The Voyage - Edmund Pevensie

3

Caspian pushed open the double doors to the office as Edmund and Lucy followed close behind, with me bringing up the rear of our party. 

I closed the doors behind us as Ed and Lucy walked around the small cabin, taking in all of the decoration. Lucy immediately went over to the large, golden Aslan crest that hung above the fire place. She reached out to touch it with a soft smile on her face and I felt myself smiling as well. 

The shipwrights had spared no expense when they'd made the Dawn Treader, creating the room from a warm wood and gold trimming. Not to mention all of the touches of Narnia's history scattered throughout the room. That included wall panels painted with all kinds of stories and people, including the two panels next to Caspian that showed the four Kings and Queens of Old. That was what Edmund was currently staring at, recognition fluttering across his face as he realized that it was him and his siblings.

 I'd often stared at those panels when we'd first set sail, somehow hoping that by staring at a painting of Edmund from a thousand years ago, it'd bring back the Ed that I knew. And maybe it had since he was now standing within a few feet of me. 

"Look! Susan's bow and arrows!" Lucy's voice broke me out of my daze and my eye turned to where she stood in front of the weapon. It had been my idea to bring the Pevensie's things when we'd set sail, more out of the hope that Edmund would somehow appear more than anything. Caspian had been the one to grab Susan's things, including her horn which sat on a stand under Aslan's crest. 

When he'd brought them on the ship, we'd shared a sad smile both knowing that the true owner of the bow and horn would never be back to claim them. My heart hurt for my brother that he'd never see Susan again especially seeing as how she was the only girl that had ever been able to turn my brother's head. For the first half of our lives, we'd been too preoccupied with worrying about Miraz to worry about things like crushes and first loves.

"You don't use it?" Lucy asked me and I shook my head. "I thought for sure you'd use it after Susan left. I mean, you're the best markswoman I know!"

"She didn't leave it to me," I told her. "I'd feel wrong using it knowing it's true owner isn't here."

"Oh you know Susan wouldn't care about all that," Lucy said as she picked up the bow and quiver from it's stand. "If anything, I'm sure she'd be happy you're using it so it didn't just sit there like a pretty prop. It is meant to be used after all." Excitement bubbled up in my chest as Lucy held the bow out to me, but I hesitated. 

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Positive." This came from Edmund who was smiling at me from across the room. With hesitant fingers, I reached out and clasped them around the bow, grinning from ear to ear. 

"Thank you," I said softly, running my hands along the smooth wood. 

"Lucy," Caspian called to the brunette. She turned to see Caspian holding out a small wooden box, and an even bigger smile graced her face. 

"My healing cordial and dagger!" She went to grab them then hesitated. "May I?"

"Of course," Caspian told her. "They're yours."

"Peter's sword," Edmund said, walking towards where it hung on the wall next to the double doors. 

"Yes. Looked after as promised," Cas told him. My brother grabbed the sword and handed it out to Edmund. "Here, hold it if you wish."

"No no," Edmund said putting his hands up slightly. "It's yours. Peter gave it to you." Normally, I wouldn't have blinked twice at Edmund's statement. However, there was something off about the way that he'd said "you". Like it was an insult directed at my brother. I narrowed my eyes ever so slightly as I studied Edmund. A weird feeling began to grow in my stomach, but a glint of something sliver off to my left caught my eye and saved me from thinking about that feeling any longer.