“Your Majesty is very welcome,” said Caspian.
“And so is your Majesty,” said Peter. “I haven’t come to take your place, you know, but to put you into it.”
“Your Majesty,” said another voice at Peter‘s elbow. He turned and found himself face to face with the Badger. Peter leaned forward, put his arms round the beast and kissed the furry head: it wasn’t a girlish thing for him to do, because he was the High King.
“Best of badgers,” he said. “You never doubted us all through.”
“No credit to me, your Majesty,” said Trufflehunter. “I‘m a beast and we don’t change. I‘m a badger, what’s more, and we hold on.”
“I am sorry for Nikabrik,” said Caspian, “though he hated me from the first moment he saw me. He had gone sour inside from long suffering and hating. If we had won quickly he might have become a good Dwarf in the days of peace. I don‘t know which of us killed him. I’m glad of that.”
“You‘re bleeding,” said Peter.
“Yes, I’m bitten,” said Caspian. “It was that.that wolf thing.” Cleaning and bandaging the wound took a long time, and when it was done Trumpkin said, “Now. Before everything else we want some breakfast.”
“But not here,” said Peter.