A Dangerous Game

Painfully Familiar

Edmund made eye contact with Peter and immediately went to rush over, even if he felt weak from the climb up the hill. He could see Peter doing the same thing. Edmund hesitated a little. This wasn't another trick from the witch was it?
He gripped the end of his sword just in case but clawed himself through the snow. If it was a trick he didn't want to go through it again, but this time something was different. He was sure it was Peter. He kicked snow behind him as he ran over to his brother, running straight into his arms.
"Edmund..." Peter said in relief as he held his little brother tightly.
"Please tell me it's really you?" Edmund asked, his voice shaky.
"Who else would it be?" Peter asked before looking at his brother, who's face had gone completely pale.
"Ed?" He asked before seeing the blood on his hands.
"She made me kill you peter....she made me kill you..." Edmund said, on the verge of tears.
"It was just her magic" Peter said comfortingly "it wasn't real, I'm right here and I'm alive" he reassured him before looking around at the snow covered forest.
"Obviously it would be too cold to concentrate on where we're going..." Peter said with a sigh and Edmund nodded.
"I wonder why we found eachother....Miraz made it clear that we wouldn't be able to find eachother...." Edmund said in confusion.
"Miraz said it was unlikely..." Peter said "and since we're pretty good at pulling off the unlikely...him and Jadis should've seen this coming..." he said which made Edmund smile.
"Wait..." he said "if they didn't plan on us finding eachother doesn't that give us an advantage?" Edmund asked.
"Yes but if they find out..."
"They could try to separate us" Edmund said quietly, his hope dying.
"Okay....one rule...we stick together and we BOTH make it out of here alive" Peter said holding his hand out and Edmund shook it, nodding agreement.
He shivered again "let's just wait to until it gets warmer before we plan anymore ways to get out..." he said and Peter nodded, keeping his arms around Edmund as they treaded through the snowy path.

•••••••••••••••••

Susan had noticed the snow falling down but she thought nothing of it. She didn't care for worrying about weather and was able to stay focused even in the freezing cold.
She went among the trees, her bow and arrows still raised. She was, as usual, prepared for anything. But the thing that appeared before her was unexpected. Footprints. She looked at them. They were far too small to be her brothers but they could be...Lucy's! She smiled to herself, she was close to her sister which was a relief, even though she knew that Lucy was perfectly capable of handling herself. It was no use looking for Lucy now since it was dark and she was becoming tired. She sighed to herself.
"I'll find you Lucy..." Susan said softly before carrying on into the night.

••••••••••••••••••

"How long have we been walking?" Edmund asked tiredly.
"It feel like forever..." he muttered as they kept walking.
"What if this forest is endless?" Peter asked.
"If Jadis says there's a way out then believe it or not she's probably telling the truth..." Edmund said "this is just a game for her but for us...it's hell" he said with a shudder.
Peter looked as the snow got heavier and was falling and covering each tree except...one tree in the centre of their walkway.
"That's odd" Peter said walking over to it.
"There's a note attached" Peter observed.
"Is it another task?" Edmund asked, worried that it could be.
"No..." Peter said before handing Edmund to paper sadly.
'Out Of you all, One won't survive' Edmund read