The row back to the ship was a pleasant one. Kathleen was in a boat with the same people as before. She still sat next to Eustace, and he still complained, but a pleasant thought came to her mind as he ranted off. Eustace may have finally accepted the idea that they were, indeed, in another world. Although, she figured that he would not admit it out loud. When no one was replying to his words, he sat quietly.

Kathleen waited a few moments before she piped up with a request. "Say, Caspian," she tugged on the sleeves of her tunic, "do you think it's possible if we could continue our lesson? If you can't, maybe some else in the crew, or if not, that's not a problem." The more she realized what she was asking, the faster her words became. Caspian was a King on a mission. Of course, he would be too busy to teach her. The same goes for the crewmembers. They all have tasks they have to complete daily. She figured that her asking someone to teach her would also be having someone to give up the little free time they have.

"You're right," Caspian said from the other side of the boat. Kathleen bunched a part of her sleeve and squeezed it tight. "It's not a problem from what Edmund told me. You truly do learn fast."

She looked between the two boys and blushed. "Oh, uh, beginners luck I suppose."

Eustace groaned, "Of course you would want to learn how to do such a primeval thing. It's such a thing only you would think of doing, Lewis."

Kathleen bunched her sleeve tighter, "Seeing as how we were almost sold to strangers, who mostly happened to be carrying swords, I think it would be best to learn how to use one." she tried not to sound bitter, but lost her will in the middle of the sentence.

"You did very well, Kathleen. Especially without a sword." Lucy gave an encouraging smile.

Kathleen nodded aimlessly. To be clear, she impressed herself on Narrowhaven. With the fight in the church, she knew she had gotten extremely lucky. But thinking back to the chaos in the town square, everything she did seemed to come naturally. The only thing she could think of as to why was because of her dancing; As well as the knowledge that came from the books she read.

It was hard to find a book that didn't have a damsel in distress. It annoyed her that the majority of the strong protagonist characters were men. In those books, the author would describe how the man would save the girl. She would read where the man injured the enemy and how they did it. It was easier to understand the movement when it was fist-to-fist, but when the enemy has a sword and all the protagonist had was a stack of weak boards, that was harder to figure out who was doing what, other than swinging. If she knew that proper way to fight with a blade, she would at least feel loads more comfortable if she was ever separated from the others again.

Edmund could see a frown forming on her lips. Although he didn't want Kathleen to think that she would be in danger ever again, he also realized that things have changed since their last visit. The Lone Islands probably won't be the only island effect by the Mist. He wanted to protect Kathleen. He wanted to make sure she was safe, that nothing could harm her as long as he was around. Yet, he knew that that wasn't realistic. The point she made earlier was a hundred percent correct, and even though it pained him to think that she would ever need to fight for her life again, he knew that was the safest option for her.

"I'll teach you," said Edmund.

Kathleen released her sleeve, "You will?" She said relieved, only to sink her head in her shoulders when she connected the voice to Edmund.

"Of course, you saved me out there. It's the least I could do."

She blushed harder, looking down at her bandages, "I told you that we can call it even. You saved me first, remember."

A small smile came upon Edmund's lips, "I may have forgotten the order of events. Eustace?"

"I don't think I want to remember the events," the younger boy grumbled.

"Actually," Lucy said gently, "what he meant was we're here."

The two new arrivals turned to where Lucy was looking at. Neither realized they had arrived back at the ship. Kathleen jumped slightly from how close they were.

"I'm well aware!" Eustace said in a know-it-all manner.

Of course, he was. Kathleen thought. She turned back to others as everyone stood up at the same time. Eustace practically jumped to the podium that dropped to the boat. The one joining him did so hesitantly. It was the same man who lent his tunic to her. Wilter, she learned his name, and he didn't look happy next to Eustace.

Kathleen gave him a shrug as the two rose. Once they did, she felt the boat rock slightly. She held on to the tail end of the boat until it steadied. As the stand descended again, she felt the boat rock a little less.

"Well?" a voice asked softly.

Kathleen didn't notice Edmund at her side, causing her to get slightly startled.

Edmund winced, "Sorry," he said as the stand was in front of them.

She quickly turned to the stand, "It fine, just got distracted."

He nodded. Together, they took a step on the stand and held on to the rope.

Kathleen looked around the crew as they stepped on deck. They were all busy doing their jobs and taking in inventory, getting ready to set sail. Moving aside, she took a moment to look at the business around her. Then, she took hold of her sleeve again, speaking absentmindedly. "Can you really teach me?"

Edmund and Kathleen were standing on the railing of the ship with Lucy, who had just rose from the boat. Lucy was trying to receive a send message to her brother, who was failing to understand her subtlety.

"Of course," he said, giving up on his sister's message.

She didn't look at him, but she gave closed-lipped smile and nodded. Then, she lost her smile and tilted her head to one side. He looked in the direction she was and saw Eustace, moving barrels with something in his hand. It was brown with white in the middle. It was bigger than his hand and seemed to be made of thin material.

Kathleen didn't turn her head in Edmund's direction. "Do you think Caspian has books aboard? One's on Narnia and its history? I'm pretty sure I saw some in the first room he showed us, but I wasn't sure if they were about Narnia, or maybe something else."

Edmund could tell she was in another thought while asking. She was tremendously relaxed now compared to when they were trying to figure out where on the island Eustace could be. She was spot on for where he was, not that Edmund was surprised. She was more observant when it came to his cousin than he was. But she was still playing with her fingernails. Edmund wondered if she was aware she was doing it at all.

"I'm sure I have a few books that could use a read-through," Caspian said from behind the teenagers. Kathleen turned her body to him, but her eyes were still on Eustace. "You're welcome to read as many as you wish."

The words that Caspian said made her turn away from the younger boy. It wasn't until she felt her hand ache did she realizes she was fidgeting with them. Still, she let out a grin she couldn't contain. "Really?"

The others couldn't help but mimic her excitement. "Yes," Caspian chuckled.

Kathleen nodded then pierced her lips together. Ignoring the pain in her hands, she breathed out through her nose, "I don't suppose you have a spare pen and notebook do you?"

It turns out he did. Several actually. She only took what she needed. As for the books...

She started with the three that Caspian said were the most important about Narnia, each one with a different part of history.

The first one was the early ages of Narnia. It took place in the first 900 years since the country was created. It was the largest of the three and had the least amount of images, but Kathleen loved that in a book. It means there was more information to absorb.

The next book she borrowed was the smallest of the three. It had to do with the reign of Jadis, otherwise known as the White Witch. That was all Caspian said to her about the book. He was hesitant at first because of how it mentions the Pevensies. He told her that any questions she had, she would have to respect if the others didn't want to answer, which confused her, to say the least.

The last book was the most detailed on its cover. She had a feeling she knew what it was before Caspian explained it to her. It was about the Pevensie's Golden Age. It was about the time that they ruled in Narnia. It wasn't terribly big. Kathleen skimmed through it and noticed illustrations. Some were of animals and creatures, other's were of the Pevensies in a highly decorated room. No detail was overlooked when she flipped through it. She closed the book to hide the story. This book would help her understand what Edmund and Lucy had been through. She was a fast reader, so she knew she could get through this book at least three days. Four if she was kidnapped again. She looked at the other two in her hand. The first one would take four or five days, while the book on the Witch could take two. Altogether, that was nine to eleven days to read all the books. She didn't know how long she had on the ship, and with self-assigned homework, she knew she should get started.

That night, Caspian had let Kathleen and Lucy sleep in his private quarters while he slept with his crew in the port. At first, Kathleen let out a protest saying that she wouldn't mind sleeping under the ship, but when Edmund said the rocking on hammocks would be worse on seasickness than a bed, she agreed.

Caspian's room was actually the room where she believed it was. It was where the portraits of the others were posted on the wall and where Susan's bow and arrows stood on display.

"Which side would you like?" Lucy asked the older girl.

"The one furthest from the wall, please," Kathleen said as she walked past the bed, arms full.

"Where are you going?" the younger girl followed behind her.

Kathleen sat down on one of two chairs that were positioned next to the window and placed down the literature. The glass next to her was a mosaic of no design, not that it was easy to see it anyway, it being nightfall. There was a table set between the two chairs and Lucy sat on the one across from Kathleen.

"Well, if I'm going to been having an adventure in a magical land, the least I could do is learn about it, right?"

Kathleen looked for the matches in and around the books as Lucy raised her eyebrow. Choosing the ignore the last comment, the younger girl looked around her side of the table and found a box. She blankly handed it to Kathleen and thought out loud for a second. "Do you think Caspian would have any needle and tread around?"

Kathleen dropped her shoulder, "You're not still on that whole 'presentation' thing, are you?"

Lucy shook her head, stood up, and walked to the many stacks of book Caspian took out earlier. She picked out and admired the design that was engraved on the cover. The engravings gave off a gold reflection. As Lucy flipped the book to the other side, Kathleen could just make out the indents of flowers and leaves. "You wouldn't understand." There was no venom or harshness in Lucy's words. It was laced with something much more sorrowful.

Kathleen lit the match and then the candle, "That's what I hope to fix." With that, she sat down and opened the highly decorated book, and turned to the first page.

She didn't know how much time had passed when she turned her head up again. The glare from the window was next to non-existent and the candle was more than halfway gone. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but she could see Lucy's lump body. She let out a breath when she saw her middle sink up and rise again from under the sheets. Lucy had fallen fast asleep with a book in her hands. It was smaller than the one Kathleen was reading, so maybe it wasn't a history text.

The day had been crazy for her. Kathleen had seen and been a part of things that she had only read in her fictional stories. She was surprised by how much she had already been a part of. Still, it was a lot to take in, and the silence from the ship wasn't exactly helping. Not only had the memories of entering Narnia had resurfaced, but now add on the fact that she, her student, and his cousin was almost sold to strangers and then fought for their lives had flooded in right after. The first two years of Pevensie's time of rule was debatably just as striking compared to her twenty-four hours.

Kathleen would have loved to keep going in the text, but the combination of waves and reading and the small amount of sleep from the night before had made her dizzy. She blew out the candle then rubbed her face with her hands and slowly changed into the nightgown that Lucy laid out for her. Caspian had two additional and lent them to the girls. The nightie went just below Kathleen's knees, being as she was shorter than Caspian. She was happy the whole gown was loose. It gave her feet and legs time to breathe, even though they were going to get covered once again by the blankets.

She slowly had her way under the covers, trying to make sure not to wake up Lucy. The younger girl stirred anyway.

"Mhmm"

"Shhhh," Kathleen whispered, "Go back to sleep." She laid her head down on the opposite side of Lucy.

Lucy did the same, but not before she mumbled about what time it was.

Kathleen smiled and hugged the top cover of the sheets, "Can't really tell time without a clock." she yawned at the last words. When she didn't hear a reply, Kathleen let her eyes fall heavy and go into a dreamless sleep.

The morning that followed, she was shaken by Lucy, telling her that they overslept. She didn't understand what she meant at first, but when she heard the voices and waves echoing into the room. The sun was shining through the window, leading rays of light right at the door.

Kathleen sat up and stretched. "Well then, we better get started."

Something about being in a faraway land made getting up much easier. Maybe it was the excitement of what could happen in the day. Kathleen made a mental promise to be at least be halfway through the book she started last night and go over the notes she made.

The day on the Dawn Treader began as a simple one. The two girls got dressed and had their fruit for breakfast. Kathleen spent the start of the morning in the cabin reading and writing down connections from previous chapters. Lucy accompanied her but grew bored of the four walls. She had asked Caspian for needle and thread to sew the sides of her vest, and even though his face screamed that he wanted to ask why, he let it go when he saw Kathleen quickly shaking her head.

Lucy had been checking her measurements and carefully marking the side of her vest. Kathleen wondered if they would be returning the clothes to the owner.

"There's not enough light in here." Lucy groaned, setting down her pencil for the dozenth time. She had been going back and forth between the measuring string and writing it down. Apparently, she wasn't getting enough light to have the constant reading measurement, but that probably has to do with Kathleen unconsciously hogging the brightest part of the room.

She was sitting in the same spot as the night before; right next to the window, back facing it. She was going back and forth between the notebook and her reading material. She was currently trying the understand the alliance between Narnia and the Kingdom of Archenland.

"Maybe you can find an empty spot outside?" Kathleen said, going through her notes.

"Where? In the ocean?" Lucy said, getting her attention.

"No! On the port. Or the deck? It's the deck, right? The main floor of the ship?" Thinking of her words, she wasn't she if 'floor' was the right word to use.

Lucy laughed, "I'm teasing. I know what you meant."

Kathleen slumped in her chair. "Well, thanks for the embarrassment." She tried to keep a straight face, but that was a failure the second she opened her mouth.

"You know, you should outside too. Get familiar with the ship a bit more. The crew too, and maybe you could ask Edmund questions?" Lucy hung out the last sentence.

"Why ask Edmund when I have his story right here?" Kathleen buried her nose back into the book.

Lucy pierced her lips together, tapping on the page of her measurements, "It would be better if you ask him yourself," Kathleen continued to read, "but what I meant was the sword training. You still want to learn how to use a sword, don't you?"

Kathleen didn't look up. She was beginning to dread the one-on-one lesson she would be having with Edmund. When she agreed to have him teach her how to fight, she forgot for a second how flustered she became around him. When she remembered, it was too late. She had already said yes, and it would feel worse for her to say that she changed her mind. She figured that Lucy can't teach her now because of her sewing task, and the rest of the crew, including Caspian and Drinian, would have far less time than themselves.

Kathleen pressed the pages tightly. "I do want to learn."

Lucy jumped up and gathered her supplies, "Then what are you waiting for?" she said gleefully.

Kathleen blinked at Lucy's readiness. When Kathleen couldn't think of an answer, she only nodded and gathered her supplies as well. She made a stop by the bed to wrap her belt with sheath and sword around her waist and made sure nothing was loose. Lucy held opened the door and they made their way to the deck together.

Opening the door to the deck was a sight. The crew was off doing their jobs and saying hello to the girls as they walked by. Caspian and Drinian were on the other side of the ship, looking at a map, most likely planning the course for the ship.

"This looks like it's out of everyone's way."

Kathleen turned to see Lucy had moved between two stands that were right in front of a wall. There was a step big enough to sit and have her feet dangle off the end if she wanted to.

"Edmund's over there on the barrels," Lucy pointing, "cleaning up his new gift."

Kathleen turned, and sure enough, there was Edmund, chipping of the coat of mollusks from the sword Caspian lent him.

Kathleen looked between him and the sword. "He looks busy." She held the book tighter in her hand. Edmund seemed to be in his own little world while looking at the sword. She saw him earlier that morning when she grabbed her fruit of the morning rations. He had the sword in his hand then too. It had more covered then.

Lucy grinned, "I don't think he would mind." She looked back at her thread, "He did promise after all."

Kathleen sighed. Yes, he did and from what she already knew from the boy, he didn't seem like someone to go back on his word.

She politely said hello to the passing crew members as she walked up to Edmund with clammy hands. She had to adjust her book in her hand twice before she was in front of the other teenager. He didn't notice her standing there. He was deeply invested in chipping away the coat of sword, waiting to see what lied under it.

"Hello, Edmund," Kathleen said in a breath.

"Hello," Edmund greeted, looking away from the sword for a second to see who it was. He did a double-take. "Kathleen," he lowered his sword, "Hey, how are you?" He winced at his word choice, not that Kathleen noticed.

"I'm well. And you?" she fidgeted with the book in her hand again.

"I'm well." They didn't say anything for a few moments. He adjusted his sitting position so that he was facing Kathleen. "How're your arms?"

Kathleen had actually forgotten about her new wraps until now. The cream she put on her wrists that morning still felt smooth. She raised the arm that wasn't holding the books in front of her. "The bruising started to show up a bit. It's mainly sore now."

Edmund smiled, "And the marks? They're clean now, right?"

Kathleen nodded. "Yes," she paused still looking at her bandages, "Teldor really knows his stuff."

"I'm glad he does." Edmund looked past the bandages, "We would have lost our heads if anything else happened to you."

Anything else? Kathleen lowered her arm, "Really?" She didn't know if you should take offense to that. She knew she was new to Narnia, but she wasn't completely helpless.

Noticing this, Edmund's mind rushed as he tried to explain what he meant. "Well, yes, uh. It's great to have someone to know what they're doing, not that you don't. You basically took charge in the town square. Which is a good thing! I meant with healers, and not that ours doesn't know what he's doing. I'm sure he's the best in all Narnia. Like Teldor is too! They probably have been practicing for years and years, and uh-"

He trailed off as he saw Kathleen retaining a smile. "Is that how I sound like?" she asked while looking at the deck beneath her feet.

Edmund laughed through his nose, "It sounds less confusing when you do it."

Her cheeks heated as they fell into silence again. It wasn't nearly as awkward this time. It was comforting, almost. "Well, since I'm not confused, and I'm feeling better, I was wondering if we could follow up on that sword lesson you promised? If you're not busy, that is." She added that last part quickly. She remembered how concentrated he was with the sword before she talked to him.

"Of course I'll teach you," Edmund said smiling softly, straightening his back.

Kathleen's smile grew ever so slightly, "Of course."