Disclaimer: I sadly own nothing related to The Chronicles of Narnia. Only original characters belong to me.
AN: In this chapter, that awful green Mist makes an appearance, and now we'll know what Ali can be tempted (or frightened) with. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!
Chapter 10: Storms, Nightmares, and Mists:
This had to be the longest, nastiest storm I had ever been in. After more than ten days of being tossed around Caspian's main cabin, I was beginning to wonder if, perhaps, the Mist was behind it. After all, we'd never had bad weather last more than a week, either at sea or back at Cair Paravel, so why was this one lasting so long?
'Well, it's either that damned Mist, or something else that doesn't want us to get very far in our journey,' I reasoned over a checker game with Lucy.
Or it could just be a super-nasty storm. No matter what it was, though, the weather was beginning to give me cabin fever, and there was no way for me to relieve that growing need to do something. Caspian had flat-out ordered we three females to remain in the main sleeping cabin, day and night, and that is where I'd stayed. Lucky for me, someone had found an extra sleeping pallet down in the cargo hold, so I wasn't sleeping on the actual floor at night. With a mound of blankets and pillows from my cabin, I slept well at least, and had a place to lounge and stretch out whenever I pleased.
Unfortunately, the novelty of lazing around had long since worn off, and I was dying to do something, anything to keep myself busy. Lucy and I had broken out Caspian's checker set, which had heavy silver and gold pieces, so they didn't fly around with the ship's movement when we played. There was also a chess set crafted of the same materials, and we'd both taught Gael how to play the games so that she wouldn't be bored.
But besides the two game sets, there was little to do indoors. In an age where there wasn't electricity, TV or radio, entertainment options were few and far-between, particularly since we were at sea. Had Coriakin not provided me with a trunk full of wonderful, fascinating books, I'd have gone crazy ages ago! If I had been back in Cair Paravel, I'd be having conversations with Professor Cornelius or Trumpkin, or gone to visit Roan in the stables with Fang.
Here I had only Lucy and Gael to talk with, which wasn't so bad. The three of us talked about what life was like for each of us, and that managed to pass a great deal of time. Gael told stories about her life back on the Lone Islands, and how hard it had been with the slavers dominating the population and causing much fear with their horrible ways. Now that the slave trade was no more, she was sure life was going to be much better, and that no one would ever have to live in fear again.
When Gael was asleep, Lucy told me about her life back home, and about the war going on. She instantly assumed that I was from her time period, and I saw no reason to contradict that –after all, the last thing I wanted to do was disrupt the timeline by giving her tips from the future!
But what kept me most interested were the stories she told about her siblings, and about their times in Narnia. I liked hearing about her very first trip through the wardrobe, and about Mr. Tumnus the Faun, who had been such a good friend to her. She also told me about the Beavers who had helped her and her siblings through the woods, and how she'd ridden on Aslan's back, after he'd returned from death, to help find more troops for the war against the White Witch.
The part about her meeting Santa, however, blew my mind. Christmas was my favorite holiday back home (if only because of the presents), and the fact that she'd actually met a being of legend made me so jealous of her.
When she asked me whether or not Christmas was still going on in Narnia, I had to tell her that it was a complicated issue. In fact, I'd been in Narnia for three years, and Christmas was still a bit confusing for the former Telmarines. Professor Cornelius and my other fully Narnian friends enjoyed celebrating it, too, but the humans in the kingdom were still familiarizing themselves with the Narnian holidays and festivals. Personally, I had no problem with the holiday, since I'd celebrated it back home, but apparently the Telmarines didn't have many public holidays, and they were taking great strides in assimilating the Narnian ones into their culture.
Then it came time for Lucy to ask about my own life, and I was forced to keep everything to a minimum. I merely told her I had led a dull, quiet life, and that, one day, I had found myself face-to-face with Aslan in his Country. I made sure to not mention the accident that had brought me here, since I couldn't risk her blurting it out to Caspian, or anyone else.
And speaking of Caspian –I'd have given anything to have him or Edmund to join us, if only to keep boredom away, but all the men were busy trying to keep the ship afloat. Even Caspian and Edmund were on deck, helping the men get us through this never-ending storm. And when they weren't working, the men were eating and warming up down below, or sleeping like the exhausted men they were. This basically left me, Lucy and Gael alone in our endeavor to keep ourselves occupied.
When chess and checkers wore out, I even began to debate bringing Eustace up to the cabin, just so we'd have another person to play against. However, he had managed to hole himself up somewhere below decks, and since I didn't want the trouble of finding him and dragging him up to join us, I dismissed the idea all together.
With nothing else to do, I finally suggested that Lucy and Gael try and become artists. I broke out Caspian's stores of ink and chalk, as well as a small stack of paper, and told them to get to it. Gael, who had little experience with drawing, had to be given a rough art lesson, since she didn't seem sure on what to do. Since she had grown up living in constant fear and always hiding away from slavers, she never really had a chance to draw.
After just one lesson, though, Gael went at it like a fiend; her little hands always moving as she drew or searched for the colors she was looking for. By now, there was a stack of art tucked away in a cabinet, all of it the product of Gael's efforts. She liked chalk the best, and Lucy and I loved watching her face light with concentration as she worked. I made a mental note to talk to Caspian about getting her some sort of gigantic art set once the quest was done.
"Ali?" Lucy softly asked, coming to stand beside me at the window. "Do you think this storm will ever end?"
I smiled. "I believe it will. Then again, I'm the sort of person who tries to be optimistic."
She gave me a small smile in return. "Well, let's hope it does so soon, before we all go mad from being stuck in here all day."
As she turned to go help Gael with her latest art project, I looked out the window and sighed. 'Please, Aslan,' I silently thought, 'let this end soon!'
That night, while Lucy and Gael had remained in the sleeping cabin, drawing, I decided to go for a tiny walk to stretch my legs, and overheard a chat between Edmund, Caspian, and Drinian.
"On half rations, we've enough food and water for two more weeks, at most," Drinian was telling them. "This is your last chance to turn back, Your Majesties." I heard him pause, probably so that he could look at Edmund and Caspian. "There's no guarantee we'll spot the blue star, not in this storm. Like trying to find a needle in a haystack, this Ramandu place. We could sail right past it and off the edge of the world."
"Or get eaten by a sea serpent," Edmund said, causing me to choke on my laughter.
There was an awkward, and rather amusing pause before Drinian continued. "I'm just saying the men are getting nervous. These are strange seas we're sailing, the likes of which I've never seen before."
I heard determined footsteps moving around the room. "Then perhaps, Captain, you can be the one to tell Master Rhince that we are giving up on trying to find his family," Caspian said, fierce determination in his voice. I couldn't help but be proud of him, brave man that he was.
There was a bit of awkward silence, followed by footsteps approaching the doors. "I'll get back to it," Drinian said, though he sounded pleased with Caspian's choice, rather than disappointed. "Just a word of warning: the sea can play nasty tricks on a crew's mind."
I ducked out of the way to as our ship's captain walked past me, unable to see me due to the depth of his cloak's hood. With the door open, I peeked inside. "Evening," I said, smiling a little at their serious faces. "Care to join us ladies for supper tonight? We haven't seen you in ages!"
Both men returned my smile, and accepted. And so, for the first time in more than a week, Caspian and Edmund came to join us for dinner. It was wonderful to see the two of them again, but the food laid out on the table was minimal: dried meat, some dried fruit, and a bit of thin broth poured into cups with handles, so that we wouldn't spill it and waste it.
Caspian tried to apologize for the shabbiness of the meal, but I quieted him with a smile. "Don't worry," I assured him. "It really isn't that bad."
Besides, Lucy, Gael and I were used to used to it, and the rations were filling, so none of us went to bed hungry. Of course, Caspian didn't seem so sure, but the unease on his face lessened somewhat.
In spite of that, the conversation didn't turn too awkward, though it was a bit worrisome having to listen to Caspian and Edmund recount what was happening on deck. According to them, the men were exhausted, constantly wet and chilled, and starting to get on edge, particularly with the extent of how long the storm was lasting. A few men had almost been washed overboard, with only a thin line of rope keeping them safely on deck. I didn't like thinking about what would happen if the storm lasted much longer.
Thank goodness for Gael! She lightened everyone's mood with her cache of drawings, earning praise from both Edmund and Caspian alike. In fact, Caspian asked to keep a few of her drawings, namely those of a small meadow that stood just outside of Narrowhaven's walls. He joked that it was refreshing to see a bit of land after all of the rain and water he'd seen.
When Caspian asked what books she might have read to pass the time, it was revealed that Gael didn't know how to read, which was a surprise to me. Then again, given her background, it shouldn't have been so shocking –Gael admitted that her parents had never taught her, out of their determination to keep her out of the slavers' clutches, who had always been on the lookout for a 'clever child' they could sell at a premium price. I immediately promised to teach her both her letters and numbers; it was the least I could do for the poor girl.
Once the meal was finished, it was time for bed. Gael was more than ready for it, which I envied –children could sleep so easily and deeply, while the rest of us tossed and turned with worries and fears flowing through our heads.
And it was likely those worries that left our dreams open to the Mist we were trying to destroy.
I'd had nightmares before while here in Narnia, but this was by far the worst.
In this nightmare, I was back in Cair Paravel, standing in the throne room with all of the nobility and all of the friends I had made. Up on the dais that bore the thrones of the King and Queen stood Caspian, dressed in splendid midnight blue and silver. Upon his head was the gold crown, and beside him was a radiantly beautiful young woman with white-blonde hair. She was garbed in a white gown with a veil atop her head, a tiara holding it in place a she stood hand-in-hand with Caspian.
"He could be yours, you know," whispered a seductive, sinister voice to my left.
I turned, but saw no one there. Everyone had vanished, leaving me alone to watch Caspian crown the woman beside him as his wife and Queen. Before my eyes, he removed the small tiara from the woman's head and replaced it with a glittering gold crown that was half the size of the one he wore.
"It could be you up there with him, rather than her," the voice offered. "Think of how easy it would be to take her place."
Suddenly, the woman looked over at me, and to my shock, she slowly began to fade away, a look of horror and fear upon her face. As her features began to blur and fade, she lifted a hand in a pleading manner, her lips parting as though to scream.
Before she was completely gone, the figure that was Caspian turned away from her and turned his eyes towards me, offering his hand. The crown that had been upon the Star's Daughter's head fell to the floor with a clang, and rolled down the steps of the dais to land at my feet.
"No!" I cried, backing away from the crown in disgust. "No, that is not the way to win the person you love!"
Trying not to be sick, I turned away from the nightmare, one hand on my stomach and the other at my eyes, trying to block out what I had just seen.
Sitting bolt upright on my sleeping pallet, I gasped, looking around to be sure that I was back on the ship. A fire burned in the fireplace, a shining beacon of light, hope and warmth. The knot in my stomach tightened briefly, then began to loosen, a sigh of relief going through me as I took several deep breaths.
"Well done, Ali," congratulated a familiar voice, one that was very much welcome in the darkness.
"Aslan?" I breathed, looking around for him, wanting reassurance that he was really here.
There was no sign of him inside the room, but when I looked towards the large mirror embedded in the wall beside the fireplace, I gasped. There sat his form, and even from where I sat upon the floor, I could feel the great power that radiated from him, like gentle spring sunshine after a harsh winter –it warmed and gave comfort, immediately telling me that it was really him and not a trick of the Mist. I doubted that something so evil would dare try and take Aslan's form!
But other than those few words of encouragement and pride, he said nothing else to me. Instead, he nodded his regal head, smiled, and faded away, leaving me feeling as though I had passed some sort of test. I guessed that the Mist had tried at winning me over, but my refusal had caused it to lose its tentative grip on me.
Inside, part of me hoped that I was now immune to whatever offers the evil might make, but I wouldn't put it past it to try and make another try at me. I immediately made a vow to not falter in this quest and give in to temptation, as Coriakin had warned.
Laying back on my makeshift bed, I stared at the ceiling, going over my nightmare again and again and thinking over what I had said: "That is not the way to win the person you love."
Did I want Caspian's love? Yes, I tended to get all fluttery inside when he was close, my heart speeding up or jumping into my throat whenever he looked at me with those warm brown eyes and a smile on his handsome face. Really, who wouldn't fall for him? Caspian was sweet, funny, chivalrous, kind, strong in heart, mind, and body, and he liked spending time with me. In fact, back in Narnia, he sometimes sought me out in the library or the stables, as if he really wanted my company. We could talk about almost anything, and each time he came to find me, or whenever he hugged me, I always felt a bit mushy inside.
'But is it a crush, or is it something greater?' I wondered. 'And does he feel the same for me?'
It was something I would have to ask Caspian, but didn't dare. If he said the typical thing, like he was my friend and didn't think of me 'in that way,' I'd throw myself right into the ocean. Well, maybe nothing that drastic, but at the least, if I were back in Narnia, I'd saddle up Roan and run away to the woods with my two four-legged friends.
And what about the Star's Daughter? Wasn't Caspian supposed to marry her, like in the book? I hadn't gotten that information from Aslan, but I couldn't risk changing something like that for the sake of what I wanted. I might have been a bit spoiled back in my old life, and did think of only myself once in a while, but then, who didn't? I wasn't a selfish monster, though; if Caspian fell for the Star's Daughter, then so be it –I wouldn't stand in the way of true love and happiness, even if it meant breaking my own heart in the process.
"Aslan!" Lucy cried suddenly, sitting up in bed, her face pale with fear.
"Lucy?" I got up and ran to her. "What is it? What's wrong?"
She shook her head, a crumpled sheet of paper in her hands. Looking close, I saw the spell from Coriakin's "Book of Incantations." She followed my gaze and shuddered, her hands ripping up the parchment as she made for the fireplace, tossing the shreds into the flames. As paper met fire, I gasped as Aslan's form appeared and roared, either in warning to the evil or in triumph of Lucy and I overcoming temptation.
"Ali?" she whispered, looking over at me uneasily. "Do you think Edmund would mind my going to see him?"
I felt the same way. Right now, I wanted to surround myself with friends and chase away whatever was lurking in the darkness. Looking at Gael, I saw her laying fast asleep in the bed, a contented smile on her face. She'd be fine until we got back.
"Let's go," I murmured, pulling on my boots as Lucy went to do the same.
"I am so disappointed in you. You are nothing like the King I thought you would be," his father sneered at him, causing Caspian's heart to sink.
That was his greatest fear: becoming a weak king and ruining everything his father had tried to create before his death. True, Caspian had reunited Narnia and brought the two peoples together, but what did it matter if he was not strong enough to rule it all?
'Ali believes in you,' whispered part of him as his father's disapproving face glared at him.
The thought of his dearest friend warmed his heart and caused the illusion to dissipate, his father's face vanishing as another came to take its place. This one made him feel absolutely ill.
It was Ali, and her face was full of contempt as she stood before him, her body riddled with arrows, the wounds bleeding fiercely as he watched. "What sort of King are you?" she spat at him. "I had to take enemy fire for you on the battlefield! How could you let this happen to me, the person you call your friend?"
"I'm sorry!" he cried out, his hands reaching out to her, a vain attempt to try and save her from death.
"Sorry isn't good enough," she snarled. "You foolishly put my life in danger during the War, and yet you allowed me to talk you into bringing me along on this mad quest! No true friend would put me at risk like this! If I die because of your idiocy, it will be all your fault!"
Something caused him to snap awake, his eyes flying open as he sat up in his hammock. "Caspian?" whispered a soft voice from his left.
Blinking, he saw it was Ali, the real Ali, alive and well. In the flashes of lightning from the storm, he saw that she was looking at him with a worried expression on her face. "Are you alright?" she asked, reaching out to touch his shoulder.
It was that warm, gentle, reassuring touch that settled his whirling thoughts and muddled stomach. "Yes," he said, breathing heavily. "Just…it was just a bad dream, that's all."
"You, me, Edmund and Lucy together," she said, half teasingly.
That was when he noticed that her hair was mussed – quite adorably, actually – and that she looked rather tired. Since it was quite late at night, but too early for it to be morning, she was probably as exhausted as he felt.
"Either we're all going mad, or something is playing with our minds," Edmund stated, tucking away his drawn sword, though why it had been pulled from its sheath was a puzzle to Caspian.
Heaving a sigh, Caspian reached up and took Ali's hand in his, pulling it down from his shoulder so that he could hold it more comfortably. "I'm alright," he whispered, giving her a weak smile.
"You're sure?" she pressed. "You look a bit pale. Was your dream that bad?"
Yes, it had been, but now that she was here, he felt much better. Not that he would tell her, of course. "I'm alright," he assured her again. "What about you? You look horrible."
She rolled her eyes. "Thanks so much," she sarcastically replied. "You really know how to make a woman feel good about her looks, sir."
Flushing, Caspian hurried to remedy the situation. "I didn't mean that," he protested, only to see her trying to hide a smile. "Very funny. Truly, go back to bed. It looks like the storm is clearing up, so perhaps tomorrow we'll manage to see the blue star Coriakin told us about."
Ali gave a quick nod as she squeezed his hand. "Alright," she gave in. "But promise me that you'll try and get a good night's sleep? I don't want you working so hard when you haven't had enough rest."
He gave her his word, and watched as she escorted Lucy back to their shared room. Giving a huge sigh, Caspian leaned back in his hammock. As he closed his eyes, he remembered the warm feel of Ali's hand in his, and with that blissful memory, he brought his hand to his chest and fell into sleep. The dark dreams did not trouble him again.
AN: Review?