Your worst fears || The Chronicles Of Narnia

31: I wanna go home

"He's not strong enough to travel home, his leg has hardly had time to heal, I doubt he can even walk yet."

These were the words Edmund woke to the next morning, although he didn't pay much attention to them, instead paying more attention to the burning cut on his cheek and the throb from the wound on his chest , not to mention the ache coming from his leg.

He squeezed his eyes shut and groaned, bringing his other arm up to hold his broken one, forcing back tears as best he could. Everything hurt! And he was so stiff he could hardly move. 

"P - Pete." He choked after realising that his brother wasn't in the tent with him. But his voice was barely above a whisper, so he cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "Peter." He tried again, much louder this time.

No longer than five seconds later, Peter stepped into the tent, frowning. "Ed?" He murmered, walking slowly over and sitting on the edge of the hammock beside his brother. "Ed you okay?"

Edmund opened his eyes slowly. "It hurts." He choked. "Everything feels like it's burning."

Peter swallowed hard. "Wait here." He murmered, before hesitantly leaving the tent, only to come back within a minute carrying a bowl of what Edmund hoped was cold water. "Here." Peter sighed, wetting the cloth and carefully lifting Edmund's shirt up, pressing it gently to the wound on his chest.

Edmund flinched at first but eventually relaxed, giving Peter a weak, grateful smile. "Thanks." He choked.

Peter smiled softly back as he lifted the blanket to take a look at Edmund's leg.  "How'd you sleep?" He asked, frowning slightly at seeing that the blood had somehow managed to soak through both bandage and trouser leg.

"Alright actually." Edmund breathed, nodding his head a little but instantly regretting it. "You?"

Peter sighed. "I didn't really sleep at all if I'm honest." He mumbled as he set about changing the bandage.

Edmund winced as the old one was unwrapped from his leg, but still sighed. "You have to sleep Peter." He whispered. "You can't just sit there and watch me all night."

"I was making sure you didn't have a nightmare." Peter quietly told him, wetting another cloth and beginning to clean up the wound again, quickly apologising when Edmund hissed harshly. 

"I would've been fine." Edmund sighed after calming down a little.

"You can't know that for sure." Peter whispered, quickly finishing up his task before grabbing some new bandages. 

Edmund didn't know what to say to that so just sighed. "When are we going home?" He asked slowly.

Peter frowned at him. "Not until you're strong enough." He said firmly. "And seeming as you can hardly move at the moment I don't think that's going to be anytime soon."

Edmund swallowed hard. "I'm just a bit stiff is all." He whispered.

"Edmund, don't argue with me." Peter told him, rolling his brothers trouser leg back down and covering him with the blanket again.

"Peter please." Edmund choked, ignoring him and shaking his head. "I wanna go home."

"Ed-"

"I wanna go home." Edmund said, a sob escaping him before he could stop it. "Please, please let me go home."

Peter's heart shattered and he swallowed hard. "Ed you're too weak." He mumbled.

But Edmund shook his head. "I - I can ride, promise." He choked out. "I'll be fine, I just wanna go home, it's been over a week."

Peter sighed, but after staring into Edmund's eyes for all but five seconds, he nodded. "Alright." He breathed. "I'll go let Orious know that we're leaving as soon as possible." 

Edmund nodded as two tears rolled down his cheeks. "Thanks." He whispered.

Peter smiled and gently wiped the tears away with his thumb before standing and quickly leaving the tent again.

He came back a few minutes later and sighed. "You're gonna have to wait outside so they can pack the tents up." He said quietly.

"That's fine." Edmund said, having managed to slow his tears and calm down a little bit.

Peter nodded and walked over, pulling the blanket off and lifting Edmund carefully into his arms.

Edmund groaned in pain before swallowing hard. "What - What are you doing?" He choked, wrapping his arm around Peter's neck whilst holding his broken one close to his chest.

"Do you seriously think you're walking with your leg in the state it is?" Peter asked, almost laughing as he headed outside.

"It's not that bad." Edmund whispered, but even he knew that wasn't true.

Peter only raised an eyebrow at him as he walked over to where Susan and Lucy were sat under a tree. "Would you be able to move up Lu?" He asked.

Edmund sighed as Peter sat him carefully against the tree, seeing Lucy sitting beside him. He gave her a reassuring smile but it didn't exactly help seeming as he winced.

"We're really going home so soon?" Susan asked, staring at Peter as he sat beside Edmund.

"Ed wanted to go home." Peter replied quietly, busying himself with putting Edmund's sling straight seeming as it had twisted itself.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Susan asked her little brother.

"I'll be riding so I'll be fine." Edmund told her, forcing a wide smile for the sake of both his sisters. "And knowing Peter he'll probably be sat on the horse behind me."

"Too right." Peter almost snorted. "There's no way I'm letting you ride a horse alone."

Edmund smirked a little and then the four sat together in mostly silence for the next hour before Orious announced that they were ready to leave.

Peter thanked him and immediately lifted Edmund into his arms again.

"I can walk to the horse you know." Edmund grumbled, resting his head against Peter's shoulder.

Peter said nothing but gave him a firm glare, eventually reaching the horse and helping Edmund onto it's back.

Edmund gasped as he leg hit the horses side, hardly able to keep back a cry.

"Well this isn't going to work." Peter muttered, lifting a now trembling Edmund back into his arms. "Would you mind lowering yourself a moment?" He asked the horse, who instantly did so.

Peter climbed onto the horses back and rather awkwardly sat Edmund's side ways in his arms, keeping his legs together as they dangled over the side of the horse, more stable than before. "That should be a bit better." He whispered.

Edmund nodded and wrapped one arm around Peter's neck and rested his head against his chest. 

"Alright then." Peter breathed. "Let's go home."