Disclaimer: Edmund and Peter Pevensie and all the characters and situations in the Chronicles of Narnia belong to C. S. Lewis and not to me.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: JOHN 16:22

"Ed," Peter said again, blinking back the tears that blurred his vision, the hand that still held the dagger to the throat of the Tarkaan now unsteady. "You– You're–"

"Not now," Edmund said, motioning to the Dwarfs who had accompanied him. "We have to get out of here first."

The Dwarfs surrounded the Tarkaan's two guards and quickly disarmed them, looking pleased to be the new owners of a pair of sleek, curved daggers. Morlin and Burbrik were already armed, and Peter could only assume those daggers were Edmund's. He sheathed his own weapon as the two chief Dwarfs swiftly took charge of the Tarkaan.

Morlin nodded at Peter. "We'll see to this one until you decide what you want done with him, Your–"

Edmund cleared his throat loudly.

"Until you decide what you want done with him," the Dwarf amended, looking at the Tarkaan, and Hakan looked warily back at him, clearly unsure what these unnatural creatures intended to do to him.

Immediately, Peter was at his brother's side, laughing and crying at once and taking him into a tight embrace.

"Edmund," he gasped, his voice too soft for anyone else's ears. "You're alive. You can see."

Edmund nodded against his chest, that so-familiar smirk on his face. "I can see you're still a great, sobbing baby." He clung to Peter for a moment and then pushed away. "Are you all right?"

"Fine. Ready to go home." Peter grinned a little to see a glimmer of tears in his brother's dark eyes. "How did you get here? They said you were– that you jumped from that ship and– and–"

Peter shook his head, his voice choking down low in his throat, and he pulled Edmund close again. Then, he remembered he was not the only one who had been grieving. He was not the only one who had thought Edmund was forever lost.

"Edmund," he murmured, and he turned his brother towards the lady who had been standing there waiting, watching him with overflowing eyes.

Edmund immediately went to her, taking both of her hands in his, dropping to one knee as he pressed them to his lips. "O Most Noble Lady Cemil–"

"Edrret," she breathed, and then she pulled him up into her arms, kissing his hair and his forehead and his cheeks. "Edrret, Edrret."

She held his face between her hands, studying it, and his lips trembled into a smile.

"I knew it must be you, Lady. I can read the kindness in your face as much as I had always heard it in your voice."

She stroked the dark fringe back from his forehead. "Your beautiful eyes, child. You can see. And you've come home to me."

She clasped him close again, and for a moment he returned the embrace. Then he pulled back from her.

"Yes, Lady, I can see, but no, I have not come back to you. Not to stay. Only to find what had happened to my brother."

Her face crumpled again into tears, and Edmund glanced helplessly back at Peter. Peter could see he did not want to repay this woman's kindnesses with pain.

"O Noble Lady," Peter said, making his voice as gentle as he was able. "We both bless you for all you have done for us, but our sisters are waiting for us. Our ki– our home needs us. You said you prayed that Aslan would show you what had happened to my brother. You have your answer. He is well and alive and going home. If you love him, and truly, lady, I know you do, you will rejoice and not grieve at this."

Edmund looked at her, a fervent light in his eyes. "You prayed that Aslan would show you? Aslan?"

Her dark lashes fell to her flushed cheeks. "Your words when you spoke of Him, I could hear the truth of them in your voice. And even–" She traced gentle fingers across his cheek. "Even when your eyes could not see, there was His truth in them. I prayed that He had kept you safe in all this, and I see He has." She took a shuddering breath and then forced a tight smile. "And your brother is right, child. Your Lion has made you whole and given you your freedom. I will not hinder you or ask that you stay."

He hugged her close and pressed a tender kiss to her cheek, and then he turned to Peter. "We'd better go."

Peter nodded and then, drawing his dagger once more, took hold of Hakan's arm. "If you will be so good, O Noble Tarkaan, we request that you accompany us until we are well away."

The Calormene only gave him a stony glare in response, but his mother fell to her knees at Peter's feet.

"Please, I beg you, Master Perren. Do not also take my son from me."

Peter's hard expression softened. "I give you my pledge that he will not be harmed so long as he does as he is told." He turned to Hakan. "Come now."

The Tarkaan gave him a cold nod, but Edmund stopped him.

"Please, Peter. Let him go."

"Ed–"

"For me, Peter, please. Let him stay here." Edmund glanced at the lady who had taken hold of his sleeve, her dark eyes begging. "She's lost enough as it is."

"Don't be stupid," Peter hissed. "He'll have us back in chains before we've been gone five minutes."

"All we have to do is get down to the docks," Edmund said, his voice too low for anyone but Peter to hear. "I have a ship waiting. The Tarkaan is a man of honor, whatever else you might say of him. If he will swear to say nothing, do nothing, until morning . . . ?"

Peter sighed. He could never resist that pleading look in his brother's eyes, those eyes he had expected he would never see again.

"If he will swear." Peter turned to Hakan with the cool almost haughty expression that served him well in the throne room at Cair Paravel. "O Noble Tarkaan, my brother tells me that you are a man of honor. The gracious lady, your mother, has often said you are a just man. I have seen these truths with my own eyes, even when we two have been at odds. If you will give me your oath, upon your honor, that you will not pursue us, neither you nor anyone you send, and that we may go our way in peace, I will take that pledge and ask no more. We mean no harm to anyone. We merely wish to go. Will you swear you will in no way and by no means hinder us?"

The Dwarfs, Morlin and Burbrik, exchanged an incredulous glance, and the rest of their kin murmured among themselves but said nothing aloud.

Hakan looked at them, eyes narrowed, and then at Peter. "And you will take my word and nothing else in pledge?"

For a moment, Peter studied his face. Then he nodded.

"I beg you, O Most Noble Son, do as he asks." Lady Cemil held up her hands in supplication. "For my sake, let them go in peace."

For a long moment, Hakan was only still and silent. Then he bowed his head.

"As you ask, and upon the inviolable altar of Tash and by the pure, pale light of his sister Zardeenah I do swear it. You and all yours are free to go."

Peter nodded in acknowledgment and backed away from the Tarkaan, his dagger still in his hand. "Get your people back to the wagon," he said to Morlin. "Come on, Ed."

The Dwarfs scurried away, but Edmund merely helped Lady Cemil to her feet and then embraced her one final time.

"I swear I will see you again. Someday." He kissed her cheek and then held her close. "Until then, may the Lion be with you."

She followed him with longing eyes until he disappeared into the trees.

Still with a wary eye on Hakan and his men, Peter made a slight bow before the lady. "We will not forget your kindness, Most Noble Lady, and I trust Aslan will repay it to you a hundredfold." He bowed once again. "Tarkaan."

Then he, too, vanished into the darkness.

Author's Note: Okay, there they are: Peter and Edmund in trouble together again. What do you think? Yes, there are a lot of explanations and things yet to come. Stay tuned for more. Thanks to Lady A for looking this over for me.

– WD