Whisked Away

26. The Lone Islands

Shifra's POV
The next morning when the three newcomers got their things back, Eustace instantly pulled out his black notebook he used to track his marks and began to keep a diary. The others did not know this, of course, but I did because of the books I had read.

It was a peculiar thing that my memory of them had not gone away over the centuries. I still remembered them as fresh and clear as if I had just read them. The rest of us were spending our time manning the ship and teaching Lucy and Edmund where everything was. About midday, we finally caught site of Felimath and Doorn, two of the islands.

"I've never understood why they belong to Narnia," said Caspian, "Did High King Peter conquer them?"

"Oh no, they were Narnian even before our time," replied Edmund. Everyone looked to me for an explanation, but I had none to give.

"That is actually one of the few things I do not know," I replied after a moment, "I believe...I might be wrong, but I believe that it became Narnian during the thousand years in between King Frank and Queen Helen's reign and when the White Witch took over Narnia. However precisely how and when it happened I can not tell you, for I never knew."

The others nodded and looked over Felimath which was the closest to us. I explained to Caspian, who was the only one who didn't know, that Felimath was almost completely uninhabited. Edmund elaborated, but I did not listen, for a voice in my head whispered Shifra, Shifra, Shifra; you must go with them on Felimath and be silent. Act as you did when we first met: timid, shy, and completely silent. Do not fight. I seemed to have fallen into an almost dreamy state, for I suddenly heard Caspian asking, "Shifra?"

I jolted out of my state and looked at him and replied, "Sorry, zoned out for a moment."

"Would you like to come on Felimath with us?" I nodded and soon we were on land. It was just Caspian, Lucy, Reepicheep, Edmund, Eustace, and I.

Edmund suddenly asked, "Hullo! What's this?" For we had come across six or seven very rough looking men sitting under a tree. Caspian made conversation with them, but I was frozen in fear. Descriptions and lines from the book ran through my head and I could not shake them. I was pulled from my thoughts when I was handed a cup and as everyone else was raising them to their lips, I was too frightened to do so, we were all grabbed and put in chains.

I let out a yelp as I was grabbed, but memories came flooding back to me of when I was grabbed just like this at the Stone Table. The chains cut into my wrists and they were fastened, but I put up no fight, unlike the others. "Unhand her!" Ordered Caspian, but his demands were left unheard. I let out another yelp as they were tightened.

We were all led more or less willingly, apart from Reep who was struggling furiously, down to the dock, but before then a man stepped out from a row of houses and was bargaining for Caspian. Even though I knew what was going to happen I still felt heart broken as Pug, the slave trader, said, "Ah, three hundred crescents my lord for that one."

"I'll give you a hundred and fifty," the man replied.

"No!" I screamed. Everything Aslan had told me flew out of my head. Caspian who had been chained also and was being kept near me tried to get to me, but was held back. "Please no!" A rough hand was shoved over my mouth, but I was now starting to fight.

"Shifra," Caspian said softly. I looked up at him with tears in my eyes. "I need you to promise me something. Whatever happens don't do anything rash and..." he broke off for the slave traders where trying to give him to the man. "If we get out of this, will you marry me!" That was the last we heard as he was dragged away around a corner. I fell down sobbing and had to be carried by one of the traders to the ship.

I only stopped when we were locked in cages in the bottom of a ship. Edmund was next to me with Lucy and they tried to comfort me as best as they could, but to little avail. They had left the chains on my wrists so I could not stop the little yelps that left my mouth whenever I moved. Blood poured from where they cut into my skin and I was horribly cramped. The cage was only five feet high and five feet wide.

My wings were being crushed behind me and I felt them bleed slightly as I was pressed into the cage by the tipping of the boat. We all had a rather miserable time and soon I was softly crying into Edmund's shoulder, unable to control myself. Anything that happened to Caspian, to any of us, was my fault. If I had just listened to Aslan we all would be alright. That only increased my sobs.
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Caspian's POV
I did not hear any reaction from Shifra, but I doubted she could have given me one. I had to blink back tears as I was led away by my....master. As he led me through the village, he asked, "Was that someone special?"

I painfully shallowed the lump that formed in my throat and replied icily, "What does it matter to you?"

When we had reached the edge of the village by an open field he turned to face me and said, "You have no need to fear me. I treat all my servants well. I bought you for your face. You remind me of a king I once loved well."

"May I ask who...my lord?" I asked. I had forgotten that he had separated me from my love as curiosity fill me. Could he be...?

"You remind me of my master, King Caspian of Narnia."

He was one of them. I knew that this would risk everything, but if it got me back Shifra it was worth it. "My lord, I am your master. I am Caspian, King of Narnia."