AN: I'm not sure if I can update tomorrow . . . so I stayed up to give you guys a nice, long chapter! Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Keep them coming, dearies.

Chapter 10.

I was sound asleep, snuggled in Edmund's arms when the absolutely lovely sound of Caspian's voice woke me up.

"Ed, wake up!"

I felt him being shook. Knowing that Caspian was trying to get him up, I clutched him closer.

"Huh?" Edmund muttered sleepily, also holding me tighter.

"Wake up, look!"

I felt him let go of me. I opened my eyes to see Edmund, looking alert, get to his feet. The sun was just coming out. Without Edmund's warm body, I was freezing. Yawning, I sat up and saw Caspian and Edmund staring at something on the ground.

"What is it?" I asked hoarsely, my eyes still heavy with sleep. I didn't get an answer so I stood and looked, feeling my eyes widen and every trace of sleepiness go away. There were giant footprints in the sand.

"Where's Lucy?" Edmund asked suddenly. I looked, and sure enough Lucy was gone.

"Lucy?" he called. "Lucy?!"

"Everybody up!" I heard Drinian hiss. I hadn't even noticed he was awake. "Up, I say!"

Everyone was on their feet with weapons in hand in no time. My heart was pounding as I ran along-side Edmund. Lucy could be hurt, or worse.

No, I'm sure she was fine. I refused to think the worse.

We didn't stop running until we came upon a strange looking garden. The bushes were bright green and in weird lumps, almost like something out of Alice in Wonderland.

We all began to walk more cautiously, waiting for a trap to spring itself out at us.

Edmund and I looked around for anything that could be a clue. Then at the same time we spotted one.

"Caspian," Edmund said, almost hopefully. "Lucy's dagger!"

Caspian walked over to investigate when sharp spears suddenly flew out of nowhere.

I jumped back, narrowly missing one.

"Nice reflex," Edmund said, staring in horror at the spear sticking out of the ground where I had just been standing not even a second ago.

I laughed weakly, trying to keep from passing out. I had been that close to becoming a freaking kabob.

"Stop right there or perish!" a rough voice commanded.

Holding onto Edmund's arm, I among the others, looked towards to source of the voice. Nothing was there.

Caspian's sword was suddenly wrenched from his hands and he staggered back as if he had been hit in the face. All around me, everyone was having the same issue.

I felt something hit my legs, making me fall to the ground with an "Oof!"

I looked up and saw Edmund having issues, as if he were being hit.

"Edmund!" I cried, attempting to get to him. Something grabbed my leg and wrenched me away.

I kicked at it hard and scrambled to my feet and ran to Edmund who caught me in his arms protectively, though his sword seemed to have been stolen. I really wish I had grabbed a sword before we left.

"What sort of creatures are you?" Caspian asked shakily, laying on the ground. We all got up and grouped back together. It looked like everyone's weapons had been stolen and now were being used against us by the invisible creatures.

"Big ones," the rough voice answered. "With the head of a tiger and a body of a . . ."

I raised my eyebrows, expectantly. Something was definitely off.

"A different tiger!" another voice chimed in.

"Yeah!"

"You don't want to mess with us!"

"Or what?" Edmund snapped.

My jaw dropped as a figure right in front of us began to appear. "Or I'll claw you to death!" it said.

I looked around and I wasn't sure whether to weep with relief or burst out laughing. The "terrifying creatures" were nothing more than short, odd looking men with only one ginormous leg, which explained the footprints we saw. To appear tall, they were all being held up by one or two of their buddies and brandishing poles as weapons.

"And I'll ram my tusks right through you!" one of them said.

Obviously they weren't aware that they were becoming visible. Edmund and I exchanged looks, neither of us quite sure what to make of the situation.

"And I'll gnash you with my teeth!"

"And I'll bite you with my fangs!" he attempted a pathetic sounding growl, gritting his teeth which made his face look all the more funny.

"You mean squash us with your fat bellies?" Caspian asked. Before him, I never knew that there was a fine line between anger and amusement. Caspian was on that line.

"Yes!" one creature agreed stupidly before realizing what he said. Confused protests came from them as they all looked down at their round little tummies.

"Tickle us with your toes?" Caspian continued. Hm . . . yeah, I forgive him for interrupting me and Edmund last night.

The creature, being held up by two others, fell down. They all looked so weak and pathetic, it was cute.

Caspian laughed, crossing the line to amusement. I somehow managed to keep contain myself to a giggle as Edmund marched forward. "What have you done with my sister, you little pipsqueak?" he demanded.

I'd almost forgot that these were the things that kidnapped Lucy. I ran up next to him as he pointed his sword at whom I assumed was their leader. He had a long beard and looked as old, yet young and innocent as the rest of them.

"Now calm down," the little guy answered, looking nervous.

"Where is she?" Edmund snapped, sounding almost exasperated. I gripped his elbow, hoping he wouldn't tackle the creature. Unless somehow they had hurt Lucy. Then I'd beat them senseless.

"You better tell him!"

"Tell him, chief!"

"What are they, your back up vocalists?" I couldn't help but ask.

"In the mansion," he finally answered.

"What mansion?!" Edmund demanded as I said, "Are you on crack?!"

The creature went all shifty eyed, but we didn't need an answer.

There was a shimmering, liquid-like sound coming from our left.

Lo and behold, not very far away a mansion that looked like it was from a story book began to take form. It was huge with stone walls and vines climbing up the sides of it.

"Found it!" I announced sarcastically.

"Ohh!" Edmund said knowingly. "That mansion!"

Before I could respond, because of course I just had to, a voice I loved oh so much took over.

"You know, I'm getting really tired of you all leaving me behi—" Eustace cut himself off in shock, something I don't think we'll ever see again. Eustace, being silent.

"The pig's come back," one of the creatures said in awe as we all looked behind us to see Eustace in the distance staring at us.

"Trust me, he never leaves," I responded, trying not to laugh.

"This place just gets weirder and weirder," Eustace said, looking at the troll people who began to murmur amongst themselves indignantly about being called weird.

Suddenly, they all began jumping up and down yelling, "Oppressor! The Oppressor!"

Edmund, Caspian, and I turned around to see a balding man with dark brown hair and a short brown beard in a long brown robe, followed by Lucy.

"Lucy!" Edmund said in relief, mixed with surprise.

"You're okay!" I cried. The whole "not going to think the worse" thing hadn't worked too well for me. I thought I'd drive myself nuts with the endless possibilities.

"Your Majesty," the so called "Oppressor", said as he bowed to Edmund and Caspian.

I wonder if he thought I was a queen and was bowing to me too.

"Caspian and Edmund," Lucy began. Nope, I wasn't being bowed to.

I coughed not so subtly.

"And Rose," she said quickly. "This is Coriakin. It's his island."

I realized Edmund and Caspian bowed slightly in respect, so I quickly did the same.

Maybe I was supposed to curtsy . . . oh well.

"That's what he thinks!" the chief creature said snappishly behind us. "You have wronged us, Magician!"

Coriakin spoke to them the way a mother would to her child when she was at her wits end. Calmly, but with annoyance and a little exasperation. "I have not wronged you I made you invisible for your own protection." He was walking towards them and they backed up.

"Protection?"

"That's oppressive!"

"Oppressor!"

I laid my head on Edmund's shoulder. I had barely spent ten minutes with the things and now I was at my wits end.

"I have not oppressed you!" Coriakin said calmly.

"But you could've . . ."

"If you'd wanted to."

I lifted my head up. "We got disarmed by them?" I questioned Edmund, just to be sure.

"I think so," he said uncertainly as we watched the scene.

"Be gone," Coriakin said, tossing some white powdery stuff at them. They all fled past Eustace, anxiously claiming it was magic.

"That wasn't magic, was it?" I said to Coriakin.

"It was lint," he admitted. "But don't tell them."

I laughed. "No worries." They were all frantically trying to get away.

"What were those things?" Eustace asked, looking genuinely curious.

"Dufflepuds," Coriakin answered.

Eustace rolled his eyes and became a sarcastic little shit again. "Right. Of course. Silly me."

But he still gave the Dufflepods a wary look before following us as Coriakin led us to the mansion.

I gave Lucy a tight hug as we walked. "We were worried sick about you!"

"I know," she said apologetically. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," I assured her, pulling away. "Just leave a note next time."

I winked and she laughed. I slowed down so that I was next to Edmund again and he automatically wrapped an arm around me.

"Did I miss something?" Lucy asked in amazement.

Edmund and I looked at each other and shrugged.

"Not really," I said. "But if you need any highlights of what happened ask Caspian to update you."

Caspian glanced back.

Whoa . . . if looks could kill.

I smiled sweetly but murmured under my breath to Edmund, "Don't ever let him near me if he's armed ever again."

"No promises. He is a king after all."

And at the rate I was going, I'd be dead by nightfall.