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Chapter 9: Returning home

The next time Susan and Peter spoke it was morning. Neither had slept, although Susan had pretended to. There little incident kept on playing over and over in her head.

When morning came Peter suggested that they should head towards the north and see if they could find a way to Cair Paravel that way. He had thought that maybe they should move during the night but Edmund had told him not to. Susan had no objection, so they began to climb down from the tree.

It would probably be harder to move in the daytime, but it was better being safer. Peter led the way. Susan hadn't spoken to him all the while they moved through the wood. She wasn't mad at him, just a little embarrassed and guilty.

He shouldn't have kissed her. He knew that. To tell the truth he didn't no why he had done it. But now was not the time to think about this. He had to concentrate on getting the two of them back to the castle alive.

Suddenly Peter stopped, he held out an arm to stop Susan.

"Do you hear something," he asked. He felt his stomach jerk nervously and he gripped the handle of his sword.

Susan looked at him. "Yes," she said, "Yes I do. I don't know what it is though."

The eldest siblings stood frozen to the spot, trying to catch the sound that was lingering on the wind.

"I think it's gone now," Peter said quietly after a few moments of listening.

He looked at Susan and saw she was looking behind him, he watched her eyes light up in surprise and a smile crossed her pretty face, "Aslan!"

Peter whirled around and saw the Lion standing behind him; however Aslan didn't waste anytime, "Come, children. We must leave; the Witch and her supporters are roaming around, looking for the both of you."

Without any hesitation, the king and queen followed Aslan. He led them through the trees and eventually out onto the grassy surface next to the wood. There at the edge of the wood stood Peter's unicorn. He walked over to the horse.

"You see," said Susan softly, "I told you she'd be safe."

Peter turned to look at Susan, she held his gaze for a moment before looking away.

Peter mounted his horse, and took Susan's hand and helped her up. She avoided his eyes, but he caught the slight blush that crept into her pale cheeks.

"Hurry, now," said Aslan, "We must get back to Cair Paravel, before the Witch can find you."

Without another word Aslan was off with the two siblings behind him. They rode for what seemed ages, until Susan and Peter saw the glistering castle by the sea.

As they dismounted, they heard the doors burst open and Lucy was running down the stairs.

"Susan!" she cried, "Edmund come see! Peter's bought Susan back!"

Susan smiled as Lucy hugged her tightly. "What did the Witch do?" Lucy asked looking up at her and letting Susan go.

"I'll explain everything later," she said.

Peter looked up and saw Edmund skid to a halt at the castle doors. Peter watched his brother's face lit up and the 11-year-old also ran down the stairs and hugged Susan. Peter knew that Edmund would be extremely relieved that Susan was alright, especially since he too had been held hostage by the Witch.

When he let her go, Aslan approached them, "I suggest that all of you return to inside the castle and that Susan and Peter have something to eat. Then we can all talk about the next steps we must take."

After Peter and Susan had eaten, for it had been a while since the pair had anything to eat, the eldest siblings had explained what had happened in the Witch's hideout and her army waiting near the western wood to battle.

Peter explained about Susan's broken fingers and him resetting them, however he let out the part about their kissing incident. Lucy eyes had swelled with tears of compassion when she heard the news of the Witch torturing her beloved sister. But it was Edmund's reaction that surprised Peter.

His normal pale completion turned even whiter and a sad expression came over his face. Peter then realized that he was not the only one watching Edmund, Aslan was too. Edmund raised his eyes and Peter watched them meet Aslan's. Edmund swallowed and looked away, pain and fear visible in his hazel eyes.

Peter pushed Edmund's strange reaction to the back of his mind and turned to Aslan, "Now what are we to do, Aslan?"

"As High King, it will be your decision," Aslan's eyes glowed brighter then usual

Fully aware that ever pair of eyes in the room was on him he said slowly, "Well, we must stop the Witch before she can summon any other supporters to her. I have seen her soldiers and they are not at all smart."

Peter turned to his younger brother, "I think we should take an army of as many soldiers as we can and destroy her army before she can regain anymore strength. Then kill her and this time, make sure she is dead and dispose of her body as quickly as we can."

"How many soldiers will we need," asked Edmund

"As many as we can get. When Susan and I met her army outside the wood, there must have been over five hundred," said Peter, as Susan nodded in agreement

Edmund's eyes widened at Peter last three words, "Over five hundred? But where would she find such an army? We would be outnumbered!"

"Just like last time," said Peter, nodded but an amused smile tagged on his lips, "But trust me, Ed, the soldiers she has, you could swing a blade at them and they wouldn't notice. I stood right in front of them and they never noticed me. I'm guessing most of her army was killed in our last battle so she has had to restore to the less talented of her kin."

But Edmund was still not convinced, however he didn't say anything.

At least Aslan will be here this time, he thought, Things couldn't possible get any worse.

But this time it was the younger King to be terrible mistaken.

The sun was setting before Edmund and Peter had met again. Edmund had sat alone in the throne room, his mind lost in his thoughts. He was never able to forget. Never. What Jadis had done to him would never leave his memory. His nightmares wouldn't let him.

His siblings never saw the scars on his wrists or stomach. The scars that that would remind him of what happened to traitor and liars. The scars of Jadis' blade as she struck cuts across his stomach or along his wrists. The scars that she had caused while she had held him captive in that icy dungeon. His bright red blood on the floor, his pleads begging her to stop and his tears were burned into his memory.

He would never have done that to anyone. Never. He would never wish that upon someone. He didn't even wish for something like that to happen to Peter when they had always fought back in England.

And now, Susan was also marked with that same terror and horror. She hadn't suffered the same fate as him, but he knew that he would not be the only one to sit up at night, with tears running her cheeks as the memory was played over in her head.

But she didn't deserve it. She was gentle, kind, shy even. She had done nothing to deserve what the Witch had done to her. Edmund knew he had deserved it. He remembered her words.

Traitors and liars deserve to be punished

And he had been punished. And he felt he had deserved it. He had deserved the pain and torture Jadis had given him…

Just then Peter appeared next to Edmund, who startled out of his daydreams.

"Are you alright, Ed?" Peter asked him, "You look terrible upset."

Edmund looked up at his older brother and smiled, "Yeah, everything's fine."

Peter sat down in his throne, which was next to Edmund's, "Are you sure? Because you seemed a little upset ever since I told you and Lucy what the Witch did to Susan."

Peter watched his younger brother and watched his brother's face turn from a fake smile to sadness. He avoided the older boy's eyes and looked at the floor in front of him.

"This was not your fault Ed," said Peter soothingly, "If anyone's to blame it should be me. I'm the eldest and I should have looked after the three of you. Ever since what happened last time…"

He trailed off, but Edmund was not convinced. This was not Peter's fault. It wasn't Peter who should be feeling guilty…

"But why Susan?" Edmund blurted out suddenly, "Why did she pick Susan? It should have been me! I deserve to be punished! I was the traitor, the lair, the selfish, greedy one and all the other bad names I've been called over the last eleven years. Susan did nothing wrong. It should have been me to get my fingers broken; I should have died along with so many other soldiers. I don't deserve to live; I should be dead because that's what happens to traitors, there supposed to die."

Edmund found he couldn't continue because the lump in his throat was painful and his vision was blurred by tears. Peter sat there, stunned at his younger brother's outburst. He couldn't believe it. Edmund was feeling guilty about the Witch hurting Susan, saying that it was meant for him.

"Ed," said Peter softly, "You don't deserve to be punished, let alone die! It's all over. We forgive you; every living thing in Narnia forgives you! I promise you, you will never be punished for anything you did."

"But I already have been," said Edmund. He tried to keep his voice steady and to stop the tears that were falling heavily from his lashes.

"What do you mean," asked Peter, confused.

Edmund remained silent for a few moments, then said, "When the Witch held me captive she…she…" he struggled how to word it, but Peter had a suspicion of what he was trying to say.

"Oh Edmund," he said, face and voice was soft with love and sympathy, "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

Peter saw tears began to fall down the boy's cheeks and Edmund looked at him. Suddenly Edmund got to his feet and run into Peter's arms and buried his face in his older brother's chest. Peter hugged Edmund and felt the youngest Pevensie boy's shoulders began to shudder and Peter realized he was crying.

Peter heart broke for his little brother. "Its okay, Ed," Peter said lightly, as he stroked Edmund's raven hair, "It's alright."

When Edmund's sobs had finished he looked up at Peter, Peter smiled softly at him, "There's nothing to fear Ed. Everything will be fine. We're all together again and that's the way we will stay, forever."

Edmund sniffed, "Forever?"

Peter nodded. However he never noticed another person who was watched the scene; Susan stood in the shadows of the throne room door.

So, she was not the only one to have suffered at the Witch's hands. But now her brothers had to go to war, once again. She thought of the result from the last time they had battled the Witch. Edmund and Peter had both nearly died.

Even though she didn't see what happened to Edmund, but she remembered the scene down on the hill, where the Witch had stabbed Peter through the arm and held him in place, ready to kill him. She would have done if it had not been for Aslan's sudden ground trembling roar that distracted her…

Her stomach gave a nervous jump at the thought of Peter. She sighed and quietly turned on her heel and left the throne room. She walked down the stairs and down to her chambers. She went inside and sat down on her bed. She felt exhausted. She looked down at her reset fingers and ran her own fingers along her once broken ones.

Oh, how she wished she could feel Peter's touch one last time. No, she told herself. You're not allowed to think that. His gentle fingers can't have that affect on you. But they did and she found herself loving Peter more then she should.

Chapter 10 soon. Please Review