.:Chapter 22:.

Magic hit Bernard in the face as soon as he jumped out of the carriage. Caspian was struggling to get out of his harness, and fending the Wolf off with nothing but a leather strap while he did so. Bernard charged towards the Wolf, catching the sword at his side and pulling it out of the sheath as he went.

Schreber stepped into his path as he ran, and pointed to the stranger at his side, who rolled up his sleeve. Bernard slowed as he read the tattoo crawling up the mans arm. Bear indel, and from the additional marks surrounding it, he was a big one.

“Give us the girl and continue on your way Invoker,” Schreber murmured. “We don’t want to be part of your death.”

Which was as good as saying they did want to be part of Amy’s. He couldn’t afford to lose her, she was too important to his plans.

Caspian slipped up next to him, free of the leather that had once trapped him. A horse was not a bear, but he might be a match for one wolf.

“Come and get her,” Caspian growled, and pawed at the ear as if in his horse form already.

Schreber gave a sort of half smile, as if he wasn’t quite sure Caspian’s response was a joke, and then gestured to The Wolf and the bear-indel. They took their forms without hesitation, and advanced on Bernard and his servant.

Caspian threw himself into stallion form and met the Wolf’s charge, hoof to fang, dancing away from the bear in an effort to keep the Wolf a lonely target. It was the bear he had to deal with then, and an assassin who was not just a cat.

He reached into his pocket for a ward stone, and called the magic to it. “Come on then,” he whispered fiercely. “Meet your match.”

The bear roared in reply, and reared up for a strike at Bernard’s face. He brought his sword up to beat the bear off, and caught a flash of light as Schreber buried a knife into his shoulder.