And I'm back! I'm even updating on time! Thank you for your wonderful reviews on the first chapter! Here's the second chapter and it's even a little longer than the first. I still don't own and all previous statements still apply.
Peter woke to darkness surrounding him like a death shroud. For one confused moment, he thought somehow he had fallen from his bed and become tangled in the blankets, but when he tried to move and found he could not some of his confusion vanished. He wasn't at home in his bed; he was on his way to Anvard. He remembered a vague impression of swirling snow and a deafening crash. Then he was falling and there was nothing else to be recalled.
It was strange then, that he did not feel cold. He remembered snow but the unidentified surface beneath him was warm and dry though far too hard to be a bed. Regardless of where he was he still couldn't move but that disturbed him only vaguely; for the moment he was strangely content.
The high king closed his eyes, which made no difference in the uniform darkness around him. He felt that he should be far more concerned than he was, but there was a kind of peace to lying still in a warm darkness.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting between Susan and Lucy on a grassy hill overlooking Cair Paravel and the sparkling sea. Peter blinked in the sudden sunlight, once more confused. Susan laughed and handed him a sandwich.
"See Lucy? I told you our royal brother would fall asleep if given half a chance." She laughed musically and Lucy joined her.
Peter grinned a trifle sheepishly. "Sorry Su, I didn't realize how tired I was. I had the strangest dream." He frowned, trying to remember. "You know, I can't really recall what it was; how strange."
"Well, wake up! It's been far too long since the three of us spent any time together." Susan smiled conspiratorially at Lucy. "And Lucy has a surprise for us, or so she keeps telling me."
A thought nagged at the back of Peter's mind. Something was wrong. "Where's Edmund?"
To Peter's dismay Lucy burst into tears. Susan pursed her lips reproachfully. "Really Peter!" She scolded. "I expected better from you. How can you joke about that? You ought to know better than anyone that he is gone!"
"Right; I don't know how I could have forgotten." Memory and grief suddenly solidified within his mind. He's dead; he died fighting the Witch, Peter remembered it all now, though a moment ago he could have sworn the battle had a different outcome. "I'm sorry Lucy, Susan, truly, I do not know what came over me. I cry your pardon good sisters." Somehow everything seemed different but he couldn't remember how. It was Edmund's death, it must be; he would never be the same after losing his brother. If only Aslan had been there to help them.
The High King of Narnia gathered his sisters into his arms and quieted Lucy's tears even as he held back his own. How could he have forgotten, even for a moment that Edmund was gone?
Lucy became cheerful again more quickly than would have been possible for anyone save Narnia's Valiant Queen. Susan still looked reproachfully at Peter, as if she thought he might forget again, but for the most part the afternoon picnic progressed merrily enough. Lucy's surprise, it turned out was none other than the arrival of a cheerful faun, a distant cousin of Mr. Tumnus', and an entourage of Dryads. They sang and danced and for a moment Peter could feel the weight of Edmund's, Tumnus', Orieus', and so many other deaths lifting from his shoulders.
The song the fauns sang was at once merry and solemn; it made tears spring to the eyes of the three siblings even as they laughed from joy. Peter wanted to dance, to fight and to cry all at the same time. When at last they collapsed, breathless and smiling upon the grassy ground all three were exhausted and content.
They stared up at the sky, bluer than any blue they could remember seeing before, and closed their eyes when the light of the sun shone too brightly. Peter slept.
Philip neighed his displeasure when the first snowflakes began to fall. Snorting he pawed at the ground and shook his mane. "It's no use looking for your royal brother in this blizzard lad."
Edmund chuckled, though the very sight of snow still had the power to make his stomach turn. "It's hardly a blizzard Philip. Just a flurry of snow, besides, Asterius can smell out the trail even in a storm."
The leopard bowed his head and purred in appreciation of the complement. "Your majesty, I am pleased with your confidence." He curled his lip slightly to reveal wickedly sharp teeth. "And as much as it pains me to say it, the horse is right. In a blizzard, there will be little or no use looking for the High King. A rainstorm or a flurry of snow would scarcely give me pause but," he tilted his head towards the mass of clouds gathering above Stormness Head and the pass into Archenland, "It will soon be no mere flurry."
"Then we should move quickly." Edmund glowered at Philip, regardless of the fact the horse could not see him and was suddenly taking a great interest in the nearest clump of junipers. "Philip, how often must I remind you that I am a child no longer. I am a king of Narnia and a king does not run from mere snow." More gently he added; "It heartens me that you are concerned for my wellbeing, truly it does, but it has been many years since the Witch's Winter was broken. Narnia is a land of peace and beauty now and even the snow will someday be free of her evil memories." Would that I could yet be free, he added in the privacy of his own thoughts.
Asterius dipped his head gracefully. "As you say your majesty. I do warn you though, if the snow becomes too heavy I will lose the scent."
Philip snorted and pawed the ground. "Philip?" Edmund asked quietly. The horse tossed his head again then sighed.
"Very well, I will carry you through this fool's errand. But is it not likely that your brother is merely delayed by the snow?" He broke into a reluctant trot.
Edmund pondered the question. In different circumstances, he might have believed that possible, but Peter had sent no word; neither back to Cair Paravel or forward to Anvard to warn of his delay. It was unlike him to be so careless when affairs of state were at stake. He knows this treaty with Calormen may be the only way to save us from war. "No, he would have sent word. Aslan willing, we will find both the High King and the reason for his disappearance quickly." And may Aslan grant you his grace and protect you from harm, my brother.
He shivered as the icy wind cut through his cloak and seemed to pierce through to his very bones. Ahead the ground sloped steeply up until it ran along the edge of a cliff, winding ever higher until it reached the pass. Edmund shuddered at the thought of the disaster one misstep would cause. Philip, or any of the Talking Horses of Narnia could navigate the road with impunity, even in the snow, but Peter had insisted on riding a horse from Archenland. As a rule Talking Horses were only ridden in war, or in Philip's case because the refused to give up their duties once war was over, and Peter refused to entertain the notion of a Talking Horse accompanying him on a diplomatic visit. As it was, the dumb animals of the South were less sure footed than their Talking cousins and Edmund feared that in a few minutes or hours he would look down into the precipice to the side of the road and see his brother and his guards lying dead and broken upon the snow.
He shivered again and pushed the image from his mind. One horse falling was a possibility but Peter had taken a centaur a stag and a score of talking dogs with him as well. Not all of them could have fallen to their deaths and therefore they must either be alive or some other disaster must have befallen them.
Ahead of them Asterius paused, his tail twitching in some form of agitation. "What have you found?" Edmund called above the wind.
The leopard's fur ruffled uneasily. "The trail ends here your majesty."
"Ends? Is the snow too thick for you to catch their scent?"
"The snow isn't deep enough to mask the scent of so many dogs." Asterius stated, somewhat primly. "No; it's simply gone your majesty."
Philip trotted forward to stand beside the cat and then, three things happened almost at the same time. Asterius stepped forward, tail twitching as he sniffed the air. Philip followed him and quite suddenly the ground seemed to open beneath them and swallowed up leopard, horse and king. For one long terrible moment Edmund felt himself falling through stifling darkness then there was a sudden jolt of pain and he knew no more.
Next chapter coming soon, please don't kill me! Also, if it's a bit confusing answers are also coming; it's meant to be a little unclear what's happening. Review and let me know what you think! Pretty please? Thanks!
Cheers,
A
