Helena Pevensie (Caspian Love Story)

4. Watery Depths

After a few minutes of attempting to get through the water, Helena's lungs burned. Her head began to feel foggy. Pain was building in her chest as she struggled to not draw in water. That's when she took a risk. Opening her eyes, she looked up. The ship was so close, she accidentally forgot where she was. She gasped. The overwhelming taste of salt rushed into her mouth and eventually into her lungs. Instinctively, she began to cough, drawing in more water. Her throat tightened, constricting forcefully until only a little water was coming into her lungs. After a few more agonizing minutes of this, everything faded to black. 

Edmund emerged a moment later with Helena's body, drawing in a harsh breath. Right in front of them, a giant ship came sailing toward them. Edmund only just managed to get Helena out of the way before she would have been crushed. 

She kept going under and Edmund was not strong enough to keep her up for much longer. The next moment, figures clad in white jumped over the edge of the ship, pulled into graceful dives, and emerged by their sides. "I've got her," a pleasantly familiar voice said. 

Edmund looked up and soon a smile burst over his face as he cried, "Caspian." He let go of Helena and allowed the king to take her. He had wrapped an arm around her waist and was swimming with the other. It was then that he realized she had fallen unconscious. As quickly as possible, he wrapped his arms around her and stepped onto the wooden plank that would take them up. Lucy and Edmund joined soon after as Caspian lay her out on the deck. Instantly, he pressed his hands over her heart and began to pound rhythmically. 

Lucy clutched onto Edmund, tears beginning to form in her eyes. When Helena showed no response, Caspian tilted her chin down, opening her mouth and covered her mouth with his, breathing out and causing her chest to rise slightly. He pulled away and repeated the action before returning to her chest. 

"Helena," a deep, gentle voice called. Lena felt rather like she was in a cloud of comfort and bliss. She didn't want to move. "Helena," the voice called again, this time closer. After they called a third time, she opened her eyes. She was laying in a meadow, her head facing the sky. Above her, the slender branches of a glowing maple climbed, breaking the rays of sunshine. The leaves were painted scarlets and oranges and golds and yellow, but none of that colour was quite so brilliant as the great lion in front of her. Her eyes before had felt heavy like she was about to sleep again, but now she felt wide awake. 

As she got to her feet, the lion said, "I am glad to see you finally in Narnia." 

"Finally?" she repeated. "But I only- Wait, Narnia? Like, the country Edmund, and Peter, and Lucy told me about? Well, I suppose Susan used to, but-" Somehow his stare silenced her. 

"It was and is all real," the lion explained. "You might have heard of me. I am Aslan." 

Smiling, Lena said, "Lucy especially speaks very highly of you." Coming back to herself, she asked, "But how could it all be real?" 

"Believe or not believe," Aslan replied in a tone that made Lena think that if he was human he would have shrugged. "For now, fight." 

After repeating his pattern three or four times, Caspian was sweating and out of breath. Before he had to start again, Helena coughed, water beginning to spill out. He rolled her onto her side, moving her long hair out of the way as he shared a relieved look with Edmund and Lucy. She gasped for breath, her eyes wide as the last of the water left her. Her throat burned angrily and she felt as though she might vomit. Crouching down beside her, Lucy asked, "Lena, are you all right?" She didn't answer. Instead, she lay her head on the deck, attempting to even out her breathing. 

Making eye contact with one of the sailors, Caspian commanded, "Get some towels." He came back a few moments later and handed two to Caspian, one to Edmund, and one to Lucy. Gently sitting her up, Caspian wrapped a towel around her shoulders before adding the other one. She seemed drowsy and leaned against him. 

"Thank you," she said, her voice hoarse and low. 

"Of course," Caspian replied. 

Before any of them could say more, she murmured, "Aslan." Silence met her words as they all looked at each other in surprise. As much as she fought to stay awake, she soon dozed off in Caspian's arms.