A/N Hey guys! I know that some people didn't like the major cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter, so sorry if you didn't like it! I'm picking up where I left off now, so the time span between chapters four and five are like… two seconds? Heh. Anyhoo, please review! Enjoy!
"Ed! I'm too late…"
Edmund slowly turned towards the light, blood seeping through his tunic.
"Lucy?" he gasped. He was unsure whether or not it was Lucy, his vision was blurry and he was quickly losing consciousness.
"Oh, Ed! You're alive!"
Lucy rushed to her side, and pulled out her cordial. She poured a few drops down his throat. The blood stopped flowing, and Edmund's vision became sharp again.
"What's going on?" he said, confused.
"Tess–"
"Yes, I know. She's dead. That's why I stabbed myself."
"Is alive!"
"What? She is! Please, tell me you aren't joking!"
"Why would I joke about such a serious matter?"
"Oh, yes! Thank you! How did you find out?" he said exuberantly, tears of joy flowing from his eyes.
"I sent that talking bird that lives outside my window. I knew that the only missing creature from the Lionsclaw raid was there, so I knew that the bird would find him. Luckily enough, Curlyfur (oh, he's the captive mouse) had been put in Tess's chamber to keep her company."
"Chamber?"
"She was being treated like a common royal, but unable to leave her chamber. The only living being that she could speak to was Curlyfur. Anyhow, Curlyfur knew that there was a prison room at the top of the Northern Tower that had easy access from the outside. The guards stand a few floors down, because the tower is very slim, so the prison chamber is up several flights of stairs, and Tess is chained to the wall and floor. You can easily break the wall; I've pinpointed a weak area in the bricklaying with the help of some sparrows that have made a nest in part of the wall. It will be a long journey. You'll have to pass as a commoner or a trader, so you'll go by foot. No griffins."
"That's fine. I have a Calormene trader friend called Chigenda that will be coming through the nearest trade city tomorrow. He'll be glad to let me travel with his caravan. For a while, anyway. I don't know if he's going to be traveling in the same direction the whole time."
"Good, good. I'll go tell Peter, Susan, and Caspian what we've found. You start packing."
"Packing what?"
"Well, money, your armor. Anyway, you can't take your Narnian garb with you. You'll have to change clothing styles as you go."
"Alright, then," he said. He turned, and swept Lucy into a bonecrushing hug.
"Lu, you've been such a help. I can't thank you enough."
"It's no problem," she managed to croak. "Could you please stop squeezing the air out of me?"
He let go, smiling.
……………………………………………………………………………………………...
The next morning, he prepared to ride off to the west, which wouldn't be too far a ride.
"Remember, Ed," said Lucy, "We've told Domeres that you're dead. We're keeping up the charade, so you have to as well. Good luck."
A/N Sorry that was so short! Not much needed to be said here, because it was getting the new part of the plot set. Hope you liked it!
IMPORTANT: I need ideas for the following:
A name for the trade city
The character (name, physical traits) of a devious, somewhat slutty female member of Chigenda's caravan
That's all I need at the moment. Please, please send me ideas in a personal message, or just leave them in a review!
3 Socks