HEY GUESS WHAT! Something marvelous has just happened! It's so spectacular that there's NO WAY any of you will EVER be able to guess it. I mean you can try… Go on! Guess!
Have you thought of it yet? No? Keep guessing!
Give up? Yes? Hmmm… should I tell you this marvelous thing or not?
OK FINE I'LL TELL YOU! … You are currently reading the fourth chapter of this Narnian adventure. EXCITING RIGHT?!
… What? Don't glare at me through your computer screen! I was only relaying some exciting news.
Perhaps you could do the same? In a review? Huh? HUH? ;D
~MisticLight
~.~.~.~.
Heavy footsteps pounded upon the stone floor shortly after Margaret was forced to leave. They were approaching the cell, each thud of the heel increasing in sound as it echoed off the walls. Whichever face matched those boots; Annette knew they were coming for her. Her tears and silent prayers to Aslan would be useless.
She took a breath—a bit shaky, but deep nonetheless—and pulled herself from the cold floor. She needed to clear her mind, a seemingly impossible task given the circumstances. The past events and disappearance of Margaret made her feel weak, yet the approach of the boots gave her hope. They could actually be a way to find Margaret! If she played her cards right.
Annette quickly looked around the room: Straw, small stones, Margaret's wrinkled blazer, and the layers Annette still wore. It wasn't much, but she could create something useful. She just needed to act like Margaret and put up a fight. There was no way she would allow these men the satisfaction of having a compliant prisoner. With this mindset, Annette rapidly began to pile the stones into the forlorn blazer. The pile was not nearly as large as she had anticipated, but it would simply have to do because the jingling of keys had reached her ears. Time was running out.
Grabbing the sleeves of the blazer, Annette tied a tight knot around the pebbles. This newly constructed weapon of hers was relatively light, but she knew it would be effective nonetheless. Or at least she hoped it would.
A low chuckle began to rumble from the doorway behind her, "This will be much easier now that the little blonde one has been taken care of."
His words and accompanying grunts turned Annette's blood cold. Taken care of? What does he mean by Margaret has been "taken care of"? Moved somewhere else? Beaten? Or did they… is Margaret… Would they really… She couldn't even think of the alternative. She simply would not allow it!
Annette's whole body shook as the hinges of the barred door swung open. Shaking not in fear though, but in anger. She spun around to face the four smirking men standing in the door, her eyes set in a cold glare. One man in the back cowered away while another one in front continued his revolting smirk. He laughed at the girl's sudden defiance and took a step closer, "Come now, mates! She's is the quieter one; easier to handle. There's no reason to-"
Whatever the man was about to say was cut off by Annette swinging the rock-filled blazer into his face. The force knocked the man into a wall of rocks, temporarily leaving him confused on the floor. The remaining men gazed at the girl in bafflement, not entirely believing what they had just witnessed. A confident Annette, however, only smiled back, thrilled that her weapon was actually working.
Her smiled didn't even falter when the next man charged at her. She ducked down, bringing the blazer right into his gut. The man doubled over as the air left him before tripping over his own feet and ultimately crashing to the floor. Annette then spun around to face her next opponent, except she hadn't really expected both of the remaining men to come at her at once. She knew she couldn't fight two with her nearly harmless weapon, so instead she stumbled back to the man who had just fallen over. She threateningly raised her rock blazer above his head. The determined look on her face caused him to cough out a small whimper and the remaining men to stop in their tracks.
"I thought you said she'd be the easier one!" A man said with a glare towards the one who had first felt Annette's spite. After looking that man over in detail, Annette recognized him as the one who had previously shown hatred towards Margaret: Ramir.
Ramir grumbled an inaudible response as he staggered to his feet. Annette could only smile at the justice she had done for Margaret before tensing her hold on the blazer, "Unless you reunite me with my friend, your companion here will take a sore beating!"
Annette was mostly bluffing. She had no problem teaching these ruthless guards a lesson, but there was no way she would beat one of them senseless. It was completely barbaric! And Annette was not a barbaric person.
Unfortunately, Ramir seemed unconvinced by the girl's threat and settled for glaring at her through a freshly bruised eye. "Or how about youcome with us, otherwise your little blonde friend will be the one getting the beating?"
"You… you'll attack Margaret?" Her voice was frail, losing its fierceness. Annette knew she held the power in this standoff, but Ramir had found her weakness. But even then she was able to find some strength and tighten her stance. "Tell me where she is!"
Ramir shook his head with a tsk as he cautiously reached his hand out. "Hand over your… weapon," he was unsure whether the girl's form of defense could even be called that, "and we promise not to hurt your friend."
"You lie!" The whole reason Annette and Margaret ever ended up in this situation was because Ramir and his friend had captured them. So obviously Annette felt distrust towards him.
"Miguel!" Ramir threateningly barked, never turning from the now wide-eyed girl.
"No!" Annette's instant cry stilled the air. Her eyes darted across the room as she analyzed her situation. If she continued her fight, Margaret would suffer, but if she surrendered herself, there was a chance Margaret would be spared. The whole thing was hopeless because one of them would lose in the end. A defeated sigh escaped her as she looked to the floor and held out the blazer, "Just don't injure Margaret."
Both she and the weapon were seized immediately, and heavy chains were shackled around her hands shortly after. A menacing chortle passed from Ramir, "I will not hurt your friend, but there's no telling what her new owner will do once she's sold."
Owner… Sold… The horrendous words were obvious traits of slavery, but Annette couldn't believe this would be the fate of her and Margaret. Had Narnia truly allowed these islands to fall so much? It can't be true.
Her mind was too clouded to voice anything other than the words catching in her throat. Her captors only laughed at the reaction before forcing her from of the cell. Ramir's voice somehow carried above all the chortles, "Put her with the others! She'll be sold at this afternoon's auction."
~.~.~.~.
What if I never see Margaret again?
Annette had hardly noticed when she left the dimly-lit prison and entered the streets of Narrowhaven—at least that is what the guards continuously referred to the city as. She was too busy looking at the dirt her heavy feet managed kicked up.
What if she's sold to the cruelest person on the island? It would be my fault!
The Sun burned down on her skin as her captors turned slightly to the left. Annette didn't mind though. She thought she deserved the stifling heat as punishment for ruining her friend's life.
Oh Margaret! I'm so sorry I made us immediately walk into the city! I should never have suggested it. I should have listened to see if you had any-
"Annette?" The sound of her own name made her stumble. "Annette? Is that really you?" The female voice gained excitement the more it spoke, as well as familiarity. When Annette looked up, there was with a smile planted on her face.
Another girl stood just a few meters away, her auburn hair pulled into a ponytail at her side. She was chained to the wall and her hands were cuffed together, yet she still managed to display a broad smile. Simply seeing the girl in Narnia filled Annette with joy, despite their grim predicament. "Lucy!"
The friends' tried to run towards one another and embrace, but a separate force held each of them back. For Lucy it was the chain around her neck that prevented her from moving too far. As for Annette, a hand on either side of her arm held her back. These were definitely obstacles for the girls, but fortune had finally decided to shine on them because there was only one space left for Annette to be placed, and that spot just happened to be beside Lucy. So the girls contained their greetings until Annette's captors had chained a collar around her neck and left.
"Lucy! I can't describe how thrilled I am to see you here!" Annette cried as the two embraced—which proved to be a challenge seeing as both girls had manacles around their wrists.
A scoff from the other side of Lucy disrupted their happy reunion, "And who are you?"
Annette pulled away to gaze at the face of the rude interrupter. It was a pale boy with blonde hair and a rather uncomfortable facial expression currently embedded into his features. His confused eyes nearly glared at her, but it was the light sweater he wore that truly made Annette's nose scrunch. Nonetheless, she politely answered him, "I'm Annette."
The boy took a breath to respond, but Annette was far too excited with the familiar face beside her to deal with him. So she turned back to Lucy, "Is Edmund here then? Where is he? Please tell me he hasn't been sold to someone!"
"The slave traders took him away. I don't think he has been sold yet, but I fear he may currently be rotting away in a prison cell…" the girl replied with a quivering lip. Although Lucy was clearly distraught over being separated from her brother, her eyes shone through with pure anger. A small smile pulled at the corners of her lips, which only reminded Annette of the girl's never-ending spirit. "Did Margaret come with you?"
"What?" The boy complained with clear displeasure, "She's here too?"
Annette ignored the boy's outburst, deciding a glare would better express her growing irritation with him rather than words. "She's here, but I don't know where. She was a bit too rowdy and aggressive after we woke up, and apparently her words were too much for the slave traders to handle. They took her out of our cell and dragged her away from me." A shiver ran down Annette's spine as she thought of her friend's unfinished promises. She hugged her knees to her chest, "We had only just arrived on the island's beach yesterday…"
"On a beach?" Lucy lightly questioned despite Annette's falling mood, "That sounds far better than what we went through! We were sent through a painting and turned up in the ocean. But then we were rescued by the Dawn Treader. When Edmund and I couldn't find you or Margaret on the ship, we were afraid both of you hadn't come to Narnia this time. The disappointed face of Caspian was simply heart wrenching when he discovered both of you hadn't journeyed with us. It was as though-"
"Caspian?" Simply hearing his name warmed Annette. Her face lit up, somehow finding a way to grow as realizations flooded her mind. "He's here? Alive?" When the now giggling Lucy began to nod, Annette's heart nearly pounded straight through her chest. She didn't even care about the eye roll and annoyed huff from the unknown boy. All she really wanted to do at that moment was see him, just so she could assure herself he hadn't disappeared. "Where is he now?"
"He's with Edmund," Lucy sadly said. "If they haven't been sold already, they may be auctioned off after us. By comparison, they are the stronger ones."
Annette twisted her shoe into the dry ground as Lucy's words sunk in. She was about to lose Lucy, Edmund, Margaret, and Caspian, and that was without even seeing the two boys. Everything was going from bad to worse on this adventure, and yet she couldn't help but conjure up one small smile when a hopeful thought crossed her mind: Perhaps Margaret is with Edmund and Caspian rather than all by herself! She can certainly play a strong, threatening character…
She almost laughed at the thought, but her mind had unexpectedly stuck on Caspian rather than focusing on Margaret. Annette was a bit embarrassed with herself for doing so, though overall nothing truly mattered since her thoughts were her own. Caspian was back and alive, which was more than enough to make her heart soar, but Lucy hadn't mentioned how much time passed in Narnia. What if so much time had elapsed that someone else had entered Caspian's life? That would simply crush her soul. But she would understand. She had chosen to go back with Margaret, and even now Annette supported that decision.
Still, she was dying to know the time difference and so tapped her friend on the shoulder. "Lucy… how much-"
Screams sliced through the air before Annette could finish her question. A woman could be heard shrieking out a protest, with a desperate male calling out after her. His shouts were loud, despairing, but it was the cry of "Mummy!" coming from a little girl that really made Annette's stomach drop.
A cart full of shackled men and women of all ages emerged from the arch on the right. More men lightly jogged along the edge of the wagon, presumably acting as guards so none would escape. However, it was the man sprinting from one of the houses that truly grabbed Annette's attention.
"Helaine!" He yelled as he pushed passed the guards. His hand latched onto the woman's just as the cart rolled by Annette, refusing to let go even when one of the guards tried to pry them apart. The man merely shoved the guard away, though the second one proved not to be so easy. Seconds after the man had grabbed the woman's hand, he was painfully lying on the dirt road after being beaten by both guards.
A little girl was quick to jog to her father, still reaching out for her mother. "Mummy!"
"Stay with Daddy!" The mother called back with as much strength as she could muster. If one was to look at her eyes though, they would see how frightened she truly was.
"Don't worry!" Her husband shouted back as he staggered to his feet. The daughter tried to help, but her trembling fingers only managed to grip the sleeves of his shirt. "I'll find you!"
The girl took one final look at the diminishing image of her mother, tears filling her eyes as she weakly reached out to her. "Mummy!"
When Lucy saw the sight of the now broken family, there was nothing to hold back her tears. She wept openly onto Annette's shoulder, unaware of the boy's taunting gaze.
"It seems quite simpleminded for you to be weeping over something you've seen a million times already," the boy scoffed at her. "It's not as if you haven't lived through a war back home."
Lucy looked up briefly to reprimand the boy, but was unable to pull her thoughts together. Instead, she turned back to her friend's comforting shoulder. Annette looked from the weeping Lucy back towards the boy, realization crossing her emerald eyes. "Bigoted and rude? Oh, you must be Eustace!"
The boy looked offended. "Wha-… Whotold you such impertinent things about me? Was it that Margaret girl? She's quite an impossible character, really. I wouldn't believe a single word she says!"
"She is one of my truest friends, Eustace," Annette hissed back. She was beginning to see why the younger Pevensies found their cousin so intolerable. "And every syllable she utters far surpasses any breath you may take to respond. So stop this irrational thinking of yours before I do it for you!"
Eustace blinked back at her, disbelief shining through the reddening of his cheeks. "Irrational? Did you really just call my mind 'irrational'?" Annette didn't say anything. She was quite peeved with the boy and would much rather be consoling her crying friend. Eustace still couldn't help but mutter his complaints though, "Irrational? With all the books I've read that hardly seems conceivable enough to describe me! … Irrational."
Just when Lucy's cries began to settle, a small hum began to fill their ears and a strong wind whipped over them. Annette didn't know where the enchanting tone was coming from, but she was certainly not fond of the loud thunder and terrified screams that followed. She held her breath, fearing that if she moved she would lose her mind. And then who would Lucy have to act as a stronghold? Certainly not Eustace.
But all at once everything stopped: the hum, the screams, the thunder, the wind. Everything simply froze. Annette even thought her heart had stopped, but the fresh tears of Lucy soaking her school uniform told her otherwise. She comfortingly patted Lucy's leg—for that's all she could do with the manacles on—and turned to a Faun sitting beside her. There was a question ringing in her head. "Did those screams come from the people that just passed us?"
The Faun nodded, "They were fed to the Mist."
"The Mist?" Her brows furrowed at the mysterious terror. "Where does that take them?"
"No one has ever returned to tell us," he explained with a sad nod. "The Mist often comes to Narrowhaven, and so the governor decided to send sacrifices so it wouldn't enter the city. Normally those unable to be sold at auction are sent, though sometimes there's a shortage and families must be pulled apart."
Annette's eyes traveled to the now empty spot where the father and daughter had been. Her thoughts briefly trickled to her own separated family, "No one should have to face that."
She sensed the Faun nodding in agreement, but Annette simply couldn't remove her eyes from the emotional spot. A family had been torn apart there, just a few feet from where she sat. Why would a society be so cruel that they so willingly separate a family? The pain of the event finally crashed against her heart the more she thought of it. Her thoughts returned to Margaret; her own family. I hope Margaret wasn't sent to the Mist for her impetuous behavior.
~.~.~.~.
"I bid eighty-five!"
"Ninety-Seven!"
"One hundred two!"
"Well I bid One hundred ten!"
Silence.
"Sold for one hundred ten!" The leader of the slave traders, Pug as Annette had learned, declared. The Faun standing on the rock podium didn't even raise his head to gaze at his new master, nor did he flinch when a "Sold" sign was draped over his head. He merely stepped off the podium so a man with a large book could write down the final price.
Pug smiled back at the governor, who was happily sitting in a large golden chair. There was an impressed arrogance emitting through his grin, and Annette did not like it in the slightest. Her lips formed a straight, disgusted line the longer she stared, but the emotion shifted to horror when she felt herself being dragged onto the podium. She yelped in surprise and her body slowly began to shake.
"This is our second female of the day," Pug opened as he pointed a stick at her uniform. "Don't be fooled by her strange attire, I assure you she's quite obedient. Now, who wants to start the opening bid?"
A large man with a dark beard was the first to raise his hand, "I bid…wait…" He paused, blinking as he noticed something about the girl. "Is she trembling?"
All eyes fell to Annette who was, in fact, visibly shaking. She couldn't help it! There was a large group of men judging her, determining her fate. She didn't want to belong to any of them. She didn't want to become a slave and serve whoever bought her for the rest of her life, possibly even more than one person! All Annette wanted at that moment was to be back in England in Mrs. Bird's chemistry class with Margaret, a wish she thought would never cross her mind.
"You're not going to let one small shiver prevent you from bidding, are you?" Pug raised a brow as he attempted to bring back his customer. The man, however, lowered his hand to signal his disinterest. Upon seeing this, a glare was sent from Pug to Annette. "I promise she's strong! Do you see that man back there?" He pointed behind him to a now scowling Ramir. "She's the one who gave him that shiny black eye."
The handful of men laughed at Pug's remark. Whether their snickering was directed at Annette or Ramir, Annette couldn't tell. Either way, she began to shake more. She felt as though she were being mocked in both scenarios. Add that to the pressure of judgmental eyes and being auctioned off, and there lies a completely wrecked girl with wobbling knees and chattering teeth. Annette tried to calm down, but her efforts only caused her to briefly fall onto Pug. She immediately straightened herself up, but the damage had been done.
"No bids then?" The leader tried one final time to entice the crowed, but the men remained silent. He sighed, "To the Mist then."
"Wh… What?" Annette uttered through trembling teeth. Her only answer was a tug off the podium and a push towards a nearby cart. A scream filled the air at her departure, but it was not done so by Annette.
"Annette!" Lucy shouted into the still air.
Annette looked back at her friend, who was doing a rather successful job at shoving her way through a handful of guards, "Lucy!"
"No! Annette! I won't leave you!"
Ramir was the one who finally stopped Lucy's crusade, and it was only because he was determined not to be beaten twice in one day. Annette could only watch as her friend was pulled back to her former place. Both girls held the other's eye even when Annette was loaded onto the cart and Lucy was forced to the podium. All the men, now knowing her strength, greedily looked at the small girl. In fact, more men had gathered into the small square after hearing the commotion.
"Welcome, welcome!" Pug happily greeted to the numerous cloaked figures. "We're just about to begin the bidding of this determined little girl. Anyone care to start?"
A hand shot up in the back, "I bid sixty!"
"I bid eighty!"
"One hundred for the little lady!"
"One hundred twenty."
"One hundred fifty." There was a slight pause as the man who almost bought Annette beamed over his victory. Lucy only stared back with sadden disgust.
"Any more bids?" Pug greedily asked, to which he was met with groans. His shoulders slumped with clear disappointment, but he wasn't about to argue with the largest sum he received all day. A wooden sign was placed in his hands and he wasted no time in draping it over Lucy's head. "Sold!"
Pug quickly hoisted the girl from the rock and shuffled back to fetch the next person. Annette tried to catch Lucy's eye, but the two guards standing on either side of the cart blocked her view. She openly huffed her frustration before turning her eyes towards the next victim. A groan spilled from her throat when she saw Eustace had been picked.
"And now for this… fine specimen." Pug pushed the terrified boy onto the rock podium. "Who'll kick off the bidding?" Not a single word left the lips of the assembled men. Not even a laugh! Annette was so amused by their reaction that for a moment she forgot about the auction entirely and cracked a smile.
However, Pug was not as amused. "Come on now! He may not look like much but, uh," his hand squeezed Eustace's thin arm, "he's strong."
"Yeah, he's strong, all right," a man called from the crowd. Lucy took an excited step forward upon hearing the voice, although Annette didn't understand why. "Smells like the rear end of a Minotaur!"
"That is an outrageous lie!" The boy spat at the now laughing crowd. "I won the school hygiene award two years running."
Unfortunately, this only prompted more laughter to be aimed at Eustace.
"Come on, someone make a bid!" An impatient Pug pleaded. Still there were no takers.
The Mist and Eustace? … Brilliant. Annette silently sulked. But at least I won't be alone.
Or so she thought. In the seconds following, a cloaked figure had taken a step towards the podium. The cloth around his face was pulled over more so than the other men of his party, and Annette could swear she saw strange movement being made in the head area.
"I'll take them off your hands," a voice said. Although the man was promising to take Eustace and so leave Annette with the Mist, she couldn't help but sit up straighter because that voice unmistakably belonged to her beloved mouse friend.
~.~.~.~.
The first thing Margaret heard upon emerging onto the roof was enough to make her stumble back into Edmund. "I'll take them all off your hands! For Narnia!"
"Is that Reepicheep?" She breathlessly whispered above the proclamations of men from below.
Edmund was too astounded to answer her. Luckily, he didn't have to because a shout rang up from the town square below, "Guards! Guards! Move yourselves!"
All heads craned over the side of the building only to see a battle ensuing. Margaret couldn't contain her smile at the sight, but she did become a bit distracted when Caspian suddenly punched the guard standing beside her. While she gaped at his sudden action, he proceeded to push the guard on her other side off the building.
The pair watched the screaming man fall to the ground, though Margaret turned away before he actually hit the dirt. Her wide bemused eyes and large thrilled smile were quite the contradicting emotions. "Caspian!"
He made to answer her gasp, but resorted to a "Look out!" as the sword of another guard came towards them. Caspian pushed Margaret to safety, allowing for the vicious guard to pursue him down a staircase instead.
Margaret was not too grateful with Caspian's chivalrous act because not only had her back roughly smacked against the stone wall, but an entirely new guard was now coming for her. His weapon glinted in the Sun, but not as brightly as Margaret's irritation. She was finished with the slave trader's treatment towards her and her friends, and was determined to give this man a piece of her mind.
Memories of how to act in combat flooded her as the man charged. By the time his blade was lowered, Margaret was already stepping to the side with her shackled hands raised in the air. The weapon hit the chain between her wrists with such a force that both pieces of metal almost hit her in the face. But she was persistent and stood her ground. With a twist of her hands, she wrapped the chain around the sword and pulled the weapon away from the man. The blade rattled across the rocky floor behind her.
Margaret gloated at the baffled man with a smile, "I've removed your weapon! Now what are you going to do?"
The slave trader was not a dimwitted man. So when he noticed the severe height and muscular difference between himself and the girl, he knew he was at an advantage. He lunged at her, hands outstretched so he could seize the blonde and lock her back in a prison cell. Margaret was quick though and easily ducked down, realization of her disadvantage finally hitting her. The only thing she could even think of doing was, actually, a secret desire of hers.
Standing, she waited for the man's next charge. Except instead of dodging him, she slipped through his hands and punched him squarely in the jaw. The loud crack ricocheting through the air tainted Margaret's ears, but nothing could surpass the pain now spreading throughout her hand. She bit her lip to stifle her cries and shook out her limb as though the motion would force the sting away. Unfortunately, it did not.
As she shook her throbbing hand, the other was left unguarded. So when the force of Margaret's punch sent the slave trader over the railing, his frantic hands grabbed onto whatever was open in the hopes of preventing the fall. Except they briefly latched onto Margaret's arm rather than something stable. His hold on her was just long enough to send her toppling over the railing after him.
She screamed as she fell, but her cries were cut short when the manacle chain managed to catch on a protruding brick. Her feet were unable to find any footing though and Margaret realized, to her utmost horror, that she was now stuck several feet above the ground. She was alone, for by now the slave trader had hit the bottom, and didn't even know whether any had seen her disappearance. Panic settled in her bones, making any attempts at calling for help sound like gurgles.
But then she felt a hand latch onto her own and begin to hoist her up. Margaret's other fingers latched onto the mysterious wrist, her grip refusing to lessen until her feet were safely back on the rooftop. Only then did she gaze at her savior. Saying she was surprised by the sight of Lord Bern would be an understatement.
The old man smiled at her astonished expression, "I've still got some strength left in me, Lady Margaret. Even after all these years."
"Well that's just… How did you…" Margaret struggled to find the proper words to express her gratitude. After several started thoughts, she just decided it would be best to give Lord Bern a shortened, to-the-point response. "Thank you."
The Lord's eyes crinkled with happiness.
"Margaret!" Edmund's worried voice called from behind. He was suddenly in her vision, both hands clasping her arms before pulling her into a tight embrace. "Margaret, are you all right?"
The girl accepted his embrace, until she remembered there was still, technically, a battle ensuing and squirmed away. "Yes, I'm fine! Thanks to Lord Bern."
Edmund spun around and nodded his thanks, to which the old man just as happily accepted. At that moment Caspian jogged up the stairs to join his companions. Something jingled in his hands as he approached, and this intrigued Margaret greatly. Apparently he had found a set of keys, although she didn't understand what they were for.
And then she noticed everyone's hands, more specifically their wrists. They were all free from the burden of metal weighing them down, whereas she was not. She glared at the Narnian Kings for neglecting her predicament.
"Excuse me," she cried as she thrust her hands out. Caspian had been handing the keys to Edmund, and upon hearing Margaret's voice, both their movements froze. They felt foolish for forgetting about her.
"Oh, right," Edmund sheepishly said as he grabbed the keys and unlocked her chains. "Sorry Margaret." Her only response was a frustrated sigh. That alone was enough to make Caspian avoid her eye.
Once all were free from their chains, the quartet wasted no time in finding the stairs. Their purpose may have been to join the other Narnians, but all Margaret really wanted to do was find Annette.
And I may not be the only one… she mischievously thought after glancing at Caspian's anxious face.
~.~.~.~.
Cloaks were removed, swords were drawn, and yet most of the civilians stayed in hiding. Even those sitting beside Annette in the cart cowered as far back as they could. She gazed at them in shock, "Your liberators have come! Narnia is a good, fair country that will free you from this absurd slavery. Will you take arms with them? … Or will you do nothing?"
Apparently the latter would occur because none of them said a word. In fact, they wouldn't even look at Annette for fear of disobeying some higher power. The girl sighed. If they won't help, then I suppose I'll have to do this by myself.
She stood up, rising high above those guarding the cart. No longer was she the quivering girl who stood upon the auction block; Narnia had given her strength. The guards hardly noticed her rebellion until Annette cuffed the head of one of them. The man fell to the ground, thus alerting the second guard. So when she attempted to kick him away, the man simply ducked down and pulled her other leg out from beneath her. She harshly collapsed onto the cart. The guard raised a hand to strike her, but slumped to the ground before his stroke fell.
One of the prisoners had managed to find a pot beside the cart and smacked it over the guard's head. As the slave trader unconsciously fell to the floor, Annette's eyes trickled to her. A small smile tugged at her lips, "You will fight then?"
"For our freedom, we will do anything," the woman nodded. That was good enough for Annette! She returned the nod and hopped off the cart before sprinting towards the auction podium. The chains were becoming quite the nuisance and the only way to remove them was by finding the key.
Surprisingly enough, the metal treasure Annette desired was lying on a table with the giant book. Her hands fumbled with the key for a moment, but she was successfully able to remove the metal collar. When she attempted to remove the manacles though, she noticed a man running at her from the side. Annette whipped her arm around just in time for the collar to knock the man on the side of the head. She then turned back to her previous task, though she was unable to contain her excitement when she saw a familiar furry face.
"Reepicheep! It's so good to see you!"
"I assure you the feeling is mutual, Lady Annette," the Mouse smiled. He then pointed his tiny blade to her still chained hands. "In need of assistance?"
She eagerly nodded her head before stepping a little closer to her friend. Thankfully it only took a moment for Reepicheep to unlock both her hands. Annette was quick to rub her wrists once they were free. "Thanks Reep! You have no idea how sore my hands were becoming."
"I can only imagine," he replied with a twitch of his nose. "Now if you'll excuse me…"
Before another word could be said, the brave little mouse scurried up Annette's shoulder and leaped onto a passing slave trader. Annette gazed after him with admiration until she remembered where she was and shook off the feeling. This was the middle of a battle! She had to keep moving or else be attacked.
With the combined strength of the Narnians and the uprising citizens, the battle of Narrowhaven was swiftly won over. The slave traders didn't stand much of a chance to begin with because not only were they outnumbered, but the Narnians carried with them two Minotaurs and a very passionate Mouse. Annette did what she could to help as well, but she was constantly distracted by a secretive search for Margaret. She knew her friend was strong, but even then she couldn't help but worry over Margaret's wellbeing.
She looked all over the town square, dodging the few skirmishes remaining from the battle. Her heart pounded in her ears when Margaret remained missing. Annette's hands rapidly swiped through the tips of her hair as worry set in. If Margaret was still trapped in a prison cell, then hours may pass before she next saw her friend. From the outside, the prison appeared enormous… and Margaret could be anywhere!
But as two hands suddenly wrapped around Annette, she knew exactly where her dear friend was. "Margaret! Thank goodness you're all right!"
"I can say the same to you!" The girl smiled. Her grin then turned mischievous when she noticed how close someone was currently standing to them. Someone she already had the privilege of seeing whereas Annette had not. "And you'll never guess who I came across in-"
Margaret hadn't noticed Annette's analytical eyes and forgot how concerned she became over pressing matters such as this.
"Margaret, I was so worried about you! Where did they take you? What happened? Are you hurt? Did they sell you? Did they try to send you to the Mist? For a moment I was afraid you had di-"
"Annette." This time it was Margaret's turn to do the interrupting. She clutched the side of her friend's arms and intensely stared right into her eyes. Although she was genuinely touched by Annette's concern, there was something far more important that needed to occur. She briefly looked to her right, an excited smile slowly growing on her face. "… Caspian."
Annette's eyes doubled in size. Although she had longed to see Caspian since first reappearing in Narnia, a small part of her was now afraid to look. How much had he changed? Was he a completely different person now? For a moment Annette just wanted to preserve the memory of the Telmarine boy she once knew, but she had to look at him. She needed to see his face. Slowly, she followed Margaret's stare only to blink back in wonder.
There he was. Caspian. Standing a few feet away from her and giving instructions to a bald man. He hadn't noticed her yet, and for that Annette was thankful; she was too busy taking in his new appearance. For one thing, he was young. Older than the boy she remembered, but still youthful all the same. He was taller, more muscular. His hair had grown and there was stubble along his jaw, but even then Annette sensed the warm expression he always held.
"Well don't just stand there!" Margaret laughed at her side. Normally Annette would have been quick to glare at her friend for embarrassing her, but Margaret's loud proclamation had drawn the eyes of numerous people. Caspian included.
At first he didn't register the sight of Annette, his eyes simply passed over her as they looked at Margaret. But they quickly snapped back to her once he realized his mistake. As soon as their eyes connected, Annette's heart leapt straight into her throat. He was actually looking at her, yet all she could do was stare back. Everything was far too surreal for her to process.
"Oh this is rubbish," Margaret grumbled a bit impatiently before giving her friend a good solid push. "We didn't travel to another world just for you to stare at him."
Annette stumbled forward from the sudden shove, but straightened herself up and began to walk towards Caspian. Slowly, almost hesitantly. But when Caspian took steps to her, her heart swelled and she simply couldn't contain her anticipation any longer. She sprinted right for him, her heels kicking up dirt as she seemingly flew over the ground. Annette didn't care though. Her fears had completely disappeared.
She ran directly into his arms, a laugh spilling from her lips when Caspian lifted her into the air and spun her around. It reminded her of the movies she and Margaret would sometimes watch back in England, except this was better. This was real. And even then she was having a hard time believing it was.
Caspian's arms wrapped around her for a moment, but similar to Annette, he was having a difficult time grasping her presence. He held her back a little; cupping her face and gazing at her to make sure his eyes were not deceiving him. Even then he wouldn't want her to go. Annette's own hand traveled to his face. Her fingers slowly traveled along his left jaw, down his shoulder, and onto his chest. The beating of his heart drew her in like a magnet. She let its constant rhythm drum through her fingertips before finally meeting his eyes and saying the first thing either of them had said to one another: "You're alive!"
Caspian could only laugh at her, "I would certainly hope so! And I see you are alive as well."
"Your voice," Annette gasped upon discovering another new quality about him. "It's adapted to the accent of Narnia… You sound like me!"
"Really? I hadn't noticed…" He thought about his dialect for a moment before deciding the matter was entirely pointless. Annette was actually here, in Narnia. What difference did it make what he sounded like? "None of that matters though." Caspian smiled and pulled Annette into a tight embrace. His kissed the crown of her head and mumbled into her hair, "I'm just glad you're back… I missed you."
A blush formed on Annette's cheeks when she felt his lips graze her head. "I'm glad to be here."
~.~.~.~.
Please tell me I wasn't the only one who had that "Reunited" song playing in their head? It's just so fitting xD
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! There's a nifty little box down there for you to type your comments in. You could always, you know, leave a review…
DO IT!
DO IT FOR MARGARET AND ANNETTE!
DO IT FOR CASPIAN AND EDMUND!
DO IT FOR NARNIA!
Until next time :)
