Disclaimer: The only piece of Narnia I own is my necklace and several copies of the books and maps
97. Metal
Edmund couldn't believe what he was seeing. Time away from home had seemed to diminish his memory of the Cair. It looked so pristine, so beautiful, so luxurious, and so incredibly large. He had begun to forget what the marble floors felt like on his bare feet, how his stone balcony felt against his chest when he leaned on it. He couldn't wait to refresh his memory. He had half a mind to dive overboard and swim to her, so slow the ship felt like it was moving. He knew that would be ridiculous, of course, and even if it wasn't such a silly notion, Peter would have a heart attack. So Edmund allowed himself to drift with the winds and currents and keep his gaze fixed on home.
It took less than a quarter of an hour to reach the inlet and port. Once they had docked, almost before they could get the planks lowered, Edmund and Peter were off of the ship. They ran, still hand-in-hand, up the hill. They hit the gardens first, and Edmund hesitated. He slowed himself to a stop, allowing Peter's hand to slip out of his own before his brother realized what was going on. Memories of the fall, when Edmund and his friends had spent three days harvesting and telling stories, flashed through his mind as he touched some of the plants. Those days were the last truly happy ones he could remember since leaving, and they had definitely been the last days that he had laughed.
"Edmund?" Peter looked apprehensive and worried.
Edmund shook his head a bit and pulled himself away from an apple tree. "Let's get to the Cair."
Frowning a bit, Peter nodded, took his brother's hand in his own once again, and led them up the hill at a slower pace. Edmund looked around as quickly as he could, taking in as much detail as possible. He could no longer see the ocean or feel its saltiness. There was hardly any heat in the air, and the Cair certainly wasn't on fire, like in his nightmare. The ground was clean and beautiful, not dry and dusty like the island. The air was sweet and light, and so much more breathable. And last but not least, Peter was standing right next to him. That made this place home more than anything else.
Edmund glanced over his shoulder as they drew nearer to the Cair, suppressing a smile when he saw nearly every soul that had been on the ship following their Kings. Susan and Lucy were up front and talking to Nath, who seemed too distracted by his surroundings to hold any semblance of a conversation. Susan caught Edmund's gaze and shrugged good-naturedly before smiling and turning back to their guest.
After hiking up a few more steep hills, Edmund and Peter reached the grand front doors of their castle. Peter smiled at the look of awe and excitement on his brother's face, and he held Edmund back a bit as he opened the doors.
"Welcome home, Ed." He hugged his brother tightly and led him quickly inside.
At first, Edmund tried to move slowly. He wanted to take everything in and find out what, if anything, had changed. He managed to make it through most of the first hallway before giving up and racing Peter to the tower where their bedrooms were located. The two sprinted up the winding staircases, two bundles of exhaustion and breathlessness when they finally made it. Both boys smiled as they practically crawled to the room facing to the west, Edmund's room. Edmund's smile faltered when he took in the state of his room. No one had touched a single thing, it looked like. Leafs of incomplete notes he had been taking were still on the table. An open bottle of ink was still sitting on one of the desks. The door to his wardrobe still hung open slightly from when he forgot to close it on the day he left. It was exactly the way he remembered it.
"We were going to clean it up for you, when we found out where you were, but we didn't have time. Before then, no one was allowed in here." Peter looked around the room with him.
Edmund noticed the lack of dust and looked at his brother. "No one?"
"Well…the girls and I came in here every now and then…and I…borrowed your bed every night, but other than us."
"Oh Peter…" Edmund hugged his brother tightly.
Peter lowered his head to his brother's shoulder and cried softly. "We knew how much you hated people touching your things. None of us touched anything, I swear. Other than your bed and your balcony, nothing has made contact with anyone since you left. I promise."
"Shh. It's alright. You know I would never mind." Edmund gently stroked Peter's hair as his brother cried.
After a couple more minutes of being coddled, Peter took in a shaky breath and managed to get himself to stop crying. He pulled away from Edmund weakly, who kept his hands on Peter's shoulders. The two smiled weakly at each other, and when Edmund brushed away the last of Peter's tears with his thumb, Peter let out a wet chuckle and went right back to hugging his little brother.
"You're hopeless." Edmund said with a slight smirk.
"You made me that way."
"I apologize."
"Apology accepted. Now, what would you like to do now that you're home?" Peter once again pulled away and looked down at his brother.
"I want to watch the sunrise."
"But…Ed…the sunrise was an hour ago." Peter bit his lip, but stopped when Edmund smirked.
"Oh Peter, have you learned nothing? Until noon, the sun is always rising. Come on. I want to see Narnia."
Edmund pulled Peter out of his room and into the High King's, heading straight to his balcony that looked over Narnia. He sighed softly and leaned against Peter's shoulder, looking out at the beautiful country that was just beginning to wake.
"I wonder how crowded the Cair is going to be when everyone finds out I'm home." Edmund mused quietly.
"We'll have to bar the doors. You can't imagine how much everyone has missed you, and how worried everyone has been."
"I was afraid you were going to hold a funeral for me." Edmund gulped and bit his lip.
Peter squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep, shaky breath. "Some of them wanted to, but the girls and I didn't."
"What if you had never found me?"
"I…I don't know. I don't know what we would have done. But we did find you, and we don't have to worry about that anymore."
"Yeah. There is one thing I'm worried about though…" Edmund scuffed his foot on the ground nervously.
"What is it?"
"What's going to happen to Mahir?"
"Whatever you want to happen to him."
"What?" Edmund looked up at Peter in shock.
"We could detain him for abuse and torture against the King and keep him in prison here, or we could send him to the Tisroc to face whatever crimes he committed in Calormen. Whichever you choose is the fate we'll make sure he suffers."
"What if he didn't commit any crimes, or they just let him go?" Peter simply watched Edmund. "I don't want that to happen. Then he'd just go right back to dipping in the slave trade."
"Then what do you suggest?"
"I don't know…"
Peter rested a hand on Edmund's shoulder and squeezed. "You don't need to decide today. There's plenty of time to mull it over. Give yourself a few days to be free of him, and then we'll decide what to do."
"Alright. That sounds good."
"Come on, breakfast is probably waiting for us, and so are the girls."
Peter took Edmund's hand and pulled him gently out of the room. Once they got into the hall, he let go of Edmund and opted for wrapping one arm around his brother's shoulders instead. The two walked side by side down the staircase to the floor below, where their favorite dining balcony was located. It looked over the Eastern Sea and sat just below Lucy's balcony. When they got there, they were pleased to see both of the girls helping a few servants set up the food. Lucy set a large bowl of peppermint on the table and tossed a large smile to Edmund. He gave a small smile back and hung in the corner as everything was set up.
Once the dishes had been set and the servants cleared away, Peter led Edmund to his regular seat. The four ate in silence for awhile. Peter, Susan, and Lucy spent most of their meal watching their brother dig into his food like there was no tomorrow. It had been quite obvious from the start how Mahir had starved him, but they hadn't expected him to be so hungry. It was heartbreaking, and when they saw Edmund dash for the peppermints with a look of happiness, longing, and relief, Lucy had to excuse herself for a few moments to keep herself from crying.
"Edmund…" Peter finally spoke up, keeping his face as blank as possible as Edmund looked up from his food at him.
"Yeah, Pete?" He gave Peter a curious look.
"How long was it since you've eaten?"
"I ate on the ship, remember?"
"Other than field rations. How long has it been since you ate real food?"
Edmund frowned in thought and looked down. "I don't know. It would depend on what you mean by 'real food'."
"Something a person would eat willingly, even if they had other options."
"Um…let's see…it's been…uh…one hundred and ninety three days since I was taken, right?" Edmund looked up at Peter for conformation. When he nodded, he went back to thinking. "So…I guess…one hundred and ninety four days ago? Maybe one ninety three. I can't remember what I ate for breakfast that first day."
Peter and the girls paled a bit. "When was the last time you had anything to eat other than the food on the ship? Anything at all?"
"Before I got sick I guess."
"How long ago was that?"
"I don't know…eight days ago, I suppose."
"Eight days?" Edmund jumped when Peter shouted.
"Well…yeah…" Edmund found himself cowering in his seat. "I…I'm sorry…"
"No, don't be," Peter rubbed his temples and sagged a bit in his seat. "It wasn't your fault."
"Getting sick was." Edmund bit his lip when he heard his voice, which was rapidly growing weaker.
"I'm sure you didn't do it on purpose," Peter glanced up at him. "Did you?"
"No, not on purpose." His voice was almost at a whisper.
"Then it's not your fault. Come here. I'm sorry I shouted."
Peter scooted his chair closer to Edmund, who hesitantly did the same with his own seat. When the two were close enough, Peter scooped his brother into his arms and held him close. He stroked his hair, but frowned and stopped when something felt off.
"Why are you shaking?" Edmund shrugged. "Please Ed, not this again. Talk to me."
"Can we go riding? I miss it so much." Edmund's voice was barely audible.
"Of course. Susan, Lu, do you mind?" When the girls shook their head and watched the younger of their brothers worriedly, Peter nodded a thank you and stood up, picking Edmund up with him. "You're so light now."
"You could carry me just as easily before I left." Edmund bit his lip in frustration. His voice was only getting worse.
"Not just as easily." Edmund shrugged. Peter sighed. "Do you want to walk, or would you rather I carry you?"
"Whichever you prefer."
Peter sighed once again, but he didn't set Edmund down. With a grateful nod goodbye to the Queens, he carried his little brother back inside and headed for the main doors. He couldn't believe how feather light his brother was, and it made his stomach knot up. Peter and his sisters had always picked on Edmund for being so skinny in the past, but now it was as though he were barely there. It was no wonder he had been so exhausted on the ship. After going eight days without food and being bedridden for just as long with hardly any fat to feed his body, Peter was surprised that he was standing on his own at all yet.
"Maybe we shouldn't go riding…" Peter winced at the look Edmund gave him.
"Why not?"
"You're skin and bones Ed. Are you even capable of sitting on a horse?"
"I'll be on Phillip. I could be dead and he wouldn't let me fall."
Peter sighed in resignation. "Alright, if you're sure. But at the first sign of a problem, you're getting off and we're taking you to rest. Understand?"
Edmund nodded, unhappy with the compromise but knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to ride if he didn't agree to it. He allowed Peter to carry him the rest of the way to the stables, breaking into a pathetic excuse for a smile when he saw Phillip. He squirmed a bit and Peter set him down. Edmund jogged the rest of the way, tiring himself out with the effort but still smiling by the time he reached his destination.
"Edmund, how are you feeling?" Edmund's smile grew when Phillip ignored formalities and finally called him by his first name, as he had been begging him to since they first met.
"I'm fine." The phrase wasn't nearly as convincing as it was meant to be, and Edmund looked down a bit when Phillip gave him a quizzical look.
"If you don't mind me saying, for some reason, I doubt that."
"You should." Edmund jumped at Peter's voice right behind him. He spun on his heel to face his older brother, giving him the best glare he could. It was weak and undaunting, but it got the message across.
"Sire?" Phillip looked up at Peter with the Horse equivalent of a frown.
"Edmund will slaughter me if I give any details, but I would appreciate it if you would let me know if you feel the slightest difference in the way he is riding. I don't think he is physically able to ride, but he insisted, so it would mean a lot if you would help me take care of him."
"He's right here you know." Edmund frowned in disapproval.
"I shall, my King," Phillip turned to look at Edmund. "You took care of me so well on Tahj's ship and with Mahir. Please allow me to return the favor."
Edmund continued to frown, but knowing that he was outnumbered, he nodded in submission. Seemingly satisfied, Peter helped him put a saddle on Phillip and mount him. Once he was sure his brother was secure, the High King then saddled up his own stallion and the two left the barn at a steady walk. At first they went at an easy pace and Phillip stepped carefully, keeping a watchful eye on his charge. After about a half hour, when the Cair was out of view and nothing lay before them but beach, Edmund urged Phillip on. At first the Horse hesitated, but when Peter asked his horse to canter as well, he complied with Edmund's wish and the four sped up.
"How are you doing, Ed?" Peter looked over at his brother.
"Fine." Edmund didn't look back.
Peter frowned and looked down at Phillip. "Phillip? How is he?"
"Perhaps you should put a bit more faith in your brother, Sire, if it's not too bold to say. I will alert you if something does not feel right."
"I'm sorry, I'm just so worried." Peter looked back at Edmund for a moment, who still wasn't looking at him, before turning back to the path.
"Then perhaps you two should talk about what is worrying you."
"Hush, Phillip." Edmund spoke too softly for Peter to hear, but Phillip heard him rather well.
"You two need to clear the air if you're going to help repair one another."
"What is there to talk about? Edmund knows what happened to me, and I know what happened to him." Peter frowned and looked over at his brother once again.
"Do you?"
"Edmund…?" Peter's frown deepened when Edmund didn't respond. He reined his horse in and Phillip followed suit.
"Would you prefer I leave you two alone?"
"If you wouldn't mind, I would appreciate it." Peter dismounted his horse and lifted Edmund off, who put up no struggle.
"I will be a furlong back when you're ready to fetch me." With a bow, Phillip turned and strode away.
"Ed, what is it you're not telling me?" Edmund didn't answer. "Please, talk to me," Edmund just looked down. "What has gotten into you?"
"I told you before, I don't want to talk about it."
"But you have to talk about it. You've barely told me anything about what happened to you, and I can't rely on anyone else to tell me. Please. You used to tell me everything. Why won't you tell me this?"
Edmund turned away and struggled to hide the tears. He wanted to tell his brother, he truly, honestly did. But he couldn't. He refused to say a word until he was certain Peter was ready to take it, and he knew Peter wouldn't be ready until everything he wanted and needed to say was out there. Edmund knew Peter wanted to yell at him for the mistakes he made. He knew he deserved to be yelled at. He needed Peter's lecture, but until he got it, he wasn't going to give his brother what he thought he needed.
"Edmund, talk to me!" The only way he could think of that might have a shot of coaxing the monologue out of his brother was to rile him up, and nothing riled Peter up like being blatantly ignored when he was trying to say something important. "Edmund Pevensie, you answer me right this moment. Say something. Anything. Don't just turn your back on me."
Edmund wrapped his arms around his stomach, expecting Peter to grow closer to his boiling point and shout some more. He was surprised to see that, instead, Peter opted for a more physical approach. Peter grabbed Edmund's shoulder and forcefully spun him around, making his little brother face him. He gently, though firmly, raised Edmund's chin until they were looking each other in the eye.
"I need you to tell me what happened."
"No." Oh how Edmund wished his voice was stronger.
That did it. "What do you mean 'no'? You've been gone for six months! Your sisters and I were worried out of our minds. Your country thought you were dead. We thought you were dead! You had to go and pull some stupid stunt! You had to convince me to let you travel around with no guard, and then you went behind my back and dressed up like some commoner!" Peter began to pace angrily as he ranted.
"You went and risked your life. You didn't even take your sword. You could have been killed, do you understand that? You could have been killed, and no one would have known a thing about it! And now you won't tell me a single thing about what happened to you? Your sisters and I deserve at least something other than 'he starved me' and 'it was my fault I got sick' and 'I was the one who freed Phillip'. You can't just sit there and keep it to yourself and expect us to put up with it forever! I'm not asking for your whole story. Just a piece of it will satisfy. Anything at all. What they fed you, what you did there, who you met, anything!"
Peter was breathing heavily and shaking by the time he had finished, and a neat path had been worn in the sand from his rapid pacing. Edmund stood there watching him, a little more pale than usual.
"I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to explode like that, I…" Peter cut himself off when Edmund smiled.
"Now I can tell you what happened to me."
"What?"
"You needed to say all of that, and I needed to hear all of it. I was being a sodding idiot when I went off like that, and don't try to take back what you said. Everyone knows it's true. You've always lectured me when I screwed up, and I needed you to do that again, but you were too afraid for my wellbeing to say what we both needed you to say. Now that you have, and now that you're feeling better because of it – don't give me that look, it's obvious you feel better – I know you're ready to handle everything else." Edmund had no idea how he was able to say all of that, but he managed to, and his smile grew when Peter began to smile as well.
"Then sit down and let's get to talking."
"Actually…I was kind of hoping we could ride and talk. Phillip will want to hear it too, and I want to get back to riding."
"Alright, if you're sure you're okay to handle it."
"I am."
The two walked side by side until they reached Phillip, who looked up, somewhat surprised by their earlier-than-expected arrival. Edmund, with some help from Peter, mounted him in silence, and once Peter had seated himself in his stallion's saddle as well, they took off at a slow trot. For five minutes they rode quietly until Edmund had steeled himself for the story.
"I first woke up on Tahj's slave ship, the evening of the day I was taken."
And with that, Edmund told his story. It was easier to explain than he had thought it would be, though several parts made him tear up, and when he told Peter about the two men in the market gossiping about the elder brother, he cried. Peter rode close to him and kept a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it whenever necessary and stroking his cheek during the especially difficult parts.
It was dusk by the time Edmund finished. He apologized to his friend and brother for taking so long, but both of them quickly shrugged it off as nothing to fret over and definitely worth it. Peter dismounted his stallion and pulled Edmund off of Phillip, hugging him tightly before his brother had a chance to protest.
"I'm so sorry I let you go through all of that…"
"Oh no you don't," Edmund pulled away, frowning deeply. "You are not going to go blaming yourself for everything I went through. If anyone is to blame, it's Mahir's and me, and we are going to leave the fault where it belongs and nowhere else. Understand?" Peter nodded dumbly. "Good. Now let's get home. You all are probably starving."
"You're not?"
Edmund shrugged. "I'm used to not eating much."
He said nothing more on the ride home, and neither Peter nor Phillip pressed him. The four made it to the Cair an hour after dark, and Susan and Lucy were nearly frantic with worry. They berated their brothers while the two put their horse and Horse away for the night, only stopping when Peter explained to them what had taken so long after they had gotten inside. Once they were informed, they quickly hushed up and instead opted for fawning over Edmund worriedly. He allowed them to fuss over him during dinner, but despite their disapproving remarks and looks, he didn't eat much. He wasn't very hungry, though he knew it couldn't be helped. Supper went by all too slowly for his taste, and it was only halfway over before he got too tired to stay with them.
"I'm going to head to bed." He said softly, pushing his chair away from the table.
"Are you sure?" Lucy gave him a worried look. "You've barely touched your food."
"I'm sure. I'm tired."
"Won't you have just a few more bites of your meat? Please?" Susan mimicked Lucy's expression.
"Leave him alone, girls. He's had a long day. You'll eat extra at breakfast, won't you Ed?" Despite sticking up for his brother, it was obvious that Peter was worried as well.
Edmund nodded, grateful for the backup. He headed to bed without another word. When he changed into his silk nightclothes and slipped into bed, he nearly cried at the comfort. He had forgotten what a real bed was supposed to feel like and the shock of feeling it once again made every muscle in his body completely relax. Within minutes, he was asleep.
What seemed like moments later, Edmund found himself surrounded by heat and dust. He was on Mahir's property, halfway between the stables and the gardens. The grass was dead, and there wasn't a living thing to be seen. Edmund struggled to walk back to the house, but the temperature was crushing him and making it impossible to breathe. He gasped and stumbled, his arms flailing in an attempt to grab onto anything that might save his balance. He almost immediately regretted it. One hand caught a shred of fabric, and Edmund was able to stabilize himself enough that he didn't fall flat on his face. He pulled himself up to a standing position, only to find himself face to face with a very angry Mahir.
From his robes, the man – who strangely seemed immune to the suffocating warmth – pulled a large chisel used for shoeing the horses. He swung it at Edmund, who instinctively screamed and ducked for cover. The metallic instrument made a whistling sound as it buzzed past Edmund's ear, barely missing him. Mahir swung again, missing once more as the King struggled to crawl away from his captor. The dried grass stabbed his palms, making them bleed. He gasped or screamed each time Mahir swung the chisel, and the more he tried to get away, the more his hands bled.
"EDMUND!" The moment the voice flooded the air, Mahir's heavy metal tool caught Edmund in the back of the head and knocked him out.
