Chapter Twenty-Four: His Protector
They approached Dark Island in the morning. Everyone was on edge. Rose was filled with apprehension as she glanced at their destination. She wasn't looking forward to this, but she knew it had to be done. This was their final stand, she had no doubt of that.
"So, what do you think is in there?" Tavros asked, breaking the silence.
"Our worst nightmares," Edmund replied.
"Our darkest wishes," Caspian sounded troubled.
"Pure evil," Drinian commented from where he gripped the wheel. He moved over towards the Minotaur. "Tavros, unlock the armoury." He raised his voice to a shout. "Archers, prepare yourselves!"
Caspian turned to face Edmund, Lucy and Rose. "Let's get ready."
PARAGRAPH
Rose moved back onto the deck, garbed in her armour, and Edmund couldn't help but stare at her. Of course, he had thought Lilliandil lovely – but Rose was beautiful in his eyes. She was the one he loved and he looked across at her with wonder in his eyes. Rose joined him on the deck, surprised to see he had Rhindon sheathed by his side.
"But..."
"Caspian gave it to me," Edmund told her, unable to stop himself from swelling with pride, "He said that Peter would want me to have it."
Rose touched his arm. "He was right."
Caspian himself appeared on the deck, and everyone else quietened to look up at him. Their King looked strong and brave in his armour and Edmund and Rose, standing at the far side of the deck, marvelled.
"No matter what happens here, every soul who stands before me has earned their place on the crew of the Dawn Treader. Together, we have travelled far. Together, we have faced adversity. Together, we can do it again."
The crew remained silent. No one dared to speak.
"So now is not the time to fall to fear's temptations. Be strong. Never give in."
Edmund was looking up at Caspian with pride in his eyes, swallowing hard. Caspian was like an older brother to him, as much as Peter was. He reached for Rose's hand and grasped it in his own.
"Our world, our Narnian lives depend on it. Think of the lost souls we're here to save. Think of Aslan. Think of Narnia."
Caspian dropped his eyes and started descending the stairs, when a loud cry stopped him.
"For Narnia!"
Everyone else took up the cry, and soon the entire deck was full of the shouts. Filled with courage and hope, Rose turned to smile at Edmund and squeezed his hand. His dark eyes were full of emotions and he leaned in suddenly and kissed her on the lips.
However, the atmosphere was tense as they moved through the mist into the 'island'. Everyone was silent, weapons at the ready. Edmund had released Rose's hand and stood tense.
A long, drawn-out shout emanated from the darkness. Everyone on the ship whirled around, looking for the source of the sound.
"Keep away! Keep away!"
Edmund shone his torch over the rocks – and there was an old man there, brandishing a sword that Rose recognized all too well. Edmund clearly did, too.
"Caspian. Caspian, his sword."
"Lord Rhoop," Caspian stated, moving towards the railing.
Eustace the dragon appeared out of the mist, lifted up a wailing Rhoop and put him unceremoniously on the deck of the ship.
"You should not have come," Rhoop told Caspian when he learned the truth of the young man's identity, "There's no way out of here. Quickly, turn this ship about before it's too late!"
Edmund looked serious. "We have the sword, let's go."
Caspian agreed. "Turn her about, Drinian."
"Do not think!" Rhoop cried suddenly, and Caspian whirled around to face him. Rose was beginning to think that this old man was quite mad. "Do not let it know your fears, or it will become them."
Edmund closed his eyes. "Oh no."
Lucy looked horrified as she turned to face her brother. "Edmund, what did you just think of?"
"Oh, I'm sorry." Edmund raced over to the railing just as something disappeared beneath the water. Suddenly, the ship rocked violently and everyone on board fell to the deck.
Edmund pulled Lucy to her feet, just as Rose heard the high-pitched squealing sound that froze her blood. She whipped around to see a monstrous sea serpent towering over the ship.
Edmund used one arm to push Lucy behind him, holding up his sword – just as Eustace the dragon rocketed in and breathed fire at the towering sea beast. The serpent seized the dragon in its jaws and dived under the water with him. When it surfaced, it threw Eustace to the rocks. It attempted to attack again, but the dragon breathed fire into its face.
Rose watched with fascinated horror as the sea serpent writhed wildly, screeching loudly before diving back below the surface. Rhoop pushed everyone aside and threw his sword at Eustace, catching him in the shoulder. Rose whirled to face the old man with anger in her eyes, just as Eustace flew off, wounded.
"No, come back!" Lucy cried after him, but he paid her words no attention.
The ship rocked again as Rhoop gained possession of the wheel and Rose stumbled, cannoning into Edmund, who catch her in his arms and straightened her up as he had only nights ago. However, Drinian knocked Rhoop out and quickly took back command.
"Armed crew, to your rowing positions. Oars at double speed!"
PARAGRAPH
It wasn't long before the sea serpent emerged once more, only now it was angry as well. It threw itself across the deck and Rose screamed as Edmund knocked her aside to prevent her from being crushed. Her sword went clattering to the deck. The crew went plummeting in all directions.
Why am I so powerless? She fumed to herself. I'm supposed to be the Protector. I'm supposed to be able to do magic. But I can't do any of it!
"Ed!" called Caspian, "Ed. We ram the serpent. Smash it into the rocks."
"Steer it to port," Edmund yelled back, "I'll keep it on the prowl."
Rose was forced to watch as Edmund clambered up towards the figurehead, just as Lucy ran back on deck with Susan's bow and arrows. Rose felt a surge of pride for the young girl.
Edmund slid into the figurehead's mouth and clicked on his torch. Rose gripped her sword tightly in her hand, her head tilted upwards as she watched him. Fear for Edmund coiled deep inside her, twisting her insides.
"Try and kill me, come on! Come on, I'm here!" Edmund shouted.
The serpent reared back and then lunged forward. In the fraction of time before it hit the figurehead – and Edmund – Rose felt the power rising within her once more. She threw down her swords and raised her hands to the sky as blue-purple magic shot forward between Edmund and the serpent.
"No!" screamed Lucy as the serpent's jaws clamped down over the figurehead.
"Edmund!" Caspian shouted from the wheel.
But when the serpent pulled back, Edmund was still inside the smashed figurehead. Rose smiled briefly and dropped her arms, feeling quite tired. Her power seemed to spend a lot of her energy...but it was worth it, because she had saved Edmund.
As Caspian spun the wheel, backing the serpent towards the rocks, Lucy pulled an arrow from the quiver and fitted it to the bow, stretching it out taut and directing it at the serpent's head.
Edmund clambered up to stand on top of the figurehead as the serpent snapped its jaws at him.
"I'm still here!" he yelled at it.
Lucy released the arrow and it whizzed with astounding accuracy towards the sea serpent, hitting it right in the face. It screamed in anger and pain, as a wide-eyed continued to back away from it.
"Brace yourself!" Caspian shouted from the wheel, as the figurehead rammed into the serpent and pinned it to the rock.
Rose watched with growing horror as Edmund was flung backwards by the force of the impact, bouncing off the serpent's coils and hitting the deck hard. He rolled and hit the broken mast, unconscious. Picking up her sword, she raced towards him, falling to her knees beside him.
"Edmund!"
He blinked up at her as he regained consciousness. Her hair was soaking wet and her eyes were wide with fear as she stroked his hair back from his head. He reached up and brushed her cheek with his fingers.
"You saved me."
Rose shook her head slowly. "This isn't over yet."
PARAGRAPH
The sea serpent had started to glow bright green, before it split and revealed thousands of bristles that quivered and twitched. Edmund clambered to his feet and stared up at it, spellbound.
"Move!" yelled Caspian, catching him and throwing him to the deck just before the serpent could crush him.
Caspian grabbed his sword as the serpent began to retreat, hacking off one of the bristles. It fell to the deck as the serpent screeched in fury, and as Rose watched, it dissolved into green mist.
Edmund and Caspian seemed to have realized the same thing.
"We can beat this."
They all looked up as the sea serpent clamped its jaws around the main mast, attempting to tear it down. Edmund staggered to his feet and turned to Rose, planting a quick kiss on her lips. She knew then that he was going to do something stupid.
"We have to get it closer."
He sprinted towards the railing and threw himself off, grabbing one of the ropes and swinging around to land in the rigging. He started climbing nimbly, and Caspian turned to Rose as Edmund made his way up.
"You're the Protector, Rose. You need to keep him safe."
Rose shook her head, gnawing her lip. "Caspian, I'm not sure I can do this..."
He gripped her by the shoulders. "You're one of the bravest people I know. Don't fall now. I know you can do this."
Then he hurried off with a cry of, "Ready the harpoons!"
Rose moved over to the railing, salt sea water spraying her face as she looked up to where Edmund was climbing up the rigging. Caspian believed in her, and she knew Edmund and Lucy did too.
As the crew threw harpoons at the sea serpent, dragging it slowly but steadily down towards the deck, Rose raised her arms and felt the magic pouring from her as a blue-purple shield formed around the climbing Just King, protecting him from harm.
She watched as Caspian and the crew heaved at the harpoons, as Edmund finally clattered into the crow's nest far above them. Something was wrong, though. Edmund had turned and was facing the opposite direction from the serpent. He was staring openly and Rose felt terror envelop her.
"Edmund!" she cried, "What are you doing?"
PARAGRAPH
Up in the crow's nest, Edmund was having his own troubles. He whipped around as he heard a spine-chillingly familiar voice calling out to him. There she was – the White Witch.
"What are you trying to prove, Edmund? That you're a man?" Her tone was mocking.
Down the deck, Caspian was shouting, but Edmund seemed oblivious. What he was doing up there, Caspian didn't know...but he was beginning to worry. The serpent ripped free and some of the crew were dragged with it.
Rose flung herself to the deck to stop herself being crushed by a flying piece of railing – but her concentration had broken. Her shield around Edmund crackled and failed and now she knew he was a victim of the mist.
While the crew flailed around on the deck, Rose looked up, stumbling to her feet. Rhindon had started to glow blue, as Edmund looked down upon Peter's sword with amazement in his dark eyes. He turned and waved the sword at the serpent, urging it on – and then plunging it into the creature's mouth when it lunged.
Suddenly, the sky seemed to rip apart with lightning, as did the serpent. Rose stared up at the boy she loved with wonder in her eyes. He had accomplished this. Edmund stood on the crow's nest, staring down as the serpent plunged beneath the roiling waves.
The sky broke upon and the clouds were invaded by sudden, white light, shocking the crew of the Dawn Treader. Finally, the spell that the evil of Dark Island had held had been relinquished.