Disclaimer: I no own Chronicles of Narnia.
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Chapter 8: Damsel in Distress
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Towering above the small marketplace on his black stallion, King Caspian X scanned the heads of Talking Beasts and humans alike in search of whoever it was that the woman Jyneera had told him to look for; thusfar, he had seen dozens of people who could have something to do with water: women carrying jugs of the stuff, a fisherman selling his wares, a mother beaver and two young beaver kits doing their shopping, and so on and so forth, all yielding no help at all since no one was mentioning a Daughter of Eve.
With a sigh of what sounded terribly close to defeat, Caspian slipped from Destrier's back to take the reins in his hands and weave between his countrymen. To walk among them was quite a and advisors. He had missed being able to wander among the splendid Talking Beasts as if it were nothing, though he hadn't realized it. Sir Reepicheep had become the only Talking Beast who was in His Majesty's company almost constantly, though sometimes the Lilliputian knight was as much Talking Beast as the king could handle.
None of the Beasts or peasants that Caspian encountered gave him a second glance, which was rather nice; it further proved that his "disguise" (meaning the ugly hat and ragtag clothes) was sufficient. Chatter about farms and children and hunting excursions filled the king's ears, but still no Daughter of Eve, though after a few more minutes Caspian found himself being pulled into a conversation by a faun who was luring passersby with his goods.
The faun was tall (by faun standards, anyway) and had dark fur; his hair was riddled with waves that were held back by a harsh leather comb. A lovely silk jacket covered his otherwise bare chest, and the shining gold embroidery caught Caspian's gaze as the sun's last low rays glistened off of the intricate stitchery. Behind the faun were his rather extravagant wares, all of them clothing of good quality; handmade leather jerkins with intricate stitching and boots of the toughest hide were sported among brightly-colored dresses and leggings. The royal, pampered part of Caspian, albeit a small part, had been dying a slow and miserable death in the itching, miserable fabric of his peasant disguise. The nagging, picky voice screamed from the dark recesses of Caspian's otherwise male (and thus impartial when it came to fashion) brain.
By then, the faun had noticed a potential customer in the young king and called out to him genially. "My good Sir, you seem to be a man of taste. Might you be interested in some of my humble creations?" The faun gestured towards the boots Caspian had seen. "Or perhaps a gift for the little woman back home? My wife's skill with stitching is unmatched." He said again, running a hand over some softer, more feminine scraps of cloth.
Caspian nodded, and a grin grew on his face to match the faun's. "Yes, good Faun, a new jerkin or two would be quite fine." He reached into the nearest saddlebag and pulled a small reticule that jingled with the sound of many coins. "Perhaps something with that exquisite embroidery that your wife possesses such prowess in?" The king said, glad to have the chance to wear something that was both comfortable and handmade by a skilled Narnian artisan.
Casting a wary eye to the heavy coin purse, the faun began to pick up different jerkins and doublets in varying colors and design. Each piece seemed to have a different anecdote attached to its appearance, such as intricate silver designs embroidered down the sleeves of a particular doublet that hinting at how life had been in the time of the White Witch. It literally sent icy shivers down the king's spine. Another doublet had captured the feeling of autumn leaves, and another the soft, silken caress of water. They were truly amazing.
Taking hold of a deep blue doublet, Caspian checked the length of the sleeves against his own arms, and the width of the shoulders, and the length of the torso, much to the delight of the faun, who immediately began to shower Caspian with encouragement.
"It's as if it were made for you, Good Sir." The faun said, beginning to slowly tuck away the other choices, before the voice of another customer stayed his hand.
"Hello then, Grabian! What sort of fineries might you have for me today?" called the voice of another Talking Beast, and Caspian glanced at an approaching otter. Under one arm, he carried a sizeable basket full of fresh fruit and vegetables enough to feed a small battalion of troops.
The satyr Grabian nodded in greeting to the otter, the hint of a genuine grin on his face. "Good day, Otter! Out buying more for that new addition to the family?"
Sauntering up to the satyr's side, the otter chuckled. "As as a matter of fact, I am. She is in need of some new garment of sorts, perhaps something a bit easier to move about in than that gown I took home last month. Apparently, the gown makes it difficult to run around with the pups."
Caspian's brows knitted together in confusion. An otter wearing a gown?
Grabian laughed, reaching for a few options for Mr. Otter to sift through. "Most would say that's a good thing, seeing as females aren't supposed to be running about as yours does anyways."
With a dismissive huff, Mr. Otter set his basket down by Caspian's right foot as the young king began counting out coins for the doublet. "Very well then, Grabian," said the Otter, "you can be the one to school her in the ways of ladylike behavior when she decides to come to market again. Personally, I don't think that you possess the fortitude to go up against spitfire like our Caitlin. Not many do."
The Satyr nodded, a grin still wide upon his face. "I'd believe it, especially after meeting the little sprite myself. If I'd not agreed to her trade for those leggings the first time she visited, I would probably still be in negotiation with her now. Quite a quick wit, that girl."
With a sigh, Mr. Otter's tone took on a slight air of concern that was difficult to decipher. "Perhaps too quick for her own good, if she's ever to leave the forest. She remarked the last time we visited that most of the Telmarines eyed her as if she had sprouted fins and gills and was ripe for the devouring."
For a moment, an awkward silence descended over Grabian's market stall, save for the jingling of Caspian's money as he continued with his counting and Mr. Otter as he uncomfortably looked through the dresses set before him.
Finally, the Satyr cleared his throat to sever the silence. "So, when is she going to be stopping by again? It's been nearly two months since last she came by."
Mr. Otter began setting aside a few brightly-colored frocks for final deliberation. "Well, she would have come today, my friend, but I'm afraid that she took nearly an hour with a bath before I decided to leave without her. I'm sure to be getting an earful of grief upon my return home."
Grabian laughed. "Well, when dealing with females, what else can you expect?"
Finally, Mr. Otter settled on a sensible green dress that had very lovely leaves threaded through the sleeves and the waist. "Ah, here we are. Just the thing she would like, I think." He said, mostly to himself. Tossing a few gold pieces to the satyr, Mr. Otter gathered the frock into his basket. "I'm off for home, then. I shall see you soon, my friend."
As the otter began to be swallowed in the crowds, Caspian heard the satyr's words echo after him. "Be sure that the girl accompanies you next time, Otter! My wife finds it hard enough to make clothes for a Daughter of Eve, but harder still to make clothes for one who's not been measured in a few months!"
Daughter of Eve. Caspian's eyes widened. An otter, that would most definitely have something to do with water.
"That's it!" Caspian cried to no one, hands dropping his reticule before he could even realize that it was still in his hands, and the small pouch fell onto Grabian's table. The satyr's eyes saw the glittering coins fall from the reticule, and saw the young man disappearing into the market crowds before the satyr could even point out his mistake.
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At the same moment, underneath the same sunny sky, the terrified cries of little Mera had set Caitlin in motion before she'd had even a moment to think otherwise. Her heart hammered in her chest, it's harsh beating echoing in her ears as her eyes frantically scanned the forest floor for signs of her little sister.
"Mera?!" Caitlin cried, the other pups scurrying to keep up with her long-legged sprints. Reaching behind her to point blindly in the direction of the river, Caitlin yelled. "No, pups, you stay by the river! If you hear anything scary, you swim home as fast as you can!" As Caitlin left the others, Mera's cries grew louder, filling with the sound of frantic sobbing, and Caitlin let out a scream of frustration as she felt her heart breaking in two at the thought of Mera in pain. "Mera, where are you?! Tell me where you are!!"
Just as tears of dread had begun to fall from her thick lashes, Caitlin heard the sobs of her little sister fade away to little whimpers that eventually formed words. "B-bigger Sister?" came the strangled cry of the little pup, and Caitlin felt a surge of such relief at the sound of Mera's voice so close. Sure enough, Mera's whimpers made quick work of finding her in the brush, and soon Caitlin had found the way to the frantic pup's side.
"Oh, Mera…" Caitlin said with pity, seeing her little sister's position. A long cord had wrapped itself around the curious pup's neck, and as she'd struggled, the trap had only wound itself tighter. Caitlin frowned as she traced the line of the string to a simple snare, realizing a terrible truth. "This was… a human trap. Someone's trying to catch Talking Beasts." she said quietly.
Mera gazed at her sister's worried face. "Bigger Sister, am I going to be stuck forever?"
Caitlin shook her head. "Of course not, kiddo. I'll have you out in a moment, just calm down."
As her sister's nimble fingers went about finding the knot of the string, the otter pup let a few more sniffles punctuate her quickly ebbing fear. "Why did someone try to catch me? I'm not very big, and I don't think I'd be very yummy. Pike says that I'm the scrawniest." The pup said, puzzling over her predicament. Above her, Caitlin let out a small huff of exasperation as the microscopic knot refused to be loosened, while also making a mental note to scold Pike as soon as possible.
"Can you breathe alright?" She asked, and Mera gave a meek nod. Caitlin went back to her work of trying to free the little otter, but after a few more attempts at severing the cord with her teeth and tugging it loose didn't work. Sensing the pup's unease, Caitlin tried to smile. "One day, you will be able to remember this and laugh about how silly you and I acted."
Mera merely sniffled in resigned self-pity, leaving Caitlin to her work. But similar to the moment that Caitlin's mind had tried to warn her of impending danger, yet another chill suddenly shot up her spine as the soft sounds of rustling undergrowth sounded from behind her. She dimly registered that Mera had suddenly gone still underneath her hands, sniffing the air apprehensively.
"Bigger Sister, something smells funny." She said, fear beginning to make its way back into her voice once again.
Caitlin turned to peer over her shoulder, instantly relaxing when her eyes settled on the familiar shape of the Wolverine that lived down-river from her otter family. "Oh, Brother Wolverine! You really have to start announcing your presence, my friend, you nearly scared Mera to death." Of all Talking Beasts, Caitlin knew that this Wolverine was the most talkative creature she had encountered, not to mention the most helpful. Perhaps she could escape his never-ending banter and get him to help her.
When the Talking Beast didn't answer after a long moment, Caitlin felt another curl of warning sneak up her spine. "W-what brings you so far from home? Did Momma send you after us?" she asked jovially, trying to mask whatever feeling had begun to churn her stomach.
There was still no reply, just a low and terrible growling from behind her, a sound that Brother Wolverine would never utter. Apprehension stole any hope from the Daughter of Eve's lovely visage as she realized that whatever was behind her was not there as her saving grace. With a shuddering breath, Caitlin shut her eyes tight against Fate.
And in that moment, Fate pounced. It pounced directly at Caitlin's back.
My goodness, I need to improve upon the time between my updates, but anyways I'm working on Chapter Nine like a crazed fiend. I think you all will like this next one.
Love always, Fausta