Big Bang Fic: The Red Leather Trousers Escapade (2/17)
Title: The Red Leather Trousers Escapade (2/17)
Author: wingedflight21
Rating: K+
Word Count: ~24K
Disclaimer: The Chronicles of Narnia do not, never have, and most likely never will belong to me.
Possible Spoilers/Warnings: Occurs in an AU of The Silver Chair.
Author's Notes: A huge thanks to snitchnipped, rthstewart, and especially accidentalsquid as well as anyone else who helped me through these last few months and numerous chapters.
Summary: An assassination attempt gone wrong sends Jill and Eustace off to solve the mystery behind the attacks, all while playing dead. SCAUverse.
-X-
Chapter One
-X-
The wine, for all the Haluans’ exaltations, was nothing special. Eustace was no expert but he had attended enough state functions back in Narnia to have gained a passable knowledge in the area of fine wines - or, at least, enough to know that this particular bottle could not be included among the higher ranked. In fact, it tasted much the same as the wines served at any of the dinners he’d attended since the delegation had arrived in Halua. But he wasn’t about to undo the little headway Narnia had made during negotiations; Eustace smiled and nodded and diplomatically agreed that this bottle of wine really was fantastic.
Besides, a more pressing concern for him at the moment was the location of this impromptu wine tasting. Just because he had once fallen from the edge of a distressingly tall cliff with less-than-disastrous results did not mean that his fear of heights had dissipated. Rather, Eustace was careful to retain his distance from the edges of balconies and castle walls and, of course, cliffs.
Really, he had no idea why he had agreed to join the group on this hike.
Jill was enjoying herself, of course. She had her wine glass in one hand, sipping at it occasionally while holding conversation with Ambassador Glozelle and Akili Jonuk. The wind was picking up so it was difficult to make out their conversation but Eustace preferred the safety of his position as opposed to nearing the cliff’s edge in order to join in. Even if it did mean he was trapped in conversation with a man who could not let go of a topic.
“The issue with the pineapple export,” Akili Nanutoku was saying to him, “is that the voyage to Narnia takes far too long. By the time the ships reach destination, the fruit has rotted.”
It was an argument that Eustace had heard multiple times already. “And the only place close enough is Calormen, yes.”
“Which is in financial instability. No Tarkaan wants to spend money on the luxuries of imported fruit! My lord, Calormen’s foolish economic mistakes are going to be the downfall of Halua. We don’t have the time to play diplomatic games with Narnia. This country needs help.”
“Not lord,” Eustace said awkwardly, “I’m just a knight.”
The Akili had opened his mouth to continue but Eustace’s words made him pause. “My apologies,” he murmured, “I assumed the position of one from Beyond World’s End…”
Eustace glanced over to Jill again. She was twisting the tail of her braid around the fingers of her free hand as she strolled closer to the edge of the cliff. Eustace felt a surge of worry and fought to ignore it; they both knew that the last time he had interfered, it had ended badly.
“There is little else to offer in terms of imports,” Nanutoku went on, “Please, sir. It is time to look beyond what is best for Narnia in order to do what is right for a fellow independent country.”
The accusations that Narnia did not care for Halua’s stability were getting more than a little tiring. In a flat voice, Eustace responded, “Akili, I have heard all this and more during the trade negotiations. Akili Lanuka, in particular, is very vocal about the issues you have voiced. I assure you that these points are being taken into consideration as we work to create a fair and appropriate trade agreement between our two countries.”
“My cousin is strongly opposed to the Calormene control,” Nanutoku acknowledged.
“And with the goodwill of her and the other members of the council, we hope to come to a consensus soon.”
Nanutoku looked ready to continue, but Eustace added, “Forgive me, Akili, but I must ask, where was it this wine was from? It is quite exquisite.”
The man beamed. “Imported from the south of Calormen, sir. Such wines are quite expensive and it is a real honour to be able to share a bottle with our guests.”
Eustace decided to refrain from mentioning that as far as he could tell, such wine was widely available anywhere on the continent. Instead, he brought his glass to his mouth, taking a sip as he looked out over the island.
The sun was hanging over the island peak, large and bright and hot. Eustace could understand why the grass was a faded green; he felt like wilting in this heat, as well. To the north side of the island, the colours were much richer. Someone had told him the vegetation preferred that side of the island as it faced the winds and received more rainfall. He hadn’t had a chance to visit the rain forest yet and hoped that another day might be spared from the negotiations for this purpose.
To the south was Monakai, nestled in a dip of the land that stretched gracefully to the water. The city was tightly gathered around the naturally-shaped harbour, buildings dispersing the further inland they went. Much higher up the slope sat Puwaili, a complex of buildings that served as the Haluans’ castle. This was where the Akinua and his house lived, as well as where the delegation had been staying.
Eustace turned back to glance over the cliff. Although he was still some distance from the edge, it was hard to remain at ease. The ground sloped steadily down toward the edge with odd hillocks rising up to destroy the illusion of level ground. He had a fear - irrational as it might be - that if he moved even a foot closer to the edge, he’d tumble right over and down to the water below.
The Ambassador was nearing, his own glass nearly empty. Although his expression was carefully pleasant, Eustace had known him long enough to note the tense muscles around his eyes.
“Bothered by the height?” Eustace asked casually.
Nanutoku raised an eyebrow at the question but the corner of Glozelle’s mouth twitched. “I find it refreshing, actually,” the Ambassador answered, “Although I do wish we had peace from politics to better enjoy the view.” His eyes travelled past Eustace’s shoulder and over the rise of Halua Peak as if to accentuate his point.
Eustace stifled a laugh. “I can certainly agree with you there.”
-X-
The wind at the top of the cliffs was getting stronger, even as far from the edge as he was. When he kicked at the ground, the dry dust barely puffed before flying inland. It had covered the legs of his trousers already and turned the tips of his boots to orange. Eustace scowled at the leather and bent down with the intention of wiping it off - and that was when the glint of metal at the crest of the next hill caught his eye.
Once, he would not have recognized the source; once, he would not have understood the danger. But much had happened in the past six years.
“Arrow!” he shouted, and crouched low to make a smaller target.
The two Haluan lords on his right dropped down immediately, flattening against the dirt and scanning the horizon for sign of the threat. To his left, Ambassador Glozelle had disappeared behind a hillock. Eustace twisted about frantically. Jill - where was - ? He caught sight of her where she stood unknowing near the edge of the cliff, her back to the danger as she stared out over the glinting waves far below.
One tense moment as Eustace assessed the risks and then - the archer on the hill drew back his bow-string - Jill raised a hand to play with her braid - dash it all, why was it always cliffs? - he launched himself toward her.
They went down in a heap at the point where scant grass faded to dust. Eustace had meant to brace himself, to catch hold of the brush, but the muscle under his right shoulder was burning and the cliff’s edge was at enough of a slope that they were still moving -
And then support dropped out from under them.
Eustace’s stomach did a sickeningly familiar plummet. He’d felt this sensation once before but this time, there was no Lion’s breath to save him. No, nothing but the wind whistling in his ear and Jill’s terrified scream - her grip on his arm and the pain beneath his shoulder - all he could see was a blend of brown and grey and blue and deeper blue -
He slammed against water and doubled up beneath the surface. His skin was stinging from the force of the impact - somehow, he’d lost Jill’s hand - he didn’t have enough air - didn’t know which way was up -
And then, a calm reminder in the middle of the growing panic: follow the bubbles. Eustace opened his eyes and released a little more of his precious air. Everything was confused beneath the water, the spot beneath his shoulder still unbelievably painful, but Eustace managed to make out the direction the bubbles travelled. He clawed his way upward as best he could with one arm and let buoyancy take care of the rest.
“-the Lion was that?” Jill was screaming when he broke the surface. He coughed, opened his mouth to speak -
And then - two sharp splashes in tight sequence on either side of them.
Jill cried out and pulled herself back in alarm. “Is that-?” Another splash cut her off.
When Eustace looked up, he could see the silhouette of the archer - two archers, now - against the skyline. Another arrow zipped down and Jill pulled her arm away from the narrow miss. “Eustace!”
She was close to hyperventilating, he realized. “The cliff,” he gasped, “So they can’t… shoot at us… anymore.” He attempted a stroke in the right direction but the pain crawling up his right arm exploded and he doubled over instinctively. A wave washed over his head; desperately, Eustace used his good arm to pull himself to the surface again.
“-stace!” Jill had made it to his side now, reaching for him as another arrow flies down. She snatched at her arm, grimacing at the scratch. “Eustace, are you-?”
He slipped under the next wave and coughed as it slid away. An arrow hit the water barely a hand’s width from his side.
“Poor shots,” he coughed, “Lucky for us.”
“I thought you could swim,” Jill complained. She pulled at his arm and Eustace couldn’t help the grimace. And then she was close enough to see over his shoulder. “Oh. Oh, Eustace!” Another splash in the water, too close for comfort. “Eustace! The arrow!”
The next wave washed over them both and Jill’s words combined with the agonizing pain connected. Arrow. He’d been hit with an arrow. He intercepted the arrow meant for Jill.
-X-
Somehow, in the midst of the pain and the waves, Jill had managed to slide her shoulder beneath his good arm. By now, Eustace knew he was in trouble; the pain was growing and he was finding it harder to think and those damn arrows were still dropping into the water around them. He supposed it was a miracle he’d only been hit once so far and that Jill had only sustained a scratch on the side of her arm.
Another wave washed over them and they came up coughing. Jill used her free hand to wipe away the hair from around her eyes. “I’m going to start swimming,” she shouted in his ear, too loud for comfort - but he hadn’t the breath to spare to tell her that. “Hold on, Eustace.”
He snorted - what else was he planning to do? - but she didn’t even notice. He was relieved that she had managed to push aside her panic to focus on safely escaping the situation at hand. She rolled onto her side, pulled him close in a position that would hold both heads above the water, and began an awkward, one-armed stroke in the direction of the cliff.
He knew how dangerous it was in the ocean - never mind the arrows - and that there was a frightening chance that the waves and currents could dash the two of them up against the cliff and leave them unconscious to drown. Aslan, he prayed, and then there was water over his head again and the thought slipped away as he coughed upon coming up for air.
It still seemed so dreadfully far to the cliffside. Jill paused to adjust her grip and Eustace wondered whether the currents were pulling them out to sea. That’s how people drowned, he knew, the currents dragging them out and under. He tried feebly to help Jill by kicking with his legs, but the effort jarred the muscles in his back and the pain increased until it was nearly unbearable.
“Hold… still,” she panted, and turned to face him as another arrow shot past her head. She stiffened - Eustace’s thought was that she was reacting to the close call, but her eyes were too wide and the colour steadily draining from her face.
“Eustace.”
“Can’t… shoot at us… by the cliff…”
“No.”
Her eyes weren’t directed at him, Eustace realized, but at something beyond his shoulder. With effort, he twisted about, wincing at the pull of the muscles in his back.
There was a head above the water a ship’s length away. Pale, scaly skin and thick, black hair that draped around a petite face. Eyes black with no iris, lips full with no colour. It’s mouth parted in a smile to reveal rows of harsh, jagged teeth. Was it here by chance? No, that was too much to hope for. Drawn by the scent of blood in water, most like.
He had seen such a creature before, several times from the Eastern shores of Narnia and once on the voyage to Halua. He’d heard the dire warnings, listened to the horrifying recounts. Only once before had he been as close as he was now and he’d vowed never to repeat the situation if he could help it.
Jill took a shuddering breath and whispering the word like a curse: “Mermaid.”
Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Epilogue|
Author: wingedflight21
Rating: K+
Word Count: ~24K
Disclaimer: The Chronicles of Narnia do not, never have, and most likely never will belong to me.
Possible Spoilers/Warnings: Occurs in an AU of The Silver Chair.
Author's Notes: A huge thanks to snitchnipped, rthstewart, and especially accidentalsquid as well as anyone else who helped me through these last few months and numerous chapters.
Summary: An assassination attempt gone wrong sends Jill and Eustace off to solve the mystery behind the attacks, all while playing dead. SCAUverse.
-X-
Chapter One
-X-
The wine, for all the Haluans’ exaltations, was nothing special. Eustace was no expert but he had attended enough state functions back in Narnia to have gained a passable knowledge in the area of fine wines - or, at least, enough to know that this particular bottle could not be included among the higher ranked. In fact, it tasted much the same as the wines served at any of the dinners he’d attended since the delegation had arrived in Halua. But he wasn’t about to undo the little headway Narnia had made during negotiations; Eustace smiled and nodded and diplomatically agreed that this bottle of wine really was fantastic.
Besides, a more pressing concern for him at the moment was the location of this impromptu wine tasting. Just because he had once fallen from the edge of a distressingly tall cliff with less-than-disastrous results did not mean that his fear of heights had dissipated. Rather, Eustace was careful to retain his distance from the edges of balconies and castle walls and, of course, cliffs.
Really, he had no idea why he had agreed to join the group on this hike.
Jill was enjoying herself, of course. She had her wine glass in one hand, sipping at it occasionally while holding conversation with Ambassador Glozelle and Akili Jonuk. The wind was picking up so it was difficult to make out their conversation but Eustace preferred the safety of his position as opposed to nearing the cliff’s edge in order to join in. Even if it did mean he was trapped in conversation with a man who could not let go of a topic.
“The issue with the pineapple export,” Akili Nanutoku was saying to him, “is that the voyage to Narnia takes far too long. By the time the ships reach destination, the fruit has rotted.”
It was an argument that Eustace had heard multiple times already. “And the only place close enough is Calormen, yes.”
“Which is in financial instability. No Tarkaan wants to spend money on the luxuries of imported fruit! My lord, Calormen’s foolish economic mistakes are going to be the downfall of Halua. We don’t have the time to play diplomatic games with Narnia. This country needs help.”
“Not lord,” Eustace said awkwardly, “I’m just a knight.”
The Akili had opened his mouth to continue but Eustace’s words made him pause. “My apologies,” he murmured, “I assumed the position of one from Beyond World’s End…”
Eustace glanced over to Jill again. She was twisting the tail of her braid around the fingers of her free hand as she strolled closer to the edge of the cliff. Eustace felt a surge of worry and fought to ignore it; they both knew that the last time he had interfered, it had ended badly.
“There is little else to offer in terms of imports,” Nanutoku went on, “Please, sir. It is time to look beyond what is best for Narnia in order to do what is right for a fellow independent country.”
The accusations that Narnia did not care for Halua’s stability were getting more than a little tiring. In a flat voice, Eustace responded, “Akili, I have heard all this and more during the trade negotiations. Akili Lanuka, in particular, is very vocal about the issues you have voiced. I assure you that these points are being taken into consideration as we work to create a fair and appropriate trade agreement between our two countries.”
“My cousin is strongly opposed to the Calormene control,” Nanutoku acknowledged.
“And with the goodwill of her and the other members of the council, we hope to come to a consensus soon.”
Nanutoku looked ready to continue, but Eustace added, “Forgive me, Akili, but I must ask, where was it this wine was from? It is quite exquisite.”
The man beamed. “Imported from the south of Calormen, sir. Such wines are quite expensive and it is a real honour to be able to share a bottle with our guests.”
Eustace decided to refrain from mentioning that as far as he could tell, such wine was widely available anywhere on the continent. Instead, he brought his glass to his mouth, taking a sip as he looked out over the island.
The sun was hanging over the island peak, large and bright and hot. Eustace could understand why the grass was a faded green; he felt like wilting in this heat, as well. To the north side of the island, the colours were much richer. Someone had told him the vegetation preferred that side of the island as it faced the winds and received more rainfall. He hadn’t had a chance to visit the rain forest yet and hoped that another day might be spared from the negotiations for this purpose.
To the south was Monakai, nestled in a dip of the land that stretched gracefully to the water. The city was tightly gathered around the naturally-shaped harbour, buildings dispersing the further inland they went. Much higher up the slope sat Puwaili, a complex of buildings that served as the Haluans’ castle. This was where the Akinua and his house lived, as well as where the delegation had been staying.
Eustace turned back to glance over the cliff. Although he was still some distance from the edge, it was hard to remain at ease. The ground sloped steadily down toward the edge with odd hillocks rising up to destroy the illusion of level ground. He had a fear - irrational as it might be - that if he moved even a foot closer to the edge, he’d tumble right over and down to the water below.
The Ambassador was nearing, his own glass nearly empty. Although his expression was carefully pleasant, Eustace had known him long enough to note the tense muscles around his eyes.
“Bothered by the height?” Eustace asked casually.
Nanutoku raised an eyebrow at the question but the corner of Glozelle’s mouth twitched. “I find it refreshing, actually,” the Ambassador answered, “Although I do wish we had peace from politics to better enjoy the view.” His eyes travelled past Eustace’s shoulder and over the rise of Halua Peak as if to accentuate his point.
Eustace stifled a laugh. “I can certainly agree with you there.”
-X-
The wind at the top of the cliffs was getting stronger, even as far from the edge as he was. When he kicked at the ground, the dry dust barely puffed before flying inland. It had covered the legs of his trousers already and turned the tips of his boots to orange. Eustace scowled at the leather and bent down with the intention of wiping it off - and that was when the glint of metal at the crest of the next hill caught his eye.
Once, he would not have recognized the source; once, he would not have understood the danger. But much had happened in the past six years.
“Arrow!” he shouted, and crouched low to make a smaller target.
The two Haluan lords on his right dropped down immediately, flattening against the dirt and scanning the horizon for sign of the threat. To his left, Ambassador Glozelle had disappeared behind a hillock. Eustace twisted about frantically. Jill - where was - ? He caught sight of her where she stood unknowing near the edge of the cliff, her back to the danger as she stared out over the glinting waves far below.
One tense moment as Eustace assessed the risks and then - the archer on the hill drew back his bow-string - Jill raised a hand to play with her braid - dash it all, why was it always cliffs? - he launched himself toward her.
They went down in a heap at the point where scant grass faded to dust. Eustace had meant to brace himself, to catch hold of the brush, but the muscle under his right shoulder was burning and the cliff’s edge was at enough of a slope that they were still moving -
And then support dropped out from under them.
Eustace’s stomach did a sickeningly familiar plummet. He’d felt this sensation once before but this time, there was no Lion’s breath to save him. No, nothing but the wind whistling in his ear and Jill’s terrified scream - her grip on his arm and the pain beneath his shoulder - all he could see was a blend of brown and grey and blue and deeper blue -
He slammed against water and doubled up beneath the surface. His skin was stinging from the force of the impact - somehow, he’d lost Jill’s hand - he didn’t have enough air - didn’t know which way was up -
And then, a calm reminder in the middle of the growing panic: follow the bubbles. Eustace opened his eyes and released a little more of his precious air. Everything was confused beneath the water, the spot beneath his shoulder still unbelievably painful, but Eustace managed to make out the direction the bubbles travelled. He clawed his way upward as best he could with one arm and let buoyancy take care of the rest.
“-the Lion was that?” Jill was screaming when he broke the surface. He coughed, opened his mouth to speak -
And then - two sharp splashes in tight sequence on either side of them.
Jill cried out and pulled herself back in alarm. “Is that-?” Another splash cut her off.
When Eustace looked up, he could see the silhouette of the archer - two archers, now - against the skyline. Another arrow zipped down and Jill pulled her arm away from the narrow miss. “Eustace!”
She was close to hyperventilating, he realized. “The cliff,” he gasped, “So they can’t… shoot at us… anymore.” He attempted a stroke in the right direction but the pain crawling up his right arm exploded and he doubled over instinctively. A wave washed over his head; desperately, Eustace used his good arm to pull himself to the surface again.
“-stace!” Jill had made it to his side now, reaching for him as another arrow flies down. She snatched at her arm, grimacing at the scratch. “Eustace, are you-?”
He slipped under the next wave and coughed as it slid away. An arrow hit the water barely a hand’s width from his side.
“Poor shots,” he coughed, “Lucky for us.”
“I thought you could swim,” Jill complained. She pulled at his arm and Eustace couldn’t help the grimace. And then she was close enough to see over his shoulder. “Oh. Oh, Eustace!” Another splash in the water, too close for comfort. “Eustace! The arrow!”
The next wave washed over them both and Jill’s words combined with the agonizing pain connected. Arrow. He’d been hit with an arrow. He intercepted the arrow meant for Jill.
-X-
Somehow, in the midst of the pain and the waves, Jill had managed to slide her shoulder beneath his good arm. By now, Eustace knew he was in trouble; the pain was growing and he was finding it harder to think and those damn arrows were still dropping into the water around them. He supposed it was a miracle he’d only been hit once so far and that Jill had only sustained a scratch on the side of her arm.
Another wave washed over them and they came up coughing. Jill used her free hand to wipe away the hair from around her eyes. “I’m going to start swimming,” she shouted in his ear, too loud for comfort - but he hadn’t the breath to spare to tell her that. “Hold on, Eustace.”
He snorted - what else was he planning to do? - but she didn’t even notice. He was relieved that she had managed to push aside her panic to focus on safely escaping the situation at hand. She rolled onto her side, pulled him close in a position that would hold both heads above the water, and began an awkward, one-armed stroke in the direction of the cliff.
He knew how dangerous it was in the ocean - never mind the arrows - and that there was a frightening chance that the waves and currents could dash the two of them up against the cliff and leave them unconscious to drown. Aslan, he prayed, and then there was water over his head again and the thought slipped away as he coughed upon coming up for air.
It still seemed so dreadfully far to the cliffside. Jill paused to adjust her grip and Eustace wondered whether the currents were pulling them out to sea. That’s how people drowned, he knew, the currents dragging them out and under. He tried feebly to help Jill by kicking with his legs, but the effort jarred the muscles in his back and the pain increased until it was nearly unbearable.
“Hold… still,” she panted, and turned to face him as another arrow shot past her head. She stiffened - Eustace’s thought was that she was reacting to the close call, but her eyes were too wide and the colour steadily draining from her face.
“Eustace.”
“Can’t… shoot at us… by the cliff…”
“No.”
Her eyes weren’t directed at him, Eustace realized, but at something beyond his shoulder. With effort, he twisted about, wincing at the pull of the muscles in his back.
There was a head above the water a ship’s length away. Pale, scaly skin and thick, black hair that draped around a petite face. Eyes black with no iris, lips full with no colour. It’s mouth parted in a smile to reveal rows of harsh, jagged teeth. Was it here by chance? No, that was too much to hope for. Drawn by the scent of blood in water, most like.
He had seen such a creature before, several times from the Eastern shores of Narnia and once on the voyage to Halua. He’d heard the dire warnings, listened to the horrifying recounts. Only once before had he been as close as he was now and he’d vowed never to repeat the situation if he could help it.
Jill took a shuddering breath and whispering the word like a curse: “Mermaid.”
Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Epilogue|