Lost and Found

33: Driven by rage

"It's not that bad." Peter mumbled as they walked, glancing around and rather glad that he could see absolutely no one, they seemed to be in the middle of nowhere.

"That's why I suggested the outskirts." Orious told him. "There isn't likely to be anyone or a anything for miles. The place your brother is in is in the middle of nowhere too, so we should easily find it if we just keep walking."

Peter nodded slowly, gripping his sword hilt so tightly his knuckles went white.

"Try and calm yourself down your majesty." Philip said, noticing how worried Peter looked. "You'll see your brother by tomorrow night at least."

Peter swallowed hard and nodded hesitantly. "I know." He whispered. "But until I see him again I can't help but worry, anything could be happening to him right now."

"Speaking of them..." Amir said slowly. "What happens to them when we get there? I mean... they've basically tortured the King of Narnia."

Peter winced at the word tortured but shook his head quickly to rid himself of the images flashing before his eyes. "What happens is I deal with them." He all of a sudden growled.

Here Orious stopped walking and turned to face Peter. "Forgive me for saying so your majesty." He said slowly. "But I don't think that would be a wise idea."

Peter stopped walking too and glared up at him. "And why's that?" He all but snapped.

Orious sighed, hesitating slightly before answering. "You're driven by rage. These people have no idea who they have taken, they don't know he's the King of Narnia. Slavery is popular in Calormen, and as much as I am against it, we can't just come in here and start killing people that are just doing what's normal."

"I was thinking more along the lines of torturing them until they can't live any longer." Peter muttered, the anger so clear in his voice that Amir winced from where he was stood behind with Philip.

Orious sighed. "I understand you're angry." He said, determined to get through to him before he caused a war between Narnia and Calormen. "But as I said, you can't kill them for something that isn't against the law, let alone kill them for something that happens all the time."

"They've taken Edmund, Orious." Peter snapped.

"But they don't know who he is." Orious tried.

"He must've tried telling them when he was kidnapped." Peter said, voice almost desperate.

"I believe your brother was kidnapped but a group that just sold him." Orious explained. "He would've certainly tried telling them yes, but they wouldn't of believed him, you already know that. Once he got to Calormen, he wouldn't of dared say a word."

"Well then, I will find whoever kidnapped him." Peter muttered.

"And give them a fair trial." Orious added firmly.

Peter hesitated.

"That's what your brother would want." Orious said quietly.

"But it's not what they deserve." Peter snapped. "Not after what they sold my brother in to."

"We cannot decide what they deserve without knowing the whole story." Orious said firmly.

"Edmund told them who he was! They didn't listen! They sold him! There's nothing more to tell!" Peter snapped, raising his voice.

"If they truly didn't believe it was King Edmund, and that is highly possible seeming as they aren't Narnian and your brother went out alone with no guards, no crown, no nothing to signify that he was a king, then we must give them a fair trial, and it possibly will not end in death." Orious explained.

Peter glared up at the Centaur. "That's not fair." He muttered.

"That is perfectly fair." Orious corrected him. "And you know it, Edmund knows it, and he wouldn't want you to just hunt them down and mercilessly slaughter them... would he?"

Peter winced at the firmness of his words, and swallowed hard. "I don't care." He choked.

"Yes you do." Orious told him. "I know you do. So when we find Edmund, I will send out a search party to find the ones who kidnapped him, and then we will hold a trial. As for the others, we really cannot do anything, for that would start a war no one wants."

Peter took a deep breath before eventually faltering under Orious' gaze. "Alright." He all but whispered, nodding his head a little and sighing. "But will they give him back?"

Orious nodded. "If we tell them who he is, and we are there, they will have no choice but to free him." He said. "But it would be a whole different story if they found out and we weren't there."

"They'd kill him." Peter whispered.

"They'd do worse than that." Orious said sadly.

Peter swallowed hard and nodded slowly. "Alright Orious." He breathed. "I won't kill anyone, but that doesn't mean I'll be able to stay calm."

"You must your majesty."

Peter turned to Amir, frowning a little. "What?" He asked, confused.

Amir hesitated. "If you so much as raise your voice in front of your brother, well I hate to say it probably won't end well." He said.

"Meaning?" Peter pressed.

"If he really has been locked downstairs, if he hasn't gone mad or been killed, he will be terrified." Amir explained. "You raising your voice or even coming close to it, will frighten him, badly. So I suggest keeping calm whenever he's around, no matter how mad you might be."

Peter took a deep breath but nodded eventually. "Okay." He breathed. "Thank you."

Amir bowed his head a little in reply, before Peter turned back to Orious. "Let's keeping walking." He said, before raising a hand when Orious went to speak again. "Yes you got through to me, I won't do anything stupid."

Orious gave him a sad smile followed by a nod. "Come on then." He said. "If we carry on at this rate, we could get there by late tomorrow afternoon."

Peter hesitated. "Philip?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes your majesty?" Philip replied.

"I know it's hot and you must be exhausted-"

"I can carry you." Philip cut him off, a knowing look on his face. "And I can gallop, we'll get there in half the time."

"If you're sure?" Peter murmured.

Philip laughed a little, nodding and getting a smile from Peter. "Of course I'm sure."

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