Chapter Two:
The Lone Islands and Meeting Ella
As soon as the small lifeboat's bow hit the shore, Caspian and Edmund jumped out to the sandy beach of one of the Lone Islands. The small island seemed to be deserted and dark in the early twilight sun.
"Crew, stay here while Ed, Lucy, and I go to find out what's going on. Dirinian, if we're not back by dawn, send out a search party." And with that they began to head up the walk way to the clock tower.
"Wh-what about me?" yelled Eustace after them.
Caspian looked at Edmund with a look of annoyance.
"Just take him along, he'll probably drown if we're not with him." Said Edmund with distain in his voice. He called to Eustace to follow after them.
By the time they had made their way up to the clock tower, Eustace was complaining about how cold he was, tired, and fatigued. Caspian and Lucy tried to ignore him, but Edmund could stand it no longer.
"Eustace, would you just-," Edmund changed his mind in what to say," Would you like to…guard something?"
"Yes, yes, of course, good idea, cousin!" Eustace didn't want to admit it, but this deserted city was getting on his nerves.
Caspian pulled out a dagger from his hilt and tossed it toward Eustace. "Stand right here and don't move," he said.
Lucy, Caspian, and Edmund continued into the clock tower. There were all sorts of ropes hanging from the ceiling and strange gargoyles of some kind that seemed to be staring at them. At the very center of the clock tower sat a table with a book. The three inspected it.
"Why are these names crossed out?" asked Lucy quietly.
Caspian looked carefully, suddenly, he knew," Slave Traders," he said.
Just then from the ropes came men dressed in Calormene clothing with knives and clubs, down they came, running at Caspian, Edmund, and Lucy, who reacted quickly, pulling out their swords and skillfully fighting off the Slave Traders.
Then came a scream that echoed off the walls that sounded like a witch being boiled in oil. Lucy turned to see who it was, and a man grabbed her roughly, taking her weapons.
There stood Eustace with a man holding Caspian's knife to his throat.
"If you want to hear this one scream like a little girl again, I suggest you drop your weapons."
Edmund and Caspian stood there for a minute before Caspian dropped his weapon with a look of regret on his face. Edmund stood strong.
"Edmund!" Lucy yelled, struggling to get away from her captor.
Reluctantly, Edmund dropped his sword. A masked Calormene grabbed his hands and forced them behind his back, the same was done to Caspian.
"LISTEN TO ME! I AM YOUR KING!" screamed Caspian in the face of the man holding the knife over Eustace's throat.
"Oh, you will make a nice trade, won't you?" the evil man smile disgustingly with yellow teeth, "Take them away."
"NO! EDMUND! EDMUND!" Lucy cried as she was pulled away from her brother.
"LUCY! We'll get you back!" he yelled back.
Edmund awoke to the sound of banging. He turned over onto his side to see Caspian kicking the metal jail door as hard as he could. Caspian turned around to see him.
"I'm sorry. I just want to get out of here." He said quietly.
"Who doesn't?" asked Edmund, sitting up and wincing, a night of the hard rock floor with sharp pebble digging into his back was not restful. He sat up and tried to get the dust of the prison out of his hair.
"You'll never get out," said a voice quietly, it was strained, and in the other room.
Edmund slowly stood up. He had no weapon, only his bare hands. And he doubted he could kill a man with them! Cautiously, he picked up a rock from the floor. Caspian did the same. Suddenly, out of the dark room came an old man. His beard was gray and straggly, and his face was bony and old.
"Lord Bern," whispered Caspian.
The old man looked up," You remind me of a king I used to love."
"That king was my father."
The old man suddenly fell on his face before Caspian, bowing to him and kissing his hand, "Oh forgive me my lord!"
Caspian grabbed his hand and lifter him from the ground," I am not the type of king that will hurt you," he said.
Before Lord Bern could respond there was a scream below the prison. Edmund and Caspian ran to the window. A small party of men, women, and children were being put in a boat. They were screaming and trying to jump out. As if propelled, the boat began to float toward the middle of the ocean.
"What's happening? What are they doing?" said Edmund, worrying about Lucy.
"Keep watching," was Lord Bern's quick reply.
The boat finally drifted towards the middle of the ocean, the people proceeded screaming and crying. Suddenly, a green mist appeared coming towards them, it came faster, faster until it settled upon them. The screams slowly died away, as did the mist, revealing nothing but the ocean, bobbing up and down. The people were gone.
"What happened to them?" Edmund dropped from the window of the prison, his dark brown eyes were fearful.
"Every week several groups are sacrificed to the mist, if not, evil will over rule the entire world!"
Edmund turned to Caspian, "W-we have to get Lucy!"
All of a sudden, a guard came to the door, ushering them out roughly, he lead them out into the sunlight, and threw them down to watch the selling of the slaves. Edmund searched for Lucy and Eustace in the crowd of slaves, he couldn't see them, but then he turned to the platform, where Eustace was putting up a fight with some of the slave traders. Now, if Edmund had not been worried, he would have made some sarcastic remark about it, but he was too worried about Lucy, who was standing right next to a girl about sixteen with wavy blonde hair dressed in men's clothes. She's not from the Lone Islands, thought Edmund; everyone on the Lone Islands had dark hair. But he couldn't think anymore, because Eustace had just been sold. Lucy was third after the blonde girl.
The girl walked solidly up to the platform, her dark eyes glistened with hate as the slave trader walked up to her.
"Oh, well aren't you the pretty one," he said taking her chin and lifting it up to his face," I would buy you myself, for obvious reasons—"
The girl pulled her chin out of his hands disgustedly," You couldn't take me, you'd be dead before you'd even touch me," she said.
"Oh, feisty, too! What is your name, girl?" asked the revolting slave trader turning his gold rings on his fingers over and over.
"I wouldn't tell you my name even if you threaten to kill me, you revolting—" Before she could finish the Slave Master's hand whipped across her face, and she fell to the ground, clutching her cheek with her chained hands. Edmund winced as she fell. How dare he do that to that girl! He thought, if I could I would kill him right now.
"You'll pay for that," she gasped, still holding her cheek.
"No, some one will pay for you…later," said the slave master, throwing her back in line, "Next!" A boy walked up. Edmund looked down to Lucy, she looked scared and tears were dripping down her plump cheeks. If he touches her, I'll kill him. He thought.
Below, Lucy felt even more frightened after seeing what had happened to the pretty girl in the man's clothes. She had begun crying, she felt ashamed and looked down at her boots, hoping no one would see her. Suddenly a soft voice in front of her said," Are you alright?"
Lucy looked up to see the pretty girl in front of her. She was even more beautiful up close, with her full black lashes, chocolate brown eyes, full pink lips, and wavy blonde hair.
"I-I'm fine," lied Lucy.
"Oh, no you're not," said the girl," What's your name?"
"Lucy," she said quietly, being shy, because she had never been around someone so beautiful before.
"I'm Ella, are you sure you're alright?"
Lucy nodded, and wiped her nose with her sleeve. The girls stood in silence for a while. The trades went on for what seemed eternity, and Lucy began to get tired from standing, she stood on her tiptoes looking for Eustace. She couldn't find him anywhere. Abruptly she felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned around to see Ella standing there with excitement in her eyes.
"Quick, stand in front of me," Ella whispered out of the corner of her mouth so the guards wouldn't see them.
"Wh-why?" asked Lucy.
"Just do it, I'm going to help you escape!" said Ella quietly.
Lucy's eyes went wide at the thought of escaping. She quickly stood in front of Ella, wondering what she was going to do.
Up on the deck of the prison, Edmund saw the blonde girl stepping over her arms, so that they were in front of her instead of in back. What's she doing? He thought. Suddenly, the girl took her chained hands and swung the cuffs on her hands at the nearest guard, bringing her hands down hard on his unprotected head, he fell into a dead faint, and the girl grabbed his sword, skillfully fighting off all the Calormene men coming toward her.
Edmund and Caspian broke from the prison deck doing the same as Ella, knocking their cuffs into the guards, and then jumping down, they grabbed the guard's swords. The slave trade area was a total ruckus, Calormenes against Narnians and Lone Islanders. Lucy had found a dagger and was slashing away at some masked Calormenes, while Caspian protected the tower. Edmund had kicked and slashed his way down to the slave trade area, and found Pug, the man who had originally put them in the prison and held a knife to Eustace's throat. One blow, and Edmund had downed the evil slave trader. Ella had gotten through to find Lucy, being a skilled swordswoman, she easily hacked through the army of Calormenes, leaving blood on her trail. She found her next to the clock tower finishing off a masked Calormene.
A trumpet sounded, and a white flag went up from the midst of the slave traders. Surprised at such a quick and easy battle, the Just King wiped his brow and continued on to find his sister. Lucy was also looking for him. When they spotted each other, she ran to her brother, who embraced her in a warm hug. He held her tight and she began to cry.
"Oh, Edmund! Oh, Edmund!" Was all she could say.
"Lucy," Edmund said," What happened? Who was that girl that was talking to you?" his questions flowed out in his excitement to see his sister.
But before Lucy could answer, Caspian walked up, "The citizens of the Lone Island want to thank us, they want us to hold a victory parade down the main street of the town!"
"Of course," Edmund replied, he smiled at his sister, and kissed her forehead," I'm so happy you're alright!" And with that he, Caspian, and Lucy headed for the town square.
The people of the Lone Islands threw flowers at them and sang thanks to them as they walked down the street. Edmund smiled his handsome smile and all the teenage girls blushed and jumped up and down when his dark locks fell over his forehead. Then a man burst out of the crowd, he struggled desperately towards the Kings and Queen with a hurt and fearful look in his eyes.
"Your majesties!" he exclaimed, " I am Rhince, my wife was taken by the green mist, and I wish to get her back immediately! Please, I am a skilled sailor, please let me come with you!"
"Of course, Rhince, you may come, you will be one of the crew," said Caspian with a smile, making more teenage girls faint.
"Thank you, your majesty! I will come right away!"
Caspian nodded and he, Edmund and Lucy continued down the street. Lucy, was looking for her new friend, Ella, when she spotted her walking towards the water's edge.
"Oh! I have almost forgotten!" exclaimed Lucy excitedly, "There's someone I want you all to meet!" Lucy ran as fast as her legs could carry her after the slender figure in the men's clothes walking along the sand.
Edmund squinted, and looked at Caspian, "You have any idea who she's talking about?"
Caspian shrugged and kept walking toward Lucy, who was bringing a girl toward them.
Edmund turned and looked at the Lone Island behind him, he and his friends and sister had saved this place. On their own. Aslan would be proud of them. He was so happy he was here fighting battles and sailing uncharted oceans, rather than hanging around complaining Eustace Clarence Scrubb! Where was Eustace? Edmund decided somewhere around the island, stirring up trouble, no doubt! But the island was at peace…no harm would come to him, so why worry?
"Edmund, Caspian, I want you to meet who actually saved the Lone Islands! This is Ella."
Edmund turned around; standing there was probably the most beautiful living thing he had ever seen. She was tall and slender, and her body looked like a big curve, she had long, wavy blonde-brown hair, and long, lacy eyelashes. She had eyes that were like a swirl of chocolate and lips that were full and pink. He just stared at her with his mouth hanging open, and his arms flat at his sides.
"Edmund?" Lucy asked with a little concern in her voice, "Are you alright?"
Edmund quickly realized what he was doing, and straighted up, and shut his mouth, he blushed, embarrassed at what he probably looked like. He had to meet Ella…
Apparently, Caspian had the same idea, for he grabbed both of Ella's hands and smiled at her.
"Ella? Remember me, it's Caspian!"
Review please! Thanks guys! More coming sooooon!