Chapter 5: Warrior and Child

Edmund walked into a giant ice courtyard littered with statues. The doors swung shut behind him. He walked through the maze of stone figures making his way to a door at the far end. He was almost there when he heard a weird whooshing noise. Almost faster than he could see a silver disk swooped down ,spangled with gold symbols, in front of him and cut a statue in half. It fell in front of him suddenly blocking his path. The disk flew away.

"CHEE!" Screamed a loud female voice. In front of him landed a woman who caught the disk and attached it to her waist. She had long tangled black hair and she wore some sort of dark red outfit with a matching hat. A string with golden symbolic coins flowed down on either side of it and there was a long curved sword sheathed on her waist.

She pulled the disk out again and held it up examining it. She turned it around both ways and looked at the memorized Edmund.

" Like it?" She asked. " Made it myself, it's called a Chakram."

" Uh… yes." Edmund replied at a loss for word. He tried though to say it as nicely as he could, something told him not to get on the woman's bad side. She put back beside her waist.

" Why are you here?" She asked him scowling.

" I-I came to see the queen."

" Oh yes, she said she was waiting for you." Xena said turning her frown into an evil yet warm smile. " Follow me."

And so Edmund did into a huge room with pillars on either side and the witch at the end sitting on a throne. A man his long shaggy hair like the woman's standing beside her. Edmund looked all around the room. The woman who had led him here walked up to the witch's side.

" Like it?" The witch asked. Edmund tore his eyes away from his surroundings looked at the witch and walked up to her. He kneeled and stood up once he reached her throne. She looked at the woman. " Good job Xena."

" Yes." Edmund replied to her question.

" I thought you might." The witch said. " Tell me Edmund. Do your siblings listen to you well."

" Not really."

" Are they… unintelligent?"

" Well I think so…"

" Then how dare you come alone!" The witch yelled sanding up and pointing her wand at him. He fell down on the ground from shock. Xena and the other man chuckled. " Edmund I asked so little of you. To bring your brother and sisters here. You couldn't even do that!"

" Well I brought them halfway!" Edmund cried. The witch pulled her wand away.

" Where are they? Well!"

" At the beavers house on the river." Edmund said. The witch turned back.

" Ginnabrik!" She called sitting down. A small little dwarf came from behind her throne and pulled out a knife, he made Edumnd stand.

" Can, can I please have some more Turkish delight now?" Edmund asked. The witch looked at him. And then at the dwarf.

" Our guest is hungry." She said. The dwarf behind him smiled.

" That way." He said pointing. Edmund headed there the dwarf pressing the edge of his knife to his back.

" Xena, Borias." The witch said just loud enough for Edmund to hear. " Prove yourselves to me. Ride to the beavers house and bring me the children there."

" Alright." Said Xena headed out. Borias followed.

" I want to meet Edmund's family."

Slight cliffhanger, review please so I know you like it.