A/N: Aye. Lots of updates in one week. I managed to steal some time at last. I'm not a very good thief for it was only an hour or so, but eh, an hour's better than naught, what?
OH! And Donovan joined Fanfiction AT LAST! She's the co-author of this fic (erm...at least, she would be if it wasn't a really for-true story), and her penname is ReginaRose. You can find her at this link: fanfiction ~reginarose (if you just remove the spaces around the dot).
So sorry for the ridiculously long wait. But things are about to get interesting, because the situation has shifted back in our world...but I get ahead of myself. :) Enjoy.
Chapter 8: In Which They Get Away
Little need be said about Donovan but that she often woke with nightmares after the harrowing day or so that they were prisoners of the pirate Pug.
It wasn't that she didn't trust in the Canon and Connor and Aslan to get them out of the tight spot, just that she hadn't expected it to be so stressful.
Or annoying. She was both glad and frustrated that Eustace was bound several people away from her, because if he'd been close she might've forgotten her Keeper Oaths and either strangled him or gagged him (even though she was still tied up, she would've found a way).
At last, though, Susan and Edmund both snapped at him and Reepicheep added some biting comment and Lucy just sighed, so Scrubb gave up the complaining and started to blub again. Endlessly, pitifully, and utterly ridiculously. Donovan closed her eyes and leaned against the hold and imagined all the different things she could do to Connor when she got her hands on him. Or whoever was responsible for their devices malfunctioning.
This went on for what felt like an age. When morning finally came, Eustace had fallen into a sullen silence, and all the others watched the door when it opened with a sort of hopeless expectation. Lucy had gotten to know a few of the other slaves—many of whom were curious about Reep. Donovan just made sure she was near Susan.
They were taken on deck and lowered into the longboat again, and then rowed to shore by Pug's men. Narrowhaven had a large waterfront, but most of the boats docked were fishing boats, filled with men who did not stop their work to watch the slaves being marched by.
The slave market opened. One by one, they were sold. Lucy and Reepicheep were bought by a haughty looking slave, who was apparently acting for his master's wife who liked exotic animals and needed a new maidservant. Edmund and Susan went to a cruel looking man with an oiled beard—a Calormene, and by the way he eyed Susan, a nasty one. He almost bought Donovan too, but kept looking at her hair—bright red—and shaking his head. Apparently Calormenes didn't like gingers.
She stood on the platform and watched as other humans bid for her, planning to take her home like property. It was humiliating, to say to say the least, and almost more than she could bear. The only thing that kept her from lunging at Pug or her new master (a fat man with a nose shaped like a potato) was the thought that soon They would come—soon the Slave Trade would be abolished forever.
So when her new master turned and snapped his fingers for her to follow before Pug had finished selling a young Galmian girl (with Eustace added in on the side), her blood ran cold. For if she left now, she would not be there to be set free by Caspian.
Unfortunately, her master had no knowledge of these events (and doubtless would not have cared much if he had). He led her through the streets (or rather, his steward, who walked behind him, did) and put her directly to work in his garden, beside a large house. Donovan kept flinging glances over her shoulder, thinking about escaping, or hoping to see a face she recognized, but it was no good. The steward watched her kindly, but sternly, and kept a hand on her arm the whole time.
She was pulling weeds under the careful gaze of an overseer and wondering what on earth was going to become of her when she heard the sound of running feet. Donovan looked up and almost fainted of relief, as she shouted, "Connor!"
0o0o0o0o0o
For Connor had been thinking about her far too much during the episode with Governor Gumpas to not realize, within the first minute they came upon the slave market, that Donovan was not present. While Caspian proclaimed that the slaves were now free, he managed to pick out Edmund and Susan, Lucy and Reepicheep…but not the red-head he was worried about.
"She isn't here," he told Caspian the moment the king turned aside from greeting Lucy and Edmund and the others. "Donovan isn't here."
"CAPSIAN!" Susan cried, and flung herself at the king. Connor didn't even blink—his de-OC-ifying spray caught her mid leap.
"She's not here."
Caspian turned to Pug and asked about her (unfortunately the pirate was too miserable to give a straight answer), but Edmund told Connor, "The man who bought me and Susan said something about Lord Gaius, and one of the nicest plots in the city when he saw who bought Donovan. Do you think that'd do any good?"
Connor shrugged and took off at a run toward the street, but not before hesitating and then dragging a dazed Susan along with him. He stopped three people and asked where to find the house of Lord Gaius, and the third person, an old woman who was carrying a laundry basket, said she was headed that way. Politely (for although he was mischievous, Connor was also a gentleman), Connor offered to carry her laundry for her if she would take him there.
The old woman went on so slowly he thought he would burst of impatience. Susan was still too dazed to put up a fight, so Connor merely watched her as they walked along, prepared to drop the laundry and tackle her if it was needed. At last the woman reached a house and said this was where she stopped, and gestured down the street and said, "Three more down, with a large garden next to it. You can't miss it."
He thanked her hurriedly and took off, stumbling on the loose stones (despite the fact that he was now wearing his Standard Issue Boots again) and bringing Susan stumbling after him (she was snarling now that he should slow down because her feet hurt, but this wasn't the real Susan, so why should he care?). His heart was racing. He rounded the corner by the garden and almost sobbed in relief—for there she was, red hair coming loose from the braids and eyes filled with uncertainty and annoyance. Her whole face lit up when she saw him.
She shouted his name, but by then he was over the fence and smothering her with a hug. Donovan grabbed his arms as he pulled back and was smiling. Smiling. As if she hadn't just been sold for a slave because he'd gotten there too late.
"I'm sorry—I'm so sorry—took longer than we'd thought—you're alright?"
"Connor." Donovan shook him once to get him to stop babbling and said, calmly, "You did right. I'm fine. Now let's get out of here before my master shows up and wants to know why I'm not weeding."
There was a sound like a cough from the house, and Donovan and Connor turned to see the fat man standing there, watching them curiously.
"The King has declared slavery illegal," said Connor quickly. "Pug's been ordered to give everyone their money back."
"He saved me," Susan said, smiling dreamily. "Capsian saved me. He's so handsome—but why is his hair blond instead of brown?"
Lord Gaius stared at them for a long moment, and then said, "I was fortunate to find a slave with hair as red as poppy. I may not find another in ten years."
"I'm sorry," said Connor, looking very bold and heroic, "but she isn't a slave and you can't have her. If you have any problem with that you can take it up with the new Duke of the Islands—Lord Bern. Or the king."
The fat man said something very rude and Connor said something not very nice back but eventually he just turned and walked off, towing Donovan (who was towing Susan) behind him. The large-girthed lord stood and stared after them for a long time, but eventually just sighed, shrugged, and went inside the house, mopping the sweat from his brow with a yellowish handkerchief.
0o0o0o0o0o
After several weeks of feasting and meeting the family of Lord Bern (and wondering why Connor looked so sadly at a certain brown-haired girl named Mena when it was time to cast off), Donovan stared thoughtfully at the retreating shore of the island of Avra. She didn't know how they'd managed to keep Susan from assaulting Caspian for the span of time they'd spent there, but each day consisted of long walks and each of the Keepers taking turns to watch their bewildered charge. And although there had been one frightful event during the feast the night after they'd Freed the Lone Islands, both Connor and Donovan had performed their jobs moderately well.
Eustace was being sick again over the ship's side (Lucy was fingering her cordial thoughtfully), but all the others were in high spirits, as the adventure of Setting Out To See The Unknown really began.
Comfortable in a practical dress which she fancied flattered her better than the old ship's tunic she'd been wearing (they'd purchased clothing in Narrowhaven under the direction of Lady Bern), Donovan glanced over at Edmund, who was staring at the receding shore with a very pensive expression on his face. He noticed her look and grinned shyly at her.
"There were pirates here in our days, too. Always have been, likely always will be, no matter who is king."
"Were there slaves then, too?"
The young king shrugged. "Plenty. It's a Calormene practice. They come here with their war galleys and have no qualms about buying other humans as property." He shivered and rubbed his neck. "No one should be treated like property."
Donovan smiled a little, thinking of a young boy who'd sold himself into slavery for Turkish Delight. "No. No one."
A few hours later, she was watching the sun set. It was an odd, yellowish color instead of the usual crimson, and set the sea to looking like sickly gold. She saw Drinian staring at the water, and wondered if something was wrong. It was far too early for the Sea Serpent attack. But then again…if this was one of those fics…
"Oi!" Connor bounded on deck. Donovan turned and grinned at him, realizing that she hadn't seen him all day.
"Where've you been?" she asked, punching him lightly in the arm. "Mourning below decks because of a certain Lady—"
"Stuff it," he interrupted her, glaring a little, and then shoved something into her hands. Still grinning and wondering how to tease him further, Donovan looked down at the object. And let out a cry.
"Connor—the STARDD?"
The blond nodded an affirmative. "I cleaned the components and got everything connected again. It took a little creative wiring, and it's still low on energy, but I have an idea about how we can…" his words trailed off as he glanced around at the sky and sea. "Hullo. What's this? Bad weather?"
"Can't be," Donovan replied, fiddling with her braid and tinkering with the STARDD excitedly. "Storm's not for another few days. D'you think it'll get us and Susan back to the right time?"
Jerking his gaze back to her, Connor hesitated, and then shrugged. "It should. I was planning on using a boost from one of the stun guns. It's risky, but it might just work."
The wind was picking up. But the odd thing was that the sail hung loose one minute, and then snapped taut the next. Shaking his head, Connor scratched his head and began looking about for Caspian. "I don't like this. Something feels…off."
"Perhaps we shouldn't leave. Perhaps we ought to stay, even with Susan, and make sure it's going to turn out like it's supposed to."
Although it wasn't likely anything they could do would influence the weather or chain of events, Donovan was starting to feel panicked. So the adventure with the pirates hadn't been exactly the most thrilling Narnian experience she'd ever had. She was beginning to like it here—beginning to wonder how it would all play out. She'd even begun to think that they might be lucky enough to stay for all of it, be able to see Him, once the end had come. But now that the STARDD was fixed, all these thoughts were crumbling and blowing away in the gale like a handful of sand.
Connor shouted something to her, but she couldn't understand him above the wind. Drinian was shouting at Lucy and Eustace, and suddenly, there was Caspian, hair tousled and face grim.
"It's going to storm!" he shouted. Donovan had a sinking, and felt pretty sure, from the look that Connor gave her, that he did too. "Lady Donovan—get below and stay with the queens. Connor—"
He was cut off by the sound of someone shouting "CASPIAN!" There was a flash of green (Susan, too, had found a flattering dress at Narrowhaven), and the impact almost flung the fair-haired king to the deck. Something that sounded like kettledrums rumbled threateningly overhead, as Donovan and Connor both dove for Queen Susan simultaneously.
Something happened, then, almost as soon as they grabbed hold of her. The first was that Donovan thought, Oh Aslan, help! The second, was that her hand that was still holding the STARDD slipped so that one of her fingers jabbed one of the buttons.
The third thing was a little bit flashier: a bolt of lightning, slashing across the dark yellow clouds like a white-hot scar, hit the ship.
Well, to be more specific, it hit the STARDD (which was, as you may recall, a Synchronized Time and Relative Dimension Device). Donovan screamed as a static buzzing filled her ears, as every hair on her body stood on end. The sea, the storm, and the ship all faded from view, until all she could see was a blindingly white light that penetrated her skin and consumed her completely.
o0o0o0o0o
Inside a room which was entirely pink except where the shadows cast by the purple lava lamp formed a wicked shade of fuschia, a teenaged girl glared at the screen of her laptop and screamed something that might have been "LIEK NOOOOOOOO!111"
To Be Continued...
