time," said Peter, "You need to get the gate open."
"You wouldn't even be here without him," said Caspian, his accent growing thicker by the second, "And neither would I."
Y/N nodded, then looked at Peter and Susan and said, "We can deal with Miraz."
"And I can still get to the gate in time," said Caspian, before running out the door.
Trumpkin nodded briefly at Peter, Susan and Y/N, before walking out. He was meant to go and assist Reepicheep and his troop.

"Come on, we've got to hurry," said Peter, snapping out of the moment, "His room is not going to be on this side of the castle."
It was never common to have the royals and the nobles staying in the same wing of the castle, let alone royals and teachers.
The three of them ran through the lightly guarded corridors of the castle. They went from door to door, but they always either entered an empty room or a room filled with the sound of snores coming from the sleeping nobles. Only occasionally did they have to hide from guards, for they were only patrolling in the darker corners of the castle.

Y/N sighed, as they reached yet another wing. She shared a look with Peter and Susan, before walking forward. In a few turns, they came to a door, and they drew their weapons, just as they had been doing for all the other doors. Peter looked at the girls, before opening the door. They walked in with their weapons drawn out, but relaxed a bit, once they realised that there was nobody in the room, except a baby, stretching and yawning in its crib.
"Where did that come from?" said Peter, clearly having had expected something else.
"Mum never had that talk with you?" Susan joked, making Peter go red, while Y/N just giggled.
Peter shook his head and ran out of the room, Susan and Y/N following in laughter.

But they all knew that the baby must have been Miraz's son, and so his room should be close by. They stopped and listened at the next door.
"Put the sword down, Caspian," said someone, her voice muffled through the door, "I don't want to do this."
Susan kicked open the door, held up her bow, and said, "We don't want you to, either."
Caspian had his sword at Miraz's throat, and Miraz's wife was holding a crossbow. She kept switching from pointing it at Caspian to pointing it at the other three.
Miraz just put his hands on his hips and said, "This used to be a private room."

"What are you doing?" said Peter to Caspian, ignoring Miraz, "You're supposed to be in the gatehouse!"
"No!" shouted Caspian, "Tonight, for once, I want the truth. Did you kill my father?"
Caspian was seething and he pushed Miraz, whose back was now against the wall.
"Now we get to it," said Miraz simply.
"You said your brother died in his sleep," said Miraz's wife.
"That was more or less true," said Miraz, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
"Caspian, this won't make things any better," Y/N said, her sword still drawn.

"We Telmarines would have nothing, had we not taken it," said Miraz, "Your father knew that as well as anyone."
"How could you?" said Miraz's wife, lowering her crossbow.
"For the same reason you will pull that trigger," said Miraz, "For our son."
Miraz took a step forward, and Caspian's sword pushed into his neck, creating a trickle of blood.
"Stop!" shouted Miraz's wife.
"Stay right there!" said Susan.
"You need to make a choice, dear," said Miraz to his wife, "Do you want our child to be king? Or do you want him to be like Caspian here?"
His wife pointed the crossbow at Caspian, and Miraz kept walking forward, the blood streaming down his neck.
"Fatherless!" shouted Miraz.
"No!" shouted his wife, shooting Caspian in the shoulder, but Susan was quick and shot her.
Miraz's wife lay in the bed, wailing in pain, while Miraz escaped through another door.

A loud bell sounded and Y/N looked out the window. Edmund's torch was on, but the light was moving all around in an careless pattern.
"What's he doing?" she said, catching Peter's attention.
But Peter was more concerned about the bell, and was quick to react. He ran out of the room, meaning for the others to follow. They had run down multiple corridors, when Peter decided to take another path.
"Peter!" shouted Susan.
"Our troops are just outside! Come on!" he yelled back.
Susan and Y/N shared a look, before looking at Caspian and reluctantly following Peter. They ran all the way to the main courtyard, but didn't stop yet.
"Now, Ed! Now!" shouted Peter to Edmund, who was busy clashing swords with a guard on a balcony, "Signal the troops!"
"I'm a bit busy, Pete!" said Edmund.

Susan, Y/N and Caspian hadn't caught up with Peter yet, and he was presently fighting two guards. He killed them within seconds and continued his run to the gate. As soon as he got there, he started turning the winch wheel.
"Peter!" said Susan as they finally caught up to him, "It's too late! We have to call it off while we can."
"No, I can still do this!" said Peter, struggling to turn the wheel, "Help me!"
Susan, Y/N and Caspian looked at each other - realising they would not be able to persuade him - and ran to help Peter.
"Exactly who are you doing this for, Peter?" said Susan.
Peter looked at her, but didn't answer. The four of them continued to turn the winch wheel, and the portcullis was slowly opening. Y/N could hear the nearing growls and cries of the Narnian Army. Trumpkin and Reepicheep must have managed to get the drawbridge open.

The portcullis was now fully open, and the Narnian Army was charging through. Peter, Susan, Y/N and Caspian drew their weapons.
"For Narnia!" Peter shouted, leading the four of them forward.
Y/N slashed a guard in the head, as the Telmarine Army invaded the courtyard. The sounds of clashing and clanging and yells and battle cries filled the air. Everybody was in heavy combat, and the mice were working together - from the ground - very successfully. Y/N was ruthlessly stabbing and slashing away, while Susan's arrows were speeding through the air. Caspian showed no mercy, and proved that he was capable of killing multiple soldiers at a time. The fight was moving to the castle. On the balconies and rooftops lay a few bodies already.

Then came the Telmarine Archers in perfect formation. They all stood on a high balcony, aiming their crossbows. Edmund was on the rooftop just behind this balcony. The archers began picking their targets, and the one right in front of Edmund happened to choose Y/N. Edmund slid down the rooftop and kicked him off the balcony. This caught the attention of Y/N - and the other archers.
"Ed!" Y/N shouted.
Edmund's head snapped to the left, before he turned back around and ran into the castle through the door that was next to him. The archers began to shoot at him, but he managed to kick the door shut, just in time.

Y/N was glad that Edmund was safe, but before she could think, a soldier jumped in front of her and stabbed her in the chest, and she fell backwards. She turned around to see the soldier raising his sword above her, but she kicked him in the shin. The soldier groaned in pain, and Y/N immediately slashed at his head. She rolled out of the way, and the soldier fell down where she was just sitting. Y/N's head started to spin, and she struggled to keep her eyes open. She looked around for help. Peter and Susan were nowhere to be seen. But that could just be because she wasn't thinking straight anymore. Suddenly, she felt a presence next to her. It was Susan. 

Susan tore off a large piece from the sleeve of her dress and crumpled into a ball. She placed the ball of cloth on Y/N's wound and applied pressure, giving Y/N enough energy to stand up.
"You need to get out of here," said Susan.
"I can't," said Y/N, "I have to stay here and help."
"No, you don't have the strength," said Susan.
Y/N was too tired to argue, and simply nodded. She was also subconsciously wondering how they were able to have a uninterrupted conversation in the middle of a battle. Susan whistled to a griffin, who flew down swiftly. Y/N climbed onto his back carefully and smiled at Susan, before the griffin took off.
"Hang on," he said, "Where to?"

Y/N paused. She didn't know where to go, and the pain was making her dizzy again. Then, she saw Edmund on one of the outer towers, cornered by two guards. He obviously needed help. Y/N had an idea.
"There," she said to the griffin, pointing to where Edmund was, "But don't let the guards see us. They're armed."
The griffin nodded and flew to the tower, but under the eyeline of the guards. Edmund backed away from the guards, and was now at the edge of the tower. He looked down behind him to find Y/N sitting on the griffin and smiling weakly at him. Confidently, he looked back at the guards and fell backwards off the tower. The guards peered over the edge in shock. But they stumbled back, when the griffin came flying up, with Edmund and Y/N on his back.

"You could have crushed me," said Y/N.
Edmund smiled at her, then he noticed her wound.
"You're hurt," he said.
"What gave that away?" said Y/N feebly, although there was a sarcastic grin plastered to her face. 
That grin was washed away soon. Bodies were scattered abundantly all over the courtyard. From overhead, the total view was sickening. As they reached the drawbridge, they caught up with the others. But they didn't stop - they just flew low. Low enough for Y/N to get a glimpse of Peter's tear-stained face.