Edmund had known they wouldn't make it much farther before having to stop for the night, but he had hoped for more time than this.
"We can't go much farther," Edmund concedes, shouting to be heard over the wind. The princess looks at the forest around them, pulling her cloak tighter with one hand. Edmund realizes then that he still has her arm and lets go, readjusting his own substitute blanket cloak. He doesn't regret swapping with her, but he can feel the temperature dropping with the lessening daylight.
Edmund angles to the right to avoid backtracking toward the road as they head deeper into the woods. They force their way through the underbrush, and it's increasingly difficult to keep his own feet under him. When the space between the trees allows, he stays to the left of the princess, reaching out to steady her as necessary but mostly keeping his hands wrapped in the blanket around his shoulders.
The storm is still blowing overhead and dropping plenty of snow over everything, but it's less of a whiteout within the protection of the woods. He squints into the gloom as they trek further in, looking for a downed tree or a hollow of some kind that they can use for the night. Edmund glances back at their trail every few yards and decides that the snow will soon fill it. A skilled tracker like Adan will still be able to pick it out, but Edmund knows Adan relies on more than just sight. With the amount of trees they've had to brush against already, he's not worried about Adan finding them.
He does plead silently with Aslan for protection, though, from others' detection. As soon as they'd crossed the road, Adan had revealed that the gap between them and the group of humans was slowly closing. Edmund's stomach had sunk at this news, and even worse was when Adan told him he planned to go and surveil their movements. He'd been keeping tabs on their movements all day, Edmund knew, but that was from a distance. Now Adan wanted to get close enough to figure out who these people were and what they were doing.
Edmund shakes his head slightly, trying to focus on the problem at hand. He scans the tightly-packed trees around them, knowing they're running out of time. They need some kind of wind break at the very least since starting a fire is out of the question tonight. As they press deeper into the forest, the crowded smaller trees and brush do give way to larger trees with more cleared space between them. The last light of day is more able to fall through larger gaps in the canopy, too, but Edmund guesses they only have about half an hour before they'll be in the dark. Help us, Aslan.
Finally, he spies a large conifer through the gloom and aims for it. Sure enough, the lower branches are thick and full and sagging toward the ground with the weight of snow. Edmund swings the pack off his back and stretches his shoulders out as he turns, assessing the surrounding area for anything else they can use. He notes several trees with branches he can borrow. Crouching down, he turns back to the main tree and peers at the fairly snow-free ground underneath the lowest boughs. It's as good as he could've hoped for, and he opens the pack to dig out a serrated blade.
"If you have to…" Edmund trails off, gesturing at the forest without looking at the princess hovering behind him.
"Stay close," she finishes. Edmund nods, looking now in the direction of the road. They should be far enough away. With dark and snow quickly falling, their pursuers will need to think about shelter as well, if they haven't already stopped for the night.
As the princess walks away, Edmund gets to work clearing debris from under the tree and weaving in additional branches from nearby trees to block the wind and hide them from view. It may not be the most comfortable shelter, but he's confident they can survive the night. The snow that continues to fall should provide some additional insulation, too, as it piles up over his quick work.
Edmund looks around the clearing when he's satisfied with his work, noting the footsteps he's left all around the clearing. They're still very distinct in the fresh snow, even as the daylight quickly disappears. He stands slowly, still assessing the mess, when he hears the princess return. Her footsteps crunch softly in the snow, even over the constant wind. She slows as she approaches behind him, and he turns enough to see the dubious expression on her face when she comes to a stop.
"It's-" But he takes a deep breath, biting back the annoyed retort on the tip of his tongue. This is another first for her, Edmund reminds himself. And really, Edmund can admit that their shelter is not going to be comfortable for either of them. "It will keep the wind out, at least," he amends, his voice more resigned this time. The princess pulls the cloak tight around her with a small nod. Edmund finds his hand massaging his temple, and he quickly drops it.
"I'll be in," he says, waving at the small opening he left. After a brief hesitation, the princess moves toward the shelter and slowly presses through the branches. Some of the tension leaves Edmund's shoulders once she's safely obscured from sight, and he returns his attention to the footsteps all around the area. The snow is still falling fast, but the unnatural dips could still give them away. Edmund lets out a short huff and glances at the shelter before slipping into the dark woods.
While following his own tracks back several minutes later, Edmund stoops to pick up a sizable fallen branch. With it he sweeps across his tracks, wiping away the dents and ridges so the snow will have a level surface to cover. All the way back to the clearing, he's careful to ensure no sign of his passage remains, and he even swipes several feet of the princess's trail as well before seeing to the rest of the clearing.
Edmund slowly scans the clearing, standing just in front of the entrance he'd sent the princess through. His gaze strays in the direction of the road afterwards, but it's far too dark now to hope for any glimpse of pursuers or Adan. Please, he prays, though he's not even certain anymore what he wants to ask. His shoulders sag as he grips the hilt of his sword, running his fingers over the engraved lion's mane. The princess shifts under the tree behind him– he can hear the soft scrape of her movement against the bare ground– and he steels himself, packing away every doubt and misgiving to the corner of his mind again.
He wipes his cold hand across his face, and suddenly he's more tired than he's been in a long time. Tired of the cold, tired of the distance, tired of the uncertainty. The longing for home settles into his gut. He'd volunteered for a search party, not…
Edmund shakes his head and turns, ducking into the dark, dry space beneath the branches of the conifer. The instant he's out of the wind it feels warmer, more hopeful somehow, and Edmund nearly catches the scent of a summer forest before it slips away from him in the dark.