Lost and Found

2. No proof

"And your brother actually let you come?" Philip asked as he trotted through the woods, Edmund on his back.

Edmund nodded slowly. "Yes, he did." He replied. "It took a bit of persuasion, but he agreed eventually."

"Would he of agreed if he knew you weren't gonna wear your crown, or were gonna dress like that, no one would believe in a million years that you were a king." Philip said.

Edmund rolled his eyes. "I wanted to dress normally for once." He insisted. "Just a normal tunic and trousers, instead of the sometimes fancy clothes I have to wear as king."

Philip laughed slightly. "Did King Peter give you a time to be back?" He asked.

"Before dark was all he said." Edmund told him slowly. "And I will be, I promised him I will."

Phillip nodded. "Is it me, or have we gone maybe a little too far from Cair?" He asked.

Edmund sighed. "I think you're right." He muttered.

"We better turn back now if we have any chance of getting home in time?" Philip asked, glancing around at the young King.

Edmund hesitated before sighing. "I guess we better." He said, before letting out a frustrated growl. "But if you tell Peter we went this far from Cair, then I'll kill you."

Philip laughed slightly. "I won't tell him." He said gently. "You know I won't."

Edmund smiled a little. "Thank you." He said, giving Philips neck a light pat.

Philip only nodded and turned back around, only to come face to face with a group of about five or six men.
Edmund immediately drew his sword, gripping it tightly and pointing it in front of him, Philip bracing himself.

"Drop your weapons." One man practically growled, holding his own weapon out before him.

"You can't tell me what to do." Edmund spat, sliding off Philip and taking a step or two closer to the group.

"And what makes you think that?" The man laughed.

"I am King Edmund." Edmund answered firmly.

The man stared at him, his eyes scanning up and down, before laughing. "You really expect me to believe that." He scoffed. "No crown, dressed like that, and this far from Cair Paravel?"

Edmund swallowed hard. "It is true." He said slowly, tightening his grip of his sword handle. "I am King Edmund the Just."

"Then prove it." A different man said, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Edmund took a deep breath. "Take me to the castle and I can prove it to you." He said, staring at the men, who, by the way they looked, were probably from Calormen.

But Edmund didn't have time to wonder why or how they were in Narnia, before the first man smirked. "Nice try." He said. "Drop your weapon, or you die."

Edmund swallowed hard, taking a step back towards Philip. "When I say, run back to Cair, tell Peter what's happened." He whispered to the horse.

Philip hesitated but nodded, watching as Edmund slowly lowered his sword to the floor. Raising his hands above his head Edmund surrendered, two men quickly coming forward and grabbing his arms, tying his hands tightly behind his back.

Edmund took a deep breath, staying silent for a moment before opening his mouth. "Philip now!" He cried. "Go!" And with that, Philip bolted away and disappeared into the trees.

The first man scowled and swung around to face Edmund. "You have no idea how much money you just lost me!" He cried, stepping forward and back handing Edmund across the face.

Edmund gasped in pain and surprise, but that didn't last long, for a look of confusion soon found its way onto his face. Money? Lost him Money?
But then his eyes went wide, he knew that Calormen was famous for their slave trade, and with a sinking heart he realised just what he'd gotten himself into.

"Look, I really am King Edmund." He pleaded. "Just take me back to the castle and I can prove it!"

The man scoffed. "You are no king." He mocked. "Kings do not dress like that, kings where a crown, and no king would wonder this far from Cair Paravel without guards."

Edmund stared wide eyed at the man, shaking his head back and forth. "Please!" He cried.

"Enough!" The man shouted, making Edmund jump. "You are coming with us and you're gonna come without a struggle."

Edmund scowled. "I guess you dont know me very well then." He spat, before immediately beginning to pull against the men holding him.

It was pointless though, and after ten seconds, he felt something slam into the back of his head, before everything went black.

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"Found him yet?" Peter asked as he came across his sisters outside the throne room.

Susan shook her head slowly. "No." She mumbled. "He's not back yet."

"Peter?" Lucy asked slowly, glancing up at her brother.

Peter swallowed hard, running a hand through his hair. "Yes Lu?" He asked.

"Edmund promised he'd be back before dark." Lucy said. "Edmund never breaks a promise, something - something has to of happened to him."

Peter stared at her for a moment. "Like what?" He asked. "He said he wouldn't go too far from Cair, so nothing could've happened to him."

Susan sighed. "You know what Edmund's like." She said slowly. "He might've gone too far, but didn't realise it."

"But what could've happened to him?!" Peter exclaimed.

"Maybe," Susan paused. "Maybe he accidentally went too far from Cair, and it got dark, so he decided to stop for the night?" She suggested.

Peter stared at her. "I don't know." He mumbled, shaking his head. "I've got a bad feeling."

Susan took a deep breath. "Okay." He said slowly. "Why don't we wait until the morning, and if he's not back by then, we'll go out searching for him?"

Peter swallowed hard. "I don't know." He mumbled, sounding extremely unsure.

"Peter." Susan sighed, raising an eyebrow slightly at him.

After a moment Peter sighed. "Alright." He said eventually. "We'll wait until the morning, but if he's not back by breakfast, then I'm going out to find him myself!"

Susan nodded. "He'll be fine Peter." She tried to reassure him. "You'll see... he'll be fine."

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