Lost and Found

30: How dare you

Warning: I'm not too sure if I should add a warning, but just to be safe this chapter includes a fairly graphic scene of someone being beaten up...

May 6th

Edmund sighed as he walked slowly down to the fields that morning, yawning loudly as he tried to force back sleep.

He was absolutely exhausted after having not slept much last night, and he wasn't sure if he would be able to cope with the days work he had to do.

But he was going to try at least, he didn't think he could handle another punishment.

He eventually reached the fields, and after glancing warily around to make sure no one was close to him, he began his work.

He'd probably been working for half an hour when someone came and stood beside him, a rake in their hand.

Edmund's heart picked up speed at being so close to somebody, but he tried his hardest to hide his fear as best he could and just continued with his work.

The boy was silent for a while before he began to help Edmund. "You don't have to be afraid you know." He said. "There's nothing that will hurt you up here."

Edmund raised an eyebrow before glancing around at all of the guards he could see.

"Well..." The boy sighed. "If you do as you're told and get your work done that is."

Edmund sighed and just looked away, closing his eyes for a moment before continuing.

"You don't say much do you?" The boy mumbled, and Edmund guessed he was perhaps a year younger than Peter.

Edmund only shook his head, unable to understand why he didn't say something, but just knowing he didn't want to.

"Well, just wanted to say you'll be fine." The boy breathed, before going to turn away.

But both their heads snapped up when the shouting of a guard reached their ears.

Edmund frowned for a moment before he saw what was happening. There was a girl, probably Lucy's age, stood in front of one of the guards, head down, shoulders shaking. The guard was yelling at her, saying something about smashing a water jug or something along those lines.

Edmund's heart ached for the girl, and he couldn't help but wince when the guard slapped her clean across the face.

The girl was thrown to the floor, the guard smirking in satisfaction, and before Edmund knew it, he was marching over.

His heart was pounding as he walked, and he had to fight to keep his breathing even. He was absolutely terrified, but after all he was the just king, and what was happening was far from just.

"Hey!" Edmund snapped when he was finally stood in front of the guard. "How dare you!"

The guard frowned deeply, too shocked to say anything.

"How dare you do that to her!" Edmund continued. "She's just a little kid, so what if she broke the water jug, it hasn't done any harm to anyone, you're all just cruel and horrid."

His palms were sweating as he turned and knelt beside the girl, carefully helping her to sit up. "Are you okay?" He asked gently, even though his fear was obvious.

"Hmm." The girl responded, tears rolling steadily down her cheeks... before her eyes went wide.

Edmund had no time to think before he was suddenly grabbed from behind and swung around. A fist came flying at his face, but Edmund's fear and reflexes kicked in and he ducked quickly, panting hard.

He aimed a punch at the guards face, and his fist met it's mark.

Edmund couldn't help but feel slightly satisfied when the guy let out a loud cry, and added a punch or two more when the guard tried to hit him.

It would seem he would win the fight, seeming as he kept taking the guard by surprise, but suddenly he was grabbed from behind and slammed against the floor.

Edmund coughed hard, groaning in pain and curling in on himself as his eyes squeezed shut. He didnt have the strength to move, and as his eyes slowly flickered open, he saw the guard he'd hit glaring down at him, and his heart skipped a beat.

"How dare you." He all but whispered.

Edmund winced at the tone of his voice, and knew that whatever followed next he was not going to enjoy.

"It seems three days down in the dark wasn't good enough for you." The guard laughed. "It seems we'll have to try something else."

Edmund couldn't keep back the sob that escaped him as the guard took hold of his whip, and he knew that this time it wouldn't be just five lashes.

"Pay attention everyone." The guard shouted, addressing everyone who was nearby. "Because this is what will happen if you ever dare go against us."

Strike after strike from the whip followed, kick after kick, punch after punch, and within a minute Edmund's head was spinning and he could taste the unmistakable taste of blood.

He coughed harshly when a kick to his stomach was delivered, blood splattering and staining his lips as tears streamed down his cheeks. The lashes covering him were burning, and it felt like his whole body was on fire.

The whip came down across his shoulder, ripping a scream from his throat before he was punched hard in the face, silencing him and leaving him dazed and seeing stars.

The guard didn't stop though, and Edmund curled himself quickly into a ball when another kick to the stomach was dealt, almost choking on the blood and quickly trying to spit it out, although he was too weak and in too much pain to even do that, so he just coughed again, blood spilling over his lips and staining his teeth.

He screamed when the whip hit him again, followed by another punch, and then seven more lashes, one after the other, no breaks between them, and Edmund's throat was raw by the end.

All of this went on for a further three or four minutes, before it all stopped.

Edmund choked on the blood in his mouth and forced himself to roll onto his side, having been forced onto his back around a minute before. He spat out the blood quickly, but other than that could do nothing else.

He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't hear, could hardly see and it terrified him.

"That's it." He suddenly heard, and he was glad his hearing was coming back a little. "I'm going to have a word with the boss, and after this I'm sure he'll decide to get rid of you."

Edmund froze. Get rid of him? As in... Kill him?

He tried to protest, tried to beg him not to, but he was way too weak, and before he knew it, his eyes had slipped shut and he'd passed out.

☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡