The Complement

Chapter Three

Caspian pushed himself out of his chair and clapped Archer on the back. "Thank you for your thoughts, my friend. I am ever grateful for your input. You think the same as I, this time. We cannot afford to miss any clues this ship may offer, regardless of the risk of trap."

"Would you have me prepare a boarding party and ready the gunner's in case of attack?"

"Exactly my thoughts. Ready it and inform me of your choices when all is organized. I will retire to these reports yet again and glean any information I may have overlooked." Caspian waved his hand at the desk where missives, letters, and other documents littered the remainder of the table not occupied by the map.

Archer snapped his feet together and bowed slightly to Caspian. "Aye, Captain. As you command." He turned and grasped the handle of the cabin door.

"And Archer?"

Archer paused and faced Caspian again, eyebrows raised.

"Get something to eat."

The corners of Archer's mouth twitched as he swung the door open. His reply was nearly lost to the blustery wind as the door slammed shut again. "With pleasure!"

Caspian smiled and shook his head as he slumped back into the chair he had recently abandoned. Amusement abandoned, he perused the papers in front of him. Where to begin? He stared at the map laying before him, the outline of a small island dominating his vision.

Caspian's finger tapped rhythmically on his chin as he mused under his breath, "Now. Where are you hiding?"

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Two hours later, three sharp raps sounded on Caspian's door.

Without bothering to raise his head, Caspian called, "Enter."

The second lieutenant, Chancey, cracked the door open and stuck his head in. "Lieutenant Archer has finished selecting his boarding party and the boy on lookout has given his report. Would you like to hear it here or on deck, sir?"

Caspian tossed the missive he was pouring over onto the desk. "On deck. No call to arms, please. We remain silent."

"Aye, sir." Chancey saluted and opened the door, holding it open as Caspian approached the opening. He shifted from one foot to the other, frowning as he stared down at his soft, brown boots.

Caspian paused before his officer. "Is there something you would like to say before joining the crew, Chancey?" His voice dropped to just above a whisper, brow furrowed as he gazed intently at Chancey's face.

Chancey cleared his throat and looked up at Caspian, glancing away twice before locking eyes with his captain. "It.. I just...." His voice trailed off and he cleared his throat again. He blinked his eyes rapidly and Caspian caught the glint of moisture gathering in the corner of his eyes.

Caspian placed a warm hand on Chancey's shoulder. "Nothing is certain, Lieutenant. We will not stop until our purposes are satisfied. This is important to us all, though in different ways."

Chancey nodded and Caspian squeezed the younger man's shoulder. Chancey drew in a shuddering breath and gulped. "Yes, sir. Thank you."

Caspian motioned toward his cabin. "Take a moment in my quarters. We will begin after you return."

With a duck of his head, Chancey practically scurried inside the cabin as Caspian gently shut the door behind him. Caspian tugged his shirt forward until the shoulders were situated more comfortably and straightened his posture. With a sure, steady stride, he emerged from the alcove at his door and made his way to the upper deck.

As he passed, crew members jumped to attention, then returned to their duties at a slight wave of his hand. Caspian reached the wheel where Archer stood ready to report.

"Lieutenant, what do you have?"

Archer jumped to attention and recited the names he had chosen for his boarding party. "James, Tillerson, Hawley, Myers, and Saloud. They all volunteered."

"And who leads the search?"

Archer suddenly found the deck very interesting and stared at it intently.

"Lieutenant Archer." Caspian's voice rose slightly in warning.

With a sigh, Archer rubbed the back of his neck. "I would like to request permission to lead." At Caspian's raised eyebrow, Archer rushed on, "Just because Chancey is very interested in our success today and we have no time to waste! All our officers are trustworthy, but this is such a critical moment- ."

Caspian cut off Archer's rambling. "Of course, Archer. I should have known you would volunteer."

"Chancey would have, he just doesn't have the appropriate background for this." Archer hurried to defend his fellow officer.

"Yes, yes. It was all Chancey's idea." Caspian struggled to hide the smirk creeping across his face. "Honestly, it's as if you rehearsed this." 

Chancey reappeared at that moment. "Ready to report, Captain."

Caspian took a moment to take in Chancey's refreshed appearance and graced him with a small smile. "Please continue, Chancey."

"The boy spotted none on board the ship and no movement as we approached. The boarding party is ready to go and the gunner's are loaded and on standby. Each man is armed and has instructions to search and only use force if absolutely necessary."

The helmsman walked up behind Archer, "Sir, we are about to pull alongside. The men are ready."

Caspian drew in a deep breath. "Lieutenant Archer, you may begin."

Word Count: 1,495

Author's Note: Hey guys! I would love it if you could vote or leave me some feedback! Constructive criticism is appreciated and will help me as I continue writing. I would also love to incorporate suggestions my readers may have! (And I'll try to tag you if I am able to include your ideas in this work :-) ) Thanks for reading!!