Part 2
The next morning, if Lucy hadn't known that the island would provide the only chance she had to stretch
her legs on land for a while, she may have decided to stay on the Dawn Treader. That blasted star
Lilandlil (well that wasn't fair, the reaction of Edmund and Caspian TO that star) annoyed her
immensely. She could just see Caspian asking her to come back to Cair Paravel with them. So she tried to
avoid the young king and her brother when they saw the woman. But she wasn't strong enough to avoid
Aslan's Table forever. And when she DID sit, she heard the star-woman being asked that very question.
Amazingly, it wasn't Caspian who asked.
It was Edmund.
The answer made her grin into her ale.
Lilandlil smiled. "As handsome as you both are, I cannot leave my duties here forever. Not yet. Besides,
our destinies are not intertwined; you're both meant to be with another."
Lucy, sitting next to little Gail on one side and Caspian on the other, had to hastily excuse herself.
Fifty feet away, she burst into giggles. Man, that was the best turn-down line she had EVER heard!
"Oh, think that's funny, do you?"
She turned to look at the young regent NOT related to her. She schooled her face into sober lines.
"No, not at all. I'm not laughing at all." At Caspian's look, she cracked. "Yes…it is…" she wheezed.
Caspian pretended to be hurt. "Hey, she WAS talking about me in that statement too, you know!"
"I know." Lucy finally got herself under control, and smiled evilly. "That just makes it funnier!"
Caspian stepped toward her. "Why, you brat!" He said indignantly. His smile gave him away, however.
Lucy snorted. "What was your first clue?"
"That's it." He came for her, and Lucy took off away from him down the beach, laughing hysterically.
He caught her from behind and twirled her around, both of them laughing maniacally.
When they could no longer stand up, they collapsed into the sand, gasping.
Lucy recovered first. "Thanks, Caspian. I needed that."
He sat up, and bowed slightly. "My pleasure."
From her prone position, Lucy pretended to glare at him.
He chuckled, then collapsed back into the sand.
That's where Gail and Edmund found them.
And decided to copy them.
Later, four very sandy people joined the crew on the ship.
CoN CL CoN LC
Caspian leaned against the railing as he watched Ramandu's island fall behind them. For some reason,
he was glad. Oh, the star was enchanting, no doubts there, but he no longer felt the…pull toward her
that he once had.
Instead, the pull was toward a very different female.
He didn't understand it, didn't really WANT to. Caspian knew there would be all sorts of problems
associated with loving THAT one.
1) Their friendship could be ruined.
2) His friendship with her BROTHER could be ruined.
3) She was 5 years younger than he (or was it 1300 years too old for him? He was never sure about
that age conundrum.)
And most importantly…
4) She was not destined to stay.
But somehow, the thoughts didn't change his feelings, or the buds of feelings. He didn't know how to
cut them away without damaging the friendship he valued so much... and didn't even know if he wanted
to. He hung his head, exhaling gustily.
Lucy watched him from the other side of the deck, not sure if she should interfere. Aslan had been very
specific about certain things, and Caspian had yet to truly come to her and ask. Oh, he had done so
playfully, before the second encounter with Lilandlil. But truthfully, she knew that neither was truly
prepared for the damage that would occur if she spoke before he was ready. She wasn't sure SHE was
ready, and SHE was the knowledge-holder!
She looked over at her best friend. He looked so lost, and her heart went out to him. He might simply be
thinking of things other than matters of the heart. She owed it to friendship to find out. She went to
him, standing uncharacteristically quietly until he acknowledged her.
He seemed unsurprised by her presence, almost as if he had been waiting for her.
"What troubles you so?" she said softly.
He looked at her, then shook his head, not ready to speak of it, and with their uncanny understanding,
she knew that what troubled him involved things he would not divulge just yet. She had her moments
like that, too, times she wouldn't or couldn't speak for fear of the words being the wrong ones, or issues
too weighty to be handled alone, but too fragile to handle with a certain person.
She was handling one of those right now, holding the truths of the Great Lion. Or a few anyway. And she
could not share those truths yet.
Lucy put her arms around Caspian's waist and hugged him, just held him tight. His arms fell around her
shoulders, and his head onto the top of hers. They stood in the embrace for a second short of forever,
speaking not with dangerous words, but with friendship.
He pulled away first, and she felt somehow bereft. But she did understand. After all, SHE was fighting
unknown emotions as well.
"If you need to talk…" she said softly.
Caspian shrugged, then smiled. "I know where to find you."
She turned to go, then spoke so quietly he didn't understand her words until much later. "Neither of us
are ready for this path we seem to be on, are we?"
And by the time he DID understand… it was almost too late.
End Part 2