Double update!

Chapter Twenty-Seven;

"Twist it to the left more," Rose instructed.

"If I do, it will break," Caspian replied.

Rose frowned, chewing on her bottom lip anxiously, as she leaned over Caspian's shoulder, watching intently. She pointedly ignored all of Caspian's subtle hints to give him some space to try and pick the lock to their cell door.

She also looked to be barely resisting the urge to knock Caspian aside and take over the task herself.

Rose heaved a frustrated sigh as she irritably tucked her ebony hair behind her ears. They had had to break her hair clasp in half to make a suitable instrument to pick the lock. But Rose had given it up without a second thought, at the time.

"If I had known you were so useless at picking locks, I wouldn't have let you break my favourite hair pin," Rose mumbled as she finally stepped back, pushing her ebony hair back over her shoulders.

Edmund unsuccessfully tried to smother a smirk as Caspian looked over his shoulder at the unimpressed green-eyed nurse.

However, in the next seconds the broken pin had fallen forgotten from Caspian's hand as another voice called out.

"It's hopeless – you'll never get out…"

Rose yelped so loudly, Edmund physically cringed as he clapped a hand to his ear.

"Who's there?" Caspian demanded as they all scoured the direction the disembodied voice had come from.

"Nobody…just a voice in my head," the warbling words floated out from the gloomy back of the cell.

"A little indication that someone else was here earlier would have been appreciated," Rose hissed to no one in particular.

Edmund shushed her, as Caspian cautiously approached the hunched figure that was emerging out of the shadowed alcove.

Rose's expression softened then as she saw their fellow prisoner finally lean into the light. Watery blue eyes swept over them hopelessly from a haggard face framed with lank hair.

Caspian approached the elder man, a look of concentration building on his face.

"Lord Bern?" Caspian suddenly breathed in a mixture of horrified and awed recognition.

The man's head dipped minutely. "Perhaps once, but I'm no longer deserving of that title," he replied solemnly.

Vague recognition touched Edmund's thoughts then as he recalled the familiar name. "Is he one of the seven?" Edmund asked.

The life-like sketches in the cabin on the Dawn Treader had been of men in their prime, with proud visages and strong features. The man before them now had been brought low by his captivity, and it was difficult to liken the pale, line-worn face with any of the sketches of the missing Lords. But Caspian nodded in affirmation once.

"One of the seven what?" Rose asked immediately turning to Edmund with a puzzled look.

"Er…" Edmund glanced to her distractedly, "I'll explain later," he said quietly, just as Caspian crouched down to be level with the elder man who was looking at Caspian intently.

"Well, he's evidently been in here a while," Rose whispered to Edmund as she swallowed tightly.

"You remind me of a king I once loved well," Lord Bern mused as he looked at Caspian wistfully.

Caspian smiled sadly. "That man was my father," he replied quietly.

Lord Bern immediately began struggling to a kneeling position of respect, his words filled with heartfelt sincerity, "Oh, my Lord. Please forgive me!"

"No, please – Please," Caspian begged as he captured the man's hands, beseeching him to stand.

Edmund discreetly tapped Rose's elbow, motioning for her to step away with him and give Caspian a moment.

Edmund knew how important and personal Caspian's quest to find his father's closest friends and supporters was. He had seen the look on Caspian's face in the cabin on the Dawn Treader when he had first told him and Lucy off his voyage's purpose. Caspian considered finding the Seven Lords of Telmar something he almost owed his father.

They all jerked at the sudden shouts and screams that could be heard from outside. Edmund crossed swiftly to the one barred window in their cell, Rose following. He nimbly climbed up to a jutting edge of rock, grasping the thick rusted bars as he surveyed the scene far below.

Rose frowned briefly as she eyed Edmund standing above her. Damn his long legs, she thought fleetingly. But almost as soon as she had thought it Edmund had reached back, hand outstretched wordlessly.

He was still watching the events unfolding outside. The screams and cries had gotten worse, and Rose paled as she heard the young shrill cries of what seemed to be a child screaming for her mother. Rose grasped Edmund's hand tightly, and Edmund had effortlessly hauled her up in the next second onto the ledge beside him.

She clutched at Edmund fiercely, having to stretch still to be able to see what he was.

Any fiery blush that may have been blazing in Rose's cheeks at her proximity to Edmund, swiftly bled away in the ensuing seconds, as her sights landed on the source of all the commotion.

Another family was being wrenched apart by the slave traders, just like Edmund and Lucy and even Eustace had been that morning.

Rose barely noticed Caspian was on the other side of her, grasping the bars until he spoke.

"Where are they taking them?" Caspian asked.

"Keep watching," Lord Bern replied gravely.

Rose watched in horror as the figures below her were forced from the cart at sword-point and into a smaller rowboat than the one she had come to the Lone Islands in.

"What are they doing?" she breathed.

The boat was set adrift on the open seas, and the three of them watched grimly as the small craft with its prisoners inched further away from the docks.

At first, Rose was sure she had imagined it. She blinked, screwed up her eyes. She felt Edmund tense beside her as black thunderous clouds rumbled ominously across the sky. This…storm, if that's what it was, had come on as spontaneously as the one in Cambridge that had forced her to shelter in Edmund's aunt's house.

The water grew murky under the brow of the dark sky, and then Rose gasped sharply as she saw…it.

Swirling masses were conjuring on the blue waves, like the hungry arms of some great sea creature.

But then, the sea creature began to move, and Rose realised the shapes were insubstantial. And only one word came to her mind then as she watched.

Mist.

A…mist was starting to crawl over the water – purposefully and rapidly towards the small rowboat.

Rose's breath caught in her throat as the mist seemed to swallow the rowboat, and even in their cell, the screams carried clearly across the sea.

The slaver's earlier taunting words about "the mist" came to the forefront of Rose's mind then – and she was terrified.

"What happened?" Caspian asked, keen eyes scouring the once more calm waters. But it was no use; the mist had dissipated and with it the rowboat and its unfortunate occupants had vanished.

"It's a sacrifice," Lord Bern answered grimly, with the grave expression of one who had witnessed such a scene countless times before.

"Where did they go?" Caspian demanded, as he lightly climbed down from the cell window, to approach Lord Bern.

"No one knows," Lord Bern answered and Rose felt a cold stab of fear.

To be set adrift on the sea like that to suffer an unknown fate…? The thought almost had Rose shuddering, but she steeled herself. The chill cape of fear that had enshrouded her lessened considerably, as she felt Edmund's warm hand clasp hers more tightly.

Rose looked to Edmund; saw the burning anger smouldering in his eyes as he looked out over the sea. She readily believed in those moments that Edmund could ward off the mist with that look alone.

Rose moved to climb back down. She couldn't bear to look at the water another moment. Her footing was shaky as she tried to reach for the footholds that Caspian and Edmund could make with ease. But she never feared falling as Edmund held tightly to her hand easing her down gently until she touched the cell floor.

Edmund climbed down swiftly after her, with effortless nimbleness, as Lord Bern continued to divulge all he knew about the ominous danger that lurked on the sea.

"The mist was first seen in the East," Lord Bern told them and Rose barely resisted crying out.

East?! – Isn't that the direction in which we're sailing?! Rose's panicked thoughts recalled.

Warm fingers encased hers again though, dispelling her sudden fear. Rose didn't care in that moment how weak it made her seem, as she squeezed Edmund's hand in return gratefully.

"It began with reports of fishermen and sailors disappearing out at sea," Lord Bern continued, eyes growing shadowed with dark memories. "We Lords made a pact – to find the source of the mist, and destroy it." Pride suffused Lord Bern's voice for a brief moment but swift desolation followed with his next words. "They each set sail, but none came back…"

Lord Bern eyed them all significantly.

"You see, if they don't sell you to the slave traders, you're likely to be fed to the mist," he warned.

Silence followed Lord Bern's words during which Rose held her breath and squeezed Edmund's hand tighter. She was sure she must be hurting him by now, but he gave no indication nor move to lessen her hold.

Rose wasn't one to frighten easily. Her temper was too hot, that by the time she realised she should be feeling afraid she was already too riled up to care. But the sea, the mist…those were things she couldn't swing a good punch at, and see them sprawled on the floor before her.

Those were things she couldn't fight.

And just like during the fight with the slave traders she felt the reality of this dream-like situation crash upon her. They were in a really bad position; imprisoned and defenceless, separated from their friends and at the mercy of their cruel captors…

Rose hauled in a wavering breath, gathering her resolve and frowning at her moment of wild fear. She found it was easier pretending to be brave with Edmund holding her hand.

"I think I'd rather be sold than be…fed to the mist," Rose muttered, scowling, breaking the tense silence.

Edmund looked up, expression dark. Rose could easily read Edmund's thoughts from his features alone. She knew, or was learning, how fiercely protective Edmund became over people he cared about and considered his responsibility.

"We have to find Lucy – before it's too late," Edmund stressed, exchanging a meaningful look with Caspian. And in his words alone was the promise, that if those slaver dogs so much as harmed a hair on his sister's head there would be blood to pay.

Rose could practically feel the tenseness radiating off Edmund in palpable waves; his jaw clenched with frustration. She imagined if she were to smooth her hands across the hard line of Edmund's shoulders as he stood beside her, she would feel the muscles that coiled there tightly wound.

Caspian's immediate response was to stride across the cell to the familiar iron wrought door. The need to escape was more necessary now than ever.

Rose's own self was jittery with nervy energy. She would have taken to kicking at the door herself right then. Lord Bern's chilling words were still ringing in her head…fed to the mist –

Edmund's hand slipped from hers as he made to cross the cell and help Caspian. However he whirled lightly to face Rose at the last second, and Rose found herself staring mutely up at him in breathless expectance.

Edmund's expression had softened slightly, his voice sincere as he spoke.

"Rose," Edmund said, catching her eyes. "I wouldn't let them give you to the mist," he promised unexpectedly. Then he turned and went to the cell door, expression once more steely and determined, as he and Caspian combined their efforts to break them out of that prison.

Rose gawped after him dumbstruck, feeling her cheeks glowing hotly. And despite telling Caspian she was a realist, she sincerely believed that Edmund was telling the truth. Cell bars, slave traders, swords…despite it all, Edmund wouldn't let her be fed to the mist.

…

"Ssssh!" Edmund hissed, exchanging a look with Caspian. The faint echoes grew louder until the grumbling complaints and clanging of keys was clear, approaching.

A few moments later and the quartet of guards was visible, the foremost holding the grim shackles in one hand and the ring of keys in the other.

Edmund tensed once more, squaring his shoulders defiantly as Ban also stepped up to the cell bars. The brawny man had evidently messily mopped up the bloodied mess of his face, but his nose was swollen very badly, bruising already showing where the flashlight had smacked him.

Innately Edmund reached behind him and a split second later he felt slightly calmed as a familiar smaller hand slipped into his. He knew that holding his hand made Rose feel less frightened, even if she would never admit it. He had known that since the train station in Cambridge with the bombs raining death above them.

What he hadn't known, and he greatly doubted Rose did either, was that it gave Edmund a little added courage as well. It reminded him of all he had promised to protect as he would feel Rose's smaller fingers slot securely between his.

"Well, isn't this just precious," Ban leered as he glared hatefully at Rose and Edmund through the bars. Edmund didn't rise to the taunt and he squeezed Rose's hand in silent warning to do likewise. Rose's eyes were narrowed to murderous points as she glared stonily back at Ban, but she kept her lips pressed into a thin line of silence.

Rose knew irrefutably that she wouldn't utter a single word; not if it meant that Edmund would possibly have to endure another hit. She would keep her silence, no matter how hard it grated against her nature, to stop Edmund from being hurt by Ban.

The other guard unlocked the cell door, swinging it open wide.

"Come on then – you too old man," he ordered gruffly, "One at a time and no funny business or else...!" The guard gestured impatiently and Caspian stepped forth first.

The familiar shackles were slapped on his wrists and he was tugged forward.

"Come on – you two," the guard eyed Rose and Edmund meaningfully.

Edmund released Rose's hand as he moved to the cell door and held his hands out for the shackles to be secured.

"Seems awful unfair that I have a broken nose, yet I didn't get to break anything today," Ban mused aloud, as he glared viciously at Rose.

"Lay a hand on her and you'll regret it," Edmund threatened as he stepped up quickly. Ban's eyes flashed angrily as he immediately started to square up to Edmund.

"Edmund!" Rose hissed in reproach as her hand grasped his arm, tugging him back.

"STOP!" the slaver with the shackles and keys shouted, "We haven't the time for this!" The slaver glared meaningfully at Ban. "Pug wants this lot down for second market without any further damage."

Ban glared blackly but stepped back, and the other slaver shoved Edmund over beside Caspian.

"And you - " the slaver pointed menacingly towards Edmund, "Behave yourself or else your little wife here will pay the price."

And with that said, the slaver shackled Rose and pushed her over towards Edmund and Caspian, followed by Lord Bern.

…

Edmund squinted slightly as they climbed the stone steps from the gloomy, dank dungeons to the bright sunshine of high noon above.

As he absent-mindedly ascended the steps, Edmund's thoughts were racing faster still than his measured pace.

The guard at the front that led them was swapping griping complaints once more with another guard, barely paying attention to the prisoners he considered safely shackled behind him. Caspian was ahead of Edmund, Rose, then Lord Bern behind with the other guard bringing up the rear of their little procession.

Out in the open as they were, Edmund knew would be the best situation to launch an escape plan. If they were being brought to market and auctioned that risked separation, and that was the last thing Edmund wanted again. But the main kink in any sort of escape came in the form of the hulking figure with two hard fierce eyes, that was keeping stride between Edmund and Rose.

Ban would be the problem.

They were being led along a path that overlooked the open square below. Edmund glanced about him taking quick stock of their surroundings. Narrowhaven was the type of port town that was a labyrinth of cobblestone streets, hidden doorways and backstreet alleys.

Edmund's heart stuttered in a mixture of relief and anger, as he quite clearly saw a shackled Lucy standing below and Eustace on a plinth. At least he could see with his own two eyes now what had become of them. Edmund even almost smirked in familiarity, as he heard Eustace's voice rise in an affronted objection. It was evident the selling was still taking place as the small richly-dressed crowd gathered before the auctioning stand.

"There's your little friends on their way to Calormen…" Ban chuckled darkly but Edmund gritted his teeth, convincing himself not to turn around. And that's when he heard it.

In his excitement he barely discerned the actual words being said, but that voice. That distinguished, wry voice was unmistakable.

Reepicheep.

Edmund briefly saw Caspian's head turn sharply with recognition to look at the square below. There was barely a brief second for preparation before the fierce cry went up.

"FOR NARNIA!"

Shrouded figures below threw off their cloaks and disguises with flourishes to reveal the crew of the Dawn Treader, brandishing their swords and ready to fight for their Kings and Queen.

One of the slavers in front of them rushed to the sidewall, wide-eyed, right as Pug could be heard screaming for more guards.

Caspian and Edmund sprang to action immediately, just as the orderly town square below them descended into an almighty melee of shrieks and clashing steel.

…

One minute Rose had been trudging sullenly along with her bound hands in front, ignoring Ban's dark glares; and the next chaos had erupted. She had recognised Reepicheep's voice only dimly, and it wasn't until the mouse had leapt from Captain Drinian's shoulder that she realised what was happening.

In the blink of an eye it seemed Edmund and Caspian had already disposed of two of their guards.

Edmund threw his weight behind his shoulders, using the momentum to roughly knock the nearest guard to the ground, before the man even had a chance to reach for his sword. Caspian swiftly took care of the other guard, sending him screeching over the edge to the town square below.

Ban roared loudly in feral anger, cursing blackly when he realised what was happening and ripped his sword from its scabbard.

"RUN!" Lord Bern shouted behind her, and Rose sprang out of the way before Ban's sword stroke could cut her in two, her heart beating wildly in her chest.

"ROSE!"

The raw panic in Edmund's voice was unmistakable, but he could barely contain it. After fending off the swipe of a sword from a nearby guard, he had glanced to almost see Rose being slain where she stood by a powerful stroke of Ban's sword through the air.

At the last moment she had ducked out of the way, Ban's sword managing to catch the tail end of her ebony hair as it trailed behind her.

More guards were rushing out of doorways now, hastily unsheathing swords before lunging into the fray.

Edmund dodged around another guard, using his shackles to deflect the arc of the sword aimed at him, before lashing out in return.

Edmund reached Rose just as Ban was raising his sword, and Edmund instinctively positioned himself in front of her.

Ban gave a malicious grin of yellowed teeth. "I must say I prefer it this way," he sneered at Edmund, "A good, clean fight."

Adrenaline pumped through Edmund's limbs and he itched for the feel of his sword in his hand rather than the steel bite of the shackles on his wrists. Rose was clutching his arm with both of her hands, refusing to allow Edmund to use his body as a shield for hers.

"Good, clean fight?" Rose echoed disdainfully, slightly breathless. "Don't you know the concepts of a fair fight?" she barked sarcastically.

Ban's expression immediately darkened. "I've had just about of your smart mouth," Ban seethed at Rose, while Edmund tried to nudge Rose behind him using his body alone.

Shackled hands during a fight was a really bad disadvantage, Edmund thought drolly.

Edmund had stature and height over Rose, but despite it Rose valiantly held her ground, refusing to step back.

Ban lunged. Edmund knocked Rose aside. Rose cried out in half-indignation, half-fright. Edmund's knees locked as he once more caught Ban's sword on his shackles. It was the only defence available to him.

Ban made to pull back and that's when Edmund made his move. He shot forward, driving the hard angle of his shoulder against Ban's torso. Ban staggered back with the unexpectedness of the hit, cursing darkly as he crashed back through some stacked crates.

"ED!"

Edmund turned for a second's glimpse to see Caspian battling with another slave trader further down. Caspian gestured at something quickly but the brief glance wasn't enough for Edmund to be able to decipher it.

"The keys!" Rose cried, reading Caspian's signal, and suddenly she was tugging fiercely on Edmund's arm as Ban struggled to get a standing position once more.

Edmund wasted not another second; grasping her meaning he darted forward.

The slave trader, with the ring of coveted keys on his belt was much smaller and slighter in stature than Edmund. Edmund effortlessly knocked aside the sword stroke threw at him, before overpowering the man. He drove his knee into the man's back forcing him down. Edmund wrapped his shackles around the man's throat, pulling tight and barely noticing as the man scratched savagely at his hands.

"The keys – Rose; get the keys!" Edmund shouted. He saw Ban gain his feet and come fast barrelling towards them. His nose was bleeding again, red rivulets running down his chin.

"Rose! Hurry!"

Rose quickly snatched the keys from the belt of the man who Edmund was restraining, and without a second thought Edmund hurtled the man towards the charging Ban.

Edmund desperately grasped a handful of Rose's red shirt, half-dragging her down the walkway, closer to where Caspian and Lord Bern where engaged in their own fights.

As Rose ran, her pulse slamming against her skin and her heart like a wild animal thrashing about in her rib cage, she miraculously managed to slot the key into her chains and cast off her irksome shackles.

"Edmund," she called, key ready, but was interrupted by the slave trader that appeared from the nearest doorway. Edmund released her as he raised his hands and dealt the man a resounding blow. The man bowed cursing and Rose directed a well-aimed kick to a certain sensitive juncture that had even Edmund wincing.

An almost animalistic roar let them know that Ban wasn't about to let them get away that easily.

Edmund glanced over his shoulder, cursing under his breath, dark hair falling across his eyes as he glared at Ban once more fast approaching.

Rose didn't spare the idiotic man a second glance, as she hastily scrambled with fitting the key to Edmund's chains.

"Keys!" Caspian's impatient shout sounded from behind her. The resounding din of the fight was building all around them as hordes of the town's people spilled onto the streets to mix with the clamouring chaos of fighters.

Edmund's shackles fell to the stone forgotten and Rose whirled quickly to hurl the keys to Caspian, who caught them with ease.

The next thing Rose knew was the singing of metal ringing in her ears loud enough to make her head spin. She whipped her head to the side to see Edmund had procured a sword from one of the slavers sprawled on the stone, and was currently fending off Ban.

Ban swung his sword in a wild slicing sweep and Edmund jumped backwards, arching sharply to avoid being eviscerated.

"Rose – GO!"

Rose visibly scoured about her desperately, utterly ignoring Edmund's shouted order as he exchanged another few parries with Ban. There were no flashlights this time though, nor anything she could use a weapon. And despite how dearly Rose wanted to whack Ban again, she wasn't completely stupid to go charging at the man bare-handed while he was swinging a sword.

Ban had brute strength over Edmund, that much was clear, by the man's looming frame. But Edmund was swift and agile. He moved quicker than Rose thought possible at times, twisting to avoid a blade with barely a split second to spare.

Ban give a sudden startled yelp, that sounded too high-pitched for a man his size. His eyes bulged as he looked at his torso; at the crimson stain flowering around the clean slash in his filthy tunic. But in the next moment the familiar snarl had curdled his features as he glared darkly at Edmund.

"Wrong move boy," Ban spat vituperatively, eyes like striking flint. "I'm going to cut you in half and then when I'm done, I'm going to repay your smart mouth wife for breaking my – "

"DUCK!"

Years of honed instinct made Edmund swiftly drop to the ground, yanking Rose down with him. Ban, however, was not so lucky.

A resounding crash and Ban's unmanly scream could be heard, followed by a shower of wood splinters over Rose and Edmund's bowed heads. Edmund chanced a glance just as Caspian let go off the rope, landing deftly on level ground beside them, having just sent Ban hurtling backwards through some wood panelling with a powerful kick.

Rose and Edmund got quickly to their feet, their hair littered with wood shavings.

"Nice of you to swing by," Edmund smirked, looking once at the supine figure of Ban, lying dazed and groaning on the ground below them.

Caspian gave an incredulous scoff as Ban started to struggle vainly to his knees. Edmund responded immediately, leaping down lightly beside the man.

"Just repaying the favour," Edmund said grimly with a fleeting dangerous smile, as he squarely punched Ban in the face with his already broken nose, rendering the man unconscious immediately.

Edmund looked up, and saw the impressed and flushed look on Rose's face just as Lord Bern appeared beside Caspian.

Then their attentions were swiftly otherwise reclaimed by the rising tumult.

The square below them had become a boiling centre point with the sun blazing high above on the maelstrom of combatants beneath it. Swords clashed, metal sang as shouts of triumph and cries of defeat filled the air.

The song of battle was a guttural, primitive thing but it sang in one and all's blood with the visceral need to fight and defend.

The people of Narrowhaven, emboldened by the brave Narnians, had broken free of the shackles of fear the slave traders had forced them into. They had taken up arms with their fellow Narnians, using whatever they could get their hands on to fight with.

"Lucy!" Edmund expelled in sudden recognition, as amongst the fray his eyes caught the familiar head of burnished hair. It didn't matter how many times he saw Lucy effortlessly handle herself with a blade, it still raised a tide of fierce brotherly protectiveness when he saw someone pointing a sword at his little sister.

Eustace was nowhere in sight, but Edmund was sure his cousin had no doubt found a convenient place to hide himself away safely.

"We better get down there," Caspian said grimly at his side, eyes narrowed in determination to go and aid his crew and friends.

Wasting not a further second, they raced towards the flight of worn stone steps that would lead them directly to the melee below.

Most of the slave traders were fleeing now in all directions. But a considerable number were still concentrated in the centre of the square, most notably around the bidding stand, trying to salvage the gold profited from their despicable business.

Caspian skipped the last few steps; landing on the hard-packed earth he dashed towards the centre where the most serious fighting was still transpiring. Even Lord Bern leapt without hesitation into the fray, eyes afire as he picked up an abandoned sword to wield.

Edmund reached the bottom step and turned sharply. Rose, who had been swift on his heels almost collided into him as she teetered on the step above him. She was dishevelled, flushed and alive with jittery energy, her black hair falling about her shoulders unchecked.

Absently, Edmund considered it was probably the most untamed he had ever seen her.

"Rose – Stay here and stay hidden. Don't move." Edmund commanded. It wasn't a request or plead he had given her. It was an order from a King.

Rose's breath was short and sharp on her parted lips as she looked down into Edmund's burning eyes, feeling her already racing heart-rate double.

Edmund was just so undeniably dangerous then. She wasn't afraid of him, she doubted she ever could be afraid of Edmund; she trusted him too much. But seeing Edmund stand before her; breathing heavily and deeply, sword clasped surely in his hand and raring to fight, did render Rose a little awestruck and breathless.

The utterly errant thought assaulted Rose just then as she remembered condescending Edmund in the train station in another world, about him knowing how to fight. Damn, was I wrong! Rose thought fleetingly.

She couldn't make herself formulate a response to Edmund's order, though whether to angrily protest or meekly agree she barely knew herself. And besides, now with the fight raging still all around them, it was hardly the time for an argument.

She somehow managed a minute nod, and then Edmund was gone; racing across the square with long strides and making anyone who tried to bar his path swiftly regret their grievous error.

Rose watched after him dumbly a few moments, heart lurching and entire body tensing with quivering fright every time Edmund dodged a sword parry.

She was completely unaware how out of place she looked: a lone girl in oversized men's clothing poised tensely with a dazed look on her face as a skirmish continued all around her.

Rose was broken from her stupor by the heavy body that was suddenly flung at her feet. She leapt back, saw the charging slaver and picked up the sword from the ground.

A heavy blush splashed across her cheeks as she gritted her teeth. Bloody King Edmund the Just thinking he can tell me what to do! Rose thought, as she raised the sword in her hand the way she had watched Edmund do countless times before.

Thanks to all new follows / & / favourites!

Replies to reviews;

HPuni101; Thank-you and thanks for the review!

Bex; Thanks for the review and for being so understanding! I'm happy to hear you liked the action scenes as well. I hope you liked this action scene as well as the last. Of course, you're right, Rose isn't a trained fighter, but the girl isn't one for sitting back and waiting :P And I couldn't right an action scene without Lucy showing off some awesome skill for the girls! :P

DD; Thank-you and thanks for the review!

MyMustacheIsMystical; Sorry about the updating 'soon', but thanks for the review!

sarahwood; Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked fierce, fighting Lucy! Weapons training, you say? Hmm, I make no promises :P

SweetSunnyRose; Haha; thank-you so much!

Just King; Thanks for the review! Viola – the part you requested where Edmund gets punched; with a little twist. :P I hope you enjoyed. And wow, I loved your descriptions of Edmund's fighting!

Nessie2000; Aw, I am very flattered that you read and took the time to review even though you were exhausted. Big thank-you! And thank-you so much for the compliments, shucks – I was red as Rose was reading them! :P

banshee-hime; Well, I'm glad the story picked up for you. To say I have a problem with 'drawing things out' is an understatement, believe me! I'm really glad to read that you think Rose a real, solid character – thank-you!

Echo Haleth; Haha; thank-you so much!

Bigfanaticreader; Sorry my updating is so abysmally awfully terrible…:( but thanks for the review! :D

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Rina; Sorry! Here's a double update – very late I know, very sorry!

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