Silence || The Chronicles Of Narnia

32: I trust you all

"P - Peter?" Edmund choked from where he had his face buried against his brothers neck, tears stinging his eyes.

"Hmm." Peter replied, Edmund feeling water drop down on the top of his head, and at once feeling terrible that Peter was actually crying.

"The witch is still out there." Edmund choked. "And she's - she's not gonna be happy about this."

"You think she'll come after you again." Lucy whispered, sounding terrified.

"Of course she will." Edmund whispered. "She wants me dead."

Peter's grip immediately tightened around his brother. "I promise that that's not going to happen Ed." He murmered in his brothers ear. "I promise I won't let that happen."

"But-"

"No Ed, I won't let you die." Peter cut him off quickly, voice firm. "I won't."

Edmund swallowed hard before burying his face back against Peter's neck, taking a deep breath to try and calm his pounding heart.

"I suggest you don't go outside of the castle Edmund." Aslan spoke up gently. "Do not go anywhere alone, do not leave Peter's side."

Edmund nodded against Peter's neck, thinking that that sounded like a very good idea.

"Your brother will protect you." Aslan said. "I have no doubt about that."

Peter swallowed hard and pulled Edmund even closer, placing a kiss to the top of his head before looking back up when Aslan spoke again.

"I must go and talk with Orious." He announced. "And I also think it's best that the witch doesn't know I'm here."

After he'd said this, Edmund frowned slightly, an idea springing to mind. "Wait." He said, pulling away from Peter and sitting up as straight as he felt he could at that moment.

Aslan turned his head, as did Susan and Lucy, and a frown spread across Peter's face.

Edmund took a deep breath. "I - I have an idea." He practically whispered. "On how we can defeat the witch."

Aslan stared at him for a second before nodding. "Go ahead." He said gently, but Peter looked wary.

Edmund's voice was shaking, and something told Peter that Edmund was going to be very much involved in this plan of his.

Edmund hesitated a little. "What if we could somehow let on to the witch that I will be leaving the castle?" He said slowly.

"What?" Susan questioned, sounding as confused as the others felt.

Edmund swallowed hard. "If I leave the castle, alone, Jadis is sure to find me, and then when she's there, you attack and kill her."

"So what you're saying is you're going to offer yourself as live bait!" Peter exclaimed, eyes wide.

"It's the only way without starting a whole war!" Edmund cried in response, having known that Peter wouldn't like the plan one bit. "She comes after me, without knowing you're there too, and then you kill her, you'll have her surrounded, she'll have no where to go."

"All it takes is a flick of her wrist or something and you'll be dead Edmund." Peter said firmly. "You can't do this!"

"I have to." Edmund said. "We have to try this, otherwise she will come after me and I definitely will die."

Peter stared at him. "It - Its too risky." He whispered suddenly, shaking his head slightly.

"Sitting here and doing nothing is risky Peter." Edmund sighed. "And trust me, I'm not looking forward to this plan anymore than you are, but I want to get rid of her, for Narnia's sake, for your sake, for Susan and Lucy's sakes, and for my sake. So please Peter, let me do this."

Peter took a deep breath before looking up to Aslan. "You'll be there?" He asked hesitantly.

Aslan nodded with a sad smile. "I'll be there." He told him.

Peter sighed and ran a hand through his hair, before sighing and looking back to his brother. "How's this gonna work?" He asked.

Edmund breathed a sigh of relief, but he still looked worried as he explained the plan in detail. "I'll leave the castle alone, make it look like I'm out on a walk or something-"

"Do you really think the witch would believe that you left the castle willingly with her alive?" Susan cut in.

Edmund thought about this for a moment. "What if I - I faked an argument with one of you and stormed from the castle?" He suggested. "Make it look like I don't know I'm leaving?"

Susan nodded slowly. "But how do we guarantee that Jadis will hear about it?" She said slowly.

"I will sort that." Aslan said with a nod.

Edmund nodded back at him. "Then, I'll walk to a specific spot in the woods, where you'll all be hiding," He said hesitantly. "The witch will - will find me, but you'll save me before she can-" he stopped dead, swallowing hard before glancing up at Peter. "You will stop her from killing me, won't you?"

Peter's face fell. "Of course we will Ed." He said, pulling Edmund back into a right hug. "I promise we will."

Edmund nodded and rested his head against Peter's chest, sighing a little.

"So we're actually doing this?" Lucy whispered.

Peter sighed. He wanted to say no, but if he said that, then the witch would come after Edmund, they'd know nothing about it, and she'd kill him. So instead he took a deep breath. "Yeah." He whispered. "That's the plan."

Edmund gave his brother a weak smile. "Thank you." He mumbled. "For trusting me."

"I think I should be thanking you for trusting us." Peter muttered. "You're the one that's willingly handing yourself over to the witch, with only us stopping her from killing you."

"I trust you all with my life." Edmund said softly. "I mean that."

Peter smiled a little and placed a kiss to the top of Edmund's head. "Okay then." He murmered. "Let's do this."

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