Disclaimer: I own only the character Raxie and the plotline that proceeds after Ramandu's island.
"Seven years ago it was; a ship from Narnia came to this island with four lords." Corriarkan mused as they stood on the beach within view of the Treader. "After replenishing their stores they continued on eastward."
"Can you remember their names?" Caspian asked eagerly.
"Lords Travillion, Argos, Madramoor and Roop." The magician said in a regal manner that signified that he was quite proud of the fact that he could still remember their names after seven years.
"Can you tell us what lies ahead?" Edmund inquired.
"Even I do not know what lies in those far eastern seas." Corriarkan shook his head regretfully. Soon they were back aboard the Dawn Treader sailing onward, ever east. But once on board Caspian cornered Lucy, a question in his eyes.
"Lucy, is there something wrong? You haven't been the same since we left Deathwater Island." They stood side by side at the prow of the ship, watching the waters ripple off the front of the ship.
"No Caspian, nothing's wrong." Lucy sighed, knowing she wouldn't be able to not tell Caspian eventually about how he had hurt her feelings. "My feelings are just bruised, that's all."
"Bruised?" Caspian asked concerned, moving closer to her side. "What did I do or say to hurt you?"
"It's not your fault Caspian, you weren't yourself." Lucy could feel him gazing at her, slowly moving closer, but she refused to meet him in the eye.
"Still, I have hurt you." Caspian touched her shoulder gently, voice deep and troubled. "I am so sorry."
"You're forgiven Caspian. I never held against you." She finally looked at him, smiling up into his somber face. "I don't blame you."
"Whatever happened, don't blame yourself either." Lucy opened her mouth to disagree, but Caspian covered her lips with one of his work roughened fingers, fingers that were of a working man, not a king. "Don't lie, I know you Luce, You'll blame yourself before you blame anyone else."
"You're right, but-"
"Sire, you better see this." Drinian called from the top deck, shattering the delicate moment. Lucy followed Caspian, unnerved by the usually unflappable captains' tone. Before them loomed a wall of dark mist, obscuring the horizon as far as the eye could see. Around Lucy the men began to argue whether to turn back of keep their heading; in the end the Treader stayed true to course.
Lanterns were lit to see into the darkness, the depth of water being measured to prevent running aground. Lucy stood to the side, out of the crews way, observing everything when a haunted voice called out from somewhere beyond the ship, pleading the help.
"Please, take me on board, I beg of you." The man's voice was distraught and was followed by a splash as a man called out the marking of one fathom. Drinian told them to come about and stand as the splashing of the mystery man came closer to the side of the Treader. The man continued to shout until he could be seen in the torchlight surrounding the ship like a glowing aura. Lucy was appalled at the state of the mans clothing and obvious health. His scraps of clothes were ragged and he was so thin and sleep deprived that he looked to be almost a walking ghost. His breeches were torn and filthy and much too large for his thin body, and his eyes were sunken deep within bruised purple skin.
"You must get away!" The man demanded in a desperate plea. "This island is cursed; this is the island where dreams come true."
The crew began to mutter in excitement, but Lucy kept quiet. If this was the island where dreams came true, then why did the man appear to be haggard and broken. Not all dreams were what the dreamer wanted them to be. Sometimes they were windows into the wants and desires that even the dreamer wasn't aware of or wanted to acknowledge. Other times they were sent to the dreamers as a peek into what was destined in the dreamers' future if the person knew how to be open to the insight provided by such dreams.
"Fools, not dreams, not daydreams, but where your worst dreams, your worst nightmares come true!" The man wept in fear and pity, huddled in against himself between Lucy and Caspian. In lieu of this announcement the men all around began to mutter their nightmares, deafening Lucy. Before her eyes she saw Caspian collapse, a dagger in his heart, his eyes on hers. He reached out a bloodied hand and Lucy moved toward him only to be rooted to where she stood making her watch horrified as Caspian struggled for his last breath, blood bubbling up between his lips. Lucy knew this was a illusion and she refused to watch him die even if it were not happening in real life. She knew if she watched any more her heart would break possibly beyond repair.
"Aslan, Aslan, if you ever loved us, save us!" Lucy screeched, eyes looking heavenward, desperately seeking a sign. Please Aslan, save Caspian.
"Never fear, dear heart." Aslan's voice whispered through her mind as a shaft of sunlight pierced the gloomy darkness. Within the light reeled an albatross wheeling around the crows nest, leading the ship to safety. Following the sea bird the darkness slowly began to fade, shafts of healing sunlight touching every place on this ship. Coming to herself Lucy knelt, helping the gaunt and shivering man to his feet.
"Who are you sir?" Lucy asked softly, feeling Caspian move closer.
"I, when I was anyone, was Lord Roop of Narnia." The man clasped Caspian's strong hand between his own two frail and trembling ones. "Please, grant me a boon. Never send me back to that accursed place again."
"My lord, I am Caspian, King of Narnia. I have been seeking you and your companions." Caspian replied with a tone of triumph and relief. "Rynalf, prepare a bed for our missing lord."
"Please don't leave me!" Roop gasped. Seeing the confusion and pain on Caspian's face Lucy plunged in and took charge.
"My lord, the dark island has been destroyed. I cannot guarantee that you will not dream, but you can rest now." Lucy soothed Roop. "If it shall make you better, I shall sit with you through the night."
"Bless you, bless you." Roop cried. The relief on Caspian's face was well worth the possible lack of sleep. Gently Caspian and Lucy led Roop below deck to Caspian's cabin that Lucy had been occupying, sensing that the soft feather bed would be welcome and help ease Roop better than a simple bunk with the other men. Within moments of settling down Roop fell into a deep and exhausted slumber.
Caspian drew Lucy to the far side of the room, whispering so as to not wake the sleeping lord.
"Couldn't you use your cordial on him?"
"No, unfortunately." Lucy sighed. "My cordial only heals physical ailments, not psychological problems."
"Psycho- what?" Caspian asked, brow crinkled in confusion yet again.
"Sorry." Lucy blushed. "The mind or emotions."
"So what now?" He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, eyes trained upon her in a steady manner. Lucy shivered on the inside.
"Let him rest. Have a comfortable, cushioned chair up on the prow deck for him with some sort of shading. Try not to disturb him too much, and let him relax in the knowledge that he no longer has anything to fear." Lucy replied, pushing aside all of her feelings to deal with the broken man who she had taken under her care.
"Done." Caspian said without even blinking an eye, trusting Lucy to know what she was doing.
"Good." Lucy smiled. "The more comfortable Lord Roop is the better and faster his recovery will be."
"Where will you sleep tonight?" Caspian's concerns turned to her welfare now that their newest guest was well taken care of. He was gazing down at her his eyes warm and soft. Lucy felt her heart melting towards him a little more and she knew that she was falling for him more and more with each passing day.
"I promised Lord Roop that I would sit with him through the night." Lucy yawned. "I'll most likely nap in my chair."
"You need to rest as well." Caspian sighed, knowing there was no way to change Lucy's mind once she was set on doing something. Lucy was pleased by the fact the he was worried over her sleeping habits.
"I'll sleep tomorrow during the day." Lucy touched Caspian's warm shoulder. "Don't worry. Now, you should retire."
"Are you certain?" He clasped her by the shoulders, looking fully into her eyes. Blue-grey in their intensity and dark with concern his eyes bored into hers, searching her own hazel-green eyes for reassurance and the truth.
"I'll be fine." Lucy whispered. "Don't worry."
"Very well." Caspian slowly released her and stood to his full, imposing height. "I'll see you tomorrow, and not before lunch." Silently he slipped out of the cabin, taking her heart with him. Suppressing a shudder and a yawn Lucy settled into a plush chair by the bed, taking up her vigil over the frail and sleeping man and promptly drifted off to sleep.