the girl from archenland | narnia

Chapter Two

"Just get her out of here!" Peter's voice, raw from yelling out battle orders, was the first Nenya heard as she began she regain consciousness. Then she felt the bumping, as though she was riding a horse.

She ached all over and she didn't want to open her eyes, but she did want to know what was going on, and as the desire to know what was going on was stronger than the desire to give in to the pain, she forced her eyes opened, blinking and wincing as the light hit them.

She was looking straight into Edmund Pevensie's hazel eyes.

"Edmund?" her voice was cracked and her throat was dry. "What happened?"

Edmund looked away. "Peter made me take you away from the fight. I'm supposed to get you back to Cair Paravel, then Lucy can fix you."

"Why did Peter send me back with you?" Nenya asked, gritting her teeth as the horse cantered over the rough ground.

"Well I'm sorry you don't think I'm good enough, but Peter sent me so I'm what you get," Edmund said, his voice hardening. "I'm sure you would have rather had him carry you back but he's needed in the fight."

He wasn't wrong. "Edmund-"

"Save it Nenya. Let's just get you back to Cair Paravel." Edmund cut her off, and looked away, studying the stony field intently.

Nenya didn't say anything else. It was going to be a long ride. Instead, to distract herself from the pain, she began to think of how she came to Narnia in the past months. It didn't work though, soon she was gasping from the pain.

Edmund looked down at her and tightened his arm around her shoulders. "You doing okay?" the anger in his eyes had faded and now there was only concern.

"As well as could be expected under the circumstances I suppose," Nenya replied, her eyes growing glossy from the tears she was trying to hold back.

"Would it help if we stopped for a bit, give my horse a rest as well as you?" Edmund asked, looking uncertain.

Nenya only nodded.

As they drew closer to a group of trees Edmund tied the horse up and carried Nenya to a mossy area before propping her against a tree.

"I can walk you know," Nenya said, smiling a bit.

"Yeah but if you faint again I'll have to carry you anyway." Edmund shrugged, smirking a bit.

"Edmund Pevensie, I did not faint!" Nenya snapped back.

Edmund continued to smirk. "What do you call it then? and that's King Edmund the Just to you!"

Nenya just rolled her eyes. "Fine. I fainted. But don't go telling everyone ok."

"Fine." Edmund agreed.

a particularly sharp spasm of pain ran through Nenya's side and stomach and she clutched Edmund's hand, willing herself not to cry out.

Edmund tensed up.

"Sorry," Nenya whispered, trying to let go of Edmund's hand.

"No. it's okay," he said, his voice awkward. "If it makes you feel better it's fine..."

"Thanks.." Nenya's voice was shaky. "Sorry... I must seem so pathetic."

Edmund shook his head. "I've been wounded in battle before to, almost died in fact."

"Really?" Nenya asked. "The brave and noble King Edmund got hurt?"

Edmund nodded. "In my first real battle, I tried to take down the enemy's leader... I stopped her from turning any more of our side to stone but she also stabbed me."

"Wait? Was this the battle with the Witch? When you freed Narnia from Jadis?" Nenya asked, the pieces coming together in her mind.

Edmund nodded. "Peter told me to get out of the area and find the girls but instead I doubled back and tried to destroy the Witch's wand. She saw me though and even though I got her wand she still had a sword, and she was angry."

Nenya smiled a bit. "So she stabbed you?"

"Yep!" Edmund almost laughed. "She stabbed me right here," he lifted his tunic slightly with his other hand to reveal a slight scar on his stomach. "If Lucy hadn't arrived just in time with her cordial I would have died for sure."

Nenya smirked. "Unfortunately we weren't that lucky. What did Peter do?"

Edmund scowled at her then laughed. "To hear him tell it he took down the whole Witch's bunch, a sort of one man army I suppose."

"Probably a bit overdone." Nenya laughed. "I can't say I blame the Witch though, I'd have stabbed you too."

Edmund's smile faded, suddenly becoming serious. "Would you Nenya?"

Nenya stopped laughing. "It was a joke, Ed."

Edmund let go of her hand and looked away. "Don't call me that."

"Seriously Edmund, what's gotten into you, you were fine a moment before."

"Nothing. It's nothing." Edmund still wouldn't look at her. "We better get going. We need to get you back to Cair Paravel."

"Sure." Nenya gritted her teeth and stood up, climbing onto the horse herself, even though she almost collapsed in the process, when Edmund reached out to help her she drew back. "I'm fine your Majesty," she said, her voice harder than before.