𝐃𝐀𝐖𝐍

𝑓𝑖𝑣𝑒

"Quick reflexes," I breathed, trying not to move too much. His dark hair was tickling my forehead and it was very distracting.

Edmund smirked slightly, letting out a small, quiet laugh, "Instinct I guess."

"Listen," Lucy called, snapping both of us out of our trance. Edmund let me go and we pulled away from each other, a blush spreading across both of our cheeks.

"Where is everyone?" Caspian questioned, stepping up beside Lucy.

Suddenly the loud sound of a large bell rung around us, the sound echoing off of the walls of the buildings. All of us jumped, the unexpected sound putting us on edge, Edmund drawing his sword from next to me.

"Come on, jelly legs," I heard Reepicheep behind me. I turned and saw Eustace trying to step off the boat, having great difficulty.

"I'm capable of doing it myself," Eustace fought back before slipping on the same spot I did and falling onto his side.

"And you're certain he's related by blood?" I heard King Caspian ask Edmund, glancing between Eustace, Edmund and Lucy. He then turned to the small mouse trying to help Eustace stand, "Reepicheep, stay here with Drinian's men and secure the place. We'll head on. If we don't come back by dusk, send a party."

"Yes, your Majesty," Reepicheep nodded.

✧

We made our way further onto the island, following the streets. The streets were dusty and old and the buildings were cracking in the corners, wood barricades over the windows.

Eustace lagged behind a bit, but before I could turn around to see what he was doing, he came bounding forward, "Yeah, looks like nobody is in. Do you think we should head back?"

Everybody in our group, excluding me and Lucy, rolled their eyes at his cowardliness.

We made our way up to a large church, half our group entering the doors before Edmund turned to Eustace, "Do you want to come here and guard... something?"

"Ah, yes," Eustace nodded, speed walking up to the doors, "Good idea, cousin. Very, uh... logical."

King Caspian pulled out a blade, flipping it and holding out the handle for Eustace to take, which he did, "I've got it. I've got it. Don't worry. Uh, I'm ready to go when you are."

Edmund turned to me, pulling an extra knife of his own and offering it to me. My eyes widened at the sight, "Oh! Um... I don't think I can use that."

Edmund just chuckled, grabbing my hand in his own and placing the hilt of the knife in my palm, "You're going to need to be comfortable with a knife if I'm going to teach you to sword fight."

"Edmund-" I spoke with a shaky voice, but he stopped me from talking by placing his hand over my mouth. I looked up at him in surprise, confused by his actions.

"Dawn, it's okay. I'll be next to you the whole time. I promise," Edmund softly calmed me. Taking his hand off my mouth, I nodded, "Just don't cut yourself."

"Hey! I'm not that clumsy!" I called out to him, laughing slightly, as I followed the others into the building.

Running a little to catch up with him and the rest of the group, we passed Eustace and walked through the door. The inside was all one room with a high ceiling and boarded windows. Very large bells hung from ropes strung from the roof support beams.

A podium sat in the centre of the room with a book laying open on its surface. We all crowded around the book to see what was written in it.

Names were written in lines on the pages in black ink, with a number written beside them. Some of the names were crossed out with a black line, and others with a red one.

"Who are all these people? Why have they been crossed out?" Edmund questioned what was on everyone's mind from beside me.

"It looks like some kind of fee," Lucy pieced together, pointing to the numbers on the page.

"Slave traders," King Caspian presumed.

Suddenly the bells above us rung loudly, scaring everyone in the room. The chime echoed through the room, which projected the sound. Ropes dropped from inside the bells and men in shaggy clothing slid down them onto the floor, screaming a war cry.

"Look out!"

The room went into a frenzy, Lucy, King Caspian and Edmund all attacked the men. I stood there, tightly holding the knife Edmund gave me, not knowing what to do until one of the men quickly approached me.

He pulled out a knife of his own as I held mine up in front of me. Stepping forward, the man brought his knife down brutally fast, aiming for my stomach.

I jumped out of the way and attempted to slash his arm. It seemed to have worked because the man cried out in pain.

While he was distracted I lunged forward and wimpily scrapped his leg with the entirety of the blade.

Suddenly there was a high pitched squeal from the door. Everyone stopped what they were doing to see what happened. A man was holding Eustace against his chest with a knife held to his neck.

"Unless you want to hear this one squeal like a girl again... I'd say you should drop your weapons."

"Like a girl?" Eustace exclaimed, obviously offended.

"Now!" The man demanded, shaking Eustace slightly.

King Caspian and Lucy forcefully threw their weapons to the ground with a scowl, while Edmund and I held onto ours.

"Put it down," He demanded again, growling a little.

Edmund threw his swords onto the ground as well, spiting Eustace's name, while I slowly set my knife on the stone floor.

The man holding Eustace, seemingly the leader of the group of men, smirked, "Put them in irons."

"Come on. Come here, you," The man I was fighting spoke, reaching out for my arms. I backed away from him, but he managed to grip my wrists in a tight hold and held them behind my back, enclosing handcuffs onto my wrists.

"Get your hands off me!" King Caspian shouted, throwing his hands around to prevent anyone from touching him, but the man managed to grab ahold of his wrists.

"Let's take these three to market." The leader spoke, pointing to Eustace, Lucy and I, "Send those two to the dungeons." He spoke again, about Edmund and King Caspian.

King Caspian struggled in the men's hold, "Listen to me, you insolent fool! I am your king!"

I noticed a man advancing on Lucy, a sinister grin on his face. I tried to kick the man's knee as he passed in front of me, but he wasn't close enough. You're not touching her. On the second attempt, the man was a foot and a half away, and I managed to get a good hit in the shin. He turned to me with a deadly look, obviously not impressed and brought his hand up, striking me across the face.

My cheek burned and throbbed a little, tears brimming in my eyes from surprise and pain. I could tell that there would be a mark there later.

"You're gonna pay for that," Edmund growled, whipping around in the restraints.

Lucy gazed at me with a worried look, but I just nodded my head, telling her I was okay.

"Actually, someone else is going to pay. For all of you." The leader laughed, obviously enjoying our pain.

The men started dragging us out a wood door, Edmund and King Caspian out a door on the opposite side of the room.

I struggled and lashed around as much as I could, trying to get free from the man's grip. I was scared of being separated from Edmund and King Caspian, not knowing where any of us are going to end up.

"Edmund!" Lucy and I called, "Caspian!"

"Dawn! Lucy!" Edmund and King Caspian called back, finally being dragged out the door and out of sight.

━━━━

Hey Guys! I think Edmund and Dawn's relationship is getting really cute, or at least that was what I was going for lol.

Quick question: Do you guys want some more backstory of when Edmund and Dawn were attending school together?