A.N: Here's the next chapter! Once more we have to thank Rainbow for her constant prodding. :)
Disclaimer: Narnia, *sniffles* does not belong to me.
Chapter 11 - A bedtime story
It was past nightfall when the group decided to stop and set up camp. After helping collect firewood, Evangeline slumped down on a log, watching the fire flicker and set ablaze. She had never felt so tired or weary before. Her bones seemed to ache from the inside and seep out into her muscles. A nice warm hot bath would be delightful right now… She thought as her eyelids started to feel heavier and began to close.
"Well, c'mon, it's about time that you got started."
Evangeline, who was about to doze off started. "Excuse me?"
Edmund sighed, tired of attempting to get Evangeline to train, "Your training, Evangeline, with swords, remember?"
"Can't we do this another time? We've been hiking in the forest for hours, aren't you tired too?"
"No, I've been trained to recover and conserve as much energy as I could, c'mon Ange, get up."
Evangeline sighed, "Oh alright." If she made it easier for Edmund, she'd learn more and then Peter wouldn't have to worry one bit about her safety.
Edmund looked a little shocked that she was willing to train, but felt a little more enthusiastic because he would be teaching someone who wanted to learn.
"I'm really tired though, so don't expect me to have good reflexes."
Edmund smirked, "I'm not really expecting anything…"
"Brilliant."
On that note, Edmund lunged at her. She yelled out in shock and dodged because she didn't even have a weapon in her hand. As she dodged to the side, she reached behind her head and pulled out both of the short swords, gripping them in both of her hands.
"Your reflexes are perfectly fine." Edmund said, almost in a sing-song voice.
Edmund advanced and slashed at her sides. Not really knowing what to do, she blocked them in reflex, metal and metal clashed, making that shhhhhhhhhhing noise.
"Pull your arms in, bend your knees." She heard Edmund instruct. Evangeline nodded mentally and tried her best to block his blows. He wasn't really being gentle on her for her first little duel ever. They circled for a little bit, Evangeline was trying to anticipate his next move and could tell that he was toying with her as his lips twitched into a small smile. Edmund thrust his sword towards her. She dodged and as the sword in her left hand collided with his. As soon as it had happened, Edmund pulled back and hit the side of his blade on her rib. She yelped in pain and stumbled to the side.
"Come on, attack Evangeline!" She heard Susan yell on the sidelines.
She took Susan's advice and began to advance forward, slashing awkwardly at Edmund. He was too quick and saw her movement even before she had carried it out. He parried and twisted his blade, slapping her on the thigh. His eyes glinted in excitement.
"Move your feet, never stay in one spot."
She ducked as Edmund's sword sailed over her head.
"Are you sure this really is a good idea? Shouldn't we practice with sticks first?"
"No," Edmund replied, "The real thing is always better, it prepares you."
Evangeline nodded though a small voice at the back of her brain told her that there was more of a risk that she was going to get injured. She shook it away and gritted her teeth together, hissing in pain whenever Edmund's sword slapped her on the arms.
"Block it, raise your arms a little higher, Ange."
The pair exchanged a few more blows, the clanging of swords resounding through the woods. Evangeline's arms felt like they were turning into metal. She felt like she was getting nowhere, just that she's getting beaten up by Edmund.
"Come on Evangeline, you can do it!" Peter yelled in encouragement.
She took a sharp intake of air and lunged for his head, he blocked it smoothly and blocked it again as she twisted her hand back and took a shot at his stomach while his arm was still up.
"Never think about your two swords like two separate weapons, they're twins, they move fluidly with each other. Try using both of your blades at the same time, instead of one at a time."
Evangeline dodged a slash to the head and knelt down on one knee, bringing both of the swords out for a front slash. Edmund blocked it easily and Evangeline stood back up, parrying with her left hand while striking at him with her right. Edmund dodged her strike and grated his sword against hers until the quillon of both their blades locked together. With a twist of his hand, he dislodged the blade and sent it flying out of her left hand.
Evangeline's temper flared, annoyed that a weapon that could help her from getting harmed was gone. "I've had enough," she said, breathing heavily.
Edmund paused, "We aren't exactly done."
"Not we, I… I'm done."
"I'm your teacher, I'm supposed to call the shots."
Evangeline's eyes narrowed, without thinking, she threw the remaining blade from her hand at Edmund. Even though he was caught off guard, he parried the spinning blade effortlessly and it lodged itself in a tree trunk.
"I'm weaponless, you can't fight me now," she said. She bent down and placed her hands on her knees, huffing in exhaustion.
Edmund sighed, the bright glint in his eyes disappeared, "I guess you have your limits… You did well on your first try."
"I didn't get killed, that's all that matters." She flashed a quick and relieved grin at him and walked to where one of her swords had lodged itself in a tree trunk. Edmund was letting her go pretty easily and she hadn't expected him to, she expected him to drag her back, kicking and screaming to try to train her to fight. Evangeline pulled as hard as she could onto the sword but it didn't budge. It was buried in pretty deep and she felt like she was one of the many knights in King Arthur, trying to pull Excalibur from its stone.
"What the hell did you do, Edmund?" she grunted as she put a foot onto the base of the tree trunk, giving it more leverage to yank the sword out. She felt a hand on her arm and stopped, looking behind her.
"You're not doing it right," Edmund told her with an amused expression on his face. He gave her back the other twin sword, the one that wasn't lodged in the tree and brushed her gently aside, "The trick is to wriggle it free, not to pull on it."
After Edmund dislodged the sword from the tree trunk, he handed it back to Evangeline who in turn put her two twin swords back in its scabbard.
They sat down around the fire and joined the others for a meal which consisted of apples and roasted bears meat. Evangeline cringed as she received it, but she was starving so she crammed it into her mouth and tried not to think about where the meat came from. It tasted like any normal meat, but she couldn't get the image of the dying bear out of her head.
Peter and Edmund both asked for second servings and Evangeline resisted the urge to shudder. "Meat is meat…" she whispered to herself. She uncorked a water skin and drank deeply, quenching the thirst that had been building up from the duel she had with Edmund.
"I think I know the proper classification of your sword now, Evangeline," Lucy said, looking up from the roasted meat that she was picking at.
"What would that be then, Lu?" Peter asked for her.
"Since it's neither a sword or a dagger, we can call it… Swagger. Or… Dagword."
Susan snorted and laughed. "I don't think that really works, Lucy."
Evangeline grinned. "I think we'll just stick to calling it a long dagger."
"But… Peter and Edmund both named their swords…"
"You name your swords?"
Peter nodded, "Mine's called Rhindon," he said, drawing his sword out. The blade looked orange, but it was just reflecting the flickering lights coming from the fire.
"That's an interesting name for a sword… What about you Edmund?"
Edmund drew out his sword from its sheath. Like Peter's it was silver and glinted orange in the firelight, "This is the sword I used in the Battle of Beruna..."
He smiled fondly at the blade, admiring it as he tilted it this way and that, "Its name is Steve..."
Evangeline laughed and choked on the water she was drinking. She spat it onto the grass, and kept on giggling, even though water was going up and coming out of her nose.
She could hear Peter laugh along with the giggles coming from Susan and Lucy. Trumpkin actually smiled.
"What kind of name is that for a sword?" She managed to say after her fit.
"A very befitting one," Edmund said with a smirk.
She laughed, "I don't believe you."
"Then don't."
Evangeline shrugged, still smiling and took out her twin blades. "I'm not sure as to what I'll name mine…"
"Don't worry," Susan reassured her with a smile, "I'm sure you'll think of something."
"Did you name your bow, Susan?" Evangeline asked.
Susan shook her head, "I don't see a point in it, Lucy named her dagger though."
Lucy grinned and quickly unsheathed her dagger, her eyes glinting in excitement as she looked at it, "I call it Nasrin, it means wild rose."
"That's a lovely name." The Pevensies all have killer instincts, even the youngest one. I should be scared.
Evangeline finished eating her apple and slowly walked away from the camp, taking her time and relaxing as the smell of jasmine flowers wafted to her nose. She would usually go to sleep, but she found it difficult with the bright light of the fire flaring in her face. Her drowsiness had disappeared after the lesson with Edmund, all she could feel were an adrenaline rush and her heart pumping loudly.
She wanted to go back to sleep though, because she knew that tomorrow would be another long day of walking.
Evangeline felt a pair of eyes trained on her but kept on walking until she soon found a clearing in the expanse of trees. The grass was bathed in moonlight and it looked so inviting that Evangeline lay down on the ground and propped her arms behind her head. She looked at the bright stars that shone in the night sky, trying to steady her heartbeat by breathing in the scent of jasmine and soon her eyelids were almost closed.
"It's dangerous to be out here alone…" Edmunds voice said, breaking through her drowsiness.
"That hasn't stopped you from coming…"
"That's because I can defend myself."
Evangeline sighed looking at the stars, "Just leave me alone then, go back to your camp."
She felt Edmund sit down next to her, "It's Diameis…"
"What?"
"My sword's name's Diameis, not Steve."
"Well… That's a wonderful revelation. It's definitely a much better name than Steve, it matches it's owner… 'In one hand, Edmund wielded Steve as he cut down enemies before him', no, that doesn't sound right. 'In one hand, Edmund wielded Diameis as he cut down enemies before him'." Evangeline laughed as she pretended to narrate from a story, "Much better."
Edmund chuckled as he lay down next to her, following her gaze.
"The constellation you're looking at… They're called the Twins."
"You mean Gemini?"
"No, it's different here in Narnia. The twins had a name… Eresen and Thaulen. Want to hear the story?" Edmund asked.
"Mmhmm, please," Evangeline replied.
"It was said that long ago the two twins were born to a King of Narnia."
"Two princes? Oh boy, the trouble they must have caused."
"No," Edmund said, exaggerating on the O, his tone told her that he meant 'shut up and don't interrupt me' but in a more polite way. "Eresen was a prince, Thaulen, a princess. They were born within minutes of each other, after that they became inseparable. Everything Eresen did, Thaulen did too, fighting, horse riding, devising military plans. And vice versa, Eresen did everything his sister did, embroidering, dancing, learning mannerisms.
"On the battlefield, nothing could become between those two. Not only on the battlefield, but in serving the country and everything that came through to it. On their own, they were strong, but when they worked together they were invincible.
"One day, Thaulen was married off to an Archenlander prince to keep the peace between the two nations. Archenland is south from Narnia." Edmund said, informing her on Narnia's geography and continued, "She knew that she would miss her brother very much so they promised to write to each other every day if it were possible. The prince who was jealous of the love she had for her brother and not for him forbade her from writing anything. He killed her hawk, broke her quills and poured her ink out of its jars."
Evangeline gasped at this, "That's horrid."
"I know," Edmund replied gently, "Eresen knew that something was wrong with his sister, so he went on a trip to Archenland as a political visit just to check on her. He found that she was miserable and unhappy with her new life so he asked if he could take her back to Narnia for a holiday trip.
"The Archenlander prince consented, but after they left, he sent some spies after them because he knew that Thaulen wouldn't be coming back after she was gone with her brother. He told them that they were to kidnap Thaulen in the middle of the night and bring her back to him.
"However the spies were misinformed and thought that they were supposed to murder her instead. When Eresen and Thaulen stopped for the night they attacked… That night the moon wasn't showing, so they were sneaked up upon.
The twins died trying to protect each other…"
There was a pause as both Evangeline and Edmund absorbed the story into their minds, Evangeline was imagining the bloody battle that had happened, and Edmund was rethinking about the whole story again, and what had happened next.
"Aslan placed the two in the sky, different as two halves, but were one whole, incomplete without the other. Because they're only spaced apart by only a little, they're the brightest stars in the sky. So if the moon decides to hide her face, the twins Eresen and Thaulen would shed some light to those who are blinded by the dark."
Evangeline was silent for a while and Edmund thought she had fallen asleep until she whispered, "That's a sad story."
"I know," came Edmund's gentle reply. "It just shows that love isn't just a feeling, it's a bond. As long as you know you're loved, you're never truly alone…"
"You're a great storyteller."
"… Thank you."
"Ed… Have you ever felt alone?"
"Sometimes…"
"But you are loved, by your brother, your sisters, and your family. Me…" Evangeline drifted off drowsily.
"A declaration of love already, Evangeline?" Edmund asked with a laugh.
She shook her head in reply and blushed when she realised what she was saying. "Not love like the romantic type. I care about you."
Edmund chuckled, "That was evident in the way you kicked water at me."
"You annoyed me, it's too tempting to not kick water into your face."
Edmund smiled, "I'm not usually this patronising."
"You're kidding me, right?"
"I'm not, it's just my way of looking out for you."
"By constantly arguing with me?"
"It makes you more aware of what you're doing."
"Sure…" Evangeline resumed looking at the stars.
Edmund sighed, "I'm sorry for being an ass earlier..."
Evangeline scoffed, "You don't have to apologise, I already know that you are one." She turned her head to meet his serious face and grinned, "I'm only joking."
A small smile crept to his face as she squeezed his hand. For once Evangeline felt comfortable with Edmund, and her feelings were not of irritation or disdain. She couldn't describe that sudden strange feeling that she felt as they looked at each other. There was this bubbling elation inside of her and she felt this pull, like some sort of attraction to him, a crush was it called? But whatever she was feeling, she'd have to bury it deep within her. Edmund was Peter's brother for god's sake. She couldn't just start crushing on him.
Why was he being so nice to her? If he wasn't being nice, then she wouldn't be feeling this would she?
"Strange… That constellation looks familiar…" She pointed up to the sky at the stars that seemed to take the shape of a mermaid.
"Oh… That's Aurelia the mermaid…" Edmund drifted off for a bit as he debated on whether or not he should tell her story to Evangeline. She might scoff at how pathetic it was, the mermaid's love story. "Peter was in love with her back then in the Golden Age…"
"WHAT?" Evangeline exclaimed, sending birds flying out of their nests in panic.
"Hush, Evangeline. It's late, the story could wait for tomorrow."
"No no, it's fine, do tell." Evangeline started but was interrupted by a yawn.
"Tomorrow it is then… Get some sleep, we're probably getting up at sunrise."
The girl beside him yawned again and closed her eyes, nodding off to sleep.
Stop being so mean to her, Ed, Susan's voice rang through his head, give her a chance to prove herself and you might find that you could actually like her, remember, you were worse than she is when you just came to Narnia. Help her adjust, don't make more difficult for her.
Susan's so bloody reprimanding, Edmund thought. Before they set up camp, his older sister had dragged him to the side to basically tell him off. The full force of his betrayal from their first arrival in Narnia hit him when Susan mentioned it, it wasn't something that he liked remembering. But as always, Susan was right. He did like her, just a little more than he did yesterday.
He watched as her expression softened, and realised that she was actually quite pretty. He cursed himself for being blind and for never noticing her as much as the other girls from St Finbars.
Now that he thought about it, most of the girls that he knew there where nothing like Evangeline. They were so easy to flirt with, not like he did that too much, and none ever put up a fight. He never knew what it was like to argue with the fire like the one Evangeline has. He enjoyed the change from girls who seemed to try to catch his attention whenever he walked past, for a combat of wit and constant teasing which made everything all the more entertaining and made him… more attracted to her.
Edmund would usually sleep early, but now that he was in Narnia, his mind was still up and fully alert. It would take some time for him to try and sleep. He knew Evangeline was in a deep sleep as her breathing had become laboured. Before he could stop himself, he brushed a lock of black hair out of her face like he had earlier in the day. He was glad that she didn't respond or wake up. It would have been strange for him to have Evangeline catch himself staring at her.
Evangeline shivered and curled onto her side, which brought her closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her and saw outlines of his siblings moving around the fire. A blush rose to his cheeks when he thought about the possibility of Evangeline waking up again. Why was he blushing? There was no harm in shielding a friend from the cold, right?
He placed his forhead onto hers and stayed like that for a while, looking at her and memorising her face. From her river black hair to her pale skin to match an angular face with slightly raised cheekbones. Green eyes that were now closed with curved lashes to a nick of a scar on her right cheek. He knew that he could've stayed like that forever, even though he wouln't want to build anymore of his sudden, not hate, but a little crush-type of feelings for Evangeline.
She was Peter's friend, she should be off limits.
He shook the thoughts that were forming in his head when he decided on going back to camp. As quietly as he could, he got up and scooped Evangeline into his arms, doing his best to not wake her. He smiled to himself when she leant her head onto his chest.
"Hmm, Evangeline's asleep already?" Peter mused when Edmund had come back.
Edmund grinned as he looked down at the sleeping figure in his arms, "I told her a bedtime story and she went out like a candle."
Peter chuckled in reply as he spread out his roll, he did the same for Evangeline's roll and Edmund placed her on the ground close to the fire. He gently removed the sword scabbards from her back and the belt at her waist that would make her sleep uncomfortable.
He sat next to her while she slumbered on, oblivious to Edmund's presence. He pushed away some strands of hair from her forehead with his fingers gently brushing her cheek.
Peter caught him in the act and raised his eyebrows, but he didn't question anything because he knew that his younger brother was either in denial or oblivious to his uncontrolled affection for Evangeline. Lucy, who was checking through things in her own pack looked up and murmured, "Oh I see…"
This snapped Edmund out of his reverie and he removed his hand, looking at Lucy. "There is nothing to see, Lu."
"A-huh…" came her reply, her tone unconvinced.
Edmund shook his head and prepared his own roll, lying down on it and staring across the fire at Evangeline. He soon drifted off to sleep with her form in his eyesight.
oOoOoOoOoOo
The snap of a twig and a constant shaking from her shoulders broke through Evangeline's peaceful slumber. Pain shot from her arms from where she had accumulated bruises from the training session she had with Edmund last night.
"Mmph…" she managed to say groggily before an urgent voice registered into her head.
"Evangeline, wake up. C'mon Ange… Wake up." Her heart suddenly beat faster than usual, but she ignored it, whose voice would make her heart beat faster anyway? With an inward blush, she realised that it was Edmund's voice and all she wanted to do was roll onto her side and go back to sleep, resisting the urge to open her eyes and absorbing every little detail of him. What was the rush anyway? she thought, giving herself another reason to not open her eyes. They were just hiking again today.
"Is the girl awake yet?" she heard Trumpkin say.
"No, I'm trying but she's so stubborn in the morning…" Edmund replied.
"Hmmph, aren't you all?"
"Ange, you better hear this because Lucy and Peter are missing," Edmund continued with that urgent ring in his tone.
"What?" She jolted, her head colliding with Edmund's. More pain ran through her body.
"Argh… 'No good morning, Edmund' or 'Thanks for waking me up, Edmund'? Just a big painful bruise to thank me?" Edmund asked, wincing as he rubbed his forehead.
"Oh god, I'm so sorry!" she apologised, rubbing her own forehead, wincing like him. "Peter and Lucy are missing?"
"Yeah, they're not in the camp area, but as long as Lucy is with Peter, I think they'll be safe… Peter isn't one who would usually leave like this without giving us a message or waking us up. Susan's in a panic state."
"We'd better find them then…" Evangeline muttered, Susan panicking was something that she wouldn't ever want to experience.
Edmund stood up from his kneeling position, offering his hand out to her. She accepted and looked at him as he pulled her up. He must have been awake for only three minutes earlier than her. His hair was a mess and his sword belt wasn't even strapped on.
She hissed in pain when she tried to walk, "I hurt… all over… It's your entire fault, Ed."
Edmund smiled, holding an arm out to support her, "It's becoming of you."
"Nice bed hair," she complimented with a pained grin as she looked at his face. Edmund tried his best to brush it into place with his fingers and grinned back at her. "Yours isn't too bad either."
Susan looked at Edmund and Evangeline. She frowned at them while she tapped her foot, agitated. "Hurry up… We need to find Peter and Lucy. Stop flirting with each other and get moving."
The said pair were caught off guard and stood still in shock for a moment, not daring to look at each other. Evangeline gulped down a gob of saliva that was built in her throat. When their logic snapped back into place, they joined the panicking Susan and the waiting Trumpkin, all running off in search of their missing companions.
"What's she talking about?" Evangeline asked Edmund, flushing.
He shrugged his shoulders as colour rose to his cheeks, "I have no idea..." he replied, dragging her by the arm.
A.N: Voyage of the Dawn Treader is coming out in 3 days! SQUEEEEEEEE!
