A few days after our incident with dreams, land came into sight. It was a good thing too since we were almost out of rations.
This time Greg accompanied us to the shore. Reepicheep, Eustace, Edmund, Lucy, Caspian, and I went too of course.
"I doubt the lords stopped here, my liege," Reepicheep came from the other boat, "There's no sign of anything living."
"Right," Caspian called as he rowed. "Well, once we get ashore, take your men and search for food and water. The four of us will look for clues."
"Hang on, you mean the five of us," Eustace butted in.
Greg added, saying, "If useless is going, I'm going."
"My name is Eustace."
"I know what your name is, useless."
But as they fought, the rowers had stopped rowing to look at Greg and Eustace.
"Come on, please don't send me back to the rat," Eustace implored.
"I heard that," Reepicheep said from the other boat.
Eustace turned his head and muttered, "Big ears." Under his breath.
"I heard that too."
I giggled along with the others.
Caspian, Lucy, Edmund, and I began to explore the island. Unfortunately Greg decided to tag along, clearly ignoring the fact that he wasn't welcome.
"Looks like we're not the first one on this island," Caspian said when we found a rope tied to a rock and fed through a hole in the ground.
"The lords?" Edmund asked.
"Could be." Caspian dropped a rock down to test how far it went. "What do you think could be down there?"
Edmund said, "Let's find out."
Greg gave him a dirty look. So while Edmund, Lucy, and Caspian made their way down I gave him a little talk. "Greg…you need to stop this now."
"Stop what?"
I walked up to him and poked him hard in the chest, "You've been making an unforgiving arse of yourself since you lost to Edmund in that fight. Now I suggest you make nice with him. I've gone easy on you because I know that Narnia can be a lot for some people to handle. But whether you like it or not, he's my husband and I love him. Edmund hasn't met anyone else from my family and probably won't. So please," I gave his arm a squeeze. "I don't want any more problems between my husband and my brother."
Greg gave me a sneer as I let go and went to climb down the rope.
When I got to the bottom I found Ed there, waiting for me. He grabbed me around the waist and helped me down. Giving him a smile I said, "Thank you."
Some of the more feminist women would find that offensive, but I didn't. It wasn't that Edmund thought I couldn't handle it on my own; it was that he didn't want me to have to. Besides, it gave him a chance to put his hands on my hips.
What we found further into the cave was interesting.
A pool of clear, calm water.
"What's that?" Caspian asked
"I don't know," Edmund said. At the bottom of the pool was a large golden object. "Looks like some sort of gold statue."
I walked over and grabbed a vine. Sticking it into the water to poke at the statue I pulled it back out as it began to shimmer. Slowly the stick was turning gold. It became too heavy and I dropped it. Everyone looked at me.
Caspian knelt, "He must have fallen in."
"Poor man," Lucy said.
"You mean poor lord," Edmund said gesturing to the shield.
Caspian sighed, "The crest of Lord Restimar."
Edmund pointed to the water quickly as he spotted something, "And his sword."
"We need it," Caspian said.
"Be careful," I said as Edmund drew his sword to try and pull up the other sword. Carefully he did it.
Lucy pointed something out we hadn't noticed before, "Your sword hasn't turned to gold."
Greg then piped up, saying, "They must be magic."
Everyone turned to look at him.
"I mean, in a game, when the sword is magical it can resist stuff," he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Ya know…"
Edmund handed the sword to Caspian.
"He mustn't have known what hit him," Lucy said.
"Maybe," Edmund said and walked over to the pool. He set his sword down and said, "Or maybe he was onto something."
Caspian lowered the newly rescued sword and asked, "What are you talking about?"
Edmund picked up a perfect seashell and placed the tip of it into the water. Quickly he set it on the sand as it began to turn into gold. He picked it back up once it had and held it to his eye. A greedy look soon began to creep in at the corners.
A sense of foreboding filled my stomach.
"What are you staring at?" Lucy asked.
"Whoever has access to this pool…could be the most powerful person in the world." His eyes turned to me and I was almost instantly frightened. "Willow, we'd be so rich. No one could tell us what to do or who to live with."
Caspian finally broke the madness, "You can't take anything out of Narnia Edmund."
Edmund, however, had turned back to the golden shell, "Says who? Willow and my rings stay when we leave…"
"I do."
I spoke too soon about Caspian.
Edmund took his sword up and walked to Caspian, "I'm not your subject."
"You've been waiting for this haven't you?" Caspian accused. "To challenge me? You doubt my leadership?"
"You doubt yourself."
"You're a child."
"And you're a spineless sap!"
Lucy and I walked forward to stop him, "Edmund."
He threw me off with a move of his arm. "I'm tired of playing second fiddle. First it was Peter and now it's you! You know I'm braver than both of you. Why do you get Peter's sword? I deserve a kingdom of my own. I deserve to rule!" Edmund had instantly become the ugliest person I had ever seen. Green had marred his features to the point where I barely recognized him.
"If you think you're so brave, prove it!" He gave Edmund a shove.
"Ah!" Edmund screamed and swung his sword at Caspian.
Greg ran forward and stood between them. "Stop it. Both of you! Look at yourselves. See what you're doing to Wills?"
Edmund and Caspian looked to me. Lucy was holding me as I shook slightly, frightened to the point where I could no longer look at them. "This place has tempted you," Lucy said, stroking my hair like I had done to her years and years ago.
"Isn't this what that Corey…Cori-guy was talking about," Greg said. "Lucy told me that he said that you'd be tempted. So let's just leave." With that he took my hand and led Lucy and me out of the cave.