[2] Ephemeral - Edmund Pevensie

Chapter 4: Stabbed

CHAPTER 4

The crew of the Dawn Treader was all cheering and applauding at the two fighting swordsmen, Edmund and Caspian. After hearing Caspian had won against other knights in Galma, Edmund challenged him to combat (I haven't been practicing for two years now," Edmund had said). So, now, they were both swishing and slashing their swords at each other, moving backward and forward as though dancing, trying to disarm their opponent.

The small battle wasn't a serious one; it was merely for entertainment, and to Edmund, to practice their battling and fencing skills. It was quite cheery, actually, and even the two fighters were laughing and smiling and grinning broadly, trying not to take it too solemnly. 

Then, with a quick flick of his sword, Caspian managed to defeat Edmund, by holding Edmund's sword near his throat. Edmund chuckled, accepting his defeat, though Pommella knew he could have done better than that. In fact, she was sure he could have beat Caspian. After all, Edmund was claimed to be the best swordsman Narnia has ever seen, which Pommella believed was not a claim, but a fact. He could even use swords on both his right and left hand, no shield to protect him, just his skill of ambidexterity to firmly grasp his swords.

"All right, back to work!" Drinian cheered, and the crew dispersed and started doing their jobs.

Edmund walked over to his sister Lucy, then accepted a drink one of the crews had offered him and leaned back on the edge of the ship's wall. Pommella, who was right next to Lucy, couldn't help but stare at Edmund. If she had had a picture of him in her room, she wouldn't have been doing this, but she didn't have a picture of Edmund, so her only way to catch a glimpse of Edmund was by staring at him. At his face, at his eyes, at his lips —

"You're staring," said Edmund. Pommella looked away in embarrassment, and she knew by then that her cheeks were growing pink.

"Well observed," she said, trying to sound harsh. She didn't want him to know she loved him. Not just yet. He only had arrived a few hours ago, so she couldn't possibly tell him like: "Hey, Ed, you know I love you, and you loved me too, it's just that I told Aslan to erase your memories, that's why you don't remember. Can I kiss you?"

"Edmund," said Lucy thoughtfully, as Edmund took a sip from his goblet. "Do you think that if we keep sailing to the end of the world we'll just. . . tip off the edge?"

"Don't worry, Lu, we're a long way from there," he said reassuringly.

Then, the trapdoor leading to the quarters opened, and Pommella saw Eustace climbing out, looking heavily annoyed and disturbed.

"I see you're still talking nonsense, the two of you," said Eustace, brushing off the dust on his pants and walking to lean on the ship's wall.

"You're not wanted here," said Edmund curtly, glaring at Eustace menacingly.

"I'm trying to make a limerick," Eustace muttered, ignoring his cousin. "Maybe something like this:

"Some kids who talked about Narnia
Got gradually balmier and balmier —"

"That sounds horrible," blurted Pommella. "Narnia and balmier don't rhyme. And, please, you're here in Narnia, it only means you're just as 'balmy' as your cousins are here."

"Well of course it doesn't rhyme," said Eustace matter-of-factly. "It's an assonance."

"As effervescent as ever, I see," said Reepicheep, dangling from a rope connecting to the sail. "Find your sea legs?"

"Never lost them," said Eustace hastily. "Simply dealing with the shock of things," he added, Edmund taking a sip of his drink from his goblet. "Mother says I have an acute disposition, due to my intelligence." Edmund spit out his drink back into its goblet, while Pommella was suppressing a snicker.