"By order of Peter, Son of Adam, ruler of the Lone Islands, and High King of Narnia, I hereby declare that the occupants of this household are to move into the palace!" The kindly faun paused; he glanced around his parchment and scanned the small shack with his eyes. Nothing but old fishing nets, a bed of blankets, and assorted tools for survival littered the dirt floor. "Are you the only one living here, young sir?"
"Yes," the voice was scratchy from lack of use, but decidedly feminine. "I am the only one living here. May I ask, if you know the reason for this?" A sun burnt hand dragged its way through knots and mud in a feeble attempt to straighten up her appearance. Her voice was not songlike, no lilts, just straightforward efficiency.
"I do apologize, miss," Mydlan tilted her head as she noticed the change in reference. "The only knowledge I have on the topic is on this paper. I am to retrieve you from this dwelling and report to High King Peter," the faun announced as he began to roll his parchment, safely stowing it in a red satchel with gold lining.
"Of course I will go with you. Please let me pack a few belongings." The faun inclined his head, obviously allowing her the leisure. She walked around the room, placing a small weathered book, a band, and several other items into a dirty white bag with an embroidered fish. The sack did not bulge or lose its sagging shape. The faun suspected that it was due to the harshly clear lack of possessions.
"Please come with me then, miss," The faun turned tail and pushed the thatched door aside. As they walked, their prints remained in the sand making the grains rustle as the fell aside. Mydlan didn't even bother turning back. Her father died in the river and her brother had long since left. Nothing tied her to this shack, and so she would leave.
~[]-[]~
"Thank you so much, you don't know how much this means to me," the bulky teen bowed. His posture was rigid despite his jittery demeanor as the boy looked as though about the collapse from excitement.
"Don't think on it too much. I owe you, Roed," the voice was low and automatically demanded respect.
"Thank you all the same, she'll be the perfect addition to your court, I promise!" With one final bow, the boy took off like a shot toward the front courtyard of Cair Paravel.
"Master centaur," he directed at a wandering dapple gray, the centaur quickly changing course to venture toward him.
"Yes, High King Peter?" The dark haired male inclined his head in the respect before straightening again.
"Please tell my sister that her new companion will be arriving soon," and so Peter the Magnificent walked away.
~[]-[]~
"Please wait here, miss." The faun impressed before clopping away, much more interested in things other than the grimy he she. On the walk back, there had been little interaction between the two. Their stroll had been awkward to say the least. The faun's hooves made the only sounds besides the incredulous whispers that rippled through the crowd as they walked through the streets.
There were more humans now then there had ever been. Immigrants flocked to Narnia to live under the young monarchs that appeared out of nowhere. The word of Aslan was all the Pevensies needed to be accepted into this new world of theirs. The little human girl was not the only orphan in the kingdom, but there were very few. The rulers were forgiving, but only to a certain extent. The residents of Narnia knew that the tolerance was not to be tested. It was truly a golden age.
~[](*)[]~
Mydlan didn't know too much about those kinds of things. Her knowledge was limited, she did know how to read and write and the critical thinking that came with those traits was nonexistent. Her only skill was to fish, and she failed in even that. Her speech was shaky at best, her voice chalky and unused. She did not have anyone to speak to other than the fish. But the fish could only speak underwater, and she couldn't breathe underwater. Naïve though she was, she was cynical. Completely pessimistic about the world was she. She knew that there was little an angler could do in the world besides survive. She was an angler to a certain level. She was always stumbling in the trade. The holes she mended were crooked and ineffectual, almost as though the holes hadn't been patched at all. Roed was strong, she knew. That was why he left. From the very beginning he had wanted more. He was not suited for their lifestyle of capture, unsuccessful marketing, and eventual release of the fish that were not sold or eaten. He had gotten into brawls, she knew. He was so strong and that was why he left. He was able to get the life he wanted, the future he craved. He was going to join the army he said, as a soldier or as a knight. He was so ambitious, she knew. When they were younger, he older than she, he had proclaimed that he would catch the biggest fish in the river. A fish their family knew existed. It would come up by their boat sometimes and steal their fish. Roed spent a month trying to catch the fish but it refused to be caught. At one point Mydlan had spoken up, thinking that it might be a superior sort of fish that was uncatchable. She had sent Roed off in a rage that day and he didn't leave until he caught the fish—he did. The fish came on shore flopping and groaning in fear and anger. It was when they heard the fish on land that their father demanded Roed put the fish back. After a heated debate, Roed cut off the head of the fish and tossed it back, keeping the whole of the body as it continued moving.
"If he can speak on land, then he can fix himself," he had declared over the slapping sounds of the still struggling fish. And so they saw the giant fish again the next day, and they did not know what to think.
"I caught a god!" Roed boasted from then on despite his father's inclinations that he not say something so sacrilegious. Roed's relationship with their father was strained. Their mother had had difficulties with the pregnancy as the already crude procedure of birth quickly escalated into something even complicated. After the bloody mess occurred, the woman had passed away leaving behind her husband, a three year old son and a wailing child. The man had done his best to father them both, but due to obvious reasons, he could not help but overlook his son occasionally. The feeling of being ignored rooted itself deep in Roed's conscious and he could not help but be jealous of the little red creature. Eventually though, they began to grow but Roed was rebellious. Stronger physically and emotionally, he was ready to take on the world. The sickly child that had stolen the nutrients of the woman that birthed her was still small and very malnourished. Her dependency on her father was because it was the only thing she knew.
She very rarely came in contact with other people and her family shielded her from things she did not need to know. Roed cared for her, he did, but he was still struggling with himself and their patriarch. They did not truly understand what happened when their father died, the only thing they knew was that he went out fishing. He had forgone the company of his children and the boat was tied back up the next day. Roed and Mydlan saw the dinghy filled with fish but it was obviously lacking the fisherman. They waited for days, but then the magical fish came upon the shore before speaking. The voice was bubbly and gurgling, the slimy lips obviously not created for speak above the water. It told them that their father belonged to the river, and that he was at peace. They moved mechanically to retrieve the bag the fish offered to them. The way of travel and delivery served as a deterrent. Roed approached the fish carefully as it regurgitated their father's prized belonging. The Angler's Satchel as it was called. The name was a bit too majestic for the sopping wet mess it had become. Mydlan followed, close behind. Immediately, she snatched the object, ignoring the small bits of half-digested food. Roed pulled her away from the glittering fish, still wary. It blinked to them in farewell before using its tail to propel itself back into the river. It was then that Mydlan decided to learn how to fish.