Chapter Four
Amber POV
Pushing open the door of the carriage, Amber slowly made her way down the steps, Aetak following behind. Her eyes widened as she looked around, taking in her new surroundings.
Unreal. There was no snow. It was all green, pure green! And it was warm. Amber could actually see the sun; it wasn't hidden behind grey clouds that bore constant snow. Instead, the sun was set amidst an endless sky of pure blue, filled with fluffy white clouds.
"Amazing!" she whispered under her breath. Back home, the Northlands were under the near constant cover of grey, dull clouds, and it snowed just about every day. And in turn, the snow just about covered everything in sight. Amber had never seen anything else but that in all her life. This was...something else entirely.
"Your majesty? You have everything?" Goren's voice brought her back to attention. He and a few other select guards had accompanied her in one of the royal carriages, as far as the forbidden forest. From there on, she was on her own. Goren had been unusually quiet throughout journey, his usual pre-battle tips and pep talks noticeably missing.
"I have all I need." Amber was nothing if not practical. Underneath her simple dress, she had protective armour on, with pockets hidden in them. She had her dagger and her sword all well hidden beneath her skirts. She even had a small bow and plenty of arrows hidden away too.
"And you are ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." She replied easily. Amber had planned everything. Nothing had gone unnoticed; her story and such had been planned to perfect detail. This would be easy.
"Well then, Amber, I suppose this is where we part." Goren said solemnly. "We wish you the best of luck, and hope to see you soon, safe and sound. Tread wisely." He shook her hand briefly, bowing as he did so. He looked as if he wanted to say something else, but thought better of it. "Be careful." He pleaded.
There was no time wasted with goodbyes. The other men bowed respectfully, all wishing her luck. They then turned the carriage around, and began heading towards home. Quickly growing smaller, Goren held up his hand and gave her a small wave as he faded into the distance. Amber raised her own hand and gave a small wave in return, watching them until they disappeared.
Wasting no time, Amber turned; facing the forest ahead of her. Already, she felt stifled by the heat, as it was much warmer here than she was used to back home. She pulled off her thick cloak, and began walking toward the forest, with Aetak padding at her side, in companionable silence.
As they made their way through the thick, dense forest, Amber inwardly marvelled at how different it was to home. Without the bright, white snow covering everything in sight, it was quite dark and dim. Instead of glittering, soft snow, there were dark, shadowy trees, with dark green moss coating the ground, along with tufts of green grass. Amber nearly fell numerous times, looking at everything around her, instead of watching where she was going.
She was used to hearing the sound of snow crunching under her feet as she walked, but here, she heard the crackle of all the fallen leaves at her feet. It startled her sometimes, as she forgot where she was. She was in awe at the incredible differences, marvelling at each and every little thing she saw.
After about two hours of trudging through the forest, Aetak pointed out hoof marks imprinted on the forest floor.
"We're getting close now. Just another short while."
Amber paused, thinking briefly. She glanced around quickly, surveying her surroundings with narrowed eyes. "Hang on, Aetak. I need to do something."
Aetak watched curiously as Amber made her way over to a dry bank, where a stream had dried up to a mere trickle. All that was left now was damp mud.
Watched incredulously, Aetak's large eyebrows rose as Amber suddenly dropped down onto a particular muddy spot on the forest floor. She looked at Aetak with an expression of disgust, before grimacing, and rolling herself around in the mud, wiping streaks of mud across her face as she did so. Finishing, she stood tentatively, assessing herself. She frowned distastefully at she looked down at herself, before trudging over to a nearby tree. Reaching up, she yanked off a small branch, running her hair through it, wincing as tufts got caught.
When she finally stopped, she looked down at herself, shuddering with disgust at her unruly, unkempt appearance.
Her dress was now an absolute mess; coated with patches of dirty mud, as was her face. Her once tidy hair now had streaks of mud running through it, with tangles caught everywhere. She looked a state. She looked at Aetak, her expression full of revulsion.
"Do I look like a lord's daughter from the Lone Islands, who was shipwrecked, and has spent several weeks trying to find citizenship?" she asked sceptically.
Aetak just shook her head, smiling slightly in amusement, and resumed walking. Huffing, Amber followed awkwardly after, uncomfortably conscious of how dirt she was. Her expression illustrated her obvious disgust.
They had been walking for about another hour or so, sticking to the newfound path, with a line of thick bushes on their left. Amber wasn't really paying attention to her surroundings anymore, having gotten relatively used to her new environment. She was watching her footsteps on the forest floor, and so was taken aback when Aetak stopped abruptly and growled, glancing around warily.
Looking back now, Amber hated to admit it, but she never saw it coming. A shriek escaped her as something jumped out from the bush beside her, and knocked her into a nearby tree.
Edmund POV
King Edmund was atop Philip, his horse, who was tense and ready to go, just waiting for his command. Edmund kept a sharp, careful eye on his surroundings, looking for any sign of movement. He had to catch that godamn deer. He couldn't let Peter win again.
A flicker of movement to the left caught his eye. Behind the shelter of bushes, Edmund craned his neck, his eyes sharply scanning the bushes around him.
But after a closer look, he could see it wasn't the deer. No, it looked more like...a person. Maybe two. He slid silently off Philip, sword in hand, and moved slowly, silently towards the strangers.
Probably godamn Telmarines again. He thought. They're forever causing trouble...
Using a bush for cover, Edmund came up right next to them, and tried to peer through. They appeared to have stopped, and were looking around.
One person...and one...one...
What the hell is that?
A low growl interrupted his thoughts, and Edmund knew instantly that he'd been found. Thinking quickly, he jumped out from behind the bush, knocking straight into someone, who fell to the ground, with a shriek of "You idiot!"
He ignored the fallen person, as they weren't much of a threat lying on the ground. Instead he focused his attention on the other intruder; it was a leopard, it seemed.
Growling, the leopard launched toward him with a ferocious growl and bared teeth. Quickly darting to the side, Edmund then turned around on his heel to deliver his sword home, but paused when the leopard did.
It had paused on its turn to face him, and now seemed to be measuring him up, looking at him with a curious expression.
Edmund frowned in confusion when the leopard suddenly dropped its aggressive stance, taking a step backward, still keeping a careful eye on him. He kept his sword outstretched, unsure of how to proceed.
"You bloody idiot." A harsh voice from the ground startled him. Keeping his sword trained on the leopard, he glanced to the side, catching sight of...a girl?
Bloody hell, she looked like she'd been to hell and back. She was a mess, an absolute mess. Her hair, her face, her dress...she was trying to brush down her dress now, but to no avail. The only place that dress could go was the bin, by the looks of it.
"Bloody hell. You just...you just-you idiot!" she spat, obviously at a loss for words. She turned her face up to him, her expression furious. He felt a trace a guilt run through him as he took in her appearance. She had a trickle of blood running down the side of her face, obviously from him knocking her into that tree. He refused to apologise though.
She called me an idiot, three times.
"Who are you, and what buisness do you have in Narnia?" he asked firmly, turning his sword to point it toward her. She raised an eyebrow in response, looking contemptuously at him, like he was nothing but a piece of dirt.
Suddenly, Peter, Susan, and Lucy appeared through the trees. "Ed? Edmund?" Lucy burst out, her expression anxious. "We heard the racket. What on earth-"
She paused abruptly, catching sight of the two intruders. Instinctively, Peter quickly drew his sword, and Susan assembled her bow and arrow with lightning speed, aiming it toward the leopard, who merely raised an eyebrow at her.
The girl's furious expression had vanished, and she now looked at them with a thoughtful expression, frowning while carefully assessing them, like the leopard had. Edmund saw something flicker through her eyes and, instantly, she collected herself, and her face turned perfectly apologetic.
"Forgive me" she said sweetly to Edmund, her eyes wide and innocent. "You took me by suprise!" She stood slowly, raising her arms as if in surrender. "I mean no harm, honestly. I am simply lost." Her expression instantly became perfectly miserable.
"Oh, no!" Lucy gushed empathically, her expression horrified. "Don't worry, we-"
"Where are you from?" questioned Peter, his sword not budging.
"The Lone Islands." The girl answered, still wide eyed.
The Lone Islands? What the hell is she doing here?
As if hearing his unspoken question, the girl continued. "I am the only daughter of the Lord Delanate. Just over a week ago, we were travelling to Narnia by ship, to see old relatives of my mother's. Once on land, we were attacked."
Probably those Telmarines again... Edmund groaned inwardly.
The girl's face fell. "I survived, along with my companion, Aetak. But unfortunately, the rest of the crew, including my father, weren't as lucky." She sniffed, as if holding back tears. "We have been lost for a week now, wandering through this forest"
Well, that explains her appearance...
Glancing questioningly at each other, both Susan and Peter withdrew their weapons slowly upon nodding decisively at each other. Edmund also lowered his sword, re-sheathing it slowly. Obviously they trusted this girl. Edmund couldn't argue. She seemed to be honest enough.
Lucy took their actions as permission to run forward and take hold of the girl's hands. "Don't worry! You can stay with us! What is your name?"
The girl let out a relieved sigh and gave a small smile. "Amber. My name is Amber Delanate. Oh, I'm so happy I have been have found..." they both droned on, Lucy linking arms with her, turning and walking in the general direction of Cair Paravel.
Motioning for Philip to join them, Edmund fell back into step with Peter. They walked in silence, Lucy babbling behind them, until Peter spoke.
"Oh, Ed?"
"What, Pete."
He smiled wickedly. "I got the deer again."
Amber POV
Lying in a hot tub several hours later, Amber smirked in satisfaction to herself.
It had all gone perfectly, without a problem, better than she ever could have imagined. Of course, she had been slightly lucky that they had been out hunting, and that Edmund came across her. All it had taken then was a little licking up to Lucy, and now she was her new BFF. And with that, Amber's stay in Cair Paravel was looking rather permanent.
Perfect.
She climbed out of the bath, wrapping herself in a towel. Lucy had gladly given Amber her own bedroom, complete with her own walk in wardrobe, en suite bathroom, and a balcony that overlooked the courtyard below. She had then insisted that Amber make herself comfortable, and that after, she should come and eat dinner with them tonight.
Amber walked over to her wardrobe, pulling open the doors. She wanted to make a good impression at this dinner; she needed to earn their respect so she could get her job over and done with, and then get out of here.
She grimaced when she saw the selection of dresses before her. At home, Amber was used to extravagant, dark toned, tailor made clothes, made exactly to her preferences, requirements and taste. It didn't seem to be the case here.
"Ugh. Brown." She muttered to herself, her tone disdainful. "Who wants to wear clothes the colour of shit? And orange. And green. Oh, for crying out loud!" Had they any decent clothes here at all?
Pushing her way through the crammed rails, she impatiently grabbed the only decent looking dress she could see. It seemed to be a relatively acceptable colour; a simple dark blue dress, with lilac decorating it in places. She groaned, holding it up before her. It would just have to do.
I'll have to see about dying these dresses different colours, without offending them...Rubbing herself dry, she pulled the dress over her head, not even bothering to see what it looked like. Crossing the room, she sat down in front of the mirror, rubbing a towel through her hair.
"Up or down?" Amber enquired.
"Down." Aetak called from somewhere across the room.
Amber proceeded to comb through her hair, pulling tetchily at the tangles.
"What do you make of King Edmund?" she said suddenly.
Aetak was lying at the foot of Amber's king-sized bed. She lifted her giant head, pondering for a moment. "He nearly had me earlier, in the forest, you know."
Amber paused and turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. "Really?"
Aetak nodded.
Well...he's fast, I'll give him that. And he did catch me by suprise in the forest, godamn him...Amber mused.
"I wouldn't underestimate him. He's agile. Good with the sword." Aetak paused. "He's one to watch." Her head went down again.
Amber frowned. Aetak was right. She definetly shouldn't underestimate him. King's aren't plonkers, after all. They're kings for a reason.
Edmund POV
"So, how are the Lone Islands these days? I've never actually been there. Only Edmund and Lucy have." Peter enquired, at dinner that night.
"Oh, it's terribly rough. Pirating and such." Amber gave a little shudder, taking a spoonful of her soup.
"I've heard as such. Edmund, you and Lucy were attacked during your visit there, weren't you?" Peter turned to him.
"Yeah." He responded simply, trying to eat his food.
Amber turned to him, her face curious. Edmund had to admit, she cleaned up pretty well. She looked far better now than she had in the forest. She was free of mud, wearing a dark blue dress which highlighted her clear, pale skin. She had curly brown hair that framed her face, slightly wet at the end. Her eyes were brown too, a deep chocolaty brown, framed by thick black lashes.
"And did you get out OK?" Amber asked him, smiling pleasantly at him with those big brown eyes. Could eyes be that big?
"Well, obviously." He said without thinking, taking another spoon of soup
"Edmund!" chorused the disapproving voices of Peter, Susan, and Lucy. Edmund rolled his eyes. He couldn't help it. He hadn't got much sleep last night, and everyone in Cair Paravel knew what he was like when he hadn't had much sleep.
"Please forgive my idiotic brother." Lucy said, glaring at him. Edmund scowled in response. That was the fourth time today he'd been called an idiot. Four times too many, in his opinion. "His brain isn't connected to his mouth."
"Well, obviously." Amber smirked, throwing his words right back at him. She smiled at him again, but this time, her smile wasn't as pleasant as it had been beforehand. "I was going to point out that most people who are captured are sold as slaves. May I ask how you got yourself out of that predicament?" she smiled prettily.
"I had connections." Edmund stated simply, his voice ringing with finality as he returned to eating. He felt Lucy kick his foot under the table, hard. He nearly choked on his mouthful of food, hastily grabbing his glass of water and downing it quickly, nearly spilling it down himself in his haste.
"Idiot" Peter muttered discreetly.
Fifth time today...
Sighing, Peter turned back to Amber, clearly trying to change the subject. "So, what are your plans now, Amber?"
Once again, Amber's face became the perfect picture of sadness. "Oh, I don't know" she sighed miserably. "I have nothing to go home to. My mother passed away many years ago, and now my father is gone too! Oh lord, whatever will I do..." she trailed off sadly, looking down at the table miserably.
"What about those relatives you were coming to see?" Edmund asked innocently. He quickly received yet another swift kick under the table, this time from Susan. "Ow?" he spat at her.
Lucy glared at him again, before reassuringly squeezing Ambers arm. "Don't fret, Amber. You don't have to worry about going anywhere! You are now officially our guest of guest of honour in Cair Paravel!"
Peter nodded in agreement. "You can stay for as long as you want, Amber. Feel free."
Oh great. Now we're a lost and found centre. We should put up signs...
Amber's face lit up, her big brown eyes widening. "Really? Oh you're so kind! Thank you ever so much!"
Edmund rolled his eyes again. Since when did they take random strangers from forests and give them free accommodation at the castle? "Whoopee." he muttered under his breath.
This time, three legs kicked him, along with a chorus of muttered "Idiot."
Unbelievable. I've lost count by now.
Just unbelievable.