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Anna leant against the railing with Lucy and Gael when a violent echoing roar rang out which made the crew of the Dawn Treader jump out of their skins.

"What was that?" Lucy asked turning to Captain Drinian who was looking out into the distance with knowing eyes.

"Is it the volcano?" Gael asked as Anna could see fire over the jagged rock of the island in the distance.

"That's no volcano," Admitted Captain Drinian as he moved away and towards the crew yelling, "All hands on deck!"

Everyone grew to take the roars seriously as they all positioned themselves with bows

Gael fitted into Anna's side in fear as the young woman mumbled in crazed realisation as it came towards them, scouring the air in the distance as it flew towards them and scaled over their heads breathing fire, "It's a bloody dragon!"

The dragon settled upon the top of the mast as the archers aimed and fired.

"What's it doing?!" Lucy screamed as the ship fell swayed from the dragon's weight.

The dragon fell from the mast, almost falling into the water as it flew and breathed fire flying towards the island. Anna couldn't believe her eyes when it had Edmund within its clawry grasp.

"Edmund!" Lucy screamed.

A group of them eventually returned to the shore. Anna peered at the Eustace-dragon with a gaze of disbelief. An actual living and breathing dragon.

"He must have been tempted by the treasure," Edmund confessed with a knowing gaze at his cousin.

Eustace lifted his claw to reveal a golden bangle-like bracelet and Anna's brows knitted together as she peiced it together —— that the bracelet had turned the boy into a dragon.

"Anyone knows a dragon's treasure is enchanted," Caspian informed and from the looks he received from Eustace and Anna he added, "Well, anyone from here."

Lucy took a step forwards, bounding towards her cousin and removed the golden bracelet as Eustace-dragon wailed in pain.

"Is there any way to change him back?" Edmund asked desperately.

"Not that I know of," Caspian admitted turning towards Drinian who seemed to hold a saddened expression, which was strange because the Captain rarely showed much emotion.

"Aunt Alberta will not be pleased," Edmund confessed to no one in particular.

"Dragons are wonderful Eustace," Anna told the boy or well dragon in a chirpy voice, "You can fly and breathe fire. What more could you want in life?" Her comment only seemed to make it worse as Eustace slammed his claw down upon the grainy and pebbly sand.

"Sorry about the hand old boy," Reepicheep spoke sorrowfully to Eustace, "I can be a little overzealous at times."

Tavros' voice echoed, "The boats are ready sire!"

"We can't leave him alone," Lucy told the group worriedly.

"Well we can't bring him on board, your majesty," The Captain spoke.

Caspian was thoughtful for a moment, "Drinian you and the others take one boat back the rest of us will stay here until morning and work out what to do."

"But you have no provisions and no means of staying warm your majesty," Rhince informed Caspian.

Eustace seemed to think for a moment before breathing fire into a random log before them.

"You were saying?" Reepicheep said in an amused manner.

The group all shared soft smiles and laughter under the setting sun.

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Night fell quickly and the warm of the fire kept them warm. Anna blinked staring into the flames, curled up like a ball. Her thoughts would never let her sleep.

Gael who was secured in the middle sighed, fumbling with a carved necklace, as she confessed: "I miss my mommy."

"I miss mine too," Lucy told her.

"Me three," Anna mumbled to herself as she lifted her gaze towards the starry sky but unlike Lucy and Gael had hope of seeing their mothers again —— Anna didn't and a painful ache settled with her heart.

"Don't worry, you'll see her again," Lucy told Gael.

"How do you know?" The little girl asked with brimming tears in her eyes.

"You just have to have faith about these things. Aslan will help us," Lucy revealed gently.

"But Aslan couldn't stop her from being taken," Gael pondered sadly, tears in her eyes.

"We'll find her," Lucy coed with a smile, "I promise. . . Somehow."

Anna sat up after a while unable to sleep, her eyes glancing around the fire before her gaze settled on Eustace the dragon and Reepicheep.

Pulling herself to her feet Anna gently moved over to them and muttered with a mellow smile, "May I join?"

Reepicheep smiled and nodded as Anna settled against the ground and crossed her legs, smiling between the two.

"Perhaps we could share some stories of my adventures to pass the time?" Reepicheep drawled as Anna nodded enthusiastically resting her head in her hands as she listened very intrigued.

"Believe it or not Eustace but you are not the dragon I've encountered. Many years ago to many than I care to admit. . . I was with a band of pirates and I met another dragon much fearsome than you. . ."

"Wicked," Anna mumbled under her breath in a whisper as she peered at the scaly dragon with a large smile, "And I thought Eustace was a scary dragon! I love this story, it's my favourite one of yours Reep!"

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Anna awoke as soon as the sun was rising, she blinked and coiled at the sudden ache in her back as she rubbed it and stood, stretching like a cat. The ground was not comfortable at all.

She blinked glancing at the horizon and blinked again in disbelief –- the blue star.

"Everyone!" Anna called urgently as she stumbled around in a sleepy daze, "Wake up! It's the blue star!"

"What is it, Anna?" Reepicheep asked looking where Anna was jumping crazily and pointing too.

"It's the blue star!" Anna repeated as everyone jolted upwards to see where Anna was gesturing to with crazed moments that made a sleepy Caspian from a distance away smile.

As everyone stood, they packed up camp and climbed into the longboat and back to the ship but although the blue star was a shining blue ball of hope —— it seemed that with no wind it had arisen a major complication.

At the bow of the ship, humming softly to herself Anna suddenly toppled over, falling into her behind.

"What have we hit?!" The men chorused together all moving to peer over the edge of the boat as Anna stood and rubbed her side in pain.

"Eustace! That's genius!" Edmund yelled in congratulations to his cousin who had wrapped his tail around the bow of the ship and pulled it along as he flapped his wings.

Cheers rang out and Anna was riddled with pride, her boots scuffled and thumped against the wood as she passed to Edmund and Caspian to find Lucy only to be dragged back by Caspian as Edmund fleed the scene.

"You've been avoiding me since yesterday, Anna. Why?" He pressed.

"No I haven't, you're just being delusional."

The King sighed, rubbing his hand against his forehead with a slight groan, "I don't understand."

"I don't want you too," She concluded softly, folding her hands behind her back as she peered behind him and out into the ocean.

When Anna glanced back the look in his eyes as he looked still down at her with the inability to speak brought an ebbing burn of fire within her veins that scorched the whole of her insides.

"I'm sorry," Anna added her voice cracking as tears brimmed her eyes, "I don't want to hurt you and it turns out I'm doing it anyway —— no matter what I do."

"Anna," His name rolled over his tongue in a mere whisper almost as if he was pleading. Nothing she was telling him really made sense but the look of pain in her eyes brought his heart to a thundering standstill.

But she could never tell him how she felt about him —— it would end in a messy heartbroken disaster.

"I'm sorry," She repeated again as her vision blurred as he reached out for her, only to find that she had taken two long steps back and turned away from him, bounding across the deck to who knows where.

And with a heavy heart, he simply let her go.