I'm afraid that since I'm not a man and I'm not dead, I can't be the owner of the wonderful Chronicles of Narnia-books. Therefore, every character or place in this story (except for the main characters) belongs to CS Lewis and no one else. And since this is based on the movie "Prince Caspian", I have to tell you that I do not own Disney's work either.
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While she was sitting in her room, she felt that tug on her clothes again. Now it wasn't scary anymore, but it felt unfamiliar since she hadn't felt it for years. It also felt uncomfortable for a while when she was right in between the two worlds, but it was such a short time that she hardly noticed.
Because the next moment she was standing on a beach. The most beautiful beach she'd ever seen, and it was still warm outside. Not like the rainy and cold hometown she'd just left. She threw of her cardigan, one of those knitted ones that her grandmother had made for her, and then she pulled of her shoes and socks and rushed out into the water until it reached her knees. The waves made her wet from head to toe, but she didn't care. At least she didn't have a mother here calling her in for tea as soon as she tried to be a bit free.
That was when she started to wonder where she was. It made her turn around and look at the great mountain next to the beach. Parts of it were grey, other parts were white, and all of it was covered with ivy and other plants that she didn't recognize.
"Oh, this is just great! I was going to hold a lecture today!"
The irritated voice came from the cave were she'd emerged herself. And by hearing the voice and also seeing the tall man walking out on the beach, she gave up a surprised laugh.
"Professor Emerson!" she called, waving to him from the water. He stared at her and before he could ask her anything, another person walked out into the sun. This girl gave a happy scream as she rushed out into the water, not caring about her clothing.
"Hello, Amy!" the first girl called, greeting her classmate.
"Hi there, Tanya", Amy answered, before she was hit by a wave. Moments later, she emerged from the water, still laughing.
"Come on, professor, it's really nice and warm!" Tanya called back to the beach. Emerson looked around for a moment, before he shook his head and sat down, pulling off his shoes and socks. Then he walked out into the water so that it only washed over his feet. Tanya and Amy laughed. Were all grown-ups like that?
While they waded back to the beach, Tanya noticed a fourth person standing in the cave, looking at them. It wasn't too hard to recognize his pale hair and skin.
"Jonathan!" Tanya called, waving at him. He smiled, relieved, and came out to them.
"At first I thought I was alone", he said as he gave her a friendly hug. "Then I recognized you."
She smiled at him and continued to smile as he greeted Professor Henry Emerson and Amy Lynd. Then she turned towards the mountain once again.
"Come on", she said after a while. The others looked surprised as she walked away across the beach. She turned towards them.
"Come on, I said", she repeated. "There are ruins up there, would be interesting to find out what they once was."
When they got to the top of the mountain, a long time later, Tanya immediately started to walk around the old stone-pillars that once had been buildings. After a while, Amy and Jonathan followed her, also interested in the old things, but Henry Emerson stood still. He wasn't too sure about this. What he wanted the most wasn't to run around ruins looking for things that were no longer there, he wanted to go back and have the lecture he'd been planning for months.
"Tanya!" he called. She looked down at him from some old stairs.
"Is there any chance we can return now?" he continued. She tilted her head, a sign of her being uncertain about something.
"I guess we have to do what we were called to do before we can return", she answered. Henry was about to answer that when Jonathan called them from the other side of the place.
"Hurry! There's an old door here!"
Tanya and Amy came there at the same time, Henry was walking behind, irritated. The girls looked amazed and Jonathan was proud of what he'd found.
"Well?" Tanya said after a while. The others looked at her, which made her sigh. Then she pushed the parts of the old door inwards and exposed a dark staircase.
"Has anyone got a lamp or something?" she asked.
"No", Amy answered. Tanya nodded, before she began to walk downwards.
"Be careful", she told them.
"What if there are rats down there!" Amy exclaimed. Tanya turned towards them.
"Well, stay here then", she answered, continuing downwards. Jonathan followed her and as Amy didn't want to be alone with the Professor, she hurried after them. Henry looked irritated, but then walked down as well.
When they got deeper down, after several turns, they suddenly realised that it was lighter downstairs. And when they finally got to the end of the stairs, they stood above a large room with four statues, lightened as if someone had turned on a lamp in the high roof. Tanya continued down the last set of stairs and looked at the statues.
"Two females, two males", she said, even though the others could see that as well. "Kings and queens, it looks like."
"What makes you think that?" Amy asked. Tanya pointed at the crowns on the statues.
"Those", she said. "They're not crowns of princes and princesses; they were all kings and queens."
How Tanya could see the difference between crowns for princes and princesses and those for kings and queens no one knew. Slowly Tanya walked up to the statue of the man that looked oldest. At his feet was an open chest, just like at the other statues. She carefully bended down and picked up a shirt from the chest.
"You should fit in this one, Professor", she said, tossing the clothing to the elder man. He looked surprised, but hadn't got the time to ask anything before she gave him a pair of trousers as well, a long with a tunic, a belt and a pair of boots.
"What am I going to do with these?" he asked when she finally turned.
"Wear them, of course", she answered. ""We must all find clothing that we can use here, our own clothes do not fit."
"Seems like you've done this before", Jonathan joked.
"I have."
The three others stared at Tanya.
"My grandmother's able to go through the wall of worlds and she often brought me with", she explained. "I quit it when I turned ten, but here I am again; in another world."
She looked down in the other king's chest.
"I believe you can find something here, Jonathan", she continued. "Maybe I can find something as well."
"Look at this!" Amy exclaimed, holding up a blue dress. "How marvellous!"
"Well, I think you fit in it", Tanya said. "Though, you'll need a belt as well, and a pair of boots.
"I know", Amy answered, smiling. "Don't worry, Tanya."
After a while, they'd all found clothing that fitted them. Only Amy had chosen a dress, Tanya felt much more comfortable in trousers and shirt. After they'd all changed, Jonathan pointed out a couple of knifes that were hanging on the wall. There was also some archery equipment, but since none of them knew how to string a bow they skipped those weapons.
"There should be swords as well", Jonathan said, disappointed. "Maybe the invaders took them."
"Or maybe they were taken by those who protected this castle", Tanya replied as she started to walk back up the stairs. "At least I think it was a castle once, since those statues are here."
"Well, they certainly didn't care about it afterwards", Henry muttered, as he began to walk back up the stairs after the others. As he placed his foot on the third step, he felt it fall deeper than it should. He gave a surprised call, making the others turn as his foot ran straight through the stone.
"A hiding!" Amy exclaimed and, as she was the closest one, she helped Henry to get his foot up again. The Professor was not as amused by the hole as the children were. Jonathan bent down and searched the hole with his hand.
"Careful", Amy warned. "What about rats?"
Jonathan gave a scream, which made Amy jump back and scream in terror. Then she realised that both Jonathan and Tanya laughed.
"Couldn't help it, too tempting", he said. Tanya kneeled beside him, not caring about the look Amy gave her.
"What do you think is down there?" she asked. Jonathan grinned.
"I actually believe that we've found some swords here", he said. "Well done, Professor. Now we might be able to handle the danger."
He laughed a bit as he pulled up the first of the swords. Just as it was up, Tanya put down her hand and pulled up the others. She was able to find four more.
"Let's take them up", she said. "Be careful about that step, we don't want any other to get trapped."
As all four of them returned to the light, they realised that they'd all got pretty dusty down there. Though only Henry and Amy cared about it, Jonathan and Tanya were more interested in the swords that they'd brought up. As they examined them, they both said that the craftsmen had been extraordinary good.
"I guess at least I and the Professor should take one", Jonathan said.
"I'll take one as well", Tanya said. "I'm not going to use just a knife."
"What about Amy?" Jonathan asked and nodded towards the other girl. She was talking with the Professor, though she seemed a bit nervous.
"That depends", Tanya answered. "If she wants one, she can have one."
She lifted the longest of the swords, examining it once again. Then she used it for some moves that her grandmother had taught her. Jonathan whistled.
"Impressive", he said. "I wouldn't go near you with that sword in your hand."
She smiled at him, before she fastened the sword in her belt.
"This one's mine", she said. After a while, also Jonathan had chosen his sword. They both tried to convince the Professor in carrying one, but he refused.
"Then maybe you can instead help us find a way from this place?" Tanya said.
All four of them returned to the beach were they'd met and started to walk. On some places, all they could see was the wide open sea. But a lot of the island they were on pointed back towards the land.
"Maybe we could swim?" Tanya suggested, looking at the land some hundred metres away. Jonathan looked doubtful.
"I'm not too sure about it", he said. "It's a long way and we have to carry weapons and clothes."
Tanya nodded.
"What about this?" Amy called out. They turned. Amy was further up the beach, pointing at an old wooden boat. The Professor was the first one to reach her.
"It seems whole", he said. "We'll try and get it out into the water."
Both he and Jonathan pulled off their tunics and started to dig out the boat. Then they partly lifted, partly pulled it down to the shore. All four of them anxiously watched it, almost expecting it to take in water. But it didn't.
"I guess we're lucky", Tanya said. "We'll leave as soon as everyone is ready."
"We are ready!" the others shouted. Tanya just smiled, before she stepped into the boat. The others followed her, one by one. Tanya placed herself at the rear, the Professor sat in front of her with the oars and the two last were in the front. Jonathan would switch with the Professor after a while, and then back again.
As they slowly got away from the island, Tanya turned one last time to look at it. For a moment, she thought she saw the castle as it once was, but she shook her head, believing that her eyes tricked her.