𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙙 (edmund pevensie x reader)

XVII. The Wanderer, The Woods, And The Wardobe

I hit the mossy ground with a thud, book tucked under my arm.

He pushed me. Why would he push me? Why would he push me after basically confessing his love to me? Why?

I scramble to my feet and look around, panicking, I want to go back to him. I'm standing in the middle of a forest, trees on all sides of me. The sun is rising, the birds are chirping, and I feel like I'm going to throw up. The book slides into my hand and I drop to my knees. If there was a way to get here from Narnia, there must be a way to get to Narnia from here, right?

I find that every single page has turned blank.

There's no magic here, no way out. I continue flipping though the pages frantically, a few stray tears winding down my face. I didn't have many people back at home, but here I have zero.

The plan was to make a new life, new friends, new opportunities. I don't want any of that anymore, I want him.

A map of Narnia that I tucked inside the book long ago falls out into my lap and I sit it aside, even though it won't be of much use here. Then, I flip all the way to Edmund's maps, the ones he drew for me, they didn't disappear like the spells did.

Those will probably be helpful.

I sit there for a while, taking everything in, trying to come up with a plan. Edmund was always good with plans, what would he do? Edmund wouldn't have gotten himself into this situation to begin with. I think and think and think as the sun rises, bathing me in warm light. At least it's not winter here.

I study every location on his pages of maps. Every street, every school, every shop. But on his maps he's only drawn one house. Professor Digory's house.

I stare at Ed's handwriting for a while, gears turning in my head. Edmund told me that Digory has been to Narnia before. If I found his house and explained the situation to him, maybe he would let me use the famous wardrobe Edmund told me about as safe passage back to Narnia. It's a long shot, but it just might work.

I just have to get out of these woods.

I stand up and brush as much dirt as possible off of my dress, deciding at random which direction I should start walking in. I know that eventually, the forest has to end and I'll probably end up...well, I don't know where. But freaking out about that won't help things, so I try to bury that thought and start walking.

I spend hours wandering through the woods. They look barren compared to the ones in Narnia, no dancing trees or forest creatures. I keep walking straight in the same direction, because that way I'll have to come out eventually. Even if it's very far away from the Professors house.

Soon enough, I reach the end of the tree line and come face to face with a wide road made of dirt. My legs ache from the long walk, so I sit down on the edge of the road for a break.

I am completely and utterly lost. There's no street signs to compare my map to, nothing but a stretch of fields and desolate roads as far as the eye can see. I pull my legs up to my chest and rest my head on my knees, closing my eyes. I'm so tired.

I fall into a light sleep that doesn't last long, my nap is cut short by the sound of hoofbeats slowly nearing me. I snap my head up at the sound, squinting to adjust my eyes to the light. I stand up and hold the book close to me as the carriage approaches, drawn by two auburn horses.