Ch.11 1/2
Of
The Voyage of The Dawn Treader

The Forgotten Adventure
After the adventurers had left the island of the Dufflepads, the strangest thing happened. They all remembered going straight into the Dark Island, but later Lucy told me of the account that happened at this point in time. Only she remembered because Aslan had willed it that way. She never did discuss it with the others. What she told me was this: that there was another island in between the Dark one and the island of the Dufflepads. On that island lay many green fields, pools, and forests. When the ship pulled in, everyone almost felt as if they were in a trance. After Caspian, Lucy, Drinian, Reep, Edmund, and Eustace had gone ashore, the rest of the crew fell asleep. The six adventurers set out. They walked for hours and hours. Finally, they all stopped at one of the pools. It seemed to be serene and hyaline. Eustace dipped down to scoop water into his hands. Caspian then shouted,
"Wait! Eustace, don't!" By then the boy had already sipped the water. An arrow shot out from the trees and caught his sleeve. It pinned his arm to the ground. The others, not willing to leave a helpless comrade in trouble, stayed by his side. The mysterious sniper leapt from the tree.
"Loyal friends you have, boy. I would have killed you was it not for them." The sniper wore a tunic of green with brown tights underneath. He had a stern brow and curly hair that fell to his ears. Most importantly, his ears were pointed at the top. Lucy, who had enjoyed many books about strange creatures, knew at once that it was an elf. She had never even seen one in all of Narnia before. The elf stooped down and pulled out the arrow from Eustace's sleeve.
"What do you mean by shooting at our friend?" Caspian growled, his hand resting on his sword hilt.
"Certainly, my friends, you should know that you were trespassing on our secret grounds. And of all things, drinking of the dream pool!"
"The dream pool?" Drinan asked.
"Yes it is most sacred. He who drinks of it, gains a gift from M'Lady. Only heroes, or warriors who have accomplished great things can drink of it. The boy would be put to death. But, seeing as you will not let me take him without a fight... I think I shall give you choices. One, you can leave the island immediately. Two, come with me to M'Lady. Three, you can fight me. So what will it be?"
"Why should we listen to you, seeing that you are out numbered, friend?" Reep raised his furry brow.
"Why, my mouse, an elf is never outnumbered. He always has resources." At that moment, five more elves emerged from the trees, arrows on string. "As you can see it is you who are outnumbered. Though it is an even six, two boys and a girl cannot fight as fine as my friends here. Just maybe the older boy, though. I think that a mouse is not fit to fight us either."
"Say that again when my rapier is on your neck!" Reep cried. It took Caspian and Drinian to hold the mouse back.
"A feisty one you have here. Come your time is up. I shall take you to the Lady."
The five people, mouse, and elves marched through the forest. The roughage was thick and green. Lucy felt that there was certain music in the air. She then noticed a change in how thick the trees were. They grew thin. Suddenly, the lead elf stopped the others right in front of a cave entrance. Lucy looked up to see the cave went into the side of a huge mountain. The elf looked over the six intruders and then said,
"My name, by the way, is Refaedier. I shall guide you through the city." Lucy pondered what he meant. All she saw was a mountain. They were lead through the cave, and soon she saw daylight peeking in again. She then realized the mountain was a wall, protecting another forest. The forest was different, for in every tree there lay a platform of strange crystal. Steps were in front of them. At the foot of the stairs stood two guards wearing helmets of fine iron and jewel. Their breastplates were of iron as well, engraved with a lion. Lucy leapt with joy at the sight of these for she thought; maybe they were followers of Aslan. Refaedier stepped to the guards and whispered something in a beautiful, swift language. The guards moved aside. Lucy held her breath. They were entering a kingdom in the trees.

Lucy felt as if she was dreaming. Lovely pools shimmered on the forest floor everywhere. It seemed constantly dark here, but blue light radiated here and there. She saw something that greatly interested her in a set of branches along the way. Orange lights seemed to dance there. She tried to touch them (they were beside the catwalk.) The all moved away from her hand. Then it came to her what they were. They all were lovely little women, with their orange luster. They dressed in little yellow dresses that seemed to be made of leaves, though they held together too well to be leaves. Most noticeable, sprouting from their backs were wings. Fairies! Lucy watched them, unaware that the group had moved on. When she realized that they had gone, she felt happy, for that meant she could see this lovely kingdom for what it was, which was more than she expected to be shown. Lucy started back the way they had come and took a different turn, so as not to go back to the stairs. She found a large platform of the strange blue crystal with a huge hole in it. Around the hole crouched elven children. Then she saw what they were staring at. One elf had fallen into the pool below.

"Firian, have you found it yet? You just have to find it! Father will be in a rage!" one little elven girl cried. Lucy counted about three children watching the one who was swimming in the pool.
"I have not found it my sister. Wait I see something glowing. Yes! I think, oh I think it is the Cryatial!" Lucy entered the large platform, full of curiosity.
"I say! Who are you?" cried a small elven boy. The other three looked up, including the one in the pool below. Lucy replied,
"My name is Lucy. My friends and I are here to see the "Lady". I wandered off." Best to tell the truth then to lie.
"So she's an outlander. I say...Lucy... where are you from?" the little elf boy inquired. At that moment the older elf boy in the pool cried,
"Oh no! It's a Serf eel!" With that, the elf boy disappeared underneath the water.
"Firian! Oh no! Oh... I got to go in after him. But I can't swim!" cried the girl who was obviously Firian's sister.
"I can't swim either!" cried the little elf boy. They looked to their silent companion, who was an older girl. She shook her head violently, to indicate that she could not swim either. They all glanced at Lucy, who said,
"I can swim, but I'm not that good." They told her that she did not have to go through with it. That she really did not have to go in. She replied, "I'll go." With that, she leapt in.

Lucy surfaced, only to realize that the whole city was built in trees above these gigantic pools. She saw the giant eel hanging on Firian's arm. Firian jostled with it, kicking hard. In his other hand lay the...what did they call it? Ah yes! The Cryatial! It looked like an orange ball of crystal with flashes of colors here and there. Lucy swam, her legs kicking hard. She reached the elf and the eel. She grabbed the squealing creature, pulling hard on it's neck. She knew that she really did not know how to fight a giant eel, and that she probably had no chance. It let go of the elf boy's arm and lunged at her. She ducked into the water, and grabbed the thing by its jaws. She held them shut and found that it was not too strong, only that it had sharp teeth. Firian grabbed what looked like a rope from his belt and strung around the eels mouth. He pulled a tight knot so that Lucy could let go. He then cried,
"Throw us down the rope!"

Lucy and Firian climbed up with the Cryatial and the eel. The other three elves looked up in awe. Suddenly the older elf girl walked to Firian and touched his arm. It was bleeding. The younger elf girl then said,
"Firian! Your hurt! Here let me bind it." The little elf boy looked up at Lucy with admiration.
"You were great! The way you grabbed the Serf eel's jaws. That was so awesome!" Lucy smiled politely.
"I should go find my friends now. It was nice helping you."
"Wait! Don't you want some dry clothes? You haven't told us where you come from either." Lucy then agreed to stay with the children for a while.
Hours later, Lucy stood in a beautiful courtyard to a huge series of what the elves called "crystal houses". Lucy wore a dry, turquoise gown that she felt was fit for a queen. The younger elf girl turned out to be Firian's younger sister, named Cararanie. The younger elf boy was named Kilo, the cousin of Firian and Cararanie.
The oldest girl's name was Darefgye. She was mostly silent, and she seemed to throw horrid glances at poor Lucy. Lucy stood in the courtyard with her new friends. She stepped to Firian's side and inquired,
"What is that Cryatial that you were looking for in the pool?"
"It is a gift from Her. My father drank of the dream pool, after saving three elves from our sworn enemies, the Gremlins. He was aloud to sip of the dream pool, which allows him to touch Her magical artifact that she grants him. After he touches it, it becomes safe for others to do so. The Cryatial is a special ball of rare fairy crystal. It has the power to let the holder be invisible. Kilo and my sister had taken it from my father, so that one of them may gain invisibility to sneak into Kilo's house and take some sweet bread. His mother had made a loaf for Kilo and us, but his mother had guests over, so she said they had to wait to eat it. I guess they could not wait. While sneaking to his house, Cararanie dropped the Cryatial into that pool you saw. She found Darefgye and I, so that we could help fetch it. I am the only one of us who can swim, so I had to get it. That is where you came in." Lucy nodded and said,
"What is going to happen to the eel's body?" Firian replied,
"With help from Darefyge, I should be able to strip it of it's glowing spike. Then we will toss the carcass to the pool. The spike is long enough to be turned into a sword. I suppose the others and I will give it to the Lady. She will reward us, and make it into a weapon to give as a gift to the dream pool drinkers. " Lucy nodded again, and walked over to where Cararanie and Kilo sat, playing a game that involved pebbles and dice. Darefyge slipped from the shadows she had retreated to earlier and strolled to Firian, but not without a nasty glance at Lucy. She reached his side, her eyes shining like blue fire.
"I don't suppose you actually want to befriend this girl?" Firian frowned and replied,
"I don't see why not." This time it was Darefyge's turn to frown. She took his chin in her cool, but pale hands, forcing him to look in her eyes, and said,
"Firian, she is forbidden. All humans must be brought to the Lady. There is something else too. She is...not like any human that I have ever encountered. She is from a different time, or a world. I know it." The older elf pondered this, never losing eye contact. He had always known that this elf girl was strange. It was almost like she wasn't an elf at all. That had never stopped him from befriending her. But, now when he stared in her eyes, he could almost see something not quite right there. Darefyge spoke,
"We will bring her to the Lady when we bring the Lady the eel spike." There was something strong and enticing about the way she said that. Firian mindlessly repeated,
"We will bring her to the Lady when we bring the Lady the eel spike." The strange elf girl smiled again.
"Very good." She patted his shoulder like he was a small child, and retreated to the shadows.

Eustace trembled uncontrollably. Refaedier still had his arm grasped tightly.
The elves brought he and his friends a long way through this forest of crystal houses. The houses had grown greater along the way. Suddenly Drinian asked,
"I say where has Lucy gone to?" Refaedier turned, his eyes flashing. He scanned them, seeing that the girl was gone. He nodded to two of the five elves that guarded the humans and mouse, saying,
"Find the girl. Find her swiftly and silently." The two elves left. Caspian then saw a very fine chance of escape. There were five of them, and four elves. He knew that Edmund, Drinian, Reepicheep, and himself could do fine in battle. He was just worried about Eustace. Along the way, Caspian exchanged looks with Drinian. They both knew what the other was thinking. The two men drew their still sheathed swords. Edmund and Reepicheep saw what they did and followed suit.
Eustace slipped away from Refaedier, to where he was out of the way. Refaedier looked surprised, but then smiled,
"I sincerely doubt you can escape. Nevertheless, A fight you shall get."
Caspian advanced towards the elf, and Refaedier drew his sword with lightning speed. The other three elves drew their swords and attacked.

The two elves silently walked down the platform. They scanned the whole area before them, searching for the girl that was called Lucy. They heard a rustle in the tree above them. Instantly, both had arrows to their bows. A dark, lithe figure slipped from the braches above. It landed in front of the two elves. Instantly they bowed down.
"Fair gentlemen, whom are you searching for, that you would mistake the daughter of the Lady for him?"
"M'lady, we are searching for an outlander that is here to see your brilliant Mother. She left the party, unseen." The elf girl smiled at them both,
"Never mind you with her." Her eyes shown with a breath-taking blue fire as she said that. It was alluring to look at. They had not realized that she was forcing ideas into their heads. Then one said,
"But how shall she see the Lady?"
"I will bring her to my Mother personally." The two elves then bowed, and started back to Refaedier.

Lucy watched as Firian scraped at the eel flesh, trying to free the glowing spike from it's back. He took one last, long yank and it came out. Suddenly, Darefgye leapt from the trees above.
"I have scheduled an appointment with the Lady. Lucy you can wear this, so that she does not see your human ears." The older girl tossed a scarlet cloak, with a hood, long enough to cover Lucy's ears. Lucy was surprised that Darefgye had not thrown her a nasty glance with it.
"In addition, Kilo and Cararanie, you may not accompany us." The two young elves groaned, and then trotted inside to play more games.

Refaedier hit Caspian hard with his sword hilt.
"You were quite a terrible fool for attempting to escape! We are too strong for you!" He motioned to his elven companions, who had their opponents down too. "I will have to take you to Her now."

Lucy followed Firian and Darefgye through many extravagant courtyards and roads. They walked until they reached two huge crystal gates. On them were giant heads of a lion. Lucy's heart again leapt for joy. Two guards stood by the gate, eyeing them suspiciously. Darefgye pulled a beautiful amulet of fairy crystal from her neck, though it had been hidden beneath her long, dark cloak. The guards opened the gates to them. Darefgye now wore the amulet freely in front of her cloak. All that passed them bowed to her. Firian asked,
"Why do they bow to you?" She turned, her eyes glowing with that blue, fiery luster, and said in a hotly tone,
"Does it matter?" He felt dizzy, but replied,
"No, I guess it doesn't." Firian felt almost as if the thought had been planted in his head. The three walked onward through the crowds of nobles. They reached the most magnificent crystal house they had seen yet. Darefgye motioned for Firian and Lucy to stand where they were. Darefgye then walked to the door, and placed her amulet in the lock hole. It shown brightly, and then the doors opened. Firian was tired of Darefgye always not telling him things. He stepped forward and grabbed her arm.
"What is that amulet? Why do the other elves bow to you? Who are you really?" Darefgye's blue eyes now burned with angry flames and she cried,
"Who are you, simple boy that you would demand answers from the daughter of the Lady? I have hidden secrets from you for your own good! If you were to know that I was of royal blood, would you read books with me, play games, or climb trees? No! You would have had your face to the ground! My Mother sent me out to make friends! Now you ruined it!" Firian fell to his knees with his head touching the ground. Lucy followed suit. Firian cried,
"Oh great daughter of our Leader, I beg your forgiveness for my ignorance. Please?" Darefgye's face softened. She kneeled down and lifted her friend off the ground to a sitting position. Tears were in both their eyes.
"I'm sorry my friend. All I ask of you is for you to act the same that you always have. When we walk, do not open doors for me. Do not bow to me. And please, please don't call me "your majesty"." Firian hugged her tightly.
"I will do that, my friend. I'm sorry." They held each other for another moment. Then Darefgye stood up and composed herself back to her cool calm. She nodded to Lucy, as to come along. The three entered the palace, and Darefgye easily got to the Throne Room, by showing the guards her amulet. They entered the marvelous room. It was adorned with gems of all sorts. Tapestries of the finest glowed on the shining, white walls. On the far end sat Her. She was breath taking. Her long, white-blond hair fell to her waist, though it seemed to flow behind her in an un-earthly wind. Her gown was of the purest white, flowers like snow surrounding her feet. Her skin was pale, and radiated. She was beautiful, more then words described. The three bowed low, as she took notice of them. She called out in the most melodious voice,
"Ah! It is my fair daughter and some friends! What is the matter, that you would interrupt my business?" For the first time, the three noticed that five prisoners kneeled before her. They were bloody and battered. It took all of Lucy not to cry out in surprise. It was her friends. Before them stood Refaedier the elf, a stern frown on his face. The Lady looked directly at Lucy, and held a smile. Lucy felt as if the Lady stared straight through her. Darefgye stepped forward,
"Just two things my Mother. First, a gift." Firian stepped forward too, and bowed low. He held out the glowing spike.
"M'Lady, it is of a serf eel." The spike flew from his hands to hers.
"Very fine, young man. You shall be rewarded." Firian shuddered.
"If you will Lady, this elf girl helped me." He nodded to Lucy. Lucy stepped forward and bowed. At the same time Darefgye stepped forward,
"Mother, this girl is..." Her Mother finished for her,
"An outlander. I know fair daughter." Lucy threw back her hood, in fear of hiding any longer.
"She and her friends will be freed. They did not know of our sacred grounds. Though, first I will give the girl a gift, for saving this young man from the eel." Firian looked up in surprise, for he had not told the Lady that Lucy had saved him.
"Lucy, Daughter of Eve, step forward." Lucy went to the Lady's throne. The Lady handed her a small carving. It was not magic, so drinking of the dream pool was unnecessary. The carving was of a bird. She touched it.
"Thank you M'Lady. I will treasure it with my full heart."
Lucy stood in the courtyard of Firian and Cararanie's house. Caspian, Drinian, and Edmund stood talking to Firian's father. Reepicheep was teaching Eustace and Kilo all the fencing skills he knew. Cararanie watched them with delight. Firian and Darefgye stood on a balcony speaking in the sweet, swift language of elves. Even though Lucy knew not what they said, she guessed that they were making up old quarrels and in the like. Darefgye's Mother told her to go back with her friends, so that some day she would grow into a great leader. Lucy took this all in with delight. She loved being with her friends and family. She had asked the Lady if they followed Aslan, and she said that he was their true leader. This brought a smile to her face, for she had felt in her heart that Aslan was King here. Lucy wondered if Kilo and Cararanie would continue to make mischief. She wondered if their father would ever forgive them for almost losing the Cryatial. She wondered what would happen to the Firian and Darefgye. But then she remembered that nobody was told any story but his or her own. She smiled. Suddenly, a great shining light engulfed her. Gold swirled around her. In the middle of it all stood a Lion, more beautiful than the Lady herself. Aslan's great booming voice filled her ears,
"It is time to return, child."

Lucy awoke upon the deck of The Dawn Treader. She shook her head fully, and found Caspian, Drinian, the two boys, Reep, and the rest of the crew standing over her.
"What's going on?" she muttered shakily. Edmund ran a hand through his wispy-blond hair.
"I couldn't say, Lu. We all got up this morning and you were lying here like a person who sleep-walked." Lucy wondered what they were talking about.
"But what about the..." She realized that Aslan perhaps must have wiped their memories. Or maybe it was just a dream.
"What Lu? What is it?" She looked up at her brother and said,
"Oh, nothing. I just had a really odd dream." Her brother shrugged, and walked away. Lucy stood up and walked to the railing of the ship. She looked over the edge at the crystal blue, vast ocean. Lucy felt a distinct ache in her side. She touched the spot, and found it was under her pocket. She looked inside, to find a small trinket. She held it up to the sun. It was a wooden bird. She marveled at its fine cut wings. Lucy then noticed that it had two, small orange crystals for eyes.
It was familiar, and she almost felt as if it was a reminiscent from some dream. She realized what it was. Eyes of fairy crystal. Maybe it wasn't a dream after all.

When Lucy was older, she had quite a collection of small statues. Her brothers and sister would come into her room, often to examine them. There were many lions, elephants, and even butterflies. The most beautiful of all was a strange bird that seemed to shine through all the others. Susan and Peter once came in her room with Edmund. Susan began to talk with Lucy, while the boys examined the statues. Edmund then said,
"I say, Lu, where did you get this magnificent bird?" Lucy looked up to see the beautiful thing.
"Oh, a friend gave it to me." Lucy said. Susan smiled,
"It's most magnificent."
"Yes. It is quite a treasure." Peter then said,
"Well Lu, it has almost a Narnian look to it." At this Susan rolled her eyes and left. Peter went after her. Edmund stayed.
"It does kind of remind me of Narnia."
"No. It's not Narnian. Just... different." Edmund shrugged and left. Lucy smiled to herself. Oh, she remembered what it was. It was no dream.

"Lucy, Daughter of Eve, step forward." Lucy went to the Lady's throne. The Lady handed her a small carving. It was not magic, so drinking of the dream pool was unnecessary. The carving was of a bird. She touched it.
"Thank you M'Lady. I will treasure it with my full heart."





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