Whisked Away

34. An Unexpected Attack and the Damage that Followed

Shifra's POV
It was a bright and beautiful day. We had been at sea now for five days after leaving Burnt Island. The events in the books had started to leave my mind, for I could not recall what was to happen next. I was on deck with Caspian when we saw some storm clouds up ahead. They were not very big ones so we we weren't worried. Without expecting it, Caspian had pulled me into the room where everyone would meet to discuss things.

"Casp," I started, but I could not get any further for he had knelt down and started to speak.

"Shifra," he started, "I have loved you for going on four years and you have been the greatest thing Aslan has put in my life. A while ago I asked you to marry me, but that wasn't exactly very formerly." I chuckled at that, but it was short lived, for I found myself feeling slightly anxious. "So I'm asking you here, now. Shifra, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife when we get back to Narnia?"

He revealed a beautiful ring. "Yes!" I exclaimed. Smiling wider than he had in well over a week, Caspian stood back up and as he slipped the ring on my finger pressed his lips against mine. It was a sweet kiss, nothing too heated and we soon broke apart. "I love you," I whispered.

"I love you too," he replied, resting his forehead against mine.

As we went back out on deck, Lucy rushed up to me and exclaimed, "Did he ask?" I only nodded and Lucy embraced me. Ed came up and embraced me as well.

"Congratulations, Shifra," he said, "You deserve all the happiness in the world."

"Thanks, Ed," I replied. Soon Eustace came over from playing chess with Reep to see what all the excitement was about.

"What's going on?"

"Caspian here just got engaged," Edmund explained, "Properly at least."

"Wow, thanks Ed," Caspian replied, faking hurt. "How else was I supposed to ask? I don't think the slave traders would have let me get down on one knee." Everyone laughed at that. As I looked around at all the smiling faces around me I felt perfectly content. This was my family.

A little while later I was up in the Crow's Nest admiring the beautiful ring. It was a golden band that was intricately woven to look like tree branches weaving together. Nestled in the golden branches was a diamond. It was not ridiculously big, but it was large enough to be easily noticed. The diamond was no higher than the gold. Caspian had clearly though about how it would be to fight with on. Smaller diamonds were nestled in between the weaves, but they were so small that they looked like stars.

It was clearly dwarf's work, making me wonder how long Caspian had had this ring. It had begun to rain, but it was very light, so I just stayed where I was. At around noon, Lucy cried out, "Hullo! I do believe its stopping. And what is that?"

I had just noticed several very oddly shaped rocks. They were perfectly smooth and spaced about forty feet from one another. "But they can't be rocks," Drinian stated from the poop. "They weren't there five minuets ago."

"And ones just disappeared," said Lucy.

"And there's another one coming up and nearer," exclaimed Eustace.

"Hang it!" Caspian was saying as I came back down to the deck. "The whole thing is moving this way."

"And moving a great deal quicker than we can sail, Sire," Drinian replied. "It'll be up with us in a moment." Then out of the sea emerged a great green and purple head rather like an earless horse'. It rose higher and higher until it towered higher than the mast. I quickly flew to the Crow's Nest and brought my bow from my shoulder and notched an arrow. Everyone was rushing for his weapon and the bowman were trying to shoot, but it was no use.

"Hold your fire!" I shouted, "We're wasting arrows!" Everyone stopped after that. I made eye contact with Caspian and mouthed I'm sorry. Then, drawing my sword, I flew towards it.

"Shifra!" Caspian yelled. I paid him no mind and continued my flight towards the great sea serpent. As I came up to it, I slashed my blade across its scales. My goal was the creat weak points for the archers to be able to hit. I had now made three, but I was planning on making a few more before returning.

"She's making weak points!" The Mater Bowman shouted. "Fire only when she is out of range. We don't need to hit our future queen." Everyone looked briefly at a very pale Caspian as he said those words, but soon they paid no mind. I had just made a forth spot when the serpent seemed to have enough of me. It let out a great roar sounding noise and hit me away with its great big head. I was flung toward the ship, but managed to steady myself and land without injuring myself.

"Aim for the eyes and the punctures," I ordered, bringing my bow back down.

"Yes, General," said several voices. As we had just started firing, the serpent moved itself to go over the ship. Eustace rushed forward when the serpent was near enough, for the loop began to shrink, and tried to cut the great body. All he ended up doing was breaking a very nice sword, but I was still very proud of him.

"Don't fight, push!" Reep shouted. Everyone moved to do as he said when they realized the sense of this. The serpent was planning to snap the ship in half and then pick them out of the water one by one. I was right by the serpent and pushed with all my might and also with my wings. The serpent was soon very close to the dragon's tail of the ship and just as we had asked for an axe from Lucy, who had been watching not wanting to get in the way, the tail was snapped off.

The serpent was now nosing along itself for the wreckage of the ship, but when I had flown up to give us a strong wind to get us away, the creature saw me and tried to eat me out of the sky. It only managed to get my wing, but I heard a loud crack and let out a scream of pain. I managed to get to the ship, but I was grunting and gasping in pain at every movement of my left wing. The crew moved hurriedly out of the way when they saw that this was not going to be one of my smooth landings.

I was about to crash into the ship when I felt Caspian grab hold of me, preventing my fall. "Are you alright?" I nodded, pursing my lips to try and contain my cry as my wings fell behind me. I failed. I clenched my jaw as the throbbing pain got worse. "Lucy!" Caspian called, "I think she's broken her wing." Lucy had soon rushed to me with her cordial in hand.

She let a drop fall onto my wing and soon the pain faded. "Thank you," I said to Lucy, resting my head on Caspian's shoulder. After a few moments I cautiously moved my wings and sighed in relief when it felt no pain. The crew and Edmund and Drinian were all laying around, for the struggle to push the serpents body off the ship had been no easy feat. Soon Caspian and I joined them.

When we had gotten out some rum, everyone praised each other's valor, even Eustace though it did little to help.