This is the tale of a journey that takes Luna not only to discover the world beyond Narnia's borders; she will find a purpose that goes deeper than protecting her king.
» That's why. I can't protect you the way I should... « As she looks into his ey...
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As her eyes flutter open again, a strange light floods the room. It's grey and gloomy. What time is it? A low grumbling outside brings back all her senses. Luna finds herself still on the sofa in the parlour. Her back rests against the soft cushion, but her head... her head leans on Caspian's shoulder. The king is fast asleep, breathing steadily. The blanket in which she wrapped him now covers them both. It is warm and cosy, and for a moment she allows herself to enjoy the comfort. Then, she forces herself to sit up slowly, without waking Caspian. Lucy sleeps on the second sofa, whereas Edmund is curled up in the wing chair. Eustace's previous spot next to Lucy is empty. The warrior's eyes travel around the room to find him on the floor in front of the sofa. He must have fallen due to the ship's rocking in the storm. However, the blond seems comfortable enough in his new sleeping place. Luna rubs her hands over her face to get rid of the sleepiness. Quietly, she rises and moves to the window. The sea outside looks the same as hours before. Waves, high as houses, pile up and collapse again in an unknown rhythm. The wind whips them up and splatters the spume and pushes them towards the Dawn Treader. The water breaks roughly at the ship's bow, rocking them like a nutshell – as Eustace likes to call this ship. Nevertheless, Luna decides to pop up on deck and check in with Drinian and the crew. Maybe they need a hand, and she wishes the others to rest up. Else, the kings probably would rush to work again. Neither of them is used to this kind of labour under such rough conditions - heavy rain, strong winds, waves crashing over the deck with forces greater than a man can stand against. So, they really need to restore their energy if they want to get back up there later on.
After she left the parlour, the Crown Shield climbs up the stairs to the deck. As she opens the hatch to climb up, a gush of ice-cold water hits her. Perfect, already wet to the bone before even setting one foot outside. Goosebumps roll down her back as she shudders and hesitates for a second, tempted to just go back to sleep downstairs. But no, she is not made of sugar after all. So, she hurries up and closes the hatch behind her. To her surprise, the rain is lighter now, the droplets much smaller. The air is fresh but not cold, the salty smell grew fainter. Maybe the rain washed it away. The crew is busy at work, always securing and checking the ropes, tying them in various knots to make sure they hold. No sails are open to catch the wind in them and no flag is hissed, the force would tear the fabric apart.
Luna makes her way towards the quarterdeck. Not entirely without stumbling, not even without bumping into a sailor. But – after a while – she reaches the top of the stairs and there is Captain Drinian on his post at the wheel. A second man helps him to steer. Both of them wear coats with hoods to have at least a little cover from the forces of nature. However, they are completely soaked, and the warrior hopes, their resilience is strong enough for them to not get sick.
» Mornin', « Drinian bellows over the wind as soon as she is close enough to hear him,
» Shouldn't ya be below deck? « She cannot help but snort. In principle, he is right. Caspian never lifted his order. Well, on the other side, he never said he wants her to stay below deck during the entire storm. Those can last days, weeks even, and Luna is sure he doesn't expect her to stay inside for that long. So, she just shrugs. Is that a smirk on Drinian's features? It could be imagination.
