The Just and the Wise

Chapter 20

"Y/n, please wait," Edmund calls after me as we walk back to the row boats.

I ignore his comments, and I feel Lucy look at me as we continue to walk.

"You can't just not talk to him," she says quietly.

"I know, Lu, but I don't want to talk about it in front of everyone," I reply.

She nods understandingly. Edmund comes up behind me and turns me around by my shoulder to face him. He gently holds me by the shoulders and tilts my chin up, but I still don't look him in the eyes.

"Y/n, I'm sorry," Edmund says quietly.

I simply nod, avoiding eye contact still, and turn around and walk over to Caspian and Lucy.

"What food did you find?" Caspian asks the crew, briefly glancing at me nervously.

"It's volcanic, your majesty," one of the crewman states, "not much grows."

I look at Caspian, and Lucy glances around at the men.

"Where's Eustace?" She asks the crewman.

"I believe he's out," Reepicheep says, "not helping us load the boats."

This gets a few chuckles from the crew, and Lucy starts calling out for her cousin with no results.

"Edmund, I've got a bad feeling," Lucy turns to her older brother.

I look at him as he rolls his eyes and huffs. Steam shoots from the volcano as Edmund walks towards it.

"I'll go find him," he grumbles.

"I'll come with you," Caspian steps forward, and the two nod at each other.

As they walk away, the crew continues to load things back onto the rowboats. I sit down on the edge of the water and grab handfuls of the small rocks in my hand. I toss them into the water repeatedly, mulling over what occurred in the cave.

I can't believe he basically accused me of cheating-with Caspian! Caspian is like an older brother to me, and Edmund is the only person I've ever been with. I don't flirt with Caspian, and we've never been alone. Also...I don't even know-

"Y/n?" I hear Lucy behind me, "who are you talking to?"

"I'm just talking to myself," I reply.

Lucy sits next to me as I throw another handful of rocks into the water, sending splashes of water back at us.

"Do you think Caspian and I are-er-that we are too-" I stumble over my words when Lucy puts a hand in my knee.

"No, I don't," she says with a small smile, "it was the cave, Y/n. Edmund doesn't think it either; he'd have told me. At least, I'd think he would."

Her brow scrunches up and her face becomes downcast.

"Lu, what's wrong?"

"Promise you won't be mad?" She looks at me with guilty eyes.

"No," I say with a chuckle, "but I promise that I won't stay mad, if I even get mad."

"Ok," Lucy smiles softly, "ever since you and Ed got together, he hasn't really...been there for me as much. I'm very happy that you two are together, so don't think otherwise. It sometimes feels as though he doesn't care for me as much, though."

I wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her into a hug.

"Of course he cares, Lucy," I say comfortingly, "he loves you very deeply. I know he does-he tells me he does. I'm sorry he doesn't show it as much as he used to. I'm sure some of it does have to do with me, but you've also grown up quite a bit in the last few years. You're not a little kid anymore, Lu. He likely thinks you don't need him as much."

I see her face process what I said, and she nods finally.

"I guess you're right," she says, "I will always want him to be there for me though. He's still my older brother."

"Of course he is," I tell her, "would you like me to mention it to him?"

"No, no," Lucy shakes her head, "I should tell him. Thank you, for not being mad."

"Lucy, I could never be mad at you," I smile and splash her as I stand up.

"Really?" She smiles slyly. "Even if I did-THIS?"

Lucy kicks a wave of water at me, soaking my entire right side. I laugh in shock at the cold water.

"Ok, maybe a little!"

We both laugh and head back to the rowboats. The crew leaves one for Caspian and Edmund since they are still searching for Eustace, and the rest of us return to the ship.

Thirty minutes or so go by. Lucy, Gael, and I are sitting on deck playing with some cards one of the crewman had with him. We're all laughing as I try to figure out the rules to this Narnian game when a blood-curdling screech emits from the island. Lucy jumps up immediately, followed quickly by Gael and I.

"What was that?" Lucy turns to Drinian behind us.

I keep my eyes on the island, and I see a cloud of fire billow from behind a jutting cliff. Gael grabs Lucy's arm tightly and asks,

"Is it the volcano?"

I slowly turn my head to Drinian, dreading his reply.

"That's no volcano," he says in his deep voice, "All hands on deck there!"

Drinian begins barking orders at the crew, and the girls and I stand, our eyes fixed on the island. Another ghastly roar comes from it.

"ARCHERS TO THE READY!"

The archers take aim, and we hear a loud thumping sound. From above the island, a massive, golden dragon flies toward the Dawn Treader, breathing fire into the water.

I grab Lucy and Gael and hold them close to me, not that it will do much against the beast that has now landed on the mast of the ship.

"What's it doing?" Lucy cries out.

"Fire!" Drinian commands the archers.

They fire at the dragon, but the small arrows have little affect on its scaly exterior. The dragon lifts from the mast, shifting the Dawn Treader's weight underneath him. We fall across the ground as the ship teeters back and forth. The beast flies angrily back towards the island.

I breath a sigh of relief, but before I can even finish the breath the dragon is back. This time, he's holding something, or someone.

Edmund.

"Edmund!" Lucy shrieks, tears falling from her face as she stands and leans on the tail of the ship.

"Lucy!" He calls back, his voice drowned out by the loud flapping of the creature's wings.

Just like that, Edmund is gone with the beast. I see Caspian on the shore of the island, looking desperately between the sky and the ship.

"Caspian!" I shout at him, "Are you alright?!"

"It's got Edmund!" I hear him yell back.

Suddenly, the dragon reappears.

"Take that thing down!" Drinian demands of the crew.

They start firing profusely at the dragon, but Edmund is waving his arms like a madman and trying to yell something to us.

"Stop!" I yell, running across the deck in front of the crew, "Stop! You're going to get Edmund!"

The dragon soars over the ship and drops Edmund with a hard thud onto the ship. I run over to him as fast as I can, and he sits up and rubs his arm and shoulder. I grab his face in my hands and look over his face, brushing his hair back with my hand.

"Ed, are you alright?" I say frantically, still holding his face.

"Yeah, yeah love I'm alright," Edmund says, removing my hand from his face as he looks up at the dragon in bewilderment.

"What-why-why did that thing drop you here?" I ask.

"Edmund!" Lucy hugs her brother, and he winces in pain as he hugs her back.

"That thing?" Edmund looks up at the crew that's gathered around him as he sits up, "It's Eustace."