I'll Stand By You

Chapter 11: The Fight

The next few days Caspian and I were inseparable from each other. I had followed Aslan's advice and things were going well, besides my bad dreams.

We finally came across an island and Caspian decided to check it out, so we rowed out there on small boats. Reepicheep felt dubious that the lords passed by and to be honest the place looked very abandoned and isolated to me.

"Well you take your men and look for food and water." Caspian ordered. "Lucy, Edmund, Sabrina, Xavier, Gemma, and I will look for clues."

"What about me?!" Eustace inquired. "Please don't send me off with the rat again."

"I heard that!" Reepicheep informed him, causing us to chuckle.

"Big ears." Eustace muttered.

"Heard that as well!"

With that we split up and search for clues. We find nothing until we find a cave. Caspian is the first to spot it. "We are probably not the first to explore this place."

"The Lords perhaps?" I asked.

"Possibly, what do you think is down there?" Caspian asked.

"Let's go find out." Edmund suggested.

With that we entered inside the cave and what we found was alarming. I held Xavier and Gemma as we inspected what seemed like a golden statue submerged in a small lake.

"What is that?" Xavier asked, slipping out of my grasp.

Before he could reach the lake, Caspian grabbed a hold of him and pushed Xavier behind him.

"It looks like some sort of golden statue." Edmund commented.

With that he grabbed a tree branch and held it towards the water. Once the branch reached the water, it turned gold. It quickly grew heavy in Edmund's hand and thus he let go before the branch would drag him down with the branch itself.

"He must've fallen in." Caspian commented.

"Poor man." Lucy gasped.

"You mean poor lord." Edmund as he pointed towards the shield.

"The crest of Lord Restimar!" I exclaimed.

"Yes and his sword." Edmund added.

"We need it." Caspian reminded us.

Edmund didn't think twice as he took out his sword to pull the other sword out.

"Be careful." Lucy said.

Caspian noticed his lack of balance and so he grabbed onto his arm to keep him from falling inside the lake. Finally after what seemed like forever he was able to retrieve the sword from the lake. Edmund then handed Caspian the sword.

"Your sword didn't turn into gold." Lucy gasped.

"Both swords are magical." Caspian explained.

"He mustn't have known what had hit him." Lucy said.

"Could be." Edmund said as he stared into the lake. "Or maybe he was on to something."

"What are you talking about?" Caspian asked.

Edmund ignored Caspian as he kneeled down next to the lake. He grabbed a shell and quickly dipped it into the water before putting it on the ground of the cave. Once I looked into his face I saw a face that I'd seen on several men...greed, lust for power.

"What are you thinking about?" Lucy asked.

"You won't like it." I muttered.

"Whoever has access to this lake can become one of the most powerful people in the world." Edmund said as he stood up. "We would be so rich that no one would tell us what to do or who to live with."

"You can't take anything from Narnia." I said.

"Says who?" Edmund retorted.

"I do." Caspian said, stepping in.

Edmund stormed over towards him with the shell still in his hand. "I'm not your subject!"

"You've been waiting this long, haven't you? To challenge me?! You doubt my leadership, don't you?!" Caspian yelled.

Xavier and Gemma ran behind me, frightened with the sudden turn of events. They continued to argue back and forth.

"You doubt yourself!"

"You're such a child!"

"And you're a spineless sap!"

"Edmund!" Lucy scolded as she tried to grab Edmund.

Edmund pushed her away as he glared at Caspian. "I'm tired of being the second best. First it was Peter and now it's you. You know I'm braver than the both of you! Why do you get Peter's sword?! I deserve a kingdom of my own! I deserve to rule!"

"If you think you're so brave then prove it!" Caspian snapped as he pulled out his sword. "Right here, right now."

Please don't... Lucy and I tried to get them to stop, but they wouldn't listen. We watched as they fought one another, deflecting the other's attack. I've had enough of this!

"Stop it! Both of you!" I yelled in a loud voice. "Look at yourselves. Can't you see what's happening?"

"It's bewitching the both of you. This is exactly what Coriakin was warning us about." Lucy added. "Come on, let's go."

My eyes met Caspian's who wore a face filled with regret. I averted my eyes as I took our children out of the cave. We were being tested, the only question is would we make it out alive without hurting one another?