Disclaimer: Edmund and Peter Pevensie and all the characters and situations in the Chronicles of Narnia belong to C. S. Lewis and not to me. Oreius also does not belong to me. I do, however, wish I could play in Narnia.

Chapter One

"This way, General!" the Eagle screeched. "This way!"

The High King spurred his unicorn to my side, his eyes blue ice in his taut face. It had been only two days since word had come, but those two days had worn on him.

"Which way? What have you found?"

Greywing landed on my upraised forearm, head bowed to his Sovereign. "Just on the other side of those trees, Majesty. The party was attacked. It is difficult to say by whom."

Peter looked at me and then licked his trembling lips. "No– no survivors?"

"One, My King."

With a low cry, Peter kicked the unicorn into a gallop and disappeared into the forest.

"Wolfsbane!"

I galloped after him, calling for my men to follow. If one or two of our Sovereigns were dead, we certainly did not need to add a third.

As the Eagle had said, what was left of the party that had come from Cair Paravel was in a little clearing on the other side of the trees. Soldiers, human and Beast, lay in bloody heaps on the grass alongside a number of shabby-looking ruffians, dirty and weathered. Under a large oak lay the sole survivor, gasping for air, slathered in blood and sweat and dirt. Peter was already kneeling beside him, stroking his cheek, fumbling for the cordial he had brought from Cair Paravel.

"Where are they?" Peter pled even as he let a single blood-colored drop fall into the Horse's mouth. "Phillip, what happened?"

I signaled my men to keep watch around us, and then I went to where the High King knelt. Already the Horse's deep wounds were closing, and his breath was coming more steadily. He whickered and struggled to stand, but Peter held him where he was.

"Phillip, please. Where are they?"

I put one hand on Peter's shoulder, calming him as best I could. "Let him tell it, Majesty."

Phillip pushed himself to his feet and Peter rose with him, still with one hand in his mane, still with his eyes full of dread.

"We were attacked," the Horse said, and he hung his head, unable to look the High King in the face. "They killed our scouts and then lay in wait for the main party. There were too many for us. I tried–" Now he did look up, brown eyes pleading. "High King, I tried my best to protect them. All of the guard, you can see for yourself, did all they were able."

Peter bit his lip, but nodded curtly. "And Susan and Edmund?"

He looked around the clearing again, and I shook my head.

"Your brother and sister are not here, Majesty. They've been taken, no doubt for ransom."

The Horse shook his head. "I do not know, General Oreius. But, yes, they were taken. A man. A man they called Zeier."

Peter glanced up at me. Clearly the name was unfamiliar to him. It was not to me. I spat on the ground.

"A Calormene robber baron, Majesty. Even the Tisroc would not have him, and he was banished to Telmar. My intelligence told me he disappeared from there months ago. Some said he went into Ettinsmoor. I see that report was incorrect."

"Where did they go?" Peter demanded, turning to the Horse again. "Did they take anyone but Edmund and Susan?"

"No, Majesty. And they said nothing of where they were headed."

"How many were they?" I asked.

"About thirty, I believe," Phillip said. "Not counting Zeier and his woman. We killed seven."

My eyes narrowed. "He has a woman along?"

"He does, General. As fierce and bloodthirsty as any of their men. And jealous."

Peter's face hardened, making him look twice his sixteen years. "Leave behind a detail to bury the dead," he told me. "Send to Cair Paravel for more troops. Zeier and his men obviously went west. Greywing, see if you can catch any sign of them from the air."

The Eagle shot into the sky, and Peter leapt onto the back of his unicorn.

"Maybe you'd better go back to the Cair, too, Phillip. You need to rest for a while."

The Horse snorted. "There will be time enough for that, Majesty, when we have found your brother and sister."

"All right," Peter said after a moment. "But we can't wait for you. Either keep up or go back."

Phillip bowed his head, and then the High King turned again to me.

"Come on."

He urged his unicorn into a gallop and disappeared into the forest.

I was right behind him.

Author's Note: Yes, it's me again. I bring to you, as usual, a grim, heart-wrenching tale full of brotherly flangst, now with extra Oreius. I hope you like it. Should I continue? Thanks to LadyAlambielKnightOfNarnia for brainstorming help and encouragement.