„Where sky and water meet, where the waves grow ever sweet..." I heard as I climbed up the stairs towards the head of the dragon in the front of the ship. "Doubt you not, Reepicheep! To find all that you seek there in the Utter East, doubt not-" the mouse sung looking at the horizon in front of us.
"That's pretty! What is it, I feel like I've heard it before..." I stated startling him slightly. Once he had gotten over the shock of it he made his way towards me.
"A dryad sung it to me when I was just a mouseling." He spoke. "I can't divine the meaning, but I've never forgotten the words. However, I am surprised you have heard it, it's an old Narnian nursery rhyme, only a little bit changed in my case." He added making my brow furrow in confusion.
"What do you think is past the Lone Islands, Reepicheep?" I asked him causing a small smile to appear on his face.
"Well, I've been told the furthest east one can sail is to the end of the world... Aslan's country!" he explained making me wonder if such a thing as the actual end of the world could exist in a place like Narnia.
"Do you really believe in such a place?" I asked him with a smile.
"Well, we have nothing, if not belief my lady..." he commented making me giggle.
"Please, just call me Elizabeth, I am not royal." I stated making him nod. Looking over the edge I stared at the blue surface of the sea. I noticed something moving around, diving in and out before realising it were mermaids. But these didn't look like the ones I would read about, it seemed as if their bodies were made of only water. One waved at me causing me to smile as I waved back. Just as I climbed down back to the main deck I heard the sounds of two swords clashing making me look up from my feet only to see Edmund and Caspian moving around swiftly as they fought each other with smiles on their faces. I carefully watched, a part of me scared of Edmund getting hurt, but somehow my eyes were mostly concentrated on Caspian as he sent blows in Edmund's way and ducked the ones sent to him. As I watched it seemed that the whole crew was watching and enjoying it almost as much as the two fighting. In the end it was a tie as each of them had his sword to the neck of the other. Everyone clapped for their two kings.
"You've grown stronger my friend." I heard Caspian compliment Edmund as I myself started clapping.
"Seems I have..." my cousin answered with a small smile as the two sheathed their swords. The crews attention was caught as Drinian called out telling them all to go back to work. As Caspian looked around the ship whilst Edmund walked over to Lucy's side our eyes met. Though this time I didn't look away, I smiled at him which he returned before coming towards me.
"Enjoying the show?" he asked me though it didn't sound cocky as a person would think it did.
"It's interesting, then again, I am enjoying everything here..." I commented making his smile grow.
"Well I'm glad you like it." He stated as I looked up at his brown eyes getting lost in them. Neither of us was able to look away until the moment Drinian spoke.
"Seems the whiney one has woken up..." he commented making me look towards where Lucy and Edmund sat now joined by my brother.
"I take it you want to talk to him?" Caspian asked practically reading my thoughts. He motioned for me to follow him as he lead me through the mass of sailors.
"... I'm contacting the British Consul, have you all arrested for kidnapping! All of you, including the devil of my sister!" I heard Eustace threatening as Caspian and I walked closer. The devil of his sister? Wonder what makes me the devil... He was prepared to walk away but bumped into Caspian who looked down at him with an amused expression.
"Kidnapping, is it?" he asked him causing me to sigh in desperation. Couldn't Eustace just give it a rest? "Funny, I thought we had saved your life..." Caspian defended.
"You held me against my will!" Eustace exclaimed in disbelief.
"Hah!" Reep laughed slightly causing me to giggle at his response.
"Did I?" Caspian seemed amused by my brother, and if he wasn't such a nuisance I would've been to.
"In what, must I say, are the most unhygienic quarters! It's like a zoo down there!" he complained over and over.
"Eustace, that is enough!" I was starting to get angry. Caspian and his crew have shown nothing but kindness to us which I was very much thankful for.
"He's quite the complainer, isn't he?" Reepicheep asked causing Edmund to roll his eyes.
"He's just warming up..." he commented. Or conversation was about to go on, when one of the sailors yelled out. Caspian ran up the stairs to Drinian's side. I leaned on the side of the ship with Lucy and also saw the small shapes of land. We were sailing towards it and as the sun started setting I was able to see the stone walls of the city on the island. At the front of the ship Caspian, Edmund and Drinian were looking through the monocular at the land in front of us. I was sitting with Lucy unable to hear what they were saying.
"Men, the longboats, furl the sail and prepare to drop the anchor!" Tavros, the bull whose name I remembered to learn, yelled out to the man giving the commands the three must've decided on.
"Come on, let's go get ready!" Lucy exclaimed making my eyes widen.
"You think I should go?!" I asked her. "I don't want to be a burden..." I commented just as Caspian and Edmund joined us.
"We're taking Eustace with us, sadly." Edmund exclaimed looking smug about it.
"And trust me, you will be no burden..." Caspian smiled reassuringly at me. Deciding to actually go I picked up the bow and arrows which were set beside me as Lucy, Edmund, Caspian, Reepicheep, Eustace and I boarded one of the longboats setting off towards the land with four sailors for oars. As I looked at the city it seemed deserted, but I have never been here, maybe it is supposed to be like that...
"Onward! The thrill of the unknown lies ahead!" Reepicheep exclaimed happily as we reached the port.
"I wish I had his enthusiasm..." I mumbled to Lucy causing her to giggle. I must admit, I was slightly scared of this place. Even if the place was supposed to have a small population of people living here, it wouldn't have been this quiet for sure. Something was wrong, and as weird as it sounds I could feel it in my gut.
"Couldn't it have waited till the morning?" Eustace asked just as Lucy and I climbed out of the ship.
"There is no honour in turning away from adventure, lad!" Reep stated wisely looking back at my brother.
"Is it just me, or is this place to quiet?" I asked looking at Caspian questioningly.
"Where is everyone?" Lucy asked confirming my suspicions, something was definitely wrong.
"Come on jelly legs..." Reepicheep extended his hand to help Eustace out of the boat, but as stubborn as he is he refused it, but fell with a grunt. I felt slightly bad for my brother, who wouldn't?
"And you're certain he is related by blood?" Caspian asked eying my brother in a questioning way.
"Liz is the lucky one when it comes to that..." Edmund commented making me hit him lightly across the head as I moved past him, climbing the small steps alongside Lucy. I pulled my bow of my back along with an arrow out of its quiver just as Lucy got her dagger ready and Caspian his crossbow. I guess I wasn't being to paranoid at least... Suddenly I was startled by the ringing coming from the bell tower making me gasp. Looking up at it I only saw birds flying away and nothing else. Caspian lowered his crossbow after a few more moments as he spoke.
"Reepicheep, stay here with Drinian's men and secure the place... We'll head on. If we don't come back by dawn, send out a searching party!" Caspian explained.
"Yes your majesty!" Reepicheep obeyed putting his sword back in place as we headed to the entrance of the city. All of us as quiet as we could be. Knowing Eustace was the last one following, many times I couldn't help myself but look back and check if he was alright. We walked through the city which was completely empty with no soul to be found in it.
"Yeah, looks like nobody's in. Do you think we should head back?" Eustace called to us making all of us turn around to look at him.
"Do you want to come here and guard... something?" Edmund asked him with a confused expression.
"Ah, yes!" Eustace ran over to us adding. "Good idea cousin!" what the hell has happened to my brother? He must really be scared to say something Edmund had suggested is a good idea. "Uhh... very logical!" and he gave him somewhat of a compliment... Even though that one caused all of us to turn around again and look at him as if he was crazy. I scanned around the walls, trying to bore into every crack in the wall hoping this is the best thing my brother could be doing. Suddenly I jumped as I felt a hand on my back. Looking up at Caspian I saw him give me a reassuring glance before he walked over to Eustace pulling out a dagger and giving it to the boy.
"I've got it, I've got it... Don't worry!" though it seemed as if I was the only one worried.
"Just be careful with that ok?" I asked knowing well enough Eustace could hurt himself with that knife how clumsy he was. With that the four of us entered the bell tower as the doors made a screeching sound, but luckily it wasn't too loud. If it were in any other occasion I would've taken a moment to admire how beautiful this place actually was. The bells hung from the ceiling with statues of what I guessed were kings surrounding them on both sides. Edmund walked over to some kind of stand which held many books, only one of them open. He shone his flashlight at it as we all joined him by his side. Lucy on one and Caspian and I on the other...
"Who are all these people?" Lucy asked sounding confused.
"Why have they been crossed out?" Edmund added to her question.
"It looks like some kind of fee..." she stated.
"Slave traders!" Caspian realised and just as he said it men started sliding down the ropes making the bells sound off again. Using my bow and arrow I started shoting the men and each one I aimed for I managed to strike. But I didn't have the time to be amazed by my archery skills as a scream came from the doors causing me to look over to the spot. I saw Eustace being held by a man who had the dagger Eustace was given now to his neck. He shut the door behind him as he started to speak.
"Unless you want to hear this one squeal like a girl again... I'd say you should drop your weapons." He commanded.
"Like a girl?" Eustace sounded offended which was not the best moment to be displaying it.
"Now!" the man exclaimed pressing the dagger slightly harder. Lucy was the first one to put her dagger down followed by the rest of us. "Put them in irons!" Suddenly I was surrounded by men restraining me from fighting back in a rather harsh way as they put handcuffs around my wrists.
"Let's take these three to market... Send those two to the dungeons!" he instructed as Lucy tried to set herself free but to no avail.
"Come on girly!" one of the men pushed me making me stumble as I fell to the ground with a whimper. But I was quickly pulled back to my feet.
"Listen to me you insolent fool, I am your king!" Caspian yelled trying to fight off the men and so did Edmund which earned him a punch.
"Let me go!" I exclaimed getting more angrier as I saw my cousin get hurt.
"You're goanna pay for that!" Edmund threatened harshly.
"Actually someone else is going to pay, for all of you..." another man walked out of the shadows making me wonder for how long has he been standing there.
"Edmund!" Lucy screamed for her brother as they dragged us all away from each other. I tried getting free again, but the man holding me only tightened his grip on me making sure it will leave bruises later because of it.
"Lucy! Elizabeth!" Caspian and Edmund's voices were mixed in with all the screaming as we lost sight of each other when they dragged us out of the tower. I could still hear them yelling, but soon that disappeared too and all was quiet again. A terrible fear creapt into my heart and all I could hear now was it's loud beating as I hoped everyone was going to be alright, hoping Drinian and his men would find us in enough time...