blood from stone; cold as ice

[King Caspian X]

Caspian leapt back, waiting for the transformation after he saw it begin. When the paws came upon his shoulders he struck the creature's ribcage with his sword, just inches above the belly. It didn't go through, it was a simple slash, but it would be painful. His hands closed around its throat, and a cry broke loose from his throat with the use of his arm. "You will stay away from my family." he growled, the words almost under his breath. He was trying to distract himself from the pain that tore through his body from his broken arm. His muscles tensed. "You will stay away from my family." he repeated, and gave a quick glance over to Susan. She hadn't moved since he had gotten there. Was she alright? What about the baby? Where the Hell had Katrina gone, leaving poor Susan all alone?

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

NO, Caspian, please . . . He was killing her. She couldn't breath, couldn't fight. Her body and mind were all fading. Only her heart still burned in her. But what good was a heart when it could never be shown or seen. But with her body fading maybe there was a chance that she could be heard. The monster within her had spoken with a voice he could reconize, she had to be able to speak with him. If only for a moment . . . There was little life in her. What was done would use what little strength she had. And with each moment that passed she could hear the alien voice in her mind: "The Narnian Queen murdered by your husband." And then he would laugh, "The love Aslan gives truly is binding." But she had to reach him, there was no other way. "I love you more . . . Vidar."

[King Caspian X]

Caspian cast his sword away from him as if it were a poisonous snake, sending it flying into the bushes. His hands lowered from her throat and he threw them around her, tears running from his eyes. The pain in his arm and the pain of almost losing her made him too weak to hold back his tears. He removed his cloak and pressed it against the beast's wound. Caspian held her head and looked into those hideous eyes. But he knew that somewhere beneath them, were her eyes, and he gazed lovingly. "I'm so sorry Susan." he said, a tear falling from his eyes and landing on her homely face. Caspian buried his head into her side. "Susan I'm so sorry."

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

He knew . . . But when he released her he was foolish enough to give her life and with it came strength. This changeling body did not tire well. "Fool," She laughed at him. Razor claws racked both his sides as deeply as they could go. She pushed him away from her body and swung her tail hitting him in the chest as close to the heart as she could. She didn't care if she missed though; it would hurt either way.

[King Caspian X]

Caspian fell, hitting the ground. Pain shot through him as his arm his the solid earth. The breath was knocked out of him, and his mouth gaped. His lungs drew in, seemingly crushing him from the inside. A full minute it seemed that he couldn't breathe, and his face was beginning to hurt from his painful expression. Then, at last, his lungs released him. He drew in his breaths sharply, and looked at her. Caspian grabbed her by the throat again and squeezed, making sure that it wouldn't kill her, but it would make her weak. Tears fell. This was the only way that he could me with her. Choking his own wife. He didn't like it. "How did you get like this?" he asked, looking up at her with red eyes.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"I am this," She growled. He hadn't taken her life. She could still breath, but not enough to fight, "Your Susan is dieing. Soon she will be no more and only I Muroddro will remain. But for now she is within me, feeling every pain you give her." For a moment he was silent save for the rumbling growl. but on the spur of the moment he felt like causing the prince more pain, "But at least now they'll be no need for you to decide a name."

[King Caspian X]

Tears flowed freely from Caspian's eyes. His son was there. No, wait. It was impossible. This creature was male. Caspian looked at the beast, and then at Susan's human body. "If you're there," Caspian said, pointing at the monster, "Then who is there?" he forced himself to ask, pointing at his wife. Her body lay limp, practically lifeless.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"My old body," Muroddro answered proudly, "This is my form of mastery, just as all of your brother's and sister's have one. I absorb the strength and power of a being and leave my old body behind in the shape that their body once was. There is no life in that body anymore, all of it is within me, both dead and alive. But I will say this is probably the most worthless absorbson I have made yet. This girl has no power, no spescialty, only master at archery, a common skill I have already aquired a dozzen times over. Your hearts are something I cannot understand. They drive you to love this? It discusts me that she is even alive within me now. If only she would stop holding on to this life and die, then she would not hold me back. Then at least your suffering would end for you would jpin her brother."

[King Caspian X]

"Susan, you have to fight him off." he said. If what the creature said was true, than this was technically still Susan's body. "Susan you can do it. You have to fight him off. I believe in you." Caspian insisted, looking into 'her' eyes. "You're strong."

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"FOOL!" Muroddro laughed, "Susan can hear me, but she cannot defeat me. I am too powerful for one human girl to defeat. Her mind was too easy to penitrate, her body too easy to absorb. She cannot fight me and be able to win. You have lost this battle. Accept she is dead along with your son."

[King Caspian X]

"NO!" Caspian yelled. One person may not have been enough to fight off a demon, but two people might. Caspian put a hand over her heart, the one thing that he knew was definately Susan's. Demons didn't have hearts. "I'm going to help you, Susan." Caspian said. "Take my strength. Take me. I'll help you to fight him off from the inside. Let me help you." he begged.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"So you're an elf now," He kept laughing, "She cannot hear you and you cannot give her your strength. normaly she would have heard you, It is what allowed her to reach you before. but she is too close to death." He put his palm on the prince's forehead, his fongers on his hair though that made his stomach lurch with disgust. instantly the famillar sounds he heard every time he absorbed a new body was echoed throught every corner of Caspian's mind: Susan was screaming. But it was not a scream that was heard at night when a wolf jumped from behind the trees and scared a child away. This was the scream witches made when they were being burned alive. That was what Caspian would hear and Muroddro would not let it end.

[King Caspian X]

"Not an elf." he said. "A demon. Half a demon." but then he was with her. "SUSAN!" he yelled for her, trying to find her within this body. His own body was lying limp on the forest ground, seemingly dead. Caspian found her and wrapped his arms around her. "Susan." he managed. It was hot in here. It felt like they were in Hell, but they weren't. Hell was worse. This was nothing compared to Hell. Caspian searched her body for the source of pain, but couldn't find it. "Susan..." he said her name again. "Come on. We can beat him together, you and me, we're a team. You're my wife. Come on. Snap out of it." he begged.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"Idiot," He said to bored to laugh. He removed his hand pulling Caspian away from Susan. "She still can't hear you. could you not hear her screaming?" He touched his fingers to Caspian's head, but not his palm so that he would hear her endless screaming, but not see her. "She can hear no one, not even Aslan at this point. She will burn in the firefields with your mother and son for the rest of Aslan's years."

[King Caspian X]

Caspian shook his head when he was back in his own body. "You're wrong." he said. "Aslan loves her. He always has. And if we can't handle you, he will save us. He will always save us." Caspian said defiantly. He would give anything for Susan to hear him. There was still something that they could do. Something that would bring them victory. But Aslan would save them if they couldn't save themselves. Caspian knew it. And now, he thought hard. "I'll tell you what." he said to the beast. "Let's make a deal. Let's fight. If I win, I get my wife and son back in their own bodies, and you leave us forever. But if you lose, then you must give up Susan and our baby to me. First one to call mercy loses." Death obviously wasn't an option here. Caspian couldn't kill the beast, because he'd kill Susan.