Sticks and Stones: Of Mud
Author: Perriannath
Rating: k
Warning: none
Disclaimer: don't own it belongs to C.S. Lewis
Author's Notes: sighs life just seems to get in the way doesn't it? I keep trying to get these done and does it ever happen no. well finally I was able to actually stop and get these done so this for all of the reader's who are still waiting and I apologize again, life is against me lately! Here you go!
Waking up early Edmund turned over carefully in the nest of blankets made for him on the floor, despite the Beaver's adamant protests. He was comfortable and well rested one of the best sleeps he'd ever had. However as he was about to pull the blankets up he groaned realising his siblings had no idea where he was. He got up and redressed heading out and splashing cold water on his face before returning to the warmth of the dam just as Mrs. Beaver was carrying in breakfast.
"Edmund…Sure you're up early we didn't wake you did we?" she stammered.
"No I am an early riser there is no harm after all I should help out after intruding upon your home last night." He replied and she blushed a little refuting quickly, "No, no trouble after all you are one of our monarchs and we are glad to have you always." He smiled at her before walking somewhat awkwardly to help her set up for breakfast, a relatively quiet affair once Beaver had returned. However the quiet disappeared as soon as Edmund said he had to return to the Cair; the Beavers didn't want him to go but Edmund was insistent,
"They will be worried I'll get enough of a scolding as it is I really must get home I'm sorry."
"We just want to thank you for everything you did for us this is more than we ever imagined; we have a beautiful home again. Now let me give you this at least and send you on your way." Mrs. Beaver insisted, handing him a small wrapped parcel, which he knew, had food in it. With a small bow and a quick kiss to her cheek, he mounted again and soon was heading off back through the woods.
"What do you think Philip think we're doing a good enough job of keeping it quiet?" Edmund asked his mount grinning.
"Well considering how many people know of it already I'd have to disagree with you I'm afraid Sire. However your siblings still don't know if that's any consolation." Philip replied tilting his head curiously wondering what exactly his rider was looking for. Edmund grinned chuckling opening the parcel and grabbing a piece of fruit which he began to munch on as they neared the Cair.
"Peter where do you suppose he is?" Lucy asked worriedly. She was sitting at the breakfast table feet swinging while absentmindedly picking at her food. Peter looked at her and could only shrug, " some of the subjects mentioned that he had something to see to, pressing apparently but Edmund has never kept anything from us that was overly important not in awhile anyway. I wonder what could be wrong."
"Wrong with whom?" Susan asked coming into the dining room and sitting before noticing the missing member. She turned to Lucy asking, "Is he running late?"
"You could say that he never came back last night and is still not at the Cair; oh I do hope he's alright." Lucy muttered.
"Never came back why I wonder where on earth he could have gone." Susan wondered.
A centaur came in and began to serve them just as a hawk flew in landing on a perch that was just off to the side of the table. With a quick yet formal bow the hawk looked around before inquiring, "Is King Edmund not with you?"
"We are afraid good Sir that he is still out from last night's excursion. We don't know where he went. May one of us be of service to you?" Susan asked diplomatically.
The hawk shifted and replied as graciously as he could, "I thank you Milady but it seems that I must be off to find King Edmund I have a message for him that mustn't wait." With another bow he took off back out the window on the hunt for the missing monarch.
"Well that was very odd indeed what do you suppose that was all about?" Peter asked. Susan and Lucy could only shrug,
"Who knows Peter perhaps he was a messenger from the Lantern Waste with news of that, we cannot really guess with Edmund, perpetually in the saddle as he is." Lucy told him.
With that they tucked into their meals trying to forget the worry for their brother.
Edmund spotted the hawk and reined Philip to a halt before he needed to land outstretching his arm for a perch. The hawk gratefully landed making a quick bow before beginning his report.
"You are a hard one to catch Majesty if I may say so. Now the Great River near the Ford of Beruna is blocked badly and the nymphs and other creatures there desperately need the water. They sent me to ask for your and Philip's aid if you would."
"Of course all I must do is run to the Cair and change we are nearly there it will not take but a moment. Do we have that long?" Edmund teasingly asked the hawk who scratched his head with a sort of smile before replying, "Yes I suppose if you must."
With a grin of his own Edmund took off hurrying to the castle and running dignified as he could through the corridors with the skill of long practice even for as short a time he'd been there. Almost to his room he smiled only to be stopped short by a familiar voice exclaiming, "Edmund!"
He turned to find Lucy hurrying towards him skirts lifted to stay clean as she stopped before him. Hands on hips she finally asked, "Where have you been?"
He grimaced and replied, "Out at the Beavers' dam I have to go though Luce Elion just found me I'm needed out again so I'm just here to change."
"You don't stay here longer than just a few hours these last couple of days." She pouted making him grin if only he could resist that.
"I'll be back and this is the last of the wandering for awhile I promise. Alright I'll be home later tonight." With those words he kissed her forehead and ran into his room throwing on a worn pair of slacks, wool tunic, well used boots and a light traveling cloak. Clasping it around his neck as he walked he hurried back down the same corridors before rushing out to find Philip ready and looking like he had just been fed. With a small laugh, he mounted and with Elion in the lead, they took off.
He soon made it to the blocked river to find all manner of creatures trying to move mud and seeming to have slow success. With a call of greeting he took of his cloak laying it on the ground and rolled up his sleeves ignoring the stunned looks and astonished cries of ,
"No don't get yourself dirty on our account Sire!"
Slipping more than walking he joined them in the dirt grabbing one of the few shovels and quickly setting to work next to the others. Soon he too was covered in mud but laughing all the same as the group kept talking as they worked. Overall, it was pleasant though they were filthy. He had just shoveled a big pile of mud when a large clump of the same hit him on the side of the head. For a moment, everything stilled as they waited for his reaction. However, they joined in when he began to laugh and kept on laughing until finally he retaliated in the general area of the attacker and struck in the middle of the group splashing the majority with mud and dirty water. That was all they needed for a water fight to break out and soon everyone was covered in enough mud as to render them almost unrecognizable. Still everyone laughed and after a few more mud pies were thrown they continued the work.
Peter meanwhile back at the Cair had heard from Lucy that Ed had come, changed, and quickly left just moments later. That was interesting, what on earth could Ed have to go to that none of the other siblings would know about?
With a sigh and determined glint to find out what was going on he strode out of the Main Hall to the War Room, where he knew several were meeting to go over border plans and other matters. When he got there he found Tumnus there along with Oreius and Lotan among others. When they saw the King, they all bowed and greeted them but Peter waved them off asking instead,
"Where did my brother go?"
Everyone looked at him slightly nervous, were they in trouble? King Edmund had not told the High King? Finally it was Lotan who spoke up,
"King Edmund was out at the Beavers' from a building project there they were rebuilding their home. I heard from Elion that there was a slide blocking the Great River and he rode there to help unblock it. That is all hearsay however Sire I do not know for certain."
Peter nodded and turned leaving the room to collect his sisters, he wanted to see what Ed was up to exactly. On the move almost since the Coronation he had to have some plan.
Ed grunted as he shoveled another pile of mud and dirt scrubbing his arm across his face to clear the sweat only to leave a large smear right across his cheek. He leaned back and swung the shovel hard only to hear a low clunk and feel the jolt as it impacted something hard and obviously large.
"Philip, we have another rock if you please!" he called over his shoulder. The horse called his agreement, the young king walked over throwing a makeshift harness across, and over before tightening it best he could. Throwing the end of the rope to a dryad who wrapped it around the rock and tightened it best he could. With a firm grip on the rope Ed began to guide Philip up the slope trying to keep the tension at least partly off the horse. He was succeeding but at the cost of his hands; the rope was beginning to rub his palms sore and cutting into them badly. Edmund didn't seem to notice and kept pulling. Finally the rock moved and they gained ground.
Unnoticed to the entire crowd were the other three monarchs who had slipped through the woods to find the little party trying not to laugh at the sight of their subjects covered head to toe or hoof in mud, not to mention their brother as well. They watched as Ed helped pull the rock up out of the riverbed and onto the bank where others were waiting to get it fully out of the way. With the rock gone the digging continued each oblivious to the fact they were being watched.
"Why do you suppose he never told us?" Lucy whispered to Peter.
He glanced over and whispered back, "He seems to have several projects we were unaware of. However we might just have to cut this one short should he continue to ignore his hands." That made all of them chuckle and settle in to wait just a bit longer.
"Philip hold!" Peter looked back to see another rock in the same harness but this one was larger and heavier. Obviously it was causing the workers a bit of trouble to get it up off the bed. Edmund, as they watched had dug in his heels sinking into the banks but keeping his hold on the rope even as it dug deep into his palms. Peter caught Susan's worried look and realised a way to announce themselves. With a grin, he loosed the saddle off his horse and looked around finding a spare harness. Finding one he managed to came alongside Philip while everyone was too busy pulling, mostly everyone, and attach the two horses. At the sudden lack of tension Edmund and several others looked up to find Peter standing up the bank guiding the two forward again. Edmund almost dropped the rope gasping, "P..Peter what are you doing here?"
"Well apparently I'm helping you move a rock which by the way had you told us you were clearing we could have helped to begin with." Peter scolded, the effect marred by the fact that he was grinning. Edmund sighed shaking his head at his brother before seeing the rock begin to slip again,
"If my older brother would kindly bring his attention back to the boulder we were pulling we could keep it from falling on him." Ed grinned. Between the two of them and the two horse they managed to get the rock back up and over the bank. Edmund slid back down into the mud and Peter went to follow just as Susan scolded him, "No peter we don't need both of you dirty!"
Edmund raised his hand too and agreed, just as some other subjects cried out, "Please Your Highness we had enough trouble trying to keep King Edmund out not you as well!"
Acquiescing to their requests he stayed on the bank. Just as Edmund made to pick the shovel up again a dryad stopped him, "You have done enough there is nothing more to do than redirect the river, nothing more for you go get cleaned up."
Edmund made to protest when several others chimed in as well, Edmund agreed. Slipping and sliding he got up off the bank.
With a tired grin he faced his siblings and helped Peter untie the horses and saddled Peter's horse again while wiping down Philip and himself best he could. With a sigh, Ed knew that he'd have a long talk as soon as they got back to the Cair. He wasn't sure if he wanted that to come or not; sure he did nothing wrong but he did keep this a secret. Oh well he'd deal with it when they got there.
TBC
bows I am sorry life just keeps getting in the way and I kept trying to get this written and the darn thing fought every step of the way. I'm not really sure why but oh well. Comments etc would be appreciated. I'll finish this soon just the epilogue and hopefully Recalled will be updated very soon! Apologies again!