Scars || The Chronicles Of Narnia

I'll do it

Peter swallowed hard as he lay in the hammock inside the tent that Aslan had practically made appear out of thin air earlier that evening. Edmund was curled up beside him, eyes wide open and full of tears.
Peter was glad that they were in a tent by themselves, Susan and Lucy in another one beside theirs.
"Peter?" Edmund choked suddenly, breaking the silence.
"Yeah?" Peter said, taking a deep breath as he tightened his grip around his brother.
"It hurts." Edmund said, his voice cracking. "My back. And the backs of my legs are really stinging."
Peter took a deep breath before very slowly ans shakily breathing out. "I know." Was all he said, placing his hand on the back of Edmund's head.
Edmund hesitated. "Please?" He said, staring up at his brother.
Peter stared back down at him. "I-" He choked but then stopped, taking another deep breath. "Are you - scared?" He asked after a while.
Edmund hesitantly nodded a little. "Yeah." He breathed. "The way to end this makes me scared."
Peter nodded slowly. "I've already stabbed you." He whispered, his voice cracking. "Now I have to whip you too - again."
Edmund sighed. "I'm so sorry." He mumbled.
Peter frowned. "Why an earth are you apologising Ed?" He said. "It's not your fault."
Edmund sighed, burying his face against Peter's neck. "I - I can't do it anymore." He choked.
Peter sighed sadly. "Yeah you can." He whispered.
Edmund shook his head. "I thought it was all over." He mumbled. "Nothing happened for a whole year."
"We all thought it was over Ed." Peter sighed, running his hand repeatedly through his brother's hair. "We all did." He added in a whisper.
Edmund swallowed hard. "The last time she - she whipped me-" He started slowly. "Was when she captured us. She took me away from you and - and down so many corridors I lost count-"
Peter took a deep breath, Edmund had never, ever told him what had happened then, Peter only knew that the witch had whipped him twenty times as punishment for trying to escape.
"She then - then pushed me into a room. Not very big at all. Still all made of ice though." Edmund continued, his voice tight. "She yanked my tunic off and dragged me to the middle of the room, where she - she chained my hands above my head."
Peter swallowed hard, pulling Edmund even closer to him - if that was even possible.
"Then someone came in and handed her her whip." Edmund said slowly. "I freaked out at that point and tried to get away, but the chains didn't break, just dug into my skin the more I moved. She only laughed at me, saying that I deserved this, and it was my fault as I'd tried to escape."
"It was my idea." Peter whispered.
Edmund shook his head. "I'm so glad she didn't decide to punish you." He mumbled.
"But she punished you!" Peter choked.
Edmund nodded slowly. "I heard you, you know." He said in barley more than a whisper.
Peter nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. "I heard you too." He mumbled.
"You do know you're gonna have to do that to me?" Edmund asked hesitantly. "We're gonna have to go to the witches castle, go to that room, chain my hands above my head and you're gonna have to whip me."
Peter swallowed hard, but said nothing.
"Peter look." Edmund said, taking a deep breath. "The worst is over. If you can stab me I'm sure you can do this."
"That's the point." Peter mumbled. "I've already stabbed you, and now I have to do this to you too."
Edmund sighed. "I know it can't be easy." He said. "But it really hurts. And if you like Lucy can give me her cordial straight away afterwards."
Peter stared at him. "You'd be having the cordial no matter what." He said firmly.
Edmund sighed sadly. "But-" He took a deep breath. "If you don't want to do it I - I totally understand."
Peter swallowed hard. "But - But the pain will get so bad and you'll die." He managed to choke.
"If it saves you from whipping me then so be it." Edmund mumbled.
"Ed no." Peter said, shaking his head. "You are not going to die, I'll do it alright?"
Edmund swallowed hard. "Are you - you sure?" He asked.
"No but-" He sighed, cutting himself off. "I don't want you to die." He added after a long while.
Edmund nodded slowly. "I don't wanna die either." He whispered.
"Has - Has the scar stopped hurting yet?" Peter asked.
Edmund shrugged. "There's still a dull pain." He said slowly. "But it's absolutely nothing compared to what it was like before you - well you know."
Peter nodded slowly. "I'm glad." He sighed.
"But my back still really hurts." Edmund muttered.
"It won't take us too long to get to the castle by horse." Peter told him. "We'll get there, I'll - I'll do it and then Lucy will heal you."
"And then we go to the waterfall?" Edmund asked hesitantly.
Peter took a deep breath. "And then we go to the waterfall." He nodded. "How - How far is it from there to the witches camp?" He asked.
Edmund shrugged. "Few hours maybe?" He said.
Peter swallowed hard. "And you were forced to walk the whole way with no breaks?" He asked, sounding horrified.
Edmund nodded slowly. "Evertime I tripped the dwarf would either yank the ropes or lash out with his whip." He choked.
Peter took a deep breath. "Are you sure you're alright with me doing this?" He asked hesitantly.
Edmund shook his head. "I'm not exactly looking forward to it no." He mumbled. "But it's either that or die."
Peter nodded. "I suppose." He sighed.
"You're gonna have nightmares about this for ages aren't you?" Edmund choked suddenly, forcing back his tears.
Peter sighed. "Probably." He mumbled. "But you will too."
Edmund nodded and once again buried his face against Peter's neck, sniffing.
"It's alright." Peter whispered. "There's no one but me, let it out."
Edmund clearly hesitated but in the end did as Peter had said.
Peter held him and whispered comfortingly to him until he finaly cried himself to sleep, practically collapsing against him.
Peter sighed sadly, pulling Edmund close and placing a gentle kiss to the top of his head. "Night Ed." He whispered before he too drifted off to sleep.

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