When Amelia awoke the next morning, it felt foreign. Her eyes still closed, but her mind alive, she noticed the absence of movement. The storm must have passed...
The ship rocked steadily from port to starboard in a constant pattern, almost lulling her back to sleep. She heard the slight whoosh of gentle waves crashing against the hull, and for a moment all she felt was peace. It was a foreign feeling, her body and mind were used to the chaos of the past year. But for the first time in long time, her mind didn't plague her with terrible images and thoughts. She was calm, and she relished in it.
That was until she felt the weight across her waist.
Slowly peeking through one eye, she saw the roof of the crew's cabin above her. The hammock swayed with the ship, and she was reminded of her and Lucy's escapade the night before. A glance to her right saw Edmund and Lucy still fast asleep in his hammock. His hand held hers in a protective brotherly way, no doubt to keep away the nightmares that had plagued the young girl.
But to her left was Caspian, his face a mere centimetre from hers and his arm curled around her body in a steadfast grip. She was no fool. She had noticed Caspian's strange actions recently, but this only made her cringe. She wasn't ready. Not after everything. His touch on her hip only brought her painful memories.
As quickly and stealthily as she could, she lifted his arm and placed it on chest before slipping away and into the corridor that led to the Captain's room where she and Lucy slept with Gale – Amelia had finally learned her name.
Upon entry, she noticed with pleasure that Gale had already left. She quietly shut the door behind her before leaning against it and left out a heavy sigh. Her heart beat was quick, although she was noticeably calmer than what she would've been had it happened two weeks prior. Then a haunting realisation came to her...
When she felt his arm, she only worried about what his touch would cause her to remember, not how he wasn't supposed to be the one touching her.
In fact, in the moment, Edmund hadn't really crossed her mind... only the four men whose faces haunted her at every turn. She felt sick. This could not be happening. Edmund was her rock, her only light in the darkness of the past year. She blamed it all on her rampant emotions. She hadn't exactly been the most stable person recently, and her distraction was simply due to her situation, not her feelings... or so she prayed.
In a few minutes she quickly pulled on a fresh set of Narnian clothing, tied her hair up into a messy braid, grabbed her bow and quiver and was out the door once more. She exited through the cabin and noticed only Lucy remained, the boys probably having left when she was getting dressed. Deciding to leave the girl to sleep, Amelia climbed the stairs onto the main deck where sailors were busy hauling water back into the ocean. A glance upward gave a Amelia a smile – the sky was a clear blue today. A welcomed change after the fortnight of storm. The brightness in the air seemed to aliven the Silvanus aswell, and Amelia found herself flicking her wrist. The movement cleared all the water from the deck, and the sailors sent her grateful smiles. She smiled back before going to the wheel where Drinian was scanning the horizon.
"Morning Captain," she greeted upon arrival, "I believe the sunlight has given us all a new sense of hope."
"Indeed it has, milady," Drinian replied, "We plan to dock at that Island due North, maybe find some supplies to replenish our stores."
With a glance north, Amelia laid eyes upon the piece of land. She cringed. It was just a large patch of brown, and seemed to be volcanic, "That doesn't look very promising, Captain."
Drinian sighed, "No, but I believe the Kings will take anything they can get right now."
Speaking of the devil, Edmund and Caspian appeared from below, their faces freshly washed and their swords strapped on their waists. Edmund rushed to her, and in a completely shocking movement, pulled her in for a very long kiss.
Amelia froze for a moment. Her and Edmund only kissed once in the past few weeks, and that was when she woke up and the memories had not yet surfaced. Now, his lips were soft and eager, but her body flinched before she could even control it. "I'll show you what a real man can do!"
Amelia shied away, her good mood suddenly broken, "Ed... I..." she felt as though she was about to cry.
To her discomfort, Caspian quickly embraced her, shooting Edmund a nasty look, "Calm down, Amelia. It's alright... you're safe now. I promise."
Her breaths were erratic as her mind plagued her further.
Spread those legs won't ya' darlin'!
I can make you forget him
Clean up this mess or I'll add to that picture on your face!
"Amelia" she heard, but the sounds were muffled. She felt her body move and a sudden coldness before she was wrapped in another set of arms. Edmund. She knew his embrace like the back of her eyelids. The sounds kept coming. Muffled apologies only receiving blank stares as Amelia relived her hell.
His hand inching closer and closer
Her body grabbed
Her innocence violated
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Amelia, please, come back! Calm down!" She suddenly took in her surroundings again, and she saw the blue sky above her. The still damp deck left her thin shirt slightly wet, and her back was pressed uncomfortably against the hardwood floor. Edmund and Caspian looked down at her, joined now by Lucy. All three looked scared out of their minds, but Amelia noticed the lone tear dripping from Edmund's eye.
A single scan through all of them, and she quickly mumbled, "I'm fine." Before betting up and showing herself back to her room. She recalled briefly muttering to Lucy to call her when they would row to the island, but other than that she remained silent, stalking to her room. When the door closed, the tears started to flow.
She was angry. So angry. She was angry at Edmund for making her relive her nightmares. Angry at those men who violated her. Angry that she was a slave in the first place. Angry that she was so hopelessly and utterly weak. She may have escaped the slave trade, but she would forever be a slave to the memories.
Mostly, however, she was angry at herself. She was sure that Edmund didn't mean harm. Perhaps the blue sky had lifted his mood and all he wanted was a good morning kiss, but she couldn't do it. She couldn't give that to him, and she wondered if she ever could.
Would she ever be able to make him happy again?
Her weakness has left him with an empty shell of a partner. Her mind was too weak to show him affection, and her body shied away from any affection he gave her. How had he tolerated her this long? She was only a pain. A thorn in his side. Perhaps if she told him...
She buried the thought for another time. She was in no state of mind to make any decisions.
It wasn't long before Lucy called her to the longboats. She walked silently alongside the Pevensie girl and remained silent as they boarded. Two longboats would be going out, and she wisely chose the boat that Reepicheep commanded, leaving Caspian, Edmund and Lucy to board the other.
As the crew rowed, Amelia watched the Dawn Treader grown smaller and smaller, only faintly listening to the conversation between the two boats.
"I don't think the Lords stopped here, my liege" Reep called out to the other boat, "There's no sign of anything living."
Amelia heard a faint pause, and she felt eyes dirlling holes into her back, before Caspian's voice flittered through the air, his tone darker than usual, "Right... well once we get ashore take your men and search for food and water. Edmund, Amelia, Lucy and I will looked for clues."
Amelia sighed, tempted to announce that she wanted to stay with the crew instead of going with the two kings, but she knew that was a child's decision. She couldn't hide from her problems. If her long Narnian life had taught her anything, it was that running was never the answer.
Eustace, of course, felt the need to join the group, "You mean the five of us? Me too?" Amelia turned around to face the other boat and gave the boy an incredulous expression, along with the rest of the crew with them – all of which stopped rowing at Eustace's question. "Oh c'mon, don't send me back to the rat."
Reepicheep scowled, "I heard that."
Amelia frowned. What a grumpy little boy, although she had to admit that she felt like Eustace was currently her spirit guide and not the Silvanus. His pessimistic mood matched her current one perfectly.
"Big ears," Eustace quietly mumbled, although Amelia could hear him easily.
"Heard that too."
They hit the shore within the hour, and the crew hastily unpacked the supplies they brought while shouldering weapons. Amelia silently followed Caspian, Edmund and Lucy as they walked off on their own mission. She remained far behind, Lucy acting as a wall between her and the two kings. The air was tense around them, but Caspian hardly let that stop them from their task.
The sand was white and hot. The heat travelled through the air like smoke from a cigar, and Amelia found herself scratching at her clothes in an effort to cool her skin. Thankfully, Caspian's sharp eyes caught a clue in only a few minutes of silent walking and climbing.
"Look!" he said, pointed to a nearby rope tied to a pale brown rock. The rope was suspended into a hole in the ground, the bottom of which Amelia could not see. The ground rumbled as the cracks in the ground around them spewed hot steam – most likely due to the nearby volcano which had been thundering ever since they arrived.
"The lords?" Edmund asked. Amelia could feel his gaze flicker to her every other moment, but refused to acknowledge him, her eyes fixated on the hole in the ground.
"Could be..." Caspian trailed off. He tossed a small rock into the abyss. It clattered on for a few moments before it stopped, the sound only distantly heard, "What do you think could be down there?"
Amelia, suddenly feeling the need to remind them of her presence, let out a grumpy, "Let's find out." Before grabbing the rope and scaling down the rock face. She felt their shocked stares, but paid no mind and she slowly climbed down, the distance not as far as she originally thought. She jumped down and met the rocky ground with a light thump. The others were taking their time and were quite far behind.
Amelia continued on into the cavernous expanse. The cracks in the ceiling provided enough light for her to see the vastness of the cave in front of her. She walked on in slight amazement. The air was cooler down her, and she thanked Aslan as the sweat started to dry on her skin. Not too far from the rope, Amelia found a small pond, the surface clear and seemingly cool and fresh. Amelia felt the urge to dive in, but decided against in once she noticed the abundance of golden treasure that littered the bottom. How odd...
Her eyes gazed upon a man-like statue that was near the surface of the water, and she noticed his painful expression and wondered what on earth the artist was thinking. Although she had to admit, the detailing was exquisite from her angle... almost too realistic.
"What's that?" Caspian's voice sounded behind her. He seemed almost hesitant to speak, as if he was scared she would break.
Amelia shrugged, "Looks like a golden statue. The artist seems to have been rather depressed, however. Its facial expression is rather morbid."
A loud crack sounded behind her, and she whirled around only to witness Edmund walking closer with a stick he had broken from the roots hanging on the wall. With an apologetic expression, he crouched by her feet and dipped the stick into the water.
She wondered what he was doing. It's not like the stick could've lifted the statue. But the moment she saw the ugly brown wood turn golden, she understood. It was a magical pond. Edmund stared at the stick, marvelling as the gold moved closer and closer to his fingertips. Amelia waited with baited breath from him to drop it, but his eyes were distracted by its brilliance. In a moment, she yelled out a screech and slapped the stick out of his hand, only for it to fall into the depths below.
She gave him an angry glare, all her emotion from the morning evident in her eyes, "It's just gold, Ed. It's not worth your life – you should be more careful."
Edmund gazed at her, the same apologetic face etched upon his features once more. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but Caspian beat him to it, eager to ease the tension. The King walked closer to the pond and gazed at the stature curiously, "He must've fallen in."
Amelia agreed. The features were too fine and too detailed to be carved by any artist. This was a man.
Lucy echoed her thoughts, "Poor man..."
Edmund, noticing the familiar crest on the nearby shield, corrected, "You mean poor lord."
Caspian noticed the crest as well, "The crest of Lord Restima."
"And his sword!" Edmund cried out, his tension with Amelia seemingly forgotten.
"We need it."
Edmund unsheathed his sword and dipped it into the water. Amelia waited for the golden wave to overcome it, but it never did. Edmund was able to notch the blade under the hilt and lift both swords out of the water, neither one golden or scratched.
"Your sword hasn't turned into gold," Amelia observed, Edmund was almost shocked at her addressing him.
"Both the swords are magical," Caspian explained.
Edmund gently lifted the sword towards Caspian, who took it with baited breath. Amelia suddenly felt cold, as if a darker presence had entered the room. She glanced around but saw no sign of evil. She brushed it off, blaming it on her rough morning.
Lucy continued to pity the golden Lord, "He mustn't have known what hit him."
Edmund crouched by the pool again, and Amelia felt the air grow colder once more. "Maybe," he started, "Or maybe he was onto something."
Caspian furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "What are you talking about?"
The younger boy took hold of a nearby conch shell and quickly dipped it into the water before laying it out on the rocky shore. As expected, the shell turned into solid gold. Amelia couldn't see Edmund's point. He picked it up with an almost crazed look in his eye as he marvelled how the light reflected off it's golden exterior. Amelia felt the evil presence again. Something strange was happening, and she didn't like it.
"What are you staring at?" she asked him, her previous reservations forgotten. Her only thought now was the evil, and how she wished he would snap out of this trance he was in.
Edmund smiled and his eyes glinted treacherously, "Whoever has access to this pool could be the most powerful person in the world." His voice spoke with such excitement at the riches that Amelia felt her blood turn cold. This wasn't Edmund. Amelia shared an uneasy look with Caspian and Lucy as Edmund continued, looking at his sister, "Lucy... we'd be so rich. No one could tell us what to do or who to live with."
Amelia grimaced, her heart thumping loudly. What was this evil?
"You can't take anything out of Narnia, Edmund." Caspian was quick to reprimand the young King.
"Says who?" he spat bitterly.
"I do."
The air turned grim suddenly, and Amelia felt the urge to back away from the two. She gripped Lucy's hand in her own before slightly pulling her back to the cave wall, analysing the situation with sharp eyes.
Edmund grabbed his sword from the floor and stood. The look he gave Caspian was one of a crazed fool, and Caspian wore the same expression. His reeked of irritation and Edmund's of bitterness, "I'm not your subject."
Caspian frowned, his mind seemingly in the same trance, "You've been waiting for this, haven't you?To challenge me... You doubt my leadership."
"No, you doubt yourself."
"You're a child!"
"And you're a spineless sap!"
Amelia quickly jumped as the two inched closer to one another, expressions angered, "That's enough!" She placed a hand on Edmund's arm, but he shrugged her off as though she was an itch on his skin. Her own anger flared, but the Silvanus was quick to interfere. Peace, Amelia, the evil is making them angry. Do not be influenced by it.
"No!" Edmund yelled, "I'm tired of playing second fiddle. First it was Peter, and now it's you!" Edmund growled, "You know I'm braver than both of you! And why do you get Peter's sword? I deserve a kingdom of my own! I deserve to rule!"
"If you think you're so brave... prove it!" Caspian shoved Edmund backwards and Amelia gasped as their swords were drawn, Caspian delivering the first blow, "You're just a jealous little child!"
Edmund sneered as he dodged another blow. Amelia stayed on the side-lines, almost feeling as though more words needed to be said before she intervened, "If I'm such a child," he spat as he swiped towards Caspian's open left side, "Then why did Amelia chose me over you?"
The made Caspian pause for a moment, and then his face fell into a vicious glare, "She may have done so once, but with the way you're treating her, I don't think it'll be long before she leaves your sorry ass!" Caspian let out a series of hard blows as Amelia's eyes widened in shock over his words, "You're just going to leave her again! Like you always do!"
"ENOUGH!" Amelia could no longer take it, and apparently the Silvanus couldn't either, for the roots that Edmund previously used to get a stick from suddenly grew and wrapped around both men's swords before pulling them out of their grasps. "Look at yourselves, can't you see what's happening?" she questioned, looking at both their shocked facial expressions.
Lucy chose this moment to join in, "This place has tempted you. It's bewitching you! This is exactly what Coriakin was talking about."
Amelia rolled her eyes at their shocked expressions, finding the situation very unnecessary. Frankly, it angered her even more. The evil may have tempted them, but the words they spoke were their own. Both men had demons to deal with, and Amelia suddenly found herself with zero patience for either one of them. "Let's just get out of here." She spat, strategically ignoring that her name was mentioned in the argument. Edmund and Caspian needed to sort out whatever was happening between them, and she refused to get involved, even if she did feel as though Caspian was slightly out of place. But then again, he did have a point that Amelia found hard to ignore... Edmund always left her in the end.
The four stalked out of the cave in silence, quickly finding their way back to the boats. The sun once again beat down on Amelia's shoulders and her irritation increased by tenfold. She feared she would explode soon.
Caspian approached Gale's father and looked down at the only slightly full baskets, "What food did you find?"
"It's volcanic, your majesty, not much grows," The sailor replied sadly.
Amelia noticed Lucy's questioning gaze, and asked, "Something wrong Lucy, other than the obvious?" she shot a pointed glare towards Caspian and Edmund.
Lucy sighed at her statement, but only said, "Where'd Eustace go?"
"I believe he's out not helping us load the boats," Reepicheep snarled in distaste.
Lucy's from deepened, "Eustace! Eustace!" There was no reply except the boom rising from the volcano. Lucy turned to her brother who was scowling at the horizon, "Edmund, I've got a bad feeling."
Edmund relented to his sister's silent plea, "I'll go find him."
"I'll come with you," Caspian offered, and Amelia was happy to see a look of apology pass between them. Her anger levels lowered slightly.
The two set off into the blearing sun, and Amelia sat with Lucy on a shady part of sand next to a large rock.
"I hope that boy hasn't gotten himself into another problem. Aslan knows we've had enough problems for one day." Amelia muttered.
Lucy chuckled breathily, "You can say that again." The younger girl looked at Amelia with a softened gaze, "How're you doing, you know, with everything?"
Amelia sighed, "Not as good as I'd like to be, I suppose."
Lucy nodded, her face morphed into one of understanding, "I don't suppose my brother is making things any easier?"
Amelia shook her head, "Not right now, no. Neither of them are."
"You do see it, though, don't you? Caspian's ... affection?"
Amelia rolled her eyes, "Yes, I do. Although I can't say I understand it. It doesn't make sense at all."
"Don't be daft, Amelia," Lucy raised her eyebrows in an 'are you serious?' manner, "You and Caspian only broke up because Edmund and the rest of us came back. Caspian may have had feelings for Susan, but they were nothing compared to what you two had. And after everything that happened, and us leaving again and you staying by his side, Caspian never really got a chance to get over it."
Amelia rested her chin on her knees and pondered Lucy's statement, the pieces of the puzzle fitting together in her head, "I suppose you have a point. We never really had time, you know, to take it everything that happened. After you lot left, it was the war with the giants and my kidnapping... we never really dealt with it all."
"Not to mention that it was just you two, alone, ruling a whole country. You were each other's support, Amelia, and when you were gone Caspian was alone again, and now you're back but so is Edmund. I think Caspian just feels like he can never win, you know?"
Amelia gazed at the young girl curiously, "Are you throwing your own brother under the bus?"
Lucy shook her head vigorously, "No, not at all. On the contrary, I think you and Edmund were meant for each other, not to mention all the history between you two, the witch and all that." She pondered her thoughts for a moment, "I suppose I'm trying to say that I can see it from both sides. They're both idiots and they're both so incredibly stubborn, but they both love you in different ways."
Amelia sighed and shoved her head into her lap, "I don't think I want this anymore, Lucy."
"Want what?"
"Any of it. After this year... I just don't think I can handle it anymore."
"You mean, you don't want either of them?"
Amelia sighed, "They're both just so... not helpful to the situation. I can hardly let them hug me in the mornings without getting terrible flashbacks, and now they're competing with one another to get my attention? It's all just not needed right now. I mean, you saw me this morning, how can I possibly be in any sort of relationship?" Amelia suddenly found herself pouring her heart out, "And Caspian has been too affectionate, I can't handle it anymore. Edmund has always been that light in the darkness, but now my brain is just so confused with everything going on and everything that's happening. It's just an emotional overload and I can't sort through any of it."
Lucy sighed and placed a delicate hand on Amelia's shoulder, "I think you need some rest. Nothing makes your problems seem smaller than a good night's rest. Last night was the first night you slept in a long time, Amelia, before that you were helping the crew through the storm." Lucy glanced towards the one longboat that was heading back to the ship whilst the other would remain ashore, "C'mon, let's head back to the ship. I'm sure the boys can handle themselves. Besides, after earlier, I don't think I want to be around them either."
Amelia chuckled, and her heart suddenly felt lighter. Her talk with Lucy had been good for her. She knew she had been keeping her feelings locked tight lately, and she found that speaking to Lucy really put it in perspective for her.
The two girls hopped onto the longboat and made it to the ship a lot faster than the first trip. While Lucy remained above deck, Amelia immediately disappeared to her chamber for the hearty nap she yearned for.
Only, she was interrupted by a loud roar.
In a haste to pull her boots back on, Amelia nearly tripped on the doorframe. She rushed out of the room, into the corridor, up the stairs and onto the main deck, where she saw the most magnificent yet terrible sight.
A dragon.
Her mouth flew open as she took in its powerful wings and golden brown exterior. It breathed fire as it circled the bow of the ship, the sailors shouting and rushing for weapons that Amelia knew would do nothing to pierce its tough hide.
"Take your positions and wait for my command!" Drinian yelled out.
Amelia immediately lifted her bow off her shoulder and went for the ropes joined the ship to the main mast. The wind was slightly stronger the higher she climbed, and each beat of the dragons wings nearly threw her overboard. Once she was around halfway up, the dragon surprisingly landed on the main sail, the wooden splintering beneath its weight. Amelia furrowed her eyebrows, finding the behaviour rather strange, but nevertheless she stopped climbing and looped one arm around the rope to get a good hold before wrapping that hand around the handle of her bow. Her free arm notched an arrow neatly and she aimed for the dragon's wide eyes. Drinian commanded the men below to aim as well.
"Fire!"
She released her arrow along with the crew, the dragon beating its wings in shock of the sudden attack. Amelia kept firing, knowing that she needed to get it away from the mast before it broke and they were stuck on this island. The dragon suddenly slipped and it breathed fire as it struggled for grip on the mast. Amelia's sharp eye caught the small shadow of Reepicheep flying through the air on a rope before sticking his sword into the dragon's toe, causing the beast to fall towards main deck. Amelia watched, helpless, as it fell but gratefully its wings pushed it into the air once more, leaving the hull intact. The dragon flew off towards the shore once again. It disappeared behind the tall rocky plains, and Amelia took a grateful breath before climbing down to main deck.
Her feet hit the wooden floor and she sighed in relief, only to see Lucy near the wheel with an expression full of fear. Amelia, already expecting the worst, turned around and saw the dragon making another approach, only this time, it had something in it's grasp.
Not something, someone.
"Edmund!' Amelia screamed until her lungs went raw and her eyes started tearing. The young king struggled with the grip of the dragon's claws, and shouted her name back to her, only for it to fade away with the beat of the dragon's wings as it flew back to shore with the king in its grasp.
Amelia, throat raw, took in Lucy's pale, fearful face, "We need to get the longboat out!"
Drinian's men followed her command without question, sensing the seriousness in her crackled voice and red eyes. They were moving in no time, with the men rowing twice as fast, though not fast enough for Amelia's thumping heart.
Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay.
In this moment, she prayed to Aslan for the first time in years.
Aslan, please... save him.
They reached the shore, and Amelia hopped out as quickly as she could, already searching the landscape for a way up to the volcano. The load beat of wings, however, interrupted her. She spotted the dragon, and it was heading right for them.
Amelia did not hesitate to notch an arrow and aim it for right between the beast's eyes. She counted down in her head, waiting for it to come closer.
Ten.
Nine.
Eight.
Seven.
Six.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
"Amelia, stop!" The sound of Edmund's voice broke her concentration, and Amelia lowered her bow slightly to see him waving his arms frantically, "It's Eustace! It's Eustace!"
You've got to be joking.
That evening, a few of them stood on the beach as the sun set. An unhappy Eustace-dragon was scratching his wrist on the rocky floor in an attempt to get rid of the golden bracelet that covered his forearm. Amelia's arms were crossed, her features unimpressed by the turn of events. This is a day sent from hell.
"He must've gotten tempted by the treasure," Edmund explained, and Amelia nodded in agreement, though she refused to speak a word to him. Her earlier worry for him had led her to forget her anger at both him and Caspian, but the now calm setting caused her to remember it all too well.
"Well anyone knows a dragon's treasure is enchanted," Caspian retorted, though he took note of Eustace's dirty look, "Well anyone from... here."
Lucy, ever kind hearted, approached her cousin and neatly gripped the edges of the gold bracelet before ripping it off, causing Eustace to let out a slight raw of pain at his now raw skin. Amelia cringed, the sound unwelcome to her sensitive ears.
"Is there any way to change him back?" Edmund asked.
Caspian sighed and looked at Drinian, "Not that I know of." The captain also shook his head.
Edmund closed his eyes in defeat, "Aunt Alberta will not be pleased." Amelia was almost tempted to laugh.
"Sorry about the hand old boy," Reepicheep came forward, "I can be a little over zealous at times."
The dragon growled low, but made no move to retort. Drinian's first mate, the Minotaur, announced that the longboats were ready for their return to the ship. Lucy was quick to oppose.
"We can't leave him alone."
"Well we can't bring him on board, your majesty," Drinian had a point.
Caspian sighed, "Drinian, you and the others take one boat back. The rest of us will stay here until morning and try and figure out what to do."
Gale's father was hesitant to leave the king, "But, your majesty, you have no provisions and no means of staying warm."
To her amusement, Eustace the dragon made himself useful and used his newfound talents to set a nearby piece of driftwood ablaze. Amelia, suddenly overwhelmed by the day's events, burst out in laughter, "You were saying?"
The night came quickly, and the few that remained on shore quickly settled around the fire, Amelia making sure that Lucy formed a barrier between her and the boys to avoid any awkward confrontations. Gale lay between the two girls, looking solemly at her necklace with a picture of her stolen mother engraved upon it. The only sound was the distant mumbling of Edmund and Caspian along with the crackling of the fire.
"I miss my mummy," the little girl suddenly blurted out.
Amelia cringed at the thought, Can't relate, I'm afraid. Amelia had hardly thought of her deceased mother since the Golden Age. The White Witch only ever invaded her nightmares. Since the war, the thought of mothers only left Amelia with a bitter taste in her mouth. But still, she understood not all women were like her mother, and based on Gale and her father, Gale's mother was probably the sweetest person in the whole world – if she was anything like her daughter.
"I miss mine too," Lucy said in an attempt to comfort the youngest girl, "Don't worry, you'll see her again."
"How do you know?"
Amelia decided to add her bit to the conversation, "It's all about faith, little Gale. You just have to have hope."
Lucy agreed, "Aslan will help us."
Gale, however, did not seem reassured, "But Aslan couldn't stop her from being taken."
Lucy smiled, "We'll find her. I promise. Somehow."
And with Lucy's wishful words, the three beauties drifted off into a restless sleep.
Amelia awoke the next morning, however, with a red-faced, excited Gale hopping around. "Amelia! Amelia! Look! It's the star!"
Amelia, still half dazed from her slumber, gazed up into the early morning sky, and with a breath of relief, she saw it, their last hope...
The Blue Star.