Far from home || The chronicles of Narnia

You can't change the past, but you can write the future

"We should probably head back to Cair Paravel." Susan said softly. "It'll take us over a two days."
Lucy nodded in agreement, but still didn't look too happy at the thought of having to walk all the way back.
Peter nodded as he lifted Edmund off the ground, being as careful as he could.
"Peter." Aslan said. Peter looked up at him. "Put him on my back."
Peter hesitated.
"Come on Pete." Susan said, sighing sadly. "You can't carry him all the way."
Peter sighed, knowing that she was probably right. "Okay." He whispered as he placed Edmund carefully on Aslan's back.
Edmund's head fell against his mane as he let out a small sigh. Peter wiped the tears off Edmund's cheeks with a sigh.
"Su?" He asked.
"Yeah?" Susan replied.
"Could you go and get my sword?" Peter asked. "I don't want to leave him." He added, glancing at his brother.
Susan nodded. "Sure." She said with a sad smile. "Where is it?"
"Dungeons." Peter whispered.
Susan nodded again as she ran off. She returned five minutes later holding Peter's sword. She gave it to him, but Peter could see that she was shaking, and she'd gone rather pale too.
"You okay?" He asked warily.
Susan looked at him, eyes filling with tears. "There was blood." She whispered. "His blood."
Peter took a deep breath, holding his sister close. "It's okay." He whispered. "It's over now. He's fine."
Susan took a deep breath and, nodding at Peter smiled weakly. She grabbed Lucy's hand and squeezed it when she saw the anxious look on her face. She smiled reassuringly at her before they began walking.
Peter stayed by Aslan's side the whole time, keeping his hand securely on Edmund's shoulder, not wanting him to fall off and hurt himself.
Lucy and Susan walked on ahead, chatting amoungst themselves and smiling.
"Aslan?" Peter asked quietly, not wanting the girls to hear.
"Yes Peter?" Aslan replied, walking slowly beside him.
"What exactly happened?" Peter said. "I mean, what did the witch do?"
Aslan sighed. "She placed a sort of, well - spell on your brother." He said slowly.
"What sort?" Peter said, taking a deep breath.
Aslan looked up at him. "Edmund wasn't dead." He told Peter. "But he would've been if I hadn't been there."
Peter let out a small choked sound as he listened closely.
"The spell would kill anyone within five minutes. Luckily for Edmund, it had only been two or three."
Peter nodded slowly, still trying to process what had actually happened. He walked on in silence, head bowed, tears in his eyes.
"Peter." Aslan said deeply. "What's troubling you?"
Peter sighed. "It's nothing." He mumbled.
"Peter." Aslan said.
"All of it's my fault." Peter whispered eventually, his voice cracking. "I shouldn't of been so hard on him."
"Peter, it wasn't your fault." Aslan said calmly, not at all angry with Peter for blaming himself.
"But," Peter continued. "I was horrible to him. Always telling him what to do, what not to do. I was much more hard on him than the girls." After this it all came out, he spoke in a rush, quiet surprised at himself. "I couldn't even see how much he was hurting. What with school, and then dad went off to war. That was the worst. Him and Edmund were so close, him leaving broke him. He'd spend the whole day in his room. And the days we went to school, he'd come home, grab something small to eat and sit in our room for the rest of the day, very rarely coming out for tea.
He got a bit better as time went by, not sitting in his room as much and eating properly. But he could be extremely annoying at times, as well as mean. Lucy was rather shocked, not understanding at all. Susan always had a sad look in her eyes when she saw him like that. She understood. And I think I did, deep down. But I wouldn't show it. I shouted at him so much, told him to stop mucking around and to grow up. Over time we drifted so far away we hardly spoke to each other, and when we did we were arguing. I ignored the sad look in his eyes when I was playing with Lucy, giving her hugs and laughing with her. Or when I was with Susan, studying for exams but just ending up having fun, laughing and screaming playfully at each other. I never did anything like that with Edmund. And I see now how much it affected him. He pulled away from us all, ignored us, even Lucy. Everytime she'd ask him to play with her he'd snap back about being too old to play and it was a rather childish thing to do before storming out, leaving her almost in tears.
And when the whole business about her finding a magical land at the back of the wardrobe began, we never heard the end of it.
He was so mean, so I was mean back. I couldn't see that all he really wanted, all he really needed was for someone to give him a hug, tell him that everything would be fine, and that they loved him..." Peter trailed off, in tears as he walked beside Aslan.
Aslan kept quiet for a long while before smiling sadly. "Talk to him Peter." He said softly.
Peter sniffed. "He wouldn't listen. He says it wasn't my fault."
"Maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was. But you can still talk to him." Aslan said, a twinkle in his eyes.
Peter sighed. "I suppose." He mumbled, glancing at his brother, who was still unconscious.
"He's been through so much." He whispered after a while. "No one his age should have to go through that."
"While that may be true." Aslan said. "All you can do is be there for him. You can't change the past Peter, but you can write the future."
Peter smiled slightly, not saying another word as they continued walking.
After three hours Lucy groaned. "Can we stop?" She asked.
Peter smiled. "I don't see why not." He said.
Lucy let out a sigh of relief as she sunk to the floor, leaning against a tree. Susan sat beside her, letting out an exhausted sigh.
Peter carefully lifted Edmund off of Aslan's back and sat down, wrapping his arms around his brother's shoulders and holding him close.
"When will he wake up?" Lucy asked. "He's been asleep for nearly four hours."
"I-" Peter went to say but stopped when his brother coughed. He smiled slightly. "Now." He whispered to Lucy as he watched Edmund slowly open his eyes.
He glanced up at Peter, before looking at Susan and then at Lucy.
"Morning sleepyhead." Susan teased playfully.
Edmund smiled slightly as he sat up, only to be immediately pulled back into his brothers arms.

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