Disclaimer: If I could wish upon a star...
AN: Here we go again. Hope you all have a nice weekend.
Chapter 34 – Haven
At his first sight of the city walls of Edoras, Edmund felt exhausted. He had hardly noticed it when the euphoric state left him and his siblings, or when the gloom consumed him once again. He was slouching atop Aril with Lucy in front. She was beginning to slacken her grip on the reins and prompted Edmund to take them from her hands. She sighed and leaned back as his arms encircled her.
The entire group was exhausted. All were striding slowly along and only keeping their eyes in front of them. Even Gandalf seemed unusually dimwitted. His droopy lower eyelids and his slow blinks. "I could sleep for a month," Pippin piped up from behind Eomer. The tall, silent, Rohan knight smirked, but otherwise showed no intention of answering. The only things visible of Pippin were his little hands as they gripped Eomer's sides.
"As could we all," Aragorn mumbled and smiled back in the direction he knew the hobbit to be. He wondered briefly if Merry had fallen asleep. Glancing over at Lucy and Edmund he noticed that the young woman was fast asleep in her brother's arms. A look of such peace, only her unending trust in her brother could have caused. "How long has she been searching for you?"
Edmund jerked his head towards Aragorn before he shrugged. "For almost two weeks I suppose."
"You both need sleep." Peter interrupted. He was striding slowly next to his brother and sister, keeping an eye on them. He would've felt better if Susan had been next to him as well, but she was safe between Aragorn and Gandalf.
Edmund nodded, far too tired to put up a worthy fight. Unexpectedly Peter reached out and placed a warm hand on his neck for comfort. Edmund sighed deeply and allowed his eyes to close, if only for a moment. Peter's thumb rubbed slow circles over his neck and almost lulled him to sleep then and there. He shook himself out of it and Peter begrudgingly removed the hand. "If I fall, who'll steer the horse?" he asked with a sly smirk his brother's direction.
Peter huffed back and returned his hand to the reins.
The crew of eight horses reached the lowlands in front of Edoras. The sun had hidden behind a great cloud that appeared to be coming from the north. Not storm clouds, but dark enough to promise rain. "Let's hope Eowyn has everyone settled in," Edmund said in a quiet voice.
Once inside, the four Pevensies kept to themselves. Susan and Lucy both wanted to offer their help, but didn't feel comfortable leaving their brothers. All four siblings sat on the same bed and stared at the people around them. People bustled around while they tried to keep a civil conversation. It was going poorly already, until a group of knights entered with a magnificent clatter. Then it turned downright impossible. Susan sighed and moved over to speak with Eomer, who had entered. Lucy noticed Eowyn and Morwen trying to put people into beds, but getting sidetracked by Morwen's two children. She turned in her seat and looked at her brothers a moment.
Both looked back at her calmly. She smiled. "I'm glad you're safe," She leaned in and kissed Edmund's cheek before she rose and left them alone.
They looked at each other a second before they both broke into smiles. But still no words were forthcoming. Peter gazed at his brother like said boy was a vision of long forgotten beauty. Edmund's eyes were dropping lower with each blink and he was seriously contemplating lying down next to his brother. With a mental shrug, this is what he did. Peter moved without a word to allow him to stretch, before he settled back against the low headboard. He put his hand on Edmund's forehead and carted said hand through the dark hair. The motion was mesmerizing for both, and they soon drifted off.
Aragorn happened upon them not long after and stopped with a smile. They looked years younger as they slept next to one another. Gandalf filled his wake, deeply engrossed in conversation with Legolas and Gimli, but Aragorn waved for them to be silent. All stopped in surprise and looked to where Aragorn gestured. They smiled and moved quietly along to a long table where Lucy and Susan were sitting with two mugs of ale for warmth.
"How fairs our Narnian kings and queens?" Gandalf asked as he took a seat across from Lucy. Aragorn took the one across from Susan a moment after.
Susan smiled and sipped her ale slowly. "The kings are sleeping and not a moment too soon."
Lucy giggled. Her own beverage was disappearing at a much more rapid pace than that of her sister. Susan didn't notice until Lucy reached for the pitcher a second time. "Poor things barely made it to a bed before they both collapsed." She frowned when Susan smoothly pulled the pitcher out of reach.
"You need to eat."
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Yes, mum."
Susan ignored the jibe easily, afterhaving had years of training, and looked around for a bowl of soup. People were eating, but she couldn't find the source. It were the hobbits who saved her from moving when they brought over six bowls one by one. The members of the Fellowship settled around the table and quietly ate their suppers. Outside, it began raining. The heavy drops thrummed on the roof and a large hearth fire was blown back to life. Children of all ages were napping as well as knights and soldiers. Most of them snoring wildly. It made her brothers look less like children napping and more like soldiers resting.
As the day wore on and chores were seen to, the women began to relax and the men slowly woke up. The Fellowship had been excused, as had most soldiers, from any kind of chores around the city or in the hall. Even Susan and Lucy, though the oldest sister had half expected to be called upon. The king had joined his men in the hall and was eating with Eomer, Eowyn, Háma's son and Gamling in a corner. Lucy had managed to sneak two more drinks before Susan could stop her, but was holding her inebriation quite well.
She was no worse off than the hobbits or Gimli. Susan sighed and vowed to sick one or both of her brothers on her when they woke up.
As if called, she saw Edmund rise. He rubbed his face as he came over. "Good morn," He sat down as Aragorn vacated a seat next to Gandalf. The ranger returned with a bowl and Edmund reverently accepted. Aragorn took his seat next to Susan with a quick smile. She returned it before she turned her attention to Edmund. "How was your nap?" He was always skinny. Always pale. Tired very easily when he spent too much time inside. Susan had spent a great many years, trying to get him to eat more, to get out more and to play more.
"I do not nap," was his sullen reply.
She smiled at his foul mood. He was always a beast when he'd just woken up. He looked so small, hunched over his bowl like that. She had long ago realized it was a hopeless cause to pester him about his eating and sleeping habits, but still nagged him sometimes just for her own peace of mind. When he reached for a mug of ale, she deftly plucked it out of his reach. "Not until after supper."
Edmund scowled, remembering a time where he'd had wine with every meal. A time where he and Lucy had been known to best centaurs in drinking games – the creatures had four stomachs and usually consumed more than dwarves. Not that Susan knew about said drinking games, nor that Edmund would ever tell her. It just smarted, knowing he could wield a sword better than a grown man and drink as well as one, but couldn't because his sister said so. He scowled once more for good measure.
"Careful or your face will freeze," Lucy said sagely. She tipped her chalice all the way back and frowned when nothing more came out.
"I think you've had enough for one evening." Susan said and patted her sister's arm.
Lucy looked slightly confused as well as affronted and made Edmund scoff in an attempt to hide a smile. He reached out for the mug of ale again and was relieved when Susan didn't argue. Lucy's confusion turned to a scowl which she directed at him. "What about Edmund?" She smiled evilly.
Susan sighed. "It's not fair that you can drink when Edmund can't." she said in a vague attempt to justify her dislike for them both drinking, and snatched the mug back from her brother.
"Then how about they both drink?" Peter suggested and sat down at their table with a heavy clap on Edmund's shoulder.
Their friends were quietly watching and talking, but none seemed bothered by the attempts at parenting the youngest siblings. "I don't want to have to watch them all night, do you?" Susan glanced at Edmund and back at Peter. "You do remember what happens when they start drinking?"
Edmund chuckled and made his brother smile. Susan sent him a suspicious look. "I'm not drunk!" he quickly defended with his shoulders high and palms up. Lucy giggled and switched Pippin's cup with her own without anyone the wiser. None except for Gandalf, that is. And he just shot her an indulgent smile.
"Tonight we celebrate," Aragorn looked closely at his dear friends. "Not many can say they have accomplished what we have. We should enjoy our victories."
Susan and Peter shared a sad look across the table. But how long will those victories last? "What are the plans then?" Peter looked between Aragorn and Gandalf. "Where do we go from here?"
Both men fell quiet. "It's difficult to say anything. All I know with any kind of certainty is that the war is not over." Gandalf looked at both older Pevensies solemnly. "I know that." he mumbled to himself.
Susan and Peter shared a concerned glance, but Edmund robbed her brother's attention with a crude joke, no doubt terribly clever and stinging. Even as the three of them were laughing again, Susan looked at Aragorn and saw only concern. His deep, blue eyes were fixed on the other three Pevensies as they joked and laughed for the first time in what seemed like ages.
As the night wore on Susan felt a bit more at ease. Her loving little sister had managed to steal three more chalices of ale and had even given one to Susan. Lucy was presently learning how to dance the Squirrel Jig, taught to her by Merry and Pippin atop a table. Soldiers were laughing and clapping their hands, regardless of how many errors the three made. Susan smiled and turned in the other direction. Her youngest brother was teaching Gimli one of the many drinking songs he had learned from the dwarves in Narnia. He thought she didn't know about the drinking games. The Middle-Earth dwarf seemed very interested. It even seemed that the two were comparing notes at one point, which was around the time Susan decided to no longer pay her brother's alcoholism any mind.
Peter was faring far more gracefully as he sat and talked with Théoden over the same beer he'd poured a half an hour ago. She had a sneaking suspicion that Peter was trying to get a foot in the door on Théoden's plans in the coming war. As far as she could tell the king was declaring the war over. That didn't set well at all with Peter, if his frown was anything to go by. She knew an argument would probably erupt between the two before the night was over, but decided to wait and only interfere if things got out of hand.
In the middle of the festivities, Susan felt slightly left out. Lucy had no doubt noticed, which was why she had poured her older sister another drink. But Susan didn't feel like drinking. With one last look around the room, she left and headed for the stables.
Unknown to her, all her three siblings saw her leave. Edmund stopped drinking and shared a long look with Peter from across the room, before he stealthily went to grab Lucy away from the fun. Peter laid his argument with Théoden to rest, and followed Susan. He found her leaning against Nimzülae, stroking her neck. Moonlight was streaming in through the door and added a pale glow to the yellow lights from the lanterns. "What troubles you, Sister?" he asked calmly, but still managed to surprise her a little.
She jumped and smiled, embarrassed over how easily she scared. Peter smiled and moved over to pet Nimzülae with her. "I'm worried about us."
Peter nodded and kept stroking the horse's silver pelt. "You think there's more coming?"
Susan frowned and pondered how much to divulge. "Do you remember the prophecy I told you about in Lothlorien?"
Peter nodded and turned to face her fully. "I haven't told Edmund and Lucy, if that's what you're asking."
"Me neither. I think I'm scared it will become too real."
"To be honest I don't quite understand it." He looked towards the stable entrance when laughter filtered through the air. He identified it as Lucy's giggling.
"It doesn't get better when you do."
He looked at her and suddenly felt a little more worried. "Su, what's wrong?"
She was about to answer when their younger siblings made a loud entrance into the stable. Edmund shushed his sister without effect and giggled when it only made Lucy laugh louder. "Perhaps we should wait-" Susan was about to say.
"Edmund, Lucy. Come here a minute." Peter leaned against Nimzülae's booth and watched his younger siblings settle. "Susan and I have something to say."
Lucy and Edmund faltered a little over the seriousness in their brother's tone. Both suddenly looked sober again. Susan took a deep breath and dove in. "Have you two thought about why you're here?"
They shared a look and shook their heads.
"When I first arrived, I landed in a place called Rivendell." Susan continued. None of their younger siblings had heard her and Peter's stories yet, and she wondered how well they would take it. "I was there for almost two months before we set out on our journey."
"What journey?" Lucy asked and came closer. She suddenly looked completely sober. Only her slow blinking gave away anything.
"The journey to destroy a ring that has the ability to destroy this world." Peter filled in. He had heard some of his sister's story in the time before they reunited with Edmund and Lucy.
"That's why we were brought here," Edmund deduced. "To destroy a ring?"
Susan shook her head immediately. "No. That job was placed on a hobbit neither of you had the pleasure of meeting." She beckoned her siblings outside. Peter looked around for a decent place to talk and decided to climb a watchtower. The three others followed diligently. The guard was excused by Peter and left the Pevensies be.
"Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee are on their way to a place called Mordor to destroy the Ring." Susan said once they were alone.
"Gandalf mentioned Mordor while we were in the forest. He said it was the home of Saruman's ally." Lucy glanced at her dark-haired brother and noticed his quick shudder.
"It's true. Sauron made the Ring a long time ago and almost destroyed the earth with it." Susan explained. "For a long time the elves thought it lost until Bilbo Baggins found it and brought it to the Shire."
"Frodo's uncle?" Peter had heard stories from Frodo about his uncle, but the hobbit never mentioned that it was he who found the ring.
Susan nodded. "It was decided in Rivendell that the Ring should be destroyed and that the task should be Frodo's. He chose it."
"Where do you come in?" Edmund asked.
"I chose to help him go as far as I could. Along with Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, Merry and Pippin. Peter joined us in Lothlorien,"
"Another elven city. Like Rivendell." he interrupted to help his siblings understand.
"Right," Susan continued. "But Frodo left with Sam, and Merry and Pippin were taken. Up until now everything has happened so fast that there was never really an option to step away,"
Edmund nodded with a dark look. "But now there is."
Susan was torn whether or not she really wanted to resign from the Fellowship. She knew she would do anything in her power to keep her siblings safe. But had a terrible feeling it wasn't up to her. Wasn't she getting what she wanted when she asked for an adventure? "I would be lying if I said I didn't want you all to stay here." She pleaded with her eyes and looked at each of her brothers in turn. She knew Lucy was a bit more sensible about these things than them.
"What happens if Sauron finds the Ring?" Lucy asked with big eyes.
"He'll destroy the world." Peter said quietly.
Silence fell over the four. Susan could almost tell what her brothers would answer – with a great deal of annoyance on her part – but Lucy was a bit iffier. "I won't ask you to stay here, because I'm not sure I would in your situation."
Edmund was staring at the floor while his brother stared hard at him. "You two should stay." he said to the girls. "Ed and I will set out after Frodo and help him."
This made Susan's blood boil. "I hope you're not making that an order?" She looked at her brother and jutted out her chin. "You can't ask me to abandon my friends. I won't."
"We've already seen more danger just by coming here. Me and Edmund landed right in the middle of it." Lucy said with a stalwart resolve. "I won't stay if you don't."
"Lucy-" Peter tried.
"No." Her eyes hardened like Peter's sometimes did. She wasn't named Valiant for nothing. "If there's anything I can do to help, I will."
"Then you should stay here. I'm sure Edoras can use all the help it can get." Peter tried.
"Then you stay." his brave little sister challenged.
Peter ground his jaw and Susan could see the argument about to ensue. So she interrupted. "I follow Aragorn." All eyes turned to her. "Both because I gave Frodo my word and because there's something to the story you two don't know," She looked at Edmund and Lucy. "An elf named Elrond told me about a prophecy in Rivendell. When the four corners of Middle-Earth meet, all shall be laid bare and the two towers shall fall. One already has." She waited to see if they would understand on their own.
Both younger siblings looked a might confused so she continued. "Orthanc was the first tower."
Edmund's chest caved in with a shallow wheeze that everyone heard. Lucy's mouth dropped.
"That was because of you two." Susan said. "The East and West. Do you remember?" she asked, referring to their royal titles. Both frowned, but nodded. "Edmund, you were Duke of the Western Wild and Lucy," She smiled at the trusting expression on her sister's face. "You were Queen of the Glistening Eastern Sea."
"The four corners. . ." Peter mumbled.
Susan nodded. "We found each other and one tower fell. Don't you see? It's the prophecy." Her voice rose slightly as excitement filled her. "We made it come true just by searching each other out."
"What else should we have done?" Edmund asked.
"Exactly! We just do what comes natural to us as siblings. Of course we would seek out each other to make sure we were all safe."
"But we didn't do all that alone," Lucy reminded everyone. "I had help from Gandalf and Esodhal and Treebeard-"
"Yes, Lucy, we know." Peter interrupted. "But like it or not, we're making things happen just by being here."
"What does he mean by 'all will be laid bare'?" Edmund interrupted. He was chewing on his lip.
Susan shrugged when she caught Peter glancing at her out of the corner of her eye. "I don't know." But didn't she? She knew there was something she had yet to tell her siblings. The real reason she was there. And she suspected they were carrying similar secrets, if the prophecy was anything to go by.
"But shouldn't we stay together if that's what the prophecy says?" Lucy asked.
"Or try and find Frodo?" Peter supplied.
"I don't know." Susan repeated weakly. "All I know is that I'm following Aragorn wherever he may go. But I took an oath and you have taken none." She saw her siblings physically respond to the regal speech by straightening their backs and squaring their shoulders. "We may not have our crowns, but we still have our knowledge. We still might know something that will help in the long run."
She looked at them and slowly felt surer about her decision. She could see the urge for adventure in their eyes as well. "No matter what, we make decisions as a group from now on." Peter declared. "If we need to split up everyone has to agree. Alright?"
All three nodded.
"Good."
Lucy smiled. "Are you sure you can keep with that, Peter?" She tipped her head sweetly like she always did when she wanted something out her oldest brother. "You're not very good at following orders. What if we disagree?"
Peter narrowed his eyes, but couldn't keep the stern expression in the glow of Lucy's endearing smile. "I'll do my best to listen."
"Right." all three huffed.
"Oi!"
His indignant shout threw them into a fit of giggles that followed them back into the main hall. Once inside they were met by merriment. Lucy rejoined Merry and Pippin, but was noticeably less jovial. Peter steered clear of Théoden for the rest of the night and started drinking with Aragorn and Gandalf. Susan and Edmund sat down in a quiet corner and watched the lightheartedness unfold. It was a long time since either had seen a party like this. Parties in England were much more controlled. Without speaking, they knew they had both missed the roaring fires and the heavy drinks. The eas with which they moved in such settings. As Lucy let out a bubbling laugh, they knew they had missed this more than they knew. When Edmund's eyes began to drop, Susan put her arm around his shoulders and started humming.
It was barely audible over the noise, but still it lulled him into a strange trance for almost an hour. By then many merrymakers had passed out in their cots and Peter had joined them on the bench. When Edmund lazily opened his eyes again, it was only to be ushered into bed along with Lucy. After tucking in their siblings, Peter settled in the bed next to his brother.
Susan caught the eye of Aragorn and smiled. She wasn't sure what the future would bring. All she had was the promise she'd made to the one who wasn't there anymore. To Frodo and Sam, who were miles away, deep in hostile territory. Fighting against an enemy that some said couldn't be stopped. All she knew was that she would do anything to keep that promise. Anything at all.
AN: Next one on its way. I'm aiming to finish the story before my vacation :)