V. TALL TALES


. * .    .  °  . ● ° . 
¸ .  ★ ° :. . • °  . * :. ☆

After it being suggested that they all cleaned up from Caspian –– Anna took Queen Lucy to Caspain's quarters and gave her options of all the smallest clothes that had been donated to Anna once she was officially apart of the crew.

Anna waited patiently for Lucy to finish getting dressed, her fingers nimbly playing with her mother's silver locket that hung around her neck, it was engraved with swirling roses and strangely it reminded her of the magical mirror that brought her to Narnia. She shifted her stance from leaning against the rich wooden wall, dropping her locket under the safety of her murky green coloured shirt –– it was hardly flattering but it was dry and to Anna that was all that mattered.

The door swung open to reveal Lucy. She was almost dressed how Anna was, although there were a few differences. Anna for one had her hair blowing free whilst Lucy had tied hers into a low ponytail and Anna wasn't wearing a vibrant red vest like she was.

"Come on Lu!" Edmund shouted impatiently from outside.

"Shut it, Ed!" She yelled back in the same tone. It made Anna wonder what it was like to have a brother or sister.

After the two girls offered warm smiles to one another, Anna noticed a strange look etched upon the young Queen's face and she realised that it was probably the best time to say something instead of just standing there like some idiot.

"I believe we haven't been properly met. I'm Anna Sanders," Anna introduced with a large grin as she shook the Queen's hand.

"Lucy Pevensie," She said with a bubbly laugh and then added, "I think it's best we go. Edmund must be pulling his hair out."

Lucy led both the girls out of the captain's cabin and down the steps onto the main section of the deck, although Anna's path diverged from Lucy's as she went to find Reepicheep but it seemed that he wasn't in sight. Anna could hear the brotherly teasing of Caspian on the opposite side of the deck, "Ah, excuse me lad I don't suppose you've seen a young girl around here?"

Lucy slapped Caspian's arm in an annoyed manner and Anna turned moving across the deck, giving up on her search to find Reepicheep and ask him about the dramatic boy.

"I think you make a splendid pirate," Anna added in support of her new friend and they all turned to face her, surprised that she was right behind them. Anna looked heavily embarrassed they all watched her with curious eyes and she wondered if she was allowed to be apart of their conversation, "I'm sorry –– I just overheard and I thought it would comfort Lucy. From us both being females on a ship full of men. . . on this grand adventure."

Caspian raised an eyebrow at Anna who seemed to flush red even more and she shifted awkwardly before he heartily chuckled, patting her lightly on the back and brushed past the three. "C'mon," He called and he furrowed his eyebrows slightly when Anna stood stagnant and slightly uncomfortable, clearly unsure if she was to follow or to stay.

"Anna," King Caspian called to her with a smile that made her stomach flutter, "I believe it would be beneficial if you'd joined us, but if you'd like to stay––"

"No! I'll come!" She called back with a slight spring in her step and she raced towards the Kings and Queen as they stood patiently waiting by the polished wooden door as they all moved into the slim hallway.

They were all smiles when Caspian pushed open the coloured glassed double doors and into the room. Anna had been inside of the room before, so she was slightly less bedazzled by its gold trim and beautifully painted illustrated walls so she just stood off to the side, humming one of Reepicheep's infamous tunes.

"Aslan," Lucy breathed with a smile, pointing to the golden Lion above the mantelpiece that hung over the fireplace whilst Edmund looked at the painting illustrations. It brought a wave of confusion, she had seen a Lion, very similar to the one in the mirror's reflection.

"Look!" Lucy pointed out across the room, "Susan's bow and arrows!" Before Anna did not know what she did before and what Lucy had revealed brought an unexplained wonder to Anna. She suddenly wanted to know more about the magical world Narnia and perhaps Lucy could tell her more.

"Lucy," Caspian muttered opening a cabinet and pulling out a square wooden box to reveal what Anna thought a dagger and a perfume bottle but it turned out she was wrong when Lucy spoke. "My healing cordial. . . and dagger!" She explained joyously before suddenly stopping herself from reaching out to take them, "May I?"

Caspian looked at Lucy as if she was bizarre, "Of course, they are yours."

"Peter's sword," Edmund explained whilst he and Caspian continued to be overly formal with one another, although Anna was listening in on the conversation she leant over the table with the map of Narnia sprawled over it, studying each and every detail.

Anna glanced up from the, only to find Caspian reaching into a cupboard and pulling out a shiny sliver touch that she recognised from her own world and throwing skilfully in Edmund's direction, "I did save this for you though."

Edmund caught the torch and Anna let out a slight laugh at his expression whilst he mumbled thanks as the bright light cast over his face which only seemed to make her laugh even more.

Anna noticed that Lord Drinian or well Captain Drinian had joined them.

"Edmund, Lucy!" Caspain called, motioning them to join by the map table, where he and Anna stood with Drinian lurking beside them. Caspian pointed to the lands of the north, "Since the two of you left us the giants of the north have surrendered unconditionally––"

"You have giants?!" Anna exclaimed excitedly, her blue eyes bright.

"Yes," Caspian said with a dulcet smile in Anna's direction before he pointing towards another part of the map that was marked as desert before he continued, "And we defeated the Calormen army of the great desert."

Caspian looked towards the three of them, "There is peace in all of Narnia."

"Peace?" Edmund repeated.

Caspian stood straighter and his expression showed that he seemed to be just as baffled as Edmund was, as if he himself didn't register it, "In just three years."

Lucy tucked a few of her dark tresses behind her ear before she spoke, "And have you found yourself a Queen in those three years?"

Caspian haltered for a moment noting that Anna had become very interested in the map as she peered over it, mouthing titles of certain areas under her lips to appear busy and perhaps uninterested.

His gaze returned to Lucy's, in a solemn sort of way, shifting his footing almost like a flighty horse, "No. Not yet."

Anna's gaze suddenly flicked to the King and lingered for a moment before turning her attention back to the map.

It seemed that something had clicked within Edmund's mind as he spoke, "Hang on if there are no wars to fight and no one is in trouble then why are we here?"

"It is a good question. I've been asking myself over and over since Anna who has never been to Narnia arrived a few days ago and I can't seem to think of a definite reason."

Anna seemed to smile to herself before mumbling and sharing a tender smile with Caspian, "I was rescued from a mermaid."

"So where are we sailing to?" Edmund asked. Anna was growing to like Edmund, he had found out more about what was going on than what Anna had managed to scramble together within a few days.

"Before I took the throne back from my uncle, he tried to kill my father's closest friends and most loyal supporters––," Caspian turned to face a collection of drawn portraits, "The seven Lords of Telmar."

"Oh," Anna muttered under her breath in realisation, "I know that story! Not all of those other parts but Reep told me it!"

"I can tell you about my other adventures in Narnia if you'd like?" Lucy added in a whisper to Anna.

"Yes please, I'd love that!" Anna whispered softly back to the young Queen.

"They fled to the Lone Islands," Caspian continued turning from looking at the portraits and back to the map and pointed out the Lone Islands, "And no one has heard from them since."

"So you think something has happened to them?" Edmund asked, examining the portraits carefully like some detective.

Caspian paused for a moment as if he was in deep thought, "Well, if there has —— it is my duty to find out."

"What is east of the lone islands?" Lucy asked, pointing to where it was on the map.

"Uncharted waters. Full of things you can barely imagine. Tales of sea serpents and worse," Captain Drinian replied spookily.

"Sea serpents?" Edmund muttered in disbelief.

"Sounds like an adventure," Anna added her voice dripping with elation.

"Alright Captain, no more of you tall tales," Caspian concluded biting into a ruby red apple.

────────── ♡︎ ──────────

Only mere hours later Anna stood by the bow of the ship whilst Reepicheep sang softly under his breath as they both looked into the depthful, glistening waters below.

"That's pretty," Muttered Lucy standing beside Anna who agreed with an enthusiastic grin.

Reepicheep almost stumbled but wore an ecstatic expression on his face.

"A dryad sung it to me when I was just a mousling. I can't define the meaning but I've never forgotten the words."

"It's a wonderful tune nevertheless," Anna whispered softly but it didn't seem that both Lucy and Reepicheep had heard her.

Lucy seemed to be in deep thought, "What do you think is past the Lone Islands, Reep?"

"The furthermost east one can sail is to the end of the world –– Aslan's country," The mouse concluded with a dazed, wandering look. Lucy furrowed her brows together as she looked out to the endless glistening ocean, "Do you really believe there's such a place?"

Reepicheep always seemed to have great wisdom and it was evident when he spoke, "Well, we have nothing if not belief."

"See! Another prime quote for your book Reep!" Anna's mind seemed to reel as she spoke coincidentally, "But do you think we could sail there?"

"You're imagination never ceases to run wild Anna but I suppose we are finding that out in only a matter of time. I only hope that I'd earn the right to see it."

The three shared a smile before Anna turned back to the water, leaning so far over she would have fallen in if Lucy had not held onto her arm. "Queen Lucy! Look! It's back!" Lucy peered over too in disbelief at the sight of the two water naiads. They jumped and scalled over the water, waving and smiling brightly at the two before waving goodbye.

The sound of clashing swords and hollowing laughter made both Lucy and Anna turn to see what was going on. The two Kings moved around the deck of the ship defending and blocking and ducking the metal blows that the other had made.

Anna smiled with delight, wincing when either of the two had close calls. They were both clearly very much experts and it seemed a lot quicker than her one with Reepicheep. Lucy leant over and mumbled into Anna's ear, "Edmund is the best swordsman in all of Narnia."

Anna calculated her answer before realising that Lucy was right, "King Caspian is holding himself well though, he's very precise and thoughtful when he attacks but I do agree with you, it seems to come to King Edmund as easy as breathing –– look at the way he blocked that blow pure genius!"

Lucy smiled at Anna but the young woman was too into the duel to notice, she seemed to watch the two Kings in a quite awestruck manner as they moved about the deck once more until Caspian was disarmed by Edmund who was pointing both the swords at his neck.

"It appears you've grown much stronger my friend," Caspian spoke with a smile, his hands risen slightly in surrender, it was clear he was quite proud of Edmund and because of it Edmund muttered something back but Anna was too far away to hear.

"Alright!" Drinian echoed from the helm of the ship, "Back to work!" The crew grumbled under their breaths and Anna found her feet bolting across the ship, racing towards Edmund as drank from a wooden cup.

"You're lucky that isn't spiced wine," Anna mused with her own inside joke, although her blue eyes were gentle as she glanced at Edmund.

"Anna, right?" Edmund guessed despite knowing her name.

"Yes, it's quite a big ship, but not that big of a ship. I just came to congratulate the best swordsman in Narnia on his win."

"Really?" Edmund asked amused, lowering the cup from his lips.

"Yes, I have a passion for it, Reep has been teaching me. . . sort of. I take the life of a pirate very seriously."

"Technically, Anna, you're apart of the Narian Navy," Edmund spoke in what was between a sarcastic and empathetic tone whilst it mingled with humour.

Anna's eyes that matched the sea before them widened before she stood straighter and crossed her arms over her chest, looking as if she was having a mid-life crisis, "I know. I just chose not to acknowledge it."

"Right," Edmund drawled purportedly ending their conversation as he walked over to Lucy.

Anna slammed her palm against her head, flinched and then sighed, no matter what she did or said she always seemed to say the wrong thing. It was probably one of the major contributing factors of why she hardly had any friends back home.

"Aren't you going to congratulate me too?" Whizzed a voice from behind her. Caspian.

Anna whirled to face him and she shifted her footing as the King smiled, his warm and depth brown eyes glancing into her own. "You lost the duel, your loserness," Anna mused reclaiming her self-confidence in a mere instant, folding her arms over her chest and rating her chin slightly to meet his drowning gaze.

Caspian arched an eyebrow and peered down at the light golden-haired woman, "So?"

"Sew?" Anna mocked his accent, coping his kingly stance with her hand on her hips. The King tried to hide his smile but he laughed and they both seemed to be lost in their own little world. That was before Anna suddenly stumbled forwards into Caspian, whom he steadied her and realised that it was the dramatic boy Eustace who had caused the incident.

"Sorry," She mumbled into him and took a good two steps back but Caspian didn't seem to hear over the boy's claims.

"––I'll have you all arrested for kidnapping!"

"Kidnapping is it?" He pondered with sarcastic undertones as the boy clearly seemed intimidated, "That's funny I thought we saved your life and if I am correct which I am you owe Anna an apology."

The boy looked as if the King and the young woman beside him as if they were insane with a scoff but looked towards his cousins who seemed to disagree with whatever the boy had suddenly contributed, "I owe her no apology of any sorts! You held me against my will!"

"We did, did we?!" Anna spoke, although this time instead of lashing out at the boy like she had when she met him, she found herself basked in laughter and very amused.

"Ha!" The large mouse declared but the boy continued, this time unfazed by talking creatures.

The boy looked back shifted his gaze back and forth so fast, Anna thought he'd get dizzy but he just continued another of his overdramatic speeches, "In one of the most unhygienic quarters! It's like a zoo down there!"

Reepicheep turned to the two Pevensie children, "He's quite the complainer, isn't he?"

"He's just warming up," mumbled Edmund in a knowing tone.

Everyone laughed for a moment as an outraged expression appeared on Eustace's face. Anna was thinking of something to contribute but someone had shouted from the crow's nest in a bellowing and booming voice, "Land ho!"

Anna turned to Caspian who glanced at her for a moment with a twinkle in his eyes before he turned leaving the blond-haired young woman with a slight blush against her cheeks and scaled up the wooden steps to see out into the waters and Island in the distance.

They had finally reached the Lone Islands.

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top