𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡'𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐢𝐜𝐞 ✓

6| 𝐄𝐝𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐞

The next morning, I woke up with a start. I had been having that same dream again. Again and again, all night, I'd been having a dream of Sybill and Arion, being tortured by the White Witch. I looked over at Daphne's bed. Daphne was under her covers and I could hear her breathing. I slowly got up not to make any noise. I opened the tent cover just a little to see outside. There, on a rock, I could see the outline of Aslan and a younger boy - about Daphne's age - talking to each other. I could hear another ruffle as I saw Peter Pevensie hurrying out of his tent. Oreius, who was there at the time, looked up at Aslan and the boy before leaving. Peter looked too. In the morning light, I could see his face filled with shock and delight. 

As another ruffle came, I looked to see Susan and Lucy hurrying out too. Aslan had finished talking with the boy and the boy dawdled toward the Pevensies, his hands in his pockets, Aslan following behind him. I could see his lip bleeding a little. 

"What's done is done," Aslan said as they both reached Peter, Susan, and Lucy. He looked in my direction and hurried off. 

"Hey," the boy said after Aslan left. 

Lucy ran up to hug him. After Lucy hugged him, Susan hugged him saying, "Edmund!" to him. My mind clicked. He's the fourth. 

"How are you, Ed?" Susan asked as she drew away from her brother. 

"Tired," Edmund replied honestly as he chuckled a little. 

"You better get some rest then," Peter said abruptly, looking behind him at the tent. 

Edmund nodded as he dawdled to the tent. Susan and Lucy looked after Edmund then at Peter. 

"And Edmund," Peter added as he looked behind. Edmund looked behind at Peter. "Try not to wander off." 

Edmund gave a smile before he went to the tent. 

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

"I think you know we're practicing Back Arrows, right Daphne?" I asked as we hurried to the weapons field. 

Two people were already there. Susan, who was practicing her bow and arrow, and Lucy, who was throwing her dagger. 

"Yes, El," Daphne said as she took out her bow next to Lucy, leaving a space for me. 

"Oh hello! You're the one who saved Lucy the other day, right?" Susan said, smiling at me. 

"Yes, I'm Eleanor Evans," I said smiling at her. 

"I'm Daphne Evans," Daphne added. 

"Susan Pevensie." Susan outstretched her hand and I shook it. 

"Lucy Pevensie!" Lucy smiled at Daphne, and Daphne smiled back. 

"Okay, now, Daphne," I said turning back to Daphne, "trust the arrow and it'll come back to you." 

Daphne nodded. 

"Concentrate now," I added. 

Daphne closed her eyes and shot the arrow. Instead of going around the mountain, it went straight into the woods. 

"Call it back, call it back!" I exclaimed. 

"How?" 

"Just keep saying 'back' in your mind!" 

Daphne closed her eyes again. The arrow whizzed back to us. But it didn't come to Daphne. It went straight around Susan's head, next to Lucy's right, before I caught it with my arm. 

"I'm sorry, Daphne, but that was the worst Back Arrow I've ever seen," I said to her as I stretched out my bow and arrow. "This is correct." 

I left my arrow, closing my eyes, and thinking, Cut and back. Cut and back. Cut and back. 

When I opened my eyes, I could see the arrow straight in my hand. 

Lucy and Susan broke into claps. 

"That was wonderful!" Susan said. 

"Thank you!" 

"How did you do that?" Lucy asked. 

"Back Arrows. Arion and Sybill taught us," Daphne said smiling. 

"They're our older siblings," I added to Lucy and Susan. 

"Is it Daphne's first time to try doing a Back Arrow?" Susan asked as she looked at Daphne. 

"Yes, it is," Daphne and I said. 

"Wow, that was pretty good for a beginner!" Susan exclaimed and Lucy nodded. But Daphne shook her head.

"I can do better." 

"Alright, Daphne, again!" I said as I rubbed my hands. 

As Daphne released her arrow, Peter and Edmund hurried on their horses. 

"Watch it!" Susan and I yelled. 

Daphne and Lucy shrieked, making the horses go haywire. But what Daphne did, shrieking, made her arrow whiz past Edmund's head, nearly cutting it. 

"I'm so sorry!" Daphne yelled. 

"Could I borrow your dagger?" I asked Lucy as Daphne's arrow still went around Edmund and Daphne kept yelling, "I'm sorry!" Lucy nodded as she handed me her dagger. Looking at the arrow, I shot the dagger and - pure luck - and the arrow cut into two. Susan and Lucy clapped and Peter looked amazed at me. 

"I'm Eleanor Evans after all," I said smirking to Peter. 

"Oh that's our brother, Edmund," Lucy said. 

From the corner of my eye, I was Daphne blushing. Oh for the name of Aslan. Daphne's Bow Arrow around Edmund Pevensie? Daphne blushing? Someone's got a crush on Edmund Pevensie. 

"Nice to meet you," I said cheerfully. "Eleanor Evans. This is my sister -" 

"Daphne Evans," Daphne said in a high-pitched voice. 

"Nice to meet you, I'm Edmund Pevensie," Edmund said still staring confused at Daphne.