Lost and Found

23: Darkness

May 2nd

"Sir, we will be ready to leave in no longer than half an hour." Orious informed Peter, who was sat in his hammock after a rather sleepless night.

"Thank you Orious." He mumbled, watching as the centaur bowed his head and left the tent, leaving Peter alone.

He sighed and leant forward, running a hand through his hair as he sighed. He knew the dessert wasn't exactly a small place, and it would be extra hard to search it, especially with the heat.

He was half thinking of sending Susan and Lucy home, but he knew they would refuse, much to Peter's worry... if anything were to happen to them too, he'd never be able to forgive himself.

After a moment or two he decided that he would let them come, but at the first sign of danger, or the first sign of struggle from either of them, he would send them both straight back home to Cair.

He didn't even realise he'd been sat there for half an hour until Susan came to fetch him. The search party was ready, just him, his sisters, Orious, Philip, and a few soldiers, Tumnus having volunteered to re search Archenland with the others.

"Right then." Peter breathed, running a hand through his hair. "Let's find Edmund."

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Edmund rubbed at his eyes as he made his way slowly down to the stables, half asleep still but knowing he couldn't just go back to bed.

He stepped outside, thankful for the collab breeze that filled the air, which made a change... a good change that is.

He was about half way to the stables, the wooden structure in view, when he heard a shout of: "Some of the horses escaped!"

Edmund frowned deeply... How in the world had that happened? The stables were locked at night, there was no way one of them could've escaped.

"The stable doors weren't locked!"

It was then that Edmund froze, eyes going slightly wider as his heart skipped a beat.

He was supposed to lock the doors, and now that he came to think of it, he had no memory of locking them before he went to bed, and he could easily tell why... it was because he hadn't.

Fear consumed him as he stood there... surely he would be punished for this, and it would be one hell of a punishment, especially since some of the horses had actually escaped.

He quickly turned around to run before he was spotted, but he hadn't even taken one step when he quite literally ran into someone, and looking up a little found himself face to face with a rather angry looking guard.

"You're the one who works in the stables aren't you?" He snapped, reaching out and grabbing Edmund's shoulder.

Edmund swallowed hard, knowing he couldn't run. "I-" He stopped, taking a deep breath before lowering his head and sighing. "Yes." He mumbled, knowing there was no point in lying, if anything that would get him into even more trouble.

"You forgot to lock the stable door?" The guard said.

Edmund nodded his head. "Yes." He repeated quietly, not even bothering to explain what had happened... it wouldn't get him anywhere.

The guard did nothing for a long while, before Edmund found himself face down on the floor, his nose bleeding and his face throbbing.

He hardly had time to process what had happened before he was yanked to his feet and pushed back towards the house.

He blinked a few times to clear his vision as he stumbled along beside the guard, swallowing hard when they entered the house. "Where are we going?" He all but whispered.

"To teach you a lesson." The guard hissed, his grip on Edmund's arm getting even tighter than it already was.

Edmund's heart pounded in his chest, and he had to fight to keep pace with the guard, for fear of him getting even more mad.

He was led down corridor after corridor and down many flights of stairs, until they reached a corridor that was dark and damp, the only light coming from the few torches lining the walls.

The corridor was echoey, gloomy, and cold, making Edmund shudder slightly in fear and disgust.

He was pushed down the corridor until they reached one of the doors, two guards standing outside.

"Let the other one out." The guard holding him ordered. "This one here needs to learn a lesson."

Edmund watched, eyes wide as the guards unlocked the door and walked inside, two seconds later dragging a man out into the corridor.

The guy looked frightened beyond belief, weak, tired, in pain, and he could hardly stand as he was marched away, flinching at every bit of contact he got.

Edmund eventually turned back to the room, shuddering at how dark and damp it was inside, and he knew that once the door was closed, there was no light at all.

He forced back a cry as he was shoved into the room, forced to sit on the floor as the guard secured shackles around his ankles, and he couldn't help but wince... he did not like that at all.

"I'd get comfortable if I were you." The guard mocked. "You'll be in here a while."

Edmund stared at him, the fear evident on his face as he shuddered, his heart pounding in his chest and making him feel rather lightheaded.

The image of that man flashed before his eyes, and Edmund knew that being locked in a pitch black room for Aslan knows how long hadn't exactly been enjoyable for him... and Edmund was about to go through the same thing.

"Someone will be in in a little while to... teach you a lesson." The guard said with a smirk, before turning and leaving the room, slamming and locking the door behind him... plunging Edmund into complete darkness.

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