Hi! Here is the next chapter! Much thanks to any who have ever reviewed, and I just want to let you guys know that I appreciate all of you so much!
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: I am possibly doing a one shot about Damien and Meredith's past relationship (how they met and all that), but only if I get up to twenty reviews for the next 2 chapters! Not twenty more, I would just like to reach the number twenty in total. Also, please try to answer the following questions in the review you leave, but you don't have to if you can't be bothered. Believe me, I know all about feeling lazy...
What do you like the most so far?
What do you dislike the most so far?
If you could choose one thing to happen, what would it be?
Which character is the most fun to read about?
Which character is the least fun to read about?
If I ever do any one shots again, what would you like them to be about? Anything with extra information about the past of the characters in this story is okay (or other stories of mine I guess), but nothing that would give away anything about the future plot of this story.
That's all the questions for now, but I might do this all again, with probably the same questions. :)
I also really do apologize if this chapter is really dark. I am not in a good mood at the moment.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the plot and any OCs I choose to bring in. ENJOY! XD
"Well, I was thinking maybe somewhere closer to the outskirts so it's not so busy for us, but I am not sure. I am a carpenter, so I was hoping to find a job somewhere around. Maybe stay at an inn until we can find a house to live in."
"Nonsense!" Susan told them. "You helped out Claire, so you simply must stay in the castle until you find a house. We are having a big ball soon, so I doubt you'll find a room at a half decent place in the city! There are plenty of guest rooms for you to stay in here."
"Oh we couldn't-"
"Yes, you could," Lucy insisted. "It would be wonderful! Wouldn't it Claire!"
"Yes, it would. Come on, stay," she smiled at them.
"Alright," Damien sighed. "But only for a little while. We won't be any trouble-"
"Oh no, please to be trouble. We love trouble." Edmund grinned, and Susan elbowed him in the ribs. "What? We need some excitement around this castle! Without Peter to annoy, what are we supposed to do?"
Claire frowned. "What do you mean? Where's Peter?"
The kings and queens paused, looking at her carefully before Edmund stepped forward, looking solemn. "Well, you see, he, umm, well, he took your disappearance pretty hard, and wanted to find you as soon as possible, and so he, well..."
"Just tell me where he is, Edmund," Claire pleaded, and the young, dark haired king gulped.
"He went with a group of men to look for you," Edmund finally told her, and her eyes widened.
"What?"
"I said, he went with-"
"No, I know what you said Ed, I just don't believe it! You have to be kidding me! I can't believe he would do that!"
"Well, we kind of suggested it..." Susan trailed off awkwardly.
"You suggested it?" She asked incredulously. "Why in the world would you do that?"
"Well, he wasn't doing too great with the whole waiting around thing, and we thought that it might be better for him if he went off and did something productive. We didn't mean to upset you Claire, but he was really keen on it," Caspian explained, his eyes begging her to understand and not be angry at them. She was close to them, and wasn't afraid to give them a piece of her mind should the need arise.
Claire sighed, and her shoulders relaxed. "I'm sorry guys, I didn't mean to get all angry about it, I just...I am worried for him."
"Forgive me, Lady Claire, but I believe that His Majesty can care for himself. He is quite skilled with many forms of fighting, and is surrounded with well trained warriors," Stiros comforted her, and Claire turned sharply at the sound of his voice, having forgotten that he was even there.
"I suppose, but I can't believe he would run off like that! That is so stupid of him!"
"How so, Claire?" Lucy asked, confused. "He wanted to find you, just like the rest of us. I would've gone, but i highly doubt he would ever let me."
"It's stupid because there is something that I think all of you have overlooked in this. The man that attacked me, he is still out there somewhere, and he could do anything. He tried to kill me, so what's to say that he wouldn't do the same to Peter?"
The others in the room all paled, and looked truly horrified, and there were a few curses muttered by different people in the room. Usually, Susan would have repirmanded all the offenders, but in this case she graciously decided to let the offences slide.
"I never really thought about it like that..." Caspian said, looking guilty.
"I knew we shouldn't have told him to go!" Edmund exclaimed angrily, though he was more angry with himself than Peter or anyone else.
"There is nothing you can do about it now, Your Majesties," Stiros told them, looking at them all sympathetically.
"Oh yes there is," Edmund told him. "I am going to look for him."
"And you're not going alone," Claire commented as though it was obvious.
"I will take some men with me and search for him," Edmund nodded, agreeing with the guardian.
"Actually, I was meaning that I would come too, but if you want to take some soldiers also then that is fine with me."
"Edmund and Claire, are you both insane? Claire, you just finished telling us about how insanely idiotic it was for Peter to go off looking for you in the forest when there was a killer running around, and yet your solution to the problem is to put you both in the exact same danger as he is! That's just like running over into the quick sand to save the person in there! You will meet the same fate!" Susan was livid, and Claire and Edmund realized their own mistake.
"I have a solution, Your Majesties," Stiros spoke up, and they turned to look at him.
Caspian, who was rubbing his fingers over his temples to try to fight off his recent head ache, turned to the general. "Any suggestions or assistance would be greatly appreciated, General."
"Well, I was thinking that it is much too dangerous for royalty to go searching, and it is also quite foolish for the guardian to go, as she is to protect all the kings and queens and most of them are here. So, you just need someone that is not one of you, and can go alone, as if a person is alone then it would be much simpler for them to travel through the forest undetected by any evil that may be there. I, for one, nominate myself to find His Majesty and deliver the message of the guardian's return."
"Stiros, we can't let you do that. It's far too dangerous," Lucy commented.
"I understand, Your Majesty, but I am the only one who can do this. Others cannot know, for the news that the high king is in danger would not do well for the people, and there would be an uproar. I will tell no one, and go out tonight so that I may do so undetected, and I will find the high king and his men. There were 16 of them, and I am a skilled tracker., if I may say so myself. Finding them shall be no problem. I will see to it that they hear of Claire's return."
As much as he hated it, Caspian had to admit that the general was right. No one but those in the room could know about Peter's situation, and Stiros was the only one that could afford to go out there.
The clearing of a throat was heard, and Damien spoke. "I would go myself, Your Majesties, as I am able to fight and I do know the forest well, but I am afraid that I know not how to track."
"It's alright, Damien," Lucy managed a half smile. "You couldn't do that anyway. Your wife would worry far too much, and women in her state should not worry so much. She has already journeyed far, so I think it would be better for both of you to stay here in comfort. But thank you for your wonderful support."
Susan nodded, recognizing the need for the two strangers to be looked after. "I will take you both to some available rooms, and see that you are settled." The Telmarine and his wife smiled thankfully at the gentle queen, and followed her as she walked out of the room.
Once they were gone, Edmund turned to Stiros once more. "I appreciate what you have said, and as much as I hate to admit it, it just might be the best option."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will not let you down," he dipped his head in respect.
"Be careful, Stiros," Claire spoke up, walking forward to grip his hand and give a small, sad smile.
"I will, Claire. You look after their majesties. I want them fully and in one piece by the time I return, is that clear?"
"Yes Sir," she saluted him, smiling fully now, and the general smiled back at her.
"I will go get my things ready now," he nodded to the remaining kings and queens before leaving them.
There was a silence, and, as per usual, Lucy was the one to break it. "Claire, what happened to you?"
The former cheerleader bit her lip, thinking hard about what to say. "I want to wait until Susan gets here to say it."
"You don't have to if you don't want to, Claire," Edmund told her, and she smiled in appreciation.
"Thank you Ed, but I think it would be better if you all knew. I will just tell you all when Su gets back. In the mean time, what happened to that man that attacked me?"
"Well, he...we had him in custody, but he escaped..." Caspian managed, and Claire nodded understandingly.
"That's alright. You did your best, I am sure. It will be alright. He will be found, I promise,"
"How do you know?" Lucy asked, her face pale and frightened.
"Because as soon as Peter is back and safe, I will be out there looking for the man that did this."
"I have an important question," Edmund commented, and the other three looked at him, motioning for him to continue. "Well, the man we captured, he had dark hair like mine..."
Caspian frowned. "So...?"
"So, if you remember back at Sophia's murder, Aurora said that the killer had hair like mine," he explained, and Caspian's mouth formed an 'o' as he realized just what his fellow king was meaning.
"She did?" Lucy asked, confused. "You never told me Rory said that!" She accused them.
"It didn't come to mind, and we didn't know if it would be relevant," Caspian explained, and she backed off a little, but was obviously still not happy about being left in the dark about that piece of information.
I am NOT a child, she thought angrily, but wisely kept it to herself.
"So, what I am saying is that maybe there is a connection between Sophia's murder and Claire's attack," Edmund looked around at them, inwardly wishing that his younger sister was not present for the discussion.
Claire tried her best to hide the pained expression on her face at his words, but realized her own failure when Lucy it her lip and look at her sympathetically, grasping her hand, and Caspian was about to open his mouth to speak as Susan walked in.
"They are being settled into a room on the west wing, right near yours Claire. I just wanted to come and see what was going on," she explained.
"Well Su, we were just talking about possibilities and such to do with what happened, and Claire was going to explain a few things once you got back, which you have, so..." he trailed off, looking at her questioningly.
Before Claire could speak, Caspian cut in. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, Claire. You've been through a difficult experience, and now we're keeping you. You can go and rest if you want to, and we can talk later."
Smiling gratefully at them, she replied, "Thanks, Cas. I would love to rest, but I think I would prefer to just tell you guys what happened first and then leave you to discuss what you think about it on your own. Um, if you have any questions about anything, just ask and I'll see what I can do to explain it." Looking around, she saw that no one spoke, but slowly they moved to sit down, and Claire followed suit, sitting in between Susan and Lucy, right across from Edmund.
"Okay, well, that night, I was just trying to sleep, but I couldn't, so I was just lying there, awake, wishing I could just fall asleep and be refreshed for the morning, but it wouldn't happen. The next thing I knew, the door started to open. I thought it might have been one of you guys, but it wasn't. He came towards me, and tried to get me, so I tried to get away. He cornered me, and tried to grab me, so I pushed him and he kind of smashed through the window. The next thing I knew, my feet were running and taking me out of the room, and out of the castle-"
"How did you get all the way out without anyone seeing you?" Edmund asked, frowning slightly.
"To be honest, I don't even remember. Everything is just a blur for me right now..." She took a deep breath, and calmed her nerves down. She hated lying to them, but she had to about some things. First of all, they couldn't know that she jumped out the window, as she had no injuries to show that actually happened, and she seemed quite fine to them. "I ran out into the forest, as fast as I could, and I was so scared. I felt like he was following me, even though he fell out the window. Soon, I couldn't run anymore, because I was just too tired, and so I collapsed, and the next thing I knew I was waking up and it was the morning.
"I walked to a river, and I was washing all the dirt off me and everything, when I heard someone coming. I went and hid in the bushes, and waited to see who it was. Meredith came and started collecting water in these buckets, so I followed her back to wherever it was she was going, because I wanted to see it. I was trying to be quiet, but she eventually worked out that I was there, so she was about to yell at me but I stopped her, and after a bit of confusion we came to and understanding and I explained what happened to me and who I was and everything, and she told me about herself.
"She and her husband, Damien, have been living in the forest for a while. I guess it's just what they like more, and what they are more comfortable. Damien rides all the way here a few times a year to get more essentials, and he was actually here when I ran to the forest and found Meredith. He came back the day after I first came. Anyway, they had actually been thinking about moving back into civilization for a while, and so they decided to bring me back here, seeing as I had no idea how to get here.
"And, they talked, and decided to leave the forest for good, and just live here, which I am personally very happy with, as they are really nice people. So, we left together, and travelled, and, well...here we are."
There was a pause as all the kings and queens stopped to think about it. Caspian was the first to speak. "I would ask you for descriptions of the attacker, but we already have those from when he was in custody."
"I wish there was some way I could help you more, but I am afraid I don't have any more information for you," Well, nothing I can tell you anyway.
"That's alright Claire. There's nothing you can do about that. I think we should all get some rest, and maybe see if we can come up with something later on. There isn't really anything we can do," Edmund suggested, and they all agreed.
Lucy and Susan walked Claire back to her room, giving her a final big hug before leaving her to get some sleep after her long journey, and the sun set over Cair Paravel as 5 worried young adults tried to sleep, but all failed and laid in darkness, alone.
Two days later, in the forest...
Peter and Glenstorm headed the group, and while the centaur was doubtful they were going to succeed in their goal, the high king was as determined as ever. The longer he was out there, the more he knew he had to find Claire and bring her back. He stubbornly refused to even consider returning to the Cair, and nothing anyone said could make him change his mind.
They had lost Claire's trail the previous day, and were now combing through the forest in the hope that somehow they would pick it up again, or maybe, by some miracle, come across Claire herself.
It was just after midday, as they rode through the forest, that Peter finally announced that they were to stop and rest for a while, but he sent a scout out to see if there was anything up ahead they should avoid. The act was probably pointless, but it made him feel like something was being done as they sat and replenished their energy.
After a few minutes, an incredibly upset and distraught soldier returned, galloping into the clearing and giving everyone gathered a big shock.
"Your Majesty!" he gasped. "Th-there is a man...he's...he's..."
"What is wrong? Tell me!" Peter demanded, shaking the man's shoulder with his gloved hand.
"He's dead, sire."
"Well, I think that if it is a girl, you should just name her after me. It makes life a lot simpler, don't you think? And then, maybe, just maybe, she'll turn out to be almost as awesome as I am!" Claire grinned smugly at her mother as they walked, arm in arm, through the orchard, watching the workers pick fruit as they went.
Meredith had suggested that her daughter give her a tour, as she saw how upset Claire was over Peter, and thought that a distraction would be good for the young woman. "Maybe I will name her after you. As you said, it makes things a whole lot simpler. But, the only problem I have with that would have to be that fact that I am planning to become famous one day, and when I do, they'll write a book about me, and then right there, on the first page, will be a description of me. 'Meredith Gordon lived in Cair Paravel and the forests surrounding it, and was married with two children, Claire and Claire.'"
They laughed together, and Claire rolled her eyes at her mother. "I don't think you'll get a book written about you, Mom. The only way to accomplish that would be to tell everyone the truth, and I doubt you want that."
Meredith nodded, looking serious. "Alright then, it will be in your book. 'Claire loved playing with and spending time with her younger sister, Claire.'"
Claire giggled. "You are such a child, Mom. I have no idea how Damien puts up with you."
"Oh, he loves me. And you do too..." she trailed off, smirking and Claire pretended to be horrified.
"Who? Me? As if," she said jokingly before bursting out into laughter.
"Claire, it was amusing, but not that funny," Meredith told her, grinning down at her daughter, who was now hunched over and trying to breathe.
"I know Mom, but it is pretty ridiculous, you must admit," she told her mother after getting her breath back.
"Yes, you are ridiculous."
The banter continued much like this for the remainder of their walk, and they giggled like sisters the whole time.
Before the soldiers e had even reached the grisly scene, a slight noise reached their ears, and it seemed to be coming from the direction they were heading in.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Looking confused and slightly horrified, the high king pushed in front of his men and rode forward so he would be the first to see what was happening. The scout had given him directions to the man, but refused to come himself, as he was too horrified and disgusted with what he had seen.
And when Peter walked into the clearing, he honestly couldn't blame the poor man.
There, lying across a fallen log, was a man. The scout was correct. He was dead. But it was not a peaceful death, by any means.
He was obviously a knight of the castle, as he was wearing the emblem upon his breastplate. His sword was on the other side of the clearing, stuck halfway up a tree, and his dagger was through his left calf. But the thing that horrified Peter the most was something that he had already seen before, but was just as confronting a second time.
Half of the man's head was gone, and there was a pool of blood underneath it as his head was hanging in the air. Every drop of blood from the head hit the crimson puddle and made an impossibly loud drip.
There was gasps from behind him as the soldiers came into the clearing, and all stumbled and were sick. All but Glenstorm and Peter, that is.
Peter was disgusted and horrified, though he had seen it before, as the man had obviously not been dead for long. They had just missed meeting up with a serial killer in a half deserted forest.
Glenstorm felt the same way Peter did, but kept a grim expression on his features. He, unfortunately, had been the one to go around seeing to all the investigations of the murders, and he was still just as shocked at the method of death as he was the first time he came upon a body. His blood boiled and he longed to plunge his sword into the heart of the man who had killed thirteen people so cruelly.
Peter eventually snapped out of his trance like state and turned to the soldiers, who had now almost composed themselves to a point where they would be able to speak.
"Do any of you know who this would be?" Peter asked gently, but there was no reply, and Glenstorm cleared his throat.
"Sire, we cannot see his face," the centaur explained, and Peter bit his lip and looked over to the figure.
He hesitantly walked toward the corpse, and ripped a strip of cloth of his cloak. He folded it over and, while trying to not throw up, he slowly wiped blood of the dead man's face. But when he saw who it was, he wished he had never known.
"Who is it, sire?" One of the men asked respectfully.
"It's...it's...General Stiros."
"That's impossible! What was he doing out here?" Glenstorm asked as he fought tears at the news of the horrific death of his fellow General and friend.
"I don't know," Peter half whispered, and too fought the tears that welled behind his eyes.
There was a moment of silence, and the soldiers all removed their helmets and bowed their heads respectfully.
"I think we should return, my lord," Glenstorm said quietly, approaching his king.
Peter, who was staring off into space with clouded blue eyes, snapped to attention and turned to his friend. "No, we can't. We have to find Claire!"
"My King, we must bury the general, and pay our respects. As king, it is your duty to-"
"I don't care what my duty if, General!" Peter hissed. "I will not let this happen to my Claire."
Under normal circumstances, Glenstorm would have commented on the way Peter referred to the guardian, but he ignored it due to the urgency and importance of the situation. "Sire, there is nothing you can do. We must return to bury him-"
"Then you have my permission," Peter said coldly, looking the general in the eye. "Take the body, and the men, back to Cair Paravel. I shall continue to search alone."
"My Lord, no-"
"That is an order, General!" he yelled, and Glenstorm shrunk back.
"Of course, my lord," ho bowed his head and turned to the men. "You heard the king! Organize for the body to be taken back to the castle. We leave as soon as possible."
He turned to help them, but gave one final pleading glance at his king, who merely turned away and mounted his horse, riding off into the forest, hopefully toward the missing cheerleader. Of course, he could be heading toward the crazed serial killer too, but he didn't care.
Two days after her return, Claire lounged around on her bed, groaning after another grueling training session with Caspian. Her limbs weren't sore, but they were tired, and she longed for sleep. She had spent half an hour in the bathtub, and was now lying on her bed, wrapped in a white, silk dressing gown. She slowly began to slip into sleep, but the door banged open and her head shot up to see a disheveled Valiant Queen standing there, grinning from ear to ear.
"What is it, Lu?" Claire asked groggily.
"Peter's group is back! Stiros must have gotten to them! Come on, come on!" She grabbed Claire hand and tried to lead her out of the room at a breakneck pace, but the former cheerleader refused to go with her.
"Lu, you can go down, and I'll meet you there," she suggested.
She frowned. "Why?"
"Well, I am still in my dressing gown," Claire told her with a smirk, and she nodded.
"Alright, well, meet us all in the throne room!" And with that, she bounced out of the room, slamming the door behind her, unintentionally. Claire grinned as she heard the thudding of Lucy's feet on the floor and the sound of her sweet voice singing happily.
Claire made it half way to her wardrobe before what she had been told truly hit her. She grinned so wide, before letting out a joyful laugh. She grabbed the first dress she could find, which happened to be a very pretty light blue on with a silver belt, and brushed her hair quickly and plaited it. She took one final look in the mirror before twirling around with glee and running out the door.
But when she made it to the throne room, she was bitterly disappointed. She found no Peter, and everyone in the room was either impossibly pale or bawling their eyes out. her mouth formed an 'o', and she stopped running as her heart sunk. "What's wrong?" she asked desperately, and Glenstorm turned to her, looking truly sad.
"We were travelling through the forest, and King Peter said that we should top and rest. He sent a scout ahead of us to see if there were any obstacles, and the man returned to us saying that there was a dead man there. As expected, the king ordered us all to go and investigate, so we all left our places and went to the site of the death. At first we were just horrified about it, as the man was missing half a head, but then Peter recognized him. He was...is...General Stiros, My Lady."
Claire're face fell, and she felt tears fill her eyes. "W-what? Where's Peter?" she looked around once more to see if she had somehow missed seeing him.
"He insisted on remaining in the forest to search for you, as he still thinks you are still out there. He is still unaware of your return, My Lady."
Claire swore loudly, receiving a glare from Susan, who now refused to tolerate any nonsense. "Claire, there is no need for that!"
"SUSAN! Your brother is out there in a forest with a serial killer on the rampage!" Her face was bright red and she was livid.
"I am worried too, Claire, but Peter is a big boy, and he can look after himself. Besides, he had been through worse, in fact-"
"You think he's been through worse? I can assure you not!" Claire hissed. "I am going to find him, and bring him back."
"I'll go with you," Edmund cut in, stopping Susan from furthering the argument. "You'll need help getting through the forest, and you can't get hurt. I have to help."
"No offence, Ed, but I think you would be better off here." Claire turned to leave, but he caught her arm, stopping her. "What is it with you Pevensie boys are grabbing people's arms?" She exclaimed loudly, and Edmund look at her, confused. "Your brother does the same thing all the time."
"Well, maybe it's because you keep on walking off. Now, there is no way in hell you are going out into that forest by yourself. So, if you want to go at all, I am coming with you."
Claire sighed. "Fine." Edmund's shoulders relaxed, and he turned to Glenstorm, about to speak, but was interrupted. "But no guards."
"What?" He asked her.
"I said, no guards. We will travel better alone." Her tone left no room for argument and she left the room to prepare herself and her horse for the journey ahead.
Lucy turned to Edmund, a question forming on her lips, but the Just King already knew what it would be before she even began to speak it. "No way, Lu. You're staying here."
"But Edmund-"
"No, Lucy! Peter is in danger, and the last thing I need at the moment is to have you in danger too!"
"But Claire is going!"
"Claire is the guardian, and it is her duty to ensure our safety!"
"I have done far worse before, Edmund, and Claire hasn't had half the training I have. Please!"
Edmund took a deep breath and turned to his sister coldly. "The answer is no. This is the end of the discussion." And with that, he left the room, slamming the doors behind him.
Lucy stormed up to her room in a fury. Stiros was dead, and her brother was missing, and she wasn't allowed to go look for him. Edmund though she wouldn't be able to help, or do anything! But she would show him that she could do it, that she was just a strong as him. She was the Valiant Queen, and she would live up to her title. Susan could deal with the parties and politics, but she would be the one on the front lines.
No matter what it took.
She crossed to her wardrobe, pulling out her travelling dress and hard, leather vest. She then grabbed her gauntlets from the bottom drawer of her dressing table, where she kept such fighting tools. She pulled a belt from her wardrobe also, and fitted it around her waist. It had been specially made for her by the dwarves, and it had special holders for her cordial and her dagger.
Last of all, she pulled out a cloak from her wardrobe and placed it around her shoulders, hugging it to herself tightly. She observed herself in the mirror, and pulled her head back into a bun, before groaning, tugging it out and putting it in a side braid. Now she looked like a warrior queen. All she needed was feathers to put in her hair, and she would be done. But, she didn't have enough time to do that, so she let it be.
She glanced out the window, and saw that the sky was darkening. Usually, it would be far too late to begin a journey, and Susan was likely to protest their beginning the journey so late, but Lucy had a feeling Edmund and Claire would ignore her. And they were right to do so, as Peter had be found as soon as possible.
Lucy took one last, quick look in the mirror, and her jaw hardened as she came to her conclusion.
She was stronger than any of them knew, and she would prove it. She would find Peter, and bring him back.
Two hours later, Edmund and Claire were riding quickly through the forest, trying to make some good time before stopping to rest. Neither of the spoke to one another, for it wasn't necessary. They had a job to do, and they were both just as determined as each other, and nothing was going to stand in their way. Peter would be found.
Eventually, they had to stop, though both of them wished to continue.
They each dismounted once they reached a clearing, and pulled their packs from the backs of their horses. They sat on a fallen log nearby, and debated whether or not they should start a fire.
"It's freezing, Claire. We need to get warmer!" Edmund exclaimed, but the guardian shook her head.
"Ed, we can't risk it. Here, if you're really cold, you can borrow my cloak," Claire offered.
"No way Claire. Then you'd be even more cold than you are now."
"Nice one, genius." Claire smirked and rolled her eyes. "But it doesn't matter, Ed. Really, I would be happier if you took it. I have been through worse than a little bit of cold."
"How worse?" Edmund asked, trying to change the subject, but Claire knew what he was doing.
"If you want to know, then you will put on my cloak," Claire told him, grinning cheekily.
"I don't think that's fair, Claire," Edmund said, frowning. "Then you will have to tell me something, and give up your cloak."
"Ed, really, I am alright with the cold." Claire stood and removed the cloak, placing it around the shoulders of the protesting king.
"Claire, please, take it back. It feels wrong," the Just King protested, but she ignored him.
"Do you want to hear my life story, or not?" Claire said, grinning. She wasn't planning on telling him everything, but she felt comfortable talking to him. He was a lot like a younger brother to her, and she had a feeling the if things were different and he was to meet Lyle, he and the little brat would be the best of friends.
"Only if you want to tell it," Edmund said calmly, though he soon broke into a wolfish grin, and Claire gave him a light bop on the head.
"Well, what would you like to know?"
"Just, I dunno, tell me about your family and childhood or something, anything. I am so bored," he groaned, and Claire could help but let out a little grin.
"Okay, well, as you probably know by now, I have a father, a mother and a younger brother. You know, he is actually a lot like you in many ways, but he wasn't when he was younger. he was a slob, and I came close to killing him myself several times. But, I guess that was normal for a 13 year old kid." Claire smiled, looking distant.
"Tell me about him," Edmund told her, then added. "If you want to."
Claire gave him a small smile. "Sure. Well, his name was, well, is, Lyle Noah Bennet, and his middle name is my father's first name. He had blonde hair like mine, but his eyes are brown. He always was a little strange, but I guess my opinion is a little biased seeing as I am his sister. He and I sometimes got along, but not very often. As we got older, there wasn't so much time to spend together anymore, and I guess we kind of drifted apart a bit..." she trailed off, biting her lip.
"How come?" Edmund asked her, and she screwed her face up a little, looking up at the starlit sky.
"Things change, I guess," she said, softly. She hadn't been planning on telling anything sad or depressing, and had been planning on remaining happy and bouncy as she spoke, but she was hit with an unexpected bout of homesickness, and she pursed her lips and closed her eyes as she felt tears begin to prick at the back of her eyes.
Seeing that she was feeling upset, Edmund moved along the log and slid an arm around her. It wasn't very proper, but she had gotten very close to him in the past few months. "What happened to you, Claire?" he asked her gently, tilting her head up to him and look into her tear filled eyes.
"Something bad," she told him quickly, standing up and walking a few meters away, and Edmund stood also.
"Claire, I will never make you tell me anything, but I want to help you. I know Peter sort of tried to force you to talk to him, and I don't think he meant to do that, but I want to be here for you." He wanted to put his arm around her again, just like he would to Lucy or Susan, but eh restrained himself as he didn't want her to walk away from him.
There was a while of silence, before Claire decided her tears were under control and she could speak again. "When I was 15, my father, Noah, told me I was adopted. It changed my life, but not as much as other things..."
"What other things Claire?" Edmund asked gently putting his hand on her arm.
"I am sorry, Ed, but I can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"I just can't, okay. I just...I want to, Ed, but I can't."
"Can't, or won't?" Edmund asked with his eyebrows raised, and Claire pulled her arm from his grasp.
"I can't, Ed! I am so incredibly alone right now, you wouldn't believe it!"
"I think I could, Claire. After I was brought back from being captured by the witch, I felt alone. My sibling welcomed me back with open arms, but it was different. They didn't talk to me about what I had done, but I knew they were all thinking about it. I had no one to talk to, and I was so scared. I was only 11, Claire, but I remember what it felt like, even though I have actually had over 30 years since then. I look younger than I am, by the way."
"Yeah, I know. Lucy told me." Claire laughed quietly through her tears. "I know you want to know, but I can't tell anyone."
"Why, Claire? Please, just tell me why. I want to look after you!" Edmund tried to make her understand.
"Trust me, Ed. I am not telling anyone for their own protection just as much as mine."
"Claire, I don't need to be protected. I am strong enough to look after myself," Edmund grabbed her hands and looked into her eyes. "You know what? I am going to stop pushing you now. I am sorry, I got a little bit over the top. You don't have to tell me, and I mean that."
He let go of her and walked away a little, and Claire took a deep breath. "When I was 16 years old, at the school Homecoming game, I was in the locker room, arguing with my old best friend, Jackie. I had stopped spending time with her a few years previously, because, well, she wasn't very nice.
"Anyway, we were there, arguing, and then the lights all turned out. I though that maybe it was something to do with the powerboard, so we started to walk out of there. We turned a corner, and Jackie pushed in front of me, but I stopped her from going. There was something wrong, and I could feel it. It was so dark, and I kept hearing strange noises. I pulled her away, and started to drag her along to a different exit, and she kept yelling at me, calling my names and saying I was paranoid.
"I stopped at a corner and looked around a little, and I let go of her hand. She was still bitching at me, and then the next thing I knew she screamed. I turned around, and saw a man, and he was holding her up against a wall, attacking her." Claire took a deep breath as tears once more filled her eyes as she remembered that horrible night, and Edmund walked over to her, hugging her tightly.
"I tried to stop him," she continued. "I really did! I jumped on him, and tried to get him away from her, but he just threw me against a wall. He finished killing Jackie, and then turned around to me. I turned and ran as fast as I could, and when I got out of the locker room and into the rest of the school, and there was another man there. I had talked to him briefly before the game, and he seemed nice. When he saw me, covered in blood and running for my life, he grabbed me and threw me towards the school entrance, yelling at me to run away as fast as I could, and I tried as he fought the other man.
"But soon, he had to run too. He grabbed me, and ran up some stairs out the front of the school with me. I was screaming my head off, but no one could hear us over the game, which was way on the other side of the campus. We kept running, and the nice man grabbed me, telling me to find as many people as possible, because the killer didn't want to be seen. So I tried to run and find people, but I couldn't, and when I came back, Peter was on the ground, covered in blood, all alone. He was alive, and I went to him. He told me to not worry about him, and just run. So I did. I ran. I am so ashamed, and I should have stayed, but I ran."
"Did you ever see him again?" Edmund asked, gently.
Claire almost laughed through her tears. "Yeah, a lot actually."
"Really? How come?" Edmund asked her and Claire smiled, stepping out of his embrace.
"Well, this is going to sound really crazy, but, it turns out, the man who saved me was actually the brother of my biological father."
Edmund's eyes widened. "Seriously?"
Claire nodded as she wiped her eyes. "Yeah, really. His name was Peter too. Peter Petrelli."
Edmund waited for a moment. "Did you get along with him?"
"Yeah, better than I did with anybody else. He was great to me, and I loved him like a brother. We were best friends, and, well, I really did cry at his wedding, and I was the maid of honor. I guess, in a weird, twisted kind of way, it was like watching my son get married. I had watched him go through so much, and I was so proud of him." Claire laughed at herself, and wiped her eyes a final time.
Edmund smiled, glad that there was a happier topic to talk about now. "Who did he marry?"
"Well, he met her before I did, but I really loved her. Her name was Emma, and she was the sweetest woman you will ever meet. It was kind of sad, though, as she was deaf. But she could read lips and speak sign language, so we could communicate with her, it was just harder. I could talk to her about anything, though. Well, anything but the latest songs," Claire said, and smiled sadly. "They would have had the cutest kids."
"Did something happen?" Edmund asked, frowning.
"Well, they might have had some by now, but I didn't exactly stick around to find out."
Edmund scrunched his face up and looked at her. "Do you regret it?"
"What?" Claire asked him, confused.
"Coming here. Do you regret it?"
Claire took in a deep breath. "Well, I guess that is a complicated question, that has an even more complicated answer. Some good things have happened since I came here, and I have met and seen people that make me happy, and that I have gotten close to, but there have been a lot of negatives as well."
"Like what?"
"Well, for starters, your ego really gets to me sometimes..." she trailed off, grinning.
Edmund's mouth formed and 'o' as he pretended to be horrified. "You terrible person!"
"I was kidding, Ed. Your ego makes me laugh, and I wouldn't trade it for the world." She smiled at him and petted him on the shoulder, before stifling a yawn.
"Well, I think you've been up long enough. Time for bed."
"No, I'll stay up on watch. You can get some rest, Ed."
"No way. How about, I take first watch, and I'll wake you up halfway through and you can take your own turn."
"But you won't wake me up then."
"Claire Bennet, are you suggesting that I, King Edmund the Just, King of Narnia and Duke of the Lantern Waste, would break my word?" He asked her, looking horrified.
"Yep, pretty much," Claire said, shrugging.
"Well, what could I do to make you trust me?" Edmund asked, looking at her questioningly.
Claire bit her lip as she thought. Coming to a conclusion, and hiding an evil smirk, she stepped up to him and stuck the pinky of her right hand out. "Pinky promise?"
Edmund scoffed at her. "What are you, 5?"
Claire glared at him. "Pinky promise." It was no longer a suggestion, but an order.
Edmund looked around, as though to make sure there was no one there to witness what was about to happen. "Fine," he sighed. "But you are never allowed to tell anyone about this, okay?"
"Sure." Claire said, and he locked pinkies with her and shook them, then let go as though he had been burned.
Claire gave one last nod and began to walk over to what looked like a sort of comfortable spot to sleep in, but before she lay down, she turned to Edmund. "Hey, Ed?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for listening to me. I needed that."
"It's fine, Claire. I am glad I could help. And, I won't tell anyone about any of it unless you ask me to. I promise you that one, and no pinkies have to be involved."
Claire gave him a smile and lay down, trying to get some rest.
When Claire next awoke, it was daytime and the sun was filtering through the leaves of the forest. It's so beautiful... she thought to herself, and then she realized what her surroundings meant, and she was furious.
"EDMUND!"
A tired looking king stood and walked over to her. "What? Is something wrong?"
"You know damn well that something's wrong!" she exclaimed, shaking her fists and glaring at him.
"No, I really don't. What's the matter, Claire?"
"You didn't wake me up!"
"What?"
"I said, you didn't wake me up! You know, for watch!"
"Claire, you needed the sleep."
"Edmund, you pinky promised!"
"Claire, don't be ridiculous!" He laughed, and shook his head.
"Don't walk away from me, Edmund Pevensie! You broke a pinky promise! That stuff is legitimate!"
Edmund groaned. It was going to be a long day.
Groaning, Lucy rolled over and looked at the sky. She couldn't see much of it, thanks to the trees, but what she could see was beautiful and blue.
After a few minutes of looking up and thinking, Lucy remembered her task and sprung up. She quickly saddled her horse, and mounted him, though her legs screaming protest. She had ridden less than she would have liked the night before, as she was still close to the castle and she didn't want to meet up with Claire and Edmund, who would just send her back to the castle. But while she hadn't ridden much, her legs and backside ached, and all she wanted was a nice, hot bath.
But she wasn't going to get it, and she would just have to deal with it.
Also, she would have loved to have some food, but, in her rush to play warrior queen and prove everyone wrong, she had forgotten to bring some food for herself or her horse. Her horse would just eat grass, but he did enjoy apples also, and seemed to behave better when he was given one. He was not a talking horse, but he was intelligent just the same.
And so, Lucy Pevensie, Queen of Narnia, rode off into the forest, not knowing where she was going or what she was doing. All she knew was that she had to prove herself and gain respect. And to do that, she would find her brother. And if that meant she had to starve herself for a week, then so be it.
It was just after noon, the next day, when they found him.
Edmund saw him first, but Claire beat him to Peter.
She leaped off her horse as Peter did the same, and he looked absolutely shocked at her appearance, and the fact that she was accompanied by his own brother.
But he didn't have much time to ponder this as the guardian threw her arms around her neck and hugged him tight. After a moment of awkwardness, he put his arms around her waist and hugged her back. Aslan, she is so short!
After she let him go, he turned to his brother, and embraced him.
"It's good to see you Ed. Not getting into too much trouble, I hope?"
"Well, you know me." Ed shrugged and grinned, and Peter turned back to Claire.
"Okay, so, you can think I am an idiot all you like, but I am going to ask the obvious question," Peter announced. "How the hell did you end up with Edmund, Claire?"
Claire sighed, and prepared to tell her made up story once more. "Well, the night that man came to my room, I dodged him and pushed him out the window. Then I was so scared that I ran out of the castle and out here, and then I feel asleep. By the time I woke up again, it was morning, and so I went to a river. Long story short, I saw a woman there, and her name is Meredith. She took me back to her home, a small cave in the woods, and I met her husband, Damien. They were very nice and helped me, and then they took me to Cair Paravel. And then, I heard that you were an idiot and stayed out here to look for me, even though I was quite safe, so I came out to look for you myself."
Peter looked at her, nodding slowly. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I mean, I was scared at first, but after a while-"
She was cut off by a blood curdling scream, and Peter and Edmund drew their swords, while Claire pulled her dagger out of her boot. They ran to the direction of the scream, only to find a young woman in the clutches of a wild bear. There were still a few left from the time of Miraz, that couldn't speak and were wild, and this one had clawed the woman on the leg and she was halfway up a tree, screaming in fright and covered with her own blood.
As Peter and Edmund leaped to attack the beast, Claire looked up and recognized the young woman instantly. "Lucy!"
Well, there you have it folks! I hope you all enjoyed, and please, please, PLEASE remember to review!