Otto swung himself off the horse and flopped back into the grass. He tipped his head up, inhaling the fresh scents. The sun was shining brightly, their horse ride having taken the rest of the morning. Otto heard Caspian as he sighed deeply. The dark haired man dropping down at his side. The horse grazing a short distance away. Otto turned his head to smile up at him. The light bright and almost magical in the way it highlighted them with gold. Caspian tuned and smiled. Both of them relaxed. Not kings here. Just two boys on a date.

"You promised me apple pastries", Otto grinned. Caspian chuckled and held up the bag. Otto sat up and held out his hands. The bag sailed through the air and Otto caught it.

"You going to share it?" Caspian teased. Otto looked up at him, mouth full. He looked down at the bag then back up again. He pulled out another pastry and held the bag out. The two of them sat there for a while, eating in the warm sun. The shadows of the leaves from the branches above them sent dappled shadows over their faces. Small comments and questions passed through full cheeks as they licked their sticky fingers. Fruit and sugar tart and sweet on their mouths.

"We never got stuff like this back in London", Otto commented as he licked the last residues of sugar from his fingers.

"Oh?"

"We were at war. Food such as sugar was rationed. That why these are my favourites now", Otto grinned. Caspian smiled back, eyes bright.

"Do you miss anything about your other world?"

Otto had to pause to think about it. Did he really miss anything from England? He didn't have any family waiting for him. He was pretty sure his father had not even bothered to look for him. "I suppose I miss Peter and the others", he muttered. "I did not really have friends until them. And the books. I think I miss them. But that's not a huge loss. There are many books here too". He shrugged. Fingers absentmindedly tugging at the grass as the spoke. "England was busy and did not care for the land anymore. There is no magic there, not like here".

Caspian hummed. He shuffled closer and laid his head on Otto's thigh. "It all sounds crazy", he muttered. He looked up at Otto, gaze soft and dark. "A world of machinery instead of magic. But I'm glad you're here".

Otto leaned back on one arms as his fingers ran through Caspian's long dark strands. He watched as the dark eyes fluttered closed and a pleased hum rumbled through his throat. Otto leaned back into the grass. The ground soft and comfortable. He kept his fingers in Caspian's hair as he gazed up at the clouds, finding shapes in the blue and white. After a long while he felt Caspian's breathing steady and deepen. Otto rose onto his elbow to gaze at his boyfriend's sleeping face. A warm fondness curling in his gut. After a moment he leaned back and closed his own eyes.

——

Otto opened his eyes. The sun was still shining brightly so he must have only been asleep for less than a hour. He blinked and rubbed his eyes groggily. Caspian was still using his thigh as a pillow. The quiet sound of his slight snores the only thing Otto could hear. Otto sat up, careful not to wake Caspian. He looked around. What had woken him?

There was a rustling noise to his right and he turned. A small dark figure emerged from behind a tree. It was small and cloaked. A dwarf maybe? Definitely a narnian. The figure waved at him, beckoning him closer. Otto gently moved Caspian's head to the earth, taking care not to disturb him. He stood and placed a hand on the knife at his belt. He had forgone his sword today. Left it back at the castle in his excitement at having a day off. The figure waved more urgently and Otto found himself walking forwards.

"Hello?" He asked as he got closer. The figure moved back, keeping a length of distance between them. Otto frowned and moved closer. "Are you okay? Do you need help? It's okay. We are friends of narnians". The figure skittered back and Otto followed slowly. As he go close he realised that the creature was taller than a dwarf but due to the black cloak, he still didn't know what it was.

"I won't hurt you", he held out a hand, crouching down to seem less like a threat. He turned to glance at Caspian but the trees blocked his view of the clearing. He hadn't realised he had strayed so far. When he turned back to the cloaked figure, he jumped. It had snuck closer while he had been distracted. Now it only stood a couple of feet away.

Otto tried to smile, his neck prickling. Something was wrong. "Oh", he commented as he stood up. "You scared me". He gently rested his hand back on his knife hilt as he stared at the figure. The figure had been crouching down. Otto watched with growing dread as it rose to it's full height. It was almost as tall as him. Otto blinked and took a step back.

The cloak fell away to reveal the creature. Otto drew his knife. The creature was wolf-like but with a humanoid body. It stood on its hind legs, snout pulled back in a snarl. Across it's shoulder was a deep scar, the flesh still slightly red from recent healing. Otto drew his blade as the wolf growled. On the tips of its fingers were long talons that didn't seem friendly. "Son of Adam", it's voice was deep and frightening. "Your kin gave me this".

"I don't know what you're talking about", Otto shot back. He took another step back, gaze locked on the threat.

"The king!" The wolf creature howled. It took a step forwards and Otto flinched back. "The kings of old! They killed our mistress and reduced us to nothing! I shall rip the flesh from their bones!" It kept forwards and Otto dove to the side. He rolled and scrambled to his feet. Behind him he heard the creature snarling.

"Caspian!" Otto screamed as it lunged at him again. He felt the talons rip at his shirt as he jerked away. He battered them away with his knife. The blade too small to be of much help. The wolf jumped again and he kicked it back. It landed on all four paws a few feet away. Eyes narrowed with bloodlust.

Otto was breathing heavily. The monster was between him and the way he had came. "Caspian!" He yelled again as it began to bound forwards. He took off, feet pounding against the earth as he fled into the forest. The beast on his heels.

Otto ran through the trees, adrenaline pumping. He needed a weapon. Something better than this knife. Something that could keep the beast back. He yelped as the beast leapt at him again. Otto instinctively dropped to his knees, the beast flying over his head. It landed harshly, rolling in a jumble of limbs. Otto didn't wait. He was back on his feet and running again. All sense of direction lost to fear. "Caspian!" He called again. The creature's breathing too close for comfort.

"Otto!" A answering call. Distant but there. Somewhere off to his left. Otto shrieked as the talons scrapped his arm. He dropped the dagger in surprise and pain. Blood suddenly soaking his sleeve as he jerked away. He caught sight of the creature smiling viciously as he stumbled back.

"Caspian!" His voice broke as the creature slunk forwards.

"Screaming won't help you now", it snarled. Otto's blood dripping from it's claws.

Otto fell. He grunted as his back hit something cold and metallic. He looked up. It was a lamppost. The metal pole covered in ivy. What was a street lamp doing in narnia? It was a old Victorian style one. Similar to some he had seen round London. It was surreal to see it there. A warning growl brought his attention back to the creature. It lunged and Otto raised his arms defensively. It's teeth sunk into his forearm and he screamed. He kicked out and the creature yelped as he hit something. It released its jaw and Otto threw it off.

"Otto!" Caspian sounded closer.

"Caspian!" Otto yelled. "I'm over here!"

The creature was getting up. Otto staggered back. There was pine needles pricking at his shirt. The creature growled and began running. Otto ran. He felt the branches tug at him as he pushed through. His only desire to get away from the creature. The branches grew soft. Soft like fur and fabric. Otto stumbled and felt wood give way behind him. He fell with a thud. The sounds of the creature no more.

He blinked, body aching. He had fallen from a wardrobe. The door still open from where he had burst through. Underneath him was a wooden floor. Moonlight streamed through a small window. Otto gazed around in confusion. He was in a room? It was night? A wardrobe? Distantly he recalled what Peter had told him.

"Lucy found a magical land in a wardrobe".

He passed out.

——

"Otto!" Caspian called desperately. "Otto! Where are you?" On the floor beneath him the creature laughed, choking on it's own blood. Caspian's sword was sticking out of its chest. The blade red with blood. He had found Otto's dagger lying on the forest floor a short distance away and had followed the blood trail. Then he had found the creature, blood on its teeth and claws.

"Shut up!" Caspian ordered as he placed his boot on its chest. "Where is he? Tell me!"

"He's gone", the creature croaked. It smiled, teeth still bloody with both Otto's blood and now it's own. "You're too late. The lamp. You know what it means, don't you". It began laughing. Caspian looked down at it as he pulled out his sword and sliced. It's head rolled away, laughter silenced.

"Edmund should have killed you back in the temple", He muttered as he walked away from the corpse. The metal lamp stood tall in the small clearing. It was just like the books said, a perfect image of the drawing back in the temple. Caspian raised a hand to the cold metal.

"Where is he?" He asked desperately. Tears beginning to seep out as realisation began to set in. "Otto!" He called, voice growing horse. "Otto!"

There was no answer.

Unedited

AN: Sorry?