Never Say Goodbye

Frigid Confrontations

Never Say Goodbye

Chapter 10: Frigid Confrontations

Aaralynn  

             My fingers burned from where they had touched Edmund's bare skin. The simple touch had driven me mad, and yet it seemed to do nothing to him. I had to stop briefly in a dark corner to swipe furiously at my falling tears. How could I mean so little to him? After quickly struggling to regain my composure, I continued on my way back to the central chamber. I came across Lucy on the way.

"Edmund's just down there," I said as I pointed behind me. "He's all right, but please, will you see that he takes some of your cordial?" I knew his shoulder would heal well enough on its own, and the torn skin likely wouldn't even scar. But still, the thought of him bearing any injury, however minor, tore me to pieces.

Lucy understood, and she placed a hand on my shoulder. "Of course. Don't worry, Aaralynn, my brother will be back to his old self before you make it to the central chamber."

If only that were true.

"Thanks, Lucy." I smiled faintly. "Have you seen Caspian?"

"I'm sorry, no. Not since he helped me with Trumpkin at least."

"How is Trumpkin?"

"I've already given him some of my cordial, so it's like he was never injured to begin with." Lucy smiled freely. "Edmund will be that way too."

I tried my best to smile too before we parted ways. Lucy continued down the tunnel towards Edmund, while I went on my way to find Caspian. The problem was: I couldn't find him anywhere. He wasn't in the sleeping chambers. He wasn't in the room with the Stone Table. And he wasn't in the central chamber. No one else had seen him either. Trufflehunter hadn't seen him. The Fauns hadn't seen him. Even his tutor, Dr. Cornelius, hadn't seen him. I was really beginning to worry about him. Where could he be?

"Your Majesty?" A concerned voice suddenly drew me from my deep thoughts. I looked around and saw that I was standing in the entrance to one of the tunnels that led down to the Stone Table room. Trumpkin and Peter stood nearby, like they had been walking together; it had been Trumpkin that spoke.

"Is everything all right?" the Dwarf asked.

I shook my head. "I can't find Caspian anywhere, and I'm beginning to really worry that something may have happened to him."

"Good riddance," Peter mumbled. "Perhaps the boy has finally given up his playacting and has run home."

Perhaps it was from a lack of sleep, or the incessant worry of Caspian, or the anxiety of Edmund seeming to no longer care for me, or perhaps it was combination of all three, or maybe it was simply because I had grown tired of Peter's attitude towards my friend, but I snapped. Something in Peter's words triggered a boiling rage within me, and I could no longer contain it. I let it all out; the words came tumbling from my mouth with little control.

"You better hope for your sake, Peter Pevensie, that that is not the case. Because if anything should have happened to Caspian, then the destruction of Narnia lies solely on your hands. And if for one moment you would start being the High King of Old and stop acting like a Calormene ass you would know why!"

Peter was mad. Really mad. I could see it on his face, but at the moment I didn't care. "Pardon me?" he said stepping forward, anger seeping through his words.