With Courage [Prince Caspian]

Chapter 19

hey remember at the end of the last chapter I said see you in another two months? ha.. yeah... lol sorry about the other thirteen. but surprise!! I'm not dead. pls enjoy these 6k words of sadness <3

The air tasted bittersweet.

On the surface both the crew and their new passengers were in high spirits, celebrating their success with unabashed joy. A select few of the sailors had hauled out their last casket of ale and were drinking deeply, while others had opted to instead drink directly from the sea. The end of the world, as you can imagine, possessed many fascinating alterations to rules and facts of life as we know them including the possibilities of the sea. Not only was the water good for drinking, not salty nor unclean, but it was as nourishing as a feast they had not known since back on Narnian soil. A sip was akin to their orchard fruit, a cup equally matched with their main courses of meat and pies and garnishes, providing the drinker with enough energy to bound across the deck, drunk on victory.

Only a handful watched on with a sober eye, noting how bizarre the picture before them was, how quickly it had all changed. The rescued citizens, easily identifiable by their ragged clothes and pale skin, crowded the deck in huddles and were repeatedly craning their necks up to the sky. They observed the sun with trepidation, waiting for the moment they believed to be inevitable when it would vanish from sight, their lives thrown into darkness once more. Weaving between them were sailors still dressed in dented armour, the scuffed blades slung at their hips still slick with the memory of battle. Together they sang and laughed and danced with abandon, dismissing the evidence of ruin that lay around them – the deck was littered with debris from the worst of the sea serpents attacks, their mast half chewed and their beloved dragon bowsprit deprived of one eye and his golden snout. Many of the passengers clung towards the railings bordering the ship, laughing it off when they nearly slipped through the broken bits and into the sea, their easy demeanour returned now the water was fresh and evil no longer hummed through their bones.

Eustace, Edmund and Lucy hung to the side, graciously accepting drinks brought to them from others – Edmund and Lucy with the natural grace of born leaders and Eustace, once again a boy, with a flustered, clumsy air – watching the festivities longingly. Often their eyes strayed to the horizon, still so far away and standing firm, knowing it was the period to mark the end of their chapter.

While their eyes strayed away many of those crowded on deck stole glances towards them wondering what would become of them now, but as the possibilities were too many and largely too grim for them to bare, they instead drank more and laughed louder to smother the thoughts buzzing like bees in their brains.

It was a grand testament to how well Caspian ruled over Narnia and the liveliness of the stories many had heard of him when his entrance upon the deck wrought an expectant silence over the crowd. His grim expression straightened spines and lowered drinks, paused dancing and tipped chins in respect. There would once again be time to celebrate when back in Narnia, gathered in Cair Paravel to welcome back their citizens, but for now reality had to settle back upon their heads, drifting serenely down from where it had been tossed up high in excitement.

Slowly, he ascended the steps of the upper deck and stood before the wheel, gazing proudly down at those gathered before him. Amber, her body heavy and head muted, meandered to the side where Lucy, Edmund and Eustace were huddled, unfocused eyes flitting across the sky.

"Narnians." He began. "I welcome our new friends with open arms, and hope you feel safe aboard this ship. Soon we will begin our journey back to Narnia, where you can all be reunited with your families. I promise going forward that the citizens of Doorn, Adra and Felimath will never again be neglected by the kingdom. We will both fight and protect for you fiercely and, as you have seen today, no ocean is considered too large for us to cross, no burden too heavy if it results in your safety and prosperity." He took a deep breath, his eyes turning meaningfully down towards his group of friends before turning to the people again, holding one hand out. "Aslan bestowed a gift upon us this journey. Sensing our upcoming hardships, he returned to us Queen Lucy the Valiant and King Edmund the Just and with them, Eustace Scrubb of Kensington and Amber Blackwill of Dulwich." He paused to swallow the emotion building in his throat. Thinking the bitter truth and speaking it aloud where it cannot be reclaimed were painfully different, as he now realised. "Their help has been invaluable, and I pray that none forget all they did for us here, now that they are to leave Narnia and return to their homeland."