Your worst fears || The Chronicles Of Narnia

26: I always will be

Peter took a deep breath as he sat slowly in his hammock that night.

Him, Susan and Lucy had been travelling all day, with a few others including Orious and Tumnus, and he was absolutely exhausted... but couldn't sleep.

It was probably around one in the morning by that time, and Peter had gone from pacing the tent, to sitting on the hammock, to pacing the tent again, and then sitting back down.

He clung to the blankets, trying to relieve some of the stress he felt, but it didn't exactly work. He was on edge, since today was the day he would get his brother back, he could hardly wait to hold him back in his arms again... he only hoped he was unharmed.

But even Peter knew this wouldn't be the case, and this caused him more worry and frustration than was necessary.

After a while he sighed, standing quickly and going back to pacing, running a hand through his hair every now and then until it stuck up on end.

He didn't even realise he was chewing on his bottom lip until he tasted blood, and quickly grabbed a handkerchief so it didn't roll down his chin.

He held it to his lip, but continued pacing like his life depended on it. He always did this when he was worried or nervous, and he was both at that moment... morning couldn't come sooner.

He paced for a further half an hour, before once again collapsing back onto the hammock, throwing away the handkerchief as he lay his head on the pillow with a sigh.

The stone table was just outside the tent, which had been set up along the edge of the woods along with two others, and Peter's head was filled with images of his brother when he would be returned to them, and this was partly the reason he couldn't sleep.

All he could see was a barely conscious Edmund, bleeding, in pain, injured, sobbing, crying, begging to be let free.

He knew hags, he knew they had no mercy on their captives, and this scared him to death.

His heart was pounding, and this was another thing keeping him awake.

He was so wide awake that only ten minutes later he went back to pacing the tent again. He needed some way to pass the time, and seeming as sleeping was off the table, he had no idea what else to do.

But the time passed slowly, and he was on edge the whole time. Some moments he was close to sobbing, but he held his tears back, that would just make him feel even worse.

So he just continued pacing and sitting the whole night, not knowing how long it would be until Edmund was back with him.

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Edmund didn't even jump when the hag appeared in the room the next time, although he did raise his head in hope... was it time?

"Today is the day." The hag said, not sounding happy but smirking all the same. "You'll be back with your siblings within the hour."

Edmund's heart skipped a beat and he relaxed slightly, even smiled a little, he just couldn't help it.

"Although..." The hag said slowly. "Your siblings will surely expect you to be injured, but you only have a split lip, a bruised cheek and a cut on your arm."

"And a broken arm." Edmund muttered. "Is that not enough?!"

The hag smirked. "Well, we must give them what they expect." She laughed, pulling a knife from her cloak.

She slowly walked over and lifted Edmund shirt up, placing the tip of the knife to his chest, and before he had any time to react, she sliced it through his skin, causing Edmund to gasp and let out a choked sob... but he didn't scream.

The hag lowered his shirt again, Edmund watching the blood slowly seep into the material, before the hag sliced his cheek, and this time he really had to fight to keep back a scream.

Blood dripped down onto his shoulder as tears rolled down to join it, he leant forward slightly, placing a hand carefully to his chest and focusing on taking deep breaths.

The hag then muttered a few words, before backhanded Edmund across the face, sending him straight to the floor. "Even though I'm pretty sure the month is up." The hag whispered. "Don't even try with the cordial, it won't work on those wounds."

Edmund almost rolled his eyes... of course. He gasped when the knife was sliced across his leg, and couldn't help but let out a cry. It was quiet and weak, but the hag still smirked nonetheless.

"Now." The hag muttered, walking behind him, sitting him up and tying his hands behind him, getting a loud cry from him when his broken arm was twisted. "Let's get going." She quickly gagged him, pulling the knots as tightly as she could, before forcing him to his feet.

Despite the pain in his leg, which only got worse when he put weight on it, Edmund didn't struggle against the hag, after all he was being returned back to his siblings, and he could deal with the pain until then.

"So, do you think you've paid for what you did?" The hag said slowly.

Edmund swallowed hard and lowered his head. "No where near." He murmured as best he could. "But I deserved it all, because I'm a traitor, I always will be."

The hag smirked. "Never forget that." She muttered, before clicking her fingers.

The next thing Edmund knew they were stood in a wood, and he could just make out the stone table in its clearing in the distance.

His heart pounded and his eyes were wide in hope as he glanced around for his siblings, but at the moment he couldn't see any of them.

With a groan he was shoved forward, and he actually walked as quickly as he could, determined to reach his siblings... because he couldn't handle this any longer.

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