Across the Great Sea

Chapter 5

"Edmund! Verity! Ruth!" Cried Lucy as she reached the surface, followed by Edmund."Eustace, swim, come on!"
"It doesn't look like we're in Galilee again!" I shout to my brother,"This is salt water!"
"Help, I can't swim!" Cried Eustace, struggling to keep his head up.
"Somebody help, Eustace!" Cries Ruth.
Being the closest to him, I hold my hand out to him."Take my hand!"
"No, Verity! I'll help him, he'll pull you under with him!" Edmund protests, but it's too late.
Eustace pulls me under,"Come on, Useless! Stop it! Let me help you!"
When we reach the surface, again, Edmund's swimming toward us. I see a ship coming towards us. It made me feel small at its size.
Edmund grabbed me by the arm and did the same for Eustace."Now, don't pull me under either."
"Caspian!" I hear Lucy say. A few men had jumped into the water to save us! Caspian was among them.
"Edmund! Verity! Ruth! It's Caspian!" Lucy cried.
"It's alright, kids, you're safe now," a sailor says to us.
"Are we in Narnia?" Edmund Asks.
"Yes, you're in Narnia," someone says, as he helps me onto a swinging contraption that brings me unto the boat." I don't want to go! I want to go back to England!" I hear Eustace yell.
Lucy is already on with Caspian, who gives her a blanket and hands me one.
I put mine around my shoulders, I have seemed to have developed a cough.
"That was thrilling!" Lucy exclaims.
"What that we're back in Narnia or the ocean, cause it certainly wasn't," I reply.
"I think she means about being in Narnia," Ruth replies.
"How in the world did you end up here," Caspian asks.
"I don't know?" Lucy shakes her head.
"Aslan must have brought us," Ruth says.
"Caspian," I turn to find Edmund.
"Edmund!" Caspian grins, he gives him a towel and puts an arm around his shoulders.
"It's great to see you," Edmund tells him.
"Is your sister here?" I ask.
"Leona, why yes," Caspian nods his head,"And she's kept track of Narnia's history just has she promised you."
"Didn't you call for us?" Lucy asks.
"Not this time," Caspian shakes his head.
"Well, whatever the case I'm just glad to be back," Edmund says cheerfully.
"Yeah, away from Cambridge and Use..." I begin.
"Get that thing off me!" Someone screams, reminding me Eustace had come with us.
"Uh, Verity," Ruth nudges my elbow,"In case you've forgotten Eustace came along."
"Odd's fish!" I blurted out.
I see a large mouse running toward us,"Reep!" I exclaim.
"Reepicheep!" Lucy  and Ruth follow.
"Oh your majesties!" Reepicheep says, bowing.
"Hello, Reep, it's a pleasure to see you," grins Edmund.
"The pleasure is all mine, Sire, but first what do I do with this hysterical interloper?" He questions, he motions to our cousin.
"That giant rat tried to claw my face off!" Eustace accuses.
"I was merely trying to expel the water from your lungs," Reepicheep explains.
"It talks," the look on Eustace's face,"He talks!"
"He allows talks," I turn around and there's my best friend Leona.
"Leona!" I hold out my hand.
"Verity!" She exclaims, she's a few years older now, seventeen now.
We hug and she holds me at arms length. If I could choose anyone to be my third sister it would be her.
"You've grown!"
"Hello, Edmund, Lucy, Ruth!"
Lucy goes over and gives her a hug too,"And so have you, Lucy." Next was Ruth and she gave the same comment.
"Now back to the mouse talking, he always talks," Leona tells Eustace,"Whoever you are!"
"Actually it's getting him to shut up, that's the trick," Caspian comments, making us all laugh.
"The moment there is nothing to be said, Your Highness, I promise I will not say it," says the noble mouse.
"And I'm sure you'll keep your word, Reep," I smile down at him.
"I don't know what kind of prank this is!" Screams Eustace,"but I want wake up right now."
"Perhaps we should throw him back, your majesty," Reepicheep says to Caspian.
"That might not be a bad idea, Caspian," Leona tells her brother.
Lucy looks at both Edmund and me, we both have to agree with Leona and Reepicheep. She nudges both of us by the elbow."Edmund! Verity!"
"Don't you dare think..." Ruth warns us.
"I demand to know where the blazes am I," our obnoxious cousin asks furiously.
"You're on the Dawn Treader the finest ship in Narnia's navy," a Minotaur explains, causing Eustace to faint.
Caspian walks over to him.
"What was it something I said?" He asks confused.
"See to him, will you?" The king answers.
The Minotaur obeys.
He stands on the platform,"Men, behold our castaways, Edmund the Just, Verity the Faithful, Ruth the Humble, and Lucy the Valiant. High King and Queens of Narnia."
An applause breaks out from the crew.
"Now I think you four should get dressed in Narnian apparel." Leona says, leading us girls to her cabin.
"I was afraid you'd say appropriate, because on our last adventure, we ended up in Galilee, Edmund and I and that's what they said," I reply.
"What's Galilee?" Leona asks confused.
"It's a place in our world," I answer.
"Susan and I were at Simon Peter's aunt's house and they were with James and John and Peter and Ruth with the Zealots," Lucy explains.
"And Peter was going to take me to Capernaum, because girls weren't allowed with the Zealots. That's when we all met," Ruth adds.
"Simon Peter, James, John," mused Leona,"Why aren't those the people in your book about the life of Jesus?"
"Yes," I nod, I watch  as Leona opens the door to her cabin.
It was like my room at Cair Paravel, which was now Leona's room. Purple and gold curtains matching with the bed spread.
"You'd hardly think this was on a ship!" Lucy exclaims.
"Question I don't remember any Zealots in that book," Leona says to me,"How are they?"
"A rebel group against Rome that was zealous for the law." I reply."One of those men Simon, we called him Z before Simon another Simon was renamed to Peter, eventually followed Jesus."
"And then we had to figure out what to name both Peter's to know the difference," Ruth says,"Until Simon was named Simon Peter
"Interesting you can tell me more about your adventure later," she hands my sisters both two sailor uniforms."I'm sure they'll fit, I tailored them for myself."
"And Verity you are about my size," she gave me a tunic and pants,"Is this what you usually wear?"
"Yes, I can't stand dresses on such adventures they tie your feet down," I nodded grinning.