Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed, especially the following people:

kittiebassgir

e-anaid

?Question from e-anaid: I don't remember ever reading about a dragon killing in the Last Battle

Answer: You're right you didn't, not directly. This story is based on a reference to an earlier period in time, between The Magicians' Nephew and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

I hope you all enjoy this new chapter!

Chapter Five: Winds and war

by Idaho Shepard

Gale watched Narnia disappear in the rosy light of dawn from aboard his steady craft, the Dragonfly. Light, small and swift, the ship had managed herself with great ease and balance through the usually storm troubled seas around Cair Paravel out to the less tossed open seas, all in the dark of night.

Lifting his spy glass Gale focused on the battlements of his home. From the tower fluttered his standard, a silver cloud blown by great winds on a navy blue background. Strong, forceful as a mighty gust of wind, one men cannot stand against; was what his name meant. He was so much like the wind, either still or always moving, always traveling to new places. No one knew where the winds came from or where they were going. Aslan had sent him on a mission, he knew not where or when, or even why?

"Gill." The voice interrupted Gale's reflections. Trophemes climbed up beside the prince. "Do you see anything?"

"I did. They have raised my standard at home. But then the storm thickened and I lost sight of it."

"This is the strangest storm I have ever seen. How did you know it was coming?"

"It came up so fast no one could have known it was coming." Gale sighed.

"What?" Trophemes was worried.

"Last night I had an awful dream. I was wading in the rain to the bank of the stream but I never got there. It kept getting further away, just like what we're watching now." Gale pointed to the receding land. "Only I was walking towards it."

Trophemes shivered. "Creepy."

"That was not the worst. One moment I was wading and the next I was swimming. The sea was stormy and I sank under-" Gale's voice faltered.

"And..."

"And I thought I was dead."

"It was only a dream."

"I woke up gasping for breath and soaking wet."

"Really Gale, you know it was only a dream."

"I'm not so sure."

"Why not?" Trophemes asked very skeptical.

"When I woke up Aslan was there."

Gale waited for this to sink in. Trophemes opened his mouth but thought better of it and shut it. He tried several times but to no avail. There was silence except for the flutter of sails and gull's cries.

"Troy, I'm not lying to you."

Trophemes looked at his friend questioningly.

"He told me a great storm was coming that would destroy the ship if we did not leave at once. If it did destroy the ship we would be too late." he added quietly.

"For what?"

"For the task he appointed me, that's all he would say."

Trochees murmured beside him.

"You do believe me, don't you?"

"It would explain this wind."

Now it was Gale's turn to look surprised.

"The wind is blowing us southeast around the tip of Calormen. No sailor could wish for a truer path.

"So we're being guided by Aslan."

"The winds push us southeast but always east for enough to keep us out of the storm that is heading south, seemingly following us. Stranger than that, as I sat watching the storm last night, twice it tried to close in around us but was pushed back by our wind. When they did meet there was always a great clash of purple and golden light."

Both men were silent, thinking over what they'd heard. "I suppose there's nothing we can do about it." Gale said.

"Why would be want to do anything?"

"But at least we know it's Aslan who is protecting us."

"Yes."

Fair winds blew them all the way, the sun shown unless it was raining, which was always cool and refreshing. One merry day followed another until Gale could hardly distinguish between them. The only incident worth mentioning happened midway through the voyage.

Trophemes and Almonzo were constantly bickering. Trochees would tease Almonzo and Almonzo would storm off to his bunk to ignore Trophemes the rest of the day. But the next morning Trochees would find a surprise left for him by Almonzo; and so it continued throughout the trip. The crew expected it to wear off but it only increased.

Almonzo and Trophemes had had an especially heated argument that morning and the fawn was still steaming, although the human seemed to have forgotten it all together. It was evening and the Caption, the prince, Almonzo, the navigator and Trochees were having dinner in Gale's cabin. The ship gave a sharp, unwarned jerk and Trochees who was serving the meal tripped and fell flat on his face. Out of his hands and into the fawn's lap the dish sailed much to the amusement of those gathered. Almonzo, very red in the face, slammed his fist on the table. "That's it!" he yelled. Drawing a hunting knife he ran after Trochees who had just staggered to his feet.

"Almonzo, stop! It was an accident. I didn't mean to do it. Almonzo don't." Trochees ran around the table. Eyes glazed with hate and foaming at the mouth Almonzo followed. . At the top of the galley stairs Almonzo overtook Trophemes. In one swift movement the hunting knife came down and his hand pushed the human down the stairs.

He was laughing so hard tears were flowing down his cheeks and he could not catch his breath; so he did not see Almonzo's outburst. Hearing a cry he looked up to see Almonzo chasing Trochees with a drawn hunting knife. He wanted to shout, to move, to stop Almonzo; but fear rooted him to the floor. Time stood perfectly still. Through a mist Gale saw Trochees fall. Time began again with a jolt, and fear released his body adding inhuman energy instead. Almonzo started at the prince's yell and his eyes lost their glazed look. He beheld the prince, flushed and worried; and Trochees unmoving where he had fallen in a heap at the foot of the stairs. Then he fled.

I do not own any of the land of Narnia or the surrounding islands, Aslan, or Prince Gale; they belong to C. S. Lewis. I do not have permission from the author to use these, I am not making money on this story either.