The defeat of the Lady of the Green Kirtle

The defeat of the Lady of the Green Kirtle is the decisive confrontation in which Rilian, Eustace Scrubb, and Puddleglum kill the serpent she becomes. The fight ends her immediate threat and gives Rilian a belated reckoning with his mother’s death: he recognizes the serpent as the creature he once pursued in Narnia, and understands that he has been enslaved for years by his mother’s slayer.

The Attack

When the Lady of the Green Kirtle’s instrument falls from her hands, her human form changes rapidly into a large green serpent. She coils around Rilian’s legs and chest, while another loop reaches for his sword arm. Rilian manages to keep that arm free, but the serpent’s hold leaves him in immediate danger.

The Fight

Rilian seizes the serpent’s neck with his left hand and draws his sword with his right. Eustace and Puddleglum rush to help, and all three strike at once. Eustace’s blow does not pierce the scales; Rilian and Puddleglum strike the serpent’s neck. Their first blows loosen its hold, and repeated strikes cut off its head. The creature continues to move after it is dead, but the attack is over.

Recognition and Aftermath

Once he can breathe, Rilian thanks his companions. He then identifies the serpent as the creature he pursued in vain by a fountain in the forest of Narnia many years earlier. His mother’s death and his captivity are thereby connected: the Lady of the Green Kirtle, whose servant he had been, was the slayer he had once failed to catch.

Rilian says that his mother has been avenged, and explains why the serpent’s final transformation matters to him: killing the Witch in her human appearance would not have accorded with his heart or honour. After the fight, he checks on Jill, who says she is well, and proposes that the group share the remaining wine before turning to their plans. The scene closes not with a further attack, but with the survivors recovering and preparing to act together.