ignite me / p. pevensie

chapter five

 "I didn't know . . ." Edmund finally spoke as Jadis left the sleigh to investigate up ahead with the Minotaur. Rowyn fiddled with the blood-stained end of her sweatshirt. "I swear I didn't-"

"Quiet!" The dwarf shouted.

Rowyn looked at the dwarf—silently picturing throwing his body into a fire and hearing him scream. "It doesn't matter now . . ." Her voice was quiet, broken, worn.

Edmund flinched at it. At the pain it held. "I'm so sorry, Rowyn-"

"Sorry doesn't fix what happened!" She whisper-shouted. "Sorry doesn't take back the fact that Tumnus may die—that my back will hold these scars forever! I don't know you and you don't know me—I have no interest in hearing your useless apologies."

She knew she was begin harsh but at that moment she hated the dark brown-haired boy she sat beside. She hated what he caused, what he did.

Rowyn was certain she would never forgive him for it.

"Get out!" The dwarf shouted at the children as Jadis came back. Rowyn kept her head down as they followed her to the edge of a cliff.

Rowyn observed the chunks of ice that ran down the river.

"It's so warm out." The dwarf said, making a move to remove his coat, but Jadis glared daggers into him and he stopped. "I'll go and check the sleigh." Out of the corner of her eye, Rowyn saw Edmund smile in amusement at the comment but she just rolled her eyes.

"We found the traitor!" A voice shouted, making the three turn around. Rowyn's heart broke when she saw a small red fox in the mouth of a big gray wolf. She flinched at the noise it made when they dropped him to the ground.

"Nice of you to drop in," Jadis said. "You were oh so helpful to my wolves last night, perhaps you can help me now."

The fox lowered his head in shame. "Forgive me, Your Majesty."

Jadis scoffed. "Oh don't waste my time with flattery!"

The fox looked up at her. "Not to be disrespectful, but I wasn't talking to the false queen." Rowyn's eyes widened when she found his eyes now looking at her.

Rowyn could feel the rage Jadis held as she stared at her for a moment and then walked closer to the fox—pointing her wand at the creature. "Where are the humans headed?" The fox backed up—refusing to speak.

And when Jadis raised her wand to harm him, Edmund jumped in front of it. "Wait, no! The beavers said something about the Stone Table and that Aslan had an army there!"

Rowyn flinched at his words—she had a feeling that there was a reason the fox wasn't speaking. The drop of the fox's head only confirmed her suspicion.

"Thank you, Edmund." Jadis gave him a fake smile. "I'm glad this creature got to see some honesty . . . before he died!" Jadis brought the tip of her wand to the fox and turned him into stone.

"No!" Both Edmund and Rowyn shouted. Jadis walked over to Edmund and slapped him hard.

"Think about who's side your on Edmund." She grabbed his cheeks. "Mine . . . or theirs." She forced him to look at the stone creature as he cried quietly.

Jadis left the children standing there with teary eyes while she began to command her wolves. "If it's a war Aslan wanted . . . it's a war he shall get."

....

Edmund and Rowyn sat beside each other, tied up tightly to a tree. Rowyn was thankful that Jadis had done something to heal their wounds back at the ice castle, otherwise they both would be in even more pain than they already were.

"Is our little Prince and Princess uncomfortable?" The dwarf said, coming over to taunt them a bit. More images of giving him a gruesome death filled her mind. "Does he want his pillow fluffed?" The dwarf came over and pushed Edmund's head.

Rowyn stifled a snarl at the man and pictured more ways to end him. Her palms burned again.

"Special treatment for the special girl!" He came over to shove her head too but the moment his hand touched her skin, he recoiled in pain. His shouts were drowned out by the loud clanks of metal coming from the camp around them.

Both Edmund and Rowyn were shocked to see the burn marks that rested on his right palm and fingertips.

Shouting a string of curses, the dwarf left the two alone.

....

Rowyn awoke to the sound of loud hooves heading towards her and Edmund. She and Edmund shared a wordless confused look before centaurs came and slaughtered the men near Rowyn and Edmund.

"Come with us Prince, Princess." The centaur said after cutting the ropes off of the two children. "We will bring you to safety." He then motioned for Rowyn to hop onto his back while Edmund went onto another centaur.

The group of Narnians quickly fled the area before Jadis could come out and attack them.

"Where are you taking us?" Rowyn asked over the loud wind that whipped around her as they rode fast threw the woods.

"To Aslan." Was his only reply.