Caspian Jones

Chapter 4: Anna

The sun shines high in the sky, a nice contrast to last night's storm.

I kick a rock into the waves, wandering along the edge of the sand. I like walking along the water after a storm. Seeing wreckage calms me. It usually means there's something to scavenge.

Cresting a dune, I turn my back to the sea, looking out at the rooftops of the village just poking out through the few sparse trees. I can pinpoint the smith from here. I can pinpoint the smith from anywhere, but that's not the point.

A groan has me turning back around.

At the bottom of a dune, a canoe lies on its side. Two bodies lying splayed beside it. One is moving slightly, moaning as it extends each of its limbs, but the other is silent, unmoving.

I raise an eyebrow. Normally, scavenging doesn't turn up living people.

Sliding down the dune sends the walking body into a scramble, righting itself and brushing the sand from its skin. It's a boy, lanky, eyes squinted from the sun, distrust laced through the thin bones on his face. He looks royal, he's got the tilt to the chin and the way of holding himself. I offer a smirk.

"Have some trouble coming into harbor there?"

He scowls at me, looks away, eyes landing on his immobile companion. Attention instantly drawn to the other body, he scrambles over the canoe and crouches beside it, brushing sand from the face and murmuring words, cradling the head. I creep closer, leaning over his shoulder as the body opens his eyes.

Different colored eyes. One blue like the water beside him, one brown like the thick amber in the back of the sweet shop. Those eyes blink twice and focus on the other boy, chiseled features cracking in half.

Relief creeps into the royal's face, he laughs, bringing the other boy's face to his so that the bridges of their noses are touching.

My heart skips a beat as the other boy smiles, shaking his head in laughter. His white-blond hair flings sand everywhere.

"Here." I say quickly, jogging the few feet that separate us. Nudging the royal aside a bit, I help prop the blond boy against the canoe.

"Thanks." The royal says darkly, eyes narrowing at me, moving his body in front of his friend's in a protective motion.

Fine, I get it, he's off limits. Whatever.

"Davy." The blond one reaches out his hand. His voice is smooth, sending my heart on a rampage. "You?"

As I reach out to take it, the royal speaks. "More importantly, where are we?"

"Impertinent, aren't we?" I cross my arms. "You crash landed, probably during the storm, on the south eastern coast of Cirn."

The royal sizes me up. I shrug him off and take Davy's hand anyways. "I'm Anna, by the way."

"Hi Anna." Davy coughs, the royal turning away just long enough for me to conceal the swoon threatening to rise up. "This is Cas."

"Caspian, actually." 'Cas' corrects, giving me another wary look. "You said we're in Cirn? Do you happen to know where we can find the head smith?"

I crack a smile, leaning back against the sand. "I'd say you already found her."

Caspian turns on his heel and walks to the other side of the canoe.

"I'm sorry about him." Davy watches his friend leave, then his attention comes back to me. "He's just a little frustrated right now."

"Eh, it happens." I shrug, looking past Davy's shoulder. "Cas, what are you trying to do over there?"

"It's Caspian!" Caspian wipes the sweat from his brow. "And I'm trying to turn this canoe over."

Davy runs to Caspian's side and together they get under the boat, pushing it over to where it would be actually usable. If there weren't about six gaping holes scattered throughout the wood.

"Think you can fix this, Anna?" Davy gestures to the ruins.

"No. This is beyond fixing, if I'm being honest." I walk around them, running my fingers along the side. "But, just because I can't fix it, doesn't mean I can't rebuild it."

"Rebuild?" Caspian speaks up.

"We could build a pretty badass ship with these ruins. And of course, some more wood, which we have no shortage of in Cirn." I can see the finished product in my head. "It would take a while to complete..."

"How long?" Caspian takes Davy's hand in his.

I pretend that Caspian isn't sending me a signal and continue. "A couple months, four at most. That gonna be a problem, sire?"

Caspian bristles, fear replacing his resentment toward me. Davy takes him into a comforting side-hug.

"Relax, it was a joke." I roll my eyes at them.

"How did-" Caspian begins.

"How did I know? No pirate carries himself the way Cas here does."

"Caspian." He hisses. "And don't joke about that. I don't want anyone hearing it."

"Fine, fine." I surrender. "I'll rebuild your ship, boys. But I want something in return."

"Name it."

"Wherever it is you're going, take me with you."

"Why?"

"Just to spite you, Caspian."