The Just and the Wise

Chapter 19

Your POV

A week later, we finally emerge from the storm and see an island. We sail towards it, and we lay anchor, some of us taking smaller boats to shore.

"I doubt the lords stopped here, my liege," Reepicheep calls from his row boat, where he's of course riding at the very front, "there's no sign of anything living."

"Right," Caspian calls back, rowing with Edmund while Lucy, Eustace, and I ride along, "well, once we get ashore, take your men and search for food and water. The four of us will look for clues."

"Hang on," Eustace interjects, "you mean the five of us."

The entire crew aboard the row boat turns to look at him seated in the back. I try my very best not to laugh, but I do feel a bit sorry for him, I must admit.

"Come on, please don't send me back to the rat," the boy begs, genuinely pleading with Caspian.

"I heard that!" Reepicheep calls over.

Eustace curls his lip in annoyance and mumbles something under his breath.

"Heard that too!" The mouse says once again.

Lucy and I giggle at Reep's comments, and the boys laugh as well, looking over at the mouse. Eustace shakes his head and looks down in embarrassment as we make our way to shore.

We exit the two rowboats, and the crew begins unloading the crates of supplies. Eustace pouts from behind some rocks while Lucy, Caspian, Ed, and I wander about in search of anything to indicate we're headed in the right direction.

"Look!" Caspian exclaims, moving excitedly toward a rope that's been tied to a boulder, "we're not the first ones on this island."

"The lords?" Edmund asks as we approach.

Caspian peers down into the little cave into which the rope falls.

"Could be," he says, tossing a rock into the narrow chasm, "what do you think could be down there?"

"Sea serpents?" I say with a laugh, nudging Ed with my elbow.

"Only one way to find out," Edmund replies with a smirk before promptly lowering himself down with the rope.

Caspian, Lu, and I wait for him to tell us it's safe to enter after him.

"Come on down!" He calls.

Lucy goes first, and Caspian and I wait to hear her reach the bottom.

"Do you really think we can pull all this off?" I ask Caspian as we wait.

"You don't?" He raises his eyebrows at me.

"I don't know what to think, honestly," I sigh in response, moving to take my position on the rope, "It's all a bit much."

Caspian looks at me sympathetically, but his expression changes quickly into determination.

"As long as you, your boyfriend, and Lucy are here, I don't think there's much we can't do," Caspian says, "I honestly believe that."

"Then I believe that as well," I reply with a smile before lowering myself to the ground.

Once inside, I look around the cave. It's actually quite pretty. There's a small lake, and dusty yellow rocks line the ground and the walls. It's fairly bright given the time of day, and it seems no one has entered the gave for a long while. I walk over to Edmund and stand next to him as he studies the water.

"What was that about?" He asks me without looking at me.

"What's what about?" I say relaxed.

"Like you don't know," Edmund gives me a nasty glare and walks away.