From Sea To Shining Sea (Edmund Pevensie)

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

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"Fortune sides with him who dares." -Virgil

~

We were thrown into a cell, and Caspian immediately tried to kick open the door.

"It's hopeless," a voice in the corner informed, "you'll never get out."

"Who's there?" Edmund asked.

"Nobody," the voice replied. "Just a voice in my head."

"If we were at my school, you'd be having a talk with our counselor about self-esteem issues," I sighed.

Caspian and Edmund began walking towards the voice while I stood behind them. Then a blindingly pale man came out of the shadows.

"Lord Bern?" Caspian asked cautiously.

"Perhaps once," Lord Bern looked confused. "But I am no longer deserving of that title."

"Bernie Sanders?! When did you get here?" I gasped with fake enthusiasm.

"What on earth are you on about?" Edmund asked.

"He's a 2016 presidential candidate. His motto is 'Feel the Bern', so I just couldn't resist." He gave me a funny look. "It would have been more funny if you were from my time, grandpa." I patted him on the shoulder in fake comfort.

"Is he one of the seven?" Edmund asked after pushing me away.

Caspian knelt down beside Lord Bern. "Your face," Lord Bern observed. "You remind me of a king I once loved well."

"That man was my father," Caspian smiled.

Lord Bern gasped in shock. "Oh, my Lord. Please forgive me."

"No, please, please," Caspian pleaded while helping him stand. A horse neighed in the distance, and Edmund and I looked out through the barred window.

We saw a group of people being taken on a wagon, and a man running after it. There was a little girl behind him calling for her mother.

"Stay with daddy," a woman, I presumed it was her mother, ordered.

"Don't worry, I'll find you!" The father called after his wife after being pushed aside by a guard.

People were being loaded onto ships, and sent out into the ocean.

"Oh God, not the mist," I muttered.

"What mist?" Edmund asked.

"Keep watching," I sighed. I stepped down, unable to watch what happened to the people.

"How do you know about the mist?" Lord Bern asked one I descended.

"I come from a future where the Narnian adventures are turned into books," I replied, I didn't want to explain what a movie was so I left it out.

"So you know what happens?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Though your advice has been terrible so far," Edmund muttered.

"No. We're right where we need to be." I argued.

"How?! We're locked up!"

"We'll get out soon."

"What would that be?" Edmund asked incredulously.

"You'll see," I smiled.

"So what happened to those people?" Caspian asked.

"It's a sacrifice," Bern explained.

"Where do they go?"

"No one knows. The mist was first seen in the east. Reports of fisherman and sailors disappearing out at sea. We lords made a pact to find the source of the mist and destroy it. They each set sail, but none came back. You see, if they don't sell you to the slave traders, you're likely to be fed to the mist."

"We have to find Lucy before it's too late," Edmund stated.

Later, three men came in to 'escort' us out. I resisted their manhandling, but they were stronger than I was. They moved us out to where Lucy and Eustace were being sold, and Reepicheep and Drinian uncloaked themselves, and attacked the traders. We fought our way out of captivation. I looked over to see that Eustace had begun his fleeing. Once we had won the battle, the people cheered for us as we made our way through the streets. I saw the man who was running after his wife walking towards us until Drinian held him back.

"Your Majesty, your majesty. My wife was taken just this morning," the man said.

"It's alright, Drinian." Caspian ordered, and Drinian let him go.

"I beg you to take me with you," he pleaded.

"I want to come!" His daughter held onto him while a woman behind them yelled after her.

"No, Gael, stay with your aunt." Her father ordered.

"I'm a fine sailor," the man informed Caspian. "Been on the seas my whole life."

"Of course," Caspian accepted. "You must."

"Thank you," the man breathed.

"Daddy!" His daughter wailed.

"Have I never not come back?" He asked, leaning down to her level and putting his hands on her shoulders. He pulled her into a hug before saying, "now be good." The little girl nodded before her aunt pulled her away.

I walked over to the man so that I was walking next to him. "Don't worry," I assured. "You'll see her again soon, I promise."

He gave me a faint but scared smile in return. Once we had reached the end of the ramp, Lord Bern was waiting for us.

"My King, my King!" He called. He held out a crusty old sword to Caspian. "This was given to me by your father. I hid it safely in the cave all these years."

"That's an old Narnian sword," Edmund stated.

"No, really?" I asked.

"It's from the old Golden Age," Lord Bern informed. "There were seven of such swords given as gifts from Aslan to protect Narnia. Your father entrusted them to us. Here, take it."

Caspian hesitantly stepped forward. "And may it protect you," Lord Bern added. Caspian took the sword and the crowd cheered.

"Thank you, my Lord, and we shall find your lost citizens," Caspian assured.

We were walking back to the boats, then Caspian gave the sword to Edmund.

"Woah woah woah, why don't I get a sword?" I asked Caspian as we sat down on the boats. "I don't have one and I would like one."

"You have no need for one," Caspian shrugged.

"People like you don't usually get to fight anyways," Edmund scoffed.

"What the F? Are you insulting me because I'm an American or because you're sexist? Either way I will fight you for it." I crossed my arms with anger.

Edmund just smiled and shook his head.

"I still don't know if that was a race thing or a lady thing, but I'm mad as hell," I quoted a commercial for Ghostbusters I once saw.

"Do you really want a sword that badly?" Caspian groaned.

"Yes I do. I always have to borrow yours and it's exhausting."

"Fine then. When we get back on the boat, I'll get you a sword."

"Mhm." I picked at my fingernails.