Wind whipped through my hair causing it to fly around my face, a huge grin on my lips. Despite all of the things I'd been through and seen in my life, nothing made me more excited or happier than feeling that crisp ocean breeze, the sting of the salt water against my cheeks, and gazing at the sight of a pure blue sky above with a calm ocean below.
Even after an entire month on the Dawn Treader in open waters, I never seemed to get tired of it. I could easily see why men chose to live their lives on ships. There was something so freeing about not being tied down to the earth under your feet and letting yourself be at the mercy of the sea and it's creatures. That, and there were no major responsibilities other than chores to make sure the ship ran smooth. Even though I loved home with my entire heart and I loved being queen, I couldn't deny that I also loved the freedom that came from this ship.
While I had reservations about coming on this quest with Caspian, I now considered it one of my best decisions. A small part of me still feared that when I returned home, Trumpkin would tell me how I had missed Edmund and Lucy's return to Narnia and my heart would be crushed. But, as another sea breeze kissed my cheeks I found that I wasn't as worried as I normally would have been. After all, I had to trust Aslan who had told me almost 3 years ago now that Edmund and I would meet again.
I had to believe in that no matter what.
Noise on deck broke me out of my reverie as the lookout began calling down to Caspian and the rest of the crew.
"3 overboard! Off the port bow!" I looked over my shoulder and shared a look with Drinian, Caspian's first mate and captain of the ship when my brother and I weren't on board. I couldn't recall the sound of splashing, other than the gentle lapping of waves at the sides of the ship as it sliced through the water. There hadn't been an uproar like there normally would be if someone fell overboard, let alone enough noise for 3 people. Also no one on deck, who surely would have seen someone go over before the lookout had, raised any alarm. A quick survey of the deck also showed that almost everyone was accounted for other than those who were needed below deck like the cook.
The majority of the crew drifted to the port side to try and see who was in the water while I stayed on the raised platform with Drinian near the wheel. I saw Caspian lean over the side of the boat, look back to a few of the crew members around him, then leap into the water with several crew members right behind him. I let out a deep sigh and Drinian raised an eyebrow at me.
"Is he not worried that whoever is in the water isn't friendly?" I asked. "I swear he does things without thinking sometimes. He just goes with his gut and raw intuition."
"Aye, but one could argue that's what makes him such a good king," Drinian said and I sighed again, this time a small smile tugging at my lips.
"I guess I can't argue with you there," I said then turned back to the deck to watch what was happening. From my vantage point I could just make out that Caspian had reached the first person although I was too far away to make out any of their features. After a minute or so, they both turned and began to swing back towards the ship with the other 2 newcomers close behind with the other crew members.
Immediately the pulley was readied and dropped into the water for Caspian and the stranger to stand on so that the crew could pull them up to the ship without the hassle of a ladder. A few minutes later, my brother appeared completely soaked through. The stranger was on the far side of the board they stood on, so Caspian's tall frame blocked my view. What I could see though was Caspian's face. He was smiling brightly, which confused me. It wasn't that Caspian never smiled, but he looked as if someone had just told him the best joke he'd ever heard. It fact, he had just dove into the freezing water after these strangers who mysteriously appeared next to our boat, and had come back looking happier than I'd seen him in several years.
Tired of trying to puzzle it out on my own, I went down to the main deck to see Caspian walking towards me with a towel around his neck and his arm around the shoulder of someone. My eyes went to this newcomer, and time slowed around me. That hazel hair, those dark eyes, that bright unabashed smile. Lucy.
As they came closer, my mind was going a million miles a minute. I wanted to sprint to her and crush her in a huge hug. I wanted to hit her for leaving in the first place even though I knew it wasn't her fault. I wanted to ask the seemingly endless questions that were now swarming in my brain like "How are you here?" and "How are Peter and Susan" but most importantly "Are you here alone?"
Instead, I pushed that all aside and went to her and we hugged each other while laughing, my eyes tearing up because I couldn't quite believe that she was here. She was here, on this ship, in front of me. I had proof in the wet spots that now dotted my clothes were her wet clothes had touched mine.
"It's so good to see you again Cat," she smiled at me and I returned it with equal measure.
"Same here. You have no idea how much I've missed you." Lucy raised her eyebrow and smirked at me.
"Was it me you missed? Or someone else?" I looked at her confused.
"What do you mean? Of course I mis..." My words died in my throat when I glanced over her shoulder and saw him walking towards us.
Edmund. They guy who had captured my heart since I'd first seen him in those Narnian woods all those years ago. Who had been on my mind every single day since he'd left and a piece of my heart had left with him.
For a moment, I almost didn't believe my eyes. It was like my brain couldn't process that he was standing in front of me with an adorable look on his face. Then before I even realized it I was running at him, sprinting actually, as fast as my legs could take me. I flung my arms out and crashed into him sending both of us to the deck, much to the amusement of the rest of the crew who I could hear laughing at us.
Our faces were mere inches away and I could feel his breath on my face. That itself almost made me start balling like a child. The fact that I could feel his breath on me of all things. But it was because it meant that he was here, alive, in front of me. Or, more like under me.
"You have no idea how much I've missed you," he whispered, one of his hands brushing my cheek where my scar was.
"Ditto," I smiled, my grin so wide it was threatening to split my face.
"Alright, someone help them up before they start snogging," I heard one of the crew members exclaim and instantly my face went fire red. As the two of us got to our feet, I hear Caspian ask Lucy how they'd ended up in front of our ship which was great, because I was seriously wondering that myself.
"I have no idea," Lucy answered.
"Well," I thought. "Anticlimactic but predictable." While normally it would seem extremely odd that two people had just suddenly appeared in the middle of the ocean, these were the Pevensie siblings. Before, Edmund had told me that the first time they'd come to Narnia had been through a wardrobe of all things, so for them to appear in the middle of the sea didn't seem so far fetched.
Once Ed and I got to our feet, Caspian and Edmund greeted each other as Cas put his towel around Edmund's shoulders.
"Didn't you call for us?" Lucy asked. Caspian and I shared a quick look of confusion before turning back to Lucy.
"No, not this time," Cas answered.
"Well, whatever the case I'm just glad to be here," Edmund said while glancing at me.
Almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth, a horrible shrieking broke the happy, calm atmosphere of the ship. We all turned to see Reepicheep on top of who looked to be a young boy yelling and flailing around on the deck.
Ah, right. The lookout had said three overboard.
"Get that thing off me!" he cried while pushing Reep off of him, causing the mouse to skitter across the wooden deck for a second before righting himself and running towards our group.
"Reepicheep!" Lucy greeted excitedly. The mouse looked up, somewhat startled to see Lucy and Edmund, before straightening his sword and bowing in an extremely Reep like manner.
"Your majesties," he greeted formally, although his tiny face held a genuine smile.
"Hello Reep, what a pleasure," Edmund said happily.
"The pleasure is all mine sir," Reep declared. "But first, what to do about this... this hysterical interloper?"
My gaze followed to where Reep had gestured to the boy who was now coughing up water onto the deck.
"That giant rat thing tried to claw my face off!" he cried, scurrying backwards as if trying to get away from us. Despite myself, a small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. This child hadn't been on the boat for more than five minutes and already he was offending the crew. I wasn't sure who he was yet or how he had come to be in Narnia with Edmund and Lucy, but something told me that him being here would definitely be interesting.
"I was merely trying to expel the water from your lungs sir," Reep defended himself.
"It talks!" the boy cried while shakily getting to his feet. My smiled twitched even harder. Clearly this poor boy was in for the shock of his life if he was this freaked out over a mouse talking. He hadn't even seen our resident minotaur yet. "Did you see that? Anyone hear that? It just talked!" the boy continued, pointing at Reepicheep and staring at the crew around him with wide eyes.
"He always talks," one of the crewmen piped up and was met with a couple chuckles.
"Actually, it's getting him to shut up that's the trick," I chimed in and was met with more laughs from the crew. It was true that while I adored Reepicheep and I'd never met a more loyal soul in my life, he did have the uncanny ability to talk for days. Even at times, about absolutely nothing. And after spending an entire month with him at sea, I'd become quite used to the sound of his voice.
"The moment there is nothing to be said your highness, I promise you I will not say it," Reep responded. I smiled at him showing I meant no ill will with the joke which he returned.
"I don't know what kind of prank this is, but I want to wake up right now!" My eyebrows raised as the boy stamped his feet like a young child.
"Maybe we could throw him back?" Reep suggested, and damn it if we hadn't just had the same thought. I glanced over to Edmund who was standing next to me and from the look he was giving the boy, it seemed like he was very much considering Reepicheep's offer.
Lucy also seemed to realize this as she elbowed her brother quite hard.
"Edmund!" she admonished, although he didn't look the slightest bit sorry.
The boy began to cry for a second and I felt a twinge of guilt for thinking of throwing him overboard. Clearly he was overwhelmed and scared. I'm sure it didn't help that the entire crew were just looking at him rather than being helpful and telling him what he wanted to know.
He walked to the other side of the deck shouting, "I demand to know just where in the blazes am I!" when he almost walked right into Tavros, our ship's resident minotaur.
"You're on the Dawn Treader," the bull boomed in his deep baritone. "The finest ship in Narnia's navy."
Truly, the poor boy never stood a chance. The second he saw Tavros it was over as he fainted right then and there. The crew laughed and Caspian walked over. Tavros turned towards my brother, confusion all over his face.
"What?" he asked. "Was it something I said?"
"See to him will you?" Cas asked to which Tavros agreed. Then, Caspian came back to where the three of us were standing and went up a couple steps of on the staircase leading to the raised platform.
"Men!' he called getting the attention of the whole crew. "Behold our castaways. Edmund the Just, and Lucy the Valiant. High King and Queen of Narnia."
The entire crew bowed before my friends and I glanced back at Caspian sharing a smile.
As crazy as it was, the Pevensies were with us once again. Narnia's king and queen of old had returned, and I was ready for whatever adventure we went on this time.