Heart and Home~ Edmund Pevensie

Chapter 4: Ghost Town

Edmund:

To say Edmund was frustrated would be an understatement of epic proportions.

He felt as if he couldn't count all the things that were going wrong – there were just so many. The love of his life was captured by slave traders, his family all but abandoned him and Lucy to go to America, his sword handle was rusted along with his fighting skills, and, despite his kingly status, the sailors hardly heard his words.

He was infuriated.

He could still recall the sound of Captain Drinian's voice, "I'm sorry your majesty, but the chain of command starts with King Caspian on this ship."

He felt as though he could hear her voice inside his head. Stay calm, Ed. You've almost found me. Hang on just a little bit longer.

Hang on for just a little bit longer.

The 2 longboats docked in the nearby port, and Edmund, Caspian, Lucy, and Eustace clambered onto the stone walkway. Reepicheep was excited beyond compare, the adventure fuelling him.

"Onward!" He called, "The thrill of the unknown lies ahead!"

Eustace, ever the complainer, "Couldn't this have waited 'til the morning?"

Edmund could almost feel Reepicheep roll his eyes as he stood beside Lucy, scanning the area, "There is no honor in turning away from adventure, lad." The rat chastised him.

"Listen!" Interrupted Lucy, "Where is everyone?"

Edmund paused. That's when he heard it – silence. Silence so loud it could only be described as unnatural. His ears twitched in waiting for something to tickle his ear drums, but alas... the sound of silence.

Edmund hardly paid attention to Eustace falling over his own feet, and Caspian questioning their relation to their cousin. He scanned the area, watching for movement. A glimpse of pale pink flesh, the wink of a human eye, a flash of brightly colored robes. Anything.

Edmund and Lucy walked ahead, up the stone stairs and into the quaint little town. It didn't make sense. Towns like these were meant to be rowdy places. A place filled to the brim with lonely alcoholics, rum, tavern wenches and unfair trade. But now, only silence. It irked him. Even his thoughts were quiet. Edmund hadn't heard silence since the day he left Narnia months ago.

GONG.

His ears, although eager to hear, did not expect the onslaught of sound waves to penetrate the air. The ringing of the nearby clock tower gave him a heart attack. In his panic, he drew his sword, and Caspian aimed his crossbow towards the sound. Only one ring. Unusual for the late afternoon. The silence, disturbed so abruptly, quickly mended itself. The ghost town returned to its ghostly attitude.

"Reepicheep," called Caspian, "stay here with Drinian's men and secure the place. We'll head on. If we don't come back by dawn, send a party."

The rat agreed and quickly scurried off. Edmund stalked up the stone incline leading to an entry arch and entered the grey town. The dust paths were the color of ash, the walls stained with black coal marks as dark as the night. There was stone lying everywhere as if the place had experienced battle, but no bodies or weapons marked the ground they walked upon. Only silence. A never ending silence.

Eustace hurried to catch up to the group, "Yeah, looks like nobody's in, so do you think we should head back?"

Edmund rolled his eyes, It's bloody well like I'm his mother. He stopped examining the large town hall and faced the young blond boy, "Ummm, do you want to come over here and... guard something?"