Chronicles of Narnia

Edmund Defeats The White Witch

"No... no..." Edmund said as he lay in an uneasy sleep. "No... no, Peter... no..."
"Edmund," Came a whisper.
"Don't..."
"Edmund," The voice whispered soothingly and Edmund jolted awake. "Peter needs your help. You can help him."
"How?"
"Follow me," The voice said and Edmund got out of bed. He had seen Peter lying on a battlefield, he had been wounded and Edmund wondered if what he saw was real.

Leaving the Dawn Treader, Edmund went ashore and followed the voice.
"Where is he? Is he wounded?" Edmund asked the darkness.
"He's hanging on by a thread. He needs you now."
"I will help him if I am able to."
"I can take you to him."
"Then take me to him."
"You have your sword?"
"I do," Edmund said before he looked down at his sword.

When looked back up, the trees had become quiet, silent almost.
"Are you there? I need to help Peter. You said that you would take me to him," Edmund called out into the darkness.

Something moved behind him, and the voice came again.
"Oh Edmund."
"Take me to Peter."
"You will be with him soon enough."
"I need to be with him now."
"As you wish," The voice said, and Edmund turned around. Quickly he blocked the blade, the White Witch smiling beyond its handle. "Soon, you'll both be dead."
"This is an illusion."
"You know me better than that Edmund. What you saw is real, and it's already happened."
"What did I see?"
"A battlefield. Peter dying."
"It's not real."
"It is. I showed his life to you."
"But you're dead!""
"Only in flesh. I live on in your traitorous heart."
"I am not a traitor!" Edmund shouted as they clashed swords.
"No?"
"I repayed my debt. The betrail of my family."
"And how did you do that?"
"By stopping you. Destroying your staff."
"My staff is only an object. Poor Edmund, you killed Aslan."
"Aslan. Died! In my! Place!" Edmund shouted as he attacked the Witch and she defended herself.
"Aslan lives, so the law stands unfulfilled. Your blood is mine, and I will not rest until I get it."
"Then do it. Kill me. But I am no traitor."
"You said that you fight for your family, but you fight only for yourself."
"NO!" Edmund screamed as he lunged at the White White, but she stopped him as she was in control.

At that moment, Lucy and Caspian ran into the clearing.
"EDMUND!" They shouted and the White Witch saw them. Aslan leapt into the clearing beside them and the Witch stole herself into Edmund's mind.
"Where has she gone?" Lucy asked.
"Argh... argh..." Edmund choked. His eyes became clouded and he fell to his knees.
"Edmund!" Lucy shouted, and she ran to her brother.
"She has gone into his mind."
"How?"
"Edmund? Edmund?" Lucy asked, but Edmund couldn't breathe. He was on his knees and Lucy was in front of him. Caspian knelt beside them as Lucy tried to help her brother, but she didn't know how.

Edmund was in no man's land, men were dying around him and gas was hanging in the air. The gas was in his mouth, his nose, and it was travelling to his lungs.
"Edmund!" Lucy shouted, but Edmund couldn't do anything except collapse onto his side. "Edmund! Edmund?
"Edmund?" Caspian asked.
"Aslan, what can we do?"
"The Witch is poisoning his mind. Out Jadis," Aslan said before he moved his paw in the earth, and Edmund gasped.

~

Edmund was there, in no man's land standing beside Peter. Peter had been shot, and he was dying.
"Peter," Edmund said as he knelt beside his brother. "Peter."
"You..." Peter said coldly as he opened his eyes and Edmund was putting pressure on his wound. "Traitor."

Edmund looked at his brother. Peter's eyes were empty and they were not his own. Was this the Witch? Another one of her tricks?
"You betrayed us for her. And now she's come to kill us."
"It was a mistake. Aslan has taken my deeds and forgiven them."
"Forgiven?" Peter asked before he laughed and blood covered his lips. "You were never forgiven. Aslan died in your place. The great Lion, killed by your hand. You should have been the one to die that day. Now the witch has come for all of us."
"I should have died, but Aslan willingly was killed in my stead."
"But he did not die. He lived. You must die Edmund."
"Don't you think I know that!" Edmund shouted and the land fell silent. "I... I wish I... I lied about visiting Narnia, I encouraged you to explore so that I could get to the Witch's palace. I helped her to do terrible things. You came looking for me Peter, and that put you in danger. Susan, Lucy... And Aslan also. He was killed in my place, on the stone table. I wish I could take it back. I wish I could take it all back. I should have been the one to die. I should have died on the battlefield from the Witch's wound. I would die for you, over and over again to stop her from harming you. I would give my life for yours."
"No," The White Witch gasped and Peter's eyes grew weary and soft.
"Ed?"
"Peter?" Edmund asked, seeing his brother become himself. "I'm here. I'm here Peter."
"Help..."
"I will. I'm here. You're going to be ok."
"Ed..." Peter said before he closed his eyes and passed out.

Edmund thought about the White Witch, then he grew stern and serious. He looked up and saw Jadis. She was standing above him, cloaked in white against the grey land.

Edmund stood, stepped over his brother and grasped the weapon in his hand.
"He is my brother," Edmund snarled at her. "Without him, I am nothing. And it's for him that I fight," Edmund said and he thrust the staff into the Witch's abdomen.
"Arh!" She gasped.
"I am a traitor. I'm a traitor to you. My blood is yours."
"Argh!"
"Take my life and with me you die. My life for theirs. As it should be," Edmund said and the White Witch let out an earth shattering scream.

Then, she was gone.

Edmund dropped the weapon and stumbled. His body becoming weak, and he fell beside Peter. His eyes became glazed, and Edmund let his breath leave his body.

~

"He's stopped breathing. Caspian he..."
"Ed? Edmund?" Caspian asked before he listened for Edmund's breathing.
"Aslan?" Lucy said as she looked at him.
"Patient dear one," Aslan said and he blew across Edmund's face.

After a few seconds, Edmund's eyes cleared and his skin regained colour.
"Edmund?" Lucy asked.
"Her still not breathing," Caspian told Lucy.
"Why isn't he breathing?"
"He has let the traitor within himself die, and with it the White Witch."
"Edmund is no traitor."
"He was. Now, he is not," Aslan said and Edmund took a breath.
"Edmund!"
"Ed."
"Peter..." Edmund whispered.
"Peter is safe. He is wounded, but he is safe," Aslan told him.
"Peter's been hurt?" Lucy asked.
"Yes, dear one."
"How serious is it?"
"He is in good hands and I will take him to you soon."
"Urh..."
"Are you alright Edmund?"
"You stopped breathing."
"I died. ... Finally, I have paid the price."
"You have. Not for yourself, but for the part of you that was left unforgiven."
"Unforgiven by who?"
"By you."
"I kept the law. Gave her my blood."
"And from that blood, you are given new life. For in death, you are healed."
"I don't understand," Lucy said as Edmund exchanged words with Aslan.
"Neither do I," Caspian admitted.
"I had to die to live," Edmund told them as he opened his eyes. "I had to die to right all of my wrongs."
"And what wrongs were those?" Caspian asked.
"To deny what I was. A traitor to the White Witch."
"She is dead. You are forgiven and a traitor no more," Aslan told him.
"Peter. We must get to Peter," Edmund said as he started to sit up and Lucy and Caspian gave him a hand.
"How are you feeling Edmund?"
"Better. My chest is sore, but a few deeps breaths and I'll be ok."
"Can you stand?"
"I think so," Edmund said and they helped him to stand up.
"Is that ok?"
"Yes. It's ok," Edmund told Lucy with a smile. "Thanks Lucy."
"Come. Peter is not far," Aslan said.
"How did you know that Peter's hurt?"
"I saw him. He's been shot."
"Shot?"
"In no man's land."
"No man's land?" Caspian asked.
"We'll explain later," Edmund said, and they followed Aslan. He led then through a grove of trees into a military hospital in England.