Once the White Witch had her fun with Peter, they proceeded further into the forest. Peter consistently almost fell at most moments of their travel, especially after the werewolf had wrecked his leg. At most, he could limb along, trying to keep up. If he did fall, the werewolf forced him to his feet. When he thought he was too tired to move on, they continued anyway, despite his slowing speed and decreased coordination.
After what was hours of walking, Peter collapsed to the ground, unable to move. The werewolf pulled Peter up, only for him to crash back down to the ground when the werewolf pushed him forward.
Heavily breathing and his body shaking, Peter expected a blow for his lack of moving, as he had received the other times he did not move. Between the werewolf hurting him when he failed to move and the Witch deciding to inflict physical pain on him whenever she liked, he now had fresh bruises and marks replacing the old ones or filling new places to batter his body. However this time, instead, the werewolf simply yanked the roped leash, tugging Peter to a tree. Forcibly, it yanked Peter's wrists above his head, rather uncomfortably.
The werewolf tied the rope above his head on a branch too high for Peter to reach. Once the werewolf finished, he left Peter and returned to the side of the White Witch. They spoke in hushed voices. Peter could not make out what they were saying to one another.
In that moment, Peter really did not care to listen. This opportunity allowed him the chance to catch his breath without the constant threat from the werewolf or the White Witch. Slowly, Peter managed to breathe again and felt a soreness ache his whole body. He did not know how much more of all of this he was supposed to be able to take.
Sure, he was a King and High King above that, but that did not change the fact that he was just Peter, and he was still quite terrified of the White Witch. How many times did he have nightmares of her return? How many times did he tell Edmund that she would never come back? It felt all so foolish now.
Aslan, please, give me strength, Peter prayed. And please, protect my family.
After several minutes of discussion, the werewolf bowed to the White Witch, got on all fours, and ran off. Now with her wicked companion gone, the White Witch's attention shifted back to Peter. As she stalked over to him, he asked, "Where did you send the werewolf?"
He did not expect her to answer the question and was surprised when she smirked, replying rather casually, "To finish off that boy who wants to be King." Caspian, Peter feared for his life. His face must have communicated that alarm because she only laughed, "Have to tie off any loose ends. I cannot have him calling himself King while I rule."
"What about the Telmarine army?" Peter questioned. "Killing Caspian buys you nothing if you haven't defeated Miraz." Peter hoped he could point out something, anything, to get her to call off the werewolf.
The White Witch only smiled wickedly. "I do not fret about armies of men. I have destroyed thousands myself, and I will have followers until the end of time, just like those werewolves, the dwarf, and the hag," she assured him. "No, I will kill the boy. I will not make the same mistake as I did when I fought you and your accursed siblings. I will eliminate any who are or may be of the Lion's chosen. Then the false king, Miraz, will fall by my hand as will his armies, and Narnia will be mine once again." Peter could not hide the anguish that laid into him. The White Witch seemed to relish in all of his fear. "And when your siblings come for you, and we both know they will, I will make each of you watch as I torture the others before killing you all. You should be grateful; I am waiting to kill you so you do not die alone."
Peter swallowed his fear the best he was able. "You will never win," He protested. "Even if you kill me, it won't matter. There will always be people to fight evil like you. You won't have Narnia again."
"Such hope for the good in others, little king," The White Witch taunted. "Not all are as noble as you. Not even your precious siblings can stop me."
"They will," Peter did not back down. "Aslan will guide them to your defeat." She flinched at Aslan's name, but her composure remained in tact.
"Your Lion has abandoned you. For otherwise, why would he allow my return?" She paused, allowing her words to sink in as she tried to plant doubt in Peter's mind. "Why would he allow me to get to you? Where is he now when you need him?"
Peter knew that this time, he did not doubt Aslan. He knew Aslan had not given up on them yet. Peter had doubted before, shamed to admit it, but now, he believed Aslan would aid them in victory or in death.
Without a response from Peter, the White Witch continued on as she pushed the hair out of his eyes. Typically, the gesture was soothing when done by one of his siblings. This time, it made Peter shudder deeply.
"You have such faith in them. In Aslan. How will you cope when I slaughter your siblings right before your eyes? Will you still believe Aslan has guided them on the right path?" Peter looked at her with quite a great deal of distress, but uttered no words. The very real threat of his siblings being murdered in front of him was sinking into his bones, filling his entire body. "No more words of faith, High King?" The White Witch asked. "Very well. How about we visit your worst fears once more?"
Peter pulled against his bindings and could not budge them. He did not think he could manage seeing more visions of his siblings dying in front of him. It was just too much. He felt so helpless. Aslan, please, help me.
Peter gathered all his courage, not for himself, but for the family she was threatening. He looked her straight in the eye. "When they defeat you, know that this is your last life, Witch," Peter defiantly spoke. "You won't be coming back again."
Anger flared in her, Peter knew she did not like that. He thought she was going to hit him, but instead, her cold demeanor returned. Peter felt an icy chill escape throughout his spine.
"I am going to enjoy destroying you piece by piece, little king." And with the graze of her fingertips, the painful images overtook his mind, and the torture resumed.
Once she returned to the How, Susan told Caspian, Edmund, and Lucy of Miraz's acceptance and what the entire experience was like.
"Thanks, Su," Edmund patted her shoulder. "I know it was tough, but you got him to accept, which is all that matters."
"I honestly do not understand how you did negotiations like that all the time," Susan admitted.
"Wasn't easy, especially when there was a lot riding on those agreements," Edmund reassured.
"I am glad he accepted," Lucy chimed in. "It will give us the time we need to go save Peter." Lucy seemed excited and anxious all at the time. Edmund understood: they were all on edge about Peter. "Maybe, Edmund won't have to fight Miraz after all." While Edmund would certainly agree that Peter was always the better swordsman, especially in the traditional duel sense, he was not sure rescuing Peter would change the duel, or how unnerved the entire situation was making Edmund feel. He almost would rather Peter face Miraz instead. Almost.
"We will leave within the hour," Susan decided. "Get whatever supplies we need and meet back here." Lucy and Susan left immediately. Edmund was about to when Caspian caught his arm.
"Are you sure I cannot convince you to allow me to accompany you and your sisters?" Caspian looked over as Edmund's sisters left. "I know Susan is livid with me, and I can imagine you are as well, but I can help the three of you save Peter."
Edmund tried to keep his anger from flaring. He knew that Caspian was trying his best and had made mistakes. But it was hard. Edmund was confident he would feel much better about Caspian once they rescued Peter.
As kingly as he could, Edmund replied, "I know you would be a great help. I do not doubt it." Edmund paused, placing his hand gently on Caspian's shoulder. "You are needed here. You are to be King. You will lead Narnia."
"I can do both," Caspian insisted.
"Yes, yes, you could," Edmund agreed. "It is just too great of a risk. Plus, without you here, there would no one to lead in the event that Miraz decides not to stay true to his word."
"I guess so," Caspian reluctantly agreed.
"Trust me, Caspian, we know what we are doing," Edmund tried to sound more confident in their plans than he actually felt. "We wouldn't leave you if we didn't know you would be fine."
Caspian nodded, and when Edmund turned to leave him, Caspian added in a quiet voice, "Edmund?" Edmund stopped and faced him. "When you save Peter, can you tell him how truly sorry I am?"
All Edmund managed to do was nod before needing to turn away from Caspian to hide the pain that was only revealing itself once Edmund had his face turned. He wished he actually shared Caspian's belief that they could succeed.
In the next hour, the three siblings gathered, armored and ready to save their older brother. Lucy had a bag strapped over her shoulder with her cordial ready and her daggers firmly placed in the bag and around her waist. Edmund kept Peter's sword in his hands.
With a bit of luck, they had found Peter's sword in the How, rather impossibly. After they had disperse to prepare to save Peter, Lucy said she had been wandering around the How, praying for Aslan's help. That was when she had found Peter's sword, Rhindon, in the passageway with the painting of their coronation in it. "It was simply lying on the ground there," Lucy had told them. "It was the strangest thing, but I know it must have been Aslan. How else would Peter's sword have returned to us from Miraz's hold?"
Edmund was not sure how the sword ended up there, but if Lucy thought it was Aslan, he believed her. Frankly, Edmund did not care how Rhindon managed to get there either. He was just glad to hold Rhindon with him. It was a comforting feeling to have.
Besides, Peter will need his weapon after we defeat the White Witch, Edmund tried to convince himself. His nerves were scattered, pulsing all throughout his body, making him want to run over to the Eastern Sea and just sail away from their problems. He knew he could not do that, not when Peter and Narnia needed them. But the thought was there.
While Susan placed water canteens in her own small bag that rested underneath her quiver and arrows, Edmund handed Rhindon and Peter's sword belt to Susan to keep safe. Without another word, she wrapped Peter's belt around her waist and kept Rhindon by her side. Edmund strapped two swords to his sides. They were as ready as they were going to be.
They had exited out of a small tunnel in the back of the How to avoid Miraz seeing the three of them departing. The last thing they wanted was to appear more vulnerable than they already were. The three of them quietly hiked through the trees, all anxiously knowing where they were headed.
Lucy's voice cut through their swarming thoughts after they had walked a good distance in the forest, "Do you think—do you think the White Witch has—" She paused. "I hope the Witch hasn't hurt Peter."
Edmund could not find it in his heart to tell her that he was certain that the White Witch would have already hurt him—a lot by now, knowing her. But he knew Lucy's question was not about hurting Peter, it was about whether or not Peter was still alive.
"She will want to kill the four of us. She will keep him alive, I am sure of it," Edmund replied. Although, he was not certain, he only could hope.
After that, there was very little talking for the next hours they walked. The closer they got, the more their anxieties grew. Edmund knew that if Peter were beside the three of them, he would have made them feel confident in any quest they were on. Without him to lead, they felt rather lost.
They finally reached the first thick of trees entering the dark forest Edmund was held captive in all those years ago. They climbed through the forest that was now less of a forest and more of patches of thick trees and trees that were rather distantly separated. Edmund was not exactly sure where the White Witch was going to be considering how much Narnia had changed since the two of them had last been to this place, but he figured they would find her soon enough.
After some time walking further, the forest rolled up into a hill that Edmund was positive was not there before, but as they walked closer to it, they heard the agonizing scream of their brother. They quickly climbed to the top of the hill. With one last breath between them, they looked over the top.
Thank you for reading! I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my story. Thank you to thunderbird shadow for reviewing! Next chapter will be out soon. Thank you!