FIC: The Forgiven, Chapter 3
Here's Chapter 3...
Title: The Forgiven, Chapter 3
Author: icheb-lover
Pairing: Edmund/Eustace
Rating: PG-13, currently PG
Summary: During the voyage of the Dawn Treader, cousins Edmund and Eustace learn love, grace and forgiveness.
Disclaimer: Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and the Chronicles of Narnia, belong to C.S. Lewis. No copyright infringement is intended.
Warnings: slash (duh!), incest (1st cousins), and underage (15 and 13)
Chapter 3: Draco Init
Edmund was sleeping very deeply in the tent that he shared with Caspian, when he woke quite suddenly. He stared up at the canvas walls of the tent, listening to Caspian’s deep breaths beside him. He couldn’t think why he was awake when he was so very tired. He’d spent all afternoon searching for that blighter of a cousin of his, had gone to bed very late, and would have to get up very early the next day to search for him. Still, he felt his stomach clench with concern when he thought of the dead, half-eaten dragon in the distant valley, and of Rhince’s remark that the dragon had probably eaten Eustace. How would he and Lucy explain to Uncle Harold and Aunt Alberta that a dragon had eaten their only son?
Edmund found that he couldn’t get back to sleep. Crawling out of the tent, careful not to wake Caspian, the King needed his sleep, Edmund decided to go for a walk along the beach. Perhaps the cool breeze would calm him down, so that he could get back to sleep.
“Bother Eustace!” Edmund muttered to himself, as he walked through the trees that surrounded the camp. “Really, he’s made such a mess of things.” Thinking about Eustace was far from calming. Among his thoughts of anger and annoyance, his imagination kept thinking of his cousin, imagining him being eaten by a dragon, or falling into a pond and drowning. He could easily picture his cousin’s terrified face, he’d seen it that afternoon in Lucy’s bedroom, and the thought of his cousin in pain bothered him more than he cared to admit. “Please,” he muttered, in a silent prayer to Aslan, “please let him be alive!”
By now, Edmund had crossed beyond the last row of trees and was headed for the beach. He looked out into the bay, and saw the Dawn Treader, still proud despite her recent injuries. Her mast was gone, her sails in tatters, and her colours faded, but she was still a beautiful little ship, he thought with pride. His eyes returned to the shore, and the narrow strip of silver sand, gleaming in the moonlight.
As he stepped out from the trees, Edmund heard a sound of wings, like an enormous bat, flapping over his head. He ducked quickly into the woods again, as an enormous dragon flew over the tops of the trees and landed on the beach, between him and the ship. Edmund rushed back to the camp - he had to warn the others.
He woke Caspian first, and together the alerted the rest, except Lucy, who wouldn’t be much use in the fight anyway. Caspian gathered them all around the fire. Even with the four that Caspian had sent back to the ship, they were still too few to be able to do much against a dragon of that size, not to mention weak, exhausted and half-starved. Caspian never the less, quickly formulated a plan to deal with the dragon.
//“By your majesty’s leave”// Reepicheep had begun, and Edmund had to stifle a laugh, despite the seriousness of the situation, at the thought of the two-foot mouse engaging the dragon in single combat.
By now Caspian had resumed speaking, and Edmund paid close attention. If they were to have a chance against such a formidable opponent, they would all have to follow the King’s instructions to the letter.
// “We must keep close watch, and, as soon as it is light, go down to the beach and give it battle. I will lead. King Edmund will be on my right and the Lord Drinian on my left. There are no other arrangements to be made. It will be light in a couple of hours. In an hour’s time let a meal be served and what is left of the wine. And let everything be done silently.”//
“Oh, lovely” thought Edmund to himself, though he was careful to keep his face looking sufficiently brave, “I get to have a last meal.” Suddenly, Edmund was aware that Lucy had woken, and had stepped into the firelight beside him. His sister looked younger than ever, dressed in one of Caspian’s tunics. He felt a stab of fear; if they were all killed fighting the dragon, Lucy would be left all alone on this island, with the dragon!
Lucy was speaking to the group, // “Perhaps it will go away?”//
Edmund found that he was the one to answer her. // “It will be worse if it does,”// he said grimly, // “because then we shan’t know where it is. If there’s a wasp in the room I like to be able to see it.”//
Edmund found, as he sat hunched beside the fire, that the cold mutton served for supper stuck in his throat. The thought of facing such an enormous dragon was not a pleasant one, especially a dragon that had likely already eaten his cousin, and part of another dragon. Lucy, nearby, was whispering questions to Caspian and Reep, and Edmund could hear Reep’s answers, his chirpy voice sounding loud in the dim light. The sound blended in with the insects chirping all around them. Dawn was not far off.
In the grey light of the dawn Edmund girt his sword around his waist, and set off for the beach, at Caspian’s right hand side. Lucy insisted on coming along, and Edmund and Caspian let her, after all, she might as well die with them as separately. With the troop of men, and mouse, beside him, Edmund found that his courage had returned. He would likely die, but at least he would be avenging his cousin’s death.
Soon, they were marching across the beach towards the dragon, swords drawn. Edmund was surprised that the dragon didn’t clap its wings, or breath fire at them, or do any of the things that dragon should do when faced with a challenge. It just sat there, on the beach, looking miserable. Edmund had never seen a dragon look this miserable, and he had seen several dragons, as king of Narnia. It retreated when it saw them coming, waddling down the beach on his hind legs, and that wasn’t normal dragon behaviour either. The dragon was behaving very oddly indeed.
// “What’s it wagging its head like that for?”// demanded Edmund in amazement.
The others had noticed the dragon’s strange behaviour, as well. Stopping on the beach, they watched the dragon carefully.
// “And now it nodding,”// Caspian added.
Soon Drinian chimed in as well. // “And there’s something coming from its eyes.”//
Edmund was about to comment on the fact that it was walking on its hind legs, when he heard Lucy burst out behind him. //“Oh, can’t you see,”// she exclaimed. // “It’s crying. Those are tears.”// To his amazement, Edmund realized that Lucy was right. The dragon was crying. Meanwhile, Drinian was answering Lucy.
// “I wouldn’t trust to that, Ma’am,”// the Captain said politely. // “That’s what dragon’s do, to put you off your guard.”//
Just as Drinian spoke, however, the dragon began to wag its head. //“ Just as if it meant No. Look, there it goes again”// remarked Edmund.
// “Do you think it understands what we’re saying?”// asked Lucy, and the dragon nodded its head violently.
Suddenly, Edmund was aware of something brushing his leg, and watched in amazement as tiny Reepicheep approached the dragon. Reepicheep was challenging the dragon!
Quickly enough, Reep had acertained that the dragon couldn’t speak, but could understand speech, and that it wanted to be friends with them. But, as the dragon raised its left foreleg to swear friendship, Edmund saw that the leg was swollen and deformed. Something was hurting the dragon terribly.
But as Lucy tried to heal the dragon’s arm with her cordial, Caspian suddenly noticed what it was that was hurting the dragon’s arm. Edmond heard Caspian’s gasp as they stared at the golden arm-ring. It had the hammer and the diamond over it, like a star. Soon Caspian had declared it to be the arm-ring of the Lord Octesian, one of the Narnian Lords who they were searching.
Edmund felt a fresh wave a fury filling him. The pity he had felt at the dragon’s pain was replaced by fury. The dragon had not only killed his cousin, but a Narnian Lord as well. He could tell from the angry muttering behind him that he was not the only one upset.
Reepicheep had again challenged the dragon. // “Villain,”// the tiny mouse proclaimed, // “have you devoured a Narnian Lord?” But the dragon was shaking its head in vehement denial, and Edmund found himself believing the creature. Certainly it was not acting like it intended to eat them all.
Meanwhile, from beside the dragon’s arm, Lucy was suggesting that perhaps the dragon was the Lord Octesian, under an enchantment. The dragon denied that he was the Lord Octesian. When Lucy asked whether he was someone human, under an enchantment, the dragon nodded.
Edmund felt as if he’d been hit in the stomach. He suddenly felt, with a cold certainty, that he knew who this dragon was. He managed to gasp out, // “You’re not-not Eustace by any chance?”//
And the dragon nodded his great scaly head, and started to cry, and Edmund knew that they had a whole new problem on their hands.
Title: The Forgiven, Chapter 3
Author: icheb-lover
Pairing: Edmund/Eustace
Rating: PG-13, currently PG
Summary: During the voyage of the Dawn Treader, cousins Edmund and Eustace learn love, grace and forgiveness.
Disclaimer: Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and the Chronicles of Narnia, belong to C.S. Lewis. No copyright infringement is intended.
Warnings: slash (duh!), incest (1st cousins), and underage (15 and 13)
Chapter 3: Draco Init
Edmund was sleeping very deeply in the tent that he shared with Caspian, when he woke quite suddenly. He stared up at the canvas walls of the tent, listening to Caspian’s deep breaths beside him. He couldn’t think why he was awake when he was so very tired. He’d spent all afternoon searching for that blighter of a cousin of his, had gone to bed very late, and would have to get up very early the next day to search for him. Still, he felt his stomach clench with concern when he thought of the dead, half-eaten dragon in the distant valley, and of Rhince’s remark that the dragon had probably eaten Eustace. How would he and Lucy explain to Uncle Harold and Aunt Alberta that a dragon had eaten their only son?
Edmund found that he couldn’t get back to sleep. Crawling out of the tent, careful not to wake Caspian, the King needed his sleep, Edmund decided to go for a walk along the beach. Perhaps the cool breeze would calm him down, so that he could get back to sleep.
“Bother Eustace!” Edmund muttered to himself, as he walked through the trees that surrounded the camp. “Really, he’s made such a mess of things.” Thinking about Eustace was far from calming. Among his thoughts of anger and annoyance, his imagination kept thinking of his cousin, imagining him being eaten by a dragon, or falling into a pond and drowning. He could easily picture his cousin’s terrified face, he’d seen it that afternoon in Lucy’s bedroom, and the thought of his cousin in pain bothered him more than he cared to admit. “Please,” he muttered, in a silent prayer to Aslan, “please let him be alive!”
By now, Edmund had crossed beyond the last row of trees and was headed for the beach. He looked out into the bay, and saw the Dawn Treader, still proud despite her recent injuries. Her mast was gone, her sails in tatters, and her colours faded, but she was still a beautiful little ship, he thought with pride. His eyes returned to the shore, and the narrow strip of silver sand, gleaming in the moonlight.
As he stepped out from the trees, Edmund heard a sound of wings, like an enormous bat, flapping over his head. He ducked quickly into the woods again, as an enormous dragon flew over the tops of the trees and landed on the beach, between him and the ship. Edmund rushed back to the camp - he had to warn the others.
He woke Caspian first, and together the alerted the rest, except Lucy, who wouldn’t be much use in the fight anyway. Caspian gathered them all around the fire. Even with the four that Caspian had sent back to the ship, they were still too few to be able to do much against a dragon of that size, not to mention weak, exhausted and half-starved. Caspian never the less, quickly formulated a plan to deal with the dragon.
//“By your majesty’s leave”// Reepicheep had begun, and Edmund had to stifle a laugh, despite the seriousness of the situation, at the thought of the two-foot mouse engaging the dragon in single combat.
By now Caspian had resumed speaking, and Edmund paid close attention. If they were to have a chance against such a formidable opponent, they would all have to follow the King’s instructions to the letter.
// “We must keep close watch, and, as soon as it is light, go down to the beach and give it battle. I will lead. King Edmund will be on my right and the Lord Drinian on my left. There are no other arrangements to be made. It will be light in a couple of hours. In an hour’s time let a meal be served and what is left of the wine. And let everything be done silently.”//
“Oh, lovely” thought Edmund to himself, though he was careful to keep his face looking sufficiently brave, “I get to have a last meal.” Suddenly, Edmund was aware that Lucy had woken, and had stepped into the firelight beside him. His sister looked younger than ever, dressed in one of Caspian’s tunics. He felt a stab of fear; if they were all killed fighting the dragon, Lucy would be left all alone on this island, with the dragon!
Lucy was speaking to the group, // “Perhaps it will go away?”//
Edmund found that he was the one to answer her. // “It will be worse if it does,”// he said grimly, // “because then we shan’t know where it is. If there’s a wasp in the room I like to be able to see it.”//
Edmund found, as he sat hunched beside the fire, that the cold mutton served for supper stuck in his throat. The thought of facing such an enormous dragon was not a pleasant one, especially a dragon that had likely already eaten his cousin, and part of another dragon. Lucy, nearby, was whispering questions to Caspian and Reep, and Edmund could hear Reep’s answers, his chirpy voice sounding loud in the dim light. The sound blended in with the insects chirping all around them. Dawn was not far off.
In the grey light of the dawn Edmund girt his sword around his waist, and set off for the beach, at Caspian’s right hand side. Lucy insisted on coming along, and Edmund and Caspian let her, after all, she might as well die with them as separately. With the troop of men, and mouse, beside him, Edmund found that his courage had returned. He would likely die, but at least he would be avenging his cousin’s death.
Soon, they were marching across the beach towards the dragon, swords drawn. Edmund was surprised that the dragon didn’t clap its wings, or breath fire at them, or do any of the things that dragon should do when faced with a challenge. It just sat there, on the beach, looking miserable. Edmund had never seen a dragon look this miserable, and he had seen several dragons, as king of Narnia. It retreated when it saw them coming, waddling down the beach on his hind legs, and that wasn’t normal dragon behaviour either. The dragon was behaving very oddly indeed.
// “What’s it wagging its head like that for?”// demanded Edmund in amazement.
The others had noticed the dragon’s strange behaviour, as well. Stopping on the beach, they watched the dragon carefully.
// “And now it nodding,”// Caspian added.
Soon Drinian chimed in as well. // “And there’s something coming from its eyes.”//
Edmund was about to comment on the fact that it was walking on its hind legs, when he heard Lucy burst out behind him. //“Oh, can’t you see,”// she exclaimed. // “It’s crying. Those are tears.”// To his amazement, Edmund realized that Lucy was right. The dragon was crying. Meanwhile, Drinian was answering Lucy.
// “I wouldn’t trust to that, Ma’am,”// the Captain said politely. // “That’s what dragon’s do, to put you off your guard.”//
Just as Drinian spoke, however, the dragon began to wag its head. //“ Just as if it meant No. Look, there it goes again”// remarked Edmund.
// “Do you think it understands what we’re saying?”// asked Lucy, and the dragon nodded its head violently.
Suddenly, Edmund was aware of something brushing his leg, and watched in amazement as tiny Reepicheep approached the dragon. Reepicheep was challenging the dragon!
Quickly enough, Reep had acertained that the dragon couldn’t speak, but could understand speech, and that it wanted to be friends with them. But, as the dragon raised its left foreleg to swear friendship, Edmund saw that the leg was swollen and deformed. Something was hurting the dragon terribly.
But as Lucy tried to heal the dragon’s arm with her cordial, Caspian suddenly noticed what it was that was hurting the dragon’s arm. Edmond heard Caspian’s gasp as they stared at the golden arm-ring. It had the hammer and the diamond over it, like a star. Soon Caspian had declared it to be the arm-ring of the Lord Octesian, one of the Narnian Lords who they were searching.
Edmund felt a fresh wave a fury filling him. The pity he had felt at the dragon’s pain was replaced by fury. The dragon had not only killed his cousin, but a Narnian Lord as well. He could tell from the angry muttering behind him that he was not the only one upset.
Reepicheep had again challenged the dragon. // “Villain,”// the tiny mouse proclaimed, // “have you devoured a Narnian Lord?” But the dragon was shaking its head in vehement denial, and Edmund found himself believing the creature. Certainly it was not acting like it intended to eat them all.
Meanwhile, from beside the dragon’s arm, Lucy was suggesting that perhaps the dragon was the Lord Octesian, under an enchantment. The dragon denied that he was the Lord Octesian. When Lucy asked whether he was someone human, under an enchantment, the dragon nodded.
Edmund felt as if he’d been hit in the stomach. He suddenly felt, with a cold certainty, that he knew who this dragon was. He managed to gasp out, // “You’re not-not Eustace by any chance?”//
And the dragon nodded his great scaly head, and started to cry, and Edmund knew that they had a whole new problem on their hands.