Title: Magic of the Deep

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Summary: The joyous celebration of Edmund's return is interrupted by an attack from the Fell Beast army, and Edmund's careless words bring bring Lucy's tears and Susan's wrath upon him.

Chapter Ten: Scars

I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut,
My weakness is that I care too much.
And my scars remind me that the past is real,
I tear myself open just to feel.

- Papa Roach, "Scars"

Edmund shifted uneasily as the satyr moved around him, pulling and prodding and pushing. His hands rested numbly at his side as the satyr in question continued to adjust his outfit, nimbly slipping silver buttons through the small holes in the material and yanking the shoulders of the tunic into proper position. The attendants hoofed feet clicked on the stone floor, echoing in the silent room as he move back and forth before the boy in question.

"There," the satyr side finally, stepping back with a smile. "Well, it isn't the best fit, but we will have time to make plenty of clothing for you later, Sire. This will have to do for the celebration."

"Th-thank you," Edmund stammered, turning slowly and catching sight of his reflection in the mirror. He did not recognize the boy who looked back at him, this stranger who was dressed in a fine tunic studded with silver and trimmed with golden thread. His face was pale, his gray eyes dark underneath his mop of almost unruly hair. He licked his lips, his throat suddenly dry, and tried to reconcile his notions of himself with this royalty he was to become.

A knock at the door startled him out of his thoughts, and he turned, a slight frown marring his features, as the door slid open and Susan swept into the room. She gave him a quick look, a smile hovering at the corners of her lips, and said, "Good. You have dressed. Does everything fit alright?"

"I... I think so," Edmund answered, blushing red under her scrutinizing stare.

Susan nodded slowly, her gaze softening slightly, and she took a few steps forward and slipped her arm underneath Edmund's, taking his elbow. As she led him from the room, she whispered in a gentle voice, "Don't worry, everything will be fine. Peter, Lucy, and I will all be right next to you for the entire celebration."

The fact that these three strangers would be there did little to ease the anxiety that rushed through his veins, but Edmund recognized his sister's words as a gesture of comfort, and did his best to appear grateful for her efforts. As they walked, he studied her out of the corner of his eye. Her hair tumbled loosely around her shoulders, and her bright eyes stood out against the fairness of her skin. She was dressed in something lush and fancy, trimmed with lace, and a silver necklace adorned her throat. But it was the way she moved that captivated his attention, the gliding steps, so smooth that it seemed as though she was floating forward with an aura of complete confidence. As though she knew that no obstacle would ever block her path.

She reminded him slightly of Sera.

"And you must be Edmund," the woman said, entering the hut. Edmund looked up sharply, taking in the sight of the austere looking face, the blonde hair streaked with gray, the simple wool dress creased with age.

"Y-yes, ma'am."

The woman wrinkled her nose. "I would rather you not call me that, child. I am not so old as to need to be referred to as 'ma'am.'" She looked around the hut. "Has Dar made arrangements for you?"

"He... um, he said he would speak to someone... a... uh... Jaxom, I think?" Edmund ventured hesitantly, trying to sit up in bed. "You are... you are Sera?"

"I am," Sera answered simply. "Well, I suppose you shall have to stay here. I cannot imagine to whom else Jaxom would wish to send you, and Nasada seems to have grown attached to you already." For a moment, her expression seemed less foreboding as she mentioned her daughter. "She does get attached rather easily, my Nasada."

"I... I do not need to stay here," Edmund said, swallowing. "I... you are not required to..."

"Don't speak such nonsense, Edmund," Sera interjected before he could continue. "Where would you go? You remember nothing, and we cannot allow you to wander about the mountains. It is hardly a safe place for a child. No," she continued decidedly, "you will stay here. With us."

"Sera?" a voice called, and she turned towards the door.

"Yes, Dar?"

Dar entered, followed by the man that Edmund recognized as Jaxom. Nasada, as always, darted back and forth behind the others, listening with rapt attention to every word that was spoken.

"How do you feel, Edmund?" Jaxom asked as Dar went to stand next to his wife.

"Better, sir. I..." He stopped, shrugged, and lay back against the pillows. "A little tired, still."

"That is to be expected," Jaxom answered with a nod. "But if you are well enough, I would like to discuss what we should do with you. It is imperative that we..."

"He will stay with us," Sera said swiftly, cutting into the conversation. She had her back to them, and it took a moment for Edmund to realize she was leaning over the fire, feeding it a new branch of wood and some smaller sticks to increase the heat within the hut.

Jaxom looked at her. "But, I..."

"You do not oppose?" Sera asked Dar, ignoring Jaxom.

"N-no," Dar answered honestly, a little surprised by the question. "No, that is fine. He has nowhere else, so our home is as good as any for him."

"I think it would be best if we perhaps talked about this with the other Villagers," Jaxom suggested, "and discussed the best way to provide for Edmund."

"What is better than this?" Sera asked pointedly. "He has already been here a few days. He knows Dar and I, Nasada likes him. What else is needed?"

"Caution," Jaxom answered, and Edmund realized that his fate was being debated right here in front of him, and he had somehow been pushed out of the conversation as though he had no real need to play a role in the decisions that would determine his future.

"Caution for what?" Sera shot back.

"You are speaking about adding to your family, Sera. That would affect your life, Dar's life, Nasada's life, Edmund's life. Not to mention the lives of all of us in the Village. It is not a simple matter of..."

"Of course it is a simple matter," Sera countered. "We are providing for a child who needs our help."

"Yes, but..."

"Unless you think we would not be able to provide for him."

"No, that's not..."

"Then it is settled," Sera finished triumphantly, and Jaxom lapsed into silence, apparently realizing that Sera had already come to her decision and it would be impossible to change her mind. Dar smiled, seeming pleased with the situation, and Nasada grinned wildly at the prospect of having a brother. Edmund stared back and forth between the three adults and the younger girl, and tried to figure out just how this woman he had only met moments ago had managed to take control of the entire situation and orchestrate it in such a way that no one else had any input whatsoever.

Of course, she had been right in the end, and the situation had worked out perfectly for all of them. Sera, he soon discovered, was almost always right.

"How... how many shall be here?" Edmund asked finally, pushing away the memory and turning his attention back to the celebration before him. He had done his best to wash himself, but his damp hair now flopped forward against his forehead, and he tried to fix it with his free hand.

Susan shrugged elegantly. "Many, I suppose. So many want to celebrate your return, Edmund. It brings hope to them... to all of us who long to see Narnia restored to its rightful glory and peace." She patted his hand and said with a knowing look, "Just try to breathe and smile. I promise, no one will expect a speech from you. At least not tonight."

Edmund inhaled sharply at the thought of having to give a speech in front of the Narnians. While he was grateful that he would not be required to speak this very night, he could not help but be a little alarmed that he would need to orate at some point in the future. Instinctively, he felt himself shrinking against Susan's side, but if she noticed his trepidation, she did not show it on her face or in her words.

"We are almost at the banquet hall," she murmured in a low voice. "The guests have already assembled, and Peter and Lucy are there. When you enter, there will be some form of fanfare. Smile, wave, perhaps give a little bow. Peter will begin speaking, and we will join him." Again, she patted his arm, her fingers lingering on his skin for a moment longer than necessary. "I will not leave your side until you have reached Peter. Not even for a second. You are safe here."

Edmund nodded, indicating that he understood, but could not bring himself to smile, or even to answer her words. For a moment, he stood still before the giant wooden doors that blocked his path, staring at the elaborate etchings and engravings along the post and the curved arch above.

"Do... do they know... about my... memory?" Edmund asked anxiously, blinking rapidly to keep the tears of fear from showing in his eyes.

Susan turned towards him and cupped his face in her hands. "They know that you are their king and our brother, and that you have returned to us. All else in inconsequential." She held his gaze a beat longer, then dropped her arms by her side. "Come. The entrance is the hardest part. After that..." she slid her arm through his elbow once again, "everything will be easy."

And she directed him forward, and the grand wooden doors swung open, and everything seemed to dissolve before him in a sudden rush of light and sound.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the bright light. Squinting ahead, he saw a large banquet room that opened into a balcony overlooking the ocean. One side of the hall was covered in tables, each decorated in their own lavish designs. The other side of the hall was filled with Creatures milling about, talking and laughing and shouting at each other from across the space. The walls were lit with torches that sparkled and flashed, sending shadows dancing across the floor. A fanfare of trumpets and other rather loud instruments cut through the air, accompanied by the crash of some drum-like device and the stamping of feet, hooves, and claws. Cries of "Hail, Sire!" and "Welcome, King Edmund!" floated towards him, rising above the rest of the intense noise.

He stumbled backwards, eyes wide, and slanted a look at Susan.

"Smile," she whispered through clenched teeth, a smile of her own plastered to her face as she nodded to the subjects that pushed closer towards the two, "and remember that I am right here. By your side."

Edmund winced inwardly, but tried his hardest to smile, and even remembered to incline his head once or twice. Over the heads of the crowd, he caught sight of Peter and Lucy, standing on a raised platform, waiting for him. Peter was smiling, his eyes alight with happiness to see his family together, and Lucy was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, ardent enthusiasm brightening her face.

Susan led him through the throng, the Creatures seeming to melt away from before her as she passed. The reverence in their gazes once again bothered Edmund, but there was nothing he could say or do that would convince anyone he was not deserving of this awe, and so he followed his sister forward. Her grip had tightened on her elbow, and when their eyes met, he saw the fierce protectiveness in them. He knew she was called the Gentle, but he had a feeling that she did not always embody that attribute.

"Tonight, we celebrate the return of my brother," Peter's voice rang out, and soon a hush fell over the hall. Susan directed Edmund to his brother's side, and then she stepped back so that she was in line with Lucy, the four of them staring out over their subjects. Edmund looked at Peter as he spoke, while Susan and Lucy both looked at him, and Peter alternated his gaze between his brother and his two sisters. "After so long, he has come home, come to us so that we can reunite once more. Soon, with Aslan's blessing, he too shall take his rightful seat on the fourth throne of Cair Paravel, and then the prophesy will be complete, and the reign of the White Witch, of the impostor Jadis, will finally be over. Narnia will be yours!"

His words were met with shouts of joy and cries of ecstatic hope. Edmund looked back at his subjects, spotting Oreius, Philip, and Shadow in the mix. There were several others as well that he recognized from the scouting party, although he could not name them. They were all laughing and prancing about, hugging each other and chattering in a jumbled mess that left him feeling dizzy.

And then he saw her.

Standing at the very back of the banquet hall where the arching doors opened onto the balcony, was a lone woman. She was unseen by all the others, but he could not tear his eyes away from her pale face. She smiled at him, cherry red lips splitting into a smirk, and he felt suddenly cold. Everything seemed to slow down, and his limbs felt heavy, numb. He took a faltering step towards her, his mouth falling open, and reached out one hand, either to beckon her forward or to push her away, he was not sure which.

But his strange movements went unnoticed by all save Susan, who reached out quickly and caught him by the arm. Her fingers pressed into his skin, and the sharp pain of her nails brought him back to his senses. His free arms dropped to his side and his mouth snapped shut, even as he caught sight of the concern on her face and the disapproval she was trying to hide. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders, discreetly gesturing for Lucy to step forward as well, and soon he was being embraced by both sisters. It did not escape his attention that part of the embrace was not for comfort, but to make sure he did not move away from them.

The imposing woman at the back of the room began to fade, and when he snapped his head back towards her, she was gone.

Peter was still speaking, and he forced himself to listen to the High King's words.

"...thank Aslan that he is safe. Although the circumstances that led us to him were, and still are, dangerous, tonight is not a night to dwell on what might plague us tomorrow, but to instead to celebrate what the Great Lion has done for us this past day!"

And for the next hour, everything was a blur.

There was music and dancing, and he was sure that somehow Lucy had convinced him to dance with her once or twice, but his feet could barely keep rhythm, and he felt awkward trying to shuffle gracefully along beside her. There was food and drink, and at one point he retired to a table in order to rest, and Susan hovered just around him, unwilling to leave him alone. Creatures pushed in around him, converging from all sides in a desperate attempt to seize his hands and pat his arms and shoulders. Peter slipped to his side for a moment, clasping him on the shoulder in a reassuring gesture, before being whisked away once more.

And by the end of the first hour, he could take it no longer. Muttering some excuse to those around him, he fought his way through the crowd towards the balcony. It was nearly impossible to slip out unnoticed, and just when he thought he would never have the opportunity for some peace and quiet, a satyr appeared at his side and tilted his head in a smiling nod of welcome.

"Well me, Edmund Pevensie. I see you still have your sister's nose."

Edmund stared blankly at the satyr while a pair of dryads tripped over themselves and nearly collided with him. They were shepherded away by a Fox, but several others soon took the empty space, pressing towards him.

"I... um..."

"It has been a while since we last met, Sire," the satyr said with a bemused look, "and Queen Lucy tells me that I have changed much in these past years. Mr. Tumnus," he gave an elegant bow, "at your service."

"Ah..." Edmund fumbled around for a moment, wishing he could think of the proper answer to give to this satyr who so clearly knew him, when he had no idea just who this Creature really was, how they had met, or what the stranger met by his comment about noses.

"Where you wishing for some fresh air, your Majesty?" Mr. Tumnus continued. "I do not wish to impose myself upon you in such a manner if you were intending to speak to others, but if you were seeking the fresh night air, would you allow me the honor of accompanying you to the balcony?"

The formality of his speech confused Edmund even more, and he found himself agreeing without really knowing what he was agreeing to. Mr. Tumnus took him by the hand, and guided him easily through the crowd. It took only a moment, and then he was leaning against the stone railing, staring up at the tiny specks of white glistening from the inky night sky. The stars were not as bright here in the middle of the Cair as they were over the mountains, but he loved them all the same. The night breeze was cool against his skin, and tingled with the barest scent of saltwater drifting in from the sea.

"Queen Lucy has informed me that you do not remember..." Mr. Tumnus murmured gently as he took a place next to Edmund.

"No. Not... not anything, really."

The satyr seemed to contemplate him for a moment, then he said slowly, "I am sorry, your Majesty. It is a hard loss."

"When did we meet?" Edmund asked. "And when did you first meet Lucy?"

"I met Queen Lucy when she first arrived in Narnia, and you I met in the Witch's dungeon."

"Dungeon?" Edmund breathed, feeling another wave of chilliness rush through him. "What was I... how did I get there...? How did you get there?"

A hard look flared in the satyr's eyes, something dark and unreadable. Edmund felt a surge of fear and anxiety, but before he could wonder about the satyr's expression, two voices floated towards them on the wind, coming from just within the entrance to the banquet hall.

"... I know, Susan. Still, I do wish we did not need to do this tonight. I would rather spend it as just the four of us."

"We all would, Lucy. And I do not like putting this pressure on Edmund any more than you do, particularly when he does not even remember us. It is overwhelming for him, I can see it in his eyes and his movements. But the Narnians want to celebrate with him. They have longed for him as well."

"Yes, but..."

"Come, Lucy. You know as well as I that a monarch belongs to more than just him or herself. Or even his or her family. We belong to all of Narnia, and how can we really deprive our subjects of a chance to commemorate the beginning of the end of Jadis' reign? No matter how much we may want to have Edmund to ourselves now, he is not ours alone."

"I suppose. Let us rejoin the dancing. Edmund is safe with Mr. Tumnus, and I am sure he could use some time alone and away from all of this."

The voices drifted away as the two Queens moved back into the room, but Edmund noticed that Mr. Tumnus was still staring in the direction of Lucy's voice. The look in his eyes had changed from a cold wariness to something warm and gentle, and when he finally looked back at Edmund, he seemed to be making a decision of some sort.

At last, he said, "I was in the White Witch's dungeon for helping Queen Lucy escape her grasp. And you were there... you were there, Sire, because you defied her and tried to save your siblings from her deadly plans."

Edmund was about to question the satyr about his statement when a low keening howl broke through the night, a sound he recognized at once. He spun, eyes wide, and leaned over the balcony railing, squinting into the night. "Get Peter!" he said instinctively, his hands scrambling to his belt for a hunting knife he often carried with him. But he had not brought it with him on this night, and he found himself without any means of defense against the danger that he knew was lurking just beyond his vision.

Beside him, Mr. Tumnus was already racing towards the hall, crying for General Oreius and King Peter, and it did not take long until the High King was at Edmund's side.

"Ed? What is it?"

Edmund twisted to face Peter. "That's Veltra's howl," he said quickly, the words falling from his lips in a hectic and barely coherent mess. "It means danger. He's warning us... something is wrong!"

And no sooner had he issued the cry than a shape swooped down out of the night and latched sharp claws onto his shoulder, talons drawing blood. In one swift motion, Peter drew his sword and slew the Bat. But even as the lifeless body collapsed on Edmund's back and then tumbled to the ground, other Creatures dropped out of the night sky, hissing and shrieking their battle cries.

"Edmund, get inside!" Peter ordered as he swung his sword again. "Oreius, assemble the archers. Shadow, Cheek, get anyone who is not a fighter into the castle and locked safely behind doors. Nightrunner, Stella, I want soldiers on each of the balconies and in the courtyard below. Skylark, take your Hawks and fight from the air." He paused in the midst of his orders, frowning as the warning howl died in a choked cry. "Veltra could be hurt," he said grimly, and seeing the horror on Edmund's face, he found himself demanding, "Philip, find the Wolf and get him to safety." As much as he disliked risking one of his own to save the Wolf, the look of relief that washed over Edmund's features was reward enough.

And then Edmund felt himself being pulled back into the banquet room, and Peter disappeared amidst the soldiers.

Lucy shivered as she pulled the dressing gown around her shoulders and sank onto the bed next to Edmund. Susan was standing at the window, even though it had been closed and locked shut, as though she could look through the wood and metal and see the battle still raging outside. Thoughts of Peter, and of his safety, weighed heavily on all their minds.

For Edmund in particular, this all was a daunting experience, because he knew that soon he would be expected to join his brother in the battle, to fight, to protect his family and his subjects. But he did not know how to fight, could not reconcile himself with taking another's life. He bit his lip, worried for Peter, for Veltra, for himself.

"It will be alright, Edmund," Lucy said, wrapping her fingers around his hand and smiling a little too brightly. "Peter has fought in other battles, you know, and it always... he comes back to us every time."

"They've never attacked here before," Susan murmured, turning towards her younger siblings. "Around here, perhaps, and certainly in the other parts of Narnia. But the Cair itself..." She slowly unclasped her necklace and set it gently on the smooth surface of the desk beside the window. She tugged idly at one strange, her mind running over darker thoughts. The defenses around the Cair were such that it would be nearly impossible for an entire army of Fell Beasts to attack from the ground. But from the air...? She had seen Bats flying in the night sky, and other nocturnal Birds. They were not protected against attacks from above.

"And they never will again," Lucy said stoutly, firmly. "We will fight them away, and... and they will not return here."

"Lucy the Valiant," Susan whispered with a faint smile.

Lucy grinned in response, and although the expression was strained, it did bring an even larger smile to her sister's face.

"Do you... have you fought in battles as well?" Edmund asked, glancing at the younger Queen.

Lucy gave a slight shrug. "Some, if I am in a place that is being attacked. But mostly it is Peter who does the fighting. Susan has a bow that Father Christmas gave her, and with it, her arrows never miss their targets." She paused, then added, "But Susan usually deals with peaceful diplomacy, not war."

"I see..."

A cry from the dark outside interrupted their quiet conversation, and all three sets of eyes snapped towards the shuttered window. Susan was the first to look away, turning her back on the window and taking a few shaky steps to the bed. She sat down next to Lucy and opened her mouth to say something, but the words stuck in her throat. She looked down at her hands, listening to the sounds of battle.

"Have you fought in a battle?" Lucy asked, looking up at Edmund. It was upsetting that his homecoming would be so ruined by something like this, but now that the battle had already started, she could not rid the morbid thoughts and questions from her mind. She did not know this Edmund, this stranger who was supposed to be her brother, and she wondered just what his life had been like these past years.

"No," Edmund muttered, looking away. "Except for when Peter came to the Village. And even then, he fought and I... I stayed inside. Hidden."

"Well, I'm glad," Lucy said brightly, leaning against him. "That way you came back to us. Safely, and without having been hurt."

"I don't like battles," Susan said softly. "I don't like fighting."

"Sometimes it is necessary. To protect yourself and the ones you love," Lucy countered.

"Hm..." Edmund murmured, staring hard at her.

"What?" Lucy asked sharply, raising her eyes to meet his gaze.

"Nothing. I just... at first, I thought..." Edmund shook his head and trailed off into a momentary pause, before finishing, "It was nothing."

Lucy did not press the issue at first, but as Edmund continued to regard her with a searching stare, she finally, said, "It doesn't seem like nothing, Ed."

"When Peter told me about you," Edmund replied softly, "on the way back from my Village. I thought... well, you reminded me a lot of Nasada. But I guess you also aren't like her. I mean, she would never be talking about fighting being necessary. She would always believe that all Creatures could be reasoned with, if you just talked to them. You're very much like Nasada, but also different."

"Nasada?" Susan breathed.

"My sister," Edmund answered automatically.

Lucy blinked away the tears. It had not escaped her notice that Edmund's entire body relaxed as he spoke about the Village, nor did she fail to see the way his eyes lit up at the mention of this girl he called his sister. "You... you really love her," she said even as the first of the tears began to fall. She had been replaced. Perhaps Nasada was not exactly like her, but it was clear that the girl was a close enough match. Edmund had found another little sister, and she was just a shallow comparison to this stranger.

"I..." Too late, Edmund realized his error, and already Lucy had risen to her feet and pushed away from him.

"Lucy..." Susan reached out for her sister, but Lucy side-stepped and turned away. She stumbled towards the door to the adjoining room, the bath area. She passed through quickly, without looking back, and pulled the door closed behind her. Susan watched her sister depart, then turned to Edmund and hissed, "You should say something to her. Apologize."

"For what?" Edmund retorted, anger welling inside him. He had not meant to hurt Lucy with his careless words or his comparison to Nasada, and he knew in retrospect that it had been insensitive to refer to another person as his sister so soon after being reunited with these people who were actually his siblings. But it was not his fault he remembered nothing of the past, and he would not apologize for that. He was here, at the Cair, trying to be their brother, and that was not easy for him.

Susan's eyes narrowed, and once again he was hit with the sensation that she did not always live up to her title of Gentle. But when she spoke, her words were even and measured, although they were underlined with annoyance and frustration. "We're trying, Edmund. We are trying to make this work. We are trying to help you."

"I am trying as well!" Edmund snapped back. "But you do not know what it is like to suddenly find out you are a king and you have three long lost siblings who want you to leave everything you have ever known and come rule with them."

Susan swallowed back her irritation and tried her best to keep calm as she answered, "I know what it is like to suddenly find out you are a monarch, Ed. It happened to all of us when we first came to Narnia. I know it is overwhelming, but if you would just let us help you..."

"I went to the celebration," Edmund countered. "I did all the things you told me to do. I smiled, I waved, I bowed. I let Peter talk and a whole bunch of people prod and push and pull at my clothing. I even danced. But this is... this is difficult, Susan! I'm not... it is not easy for me to just..."

When he didn't finish the sentence, Susan said coolly, "It is not easy for us either. You were not there when the Bird brought us news of your death. You did not watch our hope drain away. You did not see Peter slowly fall apart as every month passed and we had yet to find your body." Her voice began to rise in volume as her temper flared, "You did not sit by Lucy's bed as she sobbed herself to sleep, or chase Peter around trying to get him just to eat something before his self-neglect caused him permanent damage. You did not have to spend weeks comforting your little sister, trying your best to convince her that, even though her other brother was away fighting our enemies, everything would be fine, while in fact you were terrified yourself." Her words stopped abruptly, and she lowered her eyes. When she raised her gaze once more, the heat and fire had not left her expression, but her words were measured, imbued with forced calm that did not fully conceal the hurt and pain. "And you have no idea what it feels like to love someone more than anything else in the entire world, and to discover that when you finally find him, miraculously alive and well, he does not even remember who you are. I know this is not easy for you, Edmund, but it is not easy for us either."

And then the conversation was abruptly halted by the entrance of Peter. The door swung open to admit the High King, and he walked into the room with a weary expression on his face and blood on his clothing. His gaze jumped from Susan's expression to Edmund's flushed face, but instead of commenting on the obvious signs of the argument, he asked, "Where's Lucy?"

Susan gestured towards the adjoining room with one hand. "Did the battle... is it over?" she asked.

Peter nodded glumly. "Yes. They mainly attacked from the air. We had some injuries, but no deaths." He slanted a quick look at Edmund and added, "Veltra sustained minor wounds, but he will be find."

"Did you recognize any of the attackers?" Lucy asked, drawn back into the room by the sound of her oldest sibling's voice. Her eyes were rimmed with red, but she offered a hesitant smile, glad to see Peter back safely.

"Yes. It was the same army as before. The Fell Beasts from the mountains."

"Did they say what they wanted? Or was it just an attack?"

"No, they were after something specific," Peter answered bitterly, placing his sword and shield on the floor by the door. He knew he should have cleaned both of them, but he was exhausted, and at that moment all he wanted was to sit with his siblings and reassure himself that those he had sworn to protect were, in fact, safe and protected.

"What?" Lucy asked, although she already knew the answer. They all did. But they waited for Peter to say it anyway, needed the verbal confirmation that this nightmare was not yet over.

"Edmund," Peter answered quietly. "They're after Edmund."

Next Chapter: In an awkward attempt to make amends with Lucy, Edmund puts his foot in his mouth - several times - while Peter's introduction of Veltra causes havoc among the scouts and soldiers in Chapter Eleven: Echo.