The Real Voyage of the Dawn Treader
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"Well it's getting late, we should get some rest." Edmund said, standing up with Peter and Caspian. They had spent most of the evening bringing Peter and Susan up to speed with what had been happening in Narnia for the past three years. He turned back to Susan. "It's good to have you both back, didn't feel exactly like home without you." She smiled at him gently as Peter gave him a pat on the back, leading them out of the cabin.
Caspian was standing near the bed with his hand in his pocket. He pulled out the silver charm bracelet and held it in his palm out to Susan.
"I'm guessing this belongs to you. I've never seen jewellery made in this fashion before." He said as his eyes locked with hers.
She walked over to him with an emotionless expression. How ironic that Caspian would be the one to return a bracelet to her, which had been given as a gift by another man...more like an indication that she was 'his'. She reached out, taking it from his hand. She felt her fingers tingle as they brushed against his.
"Yes, thank you." She said in a sweet, soft voice.
"I'm glad you came back." He said tenderly as he looked into her eyes with longing.
She smiled at him softly and gave a small nod. "Good night. Caspian." She wanted to say the same, but she didn't know how she felt about returning to Narnia.
Caspian gave Lucy a small grin as she grinned widely back at him as he left the cabin.
Susan exhaled deeply as she grabbed her night shirt and began changing.
"He still has feelings for you, you know." Lucy said as she pulled her nightshirt over her head.
"What?"
"Caspian...surely you must have seen the way he looked at you and you should have seen the way he fought Pug, when he realised it was you who had a dagger to the throat. He turned into a raging panther." Lucy said smiling at her as she climbed into bed. Her eyes twinkled as she looked at Susan knowingly.
Susan climbed in next to her and they both lay on their sides looking at each other. "Lucy, it's been three years. He's surely found himself a beautiful Queen by now." She replied in an almost whisper.
"Ah, yes I asked him that. He said and I quote 'No. Not one to compare with your sister.' Isn't it romantic? All this time and he still has feelings for you. And now you're back. And you still have feelings for him too. Don't give me that look; I saw the way you looked at him and how you held onto him for dear life when you realised it was him who saved you." Lucy said in an excited whisper, as a huge grin crossed her face.
Susan let out a small sigh and rolled on her back. "We don't know why Peter and I have returned, but we know we won't be staying. We have never stayed before, why should this time be any different? So me and Caspian...nothing can happen Lu." She whispered gently.
Lucy huffed gently through her nose as her brow furrowed. "We might not have stayed before, but you weren't meant to return, yet here you both are. It gives us reason to hope that maybe we aren't meant to leave this time."
Susan turned her head to look at her. Her eyes full of confliction. "I don't know what I think anymore." She whispered so low, Lucy almost missed it.
Lucy gave her a half, sad smile. "Everything will work out Su; we just have to have faith." She whispered gently.
Susan smiled at her and nodded. Lucy smiled back, slightly satisfied with her sister's smile and she rolled over on her other side to sleep. Susan pulled the blanket up to her neck as she stared at the ceiling. Then it hit her...she was in Caspian's bed. Her heart bounced at the thought as she inhaled his intoxicating scent. It was her favourite smell in the entire world...both worlds.
She tried to stop her head from mulling over the recent events.
She couldn't believe he was still here, and alive! He wasn't even married, and from what Lucy had told her and from the way he looked at her... he still had feelings for her. Just as she did for him. He was one of the main reasons as to why she felt so broken and lost. She loved him and they were ripped apart. The separation from him and Narnia, her friends and even part of herself, had just been too much to bear. She allowed her head and her logic to pull her through each day. She was always strong headed; it seemed it came in handy.
But now she was back and she could already feel herself growing more attached to everyone and everything around her. She knew she would only fall even harder for Caspian. And then she would be forced to leave him again... how could Aslan put her through this pain again? She couldn't understand. She wanted to believe... her heart longed for her to have faith and be hopeful, but her heart already felt too fragile. Her logical brain was too strong for her heart to win the fight. She knew that they belonged to their world. They couldn't co-exist between the two worlds forever. She knew that Aslan would one day send them back, and Susan feared it more than anything because, her heart would not break...it would shatter completely. She couldn't let that happen, she knew she would have to enjoy being back in Narnia but not let it get too close to her heart. She could not allow Caspian, to make her fall in love with him, that much more. But he had a way of tearing down her defences and breaking through the barriers that she would put up to protect herself...and she knew he did. She had tried not to let him in the last time they were in Narnia...look how well that turned out.
Lost in her painful and fearful thoughts, her eyes watered completely. She rolled over on her side to face the fireplace so Lucy wouldn't have the chance to see them. She never cried once in front of her siblings, since she was told she was never to return. She didn't want them to worry too much at how explicitly unhappy she really was. She would often cry silent tears at night at first, and then she grew used to the pain she felt. No tears would come unless the matter had been really pressed upon her that day. If so she would hold them back, not allowing herself to fall apart completely. These past few days however, had just been too much to handle. Silent tears now fell from her eyes as she glanced up to Aslan's crest.
Please... Please don't make me leave...She begged silently. She wiped her tears and buried her face into Caspian's pillow, taking as much comfort from his scent as possible.
...
Caspian couldn't sleep. She was back and only in the cabin above him! He felt so happy and alive again. He couldn't really explain the restless and jittery feeling he had; he only knew it had something to do with Susan. He had to force himself to control the swelling of joy in his heart, making him want to climb to the top of the crow's nest and shout from the top of his lungs, for all of Narnia to hear that his love had returned to him. He turned to Peter and Edmund who slept soundly in their hammocks. He closed his eyes, suppressing the grin making its way to his handsome face. All he could see was Susan. How she smiled at him so beautifully, her captivating eyes bored so tenderly into his. How her entire presence captivated him, held him in deep enchantment. Everything about her just fascinated him. He loved her, with every fibre of his being. He prayed that she still felt the deep connection, between them both. That connection he felt the moment he first laid eyes on her.
Eustace lay wide awake writing in his dairy.
"Dear Dairy, there has been an extraordinary turn of events. I've been abducted by my cousins and some insane man who thinks he's a King, later to be joined by my older cousins, who were supposed to be in America. We are set adrift in unchartered waters in some ridiculous-looking boat. What's worse is I share quarters with an obnoxious mouse thing. And I thought bunking with my cousin was bad enough..."
In the morning Eustace was cramped in between some barrels as he continued to write in his dairy.
"... So far, every person I've met in this strange place suffers from the most florid delusions. Chasing green mists and looking for lost lords. I can only assume that this is the result of a poor diet. Or they're all just barking mad..."
Eustace looked over to the railings near the wheel to see Caspian standing with Drinian. Caspian clearly lost focus all of a sudden and Eustace followed his gaze, to see Susan sitting next to Edmund, looking up at Caspian. Eustace looked between the two of them as Caspian smiled at her in a dashing way and Susan returned it with a stunning smile. Eustace rolled his eyes and went back to writing.
"...This Narnian King, Caspian, and my cousin Susan, seem to have this sexual tension around them as they constantly make goo-goo eyes at each other. I'd really rather not have to witness it..."
He looked back up to Caspian to see Peter join him and pat him on the back, showing brotherly affection. Caspian proceeded to show Peter the maps as he showed him their heading. Eustace looked at Peter rather baffled.
"... Peter doesn't seem to mind, their affections towards each other. If she was my sister, I would have warned Caspian to stay away from her by now. Susan is clearly unable to protect herself. Peter just walks around like his Royalty as the rest of my cousins do. Ha! As if he's magnificent! Really I don't know how these lunatics come up with it all..."
He looked briefly at Lucy who was sat on the floor in the corner as she sewed her red vest.
"... Lucy constantly talks about some stupid talking Lion. Honestly if I have to hear one more thing about 'Aslan' I may just throw myself overboard. Cousin Edmund is no exception. He spends every spare second rubbing that tin sword of his, like it's some magic lantern. Poor fool clearly needs a hobby."
Eustace looked over at Edmund holding up his sword as Reepicheep scampered up to him admiring it.
"It's going to be magnificent. Do they come in a smaller size?" Reepicheep said chuckling.
Susan smiled at him fondly.
Peeving marmot! He's more deluded than my cousins. Eustace thought as he watched them.
A seagull landed in front of Eustace on top of a barrel.
"In England, we have mouse traps for that sort of thing." He said to it. "Speaking of food, you don't know where I could get any, do you?
"Uh, why you talking to that bird?" Travos asked him from the second deck as he looked down at Eustace in confusion.
"Well I just naturally assumed you can—"
Travos burst out laughing. "Ha-ha! He's talking to birds." He mocked, turning to one of the crew.
"He's mad as a loon that one" He replied, giving Travos a small smack on the chest.
"Yeah!" Travos replied smacking him on the back.
"Oof!"
"Shoo! Go on, get off!" Eustace huffed, not appreciating being made fun of.
...
Eustace crept into the pantry, making sure no one was looking, he hid an orange in his shirt.
"Are you aware steeling rations is a capital offense at sea?" Reepicheep said loudly, causing Eustace jump and fall back into some hanging pans looking around him. "Up here." Reepicheep folded his arms as Eustace looked up at him.
"Oh, you." Eustace said irritably.
"Men have been keelhauled for less." Reepicheep exclaimed.
"For what?"
"For treason and sneakiness and general nuisancery. Look, just hand over the orange and we'll let the matter pass." Reepicheep said holding out his paw.
Eustace turned to the stairs. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Reepicheep moved his tail towards his shirt "Allow me to cla—"Eustace grabbed his tail, causing Reepicheep to gasp.
"Look, I've had quite enough of you."
Reepicheep unsheathed his sword and pointed it at him. "Unhand the tail." He said in a dangerously low voice. "The great Aslan himself gave me this tail. No one, repeat, no one touches the tail. Period. Exclamation mark."
Eustace let go as he looked at the blade fearfully. "Sorry."
"Now, I will have the orange, and then I will have satisfaction." Reepicheep said nobly as his tail threw a sword into Eustace's hand.
Eustace held his hands up in defence. "Please, I'm a pacifist."
"En garde!" Reepicheep shouted, taking fighting position.
Eustace took one look at him and he fled to the main deck, bumping into Travos, knocking over a crew member and scrambling through. Reepicheep ran along the side of the boat.
"Trying to run away? We're on a boat you know." He exclaimed as he sung on a rope, landing on top of a barrel with his sword pointed at Eustace.
The crew quickly gathered around them to watch the entertainment. Lucy was standing to the side watching the two of them with a smile on her face. Susan leaned over the railing at the front of the ship with a mixed look of concern and amusement.
"Look, can't we just discuss this?"
Reepicheep sliced his shirt open. "That is for stealing." He stabbed his sword into the orange and swung it out. "That is for lying and that was for good measure." He added, hitting him across the face with it as he laughed.
Eustace was shaking with anger. He had been thrown into this strange place, name-called, mocked and had been completely misunderstood, but being slapped with an orange by a giant rat was just too far! He swung his sword at Reepicheep, but he flipped over him laughing.
"That's the spirit! We have ourselves a duel. Catch!" He shouted, flinging the orange to the side; Drinian caught it one handed with no effort what so ever. "No, come on." He goaded Eustace."Take your best shot."
Eustace lunged for him as Reepicheep jumped to the side. "Is that it? Come on, boy." He swished his sword again and Reepicheep rolled along the side. "Focus! Focus!" He yelled as he dogged as Eustace swished more."Yes! Ha!"
"Stop flapping your wings ling a drunken pelican! Poise." Reepicheep said as he took the fighters stance. Eustace merely looked at his own blade. "Keep your blade up." Reepicheep instructed. "Up! Up! That's it! Now—"
Eustace kept striking at him, but Reepicheep was too fast as he leapt onto different levels, somersaulting in the air, he swung across on rope landing on a barrel.
"Yoo-hoo! Over here!" He called to Eustace. "Now lunge with your foot. Not your left, your right." He instructed him as he lightly tapped his legs with his sword. "Got it? Come on. Be nimble! Be nimble! It's a dance, boy, a dance." Reepicheep furthered him on as he stood on the ships edge.
Eustace kept striking at him as Reepicheep enjoyed goading him on. Reepicheep began to wobble over the edge of the boat.
"Oh, no!" He yelled as his fell over the edge.
Eustace peered over looking for any sight of him. Reepicheep crawled above his head and tapped him on the shoulder with his tail. Eustace looked up at Reepicheep who swung round and pushed him to the floor."And that, it that!" He said proudly.
Eustace fell into a wicker basket knocking it on the floor, resulting in a scream coming from it as the crew laughed and applauded. Lucy ran over to it and saw a young girl crawl out.
"Look!" She exclaimed.
Mr Rhince walked over in shock. "Gael? What are you doing here?" She looked up at her father with a nervous expression. He softened and wrapped his arms around her as she held onto him tightly. "Here."
The crew surrounded them as Drinian made his was forward with an unreadable expression on his face. Mr. Rhince and Gael looked at him rather nervously and his face softened into a gentle smile. "Looks like we have an extra crew member." He said gently, as he bent down and offered her the orange. She took it from him gingerly as everyone smiled at him.
Lucy made her way forward with her hands on her hips. "Welcome aboard." She said smiling down at her, being every inch the Queen she was.
"Your Majesty." Gael said giving her a small curtsy. Lucy's smile grew wider.
"Call me Lucy. Come on." She said kindly as she escorted her into Caspian's cabin.
"Come on. Look lively." Drinian ordered the men.
They all scurried back to work as Reepicheep leaned back casually on a wooden beam. Eustace picked up his sword and walked along the deck.
"Good match. I'll make a swordsman of you yet." Reepicheep praised.
Susan was about to follow Lucy and Gael, but Eustace and Reepicheep caught her attention.
Eustace smiled at him briefly and then caught himself as he changed his face into a serious expression. "Yes, well, if the playing field were a little more even...would have been an entirely different result." He said walking away to put his sword back in the pantry.
Reepicheep chuckled as he looked after him. "Indeed."
