"Swim!" Edmund shouted. Otto kicked out as the four of them tried to swim away from the approaching ship. It creaked above them, the commanders unknown. Around him, Otto could see Lucy and Eustace struggling. The sounds of loud splashes made Otto swim harder. Some men must have jumped off the ship and were swimming after them.

Lucy shrieked loudly and Otto stopped. He could see her struggling in the waves a short distance away. She'd stopped swimming as a man caught her. Otto hurriedly made to swim towards her, protect her from her attacker, when she shrieked again. But this time the noise was of joy rather than alarm. "It's Caspian! Edmund! Otto! Stop it's Caspian!"

All of them stopped swimming. "Otto?" Otto barely caught his name over the waves. "Otto's here too? He came back?" Caspian's head whipped up and scanned the waves. Otto could see wet long dark hair and the brown scruff of a slight beard on the other man's face. Caspian was older, and adult. Just how long had Otto been gone? The thought made a stab of guilt tug at his stomach. He had never meant for this to happen.

For a minute the two men stared at each other. The water separating them as they floated. Edmund's voice broke their moment. "Are we in narnia?" Otto jerked and bobbed underwater for a second before resurfacing. He coughed out some water, one had pushing his hair out of his eyes as Edmund laughed. The man who had been swimming after them with Caspian was trying to pull a screaming and struggling Eustace towards the ship. The boy was screaming about swimming back to England.

"Of course", Caspian laughed as Edmund swam over to them. Otto watched from where he was floating for a moment as the Pevensie children and Caspian reunited. The group swam together towards the ship, Otto trailing behind them. Caspian kept on throwing glances over his shoulder, smiling every time he saw him as if Otto was going to disappear at any moment. Otto felt the same. He was scared to believe if this was real.

The men on the ship had thrown down a rope ladder and Otto and Edmund swam towards it. Caspian led Lucy to a platform which had been lowered down for them. Otto watched as the two of them were lifted from the water and up onto deck. "How come they don't have to climb?" Edmund muttered as he heaved himself up the ladder. Otto laughed behind him and smacked his leg so that Edmund would hurry up. The water was cold and he was looking forward to getting out.

As soon as the two boys were on the deck sailors came forwards to hand them blankets. Otto thanked them as he pulled the blankets round his shoulders. The sun was bright and warming now that they were out of the ocean. Otto tipped his head back and sighed as it shone on his face. "Otto", the voice was soft. He blinked open his eyes and turned to face Caspian.

He was right, Caspian was older. His hair had been cut so that the dark strands now brushed his shoulders. The dark shape of stubble covered his jaw and he stood tall, with a relaxed air of commanded what Otto couldn't remember him having before. He was dressed in a large white shirt with black trousers and boots. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and the neckline was unlaced. The sun made his eyes seem darker than ever and brought out the tones in his hair. Otto wasn't sure what to do. "Caspian", he said, as if to double check that it was really him. Caspian smiled slightly, a beautiful upturn of the lips.

Otto threw himself forwards at the same time Caspian stepped towards him. They threw their arms around each other with overjoyed laughter. Otto burying his face into Caspian's hair as the man gripped him tightly. Both were soaked and cold but they didn't care. They were the same height still but Caspian had filled out at the shoulders and put on more muscle. Otto knew he was skinny but he hadn't realised how much until just then. During the six months in England he had lost all the weight he had gained in narnia. Caspian must be able to feel it, from the way he clutched Otto tighter.

"I'm so sorry", Otto choked as they pulled away enough to look at each other. "I never wanted to leave. I was just trying to get away from the creature". Caspian shushed him gently as he pressed their foreheads together. Otto leant into the touch. He felt touched starved and hollow, exhausted from the rollercoaster ride his emotions were taking him on.

"How long has it been?" Otto was scared of asking but he needed to know. Caspian opened his eyes, gaze dark.

"Three years".

"But Otto only arrived back in England six months ago", Edmund frowned as he tried to get the water out of his hair.

"But he arrived two years after we had left", Lucy pointed out. "Time between narnia and England is completely different. You know that".

Caspian drew back to look at Otto closer. "That's why you've barely aged", he muttered, brows creasing. Otto fidgeted, suddenly uncomfortable but nothing sure why. He pushed the dripping sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows frustratedly and ran a hand through his hair to smooth back the wet strands. Caspian's eyes followed the movement and stuck on the scars on Otto's forearm. The teeth marks from the attack six months ago white shapes on his skin. Caspian reached out as if to touch them but withdrew as Otto shivered. The sun was warm but the water still left them cold.

"Come on", Caspian smiled and gesture towards the back of the ship where his cabin must be. "Let's get you into some dry clothes". Lucy and Edmund started forwards gratefully and Caspian wrapped and arm round Edmund's shoulders, leading him across the ship. Otto followed behind them, chest feeling strangely tight. Lucy gave him a worried glance and he hurriedly fixed a smile onto his face as he caught up.

"Someone please find the boy some warm clothes or give him a blanket", Caspian called behind them. The crew watched a screaming Eustace amusedly. Otto sighed and stepped back, feeling a stab of pity for the boy. He had been in that position. Scared in a new world.

"Hey Eustace", he held out his hands soothingly. "Calm down. They don't mean you any harm. It's okay". Eustace smacked at him so Otto moved back.

"Keep those animals away from me! They are talking. Animals can't talk. I want to go home".

Some of the crew stirred angrily at the mention of animals. Otto held up his hands. "Sorry. The boy does not understand. In our world we don't have people like you. Please don't take any offence. He's just scared". The crew stepped away, going back to their tasks.

Otto sighed. He bent down and grabbed Eustace by the shoulders, the boy's jumper full of water like a sponge, and dragged him across deck to a corner. He dropped the kicking and screaming child next to a barrel of water where he curled up. "Unhandled me you scarred faced ruffian!" He spat. Otto bit back his urge to kick the kid.

"Stay here and calm down", he instructed. "No one will hurt you. Once you're calm I'll return with some dry clothes and explain what is going on. But you're not going to listen if you're panicking".

"Panicking, of course I'm panicking. I've been abducted by pirates and fantasy freaks".

Otto huffed, knowing that there was no reasoning with the boy at this point. He took of the blackest from a round his shoulders and dropped it in Eustace's lap. Then he turned and strolled to Caspian's cabin. The man was rummaging through the drawers in search of clothes, Lucy and Edmund watching. When Otto opened the door he looked up and froze for a second. Then he blinked hurriedly and continued what he was doing. Otto frowned and stepped inside. The cabin was small with little furniture. The wardrobe and drawers were built into the walls. A small double bed was in one corner, sheets slightly rumpled but clumsily made. Out of the windows at the back Otto could see the sun glittering on the wave tips as the ship sailed on.

"Here", Caspian stood up and held out some bundles of clothing. "Unfortunately every have nothing really in your size Lucy but these should do. You can dress here. Edmund, Otto and I can dress in the navigation room".

"Thank you", Lucy took the bundle. Caspian passed the other two to Otto and Edmund then took another set for himself.

"These should fit. We can find you belts and boots".

Otto nodded and followed Caspian and Edmund back out onto the main deck. The captain's cabin was up at the rear end of the ship, positioned with the other main cabins in the quarter deck. Caspian paused at the stairs leading them to what Otto knew to be the sterncastle deck where the wheel stood. Maybe his reading of treasure island had paid off.

"Edmund. Could you give us a minute?" Caspian asked. Edmund looked between the two of them in confusion then something dawned in his brain. A slow teasing grin covered his face.

"Oh, oh yeah. I can dress bellow deck". He waved at them and headed down to the main deck. Otto half wanted to call him back. For some reason nerves were chewing at his insides. He looked at Caspian, uncertain of what to do. This wasn't the Caspian he had known. A prince just as shy and uncertain as him. No, this was a king with confidence and leadership. Otto wasn't sure what to do

Caspian smiled at him gently. "Come on. I'm getting cold". He started up the steps. Otto following behind him.

Unedited