Lucy stood on the edge of a great precipice. It seemed that a step away from her, the world simply ceased to exist; a great hole plummeted into blackness, stretching further than she could see. She found herself unable to turn around, to see what was behind her; she could only see the great void and feel herself teetering. Somehow, though, she knew she wouldn't fall.
All at once, a voice cried out to her – it seemed ages since she'd last heard it.
"Lucy!" Susan called. She sounded as though she was somewhere beyond the nothingness, across it somehow, though Lucy could see no end to it. Still, her eyes lit with hope and her mouth opened in astonishment as she leaned forward, straining.
" Susan?" she asked the abyss..
"Oh Lucy, I knew you'd find me," Susan's voice said, filled with relief.
" Susan, where are you?"
"I can't tell you, Lu," Susan replied sadly. "You have to find me. But you're close, if you can just find a way. I know you can."
"But Su…"
"You can, Lu. I know it."
"Su, we miss you so much," Lucy said, tears beginning to fill her eyes. The air around her stirred for the first time. It lifted her hair ever-so-slightly, tucking a loose strand behind her ear, and Susan's voice spoke again.
"I miss you too," she said gently. "Don't lose hope. I'll see you again, Lucy, whether tomorrow or in a hundred years. I promise."
"Su, please don't leave, we need you, I…"
There was another rustle in the wind, and she awoke.
"That was idiotic, Edmund," Lucy heard Peter say. She opened her eyes and rubbed them tiredly, automatically reaching over to pick up her dagger and cordial belt. Blinking a few times and fumbling with them, she turned her head to look over at the other bed, where Edmund was lying on his stomach, groaning and holding his head in his hands. Peter was sitting up, rubbing his brother's back absently, looking a bit less than sympathetic. "Really. You ought to know better."
"Shut up," Ed grumbled. He rubbed circles at his temples.
"Good morning, Lucy," Peter said, noticing she was awake. She mumbled a reply, still quite sleepy and disoriented from her dream, though she'd worked herself into a sitting position. Finally managing to buckle her belt, she dropped her hands to the sheets and took in the room. Sunlight was streaming through the one window, little specks of dust dancing in the rays before settling on the few pieces of furniture (and on Edmund, who had buried his face in the pillow with a pained whimper).
"How are you feeling, Ed?" she mumbled. He lifted his head from the pillow and grumbled,
"Like Oreius kicked me in the head."
Peter snorted, gave Ed's back one last pat and rose, reaching for his sword. Edmund didn't move. Lucy slipped her feet out from under the blanket and dangled them over the edge of the bed, sliding into her boots and standing. Peter stretched and yawned, half-drawing his sword to make sure it came out of the sheath easily, then reached down and shoved Edmund onto his side.
"Come on, up and at it," Peter told him. Ed made a rude hand gesture, at which Peter's mouth pressed itself into a line.
"You're setting a very poor example for Lu, you know," he said warningly.
"You sound like Susan," Ed said into the pillow.
" Susan!" Lucy exclaimed, suddenly remembering her dream. Peter looked up at her quizzically, and Edmund bothered to lift his face out of his pillow, looking over with squinted eyes. "I had a dream!"
"Did you?" Edmund asked grouchily. Peter swatted his shoulder.
"Go on, Lu," he said.
She told them about her dream, and about Susan's revelation – they were close.
"So we must be in the right place," Lucy finished earnestly, sitting on the edge of her bed. Peter looked thoughtful, and there was a pause after her speech's completion as both her brothers mulled it over. Finally, Peter set his shoulders and pulled his cloak on, fastening the clasp with deft fingers.
"I would say not to depend on a dream, but we haven't got anything better to go on," he said. "But first things first – we need to get ourselves some new clothes. I left my pack back in that dratted castle, and I think you two did as well, so before we do any rescuing, we should freshen up."
"All right," said Lucy agreeably. She rose and grabbed her own cloak, as the morning was a touch chilly, then leaned across the space between the beds to extend a hand to Edmund. He blinked groggily at her.
"I'll just stay here," he mumbled.
"No, you won't," said Peter. "And if you won't get up by choice, I'll have you know it's not beneath me to carry you again."
"All right! Fine, fine, I'm up," Ed grouched, sliding his legs up and over the edge of the bed, groping for his belt and sword with one hand as he did so. He shot Peter a very nasty look and donned his cloak.
They emerged a few minutes later, stepping out onto the rickety wooden stairs at the end of the hallway. The sun was already a fair ways up into the sky, and in the fountain square they'd used the previous night, there now was a market set up, with a crowd of people shouting the worth of their goods or arguing over prices. Edmund whimpered.
"So it's rather noisy," said Peter.
"Rather!"
They descended the stairs, slipping into the throng and staying close to one another. Edmund looked faint. Peter explained to Lucy that "the morning after one is a fool," (Ed glared), "noises become just another shade of pain." She laughed. He flinched.
An hour later, they had spent four coppers and a silver piece for a new dress for Lu, plain and durable, new tunics and breeches for Peter and Edmund, and breakfast, which for Edmund's sanity they ate as far away from the market as possible. At last, filled and almost contented, Lucy carrying their purchases, they returned to the inn, where they traded one copper piece for baths for the three of them. It was an old metal tub, rusted in places, but on the whole well-kept, and Lucy couldn't argue that it felt wonderful to soak for a short while and rinse the grime from her hair.
At last, freshly clean and dressed in their new clothes, they set out to find their sister.