"There are two kinds of people in this world, son. Those who save lives, and those who take lives."

"And what of those who protect and defend? Those who save lives by taking lives?"

"That's like trying to stop a storm by blowing harder. Ridiculous. You can't protect by killing."

― Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings

~O~

Chasing Dreams

~O~

"Three?"

Calla repeated, hoping she might have heard the woman incorrectly.

"I was worried he wouldn't make it," she told her. "You were all so fatally wounded. My brother, most of all. But fortunately, we arrived in time."

Calla didn't know what to make of the situation. She was torn between being relieved to be alive, or furious that he was. "Your brother? The King?" She almost choked.

The woman widened her eyes. "Oh, how rude of me. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Lucy. Lucy Pevensie." She swept to a curtsy.

"The Queen Lucy?"

"There's really no need for formalities. Just 'Lucy' will do. It's my brother Edmund you have to address properly," she laughed. "Between you and me, he rather enjoys the sense of power his title gives him."

Calla was still rendered speechless by the shocking news and failed to return the greeting.

"Calla? That's your name is it?" The girl, Lucy, asked.

"How did you—"

"Your fox has quite a habit of mumbling in his sleep," she explained with a giggle. "He kept wailing out for you, quite dreadfully I might add, and woke half the castle up. I hadn't realized foxes make the strangest sounds when they aren't talking."

"I'm-I'm going to see Bane." She impatiently told the queen instead of asking for her permission.

"I'll come with you." Lucy huffed, running beside her. "He and Edmund should be awake by now."

The minute they stepped into the hall, faun guards were already posted on opposite ends. At the instant they caught sight of her, they locked their weapons into combat positions. They stared at Calla in a stern demeanor, legs in a stance as if they were readying to pursue her.

"My Queen, she is not to leave this room." One of them chided, hands strapped to the hilt of his sword vigilantly.

"We won't be leaving the castle, I promise you." Lucy reassured.

"Aye, but the High King has given strict orders not to let her out of our watch."

"Then you may come with us if you wish. It will only be quick." She answered nonchalantly with a queen's polite smile.

The guards gave each other a hesitant side-glance before stepping back to allow them passage.

Calla cautiously walked out, doubting their swift obedience to comply with her wishes. As Lucy accompanied her to the next room, she looked back at them and saw the fauns closely tailing them behind. She wasn't certain if they knew whom she really was, other than the girl the younger king had arrested after pulling a hostile stunt towards him in the market. But even with that incident, Calla was appalled the Just King's sister showed someone of her status much kindness and hospitality. Still, it did not sway her livid sentiments towards him.

Nothing will.

Upon hearing the unfortunate news of his survival, Calla already began devising a contingency plan. Unlike her carelessly improvised previous plan, this time she could do it neatly with the elegance of strategy. This time, it would be a success.

Calla almost choked at the flashing memory of his dying body at the mercy of his own weapon, but swallowed the gall. She didn't want to feel regret for what she did. She knew her father would have been pleased with her. But although she enjoyed the sensation of fulfillment in her part, Calla felt some kind of remorse in the awful deed to achieve it.

And now she has to do it all over again.

After a few long strides in the hallway, they arrived at the infirmary. Her pulse raced in uneasiness. The only crucial problem at the moment was if Lucy's brother could live to tell the tale and foil everything before she has the chance. She wasn't even sure if he remembered anything that night, but if he had indeed as much sense as his reputation precedes, she had every right to be nervous.

"He's sleeping in there." Lucy grabbed the door handle and slowly pushed it open. The room was quite dim, but a ray of light through the curtains shone on the figure of little fox curled underneath the crumpled sheets. He was on the floor, muzzle rested on a pillow.

Calla placed one foot inside the infirmary and Bane woke up with a sudden jolt, his ears high on alert and nose up on the air as he recognized her familiar scent.

"Calla!" He yelped in joy.

Calla bent down to welcome his embrace as he sprinted towards her with much enthusiasm. "You're alive!"

He curled up against her like a newborn pup. "Well, it takes more than a wolf to kill me."

"It did take more than a drop of my healing cordial to revive you as well." Lucy chuckled.

Bane shyly rolled to his feet to acknowledge her, embarrassed to only have noticed the Queen's presence. He had never met royalty before and even if the people he considered family weren't fond of the monarchies in the entire kingdom, his belief of the divine allowed him to retain his respect for the ones the Great Lion bestowed power upon.

"Your Majesty," he bowed curtly, "I am humbled by such a feat of generosity that you should spare your gifts towards an undeserving character such as myself."

"Oh but the only way to be deserving, is to be in need of it." Lucy replied. "I would never ration my cordial. That is the only time it would be a waste."

"Indeed." Bane answered, dumbfounded. He then turned to Calla. "Before I lost sight of you, I saw you being chased by a that huge rabid wolf. How in Narnia did you escape it?"

Calla knew all too well. The vivid memory of her savior, to her attempts to kill him as a reward. Whatever gallant act he had done for her, she still owed him nothing that would earn the truth. "I ran. And didn't stop like you told me." She kissed his muzzle. "Then it was gone."

Bane was very pleased her obedience to his bidding was able to protect her. "Good." He licked her face in satisfaction. "You've done good."

Lucy smiled, "Well, now that you're feeling all better, I think it probably best to depart before-"

A quiet gasp interrupted her sentence. In the far end of the room, the Just King woke up with a jolt as if he had seen a ghost in his sleep, but upon flashing both eyes open to the safe haven of the infirmary, he sighed heavily in relief and buried his face into his hands. He then sat up on the bed and set both his feet down to feel the wooden floor. He paused there for a quite a while, as if he had been deeply reflecting and remembering what had occurred in his sleep that startled him so much.

Calla stared at him, mesmerized as if she couldn't believe a soul stilled occupied the vessel she was convinced she had gotten rid of. But there was something odd about the way he moved. His arms kept fidgeting around the spot where she had gouged his flesh with his own sword.

Then suddenly, he looked up with realization. He glanced around the room and the second he spotted her crouched on the floor, he stared at her long and hard. Almost as if he was reliving the last minute of his dark moments, and the sight of her was a strong vivid memory he could recall.

Immediately, Calla looked away, afraid if he was keen enough to put the pieces together, her apparent crime to be his murderer would surface in her guilty eyes.

"—Calla, Calla can you not hear me?" Lucy's voice interrupted her brooding thoughts. "Is something bothering you?"

She risked a glance at him, but saw his head was still turned to her. "I must be tired. I suppose a near death experience isn't really such a good place to come back from. I should go ahead and rest," she told her with a nervous chuckle. Calla was completely unsure about the extent of what the Just King knew, but it did not matter, for she could always find a loophole in things. She knew her way around, that was how she came this far and this close to her goal.

"I imagine Edmund feels the exact same way." Lucy laughed. "But as I was saying, I think it best that you should take your leave now. The fauns will be cross if you stay here longer than I've promised."

Calla decided to express concern. "Will he be alright?"

"I shall take care of this, don't you worry. This isn't the first time he's woken up like that." Lucy said as she closed the door.

The fauns, who had been waiting impatiently at the end of the hall, proceeded to walk up to them. Before they were within hearing distance, Bane turned to Calla in a hoarse whisper. "Calla, we will leave this place soon, won't we?"

She kept her chin up and did not look at him. "When it is finished."

He wasn't satisfied with her answer. "Look, I know you've been waiting for this for a long time-"

"So you understand why I have to do this." Calla told him instead of asking, a manner in which Bane could tell she was not in the mood to hear a contradicting response. He decided not to bark the wrong questions anymore.

"You two," One of the fauns called. "Quarters." He instructed. Calla and Bane looked at each other, unsure where to head.

The faun with the scar on his jaw only growled. "The cells."

"Edmund?"

Edmund blinked harshly at the sound of her voice, as if he snapped back to reality. Sitting up squarely on bed, he looked up at his sister and saw the frigid concern in her eyes, "Lucy." He breathed almost inaudibly. She did not even have to ask if he dreamt of a nightmare. He never had anything otherwise.

Lucy held both of his shoulders, gently trying to shake him out of his dulled gaze. "What was it this time?"

He looked away and turned to the view beyond the confines of the window. It was a lovely autumn morning; the soft breath of the wind swiftly plucking the leaves from their branches, insinuating the arrival of a cold but heavenly beautiful winter. Strangely, to him, winter was anything but heavenly. Winter was anything but beautiful. He did not hold grudges, yes, but he can't let go of memories. Especially the haunting ones.

"The same one." Edmund put a hand on his chest and felt the familiar depression on his lower torso. "The same one every night since."

Lucy's face darkened with understanding. "The White—" she paused to correct herself and sensibly rephrased her words, "Her. She was chasing you again?"

"Yes." He nodded, "Only this time, she 'had' me."

"What do you mean?"

"I dreamt-I dreamt—" he sputtered, feeling the words catch in his throat. "I dreamt I died, Lucy." He closed his eyes with dismay. "It never ended like that."

Lucy was tongue tied. Her brother was a man of strength and conviction. To see him petrified in his own pall of misfortune, she could only imagine what kind of struggle he was going through that could render such a resilient man helpless. Edmund pointed to his torso. "Even the scar. It hurt. Almost as if I had been stabbed again."

Lucy sat down beside him and laid her head on his shoulder. She held his hand and rubbed her palms against his to calm him down. "It's alright, Edmund. It's nothing more than a dream. There's nothing and no one here who will harm you." She assured him. "You're safe now."

He gave Lucy a slight smile for the solace her small warm hands offered, but he shook his head.

"Just for now."

A/N:

So yes I admit, I'm horrible at updating with consistency. Anyways, what are your thoughts on Calla and Bane?

Reviews, both praise and criticisms, will be appreciated

-DawnD