The Call To The Old - An Edmund Pevensie fanfiction

Chapter thirteen

Everyone followed after the King and the Prince, except Edmund and Talia who hung behind the rest.

"You and Caspian appear close." Edmund declared.

"Jealous?" Talia teased.

Edmund scoffed, "of him? Please."

Talia smiled at his cockiness, "he was who I was supposed to marry."

"Oh, did he really mess up that bad?" Edmund joked.

"He was nothing but sweet to me."

"Then why didn't you marry him?" the boy questioned.

"I don't like being told what to do." Talia replied, this was in fact, half of the story, but Edmund knew not to push any further. The pair walked together, catching up with the rest, until Talia pulled him to the side, "I had the strangest dream last night, it felt so real, Lucy and I we both saw Aslan, and he said that there were lots I didn't know about my family. I- I know it's probably nothing but-"

"If Aslan said it to you, regardless of whether or not it was a dream, you do not question it." Edmund interrupted, and that was all the answer the girl needed.

All the Narnians began to walk back to their base, Caspian and Peter led the way with conversations of battle and weapons. The rest followed, Talia moved away from Edmund, and walked with her old friends; Trufflehunter, Trumpkin and Nikabrik. "So, what are they like?" asked the curious Trufflehunter.

"Malcontents, complainers, stubborn as mules in the morning." Trumpkin answered.

"Oh. So, you like them, then." Nikabrik concluded.

"I've never seen him so happy." Talia smiled, jokingly.

"Well enough." Trumpkin responded to Nikabrik, "She seems to get on with them quite well." he said pointing to Talia.

"No surprise there." Nikabrik huffed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the girl laughed.

The Narnians carried on walking until they reached a clearing in the forest, Talia heard Lucy exclaim in shock at the sight of the old battle fortifications, in the distance. They continued onwards, with the four siblings now leading the way, Caspian and Talia just behind them. Upon approach to the old ruins, centaurs lined the pathway, their weapons in clutch, it was truly an entrance fit for the most royal of kings and queens. The centaurs held out their swords to form a line for the six to walk underneath, and Talia couldn't help but feel out of place.

They walked onwards into the ruins of the military stronghold, into a dark passageway. Inside there was a large room, with Narnians slaving away to produce more and more weaponry for the looming battle. The room was lit by torch and torch alone, creating dim orange lighting, and a room of intense heat. Talia and Caspian were used to heat, but the siblings could feel themselves beginning to sweat- the temperature of England was far, far different.

Talia and Caspian smiled, enchanted by all the creatures they were witnessing, having only ever read about half of them before. They were thrown back into memories of the Tutor's stories he would tell them before bed, and Talia reminisced on her mother's songs and poems about the Narnians.

"It may not be what you are used to, but it is defensible." Caspian spoke to Peter and Edmund.

"Peter. You may want to see this." Susan shouted from across the room. The siblings caught up to their sister, and Talia and Caspian followed too.

Along the stone walls stood drawings, depicting the Pevensie children on their first visit to Narnia. Talia traced her fingers across the carvings of the sister's riding on Aslan's back, of the four siblings being crowned next to their thrones.