serendipity - narnia

chapter 35

Chapter 35
New Additions

"Lia!" Not ten seconds after Dahlia was in the Pevensies' line of sight, Lucy slammed into her and nearly knocked her to the ground with the sheer force of her hug. Caspian literally had to put a hand on Dahlia's back to keep the mage from toppling over once Edmund added himself to the reunion.

"Explain to me why I've been shot before, and yet this is the time you act like I've died," Dahlia said as she pulled away, hoping her grimace of pain looked more like a grin. Caspian took that moment to turn away and address his crew. He still didn't like thinking about the night raid three years ago; he'd never ridden a horse so fast in his life.

"At least then I was with you, this time they hauled you off to another cell. Are you sure you're alright?" Edmund inquired, because as well as Dahlia thought she was hiding her pain, the guardians knew each other as well as they knew themselves.

"I'm fine, I swear. Did either of you happen to pick up my sword?" the mage quickly asked in an attempt to pivot the topic away from her injuries. The siblings glanced at each other but knew not to push it, so Edmund called back to Drinian and waved the captain over to them.

"Here you are, my lady. Had to pry it out of the hands of one of the guards, but you need it more than he does," the captain said as he presented the blade to her.

"Thank you, Captain," the mage said, carefully sliding the blade into the sheath on her back.

***

The work of the slave traders of Narrowhaven had evidently made them an unpopular bunch, because the guardians of old and the crew of the Dawn Treader were followed out of the city to cheers and applause. Dahlia strode along beside Caspian, doing her best to conceal a slight limp. She wasn't even sure why she was limping, since the brunt of her injuries were sustained to her head, but she really didn't want to deal with the king's lecture if he realized her pain was worse than she was letting on. Dahlia, of course, had no way of knowing that the guard carrying her to her cell had all but dropped her while fumbling for his key.

"Your Majesty. Your Majesty!" The royals and their mage reached for their blades in sync as Drinian grabbed the man who'd been calling to Caspian and held him at bay. "My wife was taken just this morning," the man explained, holding up his hands to show he meant no harm.

"It's alright, Drinian." As Drinian let the man go on Caspian's orders, Dahlia noticed a young girl run up behind him and tug on his shirt, most likely the man's daughter. Dahlia's heart broke for her - she knew what it was like to lose a mother.

"I beg you, take me with you." Caspian set a hand on the man's shoulder as they continued to walk, the cheering of the crowd unwavered by this man's desperation.

"I want to come," the little girl beside him begged, pulling at his sleeve. Dahlia inadvertently looked back at Lucy; the girl reminded her of the young queen as she had been many years ago.

"No, Gael, stay with your aunt." Dahlia again felt the girl's pain as she shuffled dejectedly behind her father. "I'm a fine sailor, been on the seas my whole life," the man continued. Caspian looked back at Dahlia, and her immediate nod gave him his answer.

"Of course, you must." Dahlia watched as the man bid his daughter one last goodbye, swiftly turning and quickening her pace to meet up with Caspian when she felt tears welling in her own eyes; no one should ever have to go through a loss like that at such a young age. They needed to find those people and bring them home.

"My king! My king!" As the group reached the end of the ramp leading to the docks, an older man with a long gray beard strode up to them with a crusted old sword in his hands. Dahlia had to look closely to make the connection from the man approaching them to the sketch pinned in Caspian's study, but it was definitely Lord Bern (albeit a much older version). "This was given to me by your father," Lord Bern said as he presented the sword to Caspian. "I hid it safely in a cave all these years."