As the man dropped down, Edmund approached right from behind. He had seen the whole scene from afar. He was dragged out of a building where he and Caspian had been held and a minute later, yells and swords were everywhere. His first thought as the fighting began was to find his sister. From where he was, he was able to spot her quickly. Seeing that she was able to take care of herself, the next person on his mind was Kathleen. He had seen her running to a table, unprotected. He could see a man running towards her as she was looking for something. He called out to her before he planned on it. Thankfully, she was able to hear him over the shouts and clangs.
Edmund made his way down a set of stairs, fighting whomever he needed to get to Kathleen. Reaching the bottom of the steps, he could see her running out of options. Her weapon was nowhere to be found and the table was bare except for the loose paper. Seeing her with broken boards in her hands made him run faster. He almost winded himself but slowed down as he saw what Kathleen did next.
Now, Edmund always thought that Kathleen was very lady-like. Proper and poise. Graceful and elegant. Which was why he never really spoke to her. He felt that she was above him. Not in an uptight way. Snobs don't smile the way that she does. He thought that she was above him because, even though he was King Edmund the Just, Duke of Lantern Waste, Count of the Western March and Knight of the Noble Order of the Table; that was in Narnia, which as far as he knew, Kathleen knew nothing about. In her world, he was just Edmund Pevensie, one of the two people who was staying at one of her student's homes. A home she visited weekly. Somethings two times a week, if he's lucky. He felt that Kathleen Lewis deserved better than him. Little did he know, she thought something similar.
Edmund had never seen a lady spit, imagine his surprise when that was exactly what Kathleen did. In her enemy's eye, no less. He was not disgusted, but surprised, wondering if his younger sister would have thought of that.
Edmund appeared right in front of Kathleen as the man she took down fell in pain. Her eyes widen seeing him. She couldn't take her eyes off him as he stared at the man on the floor who was groaning. Edmund was safe. She would have hugged him if her arms weren't changed together. When he did look up, he quickly walked to Kathleen and lightly placed his hand on Kathleen's back, guiding her away from the man.
They crouched down behind the table, Edmund continuously looking at his surroundings, "Are you all right?" He asked as a man fell from the top of the fort opposite them.
She didn't answer. It all a lot to take in, and everything was hitting now. The fighting, the bidding, the sacrifices. All in a town isolated from the rest of the country. Kathleen could feel the uneven grain from the table against her fingertips. On her wrist hung cold metal cuffs. Cold enough to feel as though it was burning against her skin. She tried to steady her pounding heart. My goodness, she thought. This is all really happening.
When she didn't say anything, Edmund snapped his head to the girl, "Kathleen?" He asked worriedly.
She looked at him with wide eyes. He was getting ready to get her as far away from the fight as possible, but before they could move, Kathleen yelled. "Look out!"
Edmund couldn't even respond because Kathleen jumped up and pushed herself off his back, as she had done in numerous performances, and kicked the man who was coming from Edmund's right. This man was lankier than the others. Taller with greasy black hair. As he came back up from his hit, Kathleen took note of his sword. She quickly maneuvered to Edmund's right side, hoping that he saw the weapon as well. She risked a glance at him and saw that he nodded. Moving quickly, Edmund jumped up from his crouching position and was prepared to fight the man hand-to-sword. The man then raised his sword to the side at the same time that Kathleen thrust her arms outward, making the sword stop halfway in her chains. She did a pirouette and moved her hands so the sword could get tangled in the chains. As the man became confused by the move, Edmund jumped forward to grab the sword away from his hands and took a step back with Kathleen. He then raised the sword, allowing Kathleen to turn once more, detangling her chains from the blade. Edmund positioned himself in front of the man, ready to duel. Kathleen stood in a close fourth position, her heels lined to her toes, with more space than she was used to. She pushed her arms apart then held on to the chain that bound her wrist together.
The two teenagers looked daringly at the man.
He ran.
Not exactly the response the two were expecting.
Kathleen let out a breath. Looking around. She saw the people of the Dawn Treader and the people of the Lone Islands were fighting back. And they were winning. The citizens were crashing vases and pans to those who took part in the slave trade. Fauns were using broken poles to gain height against the traders and a dwarf slapped continuously to the Auctioneer's face as someone else held him down. It was a revolution, and Kathleen was a part of it.
"Thank you," Edmund said to a confused-looking Kathleen as he watched the fights from afar. The number of battles was shrinking by the second. What was once a one-on-one fight would turn to a three-on-one. Edmund didn't let himself get distracted in a battle, but that didn't mean he couldn't be grateful. "You saved me. Thanks."
Kathleen felt the tiredness of fighting catching up to her. She nodded more than she needed to, "N-no-no problem. Uh, even right?"
"What?" Edmund raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean 'even'?"
Kathleen had felt the bubble in her stomach ever since Reepicheep yelled out the name of "Narnia". Something about this feeling kept coming up. She didn't know what it was, or if it meant anything, but it was hard to shun the feeling away.
"Even. Yes, um." Kathleen slowed her breathing, "I'm positive it was you who called my name before the man charged at me. If you hadn't yelled," She paused, looking at the ground, trying to gather her thoughts and not get distracted by the victories around her. "Well, I rather not think of that." She sent a quick smile in his direction before looking down at the sand again.
She wanted to say more. That first of all, she was happy that he was okay. She didn't know where Edmund and Caspain were while Lucy, Eustace, and herself were tied up and she didn't know what happened to them in those hours. But he was in front of her and it seemed he was scratch-free. For that, she was grateful.
She could see Edmunds's shadow in the sand. She could make out his hair almost perfectly. He was facing towards her, away from the sun. She wondered if the rising sun, or if the cheers of the island had been taking effect on her head because she could have sworn that his shadow was growing.
It wasn't any of that. Edmund was taking small steps closer to her. Her first instinct was to step back. The bubble had disappeared and she was breathless from the fight. The rushing feeling was gone, and all that she had was sore muscles and a tired mentality now that everything calmed. They won.
She swallowed a lump. Ignoring the aches, she held up her arms. "I don't suppose you have the key to this?" she asked as Edmund leaned away from her.
He smiled. "Not on me." He raised his sword, "But I do have this."
Kathleen was awake once again.
He lowered his sword, "I was kidding." She dropped her arms in relief and huffed out a genuine smile. "Let's go find Caspian. I'm sure he still has the keys."
The two teenagers meet up with Lucy and the rest of the crew. It turned out Lucy found Kathleen's short sword and used it in her fights. Some of the belongings of the now free people had been just laying on the floor by the bookkeeper. Lucy found her dagger and healing cordial, and well as Kathleen's sheath for the sword. The younger girl took it upon herself to return the belongs to their rightful owners.
But something wasn't right. Most of the crew from the Dawn Treader were detaining the traders and bidders while others were assisting the townspeople. But something was missing. More so, someone.
The older girl kept looking around, capturing Lucy's attention. "Caspian and Reepicheep are talking to the people of the Island, saying our thanks for helping us in the fight. Hopefully one of them will have something to get those off you." Lucy gestured to the chains that still bound Kathleen's wrist together.
Kathleen shook her head, "It's not that," she continued to look around, hoping to find a little blonde spoiled boy mopping around. "Where's Eustace?"
Lucy froze, "I thought he was with you."
Kathleen turned quickly to Lucy, "I thought he was with you."
When Lucy didn't say anything, Kathleen took a gasping breath, "We have to find him."
She took a few steps back before Edmund stopped her. "Wait!" Kathleen stopped in her tracks, but her eyes were scanning every crack in the walls from where she stood. "We still have to get those irons off. You wait here, I'll go and look for him."
"Look for who?"
The others turned to Caspian who was walking to them with Reepicheep, and a familiar faun in tow. It was the one who was next to Kathleen when they were chained to the wall. But that was it.
"Eustace," Edmund said in a breath.
"Have you seen him?" Kathleen said in a rush. When he didn't say anything, she began to think out loud. "Fantastic! That boy could be anywhere. But then again the Island can't be that big, can't it? And Eustace being Eustace wouldn't want to go somewhere he hasn't already gone. He's not the 'explorer' type. So he couldn't have gone far, can he?" Caspian was about to reassure her, but Kathleen's words kept rushing out. "Now, Eustace would want to be as far away from the fight as possible. He wouldn't go to the church. The factoid books he reads would say castles are home of the ruler, and that would have been taken over by the slave traders most likely, so he wouldn't go there either. He would go somewhere he's been and empty at the same time."
"The dock," the Kings and Queen said simultaneously.
"Exactly!" Kathleen said, trying to point one hand to the Kings and one hand to Lucy. Instead, the chains stopped her, making her wince. She sighed while looking at small amounts of redness that were showing from under the cuffs. "He'd go to the docks. Or maybe even row himself back to the ship."
Kathleen heard jingling. Caspian stood in front of her and showed her the key ring. She let out another shaky breath as Caspian undid the cuffs.
"We'll find him," Caspian said to her and the Pevensies. "We'll go search the docks first." He said to Edmund. "I'll tell Darian to send small parties to search for him throughout the Island. Maybe someone who lives here had seen him go by. Kathleen, you-"
"Should take care of your arms." Edmund finished for him.
Caspian took a confused look at the younger king who hadn't taken his eyes off Kathleen. He turned to Kathleen's wrists and saw the reason why Edmund would want her to stay. Kathleen's wrists were red and pink. Scratches and cuts were shown on the back of her hand from the fighting against the different traders.
"I'll be fine. They'll heal, eventually. Besides I don't need my hands to help find Eustace." Kathleen went to grab one of her wrists to hide the sight from the others, but as she made contact, she winced again.
"If I could be of assistance." The faun said. Kathleen forgot that he was there. "I'm a traveling healer. The traders took me and separated me from my supplies." He pointed to a worn-out bag that was under the table, "If you would allow me, I could help take care of that."
Edmund first looked at his sister, then to the faun before nodded. "Please, do what you can. And thank you."
The faun bowed his head. "Your Majesty."
The faun walked past the others as Lucy gave his supplies. He quickly took a look at what he had and then sat on the stone box. Kathleen slumped her shoulders and sighed as she slowly walked to him, but not before turning to the Royals. "Just find him. I'm sure he's freaking out about everything that's happened."
Edmund nodded, "We'll find-"
"Cousin!" It was a screech, but Kathleen recognized it anywhere.
"Eustace?" Lucy called to him. He was running from the streets to the others. Kathleen's head snapped right up as soon as she heard him.
"Cousin! I think I killed a man!"
The boys looked at each other as they ran to Eustace. Kathleen was about the join then, but Lucy stepped in front of her.
"Take care of yourself first. We'll figure out what happened. All right?"
Kathleen was having a hard time saying no. Lucy had that tone in her voice that held order. Like a respected mediator in a debate. In the end, Kathleen sat back down as Queen Lucy ran to the others to a frantic Eustace. From where she was, she could see his arms waving around and pointing feverishly back to where he was running from. The three ran behind him as he led the way, leaving Kathleen with the faun.
The faun had set up all his materials ready for Kathleen. She recognized a fair few. Garlic and radishes, sage, and chamomile, but the rest were unknown to her. Given that she wasn't a botanist or even familiar with many herbs, this gave her permission to be wary. The faun had a bowl in hand and was mixing in two plants together with water from a canteen. Then he used a tool to pound them together as it turned to cream. He let it sit in the sun as he went back to his pack and pulled out a vegetable. A cucumber. With the water he already had out, he sparing washed the vegetable and laid it across the table where Lucy once was. Then he took out a knife and cut off one end. He set the knife in his bag and reached for Kathleen's arm.
She raised one arm to him and he began to dab the end of the cucumber on the cuts of her hand.
"Wow," she said while raising her eyebrows, "You know what you're doing."
He huffed, "Yes. I've been doing these practices for a lot longer than I care to admit, My Lady." He turned over her arm.
"'My Lady?'" she repeated.
"Are you not part of the Royal Court?" he asked as he cut off a piece of the cucumber. He motioned Kathleen to give him her other hand.
She did, "No, no. I just met Caspian yesterday."
The faun looked up from her arm, "Forgive me for the mistake. I only assumed by the attentiveness of both the Kings and the Queen, that you were sailing with them formerly." He went back at dabbing the vegetable at her cuts.
Kathleen raised her eyebrow. She wasn't completely positive, but she was sure she didn't see the faun with anyone when the fight began. Though, to be fair she was alone for most of it and did lose sight of everyone. Caspian and the faun showed up a few minutes after everything quiets down. Of course, the faun must know about his own King, but how did he know about Edmund. She didn't think it was possible to have a full discussion in those few minutes, especially when a fight was happening. "How do you know of Edmund?"
The faun laughed as he cut another piece of cucumber, "Everyone in Narnia knows of the Kings and Queens of Old." He stopped smiling when he saw her dumbstruck face. "Do you not know?"
Kathleen let herself think, "Well, I know that this isn't the first time Edmund and Lucy had come to Narnia. They were crowned King and Queen of Narnia in their first visit, as well as their older siblings. And... that was over a thousand years ago. And," she paused. That was it. She knew the existent of dryads, fauns, and knows that there was an all-knowing Lion somewhere. She was trying to remember what she heard Lucy say one time about walking trees and talking beavers. Kathleen slumped as she realized that she knew nothing about their actual reign. Their history in Narnia. Over a thousand years had passed, and people are still talking about them. Or at least, knew about them. She relaxed, "I guess I didn't know much about Narnia than I thought."
The faun stopped cleaning her wounds. He cut off another piece of cucumber before putting it away. "All you need to know that we Narnians are glad they're back." He paused to check on the herbal cream, "Not everyone treats us well when they are gone." He said as he slowly mixed the cream.
She sat straight again, "I don't think I ever got your name."
He shook his head once, "I don't think I deserve to give you my name, my Lady."
She scoffed and smiled, "I'm not a Lady. At least, not in that way," she held out her hand, "My name is Kathleen."
The faun smirked, "Teldor." He looked at her right hand and examined it. "Your cuts are clean now. All we have to do is to put the recovery cream on the deeper cuts and bruises then bandage them up. You have been good as new in a few weeks."
She tried not to laugh. She really did, but the situation was funny to her. She brought her hand to her mouth and tried to stifle her fit of giggles.
Teldor narrowed his eyes in confusion, "Did I assume you?"
She stopped her fit and lowered her hand, "Oh, um. It's just, where I'm from when someone holds out their hand as I did, you're supposed to shake it as a greeting."
He stopped mixing, "Why would someone do that?"
Kathleen smirked, "That is an excellent question."
Not long after, Teldor applied the mixture to the deeper cuts in Kathleen's arms. He said that it would dry when it was done healing as much as it could. He suggested that she should put it on twice a day to start with and clean the bandages on the same schedule.
The Pevensies and Caspian returned a little later after that. It turned out that Eustace didn't kill a man, thank heavens, but just accidentally hit a man, who happened to be the head of the slave traders, into an unconscious state. Apparently, that trader was the last man unaccounted for. Kathleen suggested for Teldor to be using his practices on anyone who had been injured. Teldor accepted on the spot, saying it was the least he could do. She also suggested having him heal the traders.
"You're joking, right?" Edmund question.
"Lad- Miss Kathleen. What they did was unforgivable. They don't treat Narnian's, or anyone else, with respect." Teldor strained while holding his supplies tight.
Kathleen nodded hesitantly, "I'm not proposing that you forgive them. I think if we were to treat their injuries unattended, wouldn't that be just as unforgiving?"
It took some convincing, but Kathleen was able to get everyone to agree to help heal the traders. Edmund was the hardest to convince. Kathleen had to explain that while the men would be getting treatment, they will still be punished for the crime of dehumanization. Teldor agreed to it as well; as long as he had another person there with him to act as a guard while he treated the traders in their cells. Edmund agreed thereafter.
After the plans were written, the crew made their way back to the ship. The town had rallied together to make a grand farewell to the members of the Dawn Treader. Kathleen had never been in a parade before, but the feeling of the people cheering on the sides had made her think that this is what it felt like. Though she also imagined that there were fewer swords involved.
As they made their way back to the ship, they added an extra crewman. It was the same man she had seen earlier. The one who had his wife taken away before his very eyes. Rhince. His daughter wanted to come too, but he had told her to stay put with her aunt. She wasn't too happy about it, but then again, who would be.
By the time they reached the shore, the rest of the island's citizens had followed right behind them. Kathleen had already said goodbye to Teldor, who was sad to see her go, though she didn't fully understand why.
"Miss Kathleen," he said with a smile, "If a Telmarine King surrounds himself with people like you, whether it be on accident or purposeful, when then maybe the stories are true after all."
Just another thought to add inside Kathleen's mind. It was a reminder that she did not know anything about Narnia or its stories. A Telmarine? Teldor had to be referring to Caspian. Or was it possible that he meant Edmund? No. He called him and Lucy the Old King and Queen, or something like that. She was stilled confused on that part. But not as confused as seeing an elder man calling to Caspian at the docks, presenting a sword in his arms.
"This was given to me by your father," the elder man said, "I hid it safely in the caves all these years."
"That's an old Narnian sword," Edmund said in realization.
"It's from your Golden Age." the elder said.
Kathleen guessed that must mean it was made very specifically in Edmund's first age of rule, due to the sword being covered in mollusks and sand.
"There are seven such swords, gifts from Aslan to protect Narnia. Your father entrusted them to us."
Seven swords? Kathleen thought, For possibly the Seven Lords?
"Here, take it," the Lord gestured it to Caspian. At first, he only started at the sword, possibly not believing that something of his father was within arms reach. He took a step forward and looked at the Lord, "And may it protect you."
Kathleen could see that look of uncertainty on his face. She saw him pick up the blade and hold it in his arms delicately. The crowd cheered and she could see Caspian put up his determined look of a King.
"Thank you, my Lord." He lowered the sword. "and we shall find your lost citizens."
The Lord looked like he didn't expect to hear those words. It looked like he found someone that trusted and believed in his title as Lord. And a good Lord he will become once again. That look made Kathleen feel warm all over.
She smiled as she saw Caspian stop Edmund and give him the Golden Aged sword. The sword from his Age. Maybe it was better that way.
Kathleen was behind Lucy when Edmund called to her. The warmness of her smile had begun to heat up to her cheeks. She decided to keep her eyes on the sword.
"I was wondering," he began then looked to the sword in his hand. Kathleen was burning for whatever could be at the end of the sentence, "how did you learn to do that?"
That caught her off guard. She looked at his shoulder. "Learn what?"
"To kick and hit that way you did. I'm sure Caspian didn't teach you that, so how, or even where did you learn it?"
Edmund began to walk to the longboats, holding out his hand for Kathleen to follow. She hugged her arms around her waist and followed his step with his, looking at the ship far ahead of them. She had a smile forming. She remembered what Edmund said earlier, how fighting was different than performing. If she had the courage to laugh, she would, but instead, she said a few words that Edmund couldn't help but smile too.
"From ballet, of course."
