Chapter 4
Sorry for the long wait. Computer troubles.
Narnia and the Pevensies do not belong to me.
"I'm off," Edmund said, stepping up onto the overturned bucket; his saddle was still in the clearing, and there weren't many others to choose from, considering they were the only human riders there; he needed the bucket to get onto Phillip's bare back. Peter looked at him, smiled, and briefly patted his shoulder.
"You be safe now, or I'll never let you go out riding alone again," he said, but his smile and sparkling eyes betrayed his stern words. Edmund smiled back and glanced back at the Cair, where his sisters were – they couldn't accompany him to the field, but they had said their goodbyes during breakfast.
"I'll be fine," Edmund said, hoisting himself up onto Phillip's back. Phillip grunted.
"I can't believe you're going back to that Wolf," the Horse muttered. Edmund swatted him on the neck gently.
"He needs us," he said simply. Peter chuckled.
"I'm still partially with the Horse on this one, Ed." Edmund simply rolled his eyes.
"I'll be back in a few hours. Hopefully Juryn will decide to accompany me back."
"Is the medicine you were gathering before for him, then?" Peter asked, glancing at the pack that was on Edmund's shoulder-normally it would be tied to the back of the saddle. Edmund nodded.
"When I left, he and that other Wolf were fighting, and I figure he might appreciate it."
Peter gave him a disbelieving look. Edmund sighed.
"Okay, it was Lucy's idea. But I think it's a good one." Peter chuckled.
"Well you make sure you both make it here in one piece." He glanced at Phillip. "Ah, make that you three." Philip nodded in appreciation, and Peter nodded back, smiling. Edmund patted Phillip's neck, then turned to his brother once more.
"Well, I should be back in time for tea. Better keep some hot for me."
Peter laughed lightly. "See you then."
Edmund nodded, shot his brother a small smile, then dug his heels lightly into Phillip's side, urging the Horse into a gallop. Phillip ran, turned into the woods, and he and his rider were both gone.
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"I really hope he's alright, Phillip," Edmund said as they approached the clearing they had been to the previous night.
"You talkin' about the wolf?" Phillip asked, sounding completely unconcerned. Edmund frowned a bit, but nodded.
"Yeah. From what I heard of the fight, it wasn't going too well," He said. Phillip nickered slightly.
"He can handle himself," Phillip shrugged. Edmund wanted to reply, but couldn't think of anything to say, so they rode the rest of the way to the clearing in silence.
As Phillip neared the clearing ten minutes later, Edmund became suddenly nervous. He didn't know what he would see when he got there.
Pushing aside a stray branch that threatened to hit him in the face, he peered into the grassy area. The only thing that he spotted, which was expected but it still made his heart ski a beat, were blood stains on the glistening grass.
Edmund dismounted silently and sat next to the stains. Phillip stood behind his king, looking around and swishing his tail. He didn't want to put the saddle on, seeing as it had the blood of Wolves on it, which made both he and Phillip uncomfortable.
"Now we wait," Edmund sighed. Phillip nodded.
It wasn't for another half an hour or so before there was any noise besides the blowing of the wind and the rattling of leaves on their branches. Edmund turned his head to the faint sound of crunching leaves beneath what he hoped were friendly paws. Phillip's head shot up and he twisted his ears towards the sound, and Edmund stood, waiting.
"Juryn?" Edmund said so quietly it was almost a whisper.
"I was afraid you wouldn't come," the voice called from within the trees. Edmund smiled.
Slowly but surely a limping white Wolf emerged from the wood, looking tired but happy. Edmund's eyebrows shot up in worry, and he stepped forward.
Juryn's tail wagged once. "I am glad you got away safe, my King."
"It was only thanks to you that I did, noble Wolf. You have my thanks."
"They are not needed, but it is appreciated, my Lord." The Wolf bowed his neck, but in doing so revealed to the boy tree rather long scratches. Edmund let out a small breath.
"That looks like it hurts," Edmund said quietly, walking over to the Wolf. He nodded at his neck and also at his paw, which he was favoring. Edmund knelt and began to examine the paw; Phillip made a small noise of protest but said nothing. Juryn put back one ear in a sign of almost embarrassment.
"You do not need to fear. I am fine," Juryn said but did not pull his paw from the King's hand.
"Nonsense. You got these injuries protecting me; I'll be damned if they get infected."
"Language, Edmund."
Edmund glanced back at Phillip. "Are you and my brother plotting against me or something?" Phillip snickered and bowed his neck deeper than was necessary. Edmund scowled and turned back to the paw, pulling ointments and bandage from the pack on the ground.
Soon, Edmund was done with Juryn's paw and began to work on the cuts around his neck.
"From his teeth?" Edmund asked. Juryn nodded once, looking at the ground. Edmund rubbed some ointment into the cuts then rose. Juryn shook his fur a couple of times then stood as well.
"Now I may give you my thanks, King," Juryn said, bowing. Edmund shot the Wolf one of the slanted smirks he was known for.
"You don't need to call me 'King,' you know. You can call me Edmund," he said. Juryn's ears shot forward; Edmund assumed that, because Wolves didn't have eyebrows, the conveyed most of their emotion through their ears. Edmund interpreted this as being surprised. Juryn shifted one of his ears back and smirked.
"Well then, Edmund, would you like me to finish my tale? There isn't much left of it, but you may want to be on the same page as I."
Edmund nodded. "Please."
Juryn sat in the grass and licked his paw a few times before speaking.
"As I stated before, the Wolves that are not in allegiance with you and your family are attacking the Western woods. It's almost like a challenge," Juryn added, flattening his ears and looking at the ground. "They want to eliminate our ranks, by the looks of it."
"So this is basically a war between two Wolf packs?" Phillip asked.
"Yes, basically." Juryn glanced between Edmund and Phillip. "There is a question that needs to be asked, but has not yet been addressed."
Edmund nodded, waiting.
"Will you help us?" The Wolf asked, bowing his neck the deepest he had done since he met Edmund. Edmund smiled at the gesture.
"Rise, friend. I am sorry to say that I cannot answer that question fully, for I need to ask my siblings first. I am not the High King, after all," Edmund smirked before continuing. "I have explained this all to my brother and sisters and they are of the same opinion as me, but I ask you to come with me to Cair Paravel to ask them yourself. It would me a lot to them, and to me, if you came."
Juryn looked at him thoughtfully. "They will not shun me for what I am?"
"I can assure you my siblings will not. If any Narnian comments on you being a Wolf, then I will kindly tell them to take their unjustified opinions and shove off," Edmund said, his smirk back and his eyes glittering with mischief. Juryn chuckled.
"Then, under these circumstances, I will accompany you to your home," Juryn said. Edmund smiled.
"Thank you."
"There is no need to thank me, Just King."
"You don't need to stick to the formalities, remember?" Edmund said. Juryn shrugged.
"But at the moment you are being exactly what I addressed you as: a Just King. I am truly grateful for what you are doing for us, King Edmund."
Edmund blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck. "There is no need for such words, Juryn." Juryn shook his head slightly but said no more on the subject.
"When we get to the Cair, We can speak to Peter and we'll see if he can accompany us to your pack," Edmund said.
"There is not only one pack, Edmund. There are three," Juryn corrected, laying down on the grass slowly, making sure to not put too much weight on his wounded paw. Edmund's eyebrows rose in surprise. He didn't think there were that many wolves in Narnia.
"Three?"
"Well, yes. We've untied recently in the same territory in order to fight the rogue Wolves. The three packs used to be separate, spread throughout the wood. But My brother and I organized a summoning and they came to help."
"How many members to a pack?" Edmund asked, his curiosity rising.
"Our pack has twelve." Edmund's eyebrows rose. Juryn grinned. "Twelve isn't that big, if you think about it. The largest of the three has nineteen." Edmund's eyebrows rose even further.
Juryn rumbled his amusement. "The other pack has only eight, however."
"You have a brother?" Philip asked, his voice a monotone.
"Yes. His name is Arkor."
Edmund shifted and looked up at the sky. Phillip noted this, and spoke up.
"We should start heading back to the Cair," Phillip said.
Edmund nodded and shifted his attention to Juryn.
"Remember: city folk aren't used to Wolves. They won't attack, but-"
"I know, King Edmund. I'll just pretend to be a meek little pup. They should think me tame if I do." Juryn's voice was dripping with sarcasm and unhappiness. Edmund winced.
"Unfortunately, that's probably true. My siblings won't, however," he said with pride. Phillip nodded.
"Well I am anxious to meet them. Shall we depart?" The Wolf asked, rising once more. He wagged his tail once and turned to the East. Edmund walked over to the saddle, went to pick it up, but changed his mind; it had rained, and the leather was slightly warped and was starting to smell.
He glanced back at Phillip, who was eyeing the saddle with some sadness. Edmund walked over and patted his neck a couple of times.
"I'll make a new one for you, promise."
"You'd better," he teased, but he was smiling.
Phillip knelt slightly and Edmund jumped onto Phillip's bare back and adjusted himself. "You ready, Juryn?"
"Yes, king."
"Hope you can keep up," Phillip said, and loped out of the clearing. The Wolf grinned and darted forward, running next to Phillip.
"What interesting people," Juryn said, his eyes sparkling with mirth. He wagged his tail once and darted forward, loping out of the clearing and running next to the Horse and boy, his heart happy for the first time in years.
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Sorry for the fluctuation in the length of the chapters ^^;;
Read and review please, like always. =3