Guardian of Narnia

Chapter 30

Alex stood high up on one of the rope ladders. She looked out over the ocean, a smile on her face. Her had let her hair down, allowing the wind to rush through it. Below her, the crew was scurrying around on the deck. Lucy was working on fixing some clothes so they would fit her. Edmund was working on cleaning his new sword. Reepicheep watched him in fascination. Off among a stack of supplies, Eustace was writing in a journal. After a while, he got up and disappeared below deck. Reepicheep apparently also noticed and followed after him. Alex closed her eyes as another gust of wind came.

She opened her eyes again when she heard someone scrambling on the deck. She looked down to see Eustace, carrying a sword, and running. Reepicheep ran across the ship's railing.

"Trying to run away?" he asked, grabbing onto a rope and swinging in front of Eustace. "We're on a boat, you know."

He took out his sword and pointed it at Eustace.

"Look," he said. "Can't we just discuss this?"

"That was for stealing," Reep said, slicing the bottom of Eustace's shirt. "That was for lying." He pulled back his sword, an orange now attached to the end. He slapped Eustace across the face with it. "And that was for good measure!"

Alex smirked when she saw Eustace's hand shaking. Reepicheep laughed.

"That's the spirit!" he cried. Eustace swung his sword at the mouse, who lept to another box. "We have ourselves a duel! Catch!"

He threw the orange to Drinian. The crew stopped working and moved around the deck to watch the duel that was about to take place.

"Now, come on," Reepicheep encouraged. "Take your best shot." Eustace lunged forward, but Reepicheep jumped up. "That's it! Come on! Focus! Focus!"

Eustace swung his sword over and over again, trying to hit the mouse.

"Stop flapping your wings like a drunken pelican! Poise! Keep your blade up. Up, up! That's it!"

Eustace lunged again. His blade stuck itself into a wooden beam. Reepicheep moved behind him.

"Over here!" he called. Eustace freed his sword and turned around. "Now, lunge with your foot." Eustace did so and Reep lept to the ground. "Not your left, your right! Got it? Come on! Be nimble! Be nimble! It's a dance, boy, a dance. Come on. Again and again!" Eustace lunged using Reepicheep's advice. "That's right, that's right!"

Eustace took another swing and Reep fell off the rail. The boy ran to the railing and looked over the side. Alex chuckled when she saw Reepicheep climb up next to Eustace's head. He tapped Eustace on the shoulder with his tail. Eustace turned around. Reepicheep moved behind him and kicked him in the back.

"And that, is that!" the mouse cried as the boy fell.

Alex would have laughed if she hadn't heard a small scream. She quickly climbed down the rope ladder and dropped to the deck. She slowly walked towards the basket that Eustace had knocked over. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Gael crawl out of the basket.

"Gael?" her father, Rhince, asked. "What are you doing here?"

She slowly got to her feet. Rhince walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her. Gael clung to her father, slightly frightened of all the attention she was now getting. Drinian walked forward.

"Looks like we have an extra crew member," he said.

He held out the orange Reepicheep had tossed him. Gael gently took the fruit from him. Lucy walked over to her.

"Welcome aboard," she said with a smile.

"Your Majesty."

"Call me Lucy. Come on."

Lucy led the girl away to the cabin Caspian had given her. Alex smiled at them.

"Back to work!" Drinian called.

"Good match." Alex looked over at Reepicheep, who was talking to Eustace. "I'll make a swordsman out of you yet."

Eustace smiled briefly.

"Yes, well, if the playing field were a little more even, it would've been an entirely different result."

"Indeed," Reepicheep chuckled.

Alex patted Eustace on the shoulder as he passed her. The boy glanced at her. She gave him a smile and a nod. Eustace nodded slightly in return before walking away. Alex crossed her arms over her chest and smirked as she leaned against a crate.

"He touched the tail, didn't he?" she asked, not looking at Reepicheep.