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⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽ flimflam ☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
The boat journey back to the Dawn Treader was shrouded in silence. Aboard the small dinghy, which Edmund skillfully navigated towards the pirate ship earlier, the weight of the recent events lingered palpably in the air.
As his oars sliced through the water, Edmund stole furtive glances at the girl beside him. Moments stretched into lingering gazes, revealing the impact of their shared encounter with the Governor. The girl, wrapped in an aura of vulnerability, sat in a defensive position, her back hunched, arms tightly embracing herself. Edmund sensed the toll the unexpected appearance had taken on her.
Since arriving in Narrowhaven, she had sunk in herself, shielding herself from the world. Her isolation left Edmund unaware of the grim details, the harrowing experiences of slavery under the grip of the notorious slave trader. Edmund, privy to snippets from the ship's discussions, harbored uneasy suspicions. Thoughts of the possibilities gnawed at him, and the words uttered by the Governor echoed, tearing at him from within.
"Can I ask you something?" Edmund spoke, his voice was gentle as if he feared the volume of his voice would hit the fragile girl ten times harder.
He tried to hide his surprise after she didn't immediately protest or retaliate rudely, but nodded with a small gesture.
"I heard what Gumpas said," he carefully approached the subject. "Did he assault you?"
Longer moments passed. Lorna lowered her eyes and stared at her hands, the scars next to her nails that often appeared as she had a bad habit of peeling off her skin.
"In many ways," she stated.
Edmund muttered something to himself about being glad that Lorna killed him, acknowledging his own potential for the same action. The remorse once harboured for her brutal act dissipated in him. His gaze involuntarily drifted to her forearm, still bearing the evidence of the man's demise. Though she had wiped her hands on her clothes, remnants of Gumpas' blood lingered upon her face and forearms, a silent testament to the recent event.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No," she sighed. "Not yet."
Lord Drinian noticed their arrival at the ship's side, promptly lowering a rope ladder. Edmund nodded towards it, allowing her to ascend first. A moment of breathless surprise enveloped him as he glimpsed Lorna's hand extended atop the rope. In silence, Lorna assisted Edmund as he set foot on the ship, the unspoken understanding guiding their actions.
Upon both setting foot on the ship's deck, the girl set off, gliding along everyone and everything like a ghost, her path leading directly to her temporary residence. No one stopped her. No one said anything. They didn't dare.
Amidst conversations between Alex and Caspian, who had been engaged a few steps away, questioning looks were exchanged upon Edmund's direction. Concern etched across Alex's face, and he trailed after his sister. However, Caspian intervened, halting him in his tracks, his gaze fixated on the expression etched on Edmund's face.
