Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: It was supposed to be a simple diplomatic trip to Telmar. They had been guaranteed safe passage. It was all a lie.

A/N: If you have not read the first five stories in the A Light in the Darkness main story arc (Awakening, Shadowed, Revealed, Concealed, and Rekindled), I highly recommend you do so for the full experience. However, I have included a quick summary of the previous stories so if you want to give this one a whirl on its own, you can.

Chapter Twelve: The Shark's Camp, Part Two

She did not return with me. Oreius stared up at the half-hidden stars, trying not to give in to the worry clawing at his heart. He had not expected the colt to return. No, he had been expecting Alambiel to be the one who came back for him if he had been unable to fight his way free. When he saw Peter, he had fully expected Alambiel to be somewhere nearby because she would never willingly allow the colt to do something this foolish without her, but there had been no lie in his voice or his eyes. Alambiel hadn't come. There were very few things in this world that would keep Alambiel away…death was the primary reason that came to mind. Oh Aslan, let it not be so. But, Peter had had her knife, the one Oreius had given her after she'd been in Narnia for a year. He knew she favored that knife the most after her own twin blades and she would not have been easily parted from it. He needed to speak to the colt alone. He needed to know what had happened to his Alambiel. He needed to know if…he needed to know her condition.

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Peter tugged against his bonds, twisting his wrists as he tried to either wriggle free or reach the knots, but the knots were too tight. He grimaced as the ropes bit into his wrists. If only he could reach his boot knife. He was barely able to slip two fingers inside the top of his boot before he had to give up on that idea. Between his tied hands and the rope wrapped around his ankles, he just couldn't get his hands far enough down to reach the boot knife.

He wriggled his wrists again then froze as the tent flap was pulled aside. He assumed an impassive look and raised his head defiantly as the Shark walked in. If he expected him to be terrified and begging for his life, Peter would make sure he was sorely disappointed. "Your hospitality is rather lacking, Rahzjin of Telmar. Even the Calormenes and sorcerers have had the courtesy to inform me why I was treated so ill. Or do you have no cause and merely wish to provoke Narnia?"

The Telmarine stared down at him with an emotionless calculating glint in his eyes. One of his men moved to strike Peter, but Rahzjin raised his hand, stopping the blow before it came. "Are you familiar with the sea eagle, boy? A magnificent bird but it is not the ruler of the sea. The shark rules the sea and I have watched many a sea eagle, haughty, young, and proudly confident that it was safe from all danger, be devoured by a shark. Perhaps you might heed that lesson, young eagle."

Peter raised his chin, "If you wish to negotiate, We suggest you unbind Us and Our companion, the Centaur. Furthermore, Our dear friend and cousin has been wounded by your hand and is in need of having his wounds tended. Do these things and it will go far in persuading Us to treat you with more mercy than you deserve, scavenger."

Rahzjin once again indulged in that cold facsimile of a laugh. Peter felt a cold chill crawl down his spine as the sound filled the tent. That laugh made Rahzjin sound more inhuman than any number of Fell, it was as if he were merely attempting to copy other humans instead of actually understanding and feeling the reason for laughter. He had no empathy…that's what was different about this foe. Rahzjin finally stopped laughing, "And, why should I negotiate? I do not want your mercy. There is no such thing as mercy, it is a lie concocted by those too weak to go in for the kill because they think it will help them live longer. The sea teaches many things and it reveals the truth that we all die eventually, but only some of us die as the great hunters…the rest are pathetic and deny they are but prey to provide the great hunters what they require to survive. Even sea eagles are nothing more than prey to the greatest of hunters."

Peter shook his head slowly, "You've a sad view of the world. You call yourself the Shark and think that will allow you to hide from your crimes? You cannot hide from your crimes forever and We daresay that you will not live as long as those who do believe in and grant mercy when they can. You hunt beyond your skill and the cold, merciless world you have created for yourself will turn on you and devour you."

Rahzjin crouched in front of him then grabbed his jaw, forcing his head to tilt one way and then another all while studying him through narrowed eyes. Peter forced himself not to give into the urge to flinch away or tremble as he resolutely met those cold emotionless eyes. He would not show fear in the face of this coldness. For a moment, he thought the Shark would do something, but the Shark only shoved him back, causing him to fall on his bound wrists. Peter hissed, but the Shark merely left the tent with his men following in his wake, all without saying another word. But, somehow Peter didn't think he'd won a victory. No, he was certain that this only the first encounter with a very dangerous foe.

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Rahzjin sealed the letter and sent it off with the messenger hawk. The Narnians were unusual prey as he had only captured a Sea Nymph or two before them, but he truly would have preferred the more profitable prey of the islanders. Still, hunting that Centaur was more of a thrill than he had hoped for and these two together would net him a handsome enough price to purchase favor with the Tisroc's favorite sons. He finished the second letter and sent it off with the second messenger hawk.

He could not wait until the two Lords of the Council realized they had both purchased his services. The looks on their faces…oh, he could already imagine them and then there would be blood in the water. He would devour the loser like the shark he was and then he would return to hunting in the Eastern Sea. He wondered if the youngest "queen" of Narnia, the one said to be in charge of the Eastern Sea, would be a worthy meal…

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A/N: Please Read and Review! All right, I'm posting early due to school interfering, so I may not get the chance to post again until October 14th.