The Youngest Pevensie

Chapter 11: The White Witch

       One bite. Two bites. Three bites. All in the span of 7 seconds. I laughed as I said. "Narnia's not going to run out of toast, Ed." Edmund smiled at me, from his spot on the ground beside me. Susan, Lucy, Edmund, and I were having a picnic for breakfast. Peter was also there, but he was leaning against the rocks, a few steps behind us. "I'm sure they'll pack something up for the journey back." Peter said, and we all looked at him in shock. "We're going home?" Susan questioned, sounding disappointed. "You are." Peter told us, and sat down beside me, so I was in between him and Edmund. "I promised Mum I'd keep you four safe. But it doesn't mean I can't stay behind and help." Peter said, and I immediately disagreed. "No, Peter. Narnia needs us. All five of us." "Katerina, it's too dangerous." Peter started and I seethed back when he used my full name. I knew he was being serious. "You almost drowned at the river! You passed out and we didn't know whether you were going to wake up or not! And Edmund was almost killed!" Peter exclaimed. My eyes flared. "I know that, Peter. Don't you think I know that?! I was the one who almost drowned. And I was the one who saw Edmund with the White Witch. Not you! So, don't say that like you know better than me." I snapped at my brother. I hardly ever snapped at my siblings like that, so they were shocked when I snapped. Especially Edmund who didn't know that I had seen him with the White Witch, because of the necklace. It was silent for a few seconds, and Edmund gave me a look saying we'll talk later about what you just said, before saying. "Your reasons are why we have to stay. I've seen what the White Witch can do. And I've helped her do it. And we can't leave these people behind to suffer for it." In that moment I had never been prouder of Edmund. The look on Peter's face showed me that he felt the same way. "I suppose that's it then." Susan said and stood up and started walking away. We turned to look at her as Peter asked. "Where are you going?" Susan grabbed her bow and arrows, plus her horn as she answered. "To get in some practice." Lucy and I grinned and jumped up to go follow her, our daggers on our belts on our waists.

       Susan steadied her bow as she aimed. Then she fired. She hit the line between the white and the black circles on the target. The black was the second closest to the middle. Susan frowned as Lucy and I gasped in excitement. Lucy took out her dagger and threw it. The dagger hit bull's eye. Susan, Lucy, and I laughed in shock as I looked at the youngest of my two older sisters. That's when we heard horses whinnying. We turned around and saw Edmund and Peter practicing fighting with swords, while they were on horses. "Come on, Ed! Sword point up, like Oreius showed us." Peter advised Edmund. "En garde!" Edmund exclaimed. "Now block." Peter told him as they clashed swords. "Peter! Edmund!" Mr. Beaver yelled as he ran up to them. We weren't far away so Susan, Lucy, and I could hear too. Edmund's horse stood up on its hind legs as it whinnied. "Whoa, horsie!" Edmund exclaimed. "My Name is Philip." The horse corrected him. "Oh." Edmund started stammering. "Sorry." "The Witch has demanded a meeting with Aslan. She's on her way here." Mr. Beaver told them, and my heart dropped as I looked at Edmund's scared face.

       "Jadis! Queen of Narnia!" The dwarf yelled as he came down the pathway towards Aslan's tent. The creatures on our side yelled things like. "Go away, Witch!", "Leave now!", and "You Don't Belong Here!". "Empress of the Lone Islands!" The dwarf yelled another "true" title. Behind the dwarf sat The White Witch, Jadis, on a throne, being carried by four ogres. She was even more terrifying in real life than in my visions. Scared, I grasped onto Edmund's hand. Aslan was at the front of the camp, as we stood to the side. The ogres put the throne down, and the Witch stood up. The Witch looked at Edmund as she passed us on her way, walking towards Aslan. "You have a traitor in your midst, Aslan." The Witch said, and as scared as I was, I wanted to groan. Why does everyone keep calling him that?! One mistake, people. One mistake. The crowed murmured as a number of people looked at Edmund. I glared at every one of them, even if they were on our side. Nobody insults my brother. "His offence was not against you." Aslan replied. "Have you forgotten the laws upon which Narnia was built?" The Witch accused. Aslan growled as he said. "Do not cite the Deep Magic to me, Witch. I was there when it was written." "Then you'll remember well that every traitor belongs to me. His blood is my property." The Witch said, and my blood boiled with anger. Peter unsheathed his sword and pointed it at her. "Try to take him, then." The Witch calmly looked at Peter, as if he was pointing a paper sword at her. "Do you really think that mere force will deny me my right... little King?" Peter looked unsure of what to do, as the Witch looked back at Aslan. "Aslan knows that unless I have blood, as the law demands..." She turned to face the entire camp of creatures for dramatic effect. "...all of Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water." She turned back around and pointed at Edmund. "That boy will die on the Stone Table..." She paused and I looked at Edmund, terrified for him. "...as is tradition. You dare not refuse me." She told Aslan. "Enough. I shall talk with you alone." Aslan told her and walked into his tent. The Witch followed her, and I had a bad feeling about what was about to be said in there.

       It had been ten minutes, and something was itching at my mind for me to tell Peter. The five of us were now sitting on the grass, and I tapped Peter's arm. He looked down at me. "I'm sorry, Pete, that I snapped at you. I was just frustrated. I didn't mean what I said." I told him. "Yes, you did." He replied and I looked down at the grass, tears starting to well up in my eyes. Is he not going to forgive me? "But you were right." He told me, which made me look up at him in shock. "You were right about what you said. You were the one who almost drowned, and you are the only one, besides Edmund, who knows anything about what he went through. I'm sorry too." He replied and I gave him a hug. "We both apologized, we both forgive each other, let's just move on." I told him, and he nodded in agreement.

       A half an hour had passed, and I was bored. No one was talking, until Edmund whispered to me. "What were you and Peter talking about, you being able to see me and the Witch?" I knew that question was coming. "We met Santa along the way, as you know. Susan got her bow and arrows, and her horn. Peter got a sword and shield. Lucy got a dagger and a healing potion. And I, I got the same dagger as Lucy, plus this necklace." I held it up to show him. "Whenever I touch it and think of a face, I am see them. No matter where they are, or what they're doing, I can see them and hear them. When I got it, I immediately thought of you. So while Lucy, Susan and Peter were getting their gifts, I was watching you in the sleigh with the White Witch. Then, after I almost drowned, I fell asleep. Before I fell asleep, I was touching my necklace and thinking of you, so while I slept, I had a dream about you and the Witch. You were by the river and she turned Fox into a statue. That wasn't just a dream was it?" I was talking very quietly, so that only Edmund could hear. Edmund looked at the ground in shame, and whispered. "It wasn't a dream. How much did you see?" "I saw from when the dwarf said it was warm out, to when the Witch turned the butterfly into stone." I told him and he still looked at the ground. "Edmund..." I trailed off and he looked up at me. "Y-You know I don't blame you, right? Like, at all. For Fox, Mr. Tumnus, any of it." I told him, my voice 100% serious. "Why don't you? I mean, it is my fault." Edmund said, and I took a deep breath to keep my anger in check. "No, it's not. Stop it. Edmund, I'm your little sister, even if the world exploded and it was your fault, I still wouldn't blame you. You're my brother, you're one of the only people in the world I have complete faith and trust in. And there's nothing, absolutely nothing, you can do to change that." I told him. "If the world blew up, you wouldn't be alive, so..." I interrupted my brother. "Kinda missing the point here, Ed!" I exclaimed in a whisper. "I get the point. Thank you, Kat. I'm lucky to have a sister like you." He said and put one of his arms over my shoulders. I leaned into him, feeling safe and secure in my brother's arms.

Two hours. That's how long it had been since Aslan and the Witch went into the tent. Me and my siblings, plus a lot of other creatures, were still sitting on the ground. We were really bored and nervous, especially Edmund. He kept ripping grass out of the ground. I twirled grass around my finger, until Peter started to get up. I looked and saw the tent doors opening. So me and the rest of my siblings, plus the creatures, got up to look. Out came the White Witch. She walked forward, her eyes on Edmund making me fear the worst, until she turned and walked back to her throne. Aslan came out as well and stood at the front of the camp. Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, and I all looked at him for answers. What is going to happen with Edmund? Aslan looked at us with sad eyes, and fear built up inside of me. No. Then Aslan looked at the whole camp. "She has renounced her claim on the Son of Adam's blood." Aslan announced. I gasped as I looked at my brother in happiness. Peter shook his shoulder with him hand, and I gave Edmund a hug, which he returned and picked me up. "How do I know your promise will be kept?" The Witch asked, as she stood in front of her throne, making the celebrations paused. Aslan roared and the Witch sat on her throne. Everyone on Aslan's side started cheering, and Edmund put me down because Lucy was waiting for a hug. The Witch's throne was carried away by the ogres, and I was grinning. Susan hugged Edmund as Lucy and I looked at Aslan. My grin faded when I saw how sad his face was. He looked at Lucy and I with such sad eyes, before he walked away. Lucy went back to the celebrations, but all I could think was Aslan, I appreciate whatever you did to get Edmund free of the Witch, man do I appreciate it, but what did you promise her in return?