Edmund and Caspian laid their armor on the table. Books, papers, and quills were rested alongside a single candlestick. Pages were peaking out of a notebook as if asking if someone could read them aloud. The cabin sounded so much quieter at the end of the ship, it seemed unnatural. The girls had agreed that the boys should prepare themselves in Caspian's cabin, as the boys would have more to do and collect.

As Caspain went to search for something in a cupboard near the end of his bed, Edmund took note of the books on the table. There were four in total, plus two notebooks placed slightly askew next to each other. Edmund recognized the title of each of the books.

The bottom of the pile was Narnia and Its Beginnings, which entailed the first couple hundred years when Narnia was created. This was the biggest of the four books. The one above was 100 Years of Winter. It was the smallest of all of them. Thinking about its contents brought a chill to Edmund's spine. Following that text was Golden Age and After. The spine was the most detailed, embedded with gold swirled patterns with lettering to match. The book on top was another big text, but as big as the first. The cover was black with silver straight lettering. The only decorative piece was on the border of the cover. The title read The Telmarine Conquest. This text had a few loose pages sticking out for the first quarter of the book. The rest remained untouched.

"It seems Kathleen has been studying hard." Edmund turned to Caspian's voice. The Telmarine King now sported his hair half-up, slick and neatly out of his face.

Edmund smiled and turned back to the books, brushing his hand over the spines softly. "Academics is one of her many strengths."

Caspian reached over to his armor, ready to put it over himself, "I hope one day you will tell her this in person."

The young man froze as he stared at his friend, his hand still hovering over the spines. It takes courage to do a lot of things. Allowing himself to honest and vulnerable with Kathleen is something that felt like it would take an ocean of courage to do so. Yet, during this journey on the Dawn Treader, it seemed as though his ocean was almost complete. One day. A someday that may be soon. "So do I."

Edmund slowly pulled away from the book then he reached for armor of his own. As he began to put it over his head, Caspian finished putting his battle gear together.

As the King fasten his belt around his waist, he began to share thoughts of his own with words that caught Edmund by surprise. "In case we don't get through... whatever this is," he then paused. As Edmund tied his left armband, he noticed Caspian staring at the books on the table, trying to find the right words to say. "I want you to know I think of you as my brother, Ed."

For a moment, Edmund didn't say anything. It was at this time a wave of realness came over him. This is it. His friend in front of him has helped him on this journey more than he realized. They fought, they shared different ideas, but they lift each other up in the end.

"Me too." Edmund agreed. They were brothers before they knew it.

As Caspian gave Edmund a small nod, the Just King went to tie his left armband. It was always tricky doing with one hand, even if he was ambidextrous. He could hear Caspian's footsteps go around his and to his left side to tie his body armor in place. Edmund lifting his elbow as he finished his arm.

"You gave up your sword," Caspian stated as he finished tieing the last of Edmund's ties.

"It wasn't mine to keep," Edmund said as Caspian walked away. Edmund then grabbed his belt from the table and buckled it around his waist. He could hear Caspian retrieve something from one of the cabinets behind him.

"Use this." As Edmund finished fastening the belt, he turned seeing Caspian holding out Rhindon towards him. He almost took a step back.

He looked at the sword then back to Caspian, "But it's-"

"Peter would want you to have it," Caspian assured him, still, Edmund only started. One second. Two seconds. Nearly three until he finally reached for the sheath. It took twice as long for him to pull it back towards himself.

Edmund weighed it in his hand for a moment. It felt different than the Golden Age sword he was using before. He didn't need to pull it out of its sheath to know that Rhindon was perfectly balanced.

Peter had wielded Rhindon since he was nearly reaching sixteen. Throughout their time in Narnia, he never once changed the blade or complained about it. It was as if Rhindon had grown up with him.

During one of their early battles in Cair Paravel, there was an ambush. The intruders never got into the castle, lucky for them, but that was the only time someone else swung this sword, and the only time he held Susan scream out "For Narnia, and for Aslan". Edmund didn't question them, but now he was starting to think that Rhindon was more than a gift from Father Christmas trusted into Peter's hand. Like everything in Narnia, it held more belief than that.

As the two men finished preparing themselves, they headed to the door. Caspian stopped as he reached the handle then turns towards Edmund. The Just King can see him looking at the floor, trying to hold his tongue about something.

"What is it?" Edmund asked with concern.

As Caspian looked up towards him, all concern went away, "'One more for luck?'". A smile crept upon his cheeks as he said so.

Edmund immediately relaxed but felt his ears heat up. "Oh, shut up!"

Above the ship, Eustace flew left and right, back and forth as the Dawn Treader sailed closer to Dark Island. There was a moment where Kathleen could see him turn around and fly the other way, but then he hovered and then course-corrected.

Reepicheep must have said something to the young boy to help him measure up, which was something he probably needed to hear. In the direction they were head, they probably all could use a pep-talk, which thankfully, their King provided.

Their King stood above the main deck at the front of the ship. As he jogged his way up the stairs, Kathleen could see his head hanging low. He lifted his head as he slowly turned around as he faced the crew. The only thing behind him besides the massive cloud of black mist.

"No matter what happens here," Caspian began, "every soul who stands before me had earned their place on the crew of the Dawn Treader. Together we have traveled far. Together we have faced adversity. Together we can do it again."

From the corner of her eye, Kathleen would see Wilter behind Olmec, shaking his shoulders slightly. All around her, Kathleen could see the crew nodding, facing each other. Some rested their hands on each other's shoulders while others lightly bumped into each other. Each person making sure the other held their head up high. Not because they needed to, but because they trusted each other to do so.

Edmund stood to her left as he listened in awe and pride to Caspian. His friend. His brother. Even with the looming mist coming closer, the danger felt almost invisible with the King's words.

"So now is not the time to fall to fear's temptations. Be strong! Never give in. Our world... our Narnian lives depend on it. Think of the lost souls we're here to save. Think of Aslan. Think of Narnia."

Just as Caspian took his first step down the step, Kathleen heard a shout. The louder one since she stepped foot on the beauty that is the Dawn Treader.

"For Narnia!"

Without missing a beat, the rest of the crewmen followed with the call. Together, as one voice, they shouted out, "For Narnia!" Kathleen could see some of the men raise their weapons above their heads.

When Lucy called it out the second after, Kathleen swore her heart pulsed with courage. With her first in the air, she joined the rest of the crew in the cheer. She could see Caspian just above the crew's weapon in awe of his own. Over and over the crew called it out until Caspian reached the main deck. With each man he passed, he shook their hand. Every single one of them. When doing so, the men didn't stop. Each shake was one more man for Narnia.

Edmund, Lucy, Gael, Drinian, and Kathleen were the last people he approached. First, he knelt to Gael, who has yet to leave Lucy's side.

"You know," he began, "I believe you are the first crew member to ever make Drinian smile." He then looked up to the man he was speaking about, "Captian?"

Drinian had his arms crossed and one eyebrow raised. He stared down at the two. "It was bound to happen eventually." Then there it was, another smile. It was small, yes, and he was trying to make it seem like it wasn't there at all, but there was no use in hiding what has already been seen.

Caspian chuckled, "I was, wasn't it." He turned back to the young child in front of him, "Thank you for sneaking onto the ship. You have helped the crew remember why we need to fight. For their own families back home." He held out his hand. "For Narnia."

Gael stared at his hand for a moment. Slowly, she reached out and clasped it with hers. "And for Aslan." They shook it once and they let go. As Caspian rose to her feet, Gael gave him a hug which he returned by patting her back softly.

"Gael," a voice called gently. To their right stood Rhince. There was a gentle smile on his face and his shoulders relaxed. Gael then tore away from Caspian and ran straight to her father. As Rhince tightly held his daughter in his arms, he turned to the others. "Thank you," was all he said.

As they walked away, Caspian went to Drinian and held out his hand. Just like the rest of the crew, Drinian said "For Narnia," to which Caspian softly responded, "And for Aslan". Before Drinian left go of Caspian's hand, he repeated the same words full-heartedly.

Caspian let go of his hand and Kathleen could see him take a deep breath. The two men nodded to each other before Drinian made his way to the wheel and Caspian turned to the once castaways.

"Are we ready?" asked Caspian.

The younger Royals nodded as Kathleen looked to the blue sky once again. Her student, who is now golden scaled with the bravest mouse she has ever had the honor of meeting, was flying back and forth behind the ship. He was safe.

The crew, who had weapons in their hands and trust in each other, were safe.

Her friends, who had more experience of the battlefield than she could ever wrap her head around, were safe.

And herself. Surrounded by all these people...

"We're ready."

Facing back to Caspian, she could see him smile, there was no hiding it, but there was a slight glint in his eye. He reached out his hand in front of her. "For Narnia," he said.

She reaches out her own hand and grabbed his, "And for Aslan."

And there it was, that feeling again. The content feeling Kathleen had when she sits in front of a fire on a snowy winter's day and is reading her favorite. Only this time, it felt enhanced. It wasn't just a feeling, it was as if this notion had embraced her. It was delightful and encouraging. The most she ever felt together.

Caspian let go and reached for Lucy's then Edmunds, who responded the same way. This was bigger than all of them.

A true honor indeed.

As they sailed closer into the mist, Caspian made his way towards the wheel with Drinian as Lucy made her way to find Gael. Kathleen and Edmund stood by the rail of the ship as the crew handed out weapons to those who have yet received theirs.

The two teenagers stared at the mist as it came closer.

"This is it," said Edmund, from the corner of Kathleen's eyes, she could see his hand open and closed.

"I suppose it is." Kathleen tilted her head as her hand began to do the same. "Everywhere we traveled and fought to discover. All our mental and physical adversaries leading us into the darkest unknown."

"Not thinking about jumping overboard are we?" Edmund's pinkie reached towards hers for a millisecond, only to retreat. "Swimming back to Cambridge?"

Kathleen shook her head lightly, "You'll have to toss me."

There was a small chuckle, then silence. Feeling her heart race, Kathleen slowly reached her pinkie towards Edmund's. Millimeter by millimeter, second by second, she braved herself to have contact. For a second, they did, yet it scared them both, causing them to jump, but neither apologized. Instead, they tried again.

Ever so slowly, they reached for each other, side by side. Slowly, like the last bit of sunlight, their pinkies touched. They stayed frozen for a second before they interlocked. Together, they watched the final preparations of the crew as they set closer to the unknown. Their pinkies were warm and holding on tightly.

Maybe it was the anxious thoughts of the unknown or the back end thought in Kathleen's head that this was indeed yet, but she let go of Edmund's finger.

She closed her eyes once she felt her chest start to rise. She needed something stronger, something that could be easily broken. She needed to be brave. One last act of courage that the crew she trusts could not provide. A courageous act that she had to do all her own.

As she opened her eyes, Kathleen noticed how little sunlight they had received. They were almost in the mist.

She turned to Edmund who was already looking at her. Looking down she closed her hand and opened them again. Slowly, she reached for Edmund's hand. She looked up to see if he would be okay with this. And he was.

Edmund smiled and took a step closer to her. They both looked down at their hands as they interlocked completely. A small chuckle of relief came from Edmund's lips, soon followed by one from Kathleen. With one hand in each other's and the other on their weapons, they rested their forehead's once each other with their eyes closed as they allowed one last selfish moment before the rest of their world turned dark. They didn't speak, they didn't need to. This was enough.

One minute.

Two minutes.

It was three when Drinian called out for the crew to get in their battle stations. The two teenagers pulled away from each other with their one hand still linked. They turned to each other once more.

"Good luck, Katie," Edmund said, squeezing her hand as if trying to engrave the feeling of her palm into his once it becomes ghost. "And be careful."

"I will, Ed," Kathleen whispered, trying to study every single feature Edmund had, from the shadow of the scar on his lip to the freckles that decorate his cheeks. "As long as you do the same."

"Of course," Edmund squeezed her hand one more time.

Kathleen, putting on a true and brave smile, squeezed back, "Of course."

Not able to put their duties off any longer, the two pulled away from each other, but before they could reach their positions, the Dawn Treader had fully entered into Dark Island.