Oh Kay. Next Chapter. I'm on a roll. Now I just have to finish the story!
I don't own!
Enjoy!
They had been on the Dawn Treader for two weeks, two weeks of training, two weeks of talking, two weeks of doing absolutely nothing! It was driving not only Eustace mad, but his cousins as well. Lucy was this close to just ripping her hair out. She had been trying to get both her brother and her cousin to open up, but neither would, both finding excuses to not talk to her, or would just evade her somehow. She just wanted them to admit that they were sad. But neither would stay still long enough for her.
Even Reepicheep could get one or both of the boy's attention for longer then ten minutes. Speaking of Reepicheep, he had just challenged Eustace to a duel, winner gets the others water ration for the day. Lucy thinks she might have been the reason that Eustace agreed to it. She had only asked him to sit with her ten minutes earlier. She suspects that Reepicheep was helping the boy's evade her.
Edmund came out of hiding quickly when he heard the commotion. Caspian was standing in front of Reepicheep and Eustace. Eustace had a doubting look on his face, like he did something he knew he was going to regret. Reepicheep had a confidant smirk.
"What is going on?" Edmund asked Lucy in a whisper. "Reepicheep challenged Eustace to a sword fight. Winner gets the others water ration for the day." She whispered back, her eyes locked onto the three before her. Edmund found that he really wanted to see how Eustace would do. He knew that Eustace could win, if he had confidence in himself. The boy had been sparing with both himself and his husband, in between his lessons with Reepicheep. He could tell that he was talented, not as talented as himself or Peter, but so close, Edmund had almost lost the first time they dualed. He was painfully reminded that Edmund was his cousin, he had the same blood flowing through his blood, the same fire, and it seems, the same talent for sword fighting.
Caspian was amused. Even he couldn't beat Reepicheep in a friendly dual. He couldn't see how Eustace thought he could win, enough at least, to bet his water on it; and on the sea, water was as precious as gold. The boy was something else. While he knew the boy could fight, and fight well, he also knew that there was no way he could win in a fight with the resident sword master.
"The conditions are; no killing and no foul play. Other than those it's a free for all. Good luck." Caspian said more to Eustace then he did to Reepicheep. Eustace got into a stance Reepicheep showed him, a sword in his left hand. He was ready, he knew he was, he could beat him, even if it's only a single match.
They started their fight by swiping their swords and circling each other. It went by in a blur, Parry, blow strike and block. Eustace lost his sword twice but he managed to gain it back before he lost it for the last time, were Reepicheep got him to his knees and won. Even though they all have seen him fight, everyone was surprised at how long he lasted, and how vicious he fought. The boy needed to calm down.
"As promised, you may have my rations for the day. I'll be in the room for the rest of the night." Eustace grit out before retreating into the cabin of the ship. His exit made the little mouse sad, he didn't really want Eustace's rations; he just wanted Eustace to fight him without holding back. But it seemed that he was holding in his emotions, which made him sloppy. Reepicheep wanted his friend to feel better, to believe in himself and to reach his potential.
"Eustace?" Reepicheep called out quietly as he entered the cabin. He didn't see him in his bed and he couldn't find him anywhere within the rest of the darkened cabin. After an inspection of the most common areas of the ship, he still couldn't find the boy, so he went to find the queen. Finding her at the table on deck, a card game going on with her, Edmund, and two crew members who were off duty.
"Have you seen Eustace?" Reepicheep asked Lucy. Lucy looked at him with confusion. Her cousin, while cruel and rude, didn't tend to lie, he had said that he would be in his bed, so he should have been in his bed.
"He said he would be in his bed." She told him with concern in her voice. "Was he not there?" She asked. If he wasn't there, then where would he be? She set down her cards, giving the two crew members an apologetic smile, they shrugged before going back to playing, easily playing around Lucy and Edmund, who had set his cards down as well.
Reepicheep shook his head. He knew his friend, and he knew that the boy would be licking his wound so to speak, like he did every time he spared and lost.
"We'll find him." Edmund told them as he and Lucy got up from the table. They searched the ship, starting at the top and working their way to the bottom. They heard something coming from the rations storage. Afraid it was someone stealing rations they entered the room quickly.
What they saw startled them to no end. Eustace was training. He got a log from the extra wood they had for repairs and set it up in the back of the room. He had a wooden sword in his right hand and a real one in his left. What startled them wasn't the fact that he was training, but the fact that he had a large bruise on his torso, and tears wetting his face.
Eustace had taken his shirt off a while ago and was now training his right arm to fight with the sword. He knew that if he ever hurt his left then he would be defenseless, so he took to training with his right arm. He even started writing with his right hand so he could get used to using it.
He had gotten the bruise when he foolishly used the metal sword before the wood with his right hand, the ship swayed heavily and it threw him off balance and he flew into the corner of a box. WHile painful, it wasn't exactly what he was crying about, he was crying more about how easy it was for Reepicheep to beat him. He had been training for months! It wasn't fair! He trained hard! He should have beat Reepicheep! Gah!
He heard someone gasp and he got into a defensive stance, his right side behind him and his left toward the voice, not realising that he was wielding both swords with ease.
"Who's there?" He called out, tensing ever so slightly. Edmund, Lucy and Reepicheep came forward, each having a different sort of shocked look on their face.
"It's just us." Edmund said, his face a blank shock, carefully hidden feeling right below the surface. ONce upon a time Eustace wouldn't care, but now, he wanted to know why he got such a look.
"Why are you here? Rations are taken up there's no need to get them yourselves." Eustace told them, lowering his swords. Lucy took a step closer to him.
"Where did you get that?" She asked as she lightly touched the bruise on his chest. He pulled away violently, how dare she? The only reason she noticed it was because he precious brother was standing there next to her.
"None of your business." He bit out at her before continuing to strike the log. Lucy was worried about him; he was getting ruder and more violent by the day. Maybe those sword fighting lessons were a bad idea.
"She only asked you a simple question, no need to be rude." Edmund told him coldly as he placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder. He was this close to just throwing his cousin overboard himself. What had he done to deserve this? What had his sister done?
Eustace ignored him and continued his practice. Reepicheep shook his head.
"You look parched. You can have your rations if you want." He told Eustace. Eustace looked angry for a second, he didn't want any charity, he wasn't a child, but then he remembered what Reepicheep told him about accepting a fellow swordsman's gifts, the stories of the wars and feuds that had been started by simple misunderstandings. And while he knew that it wouldn't start a feud of any magnitude, he didn't want to disrespect the mouse who had taken him under his wing and helped him for no other reason but because he saw him as something more than a brat. So he shook his head and nodded.
"Thank you." He said, bowing low in respect and accepting his rations from Reepicheep.
Lucy, Edmund and Reepicheep left the supply room and made their way back up to the deck, leaving Eustace to continue his session.
"Should we do something?" Lucy asked, worried for her cousin, what if he became a recluse or grew to resent them even more?
"There's nothing we can do your majesty. Not until he wants our help." Reepicheep said solemnly as the made their way back to the deck.
Eustace felt terrible, he didn't feel like acting like a jerk anymore, but he didn't know how to act better. He decided to go off on his own when they got to land, just for a day or so, maybe he will think more clearly after some alone time.
I remember when I used to say Read and Review at the end of every chapter. I don't anymore. Mostly I say something along the lines on,
I liked it.
And that is all, unless I have something to say.
I am going to take a small break and write a one shot that is on my mind, a Harry Potter/Hocus Pocus fusion. I just want to see a ten year old adopted Harry Granger being a little shit to an older sister Hermione. And Ron being a talking cat.
Mars
