Author's note: This story is about Edmund's experience at the Marshwiggles' summer camp. I put a more modern twist on this story with the camp idea. Just FYI, I have never been to a summer camp like the one in this story, so I am completely making this all up. I hope you enjoy!

Glum Plum Camping Expeditions

for Miserable Creatures®

"Welcome to Glum Plum Camping Expeditions for Miserable Creatures, also known as GPCEMC, which we doubt you will remember!" greeted an excited Marshwiggle, wearing a khaki vest with a name tag that said: Hello! My name is Tiggle. "In case you hadn't noticed, which I doubt you have, my name is Tiggle. Don't worry if you forget; I can always tell you again!"

Edmund raised an eyebrow and glanced at his fellow campers. They likewise (except for the Marshwiggle kids) looked confused. GPCEMC was an annual hiking camp for kids age's nine to fourteen. Every year they invited one eligible monarch from a neighboring country to attend. The previous year Edmund's brother Peter had come, but that is a different story. This year, Edmund had been invited and, not wishing to offend the Marshwiggle community, he filled out the paperwork. And here he was.

Tiggle proceeded to reintroduce herself in case anyone had already forgotten, and then handed out stacks of paperwork. Edmund had already filled out all his paperwork. He reflected on the lengthy form he had completed at home with Peter's help. It was something like this:

Personal contact info:

Name: _Edmund Pevensie_

Titles: _King Edmund the Just of Narnia, Duke of Lantern Waste, Count of the Western March, Knight of the Noble Order of the Table_

Country: _Narnia_

Age: _13_

Current Address: The Castle Cair Paravel, Narnia_

Species (check one):

Centaur

Faun

Minotaur

Marshwiggle

Talking Animal (please specify):

Dwarf

Elf

Naiad

Satyr

Dryad

+Son of Adam/Daughter of Eve

Giant

Other (please specify):

If you chose dryad, which kind of tree are you? _n/a_

Record of recent injuries: _Cut my finger on my sword, received a paper cut filling out this form, stabbed myself with a pen_

Allergies: _girls (kidding!)_none_

Emergency contact info:

Name: _High King Peter of Narnia_ _

Relation: _Brother_

Address: _The Castle Cair Paravel, Narnia_

(2) Name: _Queen Susan of Narnia_

Relation: _sister_

Address: _The Castle Cair Paravel, Narnia_

Medical Contact Info:

Doctor Name: _Madam Med_

City and Country: _Beruna, Narnia_

I have voluntarily provided the above contact information and authorize Glum Plum Camping Expeditions for Miserable Creatures® and its employees to contact any of the above on my behalf in the event of an emergency. I also agree to uphold the camp rules and treat my instructors and fellow campers with respect.

Participant Signature: _King Edmund the Just_ Date: _7/16/1002_

Parent/Guardian Signature: King Peter the Magnificent Date: _7/14/1002_

Edmund handed his form to Tiggle. After all the forms were completed and handed in, Tiggle led them in the direction of the cabins. Tiggle began reading off names of the boys and which cabins they would be staying in.

"Lawrence," she read. "Windspur, Edmund, Ira and Lanky, you will be staying in Cabin 4, Gloomy Dawn." Edmund looked about for his four roommates. Lawrence was a Talking Hedgehog, Windspur was a centaur and Ira and Lanky were wood-elf brothers. Edmund put on a smile and the five entered their cabin to unpack and settle in.

The cabin was furnished with six bunks; the extra, Edmund supposed, for their cabin leader. He briefly wondered when they would meet him. Edmund was given a top bunk while Lawrence took the bottom. Ira and Lanky shared the next bunk-bed, while Windspur chose to sleep on the floor since centaurs don't fit in bunks very well. Ten minutes later, a knock was heard on the door and a tall Marshwiggle entered.

"Hello, boys," he greeted. "I am Figgy Pudding, Tiggy's brother and your cabin leader." The five boys hurriedly rushed forward, forming a line. "Please step forward when I call your name," instructed Figgy, eyeing the disarranged row in front of him. "Windspur the Centaur?"

"Here!"

"Ira and Lanky the Wood-Elves?"

"Here!" they answered in unison.

"King Edmund, Son of Adam?" The other boys stared at Jake, but he didn't look at them.

"Here, sir," Edmund answered, his voice commanding attention.

"And you must be Lawrence?" guessed Figgy, seeing that the Hedgehog was the last one.

"Yes, sir. I mean – here, sir!" the shy Hedgehog stammered.

"Very well," stated Figgy. "Dinner is at six bells – sharp, mind you. Return to your packing, I'll see you at dinner."

When six o'clock came, half an hour later, all five boys filed out of the cabin behind Figgy Pudding and waltzed across the yard to a large building called the Smugglegum Center. The boys took their seats at one of the round tables scattered in the open space of the Smugglegum Center.

"May I have your attention!" squeaked the shortest Marshwiggle that Edmund had ever seen. All eyes turned to the tiny speaker. "Welcome to Glum Plum Camping Expeditions for Miserable Creatures®. I am Jigglefiggle, President of the Marshwiggle Society for Dismal Sorts (MSDS) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GPCEMC. We hope you have a great time this week," he put a surprising emphasis on the word great because he doubted it would be great, "if you can have a great time at all, which is more than I expect. But now, dinner! Croaky has made his swamp-famous eel stew!"

Windspur turned a noticeable shade of green.

"Good old grass is best for me," he whispered to Lanky. Bowls were quickly passed out. Edmund stared down into the murky green-brown water in his bowl and swallowed the lump in his throat.

The boys trooped back into their cabin after dinner and prepared for bed. Windspur lay down on a pile of straw that had been arranged for him in the corner. Edmund climbed up the ladder to his bunk.

"Careful so you don't fall out," cautioned Figgy Pudding. Edmund thanked him for the advice and crawled under the covers. Lawrence climbed into his bed too but found that the blankets couldn't be pulled far enough up for his liking. After dancing around the room in a moon dance, Ira and Lanky finally settled down.

"You'll lie cold and hard," Figgy warned the yawning boys. "Damp too, I shouldn't wonder. Won't sleep a wink, most likely; even if there isn't a flood or a hurricane or a tornado (though they aren't common in these parts) or the cabin doesn't fall down on top of us all, as I've known them to do. Must make the best of it–" But the tired boys were fast asleep before the voice had ended.

When Edmund woke the next morning, he found that he was quite dry and warm, despite Figgy's warnings. There hadn't been a hurricane and the cabin hadn't fallen down on them.

"Good morning, campers!" Figgy boomed. "Though when I say good, I don't mean it won't probably turn to snow, or fog, or rain, or thunder. You didn't get any sleep, I daresay."

"Yes, actually we did," yawned Ira. "We had a good night."

"Ah, I see you're making the best of a bad job," commented Figgy.

"Say, where is Windspur?" asked Lanky.

"Out eating, I suppose," answered his brother. "Centaurs are awfully hard to satisfy when it comes to meals. They have a man's stomach and a horse's stomach to fill."

Just then, Lawrence tumbled out of bed.

"Did I miss breakfast?" he yawned.

"Nope," replied Figgy, patting him on the head. "Breakfast is at seven. You have ten minutes. After that is our first activity: eel catching!" The boys silently moaned. "Though I shouldn't wonder if you don't catch any," continued dismal Figgy. "And you won't like them much if you do, I daresay."

After a breakfast of biscuits and eggs, the boys headed down to the marshy lake. The water was a dull brown color. There were several floating docks with canoes tied to them. Tiggle was at the head and stopped in front of the boats.

"Boys!" she clapped her webbed hands together to get their attention. "For the first activity of the day, we are going to be catching eels. But first, we will need to canoe to a good spot." Tiggle nodded to Figgy who continued.

"I want two boys in each canoe, with the exception of the centaurs," he looked at the group of four or five centaur boys. "We have a larger boat for you. This will be a timed event. The first team with the least amount of eels caught within two hours wins." But the small detail of least amount was lost in the clamor of excitement coming from the young campers. Tiggle blew on a piercing whistle.

"Boys! Quite please!" she commanded. "Figgy isn't finished yet."

"Thank you, Tiggle," said Figgy. "As I was saying, you have two hours! Two hours only! Two boys per canoe; I will let you choose your partners." Windspur went with the other centaurs, Ira and Lanky went together, Lawrence went with a squirrel, and Edmund found himself partners with a Minotaur named Tavian. Because he was large, Tavian was prone to clumsiness. He almost capsized the boat when he got in. But nevertheless, Edmund and Tavian soon found themselves starting on an adventure.

"Do you know where we're going?" asked Tavian, once he and Edmund had rowed a considerable distance.

"Noooo," answered Edmund slowly. "I didn't even think to ask."

"Oh," commented Tavian. "Looks like we've on our own."

"Yep," Edmund replied. They continued rowing in silence for a while before Tavian ventured to speak.

"Where are you from?" he asked.

"Narnia," Edmund answered.

"So am I," Tavian commented. "I'm from Caldron Pool. What town are you from?"

"Cair Paravel," replied Edmund. "I live in the castle there with my brother, Peter and my sisters, Susan and Lucy."

"Peter?" questioned Tavian. "Your brother has the same name as the High King?"

"My brother is the High King," Edmund responded.

"Y-Your Majesty!" stuttered the surprised Minotaur. "King Edmund! I didn't think for a minute that–" He was cut off because he had jumped to his feet and the canoe tipped precariously. Its occupants were tossed out and they spluttered angrily in the water.

"So much for catching eels," Edmund muttered.

"Your highness," splutter Tavian. "I am so sorry."

"It's alright," Edmund interrupted. "Please, call me Edmund. I'm just an ordinary kid, like you. I just have extraordinary adventures."

"I see," replied Tavian, a little nervously. Working together, the King and the Minotaur were able to flip the canoe over and gather a bit of their supplies.

"I guess we should head back," Edmund suggested.

"You're right," Tavian agreed stiffly. He was still getting used to the idea that his eel catching companion was the King of Narnia. Edmund attempted to ease the tension as they began rowing back to camp.

"So…" he trailed off. "You said you were from Caldron Pool?" Tavian nodded. "What's it like? I don't think I've ever been there."

"It's…um, nice," Tavian said. Edmund raised an eyebrow. "The Caldron Pool is crystal clear some days, and stormy and murky on others," the Minotaur continued. "Us, Minotaurs, live in the forest surrounding the pool. It's peaceful and we have a nice community."

"It sounds nice," Edmund commented. "I'll have to visit it someday."

"What's Cair Paravel like?" Tavian asked. "I went to the docks one day with my father on some shipping business, but we didn't see much of the city."

"Cair Paravel is magnificent," Edmund sighed, his eyes becoming dreamy as he pictured his home and family. "But what I love the most about it is the people. I love to watch everyone as they hurry about. I love the people who live there; in or outside of the castle."

"What's your family like?" questioned Tavian, as he and Edmund continued rowing.

"Wonderful," Edmund smiled. "My brother is brave and gets himself into all sorts of troubles." He shook his head knowingly. "I usually have to get him out of it. Susan – she's my eldest sister – is gentle and kind but can be tough when she's called upon. Lucy, well, she's hard to describe. I guess I could say she has faith enough for each of us. She never doubts Aslan's good will."

"They sound nice," Tavian said. "I'd like to meet them sometime."

"Peter is coming to pick me up on Friday," answered Edmund. "You can meet him then."

"Thanks," replied Tavian. "It would be such an honor to meet the High King."

"Yes," Edmund responded. "Peter is giving a speech Friday night in the Smugglegum Center."

"I hope it's more interesting than Mr. Jigglefiggle's," said Tavian. Edmund laughed.

"Peter's are waaaaaaay more interesting!"

Several minutes later, Tavian and Edmund pulled their canoe up alongside the dock. They jumped out and tied it up before approaching Tiggle and Figgy who were conversing nearby.

"The two hours are about up," Figgy announced. Tiggle nodded.

"Well, hello, boys!" she greeted as Edmund and Tavian drew up.

"Hello Miss Tiggle," Edmund said.

"How many eels have you caught?" asked Figgy.

"None, actually," admitted Tavian. "We overturned our canoe and fell out."

"That's wonderful!" exclaimed Tiggle. "About the eels, I mean."

"That's terrible!" exclaimed Figgy at the same time. "We should notify your brother right away. You could get hyperthermia! Or pneumonia! You should be hospitalized right away!" Edmund, Tavian and Tiggle stared skeptically at Figgy Pudding.

"Figgy," Tiggle tried to console her brother. "It's his first day of camp."

"I don't care what day of camp it is!" yelled Figgy. "He could die! King Peter must be contacted." Before any more protests could be made, Figgy stormed off to call Peter.

"I guess I kind of ruined your week of camp," muttered Tavian.

"That's okay," answered Edmund. "Peter won't get here until tomorrow night. So I have until then. At least I won't miss Capture the Flag!" He smiled brightly at the thought.

Author's note: Well, there's the first chapter! This is going to be a shorter story only two, maybe three, chapters. Then, if everyone enjoyed it, maybe I will write about Peter's experience at GPCEMC as mentioned above. Please review. It makes my day! :) Review!