A/N: I want to thank Green and Lady Hannah for their amazing reviews. You guys really make me want to keep going! A few kind of small yet important details in this one, but they should be further explained later on. I would love a review or a follow and as always, enjoy!
*PLEASE READ*
By the way, I was thinking about the question Lady Hannah asked about how wouldn't Edmund and his entourage by considered trespassers. I wasn't very clear about that, and I apologize. To clear things up, I briefly mentioned in Chapter two (I switched one and two) that the Tisroc had given them expressed permission to traverse through Calormen, but I was pretty vague about it. I kind of imagine the Calormenes in my head as people who would know that they were in the presence of Narnian royalty, but wouldn't give them much recognition. I liked the idea that they would sit there and celebrate a "Narnian-Free Nation," when the King of Narnia himself was sitting right there. There will be some conflict regarding that in the future, though. Sorry for the mix up, I hope that answers some questions.
Chapter 4: The Slave and the Lion
Aesop
A slave named Androcles ran away from his master, by whom he had been most cruelly treated, and, in order to avoid capture, betook himself into the desert. As he wandered about in search of food and shelter, he came to a cave, which he entered and found to by unoccupied. Really, however, it was a lion's den, and almost immediately, to the horror of the wretched fugitive, the lion himself appeared. The man gave himself up for lost. But, to his utter astonishment, the lion, instead of springing upon him, came and fawned upon him, at the same time whining and lifting up his paw. Observing it to be much swollen and inflamed, Androcles examined it and found a large thorn embedded in the ball of the foot. He accordingly removed it and dressed the wound as well as he could. And in course of time it healed up completely.
The lion's gratitude was unbounded. He looked upon the man as his friend, and they shared the cave for some time together. A day came, however, when the slave began to long for the society of his follow men, and he bade farewell to the lion and returned to the town. Here he was presently recognized and carried off in chains to his former master, who resolved to make an example of him, and ordered that he should be thrown to the beasts at the next public spectacle in the theater.
On the fatal day the beasts were loosed into the arena, and among the rest a lion of huge bulk and ferocious aspect. And then the wretched slave was cast in among them. What was the amazement of the spectators, when the lion after one glance bounded up to Androcles and lay down at his feet with every expression of affection and delight! It was his old friend of the cave! The audience clamored that the slave's life should be spared. And the governor of the town, marveling at such gratitude and fidelity in a beast, decreed that both should receive their liberty.
It didn't take Edmund long to regret not bringing a tracker with him. It seemed no matter where you went in Calormen, there would always be sand. Sand and sweat and sun. It had been a while since he had last gone trekking in the Calormen heat-though you could hardly call this "trekking"-and had forgotten how unpleasant it was. Of course then he had been covered head to toe in armor that weighed more than he did himself and was being pursued by a dozen angry men.
But that's a different story entirely.
The pub had sat on a little road that wove through a village and continued on for about half a mile. Edmund had stuck to it for some time, glancing in the small establishments that lined the path occasionally, though all he had found so far were glares and spat curses. No sign of the boy.
Eventually the road had faded off into an endless expanse of desert, as if whoever had paved it decided that persisting any farther was pointless. And at the moment, the King couldn't agree more.
Spying a lone rock sitting idle in the sand, Edmund trudged over to lean against it and sighed. He removed his boot and beat it against the rock, attempting to remove some of the sand that was caked to the bottom of it while balancing on one foot. For an instant, Edmund was sure he had seen a speck of black in the corner of his eye. When he looked up, it was gone. When the odd sighting didn't make a reappearance, he just shrugged and went back to his task.
Realizing that the sand wasn't going to relent, he groaned and dropped the boot to the ground. This action sent a flurry of sand clouding into his eyes, making him lose his balance. He placed his foot back on the ground to steady himself, only to feel the hot sand burning his bare skin. Hissing, he leapt back onto one foot and once again grabbed hold of the rock. This was not one of his better days.
Edmund had slipped his shoe back on and was beginning to tie the laces when he heard something in the distance. The sound echoed throughout the arid range and his head snapped up. What was it? A coyote? A hyena? It had taken a frightening experience, a fearsome animal, and a scar for it finally to sink in for Edmund that not all animals were as friendly as the talking ones in Narnia.
He slowly lowered his foot and slumped behind the rock, ears perked for another noise.
After being rooted there for a few good minutes, Edmund decided that whatever it was, it was gone. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and pushed himself up with his palms against the blistering ground. He was halfway to his feet when he heard another sound, this one markedly more distinct. Whatever it was, it was coming closer.
Edmund immediately slid back to the ground and twisted around, hand braced against the rock, listening attentively. He tensed at the sound of approaching footsteps and instinctively reached for the dagger strapped to his belt. He could just make out voices nearby:
"…they find us? What if they find me? Cian, are you sure this is a good idea?" It was definitely a girl's voice. It was whiny, but laced with genuine fear. Cian? Where had he heard that name before?
"Cian knows what he's doing. Don't you?" This voice was male, but not much deeper than the last. It cracked with the telltale signs of puberty.
Edmund's heart beat rapidly as the steps drew nearer. This must've been what he'd seen before.
"Oh ye of little faith. We got in alright, didn't we? Don't worry, we'll be back to Stormness in no time at all. Right, Cian?" asked a man with a strong Calormene accent.
Cian himself had yet to say a word. All of a sudden the footsteps silenced a few yards away from Edmund's hiding place. He tensed, sure that he had been discovered.
"Cian?" The girl spoke again. Her voice was light and airy, each word flowing together like a song.
"N-nothing," said a rumbling, somewhat raspy voice. Edmund could imagine a man shaking his head. "Just thought I heard something," he replied uncertainly.
The party of what Edmund assumed was about four continued forward towards him and his heart shot to his throat. Waiting until the footsteps sounded in the right place, he hastily crawled to the other side of the rock and waited. Now that he thought about it, this was a rather odd place for a rock to be. Of course now was not the time to be thinking such things.
When the steps began to fade he breathed a sigh of relief and sat his forehead against the rock. Of course, whenever Edmund thought something was over, it never was.
"Wait! I dropped it!" the young boy cried. The footsteps stopped.
"Dropped what?" the Calormene man asked.
"The pin. The pin that Androcles bought me in the market!" Edmund heard a scoff.
"What, that piece of tourist trash? You don't need that. You've got plenty of junk at home," the girl sneered. She didn't sound so musical anymore.
"Shut up, 'Lina. What do you know about quality? You're the one who bought that rubbish necklace. You do know that the pearls are fake, don't you?" Edmund gasped. It was the fair-haired boy from the pub. Did this mean he never went after the strange man?
"You're such a liar, Adrocles-"
"Aurelina, Adrocles. For Aslan's sake, hush! Someone will hear you two," Cian reprimanded.
"Cade, when did you last have it with you?" he continued.
There was a sniff. "J-just now. I took it out of my pocket, it was just so nice to look at-"
"Nice going, genius," Aurelina said snidely. Cian ignored her, but Edmund imagined with a bit of amusement the little boy sticking his tongue out at her.
"Well when did you last know you had it?"
"Just now! I swear, if you let me look-"
"Cade, be reasonable. We're in the middle of nowhere. If it's gone, it's gone. You're not going to find it," Aurelina declared.
"Cian, please!" the boy pleaded. There was a moment of silence.
"I'll go with him. He couldn't have dropped it that long ago. I saw him messing with it about a quarter mile back. We won't go far," the fair haired boy (or Androcles, as he was apparently called) reasoned.
Cian sighed audibly before the Calormene man spoke again. Edmund had almost forgotten he was there.
"We've still got time before the patrol shifts. It can't hurt to let them look," he offered.
Cian sighed again. "Alright. But don't go any farther than-"
"We won't, don't worry," Adrocles promised, but light footsteps were coming Edmund's way before he even finished his sentence.
"Come on, Andy. I think I saw something in the sand over here. Help me look," Cade urged him.
The young man laughed, causing Edmund's heart to race once more. They were walking in his direction. He dared to peek over the rock in the direction of the voices. He saw the tall, sandy haired boy that he had encountered earlier bent over, holding his knees and examining the ground.
"Are you sure you saw it over here? I thought you would have dropped it farther back."
"I'm sure. I would have noticed it sooner if I had," replied a tan skinned boy who couldn't have been older than eleven or twelve. The sun made his chestnut-brown hair shine.
Taking the opportunity that their companions were hopefully focused on the two boys instead of him, Edmund stole a glance at them. What he saw jolted him to the core.
Standing amidst the golden sand was the strangest trio he'd ever seen. A tall, broad shouldered Calormene man, a petite, dryad-looking girl, and a Red Fox with grey lining his snout. What were they doing here? Forget that, what were they doing together?
The Calormene was tall and buff looking. He had multiple packs slung over his shoulder and pouches of coins jangled at his side. He was talking amiably with the Fox who Edmund assumed was Cian.
"Did you find it yet?" the girl demanded impatiently. Edmund couldn't decide if she was human or not. She was the size of a human girl, but possessed some other-worldly presence. She was thin and limber looking, but couldn't have been much taller than the younger boy. What really startled the king was that beneath her loose caramel locks was a green-tinged complexion, the color of tree sap.
"No," Cade replied sourly. Aurelina didn't respond beyond an over-expressive sigh and a flip of her long hair. The Calormene man rolled his eyes.
Edmund reluctantly tore his eyes from the girl to look back at the boys. He was alarmed to find that they had come almost ten yards closer. How could he have been so distracted?
They were close enough now for Edmund to see that the younger boy had sparkling, hazel eyes-the mark of a Galmanian. What a strange assortment of people, he couldn't help but think. A Galmanian, an Archenlander, a dryad, a Calormene, and a red fox who Edmund could've sworn he knew from somewhere.
Cade looked up suddenly and Edmund shot back down behind the rock. He counted to fifty then peered back over at them. They had their backs turned to him now, and were speaking in hushed tones. Edmund could hear them, and judging by the way his ears perked forward, so could Cian.
"Did they really order all Narnians out? Can they even do that?" Cade whispered.
"They can if they have the Tisroc on their side," Androcles replied.
"Wait, who's 'they?' I thought the Tisroc was the only one causing all this," he asked confusedly.
"That's what I thought too. But the more that I think about it, I'm starting to wonder if it's not just the Calormenes that are in on this little stunt." Androcles started when he saw something glitter in the sand, but sighed when he realized it was just a trick of the light.
"Who else would do this? I thought the Calormenes were the only ones that didn't like the Narnians." The two began to wander past Edmund whose legs were starting to cramp. As they moved on, he strained to hear them.
"Apparently some of King Lune's subjects have become a bit…restless," Androcles replied hesitantly, not sure how to word his answer.
Edmund could almost see Cade's frown through the back of his head.
"Restless? How?" he asked. There was a pause.
"Remember that banquet father took us to a couple years ago?" So they were brothers? They sure didn't look like it. Then again, he was one to talk about family resemblances.
Cade tugged at his collar at the memory. "The one where we had to wear those itchy clothes and use all those forks? Yeah, I remember," he replied.
"And we had to sit across from that annoying guy that kept complaining that about the fruit tarts?"
Cade narrowed his eyes. "Yeah. So?"
"I think it's him. I think he's mad about something and is taking it out on the Narnians. I heard Cian and Maud talking about him the last time she visited Stormness. He wants revenge for something," Adrocles answered reproachfully.
"What for? What could the Narnians have done to deserve this?" It seemed Cade had forgotten all about the pin and was absorbed in what his brother was telling him.
Adrocles shook his head. "I don't know, Cade. I don't know." He sat back in the sand and threw his hands up in defeat.
"I don't know where your pin could be. I'll buy you another one the next time we come. Maybe Cian will let you come with us again," he offered, trying to cheer Cade up. But Cade didn't seem that concerned about his missing belonging at the moment.
"But who is he? I mean, who is he really?"
Androcles looked Cade in the eye and opened his mouth to answer, "An Archenlandish lord, Lord L-"
"Oh for Aslan's sake, Cade. Have you checked your back pocket?" Aurelina interrupted. She had glided over in their direction almost soundlessly and for a moment Edmund was afraid she would spot him. But she was too focused on the two boys digging around in the sand the pay him any heed.
Cade reached into his back pocket and sheepishly pulled out a bird shaped pin. Aurelina threw her head back and groaned in exasperation. He looked back to Androcles who just smiled weakly and offered him a hand up. Taking it, the two brushed sand off of their trousers and tunics and headed back over to their party who was waiting not too far off.
Edmund had forgotten that he wasn't the only one eavesdropping. Cian looked at the boys with a troubled expression, but didn't say anything. The nameless Calormene helped Cade fasten the pin back onto his tunic and genially told him not to "lose" it again. Cade just shrugged his shoulders bashfully and fell back into step with his brother. The dryad trailed close behind, twirling a finger in her hair and shaking her head, looking truly agitated. Cian and the tall man took the lead.
Edmund watched them go in awe. This was not at all what he was expecting when he chose to pursue Androcles. So many questions swirled inside his head. What were they doing here? Why were these so very different people traveling together? Where had they been staying?
But more importantly, where were they going? The boy, Androcles, already demonstrated some knowledge on the mystery Edmund was trying to solve. And it was obvious Cian knew something on the matter, but wasn't telling. But there it was again. That feeling that Edmund had heard or seen that name before. He would have to look into that when he returned home.
The Calormene-Edmund really wished he had caught his name-and Androcles had both said something about Stormness. Did he mean Stormness Pass all the way up by the Narnia/Archenland border? He must've, but what would anyone be doing there?
Edmund had to admit he was a little disappointed. Some general information had been supplied, maybe enough to get a sufficient lead. Yet he had hoped he would be able to make direct contact with whoever had apparently been plotting with the Tisroc. But he guessed it wasn't exactly rational to face a volatile enemy almost completely unarmed. He had abandoned a majority of his weapons with his soldiers-who he had also left behind at the pub.
Susan's voice echoed in his head, "The problem with you isn't WHAT you were thinking, but that you WEREN'T." Edmund couldn't count the number of times he and Peter had received long-winded lectures from Susan. Then again, they were often being patched up by Lucy at the same time. Maybe it was best to listen to Susan, just this once. Or at least the Susan in his head…
He really needed to get out of the sun.
The king sighed, his muscles achy and sore from being slumped against the rock for so long. He moved to lift himself up again, and this time, it seemed no one was going to stop him. But of course, he was completely off about that, too.
As Edmund held onto the rock, he felt a little shallow cavity on the surface. When he looked down, he saw that someone had carved letters into the side. Strangely, he hadn't noticed them before. Turning to kneel before the rock, he saw that they weren't just letters, but initials. "AA" it read. They had been done with a shaky hand, like someone couldn't quite see what they were doing. Edmund couldn't blame them, it was impossible to see anything with this sun shining in your eyes.
He didn't have time to mull over these things, though. He needed to get back. His soldiers must have been going out of their minds with worry for him.
The answers were out there, this Edmund was sure of. He just needed to find them.
He turned to head back to the village, but was stopped by the sound of more voices. For a desert, the place wasn't all that deserted.
Had they come back? The boy couldn't have lost the pin again. When he looked towards the source of the noise, what he saw was not the strange people.
It was about ten angry looking border guards, and they were headed straight for him. Maybe this trip to Calormen wouldn't be so different from the last.
Edmund did what any brave soldier would do. He ran for his life.
A/N: And it gets slightly more interesting, I suppose. There'll be a bit more action in the next chapter. I'm better at doing thoughts and emotions as opposed to dialogue and action. But I'll never get better if I don't try, right? I hope you're all concerned about poor Edmund! He's already had a rough day and I can promise you it'll get worse. I almost feel bad. Almost.
I'd really appreciate your feedback on this story so I can get better. I hope you enjoyed and continue to in the future!
