Chapter 7 - Fishermen of Cair Paravel
After moving away from the river, Flori and the siblings found refuge inthe crumbling garden. They all sat down in a covered section on moss-covered stone benches. All eyes were fixed on him with tense anticipation, like a flock of vultures craving answers.
With occasional pauses, Flori recounted the previous day's events in greater detail. As he spoke of the nighttime chase on horseback and the battle beneath the trees, his words turned into vivid images in his mind. It was difficult to talk about it with strangers, even though these people had just saved his life.
Besides, they were deep in the wilderness now. His father had often drilled an unspoken rule into his head:"In the wild, all human quarrels must be put aside. Even the greatest enemies should work together, or nature will swallow them whole—and then there'll be no one left to argue anyway."
Still, he left out certain details that were too painful to revisit from his story. Unsurprisingly, his new audience was most interested in Caspian. Flori told them everything the prince had revealed to him. Miraz's conspiracy, the attempt to kill Caspian, but he had to admit it wasn't much. The sheer shock of nearly gutting the crown prince, mistaking him for a mere horse thief, had caused parts of Caspian's explanation to slip right past him.
The siblings listened intently, occasionally asking questions, but mostly remaining focused. He spoke little about himself, only mentioning that he had worked as a castle guard for several years. But when it was his turn to ask questions, Flori couldn't help but notice a slight shift in their demeanor, almost as if they had become more vigilant, more careful.
For some reason, only Peter answered his inquiries about why they were in such a remote place, far from civilization. When the eldest brother, with his golden hair, explained that a merchant ship from Archenland had dropped them off and that they planned to travel inland along the Great River, Flori could tell he was lying. However, he decided it would be pointless to press the matter further. After all, he was a complete stranger to them, and it was only natural that they didn't trust him fully.
The unusual group was so delved into the conversation that they didn't notice how close the sun had drifted toward the treetops in the west, not until Susan pointed it out.
"Looks like we got a bit carried away," Flori remarked, checking the wound on his leg from the highwayman's sword, only to find no trace of it left.
"Well, it is quite a gripping tale," Susan admitted. "I can't even imagine what it must have been like in that river. I don't know what I would have done."
Flori, who had been trying to mask his emotions and trauma with a false sense of ease, simply nodded. "Yeah, second-worst day of my life, I'd say. If not for you, I'd probably be floating sin vida* somewhere out in the open sea. And even if by some miracle I had made it out, I certainly wouldn't have had the strength to stop the bleeding from that damned arrow." He nodded gratefully toward Lucy, who wore the same look of sympathy as her sister.
"Any good person would have done the same," Lucy replied. "Besides, that's what medicine is for, to help those who need it most."
Peter joined the conversation. "Exactly. And besides, the real effort was yours. Keeping yourself afloat with a wound like that? That takes more than just strength," he added with notable respect.
"Heck, you're damn right about that," Flori admitted. "Still, I owe you all." He nodded again, then shifted topics. "On a different note, how are we going to leave the island if the river is blocking our way? Is there a crossing?"
Peter barely hesitated before answering. "Of course. It's on the far side of the island. The river is wider there, but shallow enough to wade across... or at least, I hope. There's just one problem."
"What is it Pete?" Edmund asked grinning.
Peter didn't look amused. "I'm sure a little thing likeswamps and possibly quicksandwon't be a problem for you, Ed. But we'll still need to be careful. We should at least have a rope, in case someone sinks in." His voice carried the weight of leadership.
Edmund grew serious. "There wasn't any rope anywhere we checked. Maybe we could try making one out of these vines or a tree bark, but I'm not sure it would holdourweight."
"We'll see about that. Besides, there are still plenty of rooms we haven't searched. I'm sure we'll find something. I say we head out tomorrow. No point in staying here any longer, just sitting have to get moving."
"Agreed," Flori and Edmund said in unison, earning a chuckle from Lucy.
"Nice to see you have the plans all sorted out, boys," Susan teased. "Now, I'd suggest setting up camp in that tower over there. It looks like the least ruined one, don't you think? We'll be traveling all day tomorrow, so you should all get some proper sleep." With that, she took Lucy by the hand, and the two of them headed toward a broad tower that, miraculously, seemed relatively intact, if a little overgrown with ivy.
Peter turned back to Flori. "I presume you'll be joining us, right? We'd be glad to have you."
Flori nodded. "I will take the offer. We're heading in the same direction after all. I still don't know exactly where I'll go, but I have a duty to my prince. That means heading inland. There's nothing but the sea of trouble awaiting on the other direction." His face was unreadable, making it impossible for the brothers to tell what he was thinking, or how uncertain he truly felt.
Flori still wasn't entirely sure about what to do. "Should I go back to where Caspian was taken? But what can I do alone against those beasts? They nearly killed me last time. I should go to the castle first and find help. But the Lord Protector is probably waiting for me there. And what if Enara and the others are in danger, just because I defied Miraz's thugs?
Peter cut off his thoughts prematurely. "Splendid. It's settled, then," Peter nodded. There was something in his eyes, something Flori couldn't quite decipher.
Before Flori could dwell on it, Peter straightened. "You two go ahead. I'll catch up in a bit."
Edmund rolled his eyes but didn't argue. "Fine, but if Susan starts lecturing, I'm blaming you."
As they made their way toward the tower, Flori felt the weight of exhaustion settle over him. His body ached, but his mind remained restless. He kept replaying the past few days over and over, searching for something, anything, that might help him make sense of it all.
Once inside, they found the remnants of what must have been a guardroom long ago. A collapsed wooden table, rusted weapons strewn about, and a few stone ledges. The ivy creeping through the cracks in the walls made the place feel almost peaceful, despite its decay. Susan and Lucy were already making themselves at home, choosing the left wall as their sleeping place.
Edmund gave a low whistle. "Cozy."
Susan rolled her eyes. "It's better than nothing."
"What, I meant it," Edmund objected.
Flori shrugged his shoulders. "True, once we cross the river, Aris willing, we will venture into the proper wilderness. Pretty sure we will not find many more roofs on the way."
That caught Lucy's attention. "Have you ever been in the wilderness? I mean, aside from yesterday."
Flori nodded slowly. "Not in these parts, I've never traveled this far. Our people don't seek out places like this, except for bandits, woodcutters, hunters, and maybe a few lost souls. But yes, I've ventured out a few times, before I saw with my own eyes what kind of creatures live here. The danger no one talks about though, is acquiring food. But don't worry, I'm sure we'll manage, maybe we will even hunt something down." He glanced at Susan and the bow resting beside her.
"He, you can count on that," Susan replied confidently while smirking.
The summer day was exceptionally warm, and even the stones lining the edge of the wall that was their new sleeping spot still held the heat of the ever-blazing sun. They quickly decided there was no point in lighting a fire. Flori was more than accustomed to sleeping on hard surfaces, in fact, he preferred it.
Whether it was cold stone after standing guard or the rough floor of a tavern, he had experienced both more times than he could count. To his surprise, Peter came back minutes laterwith fivetravel blanketsin nearly perfect condition, that he found in an untouched chamber somewhere deep within the ruins.
Only the question of food proved troublesome. Neither he nor his new companions had brought any supplies, which struck Flori as rather suspicious. He couldn't fathom why the siblings were wandering this forsaken place without provisions. In the end, they had no choice but to gather as many apples from the nearby trees as possible and endure the hunger until morning.
Flori suggested they take turns keeping watch through the night, but Peter merely waved off the idea, assuring him that he would handle it. Turning to his siblings, who were resting against the opposite wall, he added, "Try to have some sleep," before disappearing toward the overgrown gardens.
He overheard Lucy whispering to Susan, because the space was quite small. "What was that about?" There was a silence that seemed almost too long.
"It's been a hard day for all of us. Don't worry about it, Peter will be alright. I will talk to him in the morning. Now.. Let's just get some sleep alright?" she whispered reassuringly.
"Good night," Lucy peeped.
The soundfaded into quiet as they settled in for the night. Outside, the wind whispered through the trees, and somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted, a lone, watchful sentinel in the dark.
Exhaustion weighed heavily on Flori after the endless fighting and swimming in the river, yet he had known from the start that sleep would not come easily. He felt strange, as though trapped in a dream—or worse, as if he had died and awoken in an entirely different life, one stripped of all former certainties. His mind raced with uneasy thoughts. "Does Enara, Costy, Alysa, and the others believe I'm dead?"
As he exhaled deeply, he caught the earthy scent of the ground beneath him. Sleep must have claimed him unexpectedly, like a welcome guest, for when morning came, he had no memory of when he had drifted off.
XXXXX
A gentle chorus of larks roused him, their songs filling the overgrown garden beyond the entrance of their makeshift sleeping room. He glanced at the opposite wall and found Susan and Lucy, his little savior, sleeping side by side. Both brothers, however, were nowhere to be seen.
After a brief moment of thought, he decided to get up and try to find the missing brothers. Silently, he slipped on his military boots, careful not to wake Susan and Lucy. As he stepped into the middle of the garden and gazed up at the half-ruined towers above him, he had to admit that, in its prime, this place must have been breathtaking.
Even though his soldier's mind told him thatCastle Caspian is a much more defensible structure, this ancient fortress came remarkably close. He could hardly imagine how difficult it must have been for his ancestors to breach the river's mouth or the double walls, which still stood tall and proud in most they had used some clever trick, or the enemy's defensive garrison had been very small,he thought.
Coming from a lower class, Flori had never learned to read, so he had no knowledge of what history books said about King Caspian I's conquest of the castle.
Still, he knew at least thatsomebattle had taken place here. "But why didn't they know? Why did Peter ask me if I had any idea what had happened here? Could it really be that Archenland had completely forgotten about the battle?"The explanation didn't convince him.
Finding no sign of the two brothers anywhere near the garden, he concluded that they must have gone in search of food. His steps led him to a vantage point on the island's southern side, where he spotted a lone figure by the river below. The dark hair gave him the answer. It was Edmund.
The younger of the two brothers reminded him of himself, at least before he had faced death. The frequent jokes, the self-satisfied smirk that rarely left his face. Of course, this was only his first impression, but even so, he was beginning to like him.
He decided to take a walk and help Edmund search the riverbed for food, even though it was near the spot where they had pulled him out of the water the previous day. Since the nighttime chase on horseback, he had eaten next to nothing, and he could feel the hunger gnawing at him.
His body unwillingly shivered when seeing the strong current below. The river mouth was so incredibly wide, one could never hope to swim to the opposite side from the island. The hilly plain and occasional marches were barely visible on the south bank, being hidden by a low fog.
The water was like a large mirror, glittering because of the morning sun's rays. But beneath this pleasant and inviting curtain, Flori knew there was only cold and dark water.
He wanted to face that fear. Exposing himself to fears was the only way he knew to get rid of them. Maybe he was weird in that regard, but it was what his father always used to tell him. His mind drifted to locked up memories. "Son, it's just a big spider, here you see. I have him in my hand and he won't even bite. One day, you will be a man, and lives of your dearest will be your responsibility. Your mother for example if something happens to me. You will be their shield, and what is the thing that every good shield should be? It must be firm as rock and stand its ground. Don't hide from your fears, they can be easy to overlook or ignore, but when let loose, they will corrode your shield like rust. Notice them, feel them before they spread, and face them with your head held high. Oh, the spider went away while I talked. Am I that boring?"
He remembered his father smiled. A very similar smile appeared on Flori's face when thinking about it. "I want to smile together with him again,"the nostalgic part of him wished, desired. He briskly swung with his left hand to his spider, his verified way of escaping back to reality.
With some fears, like spiders or darkness, his father's strategy was more than successful. But there were others, already settled deep inside him. Some of them he didn't even know about, or just didn't want to admit they exist. What were spiders in comparison to a fear of betraying your own duty, losing a guard's post, one of his only stabilities. Or disappointing a loved one... Losing a loved one.
There was a lot that happened in recent days and his defensive mechanism wasn't prepared or capable of dealing with them. The whole plot with the prince's murder for starters. Some assassins escaped and surely will inform Miraz about how this guard spoiled a perfect chance to kill Caspian. He wondered a lot how he could ever go home without being instantly recognized and punished.
The horned beast was on his mind just as often. "My most important responsibility as a guard is to protect the prince. Heh, I am a really devoted guard, fleeing and leaving the poor boy there to those demons. My bravery shattered like a house of cards the second I saw the beast running at me. But what was I supposed to do, fight them all with a wounded leg?,"he added, disgusted with the whole situation.
"If I had En there to help, we would cut the bastards to pieces,"he wished as a sudden wave of incredible anger washed over. Flori was certain that they would be left standing victorious, over the bodies of the anger buried into him, both his fists andteeth tightly clenched.
When he got closer, Edmund, wearing a blue tunic, noticed his arrival and waved as a greeting. He appeared excited while proudly showing off the long fishing rod. "Pretty neat right? "Found it in a chest in the... something happened?" Edmund changed his tone as he noticed his angry mood.
Flori for his part collected himself rather swiftly. "Oh, don't worry, nothing to do with you. I was just... let it be. So, you became a fisherman during the night?" he subtly pointed towardsthe old looking rod.
"I thought while my siblings are still snoring, I will catch us some breakfast. Rainworms crawling everywhere, so the only thing I need is some luck. And hopefully I will be able to cook it before they get their hands on it. Susan once tried cooking some cod. Dunno what she did to the poor thing, but I still have nightmares about that one."
Flori faintly but genuinely grinned at his remark. "I am sure she would disagree with you if I asked her about it."
"Disagreeing with me is her favorite activity actually," snorted Edmund in a funny gesture, while trying to untangle the knot on his string that appeared there after one of his throws.
"You need a helping hand?" Flori offered, knowing what the answer would be beforehand. Edmund, however, surprised him.
"Ay, here you go, give it a try." He carefully handed him the string while still holding the fishing rod.
Flori examined the knot with his right eye. "The string is old, the thing had enough it seems. I think some fishermen from Galma discarded it in the ruins when sheltering there. It won't be of any use," he said, trying to fix the thread again and again anyway.
Edmund looked visibly disappointed. "Damn it, I am starving already. Uh, I doubt there is any game on the island. We would have to go hunting across the river, and that might take a while, as Peter said," unwillingly looking across the other side of the wide river.
He turned to Edmund for his opinion, but the boy just gave him a blank stare.
"Oh, right. That's what we call the water creatures with claws and a shell," Flori explained.
"Oh, crabs! Hell yeah, everyone loves those. And if someone doesn't, I don't want to hear their opinion on food," Edmund declared, striding past Flori toward the high cliffs about three hundred meters away. "Let's see if we can catch some."
Flori lingered for a moment, staring at the water. "Right after you," he called, picking up his pace toward the larger rocks.
Flori shielded his eyes from the bright sun as it glared down on the beach. For most people, this would be a welcomed sight, a moment to rest, enjoy the warmth, maybe even appreciate the sound of waves against the shore. But for him, it was a reminder of how exposed they were.
Out there, past the horizon, lay dangers unseen. A demon in a lion's clothing, patiently waiting. He let out a quiet sarcastic chuckle. "Maybe I should stop worrying about dangers I never even saw. I have enough real ones as it is."
With a smirk, he gave a light kick to a piece of driftwood in his path, sending it splashing into the water. The ripples spread outward, vanishing into the vastness of the river.
He soon caught up with Edmund, who was already poking around the rocky edges where the cliffs began to rise.
"So, you said you're a guard in the king's castle?" Edmund asked, his eyes still scanning the crevices between the boulders.
Because Ed was still exploring the rocks, Flori didn't need to mask his sour face. "I am not that sure I hold the position any longer after what happened to be honest. I also suppose it's more like a Miraz 's castle right now, since the rightful heir got... you know," he added sadly. He wasn't in the mood to talk about his biggest failure, Caspian.
"Sorry, I am still trying to understand all of it," Edmund apologized.
"Honestly, I am trying to do the same thing. Understand what the heck happened in the royal family I mean."
"The one thing I am positive about is that this Miraz is a power-hungry prick. But about the castle. Is it big or?"
Flori started explaining, with a trace of pride. "Castle Caspian is more like a fortress, just like the one above us right now. The great architects built it on a large solid rock, high above the grounds. You can see the surrounding land for miles from its seventeen towers."
Edmund seemed impressed. "So, if it's on a high rock, how do you get inside?"
"The only way in is a single stone bridge, wide enough for two carts side by side. No tunnels, no secret paths, if you want in, you have to face the gate. And trust me, you wouldn't want to. Caspian was luckily escaping just before morning, and the guards weren't able to close the gate in time."
"Hmmmm, right," Edmund nodded while trying to lift a big flat rock, hoping something edible is hiding there. "And being a guard? Is it a decent job?"
Flori deeply thought about it. He always wanted to be a guard, well, he supposed every young boy dreamed of holding a sword and wearing real armour at least once. His father always told him he would be a merchant, just like him, and make the family business even larger and more prosperous. But the idea of becoming a soldier never fully left.
After his parents mysteriously disappeared in the forest, nothing else was holding him. The sudden loss of his parents only made him more stubborn, as he promised them to one day avenge them. For that, he needed to learn how to fight. At fifteen, he finally decided to apply to be a guardsman, and although the start was very rough as he wasn't the most athletic child, his discipline and skill with a sword quickly became noticeable.
He wouldn't trade that job or the experience for anything in the world. Flori honestly thought it made him a better man. He learned to fight and follow orders, met his first love, a girl named Kara while on guard duty at sixteen, and quickly built a strong circle of friends. Through it, he got to know his fellow guardsman, Costen, and, most importantly, Enara.
"It's a very decent job," he explained. "You make a lot of friends, some true ones who'll stand by you when things go south. And you hear things you probably shouldn't. People get careless around guards and spill all sorts of interesting stuff. The pay's decent, unless you're Costen and lose it all in a card game by morning."
Flori's mouth twitched into a grin, recalling his friend's endless complaints after such nights.
"But of course, most of the time, it's mostlyabout standing around. If you're on patrol inside the castle, you watch nobles argue about whose uncle owns more land. If you're at the gate, you get to argue with merchants trying to smuggle extra goods past the tax collectors. At least you can bargain a decent coin as a bribe, because who cares about tax collectors."
Edmund grinned at his comment. "Right? They are the absolute worst." He then took a small break in his hunt for crab meat and turned around, almost slipping on the wet stone, but he quickly regained composure.
Flori glanced at Edmund's surefooted stance. It wasn't something most people would notice, but to him, it was familiar—like the steady footing of a trained fighter. In battle, balance could mean the difference between life and death, a lesson he had always known but only truly understood after his clash with the head assassin.
"It sure sounds like a decent job," Edmund said. "Really hope they'll let you back. Out of curiosity, did you only use a sword when on duty?"
Flori had to smile again. The boy's passion about weapons was tangible and reminded him more and more of his younger self. The time when his head was constantly imagining being on the battlefield and doing heroic deeds. Now, after his experience, remembering his positive view on real battle looked stupid and dangerous, but he decided to answer anyway.
"We trained with spears, but they're about as useful as a stick in a narrow corridor," Flori said with a smirk. "Sword was always my weapon of choice. You can defend yourself much better if the donkeykicks the door*..." He stopped himself mid-sentence, realizing Edmund probably wouldn't understand. "Wait, you don't know that one either, right?" He sighed, already seeing the puzzled look forming on Edmund's face.
"Is my confusion so easily noticeable?" he joked. "And I thought Susan was the only person alive under thirty who still uses sayings, she would be glad to have company. Come on, help me with the crabs, they must be hiding somewhere here."
He sometimes wondered what it would be like to have a sibling, to bicker with him for no reason. Well, Enara and Costy were his siblings, in every way that mattered. "They must be both worried sick, probably even panicking. Ohh, I know them both too well to know they are panicking right now."
Edmund apparently noticed his change in behavior. "Hey, everything okay?
Flori slowly ducked down, searching for something in the sea of light grey pebbles. Shortly, he was holding one that was particularly round and held it up, meeting Edmund's gaze with a faint smile before returning his attention to the stone in his hand."Lot of things that are wrong, don't you agree? One person cannot hope to set right even half of them. Past mistakes, decisions... too many to count."
The black-haired boy hid his jovial smile and confident look somewhere else for a moment. "Yeah, too many to count indeed." The summer sun was now relentlessly shining on the beach, managing to break the morning mist. "Hmm, my brother and sisters know the best that I did some really big ones. But without making them, I really believe I wouldn't be the same person I am now."
Florien was silently examining the stone for some time, pondering on what Edmund just said. Why was he even thinking about it, he already knew the right decision. "I need to find out what happened to Caspian. There is still hope hesurvived. I will not stop until I see him, dead or alive," he said with a growing grip on the stone. Together with it grew his confidence to accomplish it. To try to wash away his mistake of leaving the prince behind.
Edmund almost eagerly nodded his head in an understanding gesture.
Flori waited for a moment before, with a sharp swing that contrasted with his earlier stillness, he threw the pebble, gently skimming the water's surface. The stone danced across the Great River like a determined racehorse. His despair and indecision seemed to fade with it, replaced by the newly sparked hope of having a goal, of knowing what to do.
However, as the stone bounced with less strength, a new emotion emerged, a new kind of fear. Fear of what he might uncover once he truly finds Caspian. Fear that perhaps there was no longer anyone to protect.
"Wow, what a throw," Edmund remarked as the stone finally sank. "Do you practice or something?" His usual smile gave way to an eager grin, the kind you see when someone, starving, spots food. "Wait, look! I think I saw a fish move. Right where you threw it!" he said, his voice filled with excitement.
The thought of catching a fish to fill his stomach chased away all other concerns. "Really? Where?" Flori asked, immediately heading in the direction Edmund pointed. As he neared the spot, he noticed mud and sand scattering around a particular area on the shallow riverbank. "Damn it, I don't see any."
Suddenly, he remembered a story Costy told him during one of their frequent visits to the local inn. For a moment, he vividly imagined the second floor of the establishment, with its large mahana* providing the source of light and food. Because he and his fellow guardsmen visited the spot more than regularly, and he knew every painting and statuette.
Being from a family of fishermen, Costy told him how he and his motherused to hunt Mudfish* when he was a child. He hastily tried to remember, afraid that their lunch would escape. "What was he saying? Luring them out by using just hands! I think that's it."
Meanwhile, Edmund was skeptically standing aside, holding a large stone that he could use to kill the fish. "You want to catch it with bare hands? Well, I guess we might just try it."
He began moving to the muddy spot from another angle without making much noise. Meanwhile, Flori knelt into the river and began closing in on the big freshwater fish. "I will try to find its den and grab it by the mouth," he said, sounding much more confident than he felt.
"Ummm, right. If you think so," replied Ed while scratching his hair nervously, seriously worried that the lunch will get away.
Flori's hand was almost near the spot where hopefully, a large fish was hiding right now. He readied himself with a final deep breath, focusing on the sandy ground below. His stomach was beginning to hurt from not eating in a while. "Alright, one..."
Edmund interrupted his counting with a loud cough,his voice the most serious Flori had ever heard from him, even though it was barely a whole day. "Ehhm, are you sure it will take the bait? I mean fingers are similar to worms but..."
Flori didn't acknowledge his careworn remarks, focusing only on the bright water where his hands were still prepared to strike. "TWO THREE!" he screamed in a quick fashion while lunging his hands deep underground, so his head was now barely stuck above the waterline. For a second he felt only mud and sand, but in the cold river, something slimy poked his left hand and went for a bite.
His reflexes quickly told him to pin the fish under his remaining hand while his left hand settled for being bait. The creature started to furiously shake and splash the water, showing incredible strength. One time, Flori was almost reconciled with losing the fish because the soon-to-be food had a very difficult skin to hold. But his left hand, holding the creature's mouth, never gave up its grip and Edmund soon jumped in and helped his ordeal.
They started fiercely pulling the big fish from its muddy home. As it twisted around in a final attempt to escape, Edmund tightened the grip on its tail even more, making sure to prevent any such possibility.
The mudfish appeared to be a really big catch. It was roughly the size of Flori's hand, maybe a bit smaller, but certainly not comparable with the smaller carps and salmons that inhabited the mountain rivers and lakes near Castle Caspian.
It took some time to get the fish to the shore, both of them holding their catch tight like their lives depended on it. They relaxed only when the large fish was placed onto the pebble beach. The sun shined more brightly still, but a green hatof a tall Pinus tree was shielding them from the worst heat.
Their prize lay on the white stones, as if it were a boar at a king's feast, still clutched by four hands. After catching their breath, the reality of their success hit, and they couldn't help but laugh at the same time, overjoyed to have a proper lunch. Flori tapped Edmund's shoulder, then tapped the fish. Grinning, he couldn't resist boasting.
"Hahaha, told you it would work. Good thing I went to the pub that day, or I wouldn't know the first thing about catching it."
Edmund studied their catch again. "What do they even eat to get this big? Other fish?"
"Dunno, don't care, but it sure looks like we'll feast today," Flori replied dreamily. "Will you do the honors? My knife is still probably floating somewhere in there," he gestured to the river behind them.
While Edmund stuck his knife in the animal's head and spat out some river water all in one quick motion, Flori curiously examined his fingers. There were four spots where the fish managed to bite through him and blood was visible here and there, nothing he wasn't used to. "I will have a bite from you soon, just so we are quits, little fella," he uttered.
Still, the time he had just spent halfway submerged in the river was a cold shower for him. He hoped it would be much easier, because never in his life was he afraid of something so pathetic as a river. But the truth was, if not for the prospect of food and the shallowness of the river, no one would be able to persuade him to go take a swim in the blue fast-moving giant. He remembered parts of his near drowningquite well.
The horrible feeling of being at the complete mercy of the river. How the currents carried his body through rocks and sticks, while the wound from the arrow was burning like a giant forge in the castle's armory. He remembered that in the water while unable to breathe, he just wished for it to be over sooner rather than later.
But then the last-minute savior appeared, a large wooden log floating in the river, which he was able to climb on. Another miracle awaited him later, when the siblings recovered the log and gave him that potion.
But although he was extremelygrateful, and was becoming more and more fond of them, especially Edmund, athought was still present, never disappearing."Four children in the wilderness, not only that, right in the ruins of an ancient fortress. With a bottle of cure that makes a deep wound disappear almost in an instant." There was definitely something unsettling for him.
Edmund enthusiastically patted him on the shoulder."Hey, good job again. Let's start headingback okay, and show the rest what we got. I can see their hungry gazes even now."
Flori almost, almost asked him at that moment. About everything. About who they truly were. But in the last possible moment when his mouth was already open, no words came out. "Let's just stay in the dark for some time and try to decipher the mystery along the way. It will be better for everyone involved,"he decided.
Flori slung the catfish over his shoulder with a grin. "Right, let's get out of here. We'll show your siblings what the fishermen have in store."
"Yeah… not looking forward to crossing the marches after we eat, though," Edmund grumbled.
"Come on, I thought you were the adventurous one,"Flori chuckled, even though he certainly wasn't looking forward to it either.
"Hmmm, mostly."
"What does that supposed to mean, Compadre?"
"And what does that supposed to mean?" Edmund snickered at the unfamiliar word.
"I will tell you later."
Helloo dear readers, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Again, it took me quite a while, but at least its 6k. Hope you like the dynamic between the Pevensie siblings and Flori. If the answer is yes, you can look forward to the next chapter, which will alsobe continuing the story in Cair Paravel, this time from the perspective of others. In the meantime, take care y'all.
Notes:
Sin vida– Lifelessly in Telmarine
Aris willing– Telmarine religious saying
Kauveus– crabs in Telmarine
If the donkeykicks the door– Telmarine saying meaning "when the situation gets serious."
Mahana– hearth in Telmarine
Mudfish– Catfish in Telmarine
Character Summary:
Florien Kastelo –Telmarine soldier, currently guardsman, Age 18, Short brown hair, Tall, Left-handed.
Peter Pevensie –Age 18, golden hair
Susan Pevensie –Age 17, pale skin, blue eyes.
Edmund Pevensie –Age 15, brown hair.
Lucy Pevensie –Age 13, light brown hair.
