Hello, hello! It's been Forever, I know...Suffice it to say I've been busy beyond belief and my muse was refusing to speak to me. Thankfully though, it decided to return, and so now I'm pretty sure this story is officially back on. :) And I'm now planning a fourth book to it as well, so I'm getting pretty attached to this little story... BUT as a heads up for anyone following this: next month I will be doing the NaNoWriMo contest, so I simply won't have the time to update this. A rare exception might be a chapter done in advance, but it's highly unlikely. So please don't be too upset if it's a while before another update. But I will definitely not make you wait for months on end...

The Queen of Water - Thank you, I'm glad you thought so. :) Especially since I'm not a big fan of my own work...:P

NymphadoraLupin98 - Oooo, you're catchin' on to how I think! Though I can guarantee it won't be something you'll expect. ;) And thank you soooo much for all your positive feedback, it really does make me so very happy. :D

Evy201 - Aw, I'm not trying to make you guys cry...I'm just writing what Laurah tells me to. :] And yes, poor poor Caspian! *sniffle* He's got a rough time coming up...But you didn't hear that from me. :)
Good guess on the Sprite Queen, and I think I've worked out all the nuances therein...good times. :D
And I am honestly going to try my hardest to update more now, since most of my college visits and SATs and ACTs are out of the way. :)

Lady Firewing - And now I'm back again! And aw, I'm flattered that you missed this story...
Hm, well you know how I like plot twists. ;)
And yes, the dang council...I personally didn't like it either, but it was the only thing I could think of that would fit. :/

Garideth - Wow, thank you so much! :D It's so flattering to have such a loyal reader and reviewer.
Oh noes, crying? I sowwie...I couldn't help myself. I do love the drama...:]
And yes, DT is in this one. ;) Actually, not much of it...eh, you'll see what I mean soon. :P
He can't? Well...y'know... XP

Guest - Thank you, I definitely try to make her as realistic as I can. And it took me forever to finally settle on that leading-up-to-VODT bit, but I'm glad it turned out alright. :)
And here's the next chapter, I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long...:/

And now I'll just let ya get on with the chapter...after our favorite little disclaimer. :P (Oh how I've missed these.)

Disclaimer: Seriously, I don't own Narnia. (for the...what, 30th time?)

*Arach is Gaelic for dragon


Chapter 7

Visitors. Finally.

A pair of eyes trained their calculating gaze at the two boats rowing toward the shore of Arach* Island. Their ship, the Dawn Treader as they called it, remained a ways off from the island - within rowing distance but no closer. Pity the captain was smart enough to keep away from the shallows...The more the merrier.

The owner of the emerald eyes allowed a smirk of anticipation to cross her face as she thought of what awaited the party on this island, and indeed the fate two lords had met there. This would certainly an entertaining afternoon. Whispering a few words to her mirror that showed her all, she settled herself comfortably into her chair and watched.

"I doubt the Lords stopped here, my liege; there's no sign of anything living." Reepicheep trained his mouse eyes on the shore of the rocky and unwelcoming island, turning to look at the king when he spoke.

"Right, well once you get ashore, take your men and search for food and water. The three of us will look for clues," replied King Caspian.

"Hang on, you mean the four of us?"

A snicker flickered over her face. This Eustace was by far her favorite of the party. A perfect brat, from what she could tell. She'd kept an eye on the whole voyage.

"Come on, please don't send me back to the rat," pleaded the light-haired boy as everyone in the boat turned to stare at him.

"I heard that," said the mouse, sounding a trifle insulted.

"Big ears," Eustace muttered.

"I heard that too."

This elicited amused chuckles from everyone in Eustace's boat, and even from the one watching all this.

So the boy isn't the only one good for a laugh.

But he did seem to be bothered by everyone's amusement, though he didn't let it show too much.

Before too much longer, both of the rowboats were being pulled ashore, and Eustace had taken advantage of everyone else's distraction to scamper off behind a large, sand-colored boulder, checking to make sure no one could see him before he hurried off farther inland.

Perfect.

The boy was fool enough to head right towards the heart of the island. Meanwhile, another group headed off to explore.

And just then, as if on cue, the three royals - Caspian, Edmund, and Lucy - found a rope dangling in a sizable crack in the rocky ground.

"Look! We're not the first ones on this island," called Caspian.

"The Lords?" inquired Edmund, jogging up to get a better view.

"Could be."

The girl doesn't talk much, does she?

As the three of them stood staring down into the hole, Caspian grabbed a small stone and tossed it down into the cavern, and the lady had to snicker. What was the point of that little exercise?

"What do you think could be down there?" he asked.

Yes, keep standing there little king; you'll surely find out that way.

"Let's find out!" suggested Edmund, sounding much more enthusiastic than the Telmarine.

For the moment, Edmund was definitely the more adventurous of the three, as he was the first to grab onto the rope and climb down into the cavern, surveying the seemingly endless space with a curious eye. He hesitated a moment, hands still lightly holding the rope, as his eyes swept the area for potential threats.

And now that it seemed to be safe, the other two also left behind the sun and climbed down into the hole, joining Edmund on the rocky floor of the cave.

Keep going...there.

Edmund stood staring into a crystal-clear pool as Caspian and Lucy came up beside him.

"What's that?"

Think Telmarine king, think really hard.

"I don't know; looks like some sort of gold statue," answered Edmund.

After a moment, he turned and strode to the rock wall, a snap echoing through the chamber as he pulled a dead branch from it. The lady could barely contain her smirk as he dipped it into the pool, seemingly trying to reach the statue. Unable to do so, he lifted the stick back out of the water, watching with shock and confusion as it seemed to be changing color – from dry, dull brown to lustrous gold. But as it grew heavier and heavier, Edmund let it fall into the pool with a yell of surprise, and realization dawned on the trio's faces.

Caspian walked to the edge of the pool, and crouched to look at the golden man, voice soft with pity.

"He must have fallen in."

Perhaps you should join him.

"Poor man," Lucy chimed in, looking very sorry indeed.

"You mean poor lord," said Edmund.

"The crest of Lord Restimar."

Who else could it be?

"And his sword!" cried Edmund.

"We need it."

With a knowing smile and a wave of her hand, the lady summoned her mist and sent it straight to the cave. Hissing almost silently, it wove its way around the golden statue as Edmund slowly lifted the sword from the water, heeding Lucy's urge to "be careful," as she said:

"Your sword hasn't turned to gold."

"Both the swords are magical," answered Caspian, carefully taking the sword from its precarious perch on the side of Edmund's blade.

"He mustn't have known what hit him," Lucy mused as the trio turned their attention back to the man.

"Maybe," replied Edmund as he set down his sword. "Or maybe he was on to something."

Silent to the ears of the royals, the mist, safely hidden in the depths of the pool, whispered in glee at the same time as the lady.

A hint of something dark entered Caspian's face as he furrowed his brow.

"What are you talking about?"

Edmund made no reply as he picked up a shell and dipped it into the water. Setting it down quickly, he watched, mesmerized, as the entire thing turned to solid gold.

The lady watched with sadistic satisfaction as the poor boy grabbed the gold shell and stared at it, worshipping it.

"What are you staring at?" questioned his little sister, frowning slightly at the change in her brother.

"Whoever has access to this pool," said Edmund, "could be the most powerful person in the world."

Caspian and Lucy exchanged a look of worry as Edmund raised his eyes to look at his sister, his face now contorting into a look of possession.

"Lucy, we'd be so rich. No one could tell us what to do, or who to live with!" Edmund's fingers caressed the gold as his eyes flashed.

"You can't take anything out of Narnia, Edmund," answered Caspian.

"Says who?" he bit back, eyes once more transfixed on the golden shell.

"I do."

Edmund looked up as Caspian's voice gained a new dark and sinister tone and the smile slipped from the Telmarine king's face. A glance back at the shell, and then his rebellious gaze returned to Caspian. Strong fingers curled around the hilt of his sword, and the metal clanged on the rock floor as Edmund stood to face the man he now viewed as an enemy.

"I'm not your subject." The tip of his sword pointed at Caspian in a none-too-subtle threat.

"You've been waiting for this haven't you: to challenge me! You doubt my leadership."

The two men now began circling each other, eyes narrowed to angry slits. Slow, calculated steps brought them face to face, each with a sword in his hand.

"You doubt yourself," Edmund spit back.

"You're a child!"

"And you're a spineless sap!"

Indeed.

As far as the lady was concerned, everything was going beautifully.

"Edmund-"

Lucy's plea fell on deaf ears as her brother flung her hand from his shoulder and his voice rose, fury contorting his face and voice.

"I'm tired of playing second-fiddle; first it was Peter, and now it's you. You know I'm braver than both of you," spat Edmund.

Eyes darkened to almost-black, Caspian sneered down at the boy as he continued his rant.

"Why do you get Peter's sword? I deserve a kingdom of my own. I deserve to rule!"

"If you think you're so brave," Caspian retorted, "Prove it!"

A shove from the Telmarine was all it took to elicit a war cry from Edmund.

Lucy flinched as their swords met with an loud clang, metal striking metal as they traded angry swings.

Is he so perfect now?

The lady's eyes burned with satisfaction as the two kings fought. With any luck…only one would walk away.

"No!" Lucy had seen enough.

Instantly the smirk fell from the lady's face.

In one bound, the Valient Queen had put herself between the two swords, effectively stopping the blows.

"Stop it! Both of you!" Lucy shouted, giving each of them a firm and disappointed look. Edmund and Caspian had no choice but to pay attention, though the occasional glare passed between them.

"Look at yourselves. Can't you see what's happening?" Lucy looked back and forth between the two men, and both stared back at her. Slowly, their senses began to return as Lucy continued.

"This place has tempted you. It's bewitching you! This is exactly what Coriakin was talking about. Let's just get out of here." And with that, Lucy turned and grabbed onto the rope to leave the cursed cave.

The two kings lingered a moment, staring each other down, until Caspian reluctantly turned away to follow Lucy. Still struggling with his wits, Edmund's gaze lingered on the priceless gold he still clutched in his fingers.

Not now, not now! That little…

Heaving a silent sigh, Edmund gave the shell one last look before tossing it into the magical pool and leaving the cave.

And as he did, the mist hissed loathingly at having lost its prey and vanished at its mistress's command. A very unhappy mistress at that. Emerald eyes flashing with anger, she bit back a screech of frustration. A second failure.

Pouncing from her chair, she paced the length of the room restlessly, whispering curses under her breath the entire time.


"Oh yes, follow the imaginary blue star, to the island of Raman-doo-doo. Lay the seven steak knives at the table of a talking lion. Pft. Ninnies." Kicking an unfortunate pebble in his way, sandy-haired Eustace stomped his way across the barren rock that made up the island, his trademark scowl plastered on his face.

He would have continued his surly rant, but the boy's steps slowed to a halt at the sight that greeted him in the valley below. Few would be able to resist staring at a glittering mass of gold, and Eustace was no exception. It stretched on and on with no end in sight, sparkling under the glare of the hot sun. Sparkle was everywhere it seemed: in the gold, in the eyes of Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and in the ever-present pair of emerald-green eyes.

"What is tha-Oof!" Eustace's murmur of wonder was cut short by his tumble into the valley as rocks crumbled underneath his feet. Landing with a grunt, he wasted no time in turning to ogle the vast treasure covering the valley floor as far as the eye could see.

"I must be dead," he mused, slowly getting to his feet and sprinting towards the nearest piece of gold, gathering treasure in his arms as he went. Anything gold, anything he could hold, Eustace grabbed, stopping only to take note of a rather large armband glittering in the sun.

"Ah!" The greedy boy let out a yell of surprise as a skeleton greeted him from around the corner. "You're definitely dead."

Meanwhile, the pair of green eyes continued to watch, a smirk painting itself across the slightly-pale lips.

Unease painted on his face, Eustace shoved the skeleton to the side and snatched the armband from its charred arm, sliding the gold trinket high up his own.

"Won't be needing that, now will you?" The boy's rushed words betrayed his nervousness.

But it was soon forgotten, as he fell to his knees and continued collecting bits of the treasure, stopping only to look about curiously at the sound of a distant roar. After a moment, the roar too was out of the boy's mind.

"Finally, a favorable turn of events," he muttered, his arms laden with gold and silver.

So absorbed was he, he failed to notice the sickly green haze seeping out of a nearby pile, hissing lightly as it swept toward him.

And by the time Eustace noticed he was feeling rather strange, it was already too late. He let out a shriek of alarm as he was pinched, pulled, stretched in all directions. Fire coursed through his veins, burned in his throat, scorched his tongue. He gagged against the taste of smoke in his mouth, eyes watering as it burned his eyes.

What was happening to him?


Meanwhile, Caspian and the Pevensie siblings had returned to the shoreline, all decidedly grimmer from their ordeal in the cave. No one wanted to speak of it, and no one did.

"What food did you find?" Caspian's voice was quieter than normal as he came to a halt, staring down at the barely half-filled baskets.

"It's volcanic, your Majesty; not much grows," answered Rhince, kneeling in the sandy ground.

Caspian made no attempt to hide his worry; supplies were low, and if they didn't get more soon…

"Where's Eustace?" Lucy murmured, finally noticing the blonde boy's absence.

"I believe he's out not helping us load the boats."

Lucy's only reply to the mouse was to call out her cousin's name, the repetitious sound echoing dismally off the nearby stone cliffs. No answer.

"Edmund, I've got a bad feeling."

"I'll go and find him." Eyes squinted against the bright sun, the Just king turned to look for their miserly cousin, only to stop and turn around again at a few words form Caspian.

"I'll come with you." A brief moment of eye contact was all the agreement the two needed, and after Caspian handed Lord Restimar's sword to Lucy, they headed back inland.


"Eustace!"

"Eustace!"

The calls of the two kings were practically lost to the wind as another fissure hissed a spout of steam. Rocks crunched under their boots as they unknowingly trod the same path Eustace had. And the same glitter of temptation that had been Eustace's fall greeted their eyes: a dragon's gold.

"Treasure," Edmund murmured.

"Trouble." Caspian met the eye of the younger king, silently reminding him of the cave.

Edmund acknowledged the reminder and carefully made his way down to the valley, Caspian closely following. Worry creased lines in their foreheads as they went; Eustace knew nothing of Narnia, and this was unfamiliar territory. But the kings were pulled from their thoughts at the sight of a penny loafer – half-melted and burned. Eustace's shoe.

Edmund rushed up and grabbed the shoe, fearing more than ever for the boy's safety.

"Eustace…"

The two kings hurried deeper into the valley, when Edmund suddenly sunk to his knees.

"No!" His hands shook as they grasped the scorched shirt lying on the ground amid the treasure, only to drop the white cloth and pick up a small book, a journal. There was so question whose they were. The Just king found his eyes were watering up as he held the evidence of Eustace's demise.

"O cousin…"

"I'm sorry." Caspian offered the only comfort he could, though he knew it was little.

"He was just a boy." Edmund's voice was thick with guilt. "I never should have left him."

Hands still trembling from the shock, the younger king once again picked up the shirt.

"What could have happened to him?"

"In this place? Anything." Caspian's gaze had turned behind him as he continued, "And he wasn't the first."

Getting up from his crouch next to Edmund, Caspian made his way over to a charred skeleton, the very same one that had startled Eustace.

"It's Lord Octesian. We should find his-" Caspian paused mid sentence as Edmund held up the very thing he'd been about to say. "-sword."

Steel scraped as Edmund drew the magical sword from its scabbard, his face betraying his preoccupation with thoughts of his cousin. The guilty sorrow would take a while in leaving him, as Caspian could see.

There was little he could say to his old friend, and Edmund seemed content to go on in silence. So it was in silence indeed that the two left the valley to return to the Dawn Treader, their melancholy heavy in their footsteps.

So absorbed were they in their thoughts that the sudden roar that pierced the air made them both jump. They shared a startled glance before picking up their pace, each fairly certain what it was. As the two kings approached the shore, sounds of a commotion reached their alert ears, and their hands flew to their sword hilts as their muscles tensed, ready for a skirmish. It wasn't far to the beach now, and they wasted no time in jogging onto the scene, only to find that the uproar was already over, though they could see frantic movements on the Dawn Treader's deck.

Edmund ran ahead, eager to return to the ship, but Caspian slowed to a fast walk, expecting trouble from inland rather than out at sea. Sure enough, he almost instantly heard a whoosh of wings and spun around to see one of the most feared beasts of the known world: a dragon, and it was heading straight for them.

Caspian's reflex saved him from the dragon's claws, but Edmund hadn't noticed the beast yet.

"Edmund, Ed!"

But by the time Edmund turned around, it was too late, and he found himself flying through the air in the claws of a dragon. The salty sea spray covered his face as the beast flew over the water, headed toward the Dawn Treader. Hearing Lucy's panicked scream as she spotted the two, Edmund called back to her, only to be swung around again as the dragon flew back toward the island, Edmund letting out little yells of fear the whole flight.

His stomach lurched as they dragon banked this way and that, heading straight towards the volcanic part of the island. Coughing from the putrid, sulferic-smelling smoke, the Just king blinked his watering eyes as something red and glowing appeared close ahead. Did the dragon mean to drop him in the lava for dinner?

Just as Edmund thought he would pass out from the fumes, he suddenly regained lucidity as he saw the lava in its entirety; he couldn't believe what he was seeing. There, written in the volcanic rock, was burned three words: 'I am Eustace.'

A very shocked Edmund looked from the message to the dragon, and back again. "You have got to be joking."

The dragon Eustace only stared at his writing and turned back to return Edmund to the others.


Later that night, Caspian and a few others were bedded down on the beach staring up at the stars. Caspian found his mind wandering from solutions to Eustace's particular problem to thoughts of his father, and someone else as well.

"I've never seen these constellations before," Edmund murmured, eyes fixed on the strange stars.

"Me neither. We're a long way from home." Caspian's voice was soft and contemplative; his mind was far from the constellations, but they did remind him of a childhood dream. "When I was a boy, I used to imagine sailing away to the end of the world – finding my father there."

"Maybe you will." Edmund simple words afforded him a small sliver of hope, that maybe one day he would see his father again. He missed him, as he had ever since his untimely murder. He missed her too: his fiancée.

Still, after three long years, he still thought of her as his betrothed. He always would. This quest for the Seven Lords had helped a lot with the sorrow for both her disappearance and his father's death, but both were still burdens he bore, and would always bear.

As he looked up into the night sky, he could almost imagine her sitting here beside him. She'd have offered some timely advice perhaps, or just sat there and listened to him if that was what he needed. He would have shared memories of his father with her, and she would have wrapped one of his hands in both her tiny ones as he did.

Caspian found himself wondering if she was seeing the same constellations, the same night sky. Absurd though it was, he wished for even that tiniest of connections to the woman he loved still.


Time passes. It goes by slowly, but eventually it always moves on.

It's been almost a month now. One short month, but it feels like forever. I feel old and tired and void of hope. My mom still isn't past it. I don't blame her. I'm surprised she hasn't decided it's all my fault. I have. Sometimes I sneak out in the middle of the night just to sit by his grave. I murmur apologies to the tombstone, but the marble simply stares back at me, cold and unforgiving.

I could sit here staring out of my bedroom window for endless hours, but my alarm began to buzz, reminding me about school. At first I didn't even care about school or anything other than my mother, but Nikki talked some sense into me. The distraction is good for me, and my neighbor, Mrs. Hibbett, comes over to keep an eye on my mom until I get home. She's been so helpful, and I guess she knows what my mom's going through. Her husband died in a car crash too, years ago.

I moved slowly to shut off the annoying little buzzer, ignoring the urge to simply wallow in sadness. Nikki would be over here inside five minutes if I didn't show up to school. Smiling to myself, I slipped out of my PJs and into my usual jeans and casual shirt. I don't pay much attention to my outfit; I haven't for a little while now. My makeup takes as little time as dressing, and soon I make my way downstairs.

My mom is up, as she always is. Ever since dad, she's been an early riser. I think she just likes watching the sun rise; it's the one thing that can remind her to hope. She doesn't look up, though I know she can hear me approach. She's too lost in thought, as always. Not that I begrudge her for it; I'd rather have her looking at the sunrise than at a blade.

"Morning Mom," I call softly, careful not to startle her. Her head turns toward me a fraction, and I offer a smile in return.

"I'm heading off to school now, okay? I'll see you this afternoon." I gently rest a hand on her bony shoulder, trying not to notice how much weight she's lost. After dad, it was a fight to get even a swallow of water down her throat.

My keys are cool in my hand as I shuffle out the door, waving good morning to Mrs. Hibbett as I go.

"Morning Laurah. How is your mother?" How Mrs. Hibbett can sound so kind at this hour is beyond me.

"She's doing a bit better; thank you. How are you this morning?"

"These old bones are creaking, but I'm doing well. Thank you, child. Enjoy school today."

I grimace in response. "I'll do my best. G'bye now."

"Goodbye, dear."

Almost too soon, the drive to school is over and the familiar brick walls loom before me. Somehow, I'm a little early today. I don't mean to, but almost instantaneously I sink into thought.

My fingers trace the ring on my left hand, reminding me of the life I left behind. The emerald sparkles in the early morning sun, just like his eyes used to when he'd look at me. Closing my eyes, I press the ring to my lips, missing him almost too much to bear.

I flashback to all the times he said my name: all the angry times, all the sad times, all the joyous times, and, most of all, the loving times.

"I love you," I whisper to the stone, wishing he could hear me. I left him without so much as a goodbye, and I can't help but wonder if I'll ever see him again. But somewhere deep down, I know I wouldn't go back, not yet. I couldn't leave my mother. I was all she had left.

I wonder if my mother would have liked him. Certainly she would've, but I know I'll never know. Still, that doesn't stop me from wondering. I wonder if he misses me too, as much as I miss him. I wonder if time is passing there in Narnia like it is here, if he's moved on. The thought makes me cringe at first, but I know that it'd be right and just if he had. In a way, I hoped he had. After all, it was I who left him, and quite abruptly at that. He had every right to find another, love another, marry another. I hoped he'd found someone wonderful, who loved him as he deserved. I wonder if his children look like him.

"Laurah? Come on you, it's time for the everlasting joy of the most boring classes in the universe, and I need you to keep me awake." Nikki punctuated her point by banging on my door.

I released a fond sigh and grudgingly followed her inside the building. This is my life now, the life I chose. But I remember Narnia, and Caspian. I'll always remember.

And there marks the end of this chapter...and sadly I simply won't be able to update until after November, since I'm behind on plotting out my NaNo story. But expect the next chapter in the first week of December. And if it's not here, feel free to bug the living daylights out of me. No joke. :)

Random note: I just finished the most important scene in this entire book, so yay! Heads up to all you readers, especially the ones who've been with me a while: this story is going to be darker than the first one, so just know that. Reason being...I just wanted Laurah to mature more and make everything a little more serious. Because I'm maturing a little too. XP

And if you've got an extra minute, I'd love some feedback. :)