Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing Narnia related (though I wish I did!). Only original characters are mine.
AN: Yes, I know, I'm posting this over a week after my previous one, but then, I was on vacation last week, and had only that one chance to do it. Plus, I had to work on writing this chapter (as well as the next one, in case I fell behind again), so that took up a lot of time as well.
But, anyway, here we are! There's a nice little scene between Caspian and Ali in this one, which hopefully makes up for my lateness. Please enjoy, and don't forget to review!
Chapter 9: The Task Ahead:
Now that I wasn't scared stupid about something bad possibly happening to me, I was able to follow Coriakin into the mansion without my stomach being in knots. Well, okay, it was in knots, but not because of anything the magician had done. Nope, what had my gut tangled up was the fact that Caspian was walking right behind me, playing the protective knight-in-shining-armor.
In a way, it was flattering that he had been so worried about me. The look on his face when I'd come out of the mansion had been one of relief, and I could only imagine what he'd felt when he woken up to find me and Lucy gone from our bedrolls. I think he might have had the urge to hug me, just to be sure I was really there, but it might have been my imagination.
However, the protective and determined look he had on his face right now as he walked beside me spoke volumes. Caspian had thought me hurt or dead, and he was probably going to be overprotective for a while, at least until I knocked some sense into him. I mean, I can defend myself, but there's not much a person can do against invisible enemies, is there?
"What did you mean, when you said that you made them invisible for their own good?" Lucy asked as she and Coriakin entered the library, the rest of us trailing in behind.
"It seemed the easiest way to protect them," he said, "from the evil."
"You mean the Mist?" Edmund asked, still apparently unsure the two subjects were the same thing.
The magician turned and looked at him. "I mean what lies behind the Mist," he replied.
Turning my head slightly, I saw Caspian grow even more worried than he had been earlier. He seemed unsure about this voyage, particularly at the strange and nasty turn it had taken –after all, we were supposed to be looking for lost men, not fighting evil mists.
Inside the library, I took a good look around, since I had been a bit preoccupied the first time I'd been in here. All around the walls, floor to high ceiling, were books of every size, and some of them were floating! Books drifted magically around the top of room, keeping an odd sort of orbit as I watched. Upon the ceiling was the illusion of a night sky, which the kind of image a satellite would take of the universe, complete with a few swirling galaxies or star clusters. The dark blues and blacks of the sky were spattered with the occasional swirl of pink, purple, white, gold, and even red and orange. It was like standing in an observatory, only much more magical.
"I want this library," I muttered aloud, taking in the beauty of it all. "I so very much want this library." Beside me, Caspian chuckled softly, but said nothing.
From a desk on the far side of the room, Coriakin retrieved a closed scroll and gently tossed it towards us, the object unfurling and coasting through the air until the end halted before Caspian, the rest stretching to where Coriakin stood. As the scroll settled to the floor, I could see images of the sea, the water actually shifting and moving, almost as though I were looking at it from a bird's eye view.
But the best part lay in the images that decorated the borders of the scroll. I could see the Stone Table, and Aslan's army camped around it. There was a Centaur blowing into a horn, and as he did so, an army surged out from the tents to attack the charging enemy. A figure on a white horse led the Narnians, and I could only guess that it was King Peter. From the other side came the White Witch's forces, the two sides meeting epically in full force upon the page. It was absolutely incredible.
"It's quite beautiful," Eustace said, his voice soft and full of amazement and awe. When he saw all of us looking at him in surprise and amusement, he hastily added, "I mean for a make believe map of a make believe world."
As Edmund and Lucy exchanged a knowing look over the top of the scroll, Coriakin began to speak. "Here is the source of your troubles," he said, the map zooming in to focus on a strip of land that resembled a black spider that glowed green from within. "Dark Island; the place where evil lurks."
The magician began to slowly walk across the scroll, looking at Edmund. "It can take any form. It can make your darkest dreams come true." He turned towards the rest of us. "It seeks to corrupt all goodness, to steal the light from this world."
Lucy straightened where she stood. "How do we stop it?" she asked, determination in her voice as she spoke. I could see why she was called The Valiant.
Coriakin moved to look closely at her. "You must break its spell." He turned around to face Edmund once more, his hand gesturing towards the sword at the young man's side. "That sword you carry –there are six others like it."
Edmund straightened. "Have you seen them?"
"Yes," the older man replied.
"The six lords?" asked Caspian. "They passed through here?" At Coriakin's nod, he continued, "Where were they headed?"
"Where I sent them," the magician answered, gesturing towards the map. "To break the spell, you must follow the blue star to Ramandu's Island."
A shining blue glimmer of light appeared over the map, which shifted to show an island with tall mountains and immense waterfalls. "There the swords must be laid at Aslan's Table. Only then can the true magical power within them be released, and the Evil defeated." He paused. "But beware –you are all about to be tested."
"Tested?" Lucy asked, clearly confused and frustrated at each new obstacle he threw at us.
Coriakin looked at her. "Until the seventh sword is placed upon the table, evil has the upper hand. It will do everything in its power to tempt you." He leaned close to her once again. "Be strong."
Turning, he headed back towards the other side of the room. "Do not fall to temptation. To defeat the darkness out there, you must defeat the darkness inside yourself."
Oh, boy, that was going to be a problem. I could already see uneasiness on Edmund and Caspian's faces, and a touch of it on Lucy's as well. For me, I could only wonder what the Mist would tempt me with. I didn't want power, money, or anything really.
Glancing at the map that still lay upon the floor, I saw the blue star shining above Ramandu's Island, and felt my gut clench. I knew who the blue star was: the Star's Daughter, the girl Caspian would marry and make his Queen. I suddenly felt sick, but managed to keep hold of myself in front of the others.
"We thank you for all that you've told us," Caspian was telling our host. "If we are to make any headway in this task, we must leave at once."
I snapped back to the present. "Please forgive me," I interrupted, "But would it be rude of me to ask if you could spare some supplies for our ship? If the journey is going to be long, we will need all of the food, water, and necessities we can get."
Caspian looked a bit sheepish, but Coriakin merely smiled. "You are a very smart young woman, Lady Alandra. I can see why others like you so much."
Blushing, I had to resist the urge to smack Caspian as he smirked at me. Instead, I looked at him and jerked my head, not-so-subtly 'suggesting' that he and a few of his men have a talk with our host, to see what we needed onboard, and what could be spared from the mansion. Eustace elected to return to the ship, and Edmund chose to go with him, likely to keep his cousin out of everyone's hair. Drinian would go inform the men outside about our new mission, and then return to help with the supplies.
In the meantime, I would go with Lucy to wait outside and enjoy being on land while we could.
After spending hours roaming the gardens and looking at the lovely flowers (with not a Dufflepud in sight), Lucy and I found our way back to the front of the mansion, arriving just as Caspian and Drinian emerged from inside. From the pleased looks on their faces, I guessed that our stores aboard the Dawn Treader were now much better.
"And so?" I asked, glancing between the two of them. "It went well, I suppose?"
"Very well," Drinian said, smiling. "The hold will be filled to bursting, and we have fresh herbs and teas. It's all been sent ahead to the ship, so that leaves only us to load up."
At that point, Coriakin exited the house, a mahogany chest with brass trim floating beside him. "I think these might please you, Lady Ali," he said. "Inside are a few texts that I believe you will find informative or entertaining. Feel free to share them with anyone else who cares to use them."
I watched in amazement as the chest drifted to hover beside me, happiness and excitement causing a big smile to form on my face. "Thank you," I said appreciatively. "This means a great deal to me. I promise to take very good care of them."
He smiled. "I know you shall. And should we meet again when your quest is done, I will add to that collection with others from my library." He looked down at the chest. "The enchantment shall hold until you reach your longboats. Safe journey to you all."
Without another word to anyone, he turned and retreated into the house, the doors shutting behind them on their own. Deciding that we'd probably overstayed our welcome, the four of us turned and headed back to the boats on shore, the chest drifting along behind us.
The journey over water to the ship was quiet, with the chest lying at the bottom of the boat. The minute we were on deck, I had a few of the men haul the heavy object to my cabin, so I could store it under my bed.
Once that was done, however, Caspian sent a man to fetch me for a "private chat," which made me sigh. After what had happened during the battle with the Calormen army, I now knew that private meetings with Caspian were never a good thing, especially after a life-threatening situation had occurred. But I had no choice, which was why I was now standing before the doors to his meeting rooms, waiting for him to call for me to enter.
"Come in," his voice said through the wood and glass, after I knocked.
Entering, I closed the doors behind me and turned to look at him. There he stood by the large windows, staring out to sea at the island fading away behind us. His reflection in the glass showed there was a worried look on his face, and I could tell that he was going to say something I didn't like. In all likelihood, he was going to forbid me from doing anything dangerous or even remotely difficult.
When he looked towards me, my suspicions were confirmed –in his eyes, I saw the stubbornness that glinted there, and knew I had to head off any ridiculous ideas he might have about wanting to keep me safe for the rest of the voyage.
Crossing my arms, I gave him a firm glare. "Don't even think about it," I stated, flatly and firmly. "I know that look, and don't think for one minute that I'm going to hide in my cabin until we return to Narnia."
He opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off. "I know that you probably blame yourself for what happened, but you couldn't have known that the island had invisible beings living there. They were invisible, for goodness sakes! We're also in unexplored and unchartered waters, and even if we had some hint of what lay beyond the Lone Islands, there was no guarantee that we would truly know what we would be dealing with."
Stepping up to him, I put a hand on his arm, trying to meet his eyes even though he would not meet mine. "We both knew that going on this journey would be dangerous," I gently reminded him. "But I am not completely defenseless, and I know how to take care of myself when it comes to a fight. You saw to that, as did Silvermane, Reepicheep, and Trumpkin, who are some of the best fighters in Narnia. I couldn't ask for better teachers."
My hand reached up to turn his face, forcing him to look at me. "The only thing we hadn't counted on was an invisible foe. Now we know better, and can make ourselves prepared. But do not force me to remain in forced imprisonment on this ship, not when you know I'll merely disobey your wishes at the first chance I get."
He smiled in amusement. "You would indeed, as I well know."
A second later, Caspian had me swept up in a hug, one that was so tight, it squeezed the air out of me as he lifted me off the ground. Then I was back on the ground, and he had loosened his grip, though he did not release me, his chin resting on my shoulder as he maintained his hold.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "It's just…I was so worried. I thought I had lost you again, and that there would be no hope of rescue."
Pulling back, I looked up and gave him a teasing smile. "You aren't rid of me so easily, sir," I retorted, gently tweaking his nose with the knuckles of my right fore- and middle finger. "Now, let me go, before someone walks in here and gets the wrong idea."
Caspian grinned. "And what idea would that be?" he asked, oh-so-innocently.
I rolled my eyes. "Very funny," I replied, pulling out of his grasp. "But seriously, if one of the crew walked in here and saw us like this, they might get the wrong impression. And if that happens, they'll force you to marry me, and then where will you be?"
Before he could reply, there was a knock on the door. "Sire? May I enter?" Drinian called.
Quickly moving out of Caspian's arms and on to the other side of the room, I busied myself with looking at the images of the missing Lords of Narnia, my ears open for their conversation. I heard Caspian sigh, then call for his friend to enter. Without hesitation, Drinian burst into the room, a worried look on his face.
"Sire, the weather watchers think that we're headed into a storm," he said. "I wished to see what course of action you wanted to take."
"Ali?" Caspian called, summoning me to join them. "What do you think?"
At his invitation, I moved closer, though I surprised to be part of his decision. Inwardly, I rather suspected that he wanted to return to Coriakin's island, but we'd left there nearly an hour ago, and the winds had been in our favor; we were quite a good distance from land, and I doubted that turning back was a real option.
"Drinian, what do you think would be best?" I asked. "You're one of the more experienced sailors aboard, so what is your opinion?"
He looked at me in surprise, as did Caspian, but neither one put aside my question. Rather, Drinian seemed glad that I had asked him. "Well, Sire, my lady, since we don't know how long or short this storm is, I'm thinking it would be best to sail onwards. Granted, sailing through a storm is chancy, at best, but it'll be faster to go through it, rather than wait on land for it to pass."
Then he smirked a little in good humor. "And since we are on a quest of two kinds, I don't think losing time is something you would like."
"Too true," Caspian muttered. "And we have faced a few storms already, in our travels."
Drinian nodded. "So we sail onwards?" At Caspian's own nod, Drinian saluted him. "I'll have some men below, ready with the oars, in case we need them." He bowed. "Your Majesty; Ali."
Once he'd gone, I sighed. "Well, if we're going to be heading into a storm, I might as well secure my belongings and help get Lucy and Gael settled."
Caspian's eyes brightened. "Why don't you move into the cabin with them?" he suggested. "That way, you won't feel too pressed in if it turns out to be a long storm. I know how you dislike being kept in one room for too long, but you helping on deck is not an option."
It was a good idea. I hadn't been allowed to help during storms in the past (or even rainy days), and the thought of being stuck in my tiny cabin for days on end was almost maddening. Temporarily sharing the King's sleeping cabin with Lucy and Gael would make things much more bearable, and it would give me two other people to talk to and entertain.
"Alright," I agreed with a nod. "I'll pack a few things and take them over there, so that I'm not constantly racing back and forth."
Giving his arm a squeeze, I turned and headed for my own room, mentally checking off everything I'd need during several rainy days at sea.
As Ali left the cabin, Caspian breathed a sigh of relief. For once, she was going to do as he'd asked her! Did wonders never cease?
But her independent nature was what endeared her to him. Ali didn't stand by and give way to him just because he was a man and the King –rather, she stood up for herself and argued when she thought an idea was ridiculous, or when she didn't agree with it. If she didn't understand something, she wasn't afraid to ask questions, or for the opinions of others, and was able to make choices for herself. If she ever needed help, she asked for it.
'At least she agreed with my idea about joining Lucy in the main cabin.'
Smiling, he crossed his arms over his chest and went to look out the window at the sea, which was beginning to churn a bit wildly from the upcoming storm. He honestly had not thought Ali would do as he asked, but occasionally, she did so –his theory on this matter was that she obeyed him because she was humoring him, or because she thought his order a good idea. Caspian had a feeling that this was one of his good ideas.
As a cloud drifted over the sun, Caspian felt the ship lurch slightly, and knew that this was going to be one of the worse storms. At least the females were going to be safely inside, away from the dangers of going overboard or straining themselves with work.
'No doubt Ali will want to help with something, when she becomes bored.'
If that happened, perhaps he could ask her to help prepare meals down below, something the men could serve and eat in a hurry? Given how clever she was, he had no doubt that Ali would be able to put something together that would satisfy everyone.
The bell up on deck began ringing, calling all available crewmen to help during the storm. Knowing that he would be needed, Caspian pulled on a thick wool tunic, and tied a scarf around his neck, which he then tucked under his collar. The wool would keep him warm, even when it was wet, and the scarf would protect his throat from the cold that was bound to arrive with the storm.
Out he went, mind focused on the tasks he would likely be called upon to do, and his heart hoping that this would be a small squall, for all their sakes.
AN: Review?
