I

GRACE

Dance of the Druids – Bear McCreary, Raya Yarbrough

The first thing Grace noticed was the temperature of the water. It was cold, but not the kind that made your teeth chatter; rather, the refreshing cold you would find diving into a lake on a hot summers day. As it washed away the sleep in her eyes and wrenched her mind to alert, she remembered that she had to breathe.

Her mouth opened on instinct; the influx of saltwater burning her throat as she clawed at its surface. Her eyes looked around wildly until she found what she was looking for; Light, there was light billowing in shattered beams through the ocean's surface.

Grace scrambled against the water; legs kicking her frantically towards the air she so desperately needed. She gasped triumphantly upon reaching it. The warm air much more welcoming compared to the chilled pressure below.

Water. How on Earth had she ended up treading in water? She must have been dreaming. It wouldn't be the first time her imagination had dropped her in an impossible situation. This one, however, would be the most treacherous yet.

As she treaded, Grace looked for anything physical she could swim towards; a buoy, an island or even a floating barrel. As she thought her hand absentmindedly ran over the water. Blue eyes caught it's movement in interest; the water rippled in satin waves. She grasped at the surface, as if she was expecting to take hold of the sheet-like texture. No such luck, the satin dissolved in her fingertips.

She scanned the horizon again and was disappointed to find that there was no sign of any land or persons in her immediate view. Something clawed at her chest, panic.

Now, Grace knew she should remain calm at a time like this, but when faced with the prospect of open ocean and knowing very little about swimming long distances; she found it very difficult to access her rational mind.

Her arms floundered as she attempted to look around but she struggled to manoeuvre herself appropriately. Her breath heightened and she could see her hands splash helplessly against the ocean. The panic seized her throat and thwarted what little air that entered.

The edges of Grace's vision began to blur as she continued to splash haphazardly against the waves. Minutes passed; the black blur grew thicker and thicker until she could barely see a speck of blue.

She couldn't breathe, she couldn't see, she could barely hear past the roaring of the ocean in her ears. In the instance of senseless effort, her mind began to dim until finally, her eyes closed, her arms ceased their efforts, and she welcomed the endless darkness.

Someone was dragging Grace across the hard ground. She could feel her shoulder bruise from the friction. Voices were everywhere, shouting blurs bogged against the water in her ears. Shadows passed intermittently across her shrouded vision but Grace could not make sense of them between the blinding peaks of light. She was chilled to the bone and could barely feel her skin amongst the numb cold.

"State your na-"

The water in her ears moved and Grace caught a glimpse of the words spoken between the waves of warm pressure release. She coughed, the movement emptying the water from her ears entirely as she rolled over to dispel the fluid on the deck.

"I will not ask you again," Someone ordered, "State your name and purpose upon the seas."

Grace wheezed but no voice accompanied the noise. Her throat was dry and salty. To her relief, someone gave her some water to drink – she gulped it down gratefully as her eyes began to clear.

The first coughing fit had been to dispel water from her lungs, the second had been brought about when she had laid eyes upon her questioner. He was a man from the waist up, the lower half of him covered in fur like an animal. She had never seen such a creature before in her life.

A hand smoothed over her back in small circles, her nightshirt catching on another material as it moved. At some point a towel had been placed over her shoulders, she gripped it tightly around herself to stave off the chill.

"Grace," She replied. It was still a wheeze, but it was a decipherable wheeze at least.

"And what is your purpose upon the seas, 'Grace'?" The suspicious tone was evident in the creatures voice.

"I don't have one," Grace responded, her throat felt warm as it cleared, "I'm here by mistake."

A laugh rumbled around her and Grace's head whipped up at the noise. She was surrounded by all manner of creatures that she couldn't have perceived; it made her head spin.

"Mistake?" Her Interrogator laughed, "One does not end up in the middle of the ocean by mistake. Were you thrown overboard another ship?"

Grace glared at him, "I wasn't on a ship. I was in my bed."

The hand on her back fell away and she caught movement in her peripheral vision. A woman with a long braid of gold spun hair, placed herself between Grace and the creature. Her stature was small and only partially blocked Grace from view, however, the presence emanating from the form was anything but.

"Captain, this line of questioning is getting us nowhere," She intervened, "She is clearly confused."

"No, I'm not," Grace protested weakly.

The Captain ignored her, "What would you have us do, your majesty?"

Grace's attention peaked at the address but when the woman did not correct him, she began to wonder if she had misheard. Grace assessed her surroundings; the warm wood of the deck was a dark lacquered brown and was punctured by various railings and masts of similar coloured wood.

Masts? When was the last time that masts and sails were used legitimately for travel? Surely, all functional boats now relied on engines and turbines to keep them moving. She assumed this must be some kind of live action role play.

Around her, the crew began to return to their duties – the novelty of her wearing off as the conversation between the woman and the Captain wore on. She couldn't hear their conversation, so instead she watched them.

The crew was no organized group of men. It was a band of animals and humanoid creatures of all shapes and sizes. Despite their differences, she watched them move about the boat in perfect harmony. If this was a role play, it was a well-practiced one.

The woman kneeled before Grace slowly, as if approaching a frightened animal, "Come with me and we'll get you situated."

Grace stared at her extended hand, very crisp memories of "stranger danger" warnings she'd heard coming to mind, "I don't know if that's a good idea."

The smile on the woman's face faltered but she did not give in, "It's all right. My name is Lucy, I'm not going to hurt you. This is Captain Strol."

The Captain stood behind Lucy with his arms crossed and brow furrowed. The sight doing nothing to comfort Grace.

When it was clear to Lucy that Grace would not move, she seated herself cross legged in front of her patiently.

Captain Strol did not move immediately, but after giving Grace a hard look of warning, he eventually moved away, barking orders to the crew in gruff tones.

Lucy leaned forward on her crossed legs, "There now, the scary Faun is gone. I know everything must be confusing to you right now but try to imagine how it must be for us," She coaxed, "We found you floating mid ocean with no land nearby except for the shores of Galma and Narnia. We are understandably confused as to how you came to be there."

Grace stared into Lucy's kind eyes and felt some of the wariness begin to dissipate, they were big, blue, and crinkled from laughter at the outer corners. Her innocence all but seeped from them.

"I wasn't lying or confused," Grace admitted roughly, "I was lying in my bed when the sheets turned into water."

Lucy raised her brows, "Your sheets… turned to water?"

"I'm as shocked as you are."

But Lucy wasn't shocked, if anything, Grace noticed that there was a spark of understanding behind the woman's eyes, "I don't know if I'd consider it shocking; stranger things have happened."

"Like what?" Grace challenged.

The woman smiled fondly, "Like magical lands inside of wooden wardrobes."

A beat of silence passed where Grace did not know how to respond and Lucy's smile only grew dreamier. She took her shivering hands and helped Grace into a standing position. The motion causing a stir within the crew of men. Grace was suddenly very aware of what she was wearing and grasped the towel tightly around herself, trying to cover as much skin as possible.

"You have a choice," Lucy said, following her eyeline, "You can wait on the deck until we reach port-"

Grace didn't like this idea, the looks of the crewmen had become more frequent and whilst their eyes did not linger, she was still uncomfortable.

"Or you can follow me to my quarters and we can get you some food and dry clothes."

She met Lucy's eyes in earnest, "Some dry clothes would be nice."

The answering smile was contagious and as she was ushered further into the ship, Grace found herself smiling too. Her feet tripping on themselves as she attempted to keep pace with the babbling Lucy.

Once situated in a cabin, she was given a shift and her pick of dresses to wear. When Grace had said she couldn't decide, Lucy thrust a green one towards her claiming the colour matched her eyes. The dress was tight and a little short in the sleeves, but it covered all the important places and for Grace, that was good enough.

"I've been meaning to ask," Lucy picked up the thin wet material from the floor, "What were these coverings for? They didn't seem to do much for your modesty."

Grace looked up from the laces on her left arm, "They're pyjamas."

Lucy stared bewilderedly at the shorts in her hand, "Pyjamas? I do not believe I have heard of such a thing."

"Then what do you sleep in?" Grace chuckled.

"A shift, of course."

Grace took the clothing from her, "Where I come from, these are pretty standard."

Lucy eyed the lace trim warily, "I'm sure they are, but whilst you are here you may want to use the shift."

The clothes were handed off, traded for a spread of dishes, sandwiches, cakes and tea. The latter of which Grace wondered how they had produced. To boil water one needed heat and fire on a wooden boat was a recipe for disaster. She was too ravenous to ask, however, instead choosing to dive into the food as soon as it was placed.

As they sat and ate, Lucy spoke of her latest endeavours in a place called Galma. Grace listened intently, though lacked enough context to engage in the conversation.

Lucy continued speaking despite Grace's clear confusion, "We are but half a day's trip from Narnia now – if the winds favour us."

Grace's ears perked at the name. "I don't mean to seem rude," She began timidly, "But what is Narnia?"

Lucy chuckled, "Narnia is the kingdom west of our current location. It is filled with vast forests, dancing lawns and great fields of which my siblings and I rule over."

Grace had taken the space of her explanation to take a sip of water and almost choked on it, "Rule?"

Lucy had the sense to look a little bashful, "I am sorry, I was a little selfish in not telling you my station. Others tend to treat me differently because of it."

"It's fine," Grace wheezed as she wiped her mouth, "I can understand why you didn't mention it at first. I should have known when the Captain addressed you earlier."

The bashful appearance remained and Lucy looked up at Grace with her big blue eyes, "Do you forgive me for my discretion?"

Grace shook her head, "There is nothing to forgive."

Lucy sighed in relief, "Thank Aslan."

Grace smiled at her. Against the burning in her lungs a warm feeling began spread at the mention of that name.

Aslan… what a strange person to thank. But the thought did not linger as the feeling did not last longer than the time in which the name was spoken.

After she gave her situation more thought – for she had never been in the presence of royalty before – Grace asked, "Should I address you similarly to the Captain, your majesty?"

Lucy held up her hand, "Please, there is no need in such informal quarters. 'Lucy' is fine."

"And in formal quarters?" Grace prodded.

There was a mischievous gleam in the Queen's eye, "Then you shall know me as Queen Lucy the Valiant, Lady of the Eastern Sea and Mistress of the Healers Guild."

They shared a laugh and Lucy relented, "Just Lucy is fine. I never saw the need for such formalities amongst friends."

Many more laughs were shared as the Valiant Queen told Grace of her kingdom, and as the afternoon went on, Grace felt less like she was in a dream.

She wouldn't admit it to herself yet, however, and when Lucy deposited her in a cot at the edge of the cabin, Grace found she couldn't sleep. Her eyes stared unseeingly at the wooden painted ceiling as the ship rocked back and forth.

As each second passed, only one thought repeated in her mind. A vow that she would not forget for as long as her feet stood upon this unknown world.

She would return to her home if it was the last thing she did, and from the earnest look in Lucy's eyes Grace was sure that she would not be alone.