Chasing Streams
Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate.
Only love can do that.
~Martin Luther King, Jr.
"No one." Edmund said, causing a slight silence for the rest. His eyes were murky and shady when he looked fixedly at all of them.
"You mean we tell no one? Keep a secret from the most high?" Sabine breathed, fretfulness seizing her.
"What if King Peter asks? Surely you are not to lie to your own brother." Bane added.
"He won't. But if we tell him, he may also have to hinder me in engaging into all sorts of things. I can handle myself, and that is why we are not to tell him. Am I understood?" He said. This time, his voice was very stern and intimidating. The rest nodded their heads, submitting to his command. Before they want back to where Philip and Lumine were, they stopped at a creek.
Edmund dragged himself over to the rushing stream. He bent down near the rocks that were keeping the surging waters morph into quiet banks. Edmund drowned himself within it, causing boundless ripples to move swiftly as he resurfaces in great satisfaction, lulling his head back at the beaming sun that was beginning to set. Bane and Sabine followed his lead, equally exhausted in the fortunes of the tiring day. Calla did not move her gaze towards the Just King. He greatly baffles her.
It was as if, he was only being humane to her for the sake of it, for his actions seemed strained, yet his gaze was genuine and heartfelt. Edmund approached her and inanely took what she clutched in her hands. He yanked the cork of the flask, hearing the sound of it opening like how his father would open a sparkling glass of wine, and sometimes, he could vividly imagine the cork soaring towards the tinted glass window, and afterwards, Helen would reprimand her husband for doing so.
He laughed at the haunting memory, believing he might one day see them again. The water soaked into the flask, its cold property brushing against the ends of Edmund's fingertips as he clutched it within his hands.
Calla approached him, sitting down as he filled the bottle with water.
Listen, what you did back there..." Her voice altered from wary to shaky. Edmund kept his eyes focused on the flask.
"Don't mention it." He answered, smiling quite smugly.
"Thank you." She paused, watching the serene water being reflected by the soothing gaze on his eyes. There, he's doing it again. She thought, mesmerized by that curved mien on his face. Calla's eyes traced his pale rigid chin, contrasting the constant flushed color on his cheeks, making him appear toned and annoyingly roguish. He took of his tunic, dipping the cloth in the narrow creek. He took it out with freezing droplets, rubbing it all over his hard toned chest and muscles as the appearance of crimson on his rag gradually faded.
Calla averted her eyes, a flushed colour on her cheeks. She had rarely seen men without their tunics on, but it was good though, that she was sitting quite far away from him. Edmund tugged on to his tunic and draped it on both his shoulders as it clung on the nape of his neck. He stood there for a brief moment, closing his eyes and pondering deeply. His dark hair was plastered thin by sweat on his neck and forehead, which curled the locks that fell within his charcoal eyes. He pulled out his sword, skimming through its sheer edges.
"It's my job." He whispered to himself. "I'll do it." Edmund said before he clasped his sword to its sheath. Bane and Sabine were skulked along the ground, panting yet the coming of the cold season lessened their yearn for taciturn events. Edmund approached hesitantly near Calla, who was sitting with her legs crossed.
Edmund stretched out his hand. A train of thoughts traveled through Calla's mind, musing what he was implying by now.
"Officially, I am now apologizing, due to my…erm…deeds earlier. Before what happened." She still looked at him, appalled. By this time, his hand had found itself with no companion, and not event the slightest brush of a hand against his palm.
"You shake it?" Edmund raised his brows at her, wondering if such gestures were manifested in their homes.
"No." Calla shook her head at his misjudgment. "I found myself in shock, that you apologized. When in reality…" She trailed, standing up to face him. "I should be apologising and giving my utter thanks to you for saving my life." Calla took his hand and shook it.
"Well, do we have ourselves a treaty?" He asked, his hand still glued to hers. "So Peter's blathering can be over and done…" He added under his breath, as he pretended to look away.
"But first, may I ask, why in the first place have you been so bitter with me?" Her scrutiny assailed unwelcoming stinging on Edmund's discernment.
"What have I to answer?"
She crossed her arms, leaning her back against an oak tree that was shading her in a string of bland orange, so her eyes could even his gaze. It had been a hushed moment, and the beautiful melody of the waters hastening towards the far stretched valley had served a stroppy instant between their unparsed mouths. Then Edmund broke the silence.
"For reasons I'd hate to offend, I didn't trust you very well. It's quite difficult for me to." He implied, his fingertips brushing his palms. "It's nothing personal…but do consider the fact that my reign stretches in a land I have come to fervently love…and trusting people who can potentially cause turmoil seems a bit…absurd, is it not?"
"Then you risked your life to save mine. Which makes your proposition a whole lot more baffling." Calla replied, raising her tone so he'd have the indication to reply.
"I think that earned my forgiveness from you." Edmund responded, shaking his head.
"Well, it was certainly worthy of forgiveness."
"That's quite an answer for someone who saved your life. Is there anything else you'd like to add?" Edmund responded, a curve slightly playing on the corners of his lips.
"Thank you." Calla murmured softly the last few words under her breath, tipping her toes over as she whirled around to walk away. Edmund paced after her, blocking her path.
"I didn't quite catch that?" Edmund beckoned. Calla rolled her eyes sheepishly.
"Thank you." She responded, louder this time.
"For what?" Edmund arched his brows.
"For saving my life." She answered shakily, tugging on her sleeves as she started to walk past him. Edmund frowned more keenly as he rushed towards her, tapping her shoulder lightly.
"It seems like, what I did wasn't enough for you to realize that I am sorry, yet I did protrude my rights to behave that way towards you. You should know I'm highly overprotective of my kingdom…especially when dealing with strangers like yourself." He swallowed a couple times.
"And why is that?" Calla gushed, her lips pursing into thin slits.
Edmund recoiled, tussling in his head about his next reply. "Its just that, I have this suspicion why you suddenly turned up in the middle of nowhere, the last few days ago. Almost like you have an ulterior motive."
"Then pray tell, King Edmund. What ulterior motive would I so suspiciously want to hide?" She asked, hustling around to look at him with an avid face, eager for his answer.
Edmund grimaced, then retorted to acting as casual as he always seemed to be. "What would you hide?" He asked, inching closer.
"I'm not sure, but a plot about taking over your country and dispatching all of you in a cell as I rule under your name? How's that?" Calla watched as Edmund widened his eyes in horror. Calla tapped his right shoulder with a chuckle. "I was teasing. You're unmistakably too serious, you know that?" She assumed that it had been the reason why he looked aged beyond his years.
Edmund sighed in relief as he nodded in reply. "Why? Do I look like I can take over an entire country?" She asked once more. Edmund's eyes were filled in piling questions, and doubt sealed around the iris in them, coaxing the swirls to stray from it.
"It's not you I'm worried about." Edmund explained, causing Calla to pause for a moment to contemplate on his statement.
"You don't mean my father, do you?" Her eyes were genuine in concern, with her voice dropping into a very hush tone.
"I don't have enough reasons to suffice my answer, but if you really are, prior to what my sister had believed, trustworthy. Then I claim you no accusations, for both you and your father." Edmund said, before walking ahead towards Bane and Sabine.
"What if I did have a plot?" She prompted, causing Edmund to stop in his footsteps. He stood there in blank thoughts as his brows knitted. Silence erupted once again, and for a second, she seemed to regret she had suggested it.
"Well then I have an optimism it's not as dangerous as it may be." He calmly replied when he faced her. Calla bobbed her head as she reluctantly stared at him in the eyes, surprised at his words.
"Now I understand why they call you 'The Just King,' your highness." She couldn't strain a smile when Edmund let out a playful smirk.
"That's more like it." He chuckled. They both headed down towards where Bane and Sabine were. They were quite chatting themselves as they panted in the warmth of the sun, treasuring its cordiality for in the nearing days would be the dreaded winter. The breeze sighed through their furs, and it made the trees whistle in their presence. Edmund propped down near a bulging log.
"Come, we better get going." Edmund commanded, much to Bane and Sabine's delight to get back to the castle.
"I was beginning to get worried." Philip pranced at the sight of Edmund. Lumine shrank her head back, the stinging sensation on her hoof was painful, though tolerable, as she had gestured. Calla bent down on Lumine's side, brushing her injured hoof. The wound had quite dug deep, since she had collided with, something quite hard, like a shard of granite.
Edmund handed her the flask. Calla's hand shook nervously when she took it, full of mistrust and wary as his brown eyes met her gaze. She watered Lumine's hoof, causing the mare to flinch unsteadily. Calla reached for the saddle strapped on its firm waist. She coiled the fabric around Lumine's astern situated just above her hoof and motioned for her to get up. The mare cagily obeyed, unsure of her readiness. She wasn't used to being taken out, nor having wounds like this on her most vulnerable area, yet she stayed as she was.
"It's gotten infected. Nastily. " Calla said, stroking Lumine's muzzle. "She can walk, but without me on her back."
"Well then you are just going to have to walk." Edmund answered, pulling on Philip's bridles. Edmund latched up on him, and Philip strutted around as his master reined him. Edmund pulled onto the stallion's harness, causing Philip to stand up on both his hind legs and strut down sodden thickets.
Mud slapped Calla's face, as she had been sitting down. Her head immediately lulled back at its sudden contact with her. She wiped off the dirt on her cheek, grinding her lips in anger, as she always does. Someday, Bane has told her, that her lips would disappear if she kept gritting on them.
Edmund chortled cheekily, muttering a 'good boy' as he stroked Philip's mane. Suddenly, he turned upside down on Philip's left flank, smashing his face in the solid ground. Much to his delight, mud also occupied the area; therefore his face had grown dark. He spewed out a few leaves that were nestling in his mouth, and as soon as he finished wiping the dirt off his face, Calla was already perched up on Philip as she tugged on her reigns.
She clicked her tongue and Philip responded with a gallop, and soon enough, they were trotting ahead, with Bane on their tails. Edmund stood up, eyes set in dagger glares.
"Philip, you come back here this instant!" Edmund shouted. Sabine prodded his knee, before motioning him into walking together. Besides, Philip could make sure she gets to Cair Paravel without an escape planned. He is quite a loyal stallion to the country, but now Edmund had doubts again with this stubborn horse.
Sabine head curled onto his hand when he bent down to touch her. "Thanks, Sabine." He answered, before their steps ambled quietly towards the direction the other three went. Edmund approached Lumine, and began escorting her along as he clutched on her bridle. He couldn't ride on her of course.
"I do think she's very arrogant." Sabine implied. "Just like you." Edmund laughed a little, the sound of birds chirping covering his chortle. Meanwhile, Calla had heard something when they neared a certain village. Philip was reined down to a spot, but she couldn't see in the midst of towering trees.
"Miss, I think we are going the wrong way." Philip snorted.
"Well then why in the world did you let me ride you in the first place? You come with me, then that means you experience trouble with me." She replied, looking down at his protest.
"I had to teach my master a lesson about being a gentleman. The women who simply adore him are plain sick. He never pays attention and it is up to me to find him a suitable wife in Archenland." Philip said.
"Arranged marriage?" Calla assumed.
"Aye, of course! We're at war with Caloremen, so it's best if we unite two countries against one. In the odds of winning this war." He explained.
Calla tucked her hair on the other side with a gulp. "Did he agree to this?" Her voice was filled with unease. Philip looked down and sighed.
"Dear, in what world do you find it satisfactory to be wed with someone you don't know?" He asked. Calla shook her head, taking in the rough situation Edmund had been trapped it. He was caught in the web of duty, something even she cannot bear. Maybe that was the reason he seemed so bitter, so aged.
"Doesn't his siblings ponder over this decision?" Calla asked.
"Aye, but remember all of them, including the Just King himself, has a main priority of keeping Narnia safe. They had no choice, since the king is the only one fit to marry. That's why the Princess of Archenland is here. So it might ease the burden of being married too quick and hasty." Philip replied.
"Prudove is marrying King Edmund?" She suddenly asked in disbelief.
Philip nodded his head. "Any violent reactions you want to portray, my lady?" He laughed.
"No, of course not. Just, startled" Calla reasoned, realizing how quick her reaction was when she heard of the unexpected marriage. She didn't know why, but something seemed to boil inside her. She just shrugged it off as some mistaken symptoms of starvation.
They approached a clearing, but they went onto a higher elevation when they heard a commotion just below. They situated themselves on top, making it easier for them to view what strange events could be happening. Calla was sitting there on Philip's saddle, her gaze flickering down on the village a little secluded from Cair Paravel by the time Edmund had caught up to them. He followed her vision and once he looked down, there were surges of roar and chaos in a crowding area. The people there have gone mad, but the monarch couldn't see what they were circling in their midst. Calla narrowed her eyes, her brows weaving together.
"Again, someone has died!" Someone not visible shouted. The others chanted the words, mourning at the sight of a dead man. Calla could see it now. Edmund looked intently at the situation, thinking of what he can do. The trees towered above the village in a dark, murky shadow, causing more of the havoc to be more intense and tragic.
"No." Calla murmured, urging Philip down towards the village.
"Wait! Calla stop!" Edmund ran after her, leaving the four animals on the elevated rock. Bane and Sabine watched intently from afar. Down in the village, Calla pushed a few people away, forcing her self at the core of where everyone had been enclosing. A man, pale and eyes filled with horror laid there, almost dead. Blood was surging in his mouth and was spurted when he coughed abruptly. His hands fidgeted, as his body coiled around. Edmund approached Calla, who cupped her mouth in horror.
Her father couldn't have done this. Not again.
The man tilted his head towards Calla, twitching slightly. His breath was conquered by rigid gasps when he uttered his last few words.
"Y-your…fa…father…." He gabbled, his only working hand reaching out to her. Then, in a spur of a second, his hand fell abruptly down, causing gasps around the encompassing group. Then someone recognized Calla who was eyeing the dead, cold, pale man, immensely terrified.
"It's Reth Winter's daughter!" A woman cried, clutching her cloak. Edmund suddenly grabbed Calla's wrist, eyeing any impending attacks.
"Aye, she'd make an ideal hostage. Reth would surely come for her." A man approached the pair with an axe, showing his labor as a carpenter for the village.
"Yes! Make him pay!" Another woman shrieked agreeing with the man's cold suggestion.
Calla looked around, and everywhere, she was locked with dagger glowers. They each approached as cautiously, ready to grab onto her. Edmund's hoarse whisper came in her ears.
"When I say run, you run as fast as your legs can carry you, alright?" Edmund said, his back leaning against hers in a defensive stance. Calla nodded, her mouth paralyzed in downright panic. These villagers were more like outcasts from other countries. Edmund recognized them with their dark and tattered clothes. Cair Paravel had no problems with their settlement here, but maybe until now. But one thing was odd, they didn't recognize the Just King. Or were the just so engrossed in being moulded into outcasts that they had finally forgotten who they were? One of the villagers encroached more slyly, a sickle twirling in his hands.
"Grab them both!" The man cried. Edmund drew his sword from his sheath.
"Run Calla!"
So what do you think? I'll be updating the following week ok, love? Meanwhile, ponder over what can happen. And do review!
Thanks so much for the reviews! They're the reason I keep up this fic.
fearless-forever98- Thank you! I'm glad you like it! :)
Silver-eyed slayer- Thanks! Welcome to the story!
LettersUnwritten -It's starting to build up and the rising action takes point in the next chapter, k?
Guest -Oh yes! I love Georgie's adorable face! I think that was the reason I started working on this chapter. I couldn't resist her sweet baby face.
Until the next update!