Alright, time for a change up. Thank you to Le Faucon Bleu, Padre Pedro and Heyna Blackstar for your reviews! Hope you enjoy :)

The Plan – Cor

When Cor woke, Aravis was still lying next to him. In the course of the night, she'd flipped onto her side, pressing her back into his ribs, but he didn't mind. All he felt this morning was a relief.

He'd been cold last night too and if Aravis had waited any longer to turn up at his shelter, he would have had to go to her shelter instead.

He definitely preferred it this way, though he supposed the end result would have been the same either way. Whether she was in his shelter or he was in hers, they were together and that was what mattered.

He didn't mind competing with Aravis a little, but they should really draw a line somewhere. At least for now. He couldn't let his stubbornness get in the way of his sense for their entire stay on this island.

No matter how much he wanted to prove himself worthy of her.

Aravis woke shortly after he did, her brown eyes bleary, her dark wavy hair bunching around her face like a Calormene fortune teller. The salt and sea had made it curlier than normal and Cor rather liked it.

He brushed a strand away from her face and Aravis' body tensed.

"Sorry," said Cor quickly, pulling his hand back. "It looked like it was in your eyes."

Aravis pushed herself into a sitting position, shaking her head like she thought she might have lost her mind in coming to his shelter last night.

"We need to implement the next stage of the plan," said Aravis. "We need to find a way to get off this island."

Cor nodded, sitting up with her. He couldn't tell from her expression whether she also wanted to stop competing for now, but he let himself feel vaguely hopeful.

Because she had come to his shelter last night.

"We could try building a raft," he said.

Aravis sucked in a sharp breath.

"Is that a challenge?" she said.

"No!" said Cor. "I meant we could try building a raft together. Clearly if last night is anything to go by, it works better when we're a team."

"So you can make up for my deficiencies?"

"You are honestly the worst, Aravis."

"No, I'm the best."

Cor rolled his eyes. It was one thing him wanting to draw a line, but unless Aravis wanted to draw line as well, they would not be working together no matter how much he wanted it.

"We did the separate shelter constructing, we did the separate coconut collecting and we did the separate fire making," said Cor. "Surely we've done enough competing now. Can't we postpone the rest until we get back to Anvard?"

Aravis chewed her lip. Surely she wasn't so determined to prove he was beneath her that she would make them do this until they got off this island?

"Please," said Cor.

He didn't like pleading with Aravis, but in this moment, it felt necessary. He didn't want to have to build a whole raft by himself. And he liked sleeping in the same shelter. It was warmer and it felt safer.

Aravis gave him her most haughty look which was, Cor remembered, exactly why he didn't like pleading with her. It made him feel like a fisher's boy entreating a Tarkheena.

But then after a moment, she threw up her hands.

"Oh very well," she said.

"Great," said Cor.

"Though I will remember it was you who requested a break," said Aravis.

Cor grumbled, but if they were going to work together now, what did it matter?

"Fine," said Cor. "Let the record show that I requested the temporary ceasing of competition. Now, can we make this raft?"

Aravis tutted, giving him an infuriating smile.

"Actually," she said, in her Tarkheena voice. "Building a raft should be our last resort. We don't know where we are so a raft could carry us even further away from Archenland and we won't have supplies like we have on this island. We should instead make a beacon to signal any ships in the area. If we can catch a lift, we can make our way back to Anvard from there."

Cor nodded slowly. She made a good point even if she made it in her Tarkheena voice.

"But what if we signal a Calormene slaver ship?" he said.

Aravis grimaced. "Then we'll have to hide," she said. "And if they still somehow manage to capture us, you should tell them who you are. As the crown prince of Archenland, the money they would receive for your safe return would be worth far more than they could get selling you as a slave."

That made sense, though Cor noticed Aravis did not say anything about her own chances.

"If we do end up on a Calormene slaver ship, they will return you with me as well or they will receive nothing at all," he said.

Aravis gave him a soft-eyed look, the first she'd given him since their argument on the ship and Cor squeezed her shoulder.

They were going to be alright, he decided. Whatever happened, they were working together now and maybe nothing could stop them when they were working together.

"Okay, where shall we make the beacon?" he said.

I'm aiming to edit and post the next chapter in a month or so.