Once Upon Another Time
We will find out about what happened to Elednor soon, I promise, but it will be a bit back to front, for plot purposes.
Please R&R!
The beam of Edmund's torch fell on the cavernous chamber, as they descended the winding steps to the floor. Down there, natural light streamed in through tiny windows behind statues stood behind four golden chests.
Their statues, their chests.
"I can't believe it. It's all still here," Peter gasped.
Switching his torch off to preserve the battery, all three of the younger Pevensies rushed to their chests, opening them excitedly while Peter picked up a golden shield carved with the face of Aslan.
Inside were all his old things, his sword, his shield painted in the red and gold of their royal colours, his old armour. He tried on an old helmet, laughing to himself when it was far too big for him.
He was not twenty five years old now.
"I was so tall!" Lucy exclaimed ruefully, holding up a golden dress to her tiny body.
"Well, you were older then," Susan replied, rifling through her own chest.
"As opposed to hundreds of years later, when you're younger," Edmund quipped, making both girls laugh as they turned back to their chests. He quickly strapped his sword belt to his waist, hefting his shield as Peter lifted his chest's lid, and took out Rhindon, still shining as it slid from its sheath.
"What is it?" Lucy asked, as Susan lifted her bow and quiver.
"My horn. I must have left it on my saddle, the day we went back," she replied worriedly, as Edmund looked away.
He looked up at his statue, at the older version of the face he saw in the mirror every day now, and sighed. Now he was here, Elednor's ghost would not rest in his mind. The old pain rose up, and desperate to distract himself, he turned to watch Peter as he reverently recited the words engraved on his blade.
"When Aslan bears his teeth, Winter meets its death."
"And when he shakes his mane, we shall have Spring again," Lucy finished, all three looking at her questioningly. Lucy's face was no longer so animated, and she was crying a little. "Everyone we knew. Mr Tumnus and the Beavers…Elednor, Elyan…they're all gone," she breathed as Edmund sucked in a breath painfully. He looked away, not wanting to feel the sympathy from his siblings.
He had left her, abandoned her. She had been alone, because of him.
He had failed her.
"Edmund!" Susan's gentle voice called his attention back from where it had wandered in self-revulsion, and he followed her gaze to a small alcove, set apart from the others.
"Ed…" Peter began, but he moved towards it as if in a trance.
It was Elednor. Her beautiful face forever captured in shining marble, her crown atop her head and her sword in her hand. Elednor the Courageous. She was so lifelike Edmund almost swore he could have touched her and felt the warmth of her skin once more.
Then his eyes fell on the rectangular slab of marble on the floor before it, the words etched into it burning themselves on his eyes, on his heart's surface as he dropped to his knees.
Here lies Queen Elednor the Courageous, also called the Devoted. Fire Lily of Narnia, Lady of the Great Western Wood, Duchess of Lantern Waste, Countess of the Western March and mother of King Elyan the Bold and Queen Laramine the Wise.
Never did she lose hope that her King would return to her, and may she find peace in Aslan's Country.
He barely felt Peter's hand on his shoulder, comforting and sympathetic, as his vision blurred with tears he ruthlessly stopped from falling.
"I think it's time we found out what's going on," the High King breathed, as he too mourned the death of a sister, and of a family they never had a chance to know.
Eventually, they left the Treasury chamber, garbed in Narnian clothes and gear, their bows slung across their backs, their swords at their sides, and Lucy with her cordial and dagger.
They left the ruins of Cair Paravel, Edmund glad to do so; reminded as he was of the wife he had left behind.
However on one of the spits leading to the mainland, they watched a curious sight unfold.
Two men in unfamiliar armour about to heft a bound Dwarf into the sea. Immediately, with the instinct born of years of fighting, Susan fitted an arrow to her bow.
"Drop him!" she called commandingly, as Peter and Edmund drew their swords. The two men looked at each other askance, then dropped the Dwarf in the water. Peter and Edmund rushed forward, enjoying the thrill of action once more, while Susan shot on the men who went for his crossbow, and the other dived into the water to escape.
Edmund went for the boat, pulling it back to shore while Peter retrieved the Dwarf, pulling him from the sea and carrying him back to the two sisters. Lucy cut his bonds, as the Dwarf coughed and squirmed.
He was Red Dwarf, with long unkempt hair that hung past his elbows, and ragged clothes. He had clearly been beaten at some point, with a large bruise on his forehead and a cut on his eye.
The Dwarf coughed and pulled the gag from his mouth, and stood, glaring unexpectedly at Susan. "Drop him!" he shouted angrily. "Is that the best that you can come up with!"
Astounded by the Dwarf's rudeness, the Just King, the Magnificent King and the Valiant Queen stared at the Dwarf incredulously. "A simple thank you would suffice," the Gentle Queen retorted pointedly. The Dwarf pointed to where the two men had been.
"They were doing fine drowning me without your help!" the Dwarf exploded.
"Maybe we should have let them," Peter interrupted angrily. The Dwarf looked away.
"Why were they trying to kill you anyway?" Lucy asked curiously.
"They're Telmarines," the Dwarf replied, as if they were supposed to know. "That's what they do."
The word was like a punch to the stomach, as Edmund stared at the Dwarf. The Telmarines had been a warrior people, living to the north of Narnia's borders, and although warlike, they had had no trouble from them in their days as rulers.
"Telmarines? In Narnia?" Edmund looked to his brother and sisters, wondering if it was they who had destroyed Cair Paravel, and when.
"Where have you been for the past few hundred years?" the Dwarf asked caustically, shaking water off his sleeves.
"It's a long story," Lucy quipped as Susan handed Peter back his sword. The Dwarf's eyes fixed on it, on the lion's head pommel, and then widened and he took in the four Humans.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me! You're it?" the Dwarf exclaimed. "You're the Kings and Queens of Old?"
They glanced at each other, before they remembered their all-too youthful appearances. Just typical.
"High King Peter the Magnificent," Peter stepped forward, offering his hand but the Dwarf just stared at it and him like he was insane.
"You probably could have left off the last bit," Susan offered smilingly as Lucy giggled, and Edmund looked away to hide his smirk.
"Probably," the Dwarf chuckled. Peter's face darkened then he drew his sword.
"You might be surprised," he replied, and the Dwarf smiled, a long, slow smile.
"You don't want to do that, boy," he told Peter warningly, but Peter didn't lower his sword.
"Not me," he told the Dwarf, and then gestured to Edmund. "Him."
Edmund glanced at his brother, then drew his own sword. That was about as close as Peter would ever get to admitting he was the better swordsman.
The Dwarf looked at the sword, then at Edmund, before taking it warily. Peter let it fall, the weight pulling the tip into the ground. Edmund couldn't help but smirk and raise his eyebrows at his siblings.
It was almost his undoing.
The Dwarf struck, and he was forced to duck, and the Dwarf hit him with the flat of his hand.
"Edmund!" Lucy screamed as he stumbled back.
"Oh, you alright?" the Dwarf asked sarcastically, as he swung again, but Edmund recovered, dodged and hit him on the backside with the flat of his blade. This time, he remained focussed as the Dwarf attacked again, jumping over his blade then parrying and swiping in a complex series of movements, driving the Dwarf back until with a twist, he disarmed him and held the tip of his blade to his throat.
The Dwarf fell back, eyes wide with surprise and disbelief. "Beards and bedsteads!" he exclaimed. "Maybe that horn worked after all."
Edmund, still worked up from the fight, only lowered his sword slowly, eyes smouldering as he looked down on the Dwarf.
"What horn?" Susan asked confusedly.
"Your horn, Your Majesty," the Dwarf replied. "It was blown by Prince Caspian in the Shuddering Woods, as he was chased by his fellow Telmarines. I went to hold them off so the horn would not fall into their hands."
The Dwarf then explained about the invasion of the Telmarines, and the subjugation of Narnia hundreds of years before. He also explained the superstition behind the legend of the horn, and now the Narnians would gather, expecting the old Kings and Queens to come and lead them to victory against the Telmarines.
They listened, and Edmund felt some relief that the invasion had come after the death of Elednor. At least she had not been forced to watch Narnia fall.
After a moment, Peter turned to the Dwarf, whose name was Trumpkin. "Lead us to them. We will do all we can to help you regain Narnia," he vowed, and the old High King was back. Trumpkin nodded, and all piling into the boat, they left Cair Paravel behind.