From Sea To Shining Sea (Edmund Pevensie)

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

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"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." -Æsop

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My room quickly became cramped and hot, so I decided to go for a walk. I made my way out to the deck for some peace and quiet that had rarely happened in the time that I had been there. I looked up at the clear sky, and realized that I had never appreciated how beautiful the stars were. The constellations were different than they were in America. I went back to grab my flower-patterned pillow, and lied down on the wood. I stared at the stars, and thought about the recent events. I was so focused that I didn't hear someone lay down with their head next to mine, but facing the other way.

"Lovely night, isn't it?" Edmund observed.

I jumped a little in shock. "Oh! Edmund. I didn't hear you lie down."

There was a moment of awkward silence before he said, "I heard you crying. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay now," I tried to ease off the subject.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

"Are you sure?"

I sighed and gave in. "Aslan just visited me to tell me my mom died, but she's happy now. She's with my dad." I could hear the sadness in my voice as the tears began to come back.

"Oh. I'm so sorry." It was quiet for a moment. "The stars aren't the same on earth, are they?"

"I noticed that, too."

"Sometimes, when I can't sleep, I come out here and make my own constellations."

"Really," I sounded more surprised than I was. "Would you mind showing me some of them?"

He lifted his arm up, and pointed at the sky. "You see those stars?" He pointed up to a small group of clumped together stars. "I like to call that Mr. Duck."

I giggled. "Why a duck?"

"Why not?" He countered. He pointed at another group of stars. "You see those?"

"Yeah."

"I think that those look like us."

"Us?"

"Yeah. You, me, Caspian, Lucy, and Reep," he explained. "See the one that looks like a little blob with a line coming out of it."

I took a moment to search and eventually found it. "Yeah. It looks like Reep with his little sword."

"Now you're getting it!" Edmund exclaimed a little too loudly.

"Shh! You'll wake the full ship!" I laughed.

"Sorry, I guess I got a little overexcited," he blushed. "Oh, well." He flipped himself around to where he was lying right next to me, and the warmth of his body heat was very relaxing against the cold of the night. "So what are you going to do when you leave Narnia?"

The question caught me by surprise. "I-I don't know. Hopefully Aslan won't make me leave, and I can live out my days with Caspian."

"He really is like an older brother to you," Edmund nodded. "Very protective."

"Don't even get me started. He'll probably even pick who I marry," I joked, but Edmund didn't laugh.

After a moment of awkwardness, I broke the silence. "So, how's 1942 England?"

"Terrible," he grumbled. "Lou and I are too young to do anything, so we have to live with our awful aunt and uncle."

"I know you tried to enlist for the war," I blurted.

He turned on his side to face me, and I did the same to him. His eyebrows were knitted together in confusion. "How do you know that?"

"When are you guys going to figure out that I know these things!?" I exclaimed. My voice got quiet, "Will you make me a promise?"

"And what would that be?" He asked curiously.

"That you won't try to enlist again," he opened his mouth to reply, but I held up a hand. "This isn't just some war, Edmund. This is World War II! And you've still got three years left of it! I don't think your family could take it if something were to happen to you."

He sighed. "Alright, I promise."

I smiled at him. "Thank you."

I layed back onto my back to look at the stars, and after a moment, so did he.

"For some reason, the stars are more beautiful here than they are on Earth," I commented.

"Yeah, beautiful," Edmund agreed.

"Maybe we get so used to seeing something that we forget to appreciate it," I suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

Suddenly, I burst out in an uncontrollable laugh.

"What's so funny?" Edmund asked.

"Sorry, I was just imagining Reepicheep fighting a star."

Edmund started laughing with me. "It's not even that funny," he exclaimed.

"Everything's funny when you're tired!"

"That is true," Edmund agreed.

"But can't you see Reep swinging his little sword at a star expecting it to fight back?" I laughed even harder.

"Sometimes I wonder what goes on on that head of yours."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "I wonder the same thing about you."

I yawned. "I'm thinking that I'm going to head back to bed. I think I'll be able to sleep."

"Alright," he sighed. "If you need anything, you can always come to me."

"Thanks," I smiled, and stood along with him. I began to walk away, but he grabbed my wrist.

"I mean it, Oph. Don't torture yourself over something you can't control."

I blushed. "I know, and I promise I won't." He let go of my arm, and I made my way back to my room. I fell asleep with a smile on my face.