It was a little after midnight.

Griffins soared above the castle in the pitch black darkness and silence of the night, each carrying the three Pevensies (Lucy stayed behind in the How) as well as Amethy. Amethy silently cursed as she eyed a few soldiers on watch. The griffins carrying Edmund and Amethy swooped down before the others, and they landed on one of the towers nearest to the forest according to plan - but with a stifled thud.

The soldier on guard looked towards the sound, but they had swiftly and skillfully hidden out of his sight behind the small tower roof. As the soldier turned his back, one of the griffins leaned over and snatched him up and, well, ended his life, allowing Amethy and Edmund to advance.

Once at the edge of the platform, Edmund used his electric torch to signal the others.

On, off, on, off

The attack had officially started. There was no turning back.

Peter, Susan and Caspian each flew downwards towards the castle on their respective griffins as soon as they noticed Edmund's signal. They circled the castle, looking for a suitable place to drop them at. Once they were on their feet again, Susan realized that a soldier had noticed Edmund's signals and had pointed his crossbow at him, but he was only to be shot by her. She sighed at the close call. She didn't approve of the raid from the start and had a really bad feeling about it, like something terrible would definitely happen. She just didn't know what to expect.

Peter, Susan and Caspian secured themselves to the pillars on the wall they had landed on and climbed down steadily. Caspian landed on a window sill and stopped, before he knocked on the window.

"Professor?" He whispered. He had planned to come back to save his professor from Miraz's grasp.

There was no reply.

Caspian knocked open the window and stepped into his professor's study. It was dark with the exception of the moonlight shining in from the open window and had a musty smell, as if no one had been in this room for a few days or so. Peter and Susan followed behind him, looking around the dark room. Caspian looked around at the many books in the room which read - 'The Full History of Old Narnia", 'The Battle at Beruna', or 'The Golden Age'.

He took a few steps forward and stopped when he had spotted a pair of glasses on the table nearby. He went to pick it up and noticed an open book with a illustration of the Pevensies presumably stabbed with something sharp. Realization dawned on him.

"I have to find him" he said.

"We don't have time. You have to get to the gatehouse" Peter warned.

"You wouldn't even be here without him. And neither would I" he told them, slight anger to his voice.

Peter and Susan exchanged glances, as though communicating with each other.

"We can take care of Miraz" Susan assured.

"And I can still make it to the gatehouse in time" Caspian said, glancing at Peter, who was glaring at him. He ignored his look of disapproval and sped off frantically.

Outside, beyond the walls of the castle, a minotaur sneaked around, waiting for a chance to get in to lower the drawbridge from the interior. A guard on duty spotted him and drew his sword, while shaking, and positioned himself so that he was ready to attack.

"Shh" the minotaur hushed smugly, putting a finger to his thick lips. The soldier stared at him in disbelief, blinking profusely.

Before the soldier could strike the Minotaur with his blade, Nikabrik had sneaked up behind and knocked the soldier out with the hilt of his own sword. The Minotaur and him exchanged knowing glances and smirked at each other.

Reepicheep led the other mice through the drains and they scurried through the metal gates with ease without being spotted at all. They then leapt onto a rope to climb into the drawbridge room. A cat was spotted in the corner of the room, ready to pounce at the sight of its feast. Reepicheep drew out his sword. You've never been so wrong in your life, kitty. He thought, grinning to himself. He advanced towards the unarmed cat and with a few swift movements, he had bounded the cat securely to its fluffy pillow. A Telmarine soldier realised that the cat had been tied up in the corner soon after, but the mice had already hidden themselves out of sight.

"What the..." he started, looking around suspiciously and eyeing every corner. Reepicheep hung down from the ceiling behind the soldier, drawing his sword. The soldier spun around and was greeted by Reepicheep's face just a mere inch away.

A mouse? The soldier thought.

"Yes, I am a mouse" Reepicheep said before striking the soldier with a whip of his sword.

Reepicheep eyed a soldier in the distance and turned to the mice, gesturing them to attack him. They sped towards him, scurrying as fast as their legs could possibly carry them, but were silent. They all pounced on him at once, causing him to fall over in shock.

They then climbed onto each other's back circus style, hoisting the last mouse high enough to reach the door lock. It latched it open easily.

Trumpkin pulled open the door from the other side before firing an arrow almost immediately. The mice turned, finding a dead soldier slumped on the floor near them.

"Ah, we were expecting someone, you know, taller" Reepicheep joked.

Trumpkin rolled his eyes, "you're one to talk"

"Is that supposed to be irony?" Reepicheep said, chuckling.

Trumpkin turned around and closed the door shut.

***

Caspian sneaked into Cornelius's cell, where his professor was lying motionless and chained heavily on the ground. But judging by his slow breathing, Caspian deduced that he was just asleep. His heart was racing as he knew that one wrong move would bring the whole plan down.

Caspian bent down to shake him lightly, waking him up. He groaned and turned to his side.

"Five more minutes?" He told him.

"What are you doing here?" Cornelius asked in a hushed tone, sitting up. "I didn't help you escape so that you can break back in. You have to get out before Miraz learns you're here"

"He'll learn soon enough. We're giving him your cell" Caspian said while breaking the metal chains, freeing his professor.

"Don't underestimate Miraz as your father did" Cornelius warned. He put his hand to his mouth immediately. What have I just told him? He panicked inside. Caspian must not know.

"What are you talking about?" Caspian asked suspiciously.

"I'm sorry" Cornelius whispered, avoiding his gaze while getting up on his feet.

Caspian let go of Cornelius and looked at him while shaking his head slightly, disappointment written on his face. Then, he turned and ran off. This can't be.

Caspian sprinted all the way to his uncle's room. He stopped before the door, taking in a deep breath to calm himself down. He reached out to the doorknob. Resting his hand on the cold metal, he hesitated. Finally, he turned it slowly and pushed it open, revealing his aunt and uncle, who were both soundly asleep.

Anger boiled in him as he set his eyes on his uncle. He unsheathed his sword slowly, putting it to Miraz's throat.

Miraz's eyes shot open. He chuckled, an evil grin spreading on his face.

"Thank goodness you're safe..." he started.

"Get up" Caspian ordered.

Miraz climbed out of bed calmly and Lady Prunaprismia suddenly sat up.

"Caspian?" She asked, a confused look on her face.

"Stay where you are" Caspian told her, his gaze fixed on Miraz, burning with hatred.

"What are you doing?"

"I think this obvious, dear" Miraz replied with a sneer. "You know, some might consider this inappropriate behaviour"

"But that didn't seem to have stopped you" Caspian spat.

"But you're not like me, are you?" Miraz mocked.

Prunaprismia loaded her crossbow silently, her hands shaking, and aimed it at Caspian.

"Put the sword down, Caspian. I don't want to do this"

"We don't want you to either!" Susan screamed as she and Peter barged into the room. Peter drew his sword while Susan aimed her arrow at Prunaprismia.

"This used to be a private room" Miraz claimed, rolling his eyes.

"Caspian! What are you doing? You're supposed to be at the gatehouse" Peter raised his voice at Caspian.

"No! Tonight for once, I want the truth" he turned to Miraz. "Did you kill my father?" He questioned in a gruff tone, his grip tightening on his sword as he pushed it against Miraz's neck.

"Now we get to it" Miraz chuckled calmly.

"You told me your brother died in his sleep" Lady Prunaprismia breathed, lowering her crossbow.

"That was more or less true" Miraz replied.

Caspian pushed Miraz against the wall, his blade causing a drop of blood to trickle down Miraz's neck.

"Did you kill my father?" Caspian interrogated further.

"Caspian, this won't make this anything better" Susan told him.

"We Telmarines would have nothing had we not taken it. Your father knew that as well as anyone" Miraz said simply.

"How could you?" Prunaprismia started.

"For that same reason you will pull that trigger!" Miraz screamed, the veins on his neck bulging.

Miraz continued with a cunning smile on his face, "for our son, you must choose. Do you want our child to be king or do you want him to be like Caspian over here, fatherless!" Prunaprismia froze at his words.

"No!" At Prunaprismia's scream, arrows were shot, one striking Prunaprismia and the other hitting Caspian on the left shoulder. He fell over from the blow, allowing Miraz enough time to escape and abandon his wife.

***

Up top, Edmund and Amethy waited to send the next signal. Edmund, getting impatient, started to toss his torch about before throwing it to Amethy.

"Catch"

"You should probably stop this" Amethy warned, tossing it back.

Edmund tossed it a few more times and lost his grip suddenly, dropping his torch down the ledge.

"Oh my gosh, Edmund" Amethy shrugged.

"Sorry" he said sheepishly.

They both bent over the ledge to see where the torch had landed, only to see a soldier appearing into view and picking the torch up shortly after, turning it on accidentally. The bright beam of light blinded him, making him drop the torch.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nikabrik asked the army who was waiting outside the castle when they saw the beam of light from above.

Edmund leapt down from the top tower, knocking the soldier out. Amethy followed behind, landing gracefully.

Bells chimed, informing the soldiers that there were intruders in the castle.

"Oh no" Amethy whispered. One by one, the soldiers woke up.

Back in the interior of the castle, Susan, Peter and Caspian rushed down the endless hallways. Peter made a sharp turn into a different hallway suddenly.

"Peter!" Susan shouted.

"Our army is just outside!" Peter said as he ran out of the castle. "Now Ed! Signal the troops!"

"A bit busy right now, Pete" Edmund shouted while tackling a soldier. Amethy stabbed a soldier in her way before rushing over to Edmund and hitting the soldier on the head with the hilt of her sword.

"Thank... duck!" Edmund screamed. Amethy ducked immediately, allowing Edmund to strike the approaching soldier.

"Amethy!" Peter called out.

"Sorry Peter!" She spun around and advanced towards the guards that were spilling out from the door.

Edmund lost his grip on his sword, allowing it to drop. A soldier raised his sword.

"Ed!"

He knocked the soldier hard with his torch before pushing him down, his body disappearing into the darkness below.

He tried to turn it on, but it did not budge at all.

"Come on..." he begged, shaking it.

"It's too late! We have to call it off while we still can!" Susan shouted over the cacophony.

"No, I can still do this, help me!" Peter said.

So Susan and Caspian helped him to turn the wheel to open the gate through gritted teeth.

"Just who exactly are you doing this for, Peter?" Susan asked. Peter looked at her but didn't reply.

Finally, the torch turned on. Edmund flashed it, signalling the troops.

The gate opened completely.

"For Narnia!" Peter screamed.

At this signal the Narnians charged to the courtyard at great speed and in great numbers, destroying everything in their way. Amethy smiled to herself as she noticed that the Narnians had the upper hand. She looked on in disgust as those little Telmarine beasts wounded the Narnians.

A signal was given and the Telmarine soldiers all picked a target to shoot at from the rooftops. Edmund spotted a Telmarine aiming his crossbow at Peter. Without hesitation, he slid down the tiles expertly, hitting the soldier off the roof.

"Watch out!" He heard Amethy cry from behind him.

He looked to his left, only to be greeted by Telmarines aiming their crossbows at him and Amethy.

He grabbed Amethy's wrist and they ran. Edmund dived into a room, but a soldier tore Amethy away from him. He kicked the door close just in time and watched in horror as arrows pierced the wooden door.

"Amethy!"

"Don't worry, Ed!" She replied, eyeing a drain nearby. She smirked.

In a split second she had tugged on the water gushing down the drain below them. She sent a river of water flowing out of the drain, sweeping the soldiers off their feet. Then she turned and ran into the castle.

Amethy emerged at one of the balconies on the second floor. Just as she was about to take a step down, a minotaur fell in front of her. She was taken aback.

"Get that gate closed!" She heard a man say. She looked towards the direction of the voice, spotting Miraz.

Her heart burned with anger and hatred as he turned and looked directly at her, his dark eyes widening with surprise. She would have killed him if she had a bow with her at that point. But she didn't.

She advanced downstairs to join in the battle, killing every single man who wore the Telmarine armor. She didn't care that her armor was now smeared with blood. She didn't care how her whole body was throbbing. She didn't care. All she wanted was freedom for the Narnians.

The sound of the gate closing broke her chain of actions. She watched in horror as the gates threated to close shut. A minotaur held the gate open just in time.

"Fall back! Retreat!" Peter ordered.

***

Edmund walked onto the tower where he first landed. He turned around and used his torch to lock the door as his last resort to keep out the soldiers on his heels.

He looked around, but realised his griffin was nowhere in sight. He panicked a little as the soldiers banged on the door.

His torch gave way.

Soldiers burst through the door, drawing their swords. Edmund backed off till he was standing it the edge of the ledge. He looked down and grinned, before falling, back first.

The soldiers rushed to look over the edge just as the griffin shot up with Edmund seated safely on it.

***

Amethy rushed towards the door as Telmarines started to shoot arrows at the minotaur and the Narnians below. She spotted a faun whose leg was caught between the ground and a fallen stone. Their eyes met and Amethy sensed great fear in them. She looked at the minotaur who was now struggling to hold up the gate and back to the faun.

She turned and pushed though the rushing Narnians towards the faun, helping him remove the stone.

"Thank you..." he started.

"No need to thank me. Now go!"

She sprinted towards the gate behind the faun.

Up in the sky, Edmund watched as Peter, Susan and Caspian had made it out of the castle.

Where's Amethy? He panicked, searching for her frantically.

He squinted his eyes and vaguely spotted a girl with her hair tied up in a high pony tail a few meters away from the gate, which was now threatening to close.

"Come on, Amethy" he muttered, anxiety building up within him.

Amethy ran for her life towards the gate, spotting Caspian who was staring at her anxiously. An arrow hit her in her lower back and she stumbled onto the ground in pain.

"Amethy!"

***

tis is the season to be jolly, fa la la la, la la la la la.