Chapter 1

"Have you seen Edmund, Dawnie?"

I spun around to look at my sister. She had changed much in the last year. Her hair was beautifully waved and silky, she was taller and her face slimmer and more defined, her eyes still held their shine. Her figure was beginning to come in as well, which I knew she was self conscious of as I spotted her watching older girls with good-looking boys jealously. I even spied her looking in the mirror back in our room with one of my dresses, I thought it looked lovely but she had quickly put it away when she noticed me. She was even taller than me now, not that I minded being short but soldiers that were in the area seemed to find it oddly attractive and never left me alone. I did what I could to avoid them, wish Caspian was here with me.

Oh, Caspian.

I had been over a year since I had seen him and not a day or night past without me thinking or dreaming of him. Lucy and Edmund noticed how hard it was for me to be away from Narnia, even more than before. Not just because of Caspian but a few weeks after we came back we had all begun to notice including myself that I wasn't well. I was paler and skinnier, my hair lifeless and dull, my eyes were usually a bit red or even bloodshot when I felt quite bad. Lucy was the one to discover what was wrong.

While in Narnia my powers had developed even more, so here with practically no magic in the air and almost impossible to even tap into the Deep Magic, it was taking its toll on me. I was a magical creature, in a world with no magic. I used my magic a little each day even if it was just to hold my hair in a style or to turn the page of a book or even just to shut the window. This seemed to help and eventually I was looking and feeling better but this wasn't until after Susan and Peter had left.

Peter was studying with Professor Kirk but had gone with Susan to meet with our parents. We got the odd letter and telegram but that was all. I was wrong in thinking that being in Narnia again had made us closer, if anything it split us apart. The elder siblings and the younger ones. The three of us were closer but it was hard at times without the older two, it didn't help that Edmund was always trying to go join the-.

"He must be trying to enlist again!"

Lucy seeing I was right, rolled her eyes. Sure, Edmund wasn't that far off eighteen but they would never believe him, they never did. But he kept trying. I never understood why he would want to. Its not like they will be fighting with swords and bows, Edmund has no experience with guns. Our wars back in Narnia are completely different to this one. Bombs, tanks, guns, trenches and lets not forget gas. If anything that's the worst, you can't fight that. I couldn't bare it if I lost my twin brother to his foolish belief that because he has won wars and is brilliant in tactics will help him survive the war. No one would probably listen to his tactic plans he would be just another eighteen year old boy expected to listen and follow.

I brushed down my long, pale cream skirt and fixed the bow that held my cardigan shut. I was wearing a calf length cream dress with one shoulder with three layers of lightly waved fabric going across the neckline. Over it was a brown cardigan and on my feet were a pair of light pink low heeled pumps.

My hair was french twisted across to the left side of my head and into a bun at the back, a pink flower tucked into the side. My worn brown satchel thrown lazily over my shoulder.

I helped Lucy, balance the box that we had our shopping in before we headed off to the nearest enlisting station where we knew for almost certainty, that my twin brother would be there.

Lucy and I entered the large enclosed area which held a long line of men, at the front stood, you guessed it, Edmund who was speaking to several soldiers not that much older than him and I sitting at a table. We couldn't hear what was being said but we didn't really bother to listen, we need to get back to the house with the food.

"Edmund," called Lucy pulling his attention to us as well as all the other men present. Some snickered underneath their hands childishly, "you are supposed to helping us with the groceries."

Edmund glared around at us as the men laughed louder, particularly the man standing behind him, a rather large man with a cocky attitude who ruffled Ed's hair and exclaimed, "better luck next time, ay, squirt!"

I strolled forwards, all of their attention turning to me. I noticed the man who had made fun of Edmund leering at me. Even the soldier sitting at the table glanced me over with a smile before he poised himself, least he wasn't openly watching my every move like the rest had.

I hooked my arm around Edmund's and began to pull him along, "come along, Ed, we must be moving on." Edmund gave an annoyed sigh before walking willingly. A loud whistle was heard from behind us almost causing Ed to spin around but I stopped him and turned, "leave it to me."

I turned and spotted the cocky man had once again making his presence known, "why hang around him, gorgeous? Come have some fun with a real man! A soldier."

I rolled my eyes and scoffed loudly, "You call yourself a real man? A soldier? With that attitude that's never going to happen. And if you ever think you can get a woman such as me, you are way in over your head."

"Why you little b-"

"Is that any way to speak to a lady?" It was the soldier at the table, he had gotten to his feet and was glaring down at the man, "and a particularly lovely one at that."

He then turned to us, "I apologize, dear lady and to you ...good sir. Good day, ma'am."

He hesitated slightly when referring to Edmund but it seemed to brighten him a little at being shown some respect by the soldier.

"Come along Ed, we have somewhere to be."

As we walked out I whispered to both Lucy and Ed, "I wonder how well he is going to do in the army."

Edmund still seemed rather miffed about it all and he said so quite loudly, "Squirt?! He barely had two years on me! And the things he said to you, Dawn. Sick!" He took the box from Lucy as we approached the bikes that Lucy and I had brought, Edmund didn't bring one, he hadn't wanted to use Eustace's bike even if Eustace had let him.

"I'm a King! And Dawns a Queen, she shouldn't be spoken to in such a way! We've fought wars and I've led armies," Edmund went around the back of Lucy's bike and began to attach it to the back while Lucy and I put some stuff into the front baskets.

"Not in this world," reminded Lucy, this made me feel worse. I hated being reminded that we weren't in Narnia and of course, everything around us did that!

This annoyed Edmund as well it seemed as he then said, "yeah, instead I'm stuck here, doing battle with Eustace Clarence Scrubb." At the end of Edmund's complaint a girlish giggle was heard from nearby catching Lucy's and my attention.

There stood a pretty blond girl with a young soldier, flirting with each other. The girl pushed some hair behind her ear, something I remember Caspian had usually done to me, he had admitted once that he had a fascination with my hair. He had simply loved it, we would sit together and if he was reading to me or I to him or just reading in general, he would constantly play with my hair, not that I minded the slightest bit. Everything seemed to remind me of him also.

"If anyone so deserves a name," spoke Edmund but Lucy and I weren't really listening.

I looked back to Lucy and Edmund trying to ignore the couple ahead of us, spotting Lucy doing a similar action, brushing her hand back across her cheek and pushing her hair behind her ear. I smiled sadly at her. Edmund noticed this action too, "what are you doing?"

Lucy smiled stiffly before turning her head to look at Edmund in slight shock before exclaiming quickly, "nothing!" She grabbed her bike and began to walk, "come on then!" I took hold of my own bike and followed behind. Edmund glanced behind us, still wondering what Lucy had been looking at.

"We're home!" called Lucy as we walked through the door, "hello?"

Lucy left Edmund and I to put away the bikes as she strolled inside with the groceries. She had just entered the living room and was heading for the kitchen when I came inside, our uncle sat on the armchair with the newspaper open as usual.

"Hello, Uncle Harold. I tried to find some carrots but all they had were turnips again. Should I start making soup, Aunt Berta's on her way home." Uncle Harold just continued to flick through the newspaper as though he didn't hear her.

"Uncle Harold," I called trying to get him to answer. Edmund stuck his tongue out at our uncle in annoyance which I would have giggled at quietly, but we were interrupted by an irritating voice that belonged to our short, even more irritating cousin, Eustace. Talk about Eustace the useless, all he ever did was write in his diary, torture poor little insects, stuff his face with sweets and complain about having to share his things with his 'dreadful and small minded' cousins. I bet that was what he had been doing right before we came in the door.

"Father!" Edmund and I spun around to glare at him, the little rat of boy glanced at us before calling out, "Edmund's making faces at you!" He then brought up a little cardboard cylinder, blew through it hitting Edmund in the neck with a little projectile.

This just pissed Edmund off further and he was already in a bad mood today. He grabbed a hold of the banister and used it for leverage so he could spin around on to the stairs after Eustace calling out angrily, "Why you little!"

Eustace seeing what Edmund was going to do crouched down like a coward and called out, "Father, he's going to hit me!"

Edmund was about to do just that and I wasn't about to stop but Lucy came skipping into the hallway next to me holding up an envelope, "Edmund, Dawn! Look! It's from Susan!"

Edmund pushed Eustace aside as we all ran up the stairs to read the letter int he privacy of Lucy's and my shared bedroom.

Lucy opened it and began to read it to us, "Dear Edmund, Dawn and Lucy. I so wish you were here with us, its been such an adventure. Though nothing like our times in Narnia. America is very exciting but we never see father. He works so very hard."

"I was invited to the British Consul's tea party this week by a Naval Officer, who happens to be very handsome. I think he fancies me."

Lucy seemed rather annoyed with this and uncomfortable. I rolled my eyes at Susan's comment trying to perk up Lucy, "of course she does." It made Lucy smile a little and continue.

Edmund had gotten up off the bed from the other side of Lucy and had approached a painting of a ship on the ocean that hung on our wall, inspecting it closely.

"It seems that the Germans have made the crossing difficult, right now. Times are hard. Mother hopes you won't mind another few months in Cambridge."

I groaned and fell back on Lucy's bed, hitting my head against the wall with a loud thud! That just worsened my mood even more. Edmund had shot around and strode towards Lucy to read the sentence for himself while Lucy exclaimed in exasperation, "another few months?!"

"How will we survive?" I asked rubbing the back of my head and soothing the pain with a little bit of magic which quickly took hold.

Edmund took the letter from a frozen Lucy and said, "you two are lucky! Least you have a room together while I'm stuck with mullet mouth."

"I can only imagine, " I said getting up and leaning back against the chest of drawers pressed against the wall, near my own metal framed bed. Lucy also got up, "Peter and Susan are the lucky ones, off on adventures!"

"Yeah, they're the oldest and we're the youngest," spoke Edmund, "we don't matter as much." Lucy stood in front if the mirror for a moment, "do you think I'll look anything like Susan or... Dawn?" I looked up at her in surprise, I know Susan was pretty and attracted a lot of attention but Lucy couldn't believe that she wasn't pretty, could she? I thought she was much prettier than our older sister and she had much prettier personality too!

"Why look like Susan when you are much prettier!" I complimented her. She gave me a small grateful smile but I could tell she didn't believe me.

Edmund tossed the letter down on the bed next to him before pushing himself up again, "have either of you seen this ship before?" Lucy and I turned to look at it, both of us smiling, though mine was a more sad and longing smile.

"Yes! It's very Narnian looking, isn't it?" said Lucy as we joined Edmund in studying the painting. It was beautiful and it looked as though the waves were actually moving and crashing around the ship that could be seen off to one side.

"Yeah, just another reminder that we're here and not there."

"Tell me about it," I groaned.

"There once were three orphans, wasting their time. Believing in Narnian nursery rhymes." There was that irritating voice again, this time it was coming from the door that was now wide open. He needs to check his dictionary, orphans had lost both parents and we had both of them just not in the same country.

"Please let me hit him!" growled Edmund.

While Lucy called out "no", I said, "I have no objections." It was times like these that you knew Edmund and I were twins. Lucy had grabbed his arm to stop his advance and Eustace who had flinched back a step. He was weak and short and my brother was tall, strong and skilled, he had no chance against him and he knew it.

"Don't you ever knock?" asked Edmund irritably.

Eustace shrugged and replied snarkily, "its my house. I'll do as I please. You're just guests!"

I scoffed, "exactly, we're guests. You're our host. You're supposed to be kind, courteous and welcoming... I have seen NONE of that while we have been here!" He is the rudest most self centered boy there has ever lived.

He sent me a rude glare before walking in and settling himself down on Lucy's bed while we went back to looking at the painting and thinking back over the wonderful times we had shared in the land it so much reminded us off. I could practically smell the salt water, feel the wind and mist brushing against my cheeks and hear the crashing and curling of the waves. A strange warmth began to fill my entire being. It was a familiar feeling.

One I hadn't felt in about three months. The Deep Magic seemed to be strengthening inside me, sending a sharp tingle up my spin and through all my nerves sending them all alight with excitement. It happened every now and then giving my magic a little boost but this time felt a little different.

"Whats so interesting about that picture anyway?" asked Eustace, "it's hideous."

"You won't see it from the other side of the door," remarked Edmund, wanting Eustace so much to be out of the room and out of our lives.

"Edmund, Dawn, it looks as though the water is actually moving," sighed Lucy.

I smiled, "I was just thinking that, Lu. Can't you smell the water? Hear the waves?" Lucy looked at me slightly surprised but pleased before looking back to it.

"What rubbish! That's what happens when you read all of those fanciful novels and fairy tales of yours!"

"There once was a boy named Eustace," spoke Edmund.

"-who read books with facts that were useless!" I finished. Lucy giggled out our little rhyme.

"People who read fairy tales are always the sort who become a hideous burden on people like me who read books with real information!" he retorted at us.

"Hideous burden?!" exclaimed Edmund glaring down at Eustace who shot to his feet.

I spun around and spoke sharply, "I'm sure you didn't think that when I spotted you looking through the window when I was getting ready to go to the fancy business dinner with your mother and father that you weren't allowed go to!" This caused Edmund to try and hit him, "what?! You were watching my sister?!" Eustace stuttered, I knew he had been trying to sneak into our room to wreck it and make us look bad but I had caught him and it had made him look terrible, the scolding he got from his mother was amazing.

"And I haven't seen you lift a finger, since we got here!" cried Edmund as Eustace looked for an escape. He tried to go out the door but Edmund shut it quickly with one hand and held it shut.

"I have a mind to tell your father it was you who stole Aunt Alberta's sweets!" stated Edmund proudly.

"Liar!"

"Oh, really?"

I had been watching their fight with amusement until I began to hear water running and when Lucy said, "Edmund, the painting!" I shot around.

Water was trickling out of the edges and falling down onto the floor causing a large puddle which was spreading quickly and more water was leaking through.

Magic.

Edmund wasn't listening to Lucy and continued to taunt Eustace.

"I found them under you bed, and you know what? I licked everyone of them!"

Eustace cried out in disgust.

The waves were moving! The water splashed out, slapping both Lucy and I in the face with a cold spray of salt water causing us to gasp loudly. The ship that had once been quiet far in the distance was getting closer and closer to us as more water continued to cascade down to the floor beneath us, soaking our shoes.

Finally, Edmund and Eustace had realized that something was happening as they had also been hit by the water and they both spun around with expressions of complete shock.

"Whats going on here?!" questioned Eustace slightly panicked.

"Lucy, Dawn!" spoke Edmund.

"Stop it or I'll tell mother!" cried Eustace before running to the door and beginning to yell out.

The three of us stood there, letting the water rise up until it was almost coming from half of the painting. I could feel my magic getting stronger with every second that passed. I was feeling whole again.

Our joy was spoiled by Eustace who dashed forward towards the painting, "I'll just smash the old thing." He took hold of both its sides as we tried to stop him. The water rushed out, covering our whole bodies, soaking us to the skin and sticking our hair to our heads as we all yelled out and complained as we tried to make Eustace let go. A lot of water went in my mouth and it was too late when I figured I should stop talking until we finally let go. A horrible taste of salt water filled my mouth and I did my best to spit it out, trying to breath normally but it was near impossible after swallowing so much of the water.

We threw the painting down onto the ground, or at least, what should have been the floor but the room was completely filled with water up to our knees and was still rising. Edmund lost his balance and disappeared under the water. Lucy, Eustace and I were quick to follow and as the water continued to rise and we neared the ceiling, we did our best to get as much oxygen in as possible before finally we were engulfed in the water.

I tried to think of some spell that would help us breath, to create an air bubble around our heads would be useful but already my head felt like it was about to explode. At first all our furniture from the room floated around us but it disappeared and so did the walls and we were in a large body of water. We all small upwards in hope of finding some surface for air to breath. A light was coming from above so we quickly all headed up.

I broke the surface to the sound of Lucy and Edmund calling my name. We were all spread a bit apart in the... ocean?! I tried to rub my eyes while trying to swim towards my family but it was hard and just made the stinging worse.

As we tried to keep our heads above the water, shouts from behind us caused us to turn. There was a large, magnificent ship heading our way, it was the one from the painting! I spotted several heads of people leaning over the sides at the front of the ship and pointing in our direction yelling back to the other sailors.

"Lucy!" I called out, seeing she was very close to the ship, she swam backwards at my warning and ended up nearer to Edmund. The front of the ship was a huge, green and gold dragon and it was heading right for us!

"Come on Dawn, Lucy! Swim!" cried Edmund and we quickly followed his orders. The three of us (and Eustace but I hadn't really noticed him yet) swam as fast as our arms and legs could push us compared to the large ship following close behind.

Loud splashes from behind us were heard and when I went to look a large wave crashed over my head sending me unexpectedly under the water swallowing even more salt water in shock.

I suddenly felt warm, strong arms lift me up above the surface and hold me tightly against them as a familiar voice soothed me, "it's all right. I've got you."

Turning my head I saw Caspian and I was amazed and over joyed, "Caspian!" I cried throwing my arms around his neck as he laughed and tightened his hold on me while kicking hard with his legs to keep us afloat. "Oh, how I have I missed you, Dawn!" I freed Caspian from my rib breaking hold and called out to my siblings, "Edmund, Lucy! It's Caspian!" Caspian began to swim with me towards the large ship.

A voice from behind me was heard, "calm down boys, ma'am, your safe now."

"Are we in Narnia?" called Ed as he swam forward and Lucy was helped along by one of the sailors who had jumped in to help us.

"Yes, your in Narnia!" laughed Caspian in reply.

Eustace's complaints began right away as we heard him crying out desperately, "I wanna go back to England! I'm going back to England!" Another poor sailor was doing his best dragging the boy through the water.

Caspian helped me stand on something in the water that was attached to ropes above us to the ship. He wrapped his arm around my waist while holding onto a rope with his other and advised me to do the same, "hold on." I gripped the hand that was on my waist tightly as well as the one on the rope, so glad to back in Narnia again.

Caspian and I were pulled onto the ship by two men who used hooks to pull the platform we were on towards them. As we stepped off together cheers broke out throughout the crew who were made up of both men and Narnians. Lucy soon joined us also to cheers. Caspian never left my side. Caspian wrapped a towel around each of us before wrapping his arms around the two of us and asking happily, "how in the world did you two end up here?" Lucy and I laughed as we heard Edmund's voice, "Caspian!"

Caspian ran towards our brother and wrapped another towel around him, "its good to see you." "And it is good to see you!"

Caspian quickly moved to my side and wrapped his arm back around me, rubbing my arms through the towel to help dry me off.

"Didn't you call for us?" asked Lucy.

Caspian looked to all of us before saying, "no. Not this time."

Caspian beamed down at me anyway as Edmund exclaimed happily, "well, whatever the case I'm just glad to be here!"

A loud, frantic screaming reached our ears from behind us. Eustace.

He was surrounded by crewmen while tossing around yelling, "get that thing off me!" over and over again. He eventually tossed whatever it was across the wet deck in our direction and I beamed when I saw that it was in fact, our old friend, Reepicheep.

"Reepicheep!" exclaimed Lucy excitedly.

The mouse that was quite wet with his fur all spiked around him, spotted us and tried to tidy himself up a little, "oh, your majesties!" He fell into a low bow in respect.

"Hello, Reep! What a pleasure" greeted Edmund kindly.

"The pleasure is all mine, sir!"

"Good to see that your new tail is working well for you," I exclaimed.

Reepicheep practically exploded with pride at this, "why yes my tail is the envy of all Narnian mice, indeed! But first, what to do with this hysterical interloper." He was obviously referring to Eustace.

Eustace who was on his hands and knees turned around and pointed in Reep's direction and cried, "that giant rat THING just tried to bite my face off!" I shook my head at our foolish cousin. It was like he had never gotten CPR from a mouse before.

"I was merely trying to expel the water from your lungs, sir," explained Reep coolly.

Eustace was shocked beyond belief and used the edge of the ship to pull himself up onto his feet as he stared around at us and at Reep in terror. He pointed once again at Reepicheep and cried, "It talked! Did you see?! Did anyone just hear that?! It just talked!"

This caused a round of laughter from the crew one of them saying, "he always talks."

To which Caspian exclaimed, "it's actually getting him to shut up that's the trick!" This caused more laughter and a shout of "Caspian" from me in shocked-amusement before I hit his arm playfully as those around us laughed at what their King had said.

Reep glanced over his shoulder at Caspian and spoke, "The moment there is nothing to be said, your Majesty, I promise I won't say it." I rolled my eyes at Reep's strange ways. Caspian just smiled down at the mouse in humor, as he then leaned down and kissed my temple.

"Have you gotten shorter?" he asked which caused more laughs and a blush from me and Caspian having to dodge my hand as I tried to hit him again.

Eustace ruined our sweet moment as he yelled out, "I don't know what kind of prank this is. But I want to wake up right now!"

While he continued to shout and complain, Reepicheep turned to us and said, "perhaps we could throw him back?"

Edmund and I thought about then shared a look of agreement before looking to Lucy who gasped in shock and hit us both, "Edmund! Dawn!" This just made us laugh.

Eustace who was now practically in tears ran over to the other side of the ship and yelled at a group of crewmen, "I want to know where in the blazes am I?!"

A large Minotaur taking pity on the boy strode forward, "You're on the Dawn Treader. The finest and the first built ship in Narnia's navy." Instead of having a positive effect on Eustace, well for Eustace anyway it was rather positive for us as we didn't have to listen to him anymore, he fainted.

This caused great laughter amongst the crew. Caspian approached the minotaur, not letting go of my hand as he pulled me along, not willing to let go of me for a second.

The Minotaur turned around and looked at his King, "was it something I said?" Making both of us laugh quietly as Caspian replied, "see to him will you."

The Minotaur nodded, "your Majesty" before turning to pick up Eustace.

Wait, what had he said?

Where were we?

On the ... Dawn Treader...

The ... Dawn... Treader.

Seriously!

Of course.

Caspian!