"Let's get going!" shouted someone. Turning around, Edmund saw that there were guards there, and the same man who had taken Lucy the night before. One of the guards walked over to them and shackled Caspian and Edmund. Bern was the only one who wasn't shackled. They were dragged out, led by a guard each. The slave trader laughed and grabbed Caspian by the arm. "This one will fetch a beautiful price." he said. As they walked out of the building into the daylight, they saw Lucy on the stage, as a "Sold" sign was placed around her neck. As she was pulled off, Tessa was dragged on. Rage boiled up inside Caspian, and he saw that Edmund was already furious. "And why not?" he thought. "His sister just got sold. My friend, and now his cousin.."
People started bidding high. "50!" shouted someone. "80!" said another. "100 for the pretty lady!" said someone, who sounded like if he got her, would have the worst intentions possible. "140!" "150!" "175!" "210!" "260!" someone screamed. It got quiet, and the bidder called "Going once, twice, SOLD!" a sign was placed around her neck, and a man at the back of the crowd chuckled evilly. Caspian's fists were clenched and shaking. Edmund looked at him, and he saw that Edmund looked like he was ready to kill everyone. It didn't surprise him. As Eustace was pulled on, everyone was quiet. No one started bidding. "Come on, someone make a bid!" said the auctioneer. "I'll take him off your hands..." said a voice. "I'll take them all off your hands!" it shouted. A cape was thrown off, followed by nearly half the crowd. A roar went up. "FOR NARNIA!" Edmund whirled around and elbowed the man dragging him in the face. As he crumpled, Caspian spun and wrapped the chain of his shackles around the neck of his captor and threw him to the ground. Grabbing the keys from him, he unlocked himself and Edmund, and bolted through the crowd to Tessa. Lucy already had the lock picked on hers, but was currently occupied with two traders.
"Tessa!" he shouted. She looked around from knocking out a trader, and smiled as he ran up to her. Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her quickly and unlocked her, the shackled that had held her wrists falling to the ground. She smiled and grabbed the sword he had given her from a table where the items of the "slaves" were being sold off. Looking around, she realized that Eustace was missing. Ducking to avoid a sword, she bashed the mans knees from the back and he fell to the ground. As they fought, the citizens, who until then had been so afraid to fight back, came out with shovels and pans and pots. With them, it was an easy win, and soon Caspian, Tessa, Lucy, Edmund and the rest of the crew of the Dawn Treader who had come ashore, were preparing to re-load the longboats. Tessa walked silently beside Lucy, thinking quietly to herself. Caspian had come to save her. He'd hugged her like she meant something. "Is there any way that I could.. actually mean something to him?" she thought."Your majesty!" someone called, jerking Tessa from her thoughts. "Your majesty, please, my wife was taken just this morning." said the man, looking horribly upset as Drinian held him back. "It's alright, Drinian assured Caspian, and he stepped back to let the man pass. "I'm a fine sailor. I've been on the seas my whole life." he said. "I beg you, take me with you." he pleaded. "Of course," said Caspian with a reassuring smile, "you must." he said.
"My lord!" shouted someone. Looking up, she saw an old man walking towards them. Lord Bern was carrying an old sword, encrusted with coral. "That's an old Narnian sword!" exclaimed Edmund. "Yes, from your golden age. There are seven such swords." said Bern. "Your father gave them to each of us Lords. Gifts from Aslan to protect Narnia." he explained. He presented it to Caspian. "Take it," he said, and as Caspian accepted it, "and may it protect you." The crowd cheered as Caspian turned and boarded one of the boats, followed by Edmund, Lucy, Tessa, and Eustace who was already in it. "Here." said Caspian, handing Edmund the encrusted sword. "You don't have one, and it only seems fitting that you get the sword from the age you were first here."
Edmund smiled and took it, setting it on the bottom of the boat and grabbing an oar. Tessa sat at the prow of the boat, watching the water. When they reached the boat and had all climbed on, Edmund went straight to work cleaning off the blade of the sword. Eustace found himself a small hiding place, and Tessa walked up to the deck at the prow. She laid down on the deck, looking at the sky and watching the colors change, and gazing at the stars when they came out. "Beautiful, aren't they?" said a voice, laughing quietly. She sat bolt up, looking to see the source of the voice. Caspian sat down beside her and looked up, smiling. "Yes, they are." said Tess, looking up again.
"So are you.." thought Caspian. Tessa leaned back and lay down again, gazing up at the little lights in the dark sky. She looked over at him, leaning back on his elbows and looking at the sky. Sighing softly, she closed her eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked softly, laying all the way down and turning his head to look at her. She smiled gently and nodded. "Yes, fine." she said, tucking one arm behind her head. "You know," he said, "I never expected to meet any of Lucy and Edmund's family. You're definitely not what I expected." he said gently. She laughed. "Is that a good or bad thing?"
He smiled softly. "It's a good thing." Tessa's face lit up and she looked back up at the stars in the sky. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the movement of the ship as they rocked back and forth gently, as if it were a baby in a cradle. Without even realizing it, Tessa dozed off into a peaceful sleep. Caspian looked at her with gentle eyes, wishing he could reach over and pull her close, feel her heartbeat as she slept on his chest. Reaching over, he pulled her hair out of her face. It was soft to the touch. "Mmm.." she sighed softly in her sleep, a small smile on her lips. He smiled down at her, brushing his fingertips across her cheek. His thoughts raced as he sat with her. Knowing that she returned his feelings changed everything. She had somehow managed to capture his heart already. But he didn't know if he was ready to give it to her, or ready to admit his feelings to anyone other than Edmund and Lucy. Not to mention, of course, he didn't know if she was ready to admit it to anyone either.
He sat beside her, longing to hold her close but keeping his distance until the sun crept over the horizon and the stars were replaced by splotches of pink and orange. At almost ten, Tessa squinted her already closed eyes, groaned slightly and sat up, looking around. Looking around, she blinked a few times and ran her fingers through her hair. "Good morning." said Caspian. She jumped a little, and met his gaze. He chuckled. "Oh, good morning." she said, her voice tired. "How did you sleep?" he asked quietly. She smiled. "Wonderfully." He returned her smile. "Good, I'm glad." "Did you sleep at all?" she asked curiously. His smile fell just a little as he shook his head. "No." he said. Her expression changed into one of worry. "Why?" she asked, propping herself up on her elbows. His eyes stared into hers. "No reason." he said quietly, looking away. "I guess my thoughts just wouldn't let me sleep."
She looked at him curiously. "Alright." she said quietly. "Do you wanna talk about it?" she asked. He shook his head gently. "No, this is something I need to figure this out on my own." he said. She gazed into his chocolate brown eyes. "Okay..." she whispered, pushing herself up and walking away. "Wait!" he called. Tessa heard a thump behind her as he clambered up and followed her. "Tessa, wait!" she turned around, looking at him. "What?" she asked. "Why do you seem so mad?" he asked, upset. "Because. I'm not mad. But I am upset. You sat by me all last night, or maybe you just were there when I fell asleep, and when I woke up by some weird coincidence. But you can't tell me what it was you were thinking about that kept you up. I just don't understand." she said, her voice full of hurt and confusion. Turning around, she walked away into the growing crowd of crew members on the deck. Caspian watched her disappear with sadness in his eyes. Turning around, he walked to his study and just sat there, lost in thought. Before he knew it, it was almost four or five in the afternoon.
Tessa walked down the stairs, away from Caspian. As she walked onto the deck, she was rammed into by her brother, who was running from the quarters below deck with a sword in hand. "Ouch, Eustace, watch where you're going!" she muttered. He looked back and stuck his tongue out at her. "Trying to run away, are you?" shouted Reepicheep. His laughing voice could be heard across the ship. "We're on a boat you know." "Please, can't we just talk this out?" pleaded Eustace. Reepicheep just laughed and slashed his shirt. "That was for stealing." he said, and jabbed his sword into the rip, pulling out an orange that was stuck to the end. "That was for lying." and, slapping Eustace with the orange, shouted "and THAT was for good measure!" he said. Running up into the growing throng, Tessa watched her brother grip the sword tighter and swing at Reep. "Ahah!" exclaimed the mouse with a grin. "We have ourselves a duel! Catch!" he called to Drinian, flicking his sword and sending the orange flying through the air. Drinian put up his hand with seemingly inhuman speed and caught it.
As she watched, Eustace threw himself blindly at Reep, stumbling and falling all over everywhere. "Stop flapping your wings like a drunken pelican, boy, poise!" instructed Reepicheep. "Blade UP!" said Reep as Eustace adjusted his stance. "Go on, take your best shot." said Reep, dodging as Eustace stabbed, right, then left, then right again. "Good!" praised Reep, and Eustace threw another shot, sending Reepicheep tumbling off the edge with a squeaking shout. Eustace darted forward, looking over the edge for the mouse. From the back, Tessa saw him crawl back up over on the ladder, and tap Eustace on the shoulder. As he whirled around, Reepicheep shoved him, with a joyful shout, "And that, is that!" He fell into a basket that was covered by a blanket, knocking it to the ground.
"Ahh!" shouted a girls voice. Curious, Tessa walked over to the basket and saw Lucy standing there, looking at the deck. A hand slid out from the blanket that covered the top of the basket. "Look!" called Lucy. The blanket was pulled back fully and a little girl crawled out. "Gael?" cried the man who had been picked up on the Lone Islands, a man named Rhince. The little girl stood and straightened her dress, smoothing it with the palm of her hands. He sighed and a small smile crept onto his lips. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. Drinian walked forward, looking at the little girl. A smile touched the corners of his mouth, something that never seemed to happen with him. "It seems we have another crew member." he said, kneeling down and handing her the orange. She took it hesitantly, looking up at him. Lucy walked up from the crowd beside Tessa to stand by Gael. "Welcome aboard." she said with a smile in her voice. "Your majesty!" said Gael politely, curtseying. Lucy just smiled. "Call me Lucy. Come on." she said, guiding the girl away from her father to the quarters below deck.
Smiling gently, Caspian looked on the deck for Tessa. He spotted her almost instantly, her bright hair shining in the sun. Just as he was about to go down to talk to her, the look out shouted "Land ho!" Looking out the front of the boat, he saw an island, seemingly deserted in the distance. Edmund ran up to him and once again handed him the telescope. Extending it, he looked at the shore.
"It seems uninhabited." he said thoughtfully, "but if the Lords followed the mist east, then they would have stopped here." Drinian looked around. "What do you propose we do, your majesty?" he asked. Caspian thought a moment, and then said "We'll spend the night on shore, and scour the island in the morning." Nodding, Drinian called for the men to get the longboats ready. As everyone climbed in, Tessa sat next to Lucy and the little girl she had taken care of, Gael. Edmund and Caspian each grabbed an oar and rowed them to shore.
When they got there and the boats had been beached, Tessa grabbed the blankets she had taken from her quarters on board the Dawn Treader. Walking over to a large rock in the sand, she lay them down and turned to see Edmund, Lucy, Caspian and Eustace following suit. "I'm going to get some firewood." said Tessa. "I'll go with you." said Caspian. "It's getting dark and you shouldn't go alone." Tessa looked back at him as he picked up his sword and followed her. Rolling her eyes, she turned away and walked into the woods. She tried to ignore Caspian's presence, focusing on her footsteps and breathing, the crunching of the leaves and fallen twigs under her feet. Not the way her heart jumped every time she remembered that he was with her, that they were alone, that he had made the decision to come with her. Her thoughts raced, fearful of what was going to happen.
