Thank you to Heyna Blackstar, ShuckiestShuckfaced-Shuck4Ever, PadrePedro, Le Faucon Bleu and Guest for your reviews. Time for Aravis' POV on the situation ;)
The Beach – Aravis
Cor touched sand first. Aravis could tell because the barrel got suddenly lifted on his side.
She tried to touch the sand bank with her own feet as well, but her mouth dipped beneath the sea surface and she spluttered salty water.
Cor caught her arm and Aravis glared at him, pulling away as rigorously as the viscosity of the water would allow.
She would not accept his help.
It was bad enough that he was a better swimmer and he'd won the rigging race, but at least she had kept awake with him all night. And the swimming was hardly a fair match.
Nor was being able to touch the sand bank first. Just because he was taller didn't mean he was better.
Cor let go of her arm, rolling his eyes like he was so above all of this. He was such a hypocrite.
He walked and Aravis swam the next few metres. A quarter of Cor's chest was already exposed by the time Aravis' feet touched the sand bank and she hated it.
She also hated that as they both waded out of the water, his shirt clung to his body, outlining the lean muscles in his chest and arms and back.
It was unfair.
As if being the crown prince wasn't enough, he had to be attractive too. He glanced at her and she fixed her gaze on the island.
It was long enough and wide enough to have a sandy beach at the edges and a denser, tropical looking forest further in.
Aravis thought for a moment they might be in Calormen, but then she remembered they had seen the curve of the island as they'd approached and there were no other land masses in sight. Though the island must be at least as far South as Calormen to have palm trees and warm sandy beaches.
No matter, she was well-accustomed to tropical landscapes. Though so of course was Cor. She dared a glance at him again. He was looking at her, but he looked away when she caught his eye.
Perhaps he was sizing her up too.
Now they were on this island, they were going to have to figure out first of all how to survive and second of all how to get home and Aravis was not going to let Cor best her at either of those things.
Satisfyingly, Aravis was first out of the water — by half an inch, but she would take what she could get.
Cor tried to take the barrel at that point, and Aravis hadn't been expecting it so she wasn't holding on properly and it slipped easily out of her grip. Cor laid it on its end between them so it wouldn't roll away into the sea and squinted out at the ocean.
"Well, we made it," he said.
Aravis nodded. She felt suddenly exhausted like all the fear and adrenaline that had kept her awake the last twelve hours or so had drained out of her at once.
Cor's shoulders looked like they were drooping too.
She wanted to lie down on the sand and just sleep in the sun for a bit, but she would not lie down first.
Aravis and Cor stared at each other across the barrel.
"We should rest for a moment," said Cor after a few seconds.
"Tired, are you?" said Aravis.
"Are you not?" said Cor.
Aravis said nothing.
"We can sit down at the same time," said Cor.
Aravis nodded slowly. She was glad he'd proposed it because she would never propose it herself even though she was extremely tired.
They sank together to the sand, their backs against the barrel, their shoulders pressing together.
"We'll need water," said Aravis.
"And food," said Cor.
"And shelter," said Aravis.
"I can do the shelter if you want," said Cor. "I can probably carry more wood."
Aravis glared at him.
"I can," said Cor. He held up his rather floppy arm, weak from exhaustion. "See that, that's muscle."
Aravis just glared harder in response.
She did not need to be reminded of Cor's physique. She had not forgotten. It was like he was trying to drive home just how much he thought he was out of her league.
"Actually," said Aravis. "I can make my own shelter. And I can get my own food and water."
Cor put a hand over his face. "Come on Aravis, this is ridiculous. If we make our own shelters and find our own food and water, everything will take us twice as long."
"You can always forfeit," said Aravis.
Cor looked like he was fighting himself.
"Never," he said grimly.
I'm aiming to edit and then post the next chapter for a month's time.
