The Beelzebub of This Situation
As the crew returned to the boats, for a separate party had gone to look for any opposition, Reepicheep kept a steady eye on Caspian. The mouse's tail flicked back and forth, as it were thinking up reasons as to why the sudden mood swings.
He seems more natural now, Reepicheep thought, as if the resentment and behaviors of before were simply a symptom of the sea.
Caspian looked towards the mouse and smiled familiarly, "Come on then." he said as if nothing had occurred.
Reepicheep made his way over: Perhaps it was just sea sickness. I hope it doesn't repeat any time soon.
The boat ride back was nervous and could be expressed simply by fear. Reepicheep noticed that they had acquired a young girl and a man who he presumed to be her father. They were in the boat next to the one he was in and the rodent saw the girl and noticed that she was distressed, almost in tears but not quite there yet.
Converse with young passenger about trouble. Reepicheep said in his head, making mental notes. Continue watch of Caspian.
This reminded him that he needed to watch his monarch who was rowing the rowboat he was commuting in. He appeared normal, but slowly a smile was returning. The smile that made Reepicheep not too keen earlier.
"Sire," Reepicheep said warning him, "remember your conscious."
Caspian didn't answer him verbally, he simply nodded.
They were halfway back to the ship.
Twenty-minutes later, Caspian's smile turned into full-fledged crazy. The others began to notice.
"Sire," Tavros said, "are you alright?"
"Just fine." Caspian answered.
The young girl and the man climbed the ladder. Caspian stood up immediately and moved towards them with intent. Reepicheep saw this and saluted his blade again, this time however, he performed a successful parry, which knocked Caspian back into the rowboat.
"What are you doing?" Caspian asked. The action and rocking of the rowboat caused the others to look over.
"Yes Reep," Edmund asked, a bit confused, "what are you doing?"
"Possibly doing the most heinous act I will ever do." Reepicheep answered as he got into an attack position.
"I apologize Your Majesty," Reepicheep said continuing, "but I cannot let you board."
"Is this munity?" Caspian asked.
"Absolutely not sire," Reepicheep replied, "I just want you to be mentally stable is all."
"So munity then?" Caspian said.
The rodent rolled his eyes and sighed, "Oh for the love of- alright yes it's munity!"
Silence.
"What did you just say?" Caspian asked.
"I think you heard me." Reepicheep replied.
Caspian smiled, "I'm afraid you're going to have to be excommunicated. I will not tolerate treason on my ship."
"Your ship?" Reepicheep said, raising his voice and looking at Caspian with a skeptical eye. "I suggest you learn your place."
"I know my place," Caspian answered, "and it is with my subjects."
Slowly, Caspian climbed the ladder. The girl was ninety percent of the way up. Just as she was about to board, Caspian grabbed her leg and threw her towards the sea past the boats and way out into the water. She screamed, was in pain, and hit the water extremely hard. It did not look promising.
Tavros jumped in and swam towards her, Reepicheep meanwhile, scaled the side and met Caspian on deck, but by the time he met him Caspian was already doing something else.
"Ready for round two!" Caspian shouted as he kicked Lucy in the abdomen. Edmund, who was on board, saw this and attempted to retaliate.
"Just what do you think you're doing!" Edmund shouted.
"Yes," Reepicheep repeated, "just what do you think you're doing?" The mouse quickly rushed over in between the two to break up the beating.
The mouse turned towards Lucy and smiled the best he could, "Are you alright?"
Lucy nodded: "Thank you."
"It is my duty," Reepicheep said, "now, get to quarters to get some rest, I'll come and check on you later."
Lucy was quickly helped up by Edmund who rushed down to the quarters to safety.
"So," Caspian said, "judging by your look, I believe you see me as primeval."
"Because you are." Reepicheep replied quickly, "Like I said before, I dare not strike a King, but I didn't say anything about a possessor."
Caspian turned around, took about five steps, extended his arms and smiled, as if wanting a brotherly embrace. He bowed slowly, still smiling but of disrespect.
Reepicheep wielded his blade, "Sire," he said, "you do realize that you have put my honor at risk, your life in danger, and my judgment on the line."
"You know you want to." Caspian said, "So do it."
Tavros came up, scaling the side for no one lowered the ladder, carrying the girl under his right arm.
"She's fine," The minotaur said, "but injured, possible concussion. Shall I see to her."
"No," Caspian said, "we have other matters."
Reepicheep turned towards Tavros and said: "If the question of morality ever comes answer justly."
Tavros nodded and slowly carried the girl down below deck, leaving the rest of the crew to deal with the drama.
Hmm...Reepicheep thought, If I were going to do something crafty, now would be the time to expose him and hopefully get some answers.
The rodent smiled and cried, "Defiler!"
"Deceiver," Reepicheep took several advances forward, "Malevolent little bastard, you ridiculous swine."
Caspian turned towards Reepicheep and his face was getting red hot. Reepicheep smiled, stuck his sword in the ground and nonchalantly leaned on it and acted as if he were filing his paws.
The mouse continued: "A pestilence, menace to society, a jinni, a nefarious incubus."
Caspian pulled out his sword and swung towards the rodent who barely had to move to dodge it. Reepicheep stood up normally and continued with the taunting:
"Bigot, zealot, and well, I can just go on and on." Reepicheep smiled and walked towards his 'friend' and motioned for him to lean down. Caspian did so.
"You're the Beelzebub of this situation aren't you?" Reepicheep asked with a daemon smile, letting whoever it was in Caspian's head know that Reepicheep saw him, and was going to deal with the problem.
"Get away from me." Caspian said, backing as if a serpent had bit him. Reepicheep laughed to himself.
Reepicheep jumped on the railing and extended his blade to him. "Tell me what I need to know."
"No." Caspian replied.
The mouse pressed the tip of his blade against Caspian's shirt and ripped it a little, he then pressed it up against Caspian's side.
"Don't force me to do this." Reepicheep said.
Caspian laughed, the kind of laugh that a condescending person gives, the kind of laugh that if you had absolutely no soul left and no longer cared about anything you would give this, the kind of laugh that Reepicheep hated the most.
The mouse stabbed Caspian in the side, digging deep and twisting, to shatter muscle but not bone. He didn't plan on killing him, just severely injure to the point of common sense. Caspian fell on his knees to the ground, taking Reepicheep with him. The fallen King looked at the rodent with eyes of betrayal. The rodent replied with:
"Remember, you made me do this."
"You didn't have to-"
"Yes sire I did." Reepicheep said, "I had to do it for the safety and security of us all and of us both." It was here that the mouse got close and personal with him:
"Listen to me I am willing to fight and die for you but you must be willing to fight and die for you also do you understand?"
"Alright." Caspian said, "Say whatever it is you have to say."
"You didn't answer my question." Reepicheep said.
"Because I'm not him." Caspian replied.
"You are mad," Reepicheep replied, "a psychotic maniac who has done nothing but cause misery and grief. You are making a war out of me sire. I will fight it, believe me, I will do so until I can no longer, but you're killing yourself."
"No you are." Caspian said, "You're wasting your time."
"Do you fear?" Reepicheep asked.
"Of course I do."
"I was talking to Caspian you idiot." Reepicheep replied harshly, "Now I don't know how to get to you but I do know that whatever it is you fear, if anything, then let me cast it out."
"What?" Caspian asked confused.
"Let me cast that fear out!" Reepicheep said a bit louder.
Tavros came up slowly, carrying a rag it was clean, a bad or good sign. Reepicheep looked up and asked:
"How is she?"
Tavros shook his head. "I'm sorry, the girl is dead."
Reepicheep sighed, nodded, looked at Caspian with a glare of blame, and leaving his sword in Caspian's side, the mouse went below deck.
The girl was beautiful, her chestnut colored hair contrasted with her white dress with faded flowers. She was placed on the next to Eustace. Reepicheep walked over.
He dare not desecrate a grave, so he stood reverently and spoke:
"Anything you wish to talk about?"
He got not answer.
Above deck, he could hear some type of fuss, the mouse was half tempted to go up and investigate but his place at the moment was here. He stood in silence looking up at this girl, this complete stranger for thirty minutes.
The father was in the back crying, Reepicheep could say a million lines of poetry but it would make no difference, the amount of grief was too great and Reepicheep was just a mouse. Nonetheless, he walked over to the threshold of the room the father was in and guarded it not letting anyone pass him.
A splash of water masked the father's tears.
When the father was done and finished with his tears, he stepped over Reepicheep and was about to completely ignore him when the man turned, looked down at the rodent and said: "Tha-"
"Don't say anything." Reepicheep said. "You've said all the words we've all been thinking, you were just brave enough to cry them out. I salute you greatly sir." He performed a respectful bow and looked up for a response. The father nodded his head twice and left quickly with Reepicheep close behind.
Reepicheep stopped at the base of the stairs and let the father go up and close the gate, the mouse could get through anyway.
"How did we come to this? When was this ever normal? What can we do about it?" These were questions that were racing through Reepicheep's head and after a moment of thinking he answered all of them:
"All walls are made of stone, and stone isn't unbreakable, just difficult to break."
The mouse walked up the stairs and found a light rain was falling, the wind was blowing, and Eustace had been slain.