Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia, but I DO however... *giggle* -own Hatuf and Sadire.

AN: With those words I would like to introduce them to you. Go. Read :)

Chapter 12: Euphoria

They had reached their first Calormene town very early in the morning. It was one of the most dilapidated things Edmund had ever seen. It wasn't really a town, more a sloppy gathering of poorly built shacks. Despite the poor establishments Romel insisted they get rooms for the night – or day, as it was. "Why not just sleep in our tents?" Edmund asked. "I doubt the rooms will be much better."

Romel sighed like a man weary of the world. "It supports the local economy and helps out." They trudged up to a slightly larger house on the eastern edge of town. It was limestone as far as Ed could see. White, but partially covered in sand, it looked far less imposing. Small arches, that had once been straight, decorated the façade. The windows pointing out into the street were all small. Romel glanced back and noticed his frown. "Smile, pup. You might just like it."

Edmund wiped the frown off his face when a heavyset man greeted them with a wide smile. He clapped his hands together and did a half-bow for Romel. "Welcome back, Sidi."

Romel bowed back and grabbed the man's hand. "Thank you, Hatuf." He looked around the interior with a relieved sigh.

Edmund was doing the same in the back of the group. Though he did it with much more skepticism.

Outside it had looked little better than a mud-hut, but inside was like a haven. Blue and green mosaics climbed the walls in intricate organic designs. The entrance led into an open courtyard with a small fountain. Several finely dressed Calormenes were sitting under the banisters, smoking strange pipes.

"They're hookahs," Elijah explained in passing.

Edmund frowned, silently asking him to elaborate.

"Water pipes."

He smirked and turned his eyes upward. The sky was visible with light clouds passing over now and then. White linen curtains were fluttering in a breeze he hadn't felt outside. It really was like an oasis in the middle of the desert. He realized that was the intention and only loved it more.

"Your usual rooms, Sidi?" Hatuf asked.

"Anything you've got is fine," Romel said with a smile. Hatuf pointed them through finely carved wooden doors where a woman was waiting for them. "Sadire will take you." As they passed the friendly host, Valera leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He beamed at her and bowed. When Lauviah passed she did the same and received a bow and a smile as well.

Both women were tall and stunning, but Edmund figured Lauviah looked more exotic to the men there with her blond hair and blue eyes. He noticed some of the gentlemen in the shadows were watching her very greedily and instantly felt a little protective. This was the first time he had ever felt territorial about them. He tore his glare away from the oggling men and saw Sadire.

Sadire was a tall, dark woman with somber eyes. When she smiled it seemed a little sad. She too greeted Romel like they were old friends.

"Who's she?" he leaned in and asked Arthur.

"Hatuf's wife."

"Arranged?"

Arthur chuckled. "No."

Edmund wondered how a woman as stunning as she could ever be interested in a short, slightly fat, bald man like Hatuf. His question was answered when the couple caught each other's eyes across the courtyard. Her smile blossomed and transformed her face completely. He found himself smiling with her. The men were led into a suite with four adjoining rooms. Lauviah and Valera were given a room of their own just down the hall. The suite had a balcony with a view of the eastern desert. Ed could see the clouds rolling over the landscape like whales. A cool wind was blowing into the room and effectively cooling him.

In the centre was a low table with a silver dish full of fruit. Next to it was a hookah stuffed with apple-tobacco. Edmund grinned at the prospect of trying it later. "Edmund, you're with me." Arthur called and entered one of the rooms. It was as pretty as the suite, only slightly smaller. Two low beds were facing a large window. The linens were plain, but clean.

"What are we supposed to sell here?" he asked after having dumped his bag and sword next to the bed.

Arthur didn't bother unpacking and just threw himself on the bed like Edmund. "Hatuf deals with raw metals. Mostly steel. It sells at a high rate out here which is how we usually pay for our rooms."

"And a little raw steel is enough for five rooms with a suite?"

Arthur grinned. "More than,"

Romel announced from the other room that they had the day off. Arthur looked at Edmund with a smirk. "Come." He rolled out of the bed. "I'll show you how you light a hookah." Edmund was pulled into the suite where Lauviah and Valera were already waiting with a few of the others. Archer, Stell and Hamied were as usual missing. Romel as well. Only Elijah and Hale remained besides the girls. "Hullo, ladies." Arthur greeted he and Arthur mockingly.

The ladies were nipping at the grapes and oranges that filled the silver dish. Hale and Elijah were draped across the large couches.

"I promised the pup I'd show him how to properly smoke a hookah." He grinned at the four. "Anyone interested?"

They grinned and made room for him and Edmund. The day that should have been spent sleeping was spent smoking, eating and drinking something Sadire claimed was coffee. Edmund almost choked, it was so strong. As the sun began to set, Romel and Archer returned. A meal was delivered by Hatuf himself and four girls. It wasn't grand, but just that it wasn't porridge was enough. After the meal, Stell returned and joined the group. A new pipe was lit and more wine was delivered.

Lauviah pulled Edmund aside to check on his wounds. They sat in her room, which had a view of the west. More desert, but in the distance once could just barely make out mountains. The sun was large and red as it hovered just above the horizon. "Sit down,"

Edmund sat and lifted his shirt. They had all been given fresh clothes by Hatuf and he was really starting to wonder how much a few bars of steel could buy.

"They look much better. The dry heat has done them good."

"They feel better." Edmund lowered the shirt and accepted a small cup of something strong. "What's this?"

"It's a tonic made from roots that only grow here. It's good for your body, drink it."

She grinned at his petulant frown. "It tathtes howwibwe."

She let out a bubbling laugh and began pulling things out to make a cup of tea. "We'll have to make it in the other room. I don't have a fireplace in here."

Edmund stood and followed her out, still smacking his lips from the foul taste.

"How are the wounds?" Arthur asked when they entered.

Edmund was still frowned and settled for giving him the thumbs up. They chuckled and watched curiously as Lauviah prepared her tea and fed it to Edmund. He frowned again and hacked when he drank it. He had discovered that it tasted horrible no matter what he did and that nothing he ate or drank after could get the taste out. The only thing that worked to some extent was drinking it fast. So he guzzled it down and ignored the burn in his throat. When he removed the cup an involuntary shiver ran through him and made the others laugh all the more.

He smiled and rejoined them on the couches. As the night settled, two girls came and closed the screen doors to the balcony. They asked if there was anything else their guests needed. All declined and the girls were excused. Edmund could feel his eyes drooping and rubbed his face to chase away some of the weariness. "This place really is amazing." he mumbled to the remaining group.

The women had gone to bed, as had Romel, Stell and Hale. Only Archer, Arthur, Elijah and Edmund remained. Hamied was still missing, but no one seemed concerned for him so Edmund let it go. "What's the town called?" he asked.

"Inthz." Arthur answered. "It's right on the fringe of civilization which makes it a great place to put an establishment like this. The only ones who come here are wealthy Calormenes or travelers."

"I noticed some of them downstairs."

A few of their faces sobered, but Arthur kept smiling. "They come here because of its reputation." His smile turned slightly aggressive.

Edmund frowned. "It's reputation as what?"

Only now did his merriment seem to diminish. "A whore house." he answered.

Ed's eyes bulged and instantly flit towards the doors. "You mean those girls. . ."

"Were here to service us." Arthur mumbled and took another gulp of wine.

Edmund's mouth was agape as he stared at the red-head. "But- But they were girls."

"Barely reached puberty."

"Each his own," Archer growled and downed his glass. "I'm off. Tell Romel I'm with Hatuf when he wakes up."

"Sure," Elijah answered. He was bunking with Romel that night. He looked over at Edmund who still looked slightly sick. "It's how it is here."

Edmund almost glared and made Elijah cringe slightly. "Have. . .Have any of you. . .ever-"

Both shook their heads. "We come to sell steel." Arthur said as if repeating a litany. "And only that." He stood and disappeared into his and Edmund's room.

Ed looked hopelessly at Elijah. The dark-haired man shrugged. "He never really tells us anything about his life," He sighed and stood as well. "And we never really ask." He left Edmund alone in the suite.

Ed looked around and felt a little lost. Everyone was either sleeping or somewhere else. He rubbed his face and ran a hand through his black hair. It was getting longer. Dark scruff was beginning to cover his chin. He unfolded his hands and studied them. They seemed so familiar, but he couldn't remember what he had ever used them for. Besides fighting. They were warrior's hands. Ha glanced in the direction of the doors. What kind of person was he? The single most terrifying thing he could think was that he was a man who would take advantage of women like that. That he was a man who killed and fought without ever noticing the blood spill.

Was he a callous man? Would his memories turn him into a monster? He fisted his hands and unclenched. He fisted them again and unclenched. He felt strong. It felt natural. With a deep sigh he got up and moved to the balcony doors. He slipped the doors open and allowed the wind to blow through the room. He remembered the feeling of his new sword. It felt like it was made to fit in his hand. He had tried handling it a little for practice. Every move felt comfortable. He could feel the same familiarity whenever he caught or gripped something. He was ambidextrous. Used to using both hands. Both had equal strength and agility.

He wondered who the strange faces from his memories belonged to. He could already now tell that it would be like opening a lid and tipping out the contents. Once overturned there would be no stopping it. So it seemed this was his challenge. To remain who he was or allow for someone else to take over. Someone with pains and desires. Perhaps wildly different pains and desires than his own. Much deeper ones.

He looked into the night sky. The hunting call of a lion caught his ears. They'd heard lions on their way through the Great Desert. He had been scared then, not remembering what a lion looked like. Arthur had drawn him one. It was odd, but after he saw it, it felt almost familiar. Something safe and majestic. A protector. He hadn't told anyone about that, but had kept the drawing. He looked across the light blue sand and at the much darker sky. It seemed as though the stars were sparkling only for him that night. Like silent friends, waiting for him to confide in them. He glanced back into the suite to check it was still empty. He then took a deep breath. "Why am I so afraid to change?"

He looked higher and higher until it almost felt as if the stars were hovering right next to him. But no answer came. He'd never get one. He glanced back into the suite and took another deep breath. With resolute steps he made his way into the room he and Arthur shared. "Are you awake?" he quietly called.

Arthur growled and shifted in the dark. "No."

"Can I ask you something?"

He heard him sigh and sit up. "Sure,"

Edmund carefully slipped into bed and folded his legs under him. "Have you ever been scared of yourself?" Nothing answered him but silence. "Arthur?"

"Yes."

". . .Yes to. . .to my question?" he asked quietly.

"Yes to your question. Several years ago when the memories first started returning."

"And what did you do?" He unconsciously leaned closer though he couldn't see anything.

Arthur sighed. "I learned from my mistakes." He sighed again and Ed could almost feel his stare. "Romel was my general. All of ours. And I was his most loyal soldier."

Edmund swallowed nervously and stared at him through the dark. Romel must've told them all that Edmund now knew about their pasts.

"I followed his commands blindly. Even in the lifetimes that followed. Until one day a memory resurfaced I hadn't seen before."

"When was this?" He was surprised that they were all so comfortable with him knowing. No one had said anything.

"It was almost two hundred years ago."

Edmund stilled and almost stopped breathing. He knew why Romel had explained they were cursed; never able to rest; unable to die. It was so Edmund would gain a deeper sense of understanding. Perhaps to help him become integrated in the group. His previous thoughts from the desert returned and became a whirling mass of new ideas and questions. He had tried to take in everything about them, never realizing how simple it all was. They were tired. They aged with each life they led. He was speaking with an old man even though the red-head was barely five years his senior. "I never realized. . ."

"No. Not many do." He scoffed. "Then again, not many know."

His eyes drifted down to the slightly lighter shade of his linens. To live for so long. To go through all the same things over and over again. His thoughts from the desert walk reformed. The same, intense relief he had felt in the desert rushed back over him. He couldn't imagine a worse fate than to never die. When did life become worthless? When did it become torture? "Lion's mane. . ."

"What?" Arthur's voice instantly triggered something along his spine. A strange fight or flight instinct.

His hairs prickled. "What."

"Why did you say that?"

Edmund shrugged though he knew Arthur couldn't see. "Just a figure of speech?" In the silence that followed he tried not to get nervous. "Are you alright?"

". . .Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." The sheets rattled as he settled back down. "Why did you ask me that question?"

Edmund stared in his general direction a bit longer. The darkness felt a little suffocating now. "I've been wondering about my own memories." His voice had lost its casual tone and taken on a slight pinch. "If I'll like who I was."

Arthur huffed. "Don't worry so much, Edmund. Life's nothing but a series of new beginnings. All it takes is a wakeup call."

"And you're saying my memories might be that call?"

He huffed again and chuckled slightly. "Go to sleep, pup." He rolled over and left Edmund sitting in the dark.

It took a few minutes, but eventually he too settled down and fell asleep almost instantly.

AN: Next one is gonna make things even more complicated for you.