𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐔𝐍𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐍 || 𝐾𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐶𝑎𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑎𝑛

CHAPTER 4

꧁ Slave Traders ꧂

The sun had already started to set when the Dawn Trader arrived near the coast of the port of Narrowhaven. Caspian ordered the men to lower the longboats and to be ready to go ashore. There was no Narnian flag on the island, which immediately seemed suspicious to the King, who therefore decided not to linger further.

At the time, a handful of men led by Captain Drinian and Reepicheep, along with the royals, Eustace and Elizabeth, were docking on the shore.
The woman, along with the king, was the first to get off the boat and venture on the island.

"Couldn't this have waited till the morning?" she heard Eustace moaning behind her back. She smiled, incredulous at the boy's ability to complain under any circumstances.

"There is no honour in turning away from adventure, lad!" Reepicheep immediately scolded him.

Elizabeth reached the beginning of what appeared to be the main avenue of access to an ancient city, or at least what was left of it. In fact, all that remained of the place were the walls, with no one to inhabit them. You couldn't see or hear a living soul, it almost looked like a ghost town.

Caspian was soon at her side, leaving Edmund, Lucy and the crew a few feet further back, near the boats.

"I guess you don't know how to fight, do you?" he asked her, as he continued to observe the road with circumspection, both his hands tight around the crossbow.

"Don't worry, Cas," she reassured him, smiling, "I can handle myself."

And it was true, the woman had fun in boxing and personal defense classes when young and, in addition, had convinced Lucy to help her find a sword suitable for her in the armory. Although she had never handled one before, she was convinced that it would've been better not to be without it.

"I have no doubt about that, Liz," he replied, chuckling, "but I still don't want you to get hurt," he then told her, getting serious.

Elizabeth stopped to look into his eyes, "I appreciate that, really, but I am no child, Caspian, and you need to think about yourself." she said in an authoritative voice, "Don't do anything stupid to help me, is that clear?!" she added, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes but..." Caspian started to retort, but was soon silenced by her withering glare. "All right, all right. But still, stay close to me." he eventually told her, sighing.

Before she had a chance to replicate, their attention was caught by the sudden and disturbing sound of bells. Caspian immediately raised his crossbow, pointing it in the direction of the city's tower, while Edmund, Lucy, Eustace and Reepicheep hurried to join them.

"Reepicheep, stay here with Drinian's men and secure the place. We'll head on. If we don't come back by dawn, send a party." the King ordered the mouse before heading towards the city.

"Yes, your Majesty," it quickly answered.

The group adventured further into the town. Around them were old white stone houses, ruined by time and the sea salt, with windows and doors barred by wooden beams. A few carts with baskets lay abandoned on the side of the road, which was marked by rocks. The vegetation was scarce, almost non-existent, only a few vines dared to cover the walls of the buildings, along with some dry plants.

Eustace approached a building, trying to look inside through a crevice. Apparently he saw nothing, or what he saw he didn't like at all.

"Yeah, looks like nobody is in. Do you think we should head back?" he anxiously asked his cousins, rejoining the group that was now approaching what seemed to be the main building.