The new island grows closer and closer. Turns out, it is no such bleak patch of earth as the Dragon Island was. Gentle, lush hills greet the Dawn Treader from afar. Soon, the crew can make out the lack of trees. Two small brooks deliver their water into the bay where the ship anchors. The larger part of the crew goes ashore while the rest stays on deck. Never leave a ship unguarded, Drinian always says as being safe is better than being sorry.
As they reach the shore in the longboats, Caspian divides the men in two groups. The smaller one is to scout the island while the other searches for fresh water and food. It is always a benefit to stock up on supplies whenever an opportunity presents itself. Drinian leads the scouts, Tavros the suppliers - Rynelf remained on the Dawn Treader. Usually, the sailor loves to go ashore and explore whatever land there is. This time, Drinian ordered him to stay back, maybe it's payback as the ship's first mate laughed at the captain after Edmund's prank. However the case, the decision was final and Rynelf had to comply. He hopes they will be here for a day or two, so he can stretch his legs on land later.
The king himself and his friends will explore the new surroundings on their own. Ed and Reep are most excited to do so and lead the small group, dragging Eustace along. The boy looks annoyed, but deep down he just doesn't want to admit this journey appeals to him more and more. Lucy giggles at her cousin's expression as she follows, leaving Caspian and Luna for backmarkers. The two don't really mind, though, they are busy looking around. Cas takes it all in while his Crown Shield watches attentively for anything out of place, or too much in place for that matter. In short: She expects possible danger anywhere, even in a seemingly peaceful place like this. Furthermore, she doesn't really know what to say after the last conversation they had. The atmosphere between them changed again to a more tense and awkward one. Luna can't yet decide what kind of awkwardness it is. The last hours were a whirlwind of preparations for the upcoming shore leave and hardly a time for thinking about her tricky relationship with the King of Narnia which seems to be stuck in a strange up and down lately. She certainly hopes to have time to clear her head and sort her feelings soon, this spiralling needs to be put an end to or it could distract her in moments where her mind must stay sharp.
While looking around, Caspian's eyes return to his companion now and then. He wants to say something,anything, but his mind seems blank whenever he prepares to open his mouth. Unlike Luna, he started to realize why their relationship spirals from joking and laughing to being not on speaking terms at all in matters of minutes sometimes. Well, maybe realize is the wrong term. He started to accept it. There shouldn't be a doubt Luna took note of her feelings towards her king, be they new or still there, but Cas isn't sure she feels the same at all. Of course, he hopes so. There are little details hinting at it, he thinks. For example, the light blush coating her cheeks whenever they touch. The young king can't possibly know she feels the exact same tingling as him whenever that happens. Yet, his thoughts are in need of a thorough sorting just as Luna's are, only in another way. While she must figure things out first, he must decide which way to proceed on, if at all. It is quite a riddle the two have gotten themselves tangled up in.
So, the two catch up to the others with few words spoken between them. Together, the friends climb one of the hills where Lucy spotted heather. The Queen of Old wants to collect some for Jonathan. Put on wounds as ointment or taken as tea it could act anti-inflammatory. Eustace helps her, eager to prove himself useful. The others settle down in the soft grass, enjoying the warmth and the different smells in the air – other than the usual saltiness of the sea. Luna hesitates, letting her eyes wander over the hill.
» I'll have a look around, « she nods at Reepicheep who returns the gesture, silently agreeing to stay alert in her place. As she is off, Caspian's eyes follow her until she vanishes at the hillside. Instead of walking right over the top of the hill, Luna stays on its flank. Else, she would announce their presence to anyone who has decent eyesight. One hand on the hilt of her sword, she wanders to the other side of the hill. Her footsteps make no sound in the high grass and heather. On the way, she doesn't meet any sign of life, other than a few bugs buzzing through the air. Luna frowns, she isn't sure if this is a good sign or not. However, the lack of trees could justify the missing wildlife. She doesn't come across any traces of larger animals either. After reaching the foot of the hill the others are on, she ascends the neighbouring one. It is slightly higher than the surrounding rises, though they are no comparison to the Narnian and Archenlandian mountain ranges.
Soon, she makes her way back to the others. For a bit, she stood on the top of the higher hill like a post on lookout – no point in hiding from an unknown enemy in this area when their presence could easily have been noticed already. She didn't spot anything suspicious, well, nothing more suspicious than the quiet on this island. There must be a good reason for the lack of life and trees. The latter could be explained by regular storms that keep the tall tree varieties from growing, but then there should at least grow some bushes and higher grasses in the valleys between the hills. Yet, Luna enjoyed being alone for a while. It wasn't the opportunity to sort her thoughts, but it certainly cleared her head. The young woman finds her friends in the same spot she left them, relaxing in the sun. As she descends the hilltop, Ed is stretched out in the heather, one arm over his eyes. His chest rises and falls evenly, he is probably taking a nap. Cas sits near him, listening to Eustace and Reep bicker. The two agreed to a training lesson farther down while Lucy sorts the herbs she collected with her cousin's help. Later, she will lay them out to dry. Luna watches them with a fond smile before her eyes flicker to Caspian. He rolls his shoulders. Rhindon rests next to him and the fingers of his right tap on its broadside. She can't detect a certain rhythm. Maybe he is bored. With one last look around for now, she decides to push away the awkwardness and joins him.
As her shadow falls over the king, his head jerks around, only to be met with a small smile from Luna.
» Found something? « He inquires as he lets go of his sword. In the face of a possible threat, he instinctively grabbed onto the hilt. She shakes her head, settling down next to him after she unfastened the sword from her belt,
» It's all quiet, maybe a little too much so. « He tilts his head to the side, regarding her for a moment. Her hair is a bit dishevelled from the steady breeze; a few strands escaped the braid Lucy did hours ago. She holds her back straight, yet her shoulders slack forward. So, her attention is somewhere else. Her eyes are clouded, guarded as she stares into the distance. Caspian is fascinated by the various expressions and emotions he always finds in her dark orbs. He loves seeing them glimmer with joy or mischief; happiness, however, is one of the rarest things to witness there.
» You suspect something is off? « He asks quietly, inclining his body towards her. She turns her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes answer him before she speaks,
» Don't you feel this... shift? « It's difficult to pinpoint but she is right, there is something in the air, the atmosphere that's not normal. Caspian lowers his eyes, thinking, feeling around. She watches him. His brow furrows in concentration and one corner of his lips lifts ever so slightly. The breeze ruffles his hair, shoving a few strands in his face, but Cas doesn't react right away. As his gaze meets hers again, she sees the realization dawn in it. So, he noticed it too. Only now he reaches up to brush his hair back, sighing.
» We can't have peace as it seems, « he mumbles,
» It would do you really good, you know. « Luna chuckles at that, his care for her is sweet.
» Well, I signed up for this, « she fights the urge to nudge his shoulder with hers,
» And what's life without a little adventure? « A smile flickers over his features at her lightness, although he knows that, in reality, she is on high alert,
» I think we're long past the point of a little. «
After Edmund wakes up and joins the training lesson, Reep steps away. He takes to stand on a boulder to overlook the kings and queen and their surroundings. With him on guard duty, Luna finally gives in to Caspian's wish for her to relax. He laid back in the grass a while ago. They conversed here and there, but indulged in their own thoughts, too. Now, she allows herself to lay back as well, staying propped up on her elbows, though.
» We should to this more often, « Cas suggests suddenly. The two started counting clouds and search for patterns in the white sky-ships. She looks at him, trying to fathom if he is teasing or serious. He doesn't return her gaze, instead he points up at one specific cloud,
» This one kind of looks like a horse, « he laughs rather boyishly,
» When we're back, I hope Dalia and Tanath'll still recognize us. « Dalia is Caspian's golden mare and Tanath is Luna's horse. He is a loyal stallion which carried her over the past years, even into battles. Both, Caspian, and Luna are quite fond of horse-riding. Furthermore, it always was an activity they could enjoy together without paying a mind to the decorum at court. Getting away from it all was a bonus. Luna can't help the smile forming on her lips,
» I'm sure they will. « Her voice is quiet as she studies his relaxed form next to her. A warm feeling erupts in her belly, sending a tingling through her body. It's not entirely new to her, she felt it before - anytime Cas and she make contact. Yet, is seems more familiar than that. Her brow furrows, her mind wanders. The tingling doesn't make it particularly easy to focus on anything, but she tries her best. Then, her train of thought comes to a sudden stop as it hits her. Of course, she knows this feeling! It was what drew her to Caspian before he was crowned king and after, it made their friendship blossom and finally bloom into something so much deeper. Swirling memories and thoughts seem to suck her into another world where she loses herself.
Cas turns his gaze to her, missing a gentle teasing on his sentiment from her. He notices her staring at him. She seems not to look right at him, though. Her forehead is crinkled, her body less tense than before. She must be far away when she forgets her posture like this, or she finally relaxes, but he doubts it. For a moment, he hesitates, unsure if he should disturb the silence that settled over the two of them.
» Luna? « He calls out softly, smiling slightly as he watches her eyes refocus. A rosy blush covers her cheeks as she hurries to turn her gaze away from him. She sits up with a mumbled apology, placing both hands on the grass to push herself up. Caspian hurries to sit up as well. He senses that something is wrong, she seldomly reacts this way, so... embarrassed maybe? Before he can think twice, he has placed his hand over hers to stop her from leaving so hastily. She freezes mid-movement, looking down at his hand before meeting his concerned gaze.
» Are you alright? « He asks, his eyes roam over her face,
» Did I say something wrong? « Something seems to have unsettled her, she has difficulties to look at one place for long. He wracks his head if it could be something he said. He mentioned the horses. Luna loves her stallion, maybe she is homesick?
Her mind races to keep up with her heart. Those old feelings, she buried them a long time ago because they should not, could never be. She is supposed to be a guardian, not a lover for the king. She refrains from trying to hold Caspian's concerned gaze. Turning her head away, she closes her eyes. Over the turmoil that reaches down into her soul and shakes her from the core, a strange calmness covers it all. It washes over her, helping her maintain at least a little bit of balance on the high rope that spans through her thoughts like a red thread. She doesn't react to the contact from his hand on hers, she needs to keep her balance to not crash into whatever shadows lie beneath in the depths of her mind. Somewhere down there her caged heart screams at her to accept it, but her training tells her otherwise. The warrior in her orders her to bury the feelings again, return to the now and stay level-headed. There could be dangers around, she can't afford any distractions. Luna is confused, to say the least, her caring nature, and her sense of duty clash in a bitter fight. She feels Caspian squeeze her hand lightly and remembers her eyes are still closed. The young woman takes a ragged breath. For now, her head must stay above all else. In the end, it's best for everyone's safety. This thought lingers as she opens her eyes, nodding curtly at Caspian. Faintly, her heart tries to remind her to at least squeeze his hand back or gift him a smile before withdrawing her hand from his touch. Luna hesitates, refusing to meet his searching gaze. He will know something is up, no matter what she tells him, and she never lies to him. The two of them gave it up long ago to try and lie to the other. After the years of close friendship, they can call any untruth from a mile away. So, she needs to think of a way to react and return to the moment without giving him the feeling of being rejected or unappreciated. Maybe she shouldn't say anything at all. Another squeeze of his hand draws her eyes to their hands between them.
Cas waits patiently for her to gather herself, trying to reassure her she isn't alone with whatever she is facing. She doesn't meet his eye, but he is a good enough observer to notice the turmoil in her orbs. Helplessly, he must watch how she is dragged from side to side in her mind. The second squeeze gauges a reaction from her. She still refuses to look at him, but for now, the smile flickering over her features chases away whatever haunts her, is enough for him. He does not know what it means to her.
Now, here we are, getting closer to the core of the 'problem'. Luna and Caspian have a lot to figure out. I'd love to hear your opinion about this chapter and the development in their relationship.
Have a good start in July everyone!
Yours,
Lola
PS: The Character overview got updated again.