Thirteen

Fear built in the pit of Mika's stomach. He had thought himself so sneaky, so clever, stealing a fish in clear sight. Now he had been caught and Aslan only knew what would happen to him. He turned to face his accuser.

"I was just --" the excuse died on his lips as he squinted up at the dark haired young man dressed in chain mail before him. "Roland?" he asked, hesitantly.

Roland smiled down at him. "Of course," he said, gently. The young man glanced around, a bit furtively. "There's a tavern down the street," he said. "Come have a bite with me?"

Mika felt his face flush bright red. "I still have the, um, fish, you know," he realized that Roland must have seen him steal the fish. "I have you, you thief," he had said. Mika was embarrassed that Roland, who had always been so pleasant to him, should now see him as a thief. Why on earth had he stolen the stupid fish to begin with?

"Right," Roland said, mildly, looking down at him. "Well, here, we can wrap it in my cloak." He took off his cloak and Mika took the fish out of his tunic where it was beginning to feel sticky and disgusting and wrapped it carefully in the cloak. "Off we go, then?"

Mika nodded and they walked down the street in silence.

He had thought that as soon as they reached the tavern, Roland would start demanding to know why he had stolen the fish. But no, they settled at a table. It was a blustery sort of day, so Roland ordered himself a hot beer and Mika some sort of cider drink and a bowl of stew. Mika picked at his stew absently, having already gorged himself on rich foods earlier in the day. Roland talked to Mika about the food and the town and the weather and Mika answered as shortly as possible.

Finally, after Mika had nearly drained his drink, Roland looked at him and sighed. "What are you doing here, Mika?" he asked.

"The king is here," Mika said.

"So I heard. And why aren't you with the king?"

"I am," Mika said, "I just took a day to see the town." He realized that Roland must have thought that he had run away.

"And the king lets you roam about the town by yourself?" he asked.

Mika flushed. "I did it for years in Tashban," he said. "I'm not a baby, you know."

Roland's face darkened and he seemed about to say something about Caspian, but Mika spoke first.

"I slipped away from my guardian," he admitted. "He's probably looking for me right now."

"I see," Roland looked at him, for the first time, with disapproval. "But why were you stealing that fish? Doesn't the king feed you properly?"

Mika squirmed, but felt the need to defend Caspian. "Of course he does. I've gained a lot of weight since I started staying with him. Can't you tell? I was just having a little fun."

Roland's brow wrinkled. "Fun? You think stealing things is fun?"

Mika realized that he had probably just lost a good deal of Roland's respect. "No. Not exactly. I just – I just wanted to prove that I could do it, I guess."

"I see," Roland said, but Mika could tell that he didn't see at all. "Well, I'll have to take you back to King Caspian, Mika."

Mika felt very uncomfortable. "I can find my way back myself."

Roland put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Mika, but – but I think he should know what you were doing today, don't you? I mean, you are under his care. And from what I've heard of him, I don't think – at least, I hope he won't be too hard on you?"

"He won't be," Mika said with a conviction that he did not feel. How was he to know how harshly Caspian would punish him? The king certainly had a generous side, but Mika had also seen him fly into rages over less. And Mika had never done anything this serious before.

With a queasy feeling in his stomach, Mika remembered that the penalty for stealing in Tashban was usually the loss of a hand. Mika had seen it done once. The man's arm had been tied tight to a block and when they had brought down the scimitar, blood had spattered everywhere. The man's screams were hard to forget.

Mika knew that they did not use those types of punishments in Narnia, but he could not help but cringe. He wondered what the punishment for stealing was in Narnia? Probably a beating of some kind.

"Well, good," Roland said. "I – I don't want to hurt you, you know. But I don't want to see you in danger either and stealing is dangerous."

"I know," Mika said and continued to pick at his food. The air between them seemed heavy.

--- -- ---

"He stole a fish and ran away?" Caspian asked in confusion as he looked down at the miserable Mouse.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Squeak said. Caspian was seated at a large round table with several high-ranking lords. All of whom were curiously watching the exchange between himself the Mouse.

"He stole a fish and ran away," Caspian repeated to himself, unable to make any sense of it. "Why on earth would he steal a fish, of all things?"

"I don't know," Squeak said, the Mouse's whiskers seemed to hang lower than usual. "He was acting very peculiar. I've never seen him so willful."

"Do you suppose that he was running away for – for good? But that doesn't make any sense, he seems happier with us than in past months. A boy's mischief then? Did someone dare him or something?"

"No, nothing like that," Squeak said. "I don't think he was trying to run away for good. It just seemed like an impulse."

Caspian turned to his captain of his personal guard who was standing behind him. "Have every man you can spare looking for Mika in the city. You know what he looks like? Skinny, about nine years old, red hair and freckles. My lord Pellrose," he said, turning to the pompous little man.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" he asked, somehow managing a bow while sitting down.

"You will alert the city guards?"

"Of course, Your Majesty," he said, gesturing to the guard at the door who left with Caspian's own captain. "But I wouldn't worry. Why I remember when my own boys were that age --"

He went on, but Caspian wasn't listening. He tried not to let his worry show in his face, but according to Squeak, all this had happened well over an hour ago. Mika could be practically anywhere in the city by now and Telmark was a large town. How would they ever find him? Caspian tried to tell himself that the boy was likely hiding out somewhere, trying to escape punishment. It was unlikely that he would have been kidnapped or hurt. Caspian knew that there were people who Mika could run away to who had supported Miraz's reign, but the boy would have no idea who they were.

He was about to tell Lord Pellrose that they must cut the meeting short so he could see what else could be done about the situation when Caspian's captain walked into the room, only a minute after he had left. He walked over to Caspian, leaned over and whispered in his ear.

"He's been found," he said. "A Sir Roland brought him up to the castle." Caspian breathed a sigh of relief, but almost immediately, his concern turned to anger. Didn't the boy know that they would be worried? Sir Roland – Caspian was fairly certain that this was the name of Lord Reynolds son. It seemed odd to him that the young man would be in Telmark.

"Very good," Caspian said. "Have them both wait for me in the audience chamber."

The captain bowed and left the room. Caspian decided that it wouldn't hurt Mika to wait and worry for himself a little. "My lords," he said, "I believe that we were discussing tax collection?"

"Your Majesty," said a high-pitched voice by his elbow and Caspian looked down. He had completely forgotten that the Mouse was in the room. Something that he had the tendency to do with Mice and other small Beasts.

"Yes Squeak?" he asked, pleasantly.

The Mouse drew his tiny sword and held it out on his palms. "I beg leave to withdraw from your service," he said, his whiskers shaking. "I have failed you in my most important duty of protecting your kinsman. I am not fit to serve you."

Caspian looked around the table to see some of the lords rolling their eyes or looking confused. They were all Telmarines – this part of Narnia had few Old Narnians. They didn't understand about Old Narnian ideas of honor and certainly had no hope of understanding what honor meant for a Mouse. Caspian looked down at Squeak, who was now hanging his head. "Don't be ridiculous," he said, gently. "If there was a failure, it was on my part. I trusted the boy enough to think that he wouldn't need more than one guard. Clearly as was wrong. And, of course, Mika himself must take responsibility for his own rash actions."

When Squeak looked uncertain, Caspian went on. "Besides, the boy has become used to you. I think he likes you."

Squeak seemed to think about this, and then nodded shortly. Caspian told him to go check on Mika and the Mouse quickly left. Caspian sighed and turned back to Lord Pellrose.

--- -- ---

Mika felt awful. He sat on a bench in the large chamber swinging his legs. Beside him, Roland kept a firm, but gentle grasp on his arm. Occasionally the young man would give him a sympathetic smile, but this only made Mika feel worse. After receiving a vigorous lecture from Squeak, Mika was made to sit and wait a good long time. Finally, Caspian entered and Mika and Roland stood. Caspian sat down in a chair at the front of the room. Roland bowed and, after thinking, Mika did as well.

Caspian spoke to Roland first. "Sir, you have my heartfelt thanks for bringing him back. You may speak to my captain of the guard concerning your reward while I talk to my cousin here," despite Caspian's words, Mika sensed something cold in his tone.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Roland said, hesitantly. "But I was happy to do it. I need no reward."

Caspian nodded. "Very well. But I still wish to speak to Mika alone."

Roland hesitated only a moment before bowing and patting Mika on the shoulder. "Good luck," he whispered in a voice too low for the king to hear.

After Roland left, Caspian looked at Mika for a good long time before speaking. "So, you stole a fish?" he asked.

"I stole a fish," Mika repeated, dully.

"Why would you do that?" the king gave a wry smile, though Mika could tell he was still angry. "Don't care much for the food here?"

Mika blushed, but just shrugged his shoulders.

"And I suppose that you didn't consider any of the ramifications of your actions," Caspian went on. "How you have worried Squeak and I by running away? How heartbroken the queen would have been if something had happened to you? How you stealing things tarnishes my reputation, your reputation? That the man you stole from probably makes his meager living from selling fish while you can afford to buy anything you please?"

Mika hadn't thought of any of this. His actions had been done without thinking.

Caspian face hardened when he said nothing. "You realize that the standard punishment for first time thieves of low cost items is three times the worth of the item stolen and a fortnight in a dungeon or jail? If you were a few years older then I would have to punish you thus. I couldn't treat you specially because you are my relative."

Mika continued to say nothing.

"And in fact," Caspian said, "I won't waive the first part of the punishment now," Mika's head snapped up to look at the king at this. "Squeak?" Caspian asked.

The Mouse stepped forward. "Yes, Your Majesty?" he asked.

"Mika brought some of his toys with him on this excursion, didn't he?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Squeak said, looking at Mika in confusion.

"Go up to his room, take his favorite toy and have it sold at the market in town. If this does not bring three times the cost of a fish, then keep selling toys until you get enough to pay the fishmonger. Is this clear?"

Squeak gave Mika an almost apologetic look, though Mika sensed that the Mouse still wasn't pleased with him. "Yes, of course, Your Majesty," he said. His favorite toy – that would mean his wooden sword. He had another back at Cair, but he did not like it so well.

Suddenly, the tears that had been threatening to come through the whole conversation flowed from his eyes. He wiped his eyes quickly with his sleeve, not wanting the king to think him childish.

"Before we leave, you will go apologize to the fishmonger yourself. Understood?" Caspian asked and Mika nodded.

Caspian's face softened a bit. "Oh, don't cry, boy," he said. "I know it is hard to lose your favorite toy --"

"It's not that," Mika said, though partly, it was.

"Then what?" Caspian asked.

"I'm bad," Mika said, crossing his arms and looking down at the floor, so as to hide his tears. "When I lived in Tashban, I used to steal all the time. And not from rich people, either. You keep taking me places and showing me to people and telling everyone I'm your cousin. I thought you should know how bad I am."

"Is that why you did it?" Caspian asked, gently. Mika shrugged. Was this why had done it?

To Mika's vast surprise, the king arose and got down on one knee in front of him, so that their faces were level. He clasped Mika with both hands on the shoulders. "Listen. I would never begrudge a starving man for stealing food. Much less a starving child. But you are not starving anymore and you must not steal. I've always expected that you stole food during your time in Tashban. It isn't a surprise to me and it doesn't make you bad. But now, things are different."

Mika wiped his eyes. "I know," he said. "I'm sorry."

--- -- ---

"I heard you had some trouble with Mika today," Maren said as she settled into bed beside him.

Caspian smiled. "He stole a fish, if you can believe it. A fish."

Maren sighed. "I hope you weren't too hard on him."

"I wasn't," Caspian said, defensively. "But I'm making him pay for the fish. And I'm going to make him apologize to the man he stole from."

Maren nodded. "That sounds fair. When?"

Caspian sighed. "As soon as it can be done. I want to be out of this city, my dear. Nothing good ever comes in it."

She arched her eyebrows. "But my king," she said, teasing, "Lord Pellrose has been urging you to winter here when you have finished your tour."

Caspian groaned and buried his face in a pillow. "Don't remind me."