Disclaimer: I do not own The Chronicles of Narnia.
Well. It's been a while, hasn't it? I can't apologize enough for not updating sooner. But I haven't given up! I'm thinking there will only be one chapter left after this... it's kind of exciting! Thank you everyone for the reviews... they mean so much! :) Thanks for sticking with this story, and if you're just finding this, thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoy! Well, here- long overdue- is chapter 19! :D
I was lying in the middle of the battlefield, the war still raging on around me. I tried to stand up, but gravity was working against me, keeping me planted firmly on the ground. I felt no pain, though, which I thought was rather strange. I had been injured, hadn't I? At any rate, my eyes searched desperately for my siblings, which was slightly difficult since I was still lying on the ground. Suddenly I heard a shrill scream that could only belong to Susan. I turned my head in the direction that it came from. She was surrounded by two werewolves and a dwarf. They were forcing her backwards and she soon was backed up against a tree with nowhere else to go.
I tried to get up again with no avail. I had to help her! What was keeping me down? Was some kind of spell cast around me, keeping me stationary? Susan screamed again. The dwarf had drawn a knife and was holding it to her neck. Where were the other Narnians? Why wasn't anyone helping her? Couldn't they see that their gentle queen was in peril? I looked around, trying to scout out a fellow Narnian. All I saw were hundreds of Telula's followers, except one faun who bared an exact resemblance to Mr. Tumnus. He was being pushed towards me between a Minotaur and a werewolf, with a harpy following overhead.
"Don't hurt my kings and queens, dear sirs. I beg of you! Let them go free! You've already taken every other Narnian life besides my own!" Tumnus pleaded, tears running down his face. The Minotaur only laughed and kicked him in the stomach, bringing my dear friend to his knees. The werewolf then kicked him in the head, and Mr. Tumnus slumped down only a couple feet away from me. The Minotaur then pulled out his ax, and Mr. Tumnus was no more. I closed my eyes as the tears flowed freely. His two killers grinned as they stepped in my direction, but they didn't seem to register the fact that I was here. The Minotaur stepped right on top of my stomach, and the werewolf stepped on top of my legs. I didn't feel a thing, and they weren't even fazed by it. Was I even here? Susan screamed again, taking me from my thoughts.
The dwarf's knife was pressing into her neck and I could see a trickle of blood start to make its way down her pale skin. She was crying and trembling with fear, as was I. I yelled out in anger and tried to force my body upwards. Nothing. I was stuck on the ground while my sister feared for her life.
"Susan!" I screamed, trying to cause some sort of distraction. None of them turned my way, not even Susan. And then it happened… Susan Pevensie was gone. Sobs wracked my body as my sister fell to the ground, never to rise again. I turned away, not able to look at the horrifying scene. I wasn't the only person upset, though.
"No! Susan!" came Lucy's cry. I turned to the direction of my youngest sibling's voice. She was hoisted over the shoulder of a werewolf and being carried like a sack of leaves. She thrashed around and was kicking and beating on the wolf, trying to get free.
"Let… Me… Go!" she yelled, striking her captor between each word. He only laughed.
"Why do you fight, silly girl? You know you'll never win. Still trying to be valiant in your final moments, eh?" the wolf asked.
"Well, Aslan did give me that name," she retorted. The wolf growled and backhanded her.
"Don't you lay a hand on her!" I yelled. Again I struggled to get up. Again it didn't work.
"How dare you speak to me in that tone, girl? How dare you speak that name in my presence?" he questioned.
"Why should I not? Aslan is the true ruler of Narnia. You can take my siblings and I out of the equation, but you still have to answer to him, the Great Lion," Lucy answered. The wolf slapped her again.
"What did I just tell you, little girl?"
Lucy fell silent but glared at the creature. Then the wolf smiled.
"Oh look, Lucy. There's someone here to see you," he said. Lucy's eyebrows knit together and then her eyes widened as she was promptly dropped on the ground. The wolf clapped its paws and merely a second later a man was approaching them.
"Hello, Lucy. What a pleasure to meet with you again," The man had a deep Calormene accent. Lucy screamed. The voice belonged to Arahdah.
"Run, Lucy! Run!" I yelled. My heart was racing as I watched the events unfold. I tried and tried to get up, tried to reach my youngest sibling. I couldn't relive what had just happened with Susan. But my body wouldn't budge. I cried out in frustration.
"Oh, little, little Lucy. You were such a good girl. Such a faithful helper to me. It's a shame that I have to kill you. Don't worry, it won't hurt for long," Arahdah declared. Tears filled my sister's eyes as she tried to crawl away. It did her no good, for the wolf just scooped her up and restrained her arms.
"Say goodbye, Lucy." said the demented Calormen. Lucy closed her eyes, and I couldn't watch. I turned my eyes away, they overflowing with tears. I couldn't breathe when I heard her scream. My body shook with anger and despair.
"Lucy!" I yelled, like the sound of her name would bring her back. I screamed louder because I knew it wouldn't.
"NO!" I heard Edmund scream. I turned my head in his direction. He was restrained by a Minotaur and was trying desperately to break free from its grasp. He was kicking and thrashing, but the creature was too strong. Tears were flowing down his face as well, but the Minotaur only smiled, elbowing my only brother in the gut. Edmund struggled to regain his breath between the sobs and the physical pain. My brother looked spent. His face was pale and his upper leg was bleeding freely, staining his entire pant leg. The only thing keeping him upright was the grip the Minotaur had on his trembling arm. Edmund took a deep breath and yelled out again. My brother was broken. The Minotaur shoved him to the ground. Edmund groaned.
"Not so high and mighty now, are we, little king?" The Minotaur's voice vaguely reminded me of someone I once knew, but I couldn't put a name to the voice. The Minotaur laughed, and the noise was high and shrill… a sound that should not belong to a creature so immense and beastly. Time seemed to freeze for a moment as the events in front of me began to unfold. The Minotaur's flesh began to peel and smoke, much like the other creatures had earlier in the day. And then the sight before me made me cringe. Jadis, the White Witch, was standing where the Minotaur had stood merely seconds ago. A wide grin took over her face, and a menacing look was set in her eyes.
"Edmund, it's so nice to see you again," she said, mock gentleness in her tone. She knelt down beside him. Edmund tried to crawl away, but his leg stopped him from getting anywhere. Jadis placed a hand on my brother's shoulder. I saw the instant fear touch his eyes, and then spread all across his facial features.
"Get off of him!" I screamed, desperate that she'd hear me, desperate that she'd stay away from him who she'd hurt in so many ways already. She didn't turn in my direction. Instead, she stroked her fingers through my brother's hair, a kind look on her face.
"Oh Edmund, it's such a shame to see what you've become. You had so much potential when I first met you. I would have made you a great king, Edmund, much better than the one you are now. You would have been High King… my High King. How does that sound to you? High King Edmund, the Magnificent. It has a nice ring, doesn't it? A much more fitting name than King Edmund the Just. You would make a far more outstanding king than your brother, Peter. Don't you ever get jealous of him? Don't you ever wish you had been crowned High King rather than him? You could take his place. I can make that happen. After all, isn't it his fault you're in this mess in the first place? He's the one that called for war. He's the one that told Oreius to prepare your troops. It's his fault your sisters are dead. Can't you see that he isn't fit to be a king? He deserves to be punished, Edmund. I could rule as your queen. Together we can make sure your brother suffers for all the trouble he's caused Narnia. I can make anything you want a possibility. Just take my hand, Edmund. It's all here. Everything you've ever wanted is waiting for you," Jadis declared, stroking my brother's cheek while holding out her hand.
I watched in horror as Edmund's eyes searched the Witch's face, and then his gaze fell to her outstretched hand. He seemed to be mulling over her offer.
"Go on, Edmund, take it. Together we will be the best rulers Narnia has ever seen. Peter will be long forgotten about. It wasn't so long ago that you wanted Peter out of your life anyway, remember? Now you can have that. You'll never have to watch him worry about you, never have to listen to him say how scared he was when you got a little scratch in battle. There will be no more overprotective big brother to answer to. Doesn't that sound nice?" she urged. Edmund appeared in a daze.
"Don't listen to her, Ed! She doesn't know what she's talking about!" I yelled, though I knew it wouldn't do any good. Suddenly a certain twinkle set in my brother's eyes.
"You could never be a better ruler than Peter, Witch. I'd rather die than have anything to do with you." Edmund spat. He pushed her away and staggered to his feet, trying to run. He didn't get far.
"It's a pity you declined me, little king. Now you must pay," Jadis declared. Instantly the White Witch's wand appeared in her hand and she thrust it at my brother. As it pierced through the midsection of Edmund's armor, Jadis disappeared, as did her wand. But the wound was still fresh. Ed toppled to the ground.
"No! Edmund! No!" My voice tore through the air and then hitched in my throat, making me choke on a sob. In one last attempt I tried to stand up. To my utter surprise, nothing stopped me this time. I ran faster than I ever had before. I slid down next to Edmund.
"Ed, Edmund, please, please wake up." I took his hand and pushed back his hair. "Aslan, let him wake up. Please!" My voice bellowed and I was shocked that the ground hadn't begun to shake. Tears streamed down my face and fell onto his bloodstained armor. I lowered my head and wept into his shoulder. Suddenly I felt my brother stir.
"Ed?" I asked. I raised myself so I was looking down at him again. Two tired brown eyes opened to stare up at me.
"Peter?" he wondered. I squeezed his hand.
"I'm right here, Edmund. Right here," I coaxed. Tears started to fall from his eyes.
"Why… why didn't you… help me? Why didn't… why didn't you stop her?" he asked.
"I tried, Edmund. I tried! But I couldn't. I couldn't do anything! I wanted to stop her, believe me," I stated. Ed didn't seem to understand.
"Why didn't you save... our sisters? Why didn't you help them?" he questioned. I was now crying harder than ever.
"Edmund, I tried! But I couldn't move! I couldn't reach them just like I couldn't reach you!" I exclaimed. Ed looked disappointed.
"I thought you were… magnificent, Peter. I thought you… could do anything. I guess not." he said, glaring at me. And then his eyes closed and he went still.
"Edmund, no! Edmund, come back! I wanted to save you! I wanted to save all of you!" I cried out. I let go of my brother's hand and ran away. I couldn't stand being there anymore. I hadn't gone far when the sobbing made it impossible to breathe. I sunk to the ground.
"Why, Aslan?" I whispered. "Why?" Suddenly a pale face appeared in my blurred vision.
"Nice to see you, Peter." The White Witch smiled.
I knew no more.
"Wake up, Peter! Please, get up! You're dreaming, you're dreaming!" came a familiar voice. I was dreaming? No, that wasn't possible. My heart was still racing and my whole body was trembling. And all of that had felt too real. No, I had not been dreaming.
"Come on, Peter, please! It's just a dream! Open your eyes! Please, Peter!" I realized the voice belonged to Edmund. Edmund? How was that possible? Wasn't he… gone? Did I not just witness his terrible death? I felt him take my hand and push my hair back, much like I had done to him in my apparent dream a few minutes ago. His touch felt so real… was he alive? I had to know, had to open my eyes. But they wouldn't budge. They felt too heavy, too weighed down. But I had to know that Edmund was alive... I had to see his brown eyes filled with something other than pain and disappointment.
Aslan, please, let my eyes open, I prayed.
In the next second my eyelids felt different. They were still heavy, but in a sense, they were light as well. I tried opening them again. Little by little, I felt my eyelids begin to part. Everything was out of focus and blurred. I blinked a couple times. I could start to make out some of my surroundings. I realized I was in my room and it was probably afternoon by the amount of sunlight streaming in through the window. But the thing that caught my attention the most was the image of my brother staring down at me, the world's biggest smile plastered on his face.
"Oh, thank Aslan!" Edmund exclaimed. He reached down to my level and pulled me into a hug, weeping into my shoulder. I groaned. My side hurt like mad and I was sore all over, but I didn't care. Edmund was here, and he was alive. That was all that mattered at the moment.
"S- sorry, Peter," he said, immediately pulling away, eyes red and puffy.
"No, it's okay. Come here," I sounded weak. I held out my arms again. No matter how much it hurt, I had to feel him, had to know he was within my grasp. He willingly fell into me. I couldn't help but cry along with him. After a few minutes he pulled away.
"How're you feeling, Pete?" he asked, sniffling and wiping his tears on his sleeve.
"Like I got in a fight with a Minotaur… and the Minotaur won." Ed chuckled.
"Yes, well, that's pretty much how it went, I'm afraid. Of course, that harpy didn't help much either."
"You're telling me. I'll be feeling that one for a while. I'm extremely sore," I said. All the events of the battle came rushing back to me. I could almost feel the vice-like grip the Minotaur had on me, could almost feel the mind-blowing pain as my ribs were re-cracked. And then that harpy knocked me off my horse and I landed straight on my back. No wonder I was so sore.
"Peter, I'm so glad you're awake. You don't know how scared we've been," he stated. Suddenly a thought hit me.
"Where are the girls? Are they okay?" I asked, quickly sitting up. I winced and closed my eyes. Every inch of me hurt in some way or another, whether it was an ache or an all-out pain. Ed put his hand on my shoulder and eased me back down.
"They're fine, Peter. They're fine. You, on the other hand, need to take it easy. You've been out for nearly two days. Your ribs aren't much better than they were a few days ago, no thanks to that Minotaur. You've got a few other injuries, but they're minor and don't need to be worried about." Ed explained.
Two days? Two days? I've been unconscious for two days? I could hardly believe it. I took a good look at Edmund. He looked extremely tired. His hair was untidy and there were dark circles under his eyes. I noticed there were bandages wrapped around his arm, too. I gestured towards it.
"What happened to your arm, Edmund?" I wondered. He shrugged.
"It's not a big deal, Pete. Just a nasty sprain from being bucked off Phillip. It's nothing to worry about," he promised. I took his word for it.
"Ed, what happened after I passed out?" I questioned.
"Oh Peter, I wish you could've seen it. I was getting nervous. Things weren't looking exactly bright for us Narnians. Just when I thought all was lost – when I saw you get knocked off Bill by that harpy- the most remarkable thing happened. Aslan came out of nowhere and leapt on the harpy. He let out a roar, -you should've heard it, Pete!- and everything changed. The creatures started to retreat; the whole lot of them just started to run away. It was incredible! We advanced on them and ended up either killing or taking most as prisoners. Those captured are dealing with Aslan as we speak. Oh, Peter, it was amazing!" Ed exclaimed.
"And the wounded Narnians?" I asked.
"They're being taken care of in the infirmary or have already been treated by Lucy's cordial."
"And the fallen Narnians?"
"Their families are being cared for and burial preparations are in progress."
I nodded. It sounded as if my family had thought of everything while I was out of commission.
"Pete?" Ed asked. His voice sounded uneasy.
"Yes?" I answered.
"Did… umm… did you have another dream? Y'know, the kind that you had when we were in the woods?"
My gaze fell to the ground.
"Yes… yes I did, Ed."
"I had a feeling. You were thrashing around and calling out for me and the girls, and well, to be frank, it didn't sound very pleasant."
"It wasn't, Ed. Not a bit."
"I won't ask you to talk about it."
"Thanks, Edmund." Just then his eyes lit up.
"Hey! I bet you would like to see our sisters, wouldn't you?"
"More than you could believe. Where are they, anyways?"
"Well, Lucy's in the infirmary still tending to the wounded while Susan is taking care of the official responsibilites. We've been taking turns watching over you. We all wanted to stay with you until you woke up, but Aslan thought it best if we alternated. I best go fetch them. I'm sure Aslan wouldn't mind if we all spent some time with you, seeing as though you're finally awake," Ed explained. He seemed a bit hesitant to leave, like he was afraid I wouldn't be here when he got back.
"Go on, Ed. I'm not going anywhere," I stated. He smiled sheepishly and turned red as he left the room. When I heard the door shut I sighed lightly and closed my eyes. They were alive… all three of them were alive and well. I felt a smile play on my lips. Never had I been more relieved in my life. What would I have ever done without my siblings? How could I have lived with myself if they weren't here with me? I thanked Aslan many times over as I lay in my bed, staring at the ceiling. This was over; the battle was over and we had come out victorious. I thanked Aslan again, for we couldn't have made it much farther without him. After a few more minutes of silence I heard my door open.
"Peter!" I turned and saw Lucy enter my room. Her face was bright and happier than I'd seen it in a long while. She ran to me and jumped onto my bed, wrapping her arms around my neck. I pulled her close; I didn't care how much it hurt.
"Oh Peter, you're awake! You're awake! I just knew Aslan was going to let you be alright!" She buried her head into my shoulder and pulled me tighter. I held her there for a long time. I didn't want to let go… she didn't seem to want to either. Eventually she pulled away, but she stayed beside me and nestled into my outstretched arm.
"Peter, it's so good to see you awake! I know it's only been a couple of days, but I've missed talking to you, and I've missed seeing your eyes," she stated. I smiled.
"I've missed you too, Lu. I'm so glad you're alright," I said.
"I'm glad you're alright. I was quite scared for a while, when I first saw you, anyways. I gave you some of the cordial, but you didn't wake up. I was getting really worried but Aslan just said that you needed to rest," she explained.
"Well, Aslan was right. But I'm okay now, just a bit sore and a little tired."
"Do you want to go back to sleep? I can leave if you want me to," Lucy offered.
"No, I'm not that tired, Lu. Plus I've been out for nearly two days, I think it's time for me to get up," I stated. I slowly eased myself into a sitting position and cried out from the pain that erupted in my ribs. I was really getting annoyed with that. Lucy put some pillows behind my back and rubbed my arm.
"I'm really sorry about your ribs. Edmund told me what that minotaur did. And they were just beginning to heal up. It's such a shame…" Lucy trailed off.
"Thanks, Lu," I said. Just then my door opened again. In came Susan and following close behind her was Edmund.
"Peter." Susan sounded relieved and there was a large grin on her face. She rushed over and pulled me into an embrace. I held her tight.
"It's so good to see you… all of you," I declared, gesturing to my other two siblings. I felt Lucy sneak in between Su and I and then Edmund drape his arm across my shoulders. We sat there for a long moment, and I couldn't say that there weren't any tears shed before we pulled away. It was the first time in a long time that I had felt relaxed. It felt like an immense weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I didn't want to let go of any of them, I just wanted to stay in that moment as long as possible. But all good things must come to an end, for there was a knock on my door.
"I'll get it," Ed put in, standing up. I figured it was Oreius or Mr. Tumnus, seeing as though they were my closest friends at the Cair. I guessed I was wrong when I heard the startled tone of my brother's voice.
"Oh, umm, just a second. I'm sorry… we haven't explained it to Peter yet," he said. My eyebrows knit together.
"Who is it, Ed?" I asked.
"Well, I figure we should explain a few things first, before I let her in. I don't want to startle you, Pete," He paused.
"Well, go on, then," I declared, sounding a bit impatient. Her… her… who was her?
"Remember when we sent Telula out on that mission to spy on our enemies?" he questioned. How could I forget? She had betrayed us. My eyes narrowed at the thought.
"Yes, Ed. I do."
"Well, Telula never came back."
A/N: Well, what do you think? I hope you liked it! Please review and let me know your thoughts! :) I don't know when I will update next, but I can assure you it WON'T be as long as last time. :P