𝙸𝚁𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙰𝙱𝙻𝙴. ➪ 𝙴. 𝙿𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚎

𝚏𝚒𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗

Caspian had managed to catch up to the girls, leaving Edmund trailing behind. "What food did you find?" called Caspian as the four approached the crew.
There was about five baskets that each had barely anything in them. Rhince knelt down beside the baskets, "It's volcanic, Your Majesty. Not much grows."
Tommy noticed the hurt and the tears in Phillis' tired eyes, so he hugged her close. He gathered it was something to do with Edmund as Caspian and Lucy seemed to be ignoring him. The youngest Pevensie boy shuffled awkwardly on his feet. "Where's Eustace?" Phillis asked, noticing the blonde boy missing.
"I believe he's out, not helping us load the boats," replied Reepicheep.
"Eustace!" called Lucy, "Eustace!"
There was a rumbling from somewhere beyond the cliffs. Lucy turned to her older brother, "Edmund, I've got a bad feeling."
"I'll go and find him," sighed Edmund.
"I'll come with you," Tommy spoke up.
Tommy wanted to go with Edmund because he wanted to know what had happened between him and Phillis. But Tommy also wanted to know why Edmund was acting so cold towards him. Edmund turned, looking Tommy up and down slightly. Tommy jogged to catch up to him. And the two boys vanished into the distance.

Phillis stood by Reepicheep on the ship when a large dragon emerged from behind the large rocks. The crew followed Drinian's orders as the creature neared. The golden orangey dragon circled the Dawn Treader. "Take your positions, and wait for my command!" ordered Drinian. The dragon opted for resting on the mast. "What's it doing?" screamed Lucy, hugging Gael close.
"Fire!"
The armed men fired arrows from their crossbows at the winged reptile. Some narrowly missing it.
"He'll break the mast!" Drinian yelled.
The ship was sent rocking when he flew off of the mast. Phillis stumbled slightly, catching herself before she fell into one of the minotaurs. "Right," said Reepicheep, clambering up to the mast.
Whatever he did, it scared the dragon away, and it flew back to the island. It returned mere seconds later, with Edmund in his clutches. "Edmund!" Lucy screamed.

They stood on the island, the dragon - who turned out to be Eustace - with them. He tugged at a golden bracelet on his arm. "He must have been tempted by the treasure," said Edmund.
"Anyone knows a dragon's treasure is enchanted," Caspian chuckled.
Eustace growled.
"Well, anyone from here," Caspian corrected himself quickly.
Phillis walked towards Eustace, the dragon offering her what would be his right arm. She pulled the large piece of gold from his leg. Eustace roared, it clearly hurting him. Phillis muttered a quick apology, inspecting the treasure. "Is there any way to change him back?" Tommy asked.
"Not that I know of," sighed Caspian, looking to Drinian.
"Aunt Alberta will not be pleased," declared Edmund.
"Sorry about the hand, old boy. I can be a little overzealous at times - too much time with Queen Phillis, I think," Reep apologised, causing Phillis to chuckle.
"The boats are ready, sire," called Tavros, the black minotaur.
"We can't leave him alone," said Lucy.
"We can't bring him on board, Your Majesty," sighed Drinian.
"Drinian, you and the others take one boat back. The rest of us will stay her till morning and work out what to do," Caspian said.
"But you've no provisions, and no means of staying warm, Your Majesty," Rhince said.
Suddenly, Eustace lit a thick twig on fire.
"You were saying?" Reep smirked.

The dark skies lay over the once bright ones. Edmund and Caspian sat against a log, staring up at the sky. "I've never seen these constellations before," said Edmund.
"Me neither," agreed Caspian.
Edmund glanced at Phillis, who was now asleep. He'd heard her quietly sobbing an hour or so before, and it hurt him to know that he was the cause of that. She lay next to Eustace, her swords resting by her head. "Phillis used to point them all out to me when we were King and Queen," he sighed. "Maybe she'd recognise this one."
Caspian looked down at the boy, "I know you weren't you today, when you said those things to Phillis."
"I don't know what came over me, that's not what I think at all," he said. "I love her scars."
"Her and I were speaking, she told me about how scared she is of losing you," said Caspian finally.
"Of losing me?" repeated Ed.
"After she got left behind on your last visit, she can't bear to be left behind or forgotten," Caspian explained. "She feels like you're ignoring her. She said something about you preferring April Elmslie over her."
Edmund sighed. Of course he didn't like April Elmslie over his Phillis. He adored Phillis with every fibre of his being. "Ed, talk to me," Caspian said. "Something's tearing you two apart."
"I had to go stay in Cambridge whilst my family were away with Lucy. We stayed with Eustace and our Aunt and Uncle. Phillis wrote to me, but her letters got so infrequent that I got worried. Then, she arrives with Tommy and I just sort of connected the dots, you know?" explained Edmund.
"Connected the dots? Without speaking to her about it?" Caspian raised a brow. "You two need to talk."
"I know. But we're both quite stubborn," Ed chuckled.
"Don't I know it," replied Caspian. "But if you two don't talk, you're both going to make accusations and it'll tear your relationship to pieces. The problem is, Ed, that she's too self conscious and you're too jealous. You need to reassure each other."
"You're right," Edmund nodded.
There was a minute or so of silence before Caspian finally spoke up. "We're a long way from home. When I was a boy, I used to imagine sailing to the end of the world, finding my father there."
"Maybe you will," said Ed.

It was a few hours later, Phillis had been awoken by another nightmare. She woke in tears, thankfully not waking Eustace. Tommy lay somewhere off to the side, snoring slightly. Only two minutes later, Phillis noticed a tear trickle down Eustace's cheek. "Trouble sleeping?" Reepicheep asked, scaring Phillis and putting Eustace in a mood. Eustace moved his great head away from the large mouse. "Now, now. All is not as lost as it seems," Reep said. "I'll stay up with you two, if you wish, keep you two crying children company."
"Thanks, Reep," Phillis smiled down at the mouse.
"I'll wager you didn't even believe in dragons this morning, Eustace," said Reepicheep. "You know, extraordinary things only happen to extraordinary people."
Phillis nodded, "Maybe it's a sign, Eust, that you've got an extraordinary destiny."
Eustace turned to look at the two. Reep added, "Something greater than you could have imagined. I could tell you one or two of my adventures if you like, to pass the time."
Phillis lay back, resting her head on Eustace as the dragon used his arm as a pillow. And so, Reepicheep began his story of another dragon he'd encountered. And, for the first time since Phillis had arrived, she felt as though she fit in. She felt like she belonged.