Chapter Eight

Ruby's POV

~OoO~

I groaned as I fell off Trella and rolled on the hard forest floor. Why always here? Why did I always get hurt in this stupid forest?

"Ruby!"
I heard my name being yelled out and I turned around to see Edmund spin Altair around and swing his sword. There were three men surrounding us, all brandishing swords and pointing them menacingly towards us. I groaned inwardly, not knowing what to do. Sure I could throw a good jab, punch, cross, hook and kick here and there, but not to people with swords! Trella was prancing nervously beside me and I took the chance to scramble upon her back. At that same moment, the three men lunged and Edmund had pulled out another sword and was defending himself against two of them while the last kept his eye on me and shifted forward. Pulling on the reins, I moved Trella back and swerved around him, but still, he followed our every mood and I groaned, not knowing how to get away. He lunged forward, swinging his sword in a swishing arc. At the last second I ducked. It was a close shave. Too close. I groaned, knowing that there was no way out of this without getting Edmund or I hurt if I didn't try to do anything help. I huffed, touching Trella's neck before I unhooked my leg of the stirrup most furthest from the man. Then, I jumped off Trella, landing once again on the floor. But this time, my feet were bent and my hands hit the floor in a crouch. I racked my brains trying to remember all the moves that the boys at the orphanage had taught me. One of them used to have parent that owned a karate institute, but then both died and like me, he went to the orphanage.

Dragging one of my legs out from underneath me, I swept it in an arc a few good inches off the ground, flooring the man. Using his moment of weakness, I grabbed his sword, almost falling under its heavy weight. Groaning, I threw it to the side, cursing movies as I did for making them seem so light. Then, as he scrambled up I got into a defensive stance and threw a punch at him. He stumbled back a couple of steps and I took the chance to glance over at Edmund who looked like he wasn't doing so well.

"Edmund?" I yelled.

He groaned and swung his swords, clashing both with the two, then drawing his swords back and ducking, kicking one out from under and pushing the other one away.

"What!" He yelled back.

Just at that moment, the person I was fighting struck his hand out and I felt a deafening blow to my face.
"Oh son-of-a-" I growled and blocked his next blow, jabbing him hard in the face and landing a bludgeon throw to his stomach throwing him off guard. Then, like any girl would do, I drew back my foot and kicked him hard in the crotch. He staggered back and I backhanded his face, knocking him out. Breathing out heavily I coughed and then looked back at Edmund, not entirely sure on what to do.

"What the heck do I do?" I yelled just as hotly.

"Oh for Pete's sake, go get the sword and help me out you idiot!"

I nodded, running for the sword I'd thrown. It was in front of a rather large bush and as I bent down to reach for it I heard a growl. Freezing for a moment, I finally drifted my head forward and heard another throaty growl.

"What the..."

"Ruby!"

Edmund voice cut through my fear and I looked back wildly, then back at the bush. Whatever it was, it was gone. Bitting down hard on my lip, I picked up the heavy sword and stumbled back.

"Oh, my gosh, why is this thing so heavy!" I groaned loudly.

He groaned, "Ruby...!"

I huffed and nodded, "Right."

Dragging the sword over, I bit my lip, not want to cut or stab one of the men that were fighting Edmund like they did in the movies. No way, I might be a rebel in some ways, but I didn't kill people.

"You idiot, what the heck are you waiting for!" Edmund huffed.

I rolled my eyes and dropped the sword.

"Not fighting with that." I muttered to myself and got in defensive stance again.

One of the men that were battling with Edmund turned to me and I went to punch him in the gut, but he caught my fist and twisted it. I let out a shrill yell and brought up my leg in a round kick, clipping him square in the ear.

"Asshole, you almost broke my hand!" I muttered girlishly and slapped his face hard.

Past me was Edmund and the other man, if I had been watching them, I would have seen why everyone called him Sword or Knight of Narnia. He was fighting the other man quite well and with heavy expertise. Edmund knocked the other man out of focus and turned his sword around, as if it were light as a stick, and jarred the end of it into the stranger's nose. The man blacked out and fell limp to the floor. I, on the other hand, was struggling with the stranger that had come upon me, locked in a tackle as he'd managed to get up. Edmund walked lethally over with such a dark look in his eyes that even I didn't dare to say anything reckless to him. Edmund punched the man in the face and grabbed his arm, twisting it behind his back so that a chilling scream emitted from him. I glanced at the sword in the stranger's hand and noted the blood. Checking myself I sighed as I found no blood. From where I was standing and watching in fear as Edmund fearfully beat up the older man, I couldn't see any blood on his dark tunic. Finally, when the man dropped to the ground, Edmund dragged up his collar.

"Who sent you?"

The man trembled, "No one. We ambushed you to rob you."

Edmund smiled gently and punched him in the face again, an agonizing scream echoing through the forest.

"You lie. You and those other two fight too well for bandits and robbers. You've been trained. Who sent you?"

He groaned as Edmund grabbed his throat, "The Shadow King." He choked out.

Edmund's eyes narrowed and he landed another blow knocking the bigger man out. Then, turning to me and then evasively looking around, he sighed in aggravation.

"We have to go. Now."

I frowned, "What, why?"

Edmund grabbed his swords and slipped them back in the scabbard. Whistling, Trella and Altair strode forward whickering and prancing about nervously. Edmund and I mounted our horses and soon we were riding out of the forest leaving trails of leaves behind us as we left Owl Wood. We soon cross the distance of the forest and castle, riding at full gallop. Just as we were a few metres away from the gates of Cair Paravel, Edmund groan and lurched forward. His horse faltered in step at the sound of distress from his master and slowed down quickly to an abrupt stop. Ruby frowned in surprise and turned Trella around riding back to where Altair and Edmund were. Edmund was lurched forward in seat gasping heavily and clutching at his own torso.

"Crap! Edmund, what's wrong?" I quipped.

Edmund screwed his eyes shut and drew his hand away from his torso.

It was blood stained.

Oh god.

That's where the blood on the sword came from.

"Shit!" I gasped, "Edmund, we have to get out to the infirmary now!"

He groaned again and clicked my tongue, urging both horses forward. Altair and Trella both grew into steps of a gallop again and we rushed into Cair Paravel.

I ignored all the looks of shock from people around the courtyard. It must have been weird for them to see two young people, one being their crown king and the other being a random foreigner, riding full gallop to the castle while one was bleeding. Soon, the horses instinctively headed into the stables where stable hands came and took them while I helped Edmund off his horse and onto his feet. Peter was nearby and grinned as he saw Edmund and me actually close to each other. However, a split of a second later, his grin fell as he saw the screwed up expressed of Edmund in severe pain. Running over to us, his eyes were wide with shock.

"What happened?"

I glanced back and forth from him and Edmund, worry lines etched into my face.

"We were ambushed in the forest. Three men came and attacked us. Um, I think Edmund was stabbed by one of them."

Edmund groaned and his legs sagged. Blood was trickling from the wound which looked about to be in his rib a few inches below his heart. He was a very lucky boy at the moment. Edmund bit his lip and put his hand on Peter's shoulder.

"Pete, they weren't bandits or robbers. They were working for the Shadow King. You have to (gasp) tell (gasp) Lucy and (gasp) Susan."

Peter nodded curtly and faced me.

"Take him to hospital infirmary immediately."

~OoO~

He stumbled down the hall way and I groaned under his weight.

"Why didn't you tell me about this before?" I hissed.

"Um, I didn't notice."

I gasped at him incredulously, "What the heck do you mean I-didn't-notice? What kind of stupid idiot doesn't notice when they get stabbed in the rib?"

"Well excuse me!" He huffed out, "I was too busy saving some nutcase from being killed again."

I eyed him, settling for rolling my eyes and knocking on the infirmary door where a lady opened the door with a tired look on her face. As soon as she saw her bleeding king in my arms, her eyes shot open and she quickly ushered us inside. In the next ten minutes, I helped her get the struggled Edmund onto the hospital bed while she pressed down a cloth on the blood and then swiped it with a sort of tonic before wrapping his wounds up. All the while she did this; she had to remove his shirt which made me want to whistle in strange appreciation and awe. Edmund's torso practically screamed proof of thousand of relentless hours of training. His defined stomach could have been a sculpture for all I knew. Shaking my head, I tried to concentrate on the wound as was being wrapped at the moment. At that moment, I wished there was more I could do. Finally, she finished and gave him a sleeping draught to which he immediately reacted. The nurse patted his shoulder and smiled at me, walking out of the room, turning back for a moment.

"How long are you staying dear?"

I shrugged, "Not long..." then sighed, "Maybe for the night?"

She smiled warmly at me, "Okay. I'll be back later in the morning, and in the meantime I want you to make sure he makes no heavy or any sudden movements."

I smiled and nodded showing her I understand. She sighed once more as her gaze trailed over to Edmund then flashed a calm smile at me closing the door behind her.

Looking around, I pulled up a chair and sat down sighing. The sun was settling over ahead and what was worse, the event of today were exceedingly tiring and so I sighed, resting my head upon the somewhat soft bed of the hospital and closed my eyes.

~OoO~

Warmth pierced my skin like a welcomed omen. I lifted my head up, greeting the sun with blinking eyes.

Lifting my sort of dead arms off the bed that I'd been using as I pillow, I rubbed my eyes, noting how much like sand it felt.

"Oh...gosh..." I yawned to no one in particular.

In front of me was the sleeping form of Edmund, his tunic ripped open, showing the heavy bandage wrapped across his muscular torso. I glanced around then reached forward towards Edmund's torso. This was the closest I'd ever been to a boy in an intimate sort of position...sort of. My breath shortened as I ran my fingers along the bandage then across the hardened abs of his figure.

"If only I didn't hate you so much." I gave him a sour laugh.

Suddenly, his body jerked forward for a second and his eyes squeezed shut then fluttered open for a second then closed again. Edmund's mouth opened and quick shallow breaths were taken in and out in normal proportion. During this time, I gasped and withdrew my hand almost as quick as lightening, clutching it close to my chest. Edmund blinked several more times and groaned his hand flying up to his bandage.

"Morning Sunshine, how are you feeling?" I smiled.

Groaning, his tried to sit up to which I jerked forward and pushed him back down on the bed with a laugh.

"Hey, now Sunshine... no sudden movements from you, nurses orders..."

He shot a dark glare at me, "Are you seriously telling me what to do?"

I shrugged, "Just repeating orders sir."

He groaned and flopped down his whole weight on the bed, groaning slightly as he did so.

"By Jove I want to bloody murder them."

I smiled, "You almost did yesterday. Very well done by the way..."

He raised a brow at me, "Is that a strangled way of saying thankyou?"

I shrugged, "Don't bet on it."

He smiled and raised himself slowly up on his elbows, gazing at me in an amused manner. I frowned and drew my hands up to my upper arms, rubbing them absentmindedly.

"What?"

He grinned, "Nice hair."

I frowned heavily once more and grabbed for the nearby hand mirror on the bed side table. My eyes grew wide at the attractive reflection in front of me. My eyes were slightly bloodshot, and hair was sticking up in different directions. Groaning, I rubbed my eyes once more and ran tired digits through my hair.

"Your fault I look like this." I grumbled across the bed.

He grinned and then frowned, "Hang on... did you stay the whole night?"

I nodded and dropped my head back on the bed, muffling my reply of yes.

"Why?" He asked back.

"I don't know... I might have been worried?"

He scoffed, "You were worried about me?"

I looked up and scoffed right on back, "Well why wouldn't I be...? You sleep in my bed because you get yourself drunk, you manage to save my life over and over again, and of course I would be!" I muttered hotly.

Edmund stared back at me, a confused and somehow amused smile on his face.

"So in short... you were worried about me?"

I sat back into the chair crossing my arms.

"Yes." I shot back.

He grinned and drew his hands behind his head, wincing slightly in the process of the movement. I clenched my jaws together for a moment in confusion at what had just happened and leaned forward once more.

"Are you okay?"

He glanced up at me and sighed shaking his head slightly, "I don't think so."

I reached forward, touched his bandage. As soon as I did, his eyes grew wide and he flinched back. I jolted back for a second too but then grinned, catching my cool.

"Geez, relax, I'm just seeing where it hurts."

Edmund gazed at me for a minute then visibly relaxed, bring his hands from behind his head to rest down his side. I put my fingers on his bandage again and prodded gently towards his ribs. Suddenly, as my fingers ran along one of his ribs, he shuddered heavily and bit his lip.

"There." He muttered darkly.

I grimaced and ran my fingers smoothly along that part of the bandage. Edmund shivered again but his eyes were wider than I'd ever seen before... almost as though he were scared. Save that thought for me but multiply it by a thousand, I thought for myself. I couldn't believe I was actually touching him like this. A boy or man, whatever he was, I loathed him... and now? Now I didn't know what... he wasn't so bad... wait no, he was terrible, but he wasn't that bad. No freaking way. I resisted the urge to bring my hands to my head and shake it like an earthquake. Bad thoughts, get bad thoughts out of head, I chanted.

Suddenly, the door swung open and a little figure bounded in, her eyes wide and dark hair flying. Lucy opened her mouth as soon as she saw Edmund in heavy wrapping, but soon snapped it shut and swapped it for a wide eyed, almost amused expression. Her eyes had drifted down to where my fingers were and I could have sworn a smile was tugging at the corner of her lips.

I cursed to myself and withdrew my hand back, taking the time to pretend I was brushing lint of my dress. Lucy finally smiled and closed the door, walking towards us slowly. In her hand was a small jar, almost a vial, of red liquid.

"What's that?" I asked her.

She smiled and lifted it up, much the relief of Edmund, "It's a cordial made of the juice of one of the fire-flowers that grow in the mountains of the sun. One or two drops can restore any injured person to their normal self."
My eyebrows shot up and I gave a low whistle, "Now that is seriously cool."

Edmund smiled and nudged Lucy who smiled back at him and opened the glass, letting two drops fall into his awaiting mouth. Suddenly, after a few split moments, he smiled and sat up, dragging his long legs off the bed, his boots tapping on the floor underneath. Stretching his limbs out, he manoeuvred his hands to the clasp of the bandage and slowly unwrapped it, sighing in content as the last wrap was done. I gasped as I saw his efficiently toned stomach, my cheeks heating up. But still, there was nothing there! No mark, no gash, not even a puckering pink line. Sure there was still blood there, but that was old dried blood. He was completely healed. I shook my head in wonder. I didn't give Narnia the credit it deserved sometimes. Edmund reached over a table and grabbed a damp cloth, rubbing away the dried blood. I clenched my jaws together, trying not to give away and blush or anything at the sight of his torso. Edmund smiled and kissed the top of his little sister's head, thanking her as well.

"What are you looking at?" Edmund's voice had taken the persona of amusement.

Lucy giggled in the background.

I growled in the back of my throat, flipping my eyes to his face.

"Nothing..." I murmured, my voice in a guilty state.

Edmund grinned boyishly and winked, "Ahem, sure you were."

Lucy smiled at me behind him and waggled her eyebrows. Were she not a Queen of Narnia, oh would have like to... no, I wouldn't finish that sentence... too mean.

Instead, I settled for a sweet smile at her while shaking my head in a silent threat. She seemed to get the idea, covering another giggle behind a hand. Edmund grinned to himself and clicked his tongue.

"Anyway, now that this whole ordeal is over, I'm going to get breakfast. I'm quite hungry."

Lucy smile and pushed him playfully on the way out. As soon as the door was closed, she bounded up to me.

"Mind telling me what that was?" She ordered, her miffed voice taking on a queenly composure.
I shrugged, "Nothing..."

She pushed me gently, "Oh, so I walk in after I hear about my dear brother being stabbed—terribly worried about him nonetheless—and I come to the scene of you and him, almost smiling at each other, not to mention your hand on him... am I to say that this isn't a compromising situation?"

I wrinkled my nose at her, "The way you say it makes it sound worse than it actually is."

Her eyebrows raised and she smiled, "So you're saying that is exactly what I saw?"

I drew a hand and ruffled her hair, much to her annoyance as she grunted and pulled away, not without a smile on her face.

"Hmm, Luce...? Do me a favour? Do not mention this to anyone."

The only response I got as I closed the door of the infirmary behind me as I was leaving was a shrill and happy laugh that seemed to spell out the words concocting-nothing-less-of-an-evil-plan. Smiling and groaning to myself, I wandered down the halls in search of some breakfast myself.