Even a traitor may mend || The chronicles of narnia

I don't wanna talk about it

Edmund swung around, attempting to hide his back, but it was obviously too late.
"Ed, what did she do to you?" Susan whispered, eyes filled to the brim with tears, shaking her head back and forth.
"Su." Edmund choked, swallowing hard. "What - I, she-" But he found himself unable to go on.
Susan sighed and crossed the distance separating them, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. "Turn around." She murmered. "Let's have a look."
Edmund shook his head. "No." He choked, struggling to keep his breathing even.
Susan sighed. "Ed," She sighed. "Let me see, let me help you."
Edmund stared at her. "I - I didn't want any of you to know." He whispered, dropping his gaze to the floor.
"Why not?" Susan said slowly, trying to force back her tears.
"Because-" Edmund paused and looked back up at her, distraught to see tears in her eyes. "Because I knew you'd react like this." He choked. "And I - I dont wanna cause anymore trouble, or cause any of you anymore worry."
Susan's face fell. "Oh Edmund." She sighed, her voice quiet. "Don't ever think that. Come on, let me help you."
Edmund sighed and looked down, slowly nodding his head.
"So you'll turn around?" Susan asked hesitantly.
"Yeah." Edmund choked, taking a deep breath before hesitantly turning.
Susan held back a gasp, knowing it wouldn't help Edmund, and instead just let out a long sigh. "What did she do exactly?" She murmured after a while.
Edmund shook his head. "I - I don't wanna talk about it." He whispered.
Susan nodded in understanding before placing her hands on Edmund's shoulders and turning him around. "Why don't we go back to your tent and I clean your back?" She suggested.
Edmund's eyes immediately went wide. "Not my tent." He said quickly.
Susan frowned. "Why not?" She asked.
Edmund swallowed hard. "I said I didn't want any of you to know." He mumbled. "Peter's in our tent. He, he sent me to wash, and he's waiting for me in the tent."
Susan sighed. "You reckon you can actually keep this from him?" She said hesitantly.
"I want to." Edmund murmered, sighing. "And I'm gonna try my hardest."
"Why?" Susan asked.
"Same reason why I didn't wanna tell you." Edmund answered. "You looked... horrified, and I have no idea how Peter will act if he knew about it."
Susan sighed, looking slightly apprehensive.
Edmund's eyes went slightly wider. "Su no." He mumbled. "Promise you won't tell him. Promise me you won't tell Peter about this?!"
"Tell me about what?"
Edmund's head snapped up, and he found himself staring at his brother, who was slowly walking down to join him and Susan, a frown spread across his face.
"Peter." Susan breathed, glancing from Peter to Edmund, something of a worried expression on her face.
Peter came to a stop in front of his brother, frowning down at him. "What don't you want me to know?" He asked.
"I - It's nothing." Edmund choked quickly. "Really."
Peter's frown got deeper, and Edmund could see that he was staring at the scratches on his arms and chest, and in all honesty he looked horrified.
If he looked like that seeing the scratches, Edmund dreaded to think how he'd act if he saw the lashes that covered every inch of his back, from top to bottom.
A concerned look had now made its way onto Peter's face, causing Edmund to swallow hard.
"Ed?" Peter asked slowly. "What's wrong? I know there's something, so there's no point in hiding it from me."
Edmund stared at him for a while before moving his stare to Susan, who sighed and slowly nodded her head.
After a moment or two Edmund turned back to his brother and sighed, slowly and reluctantly turning around.
He squeezed his eyes shut when he heard the loud gasp from Peter, swallowing hard and trying his hardest to stay where he was standing and not to just run off, which he really wanted to do in that minute.
"Ed," Peter whispered. "What-"
But Susan cut him off. "He doesn't wanna talk about it." She said quietly, placing a hand on her older brothers shoulder.
Edmund sniffed quietly and turned back around, tears stinging at his eyes as he glanced hesitantly up at Peter,
who was just stood there, eyes wide, mouth open, looking shocked... and worried. "Why - Why didn't you say anything?" He choked after a while.
"I didn't want you to worry." Edmund whispered.
"You - You didn't want me to worry?!" Peter exclaimed. "Ed, you realise if you'd kept this to yourself then those cuts could've gotten infected real quick and you would've fallen really ill!?"
Edmund flinched when Peter raised his voice, but kept himself calm. "I - I tried to clean them myself." He mumbled.
"That wouldn't of worked." Peter said. "Ed your back's covered!"
"I know." Edmund choked. "Trust me I know. But what I also know is I deserve it!"
"Ed?" Susan asked, looking confused.
"I deserve every lash she put on me." Edmund choked, tears now rolling slowly down his cheeks. "I betrayed you all, and I deserve to be punished. I deserve what I got."
And with that, he ran.
"Ed!" Peter called after him, but Edmund disappeared into the trees, leaving Peter and Susan alone.
"Go after him." Susan said, turning to Peter.
Peter frowned. "Why me?" He asked.
Susan sighed and rolled her eyes. "Because he needs you."
When Peter just stared at her she continued. "Pete, for the last 3, maybe 4 days he's been with an evil witch, who has obviously tortured him. Tortured him Peter, can you imagine how he's feeling right now? He hasn't seen any of us for days, he's been alone, scared, cold, hungry, thirsty, and in a lot of pain. He needs us Peter, he needs you."
Peter swallowed hard whilst Susan was saying this, flinching every time she used the word torture. "I-" He choked when she was finished. "I'll go and find him."
Susan nodded and smiled gently. "And then bring him back." She said. "Lunch is nearly ready and I can't bring myself to even think about how hungry he must be."
"He-" Peter swallowed hard. "He was so thin."
Susan nodded slowly. "He obviously hasn't had anything to eat." She sighed. "Just - go and find him."
Peter nodded and after a moment hesitation, slowly ran off into the woods.
It actually didn't take long for him to find his brother, he hadn't gone far, and if the look on his face was anything to go by, Peter knew the reason.
"Ed?" Peter asked, walking over to his brother.
Edmund jumped harshly, swinging around to face him, eyes wide as he backed away slightly.
"Hey." Peter said quickly, sitting beside him. "It's only me."
Edmund relaxed slightly when he saw Peter, swallowing hard and sitting up straight again. "Oh." He choked, voice barely above a whisper. "Peter."
Peter sighed sadly. "Sorry I startled you." He mumbled.
"That - That's okay." Edmund stuttered, trying to calm his pounding heart.
Peter frowned a little. "Although, that would never usually be enough to make you jump like that." He said slowly.
Edmund stared at him for a moment before sighing. "Being with the witch," He said hesitantly. "You sort of learn to be... nothing but scared, every little thing makes you jump, every sound..." He trailed off, fighting back tears as memories crossed his mind.
Peter swallowed hard, but nodded slowly. "I understand." He whispered, before: "Ed?"
"Hmm?" Edmund replied.
"Your back." Peter said slowly.
"I was stupid to think I could hide it from you." Edmund sighed, shaking his head slowly.
"You said you don't want to talk about it?" Peter asked.
Edmund shook his head. "Not yet anyway." He mumbled. "It was just - awful... painful."
Peter swallowed thickly. "It - It looked painful." He forced out.
Edmund glanced up at him for a moment before sighing. "Can - can we just go for lunch now?" He asked.
Peter's face fell at the desperation in his voice. "It's nearly ready." He said with a nod. "But let's just get back and clean those cuts before we do."
Edmund swallowed hard, taking a deep breath.
"Ed they'll get infected if we don't." Peter mumbled.
Edmund eventually nodded, looking down at the ground. "Alright." He mumbled.
Peter nodded back slowly, and carefully pulled his brother to his feet.
He knew he should talk to Edmund about the fact that he definitely did not deserve what the witch had done to him, but it just wasn't the right time.
But he would, at some point, because knowing that Edmund thought he deserved what had happened, made his heart ache.
The two slowly made their way back through the woods, Peter keeping a hand (extremely) gently on Edmund's back to steady him.
As they walked, Peter couldn't take his eyes off the cuts on his brothers back, some bleeding, some red and swollen and some having scabbed over.
He wouldn't mind actually knowing what the witch had done, because not knowing left his mind to guessing, and horrific things came to his head, almost making him gag.
"Pete?" Edmund choked at the sound Peter let out instead, looking slightly confused but mostly just worried.
Peter looked away from his back and up to his face, sighing and shaking his head a little. "I'm alright." He breathed, reaching out and grabbing Edmund's shirt and jumper as they reached the river.
Edmund nodded slowly and they continued walking until they reached their tent, where they slowly stepped inside.
"Sit down on the hammock." Peter said gently. "I'll find some warm water."
Edmund nodded hesitantly and sat with his back to Peter, hearing his brother walking around the tent before he sat on a chair behind him.
"I'm not gonna lie." Peter sighed. "But this is really gonna hurt."
Edmund nodded, tears stinging his eyes. "Just get it over with." He choked.
Peter took a deep breath as he wet the cloth, before pressing it gently against Edmund's back, immediately tearing a gasp from Edmund's throat.

☆☆☆

By the time Peter had finished, finished his back and legs, seeming as he'd spotted those lashes too, Edmund had tears rolling slowly down his cheeks, and his breathing was anything but even.
"It's okay." Peter sighed, placing the now red cloth back in the bowl. "It's all done."
Edmund bit his lip and nodded his head, trying to keep his breathing under control. "Thanks." He choked, managing to just about turn around to face Peter.
He almost fell backwards out of shock when he saw tears rolling down Peter's cheeks. It was only two, and Peter's face didn't really show alot of emotion, but it still shocked Edmund.
Shocked him because he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Peter cry.
Before Edmund could question him though, Peter took a deep breath, wiped at his cheeks and stood, walking across the tent and grabbing a pile of clothes.
"You should probably get changed." He sighed as he returned to his brother, making it a point to smile kindly at him.
Edmund stared at him for a moment before nodding, sniffing and forcing back anymore tears.
The pain from his back was causing so much pain that he just wanted to curl up into a ball and cry himself to sleep, but he told himself that he couldn't do that, he wouldn't cry anymore.
"You want a hand?" Peter asked hesitantly when Edmund tried to slip the tunic over his head, but stopped when the pain of lifting his arms became too much.
Sighing a little Edmund nodded his head, keeping his head down as Peter helped him slip into his clothes.
Once he was dressed, Peter helped him to stand up, keeping a steadying hand on his shoulder.
He frowned though as he stared at Edmund. The boots fit him almost perfectly, as did the trousers, but his tunic on the other hand, that seemed to gap widely around his torso.
"It's a bit big." Edmund mumbled, but he wasn't complaining.
"I - I told them - the people that made the clothes - the right size." Peter explained, swallowing hard. "She really didn't feed you, did she?"
Edmund stared at Peter for a moment before shaking his head. "Probably why it doesn't fit." He muttered. "I've lost weight."
Peter forced back anymore tears before taking a deep breath. "Well then you need to eat." He choked. "Come on."
Edmund gave him a small, grateful smile, before the two headed from the tent, Peter hardly managing to keep back his tears.

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Bet you all expected it to be Peter at the beginning 😆😂 but of course he had to find out as well 👀😂

Also, me updating this book twice in a day?????!!!!🤔🤔😳😳😂😂 wow ahahha