Chapter 14 – Razor Edge
Susan glanced up. "I thought that Corin would be back by now." She tried to calculate how much time had passed since he left to fetch her bow. She assumed that it had been nearly half an hour or more.
Cor looked around as well. "Perhaps he became distracted and forgot," he suggested. "It wouldn't be the first time."
Susan smiled. "No, I suppose it wouldn't." She laughed. "Do you remember when Peter asked him to deliver a message to Lord Peridan, and Corin became completely distracted? We found him in the kitchen, eating cookies and talking with the staff!"
Cor chuckled. "I remember. And we joined right in."
Susan glanced over her shoulder at the castle doors. "Do you think that we should look for him?"
"He might be eating cookies again," Cor teased. Susan shook her head as she laughed at him. She unstrung the bow that they had been practicing and marched towards the target. She retracted the three arrows and slid them into the quiver. Setting the bow and quiver inside the armory door, Susan and Cor hurried into the castle.
"Why don't you look in the kitchen, Cor," Susan suggested, "and I will look in the library. If he isn't in either of those places, we shall look in his chambers and the stables."
"Alright," Cor agreed right away. He headed towards the kitchen while Susan went in opposite direction to the library. As soon as she opened the door, she knew Corin wouldn't be found in the room. It was far too quiet. And clean.
She looked around, searching for dusty boot prints that would lead her in the direction of the little imp. However, she found none. Though she searched behind all the shelves and under the deep chairs, she could not find Corin. Soon she gave up and went in search of Cor.
He shook his head when they met, informing her without words that Corin had not been located. Susan hesitated, trying to figure out where Corin could possibly be.
"I'll look in his room," Cor volunteered. "He might be there."
Susan nodded in agreement. "Aravis is in the garden. I will ask her if she has seen him." With that they separated. Cor hurried down the hall of the south wing in search of his brother. He tapped on the door lightly, but when no response was heard, he quietly opened it. He stepped inside cautiously.
"Corin?" he called. "Corin, are you in here?" But there was no response. The room was empty. Cor glanced around, checking behind the settee and the floor-length curtains just to make sure that his brother was hiding or waiting to startle him. At last he gave up and returned to the hallway. He waited for several minutes before Susan reappeared, still frowning.
"He wasn't in his room," Cor began.
"Aravis hasn't seen him either," Susan replied.
"Should I check the stables next?" Cor asked. "Perhaps he went exploring without informing anyone."
Susan nodded in agreement. "Let me fetch my cloak from my room and then we shall go straight to the stables." Susan turned to her right and opened the second door. She slipped inside and closed it while Cor waited outside.
Susan hurried towards the fireplace where her cloak was hanging on a hook. She smiled as she thought of it being warm since it was near the fire. But as Susan neared the fire place, she stopped in her tracks.
Her voice caught in her throat as she came across a body on her rug, and she leaned heavily against the nearest wall as she felt the air sucked from her lungs. Everything seemed to be spinning around her. "Cor." She whispered faintly, struggling to breathe. She mustered her voice and shouted, "Cor!" before passing out into a faint on the floor.
"King Edmund!" Galen shouted, stumbling forward as the knife sped towards its target. Edmund wasn't sure what was happening as he tried to turn around.
"Your majesty, look out!" The young Telmarine standard bearer threw himself at Edmund, knocking him off balance. The two crashed to the ground and Edmund covered his head that was no longer protected by his helmet. The knife whirled overhead and skidded across the trampled ground. Edmund lay panting for a moment before he scrambled to his feet.
Galen reclaimed his senses and tackled the Telmarine who had thrown the dagger. They thrashed on the ground for a few seconds before Oreius seized the Telmarine by the back of his hauberk and held him aloft. Eye blazing, Oreius glared at him for a long while before setting him on his feet and turning him over to the stout dwarf whom Galen had encountered earlier.
Meanwhile, Edmund had picked himself up and turned to help the boy to his feet.
"It seems that I owe my life to you," Edmund stated.
"No, no." The boy flushed crimson. "It was nothing. Your armor would have deflected it."
"But not without a little harm," Edmund added. "What is your name?"
"Amon, your majesty."
"Please, call me King Edmund." Edmund smiled at the boy, his dark eyes kind and friendly. He knew there was nothing to fear from the youngster. Amon nodded at his words, and would have responded but Oreius interrupted.
"King Edmund, what should be done with this man who has tried to end your life?"
Edmund pondered this. He had promised to let the Telmarines return freely and unharmed, but he had not stopped to think about an assassination attempt, planned or otherwise. At last he turned back to his general. "Summon Prince Luzan, please," Edmund commanded. "The conditions have been rearranged. I still promise the soldiers their freedom, but this man must be brought to court."
"Please, sir," Amon begged, "he's my uncle, and my mother's only source of income, besides the little I earn. Can't you pardon him?"
"Attempts on the life of the king are not offenses easily brushed aside, young one," Oreius responded as he eyed the boy warily. Edmund did not seem to notice the look. Oreius turned and paced off. Galen hurried up as the centaur searched out Prince Luzan.
"Are you sure you are fine, King Edmund?" Galen asked.
"Yes," Edmund responded. "But I would appreciate it if you don't mention this to my sister when we return." He smiled and inside his heart leaped. They had won and soon they would be returning home. He knew that it would still be several weeks as they slowly returned, making sure to set spies all along the border and keep extra guards on duty, but he had not expected to win so swiftly. Yet the others did not seem surprised. They had never doubted.
He smiled again, wider and brighter this time. Galen eyed him, but didn't say anything. Just then, Oreius returned saying Prince Luzan had agreed to a court session to decide a proper verdict.
"Prince Luzan also apologizes deeply for the encounter, though I don't believe he is saying that from true sympathy," Oreius remarked.
Cor fiddled with the corner of his tunic as he waited for Susan to fetch her cloak. He was picking at the embroidery (a habit that Aravis often scolded him about) when he heard Susan shout his name. Then there came a dull thud, but Cor didn't wait for anymore sounds. He whipped the dagger out of his belt and charged into the room.
All was silent.
As he sheathed his dagger, he rushed over to Susan who was collapsed in a heap upon the floor.
"Queen Susan? Queen Susan!" He pressed his hand to her cheek in anxious concern. She stirred a little at his touch, but her eyes did not open.
Cor sat back on his heels as he wondered what caused her to pass out like she had. He glanced up and saw what his concern for Susan had hidden from him before.
All the color rushed from Cor's face. His own brother lay face downwards in front of the fireplace. A knife projected from his back and his tunic was saturated with his own blood. Suddenly, the room seemed to pitch around him and Cor stumbled forward hastily, falling to his knees beside his brother.
"Corin?" he whispered, tears threatening to come. "Corin, please say something! Corin!" Though he wanted to roll his brother over to see his pale face, Cor didn't dare. He clasped Corin's hand tightly in his own as he whispered a desperate prayer.
"Child."
It was not an unkind voice, but his head snapped back, hand flying to his dagger. Cor scanned his surroundings fearfully, expecting to see the being who had dared harm his brother. Anger took control of his senses as he demanded, "What did you do to Corin?"
"I did not harm him."
"Liar," Cor hissed, drawing his dagger. "Show yourself!"
"Do you not know My Voice?"
"I don't know you at all." Cor was completely sure that he saw someone lurking in the shadows of the draperies.
"Can you have forgotten the sound of My Voice so soon?"
"I said I don't know you!" Cor repeated, making ready to spring forward. But he had a final question to ask before he attacked. "What quarrel do you have with my brother that would cause you to murder him so?
But the Voice did not answer. He had come to offer peace and comfort, but was rejected by blindness and terror. In Cor's mind, the Voice had morphed into a hideous murderer. Cor was under the control of his fear and did not realize with whom he had been speaking.
"Cor, my child. Do not let your fear blind you to the truth." The Voice shattered the fog in his mind and Cor gasped in horror.
"A-Aslan?" His voice trembled with fear and he cowered on the floor. He could feel warm breath on his neck but didn't dare lift his head. "I'm sorry," he cried. "I didn't know it was you."
"Cor, rise up," the Lion commanded. "Do not be afraid. I will not harm you."
"But-" Cor protested. But as he stammered for excuses, still not understanding, he realized that he no longer felt Aslan's breath on his neck. He slowly sat up and realized that he was alone in the room once again.
Cor glanced over his shoulder and saw that Susan remained unconscious. Then his gaze returned to Corin. He tried not to panic as he sorted through the situation. Finally he staggered to his feet and dashed into the hall, calling for the guards.
Soon a Leopard and a Tiger nearly ran him over in their rapidness to respond. They quickly slid on their haunches to keep from knocking him down. They were obviously youngsters and quite eager for excitement.
"Kry at your service!" the Leopard exclaimed.
"Tiar at your service!" the Tiger echoed.
"Prince Cor!" the Leopard began. "What is the trouble?"
"Well…" Cor trailed off, unsure how to explain the situation without sounding like a babbling fool. He tried to start at the beginning. "I heard Queen Susan shout my name and I ran in, dagger drawn, I believe. I didn't see anyone at first, but then I saw Queen Susan on the floor. She fainted, I think, and-"
"Queen Susan fainted?!" Tiar barreled his way past Cor, bounding into the room to the assistance of his queen but stopped dead in his tracts when he saw Corin. The Tiger slowly turned around, his eyes suddenly grave and serious.
"Yes, that-that's what I was going to say next," Cor stammered, trying to hold back the tears. "And Aslan-" But once again, he was cut off.
"Kry, fetch the healers, quickly!" the Tiger commanded instantly. Without answering, the Leopard streaked out of the room and down the hall. Tiar turned to Cor. He knew a little about injuries and instantly put his knowledge to work. "Prince Cor," he instructed. "Kry will return with the healers as soon as possible, but who knows how long it's been already. You best do as I tell you. I need you to first withdraw the blade from his highness's back. Then you'll need to put pressure on it to staunch the flow of blood."
Cor quickly seized Susan's discarded cloak. He felt confident that she wouldn't mind if he ruined it for a very good reason. He hesitated to withdraw the blade. He hated the sight of blood – it made his stomach flip-flop – but he knew that it might be a little while before the healers reached Corin.
"Aslan," he whispered. "You told me to not be afraid, but I'm terrified. What should I do?" Cor glanced over his shoulder to where the Tiger was bending over Susan. Tiar did not seem to hear Cor's quiet prayer, or if he did, he made no sign of comprehension.
Cor took a deep breath. He knew better than to hesitate now.
Author's note: Hopefully this chapter is satisfying. I'm leaving for vacation and really wanted to get this up before I left. I haven't had much time to work on it, so it might be a little rough. Was the part with Aslan okay? I struggled with that scene the most. I may end up rewriting it when I get back. :)