Threads
Chapter 17
Eirene listened to the rain pattering against the roof of her tent. She was sitting down her head leaning against her hand. She was aware that Trumpkin, Trufflehunter, Reepicheep, and a handful of other Narnians were discussing something, but she didn't know what exactly.
She didn't have the energy to pay attention. But it was most likely something about the weather. Something about camp. And something about the location of the rest of the Kings and Queens of Old. Something about Caspian and the constant questioning on why Eirene was so eager to find him before striking at Miraz again. We could strike him now, get the crown, and find her brother, later on, she had heard somebody say.
But she didn't care about what other people had to say. The only thing on her mind was finding Caspian—that was what her whole life had been about. The idea of fighting for the throne for herself was now discarded.
Instead of fighting to overthrow her uncle, she'd been too preoccupied telling everyone at camp that King Peter and Queen Susan would find them and that they'd bring Caspian along. That was the only way in which Eirene had been able to calm everyone. She'd omitted that Edmund knew where all three of them were, although she wasn't sure why she hadn't said anything.
But two days had passed, and there were no signs of any of them. Eirene wasn't keen on admitting it, but she was growing restless as well. Where were they?
Also, the fact that it had been raining for these two days was discouraging to everyone. It certainly felt like a temporary stalemate, and she no longer wanted to be in it.
She tapped her fingers to her temples. It had also been two days since she had last spoken to Edmund. Two days since he had whisked her away from her uncle's claws, without a second thought. An she, in turn, had fallen into his arms without a second thought. She felt that there was still so much to talk about that night. About that almost kiss and that burning desire that lurked within her.
She burnt still when she thought of him, for more than one reason, but he remained inexplicably unavailable. Setting things up around camp. Casually sword fighting with Lucy, or tending to the various horses at camp, talking and simple alike. But Eirene was becoming desperate. She needed to see him, to speak to him—she needed to quiet her mind and put to rest the nagging tingling he had left on her lips. But at the same time, she couldn't shake off a feeling that something was amiss.
Just as she saw Edmund always busy with an array of different chores, she constantly saw him speaking to Lucy, their faces always serious, and their eyes always looking about for eavesdroppers. What called Eirene's attention was the graveness in their expressions. They always seemed to whisper in dark corners that became disbanded as soon as anyone came near them. It only made Eirene grow curious about the content of their conversation.
Two days had gone by as such, and she hadn't been able to get a word across to them. It was as if they'd retrieved to another planet, literally.
But in all fairness, she'd been on an entirely different page as well. Whenever she wasn't busy thinking about Edmund's full lips, she'd been busy pondering on the political landscape of the country. It was clear that she could not place so much as a foot near the Telmarine castle. It was the place she used to call home, and now her uncle wanted her life. It was also clear that the situation for Narnians could no longer be sustained. Narnians and humans could not, and should not have to remain two separate worlds, she mused.
But the question of how to converge these two worlds simply seemed to be a question without an answer, at least for now.
Thunder rumbled as she stood up. The congregated Narnians were still busy discussing plans for invasion. Eirene just couldn't bring herself to think about any of that. She merely interrupted the conversation quickly; she needed to take matters into her own hands.
"I'm sorry but I—need to—I need to find my brother before we can truly discuss any of this. I could go on with a small party and look for him—"
"What? But we only just have you back your grace—" Trufflehunter said.
"It's too risky—" Trumpkin said.
"Which is why I'd travel with the best warriors—"
"But there's no need!" Trumpkin interjected again, "a party can go on without you—"
"No," Eirene replied, "how can I claim to represent you if I don't dare to do my heavy work? I promised that I could bring together Narnian and Telmarine folk and that together we'd remove my uncle from the throne but—" She held on to her words for a moment. She pondered about how much of the feelings she hadn't quite yet riddled she wanted to share. Eirene swallowed.
"I promised that because I thought Caspian was long gone. But now, if he's back—we need to join together and then figure everything out. Not before. But I need to do find him. I can't sit back and let others do what I must—"
"Your grace I don't think that is wise," Reep said.
"But what if you are ambushed, and taken away again?" Trumpkin pleaded.
"Then I'll fight to get back, Narnians have always been the strongest—" Eirene started, but Trumpkin interrupted again.
"It is only my humble opinion, your majesty, but we need to snatch the throne away, and then figure out—" Trumpkin said a bit forcefully.
Eirene sighed loudly.
"Pardon me," she said plainly, "I can't hear any of this. Not without Caspian. Not without the Kings and Queens of Old having a say in it, either. I just—I can't, right now."
Eirene left the tent and was immediately showered by the downpour that had been going on for an hour or two.
Why does it always have to be raining? she thought, missing feeling the sun on her skin. The ground was muddied, and the rain was cold. At least, it cleared her mind of any thoughts. She hurried on to the first place her eyes landed in where she could seek refuge. She stayed within the arch frame that marked the entrance to the How. She placed her back against the wall and gathered a deep breath.
The How was an intricate labyrinth of endless corridors with artful engravings decorating the walls. It told the story of Narnia, long before the Telmarine had invaded, and even long before the Pevensies had ruled. Eirene needed to take her mind off reality, so she decided to immerse herself in the endless show of tunnels, thinking that the low torchlight within the maze could help soothe her mind.
Between the low growl of thunder rumbling in the distance, she thought she heard whispers echo within the sanctuary. She thought she recognized Lucy's voice, but her stomach dropped when she recognized Edmund's deep voice, too.
Once again, their voices were hushed, but the tone was different. Surprised, Eirene thought she was hearing an argument, a purposefully quiet one. With quiet steps, Eirene followed the voices.
She knew it was wrong to pry on other people's conversations, but something within her told her that she needed to listen to whatever they were saying. Truly, she hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but the sound of her name being dropped into the discussion made it impossible to resist the impulse.
Eirene involuntarily placed her ear closer to where the voices were coming from.
"I've been looking everywhere for them these past few days, Lu, but I haven't seen anything, and I've been checking mine, too. But Su's much more descriptive, Lu. Mine's blank."
"D'you think that's good then?" Lucy asked him. Edmund kept silent for a moment.
"I—don't know. I haven't seen Nikabrik around camp, either." Eirene heard him say before there was a brief moment of silence. Until that moment she hadn't noticed that indeed, Nikabrik was nowhere to be found.
"Ed? You said that you spoke to Peter, didn't you? And afterward, they turned out to be blank…maybe that's it? If we go to find both Peter and Susan—then they'd turn blank!" Lucy almost shouted, her voice clear with the signs of an epiphany.
Eirene's heart leaped with joy. She didn't understand the exact content of the conversation, but she figured they were talking about finding their siblings. And if they wanted to actively search for Peter and Susan then she wouldn't be the one to complain. All she wanted was to jump into the conversation and spur them on. She'd finally find her brother—finally.
Eirene's instincts almost betrayed her when she almost blew her cover. All she wanted was to rush in and ask them about their plans to find their siblings, and how could she help to finally find Caspian. Her heart was racing, but she steadied herself.
Lucy's words hadn't echoed any further, and both siblings remained silent.
But then Edmund spoke again, his voice lower this time.
"Luce—I meant to tell you. I've heard some things. Rather—I sort of overheard something? More like over-read someone's lips?"
"What? Ed? Regarding them?" Lucy said, and Eirene wondered what they were referring to.
At that moment, a few more voices echoed across the How's hallways; Eirene sank further into the shadows. Lucy lowered her voice, too. It was mostly inaudible now, but Eirene was still able to make out some of the words.
"Dark magic, Luce—there's a plan to use it, to get rid of all humans—it's all his plan—" Edmund lowered his voice further. The conversation carried on, but Edmund's following words were almost inaudible. Eirene could only make out certain fragments.
"But who's plan is it?" Lucy asked frantically, "maybe we'd have a clue if only—"
"No, Luce, I mean—" he made a dramatic pause, calling Lucy's attention right away, "it's not safe to leave her here—not until I can figure out what he meant. When and how, and how that affects her. Peter and Susan can wait—I'm sure they know what to do."
"But that's the thing, Ed, we don't know if they know what to do now—but, Ed," Lucy gathered her breath for a second, "Don't you think it'd be best if you let her know? About everything?"
Edmund started murmuring even lower, and Eirene was only able to make out the trail of his voice:
"—d'you expect her to believe me? It's one of her own— we're the foreigners now, Lu. She doesn't have to believe us."
"Oh, will you stop being mistrusting! We're here for a reason- you've saved her life two times, why wouldn't she trust you? Do you not think her capable of fending off for herself?"
Edmund said naught, but he was unsure. Dark magic was—another enemy completely. Different from any other human and to any other Narnian creatures. He knew little of it, but one thing that was for sure was that it was unpredictable. How could anyone fend for themselves with it?
Her heart pumped strongly as she waited for his answer, but lightning cackled and thunder rumbled, and Eirene wasn't able to hear anything else.
"—We need to do something about this, Lu. I just don't know what."
Not much after, Eirene heard them move. She heard their footsteps close enough and quickly moved into another shadow. But Eirene kept on hearing them walk closer and closer and no longer speaking to one another. In a frenzy, Eirene decided to walk away as calmly as she could.
She had almost made it out of the How until she encountered a panther and a bear, both of which had some questions for Eirene. She was somewhat agitated, but she tried her best to pretend that she wasn't hyperaware of her surroundings, with her mind on a million things, except for the questions being made to her.
In a hurried attempt to answer, she almost failed to notice footsteps behind her. She turned slightly out of reflex and saw Lucy for a second, but her eyes got derailed when they interlocked with Edmund's gaze.
Eirene shook from that second of exchanged glances, and her heart leaped alongside her stomach. She wanted to ask him so many things, while at the same time reaching for him in a romantic touch.
As Eirene's entire world shook, Edmund's did too. As his eyes locked with hers, he tried his best to pretend that there wasn't anything troubling his mind. At the same time, he tried his best to hide his need to simply grab her and kiss her right then and there. Even after everything, Edmund couldn't stop thinking about her, about her signature rose smell, and her lips tingling his.
Meanwhile, Eirene tried to take in as much of Edmund as she could. The torches lined at the walls graced his features wonderfully, contouring his strong jawline and wide neck. His mouth was closed and tight, but his lips still looked full. She blinked, trying to dissipate the vision of the almost-kiss they'd shared.
She cleared her throat and went back to answering the bear's questions. Her distraction gave Edmund a moment to steal a mental picture of her, as well. His mind was heavy with thoughts, but he only wanted to focus on Eirene and on everything she stirred within him.
He noticed her regal stance, confident in the tiniest details of her posture. As she gesticulated, there was a softness to her. Her apparel suited her skin color perfectly, and her dress curved around every turn on her lower body.
Lucy leaned into his ear, breaking his love-struck trance.
"Ed, if you don't wanna leave," Lucy whispered, "I think I have an idea!"
Edmund, confused, watched Lucy advancing towards Eirene.
"Excuse me, Eirene—I've got an idea to find Caspian, Pete, and Su—"
Eirene turned around immediately, briefly making direct eye contact with Edmund, a second that could have fueled her for an entire lifetime.
"I'll go find them—Ed's told me that they were just beyond Glassware Creek. It's close enough for me to ride out." Lucy said excitedly.
"Wait, all on your own?" Eirene asked, looking back at Edmund, who only tightened his lip.
"Lucy, I can't allow that—I should be going as well. Caspian is my brother, after all." Eirene carried on, worry washing over her again.
"No, that is what we are here for, to help you. It truly is no trouble, it's nearby. It'll be quick, and that way you can stay here, leading the army—where you belong," Lucy said, empathy seeping through her tone.
Eirene kept silent for a moment. It was the first time that the little camp that had been assembled had been called an army. Reality sunk deep within her. She breathed in and turned to look at Edmund.
"Won't you be accompanying her?" she asked. How she wished that the first time she addressed him after the events that had unfolded after that night had been different—but now wasn't the time.
Edmund clenched his jaw, knowing that he had to measure his words with care. For the first time in a long time, he wasn't sure how he was meant to act.
"Lucy's insisted. Plus, she knows the country far better than me, even if I'm ashamed to admit it," he smirked shyly but noticed Eirene cocking up an eyebrow. It made Edmund ponder on why she was suspicious. Had she been listening to what he telling Lucy? He held her gaze, praying to Aslan that she hadn't heard.
"It's not like she needs help anyway," he said, trying to dissipate her suspicion, "she did save us all on her own the other day, after all," he said, keeping the sly smirk.
Eirene nodded solemnly and turned to Lucy, "I don't know how will I ever be able to repay this—" she started, but Lucy interrupted her by placing her hand on Eirene's shoulder.
"We were called back here for a reason—I believe this is it," she turned back at Edmund. "…But perhaps some sword fighting lessons will suffice. Edmund tells me you're quite good—and that's a lot, coming from him," she smiled.
Lucy's comment made them lock gazes again, both of them somewhat blushed. Eirene couldn't help a shy, almost giddy smile, forgetting for a moment all her troubles. Edmund couldn't help but replicate it.
He immediately noticed how his breath became undisciplined. He also noticed how his usual sharp thoughts were disordered simply by her presence in the room. Something was bewitching about Eirene, pulling him fervently towards her.
From the outside, Lucy noticed their interactions and smiled herself, too. They both were falling for each other, they just didn't seem to know it yet.
"It's settled then. I'll leave tomorrow morning, I just hope the weather is better," she said, looking out to the entrance of the How, leaving both Eirene and Edmund locked in their loving gaze.