December 14th. The ice cracks...
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"Don't - move."
Edmund took a deep breath, nodding slowly as he kept his eyes locked on Peter, who was stood up on the bank.
"I - I'm gonna come to you."
Edmund nodded slowly, but didn't look too sure. "If the ice cracks anymore-"
"Don't Ed." Peter cut him off, walking down to the edge of the frozen river.
Edmund bit his lip. "Just be careful." He muttered. "I don't feel like going for a swim."
Peter sighed, but began edging his way towards his brother, only to freeze when the ice cracked.
Edmund took a sharp intake of breath, his heart beginning to pound now. "Go back Peter, or we'll both end up going for a swim." He said quickly.
"Ed..." Peter murmured.
"No, you know as well as I do that you have to go back!" Edmund snapped.
Peter stared at his brother, before he took a few steps back and stepped back up onto the snowy bank, swallowing hard. "Just - Just edge your way slowly towards me." He said firmly, but his voice was shaking a little. He was so scared of Edmund falling through the ice. They were still at least a day from home, and Edmund reacted differently to the cold than his siblings, he reacted worse to it, he always had.
Edmund seemed to prepare himself, before he inched his way towards Peter.
He managed to take three tiny steps, hardly taking his feet off the ice, before it cracked again, making him freeze.
Peter's heart skipped a beat, clenching his fists as he tried his hardest not to panic. It was already cold enough as it was with all the snow, and being dunked into icy water was sure to give Edmund some sort of shock.
"Okay," Edmund murmured, taking a deep breaths and taking another step, followed by two more, and now he was so close to Peter.
Peter reached out his arm and stretched as far as he could. "One more step," He said. "And I'll grab your hand."
Edmund reached out his hand, finding Peter was right, he needed to take one or two more steps.
"Take it slow." Peter told him.
Edmund nodded, taking a deep breath before taking one more step.
But that one step was all it took for the ice to completely give way under him, sending him into the icy water.
Peter lunged forward, one foot now on the ice as he grabbed Edmunds hand, his brother's head disappearing under the water.
He pulled him up, using all his strength to heave him onto the bank, the ice giving way under his own foot but he managed to keep his balance and get back up onto sturdy ground before he went for a swim.
The two collapsed into the snow, and Peter immediately yanked his own cloak off and wrapped it around Edmund.
Edmund was shivering hard, and tried getting closer to Peter, teeth chattering as he went a sickly shade of white.
"Breathe Ed, breathe." Peter murmured in his ear. "Deep breaths."
Edmund coughed harshly, burying himself in the cloak as he tried to get warm. "So - So cold." He whispered.
"I know, I know." Peter murmured. "But I'm going to get you warm okay? And then I'll get you home."
Edmund nodded slowly, teeth still chattering.
Peter swallowed hard, squeezing his eyes shut. "I promise." He choked out. "I promise."
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