Author's Note: Chapter…five? Wow I'm getting pretty far! Sorry for the slight delay but school/homework/other stories/everything else keeps me very busy. I hope you like this, and I'll work hard to keep them coming quickly!
Niko
Edmund gasped, reaching for the dagger he kept in his boot.
"One more move and you will die," hissed the boy. Slowly, Edmund held up his hands in surrender.
"I do not wish to hurt you, honest," he said, staring into the boys eyes. They were strange-not like most Archenland people. Instead of a varying chocolate brown to coal black, they stared challengingly out at him, green with a hint of gold. The boy glared at him.
"That is what they all say!" he said.
"They?"
"Bounty hunters," the boy spat. "You!" he added, pressing Edmund harder with the sword.
"I'm not a bounty hunter. I swear. My name is-" Phillip whinnied a warning. Over the weeks of solitude, Edmund had forgotten his need for secrecy. "-Phillip. I'm just visiting."
"Then why are you here?"
"I was trying to get out of the noise," Edmund said, prodding the boy with his eyes. He held his sword at Edmund's throat, but slowly lowered it.
"Well, you obviously aren't from Archenland, if your accents are anything to go by." The boy said, sliding the curved sword into its sheath. "I am Niko."
"Hello, Niko," Edmund said, trying to stay as friendly as possible. "Why are bounty hunters after you?"
Niko rolled his eyes. "All I did was try and feed my sister. I stole…maybe three loaves of bread. The third time, the guards saw me and informed the Tisroc's secret police. The next thing I know, Oli was kidnapped and I was running for my life."
"Oh, I'm sorry…" Edmund said awkwardly.
"It's fine! I'll get her back!" Niko said fiercely, eyes narrowing.
"I'm sure you will," Edmund said. "Could you show me where I could stay for the night?"
"Sure…" Niko said, but looked at Edmund expectantly.
"Oh! Oh…" Edmund said, pulling a small coin out of his pocket.
"That's better. Right this way, Phillip!" he said, sauntering off. Edmund smiled as Phillip's ears pricked up and he began to follow the boy.
"Come on," he said under his breath.
XXXXXXX
It took about four minutes of weaving through alleys before Phillip, Edmund and Niko made it to a small inn. The whole time, Niko's words circled in Edmund's head. How could he help? He was pretending to be Peter's messenger in a foreign place, where he was pretending to be his horse! The words seem to ring false in his head. You must try, a small voice in his head said.
How do you suppose I do that?
Think back… Edmund thought about this, and something came to him. Though he'd not witnessed Jadis killing Aslan on the Stone Table, he could see it in his mind's eye, brilliantly. The thought almost made his stop walking. He was being foolish! He stared at Niko, mouth tight as he scanned the streets. He was sacrificing something just so Edmund could have a place to stay… and, like lightning, an idea formed.
"Where do you stay, Niko?" he asked, trying to keep a smile off his face.
"Here and there. I have a lot of friends; I leave when I wear out my welcome," Niko said, not looking at the boy King.
He's lying. "Well, would you like to stay with me? Just for tonight and maybe tomorrow?" Phillip snorted and fixed Edmund with a look. He knew Edmund was being stupid, that inviting a stranger into their plans would disrupt their time and maybe reveal their identities. But for some reason, Edmund couldn't shake this feeling. He knew… just knew that he had to help Niko's sister.
"Why would I do that?" Niko said, eyeing Edmund. "You could turn me over. There's a reward for me, you know."
"I would have turned you over already if I wanted to," Edmund pointed out. "Consider it as a tour of the city. A paid job," he added, causing Niko to raise his eyebrows.
"How much?"
Edmund smiled, and pulled out several coins. Niko's eyes grew huge. "Who are you?"
"No one, really," Edmund said. Niko's eyes probed Edmund's, but finally, he nodded.
"Deal." With that, Niko ushered Edmund into the inn. It was a lot like the first one Edmund had stayed at- low ceiling, muggy atmosphere, and the pleasing aroma of stew coming at him from all angles. This inn, however, was much more crowded with the darker-skinned Archenlanders. Niko wriggled through the crowd at the entrance; Edmund tied up Phillip outside and followed.
"..Move it, move it, important personnel coming through here!" Niko's voice carried throughout the inn. A strange silence fell, and the way to the main room suddenly seemed a whole lot easier to get to. Niko and Edmund passed with ease, until a shadowy man in a grey turban blocked their way.
"And what do you think you're doing?"
"Checking in, what does it look like?" Niko said, glaring at the man.
"We have been waiting for a long time. Why would you be able to pass?" the man snorted.
"Because this man is on a very important job, and needs immediate assistance!"
"Um…Niko?" Edmund said warily. The man did not look like one to be messed with, and Aslan knew that they didn't need any enemies.
"Who is this great man that he cannot speak for himself?" Grey Turban challenged, looking at Edmund with contempt.
"My name is Phillip… Darvi." Edmund said. "I'm on business for the High King Peter of Narnia."
The room seemed to swivel toward Edmund and Niko. The man blocking his way paled significantly, but stood his ground.
"I don't believe this," he grumbled.
Edmund reached into his sack and pulled out the fake papers they had drawn up. "Is this proof enough?"
The man lost his composure. He bowed his head in apparent submission. "Forgive me…my Lord," he said roughly, obviously loathing the words.
"It's quite alright…" Edmund started to say.
"You are a disgrace to the Tisroc, sir!" Niko interrupted. "To disgrace and put off such an important foreigner while he is on business…you should be ashamed!"
Grey Turban's face flushed dark. "I'm so sorry, my Lord, I wasn't thinking," he apologized.
"Niko…it's alright. Let's just go," Edmund said, a warning in his voice. Niko looked at him, annoyed, but stepped back.
"As you wish, Lord Phillip," he said grandly. With a final look over his shoulder, Edmund let himself be lead away from the man.
It was easy enough to guarantee a room; nearly everyone in the inn had heard Niko's announcement. After much fuss, Edmund and Niko were given the 'suite'- a room at the back of the inn with immediate access to a bathhouse. It had gotten late, and as the general noise of the city died, Niko watched the sun set.
"I'll have to leave soon," he said. Edmund shot him a questioning look. "Every night, I go back to where Oli and I used to live, to see if she came back," Niko explained.
"Alright. I'll just be here. I may be in the stable, with my horse," Edmund told him.
"Fine. I will see you," Niko said, walking away.
Edmund sat on the bed and thought about Niko. The boy was obviously very independent, but seemed to open up to Edmund. It was strange, but brought a strange lightness to Edmund's heart. He remembered when he was a lot like Niko back in England, full of resentment. Things had changed… so much. He lay back on the bed. Peter… who knows how he was doing?
Before he knew it, Edmund felt his eyes growing heavy. I need to feed Phillip, he thought groggily, but that only made his eyes go down more. Before he knew it, he was dreaming…
It was as if he was in a giant ball of cotton. Everything was muffled and white, and seemed to be moving slightly. Edmund looked around, peering into the expanse of white.
"What…"
"It is alright, Son of Adam. You are supposed to be here." At the sound of the rich voice, Edmund looked behind him to see a Lion standing there.
"Aslan," he breathed, going down on one knee.
"You do not have to do that. Not here, nor anywhere else," Aslan told him, smiling.
"Thank you," Edmund said, rising again. "What are you doing here, Aslan? I thought you were gone from Narnia…"
"I come and go as I will, and I see that I am needed here," Aslan said, his eyes darkening a bit. "Alas, this disease is not one any had seen before now, and thus not easy to cure. But I am confident that you can help your brother, Edmund."
"Why did you let this happen?" Edmund asked before he could stop himself. He felt his face flush. "I…I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"
"It is alright, Edmund. You are allowed to make mistakes. It's what happens because of those mistakes that could prove troublesome. Yes, it did happen; but to see how it ends will be the true test of your faith in Me."
"Yes, of course, Aslan. I'm sorry," Edmund said, looking down. Only the Lion could make him feel so powerless. And yet…he liked it, almost. It was like someone was watching over him.
"Now, time is short. You are well on the path to healing your brother, but there is another that needs healing…" with that, Edmund looked up.
"Niko?"
"Yes. The boy has lost something dear to him, and your meeting him was no accident. I wish for you to do this for me…" The Lion explained the task to Edmund.
"Of course…it's brilliant!"
"Now go, Son of Adam. Your friend awaits…"
"Thank you Aslan!"
"You are very welcome child…" And with that…
"Phillip…Phillip! Wake up!" Niko yelled, jerking Edmund awake.
"Wha…" Edmund said, looking blearily around.
"Going to check on your horse, indeed. I was gone fifteen minutes and I come back to you snoring like a baby," Niko berated him.
"I'm sorry Niko. I've been travelling hard, I didn't even realize…"
"Eh, it's alright. Come on now, though. We'll be needing some food."
"Supplies, right." And Oli. We must find Oli. "Off we go, then."