The ship made its way towards a beautiful lush island, sailing into its natural cove. Caspian was on the upper deck with Drinian and Edmund, looking through the telescope.
"It looks uninhabited. But if the lords headed east they would have stopped here." Caspian told them.
"Could be a trap." Drinian pointed out.
"Or it could hold some answers. Caspian?" Edmund countered, turning to the man in charge.
"We'll spend the night on shore and scour the island in the morning." Caspian told them after a moment of thought.
...
As the sun began to set the crew was busy setting up fires and sleeping rolls in adequate places along the beach. Eustace was grumbling as usual but Reepicheep managed to corral him into searching for firewood, allowing everyone to be spared some peace from the complaining. Soon enough everyone had been fed and were settling down for the night. As Raelyn made her way across camp she noticed that Gael was sitting by the water. The redhead headed in that direction and her heart went out to the younger girl as she could now hear the sniffles.
"Everything alright Gael?" the little brunette jumped and quickly wiped away her tears, putting on a brave front.
"Yes, Your Maj…"
"Ah" Gael blushed.
"I mean Raelyn." Raelyn nodded approvingly and she walked over to sit next to her on the beach. The two sat in silence for a moment, Raelyn watching the younger girl out of the corner of her eyes.
"So, can't sleep?" she ventured, not wanting to press too much as the girl was clearly overwhelmed with her whole new situation. Gael shrugged.
"Anything I can do to help?" Raelyn asked gently. Gael sniffled.
"My mom used to sing me to sleep." She whispered tearily. Raelyn now understood the dilemma.
"Would it make you feel better I had a go at it?" Gael's eyes widened in surprise.
"You would do that?" Raelyn grinned warmly.
"Of course I would." She told Gael, standing up. Raelyn held out a hand to her, which Gael took and let herself be led towards her sleeping mat by Lucy. Gael situated herself on the ground, allowing Raelyn to slide down beside her.
"Comfortable?" Raelyn asked her. Gael nodded quietly, her eyes watching the redhead intently.
...
'Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think you know what I've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say
I promise I would never leave you, and you should always know
I never will be far away…'
...
As Raelyn's soft voice rang out, she gently stroked Gael's hair. She continued singing softly until she was sure that Gael's breathing had slowed to a steady pace, indicating she was asleep. With a smile Raelyn stood, making sure she didn't disturb her. As she turned to walk away she was surprised to see Edmund standing by one of the nearby rocks, grinning fondly at her. Raelyn blushed. He silently held a hand out for her and she took it, following him to their sleeping spot nearby.
"That was beautiful. How come I have never heard you sing?" he whispered. Raelyn shrugged with a content smile.
"It just never came up. Singing was always a family thing and since my brothers have been away I just never think about it." She explained to him. Edmund nodded thoughtfully, tugging her closer.
"Well I think you should sing more often. I know I would love to hear more." He admitted. Raelyn grinned and leaned up to kiss him soundly. Edmund was the first to lie down on the sleeping rolls, opening his arms for her to snuggle into. Raelyn eagerly moved closer to his warmth, using his arm as a pillow. She smiled sleepily as Ed pressed a tender kiss behind her ear.
"Goodnight Ray."
"Goodnight Ed."
...
Just before daylight everyone was camped out and sleeping along the beach when large single footprints made their way through the camp. Raelyn slowly slipped into consciousness, registering the sound of movement across the sand. She slowly cracked her eyes opened, before they flew open in surprise as she spotted the giant footprints in front of her.
"It seems they've brought a pig." An invisible voice whispered, standing by Eustace who was snoring loudly. Raelyn's eyes shot in that direction, but she frowned when no one was there. She lowered her eyelids to make it seem like she was sleeping but wanting to keep an eye….or ear….out for what was happening.
"This one, its female." Another voice pointed out by Lucy.
"So is this one." A voice by Gael chimed in.
"This one reads….lets take her." they decided. In an instantly Lucy was lifted into the air by the invisible force. Raelyn snapped her head up and waited for a second, making sure they were all gone. She looked over at Ed who was dead to the world. Raelyn bit her lip. She could wake up everyone or go ahead after Lucy alone. With confliction she went with the faster option; going alone. Shifting out from Edmund's hold she reached for her sword and took off in the direction of the footprints.
Trailing behind, Raelyn watched as Lucy and the mystery creatures made their way through the thick forest until they reached a field of hedge work, much like a fancy garden. In an open spot Lucy was dropped to the ground roughly. She quickly whipped out her dagger, jumping to her feet and trying to spot anything to attack. The weapon was instantly smacked away from her and when she attempted to reach for it she was pushed away. Lucy scrambled backwards, trying desperately to find where the voices were coming from.
"There is no escaping"
"Oh that was scary yea." Lucy frowned as the many voices began addressing her. Before she could speak up Raelyn jumped from the trees, swinging in the direction of the voice. She could hear a yelp of pain before the redhead was pushed off the creature, over towards Lucy.
"Well so much for that plan." Raelyn chuckled nervously. Lucy scrambled over towards her.
"Ray what are you doing?"
"Well I couldn't just let you go alone." Raelyn defended with a shrug. Lucy grinned briefly before turning back in the direction of the voices.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"We are invisible beasts."
"Yea!"
"If you could see us you would be really intimidated."
"Oh but you forgot to mention that we are very large." Lucy continued to turn her head as multiple creatures talked around her. Raelyn frowned. Staring in the direction of the voices she focused her energy into her eyes, giving them an eerie glow. Looking hard she could just make out a blurry silhouette of the creatures by mapping out the light bending around them, which was what made them invisible. It was like they were cloaked.
"You don't look very scary." She murmured in confusion. Shouts of protest and fear began as everyone took notice of her glowing eyes.
"Witchcraft! Leave us alone, we don't want anything to do with you wizards!" a creature yelped in fear. Without notice a patch of dirt was thrown towards her face. Lucy gasped and reached towards Raelyn as the girl flailed in pain, the dirt having gone into her eyes.
"Ow! I wasn't trying to hurt you I promise." She protested, wiping the dirt at her face. Lucy helped wipe away the debris from her eye area and held onto her as Raelyn blinked. A couple tears escaped as she was trying to clear out the dirt.
"What do you want?" Lucy asked, holding Raelyn protectively as she was temporarily blinded.
"You, you'll do what we ask." The head creature insisted, followed my multiple agreements. Lucy stood, glaring at the voice's origin.
"Or what?" she asked, her voice hard. After the stunt they just pulled she didn't want to help them at all.
"Or death." Was the answer. Lucy flinched nervously as many chants of 'death' began around her. She could see the puffs of air as the cold morning air revealed their positions and number. Raelyn let out a noise of protest at the sound of that. She continued blinking, her vision clearing up somewhat.
"Well we wouldn't be much use to you dead, now would I?" she asked pointedly, looking around in a circle slowly.
"Uh….I hadn't thought of that." The voice stuttered. Lucy smirked.
"Alright, then we'll just kill your friends." A new voice suggested, causing her expression to waver. Raelyn grabbed her hand gently.
"We might as well." She pointed out softly. Lucy nodded.
"What do you want with us?" she asked them.
"You will enter the house of the oppressor." The voice demanded, shoving them towards and open space of field.
"What house?" Lucy asked tiredly.
"This one." On que a door opened before her, revealing a grand staircase. Lucy's eyes widened in awe.
"Upstairs you'll find the book of incantations. Recite the spell that makes the unseen, seen." Were the instructions given to the girls. Lucy took a moment to peer around the edges of the door, seeing only the garden.
"Well go on, we haven't got all day." The voices insisted.
"Why don't you just do it yourselves?" she turned to ask them.
"We can't read..."
"Can't write either as a matter of fact." Lucy frowned at how sad the voices seemed.
"Why didn't you say so?" Raelyn asked pointedly before heading inside with Lucy.
"Beware the oppressor…..he's very oppressive." The creatures warned as the duo entered.
"What makes the unseen, seen. Got it?" was the last thing they heard before the doors shut behind them.