Helena Pevensie (Caspian Love Story)

13. A Chilling Misstep

Helena woke the next morning to see land on the horizon. It was fogged and hazy but she was absolutely certain of what it was. "We should reach it by nightfall," Caspian said, coming up behind her. Helena turned, surprised to find him up. It was barely dawn.

"Rising early, I see?" she remarked, turning back to eye the land. It seemed small now, but she knew it would enlarge as they sailed closer and closer.

"Always," he replied with a smile. "What has you up so early?"

"The light wakes me up," Helena explained. "I probably would have been up around the same time anyway though. I've always been an early riser."

"Me too," Caspian admitted. With a small smile, he remarked, "Although never early enough for my professor."

"How early could he possibly want you up?" Helena asked with a laugh.

"Midnight usually. Sometimes three," he said.

"Why?" Helena asked with a perplexed laugh.

"He used to sneak me out onto one of the high towers to study the stars and to tell me about the Old Narnia," he explained.

"What do you mean?" Helena asked with a frown. "Old Narnia?"

"My ancestors invaded Narnia," he explained. Helena looked up in surprise. "A few hundred years after your siblings left. Narnians were hunted almost to the point of extinction. They lived their lives hidden in the woods and were forever fearful of facing harm from my people. The Telmarines erased Narnian history."

"How did your professor know it, then?" Helena asked.

"Well, he was Narnian," Caspian explained. "Well, partially. His grandmother was a dwarf."

"Scaring her with tales of the second civil war?" Lucy said with a teasing grin as she and Edmund came out on deck.

"Only the best bits," Caspian replied with a smile.

Frowning, Lucy teased, "Like when you almost brought the White Witch back?" Caspian winced.

"Not your finest moment," Edmund remarked somberly.

"No," Caspian agreed with a slightly haunted look that made Helena smile warmly in amusement.

"Or when you jeopardized the entire first battle of the war at the palace?" Lucy continued.

"Or when you tried to fight Peter," Edmund added. "Both times."

"Okay, that's enough," Caspian said irritably. Lucy laughed and Edmund smiled as Helena looked between the three with bright eyes and a hearty chuckle.

"Sounds like you get the award for most improved," Helena teased with a small shrug. Lucy laughed at that but before they could resume their conversation, Drinian approached to have a word with Caspian. Once he had disappeared with Edmund, Lucy raised an eyebrow at Helena.

"Oh, what now?" she sighed, glancing warily at her little sister.

"Nothing," Lucy said, leaning back against the rail of the ship with a smirk. Lena rolled her eyes. The island grew closer and closer as the day began to draw to a close. The sun was just beginning to throw the island into a shattered brilliance of colour when the ship pulled into the bay. Longboats were lowered and soon Helena was climbing down the rope to join Edmund, Lucy, and Caspian in the last boat. Just as her feet reached the solid wood, a harsh wave slammed against the boat, throwing her off balance. Then, as another wave hit, she toppled into the water.

"Lena!" Edmund cried, instantly shifting over to the edge. Memories of her last encounter with water flashed through all their minds. To Edmund's great relief, however, she emerged a moment later, grabbing onto the side of the boat with a rattling gasp.

"Thank Aslan," Caspian said, shifting so he could help her out. "Are you all right?"

"A little cold," she admitted with a breathless laugh. Caspian smiled, letting out a relieved breath that sounded much like a laugh. Once she was back in the boat, they went on again as she began to shiver. Taking off his coat, Caspian wrapped it around her shoulders securely. "Thank you," she said, her teeth chattering. They soon landed and everyone got quickly to work starting fires, claiming their sleeping spots, and replenishing the stores on the ship. Helena, however, was instantly forced by the young flames already dancing in a small pit one of the sailors had formed. Caspian carefully nursed the flames, adding kindling and eventually logs until it was a brilliantly warm fire. Dinner was soon ready and Caspian, Edmund, Lucy, and Helena gathered around a single fire with their meals and skins of water.

"You can't be serious?" Helena laughed, her accent, which was a strange mix of British and French, was brought out more clearly in her mirth. "Peter actually tried to fight you with nothing more than a rock?"

Caspian shrugged, his soft brown eyes gleaming with easy laughter. "In his defense," Edmund said. "He thought it was kill or be killed."

"But still," Helena said, almost doubling over with laughter. "If I was facing someone with a sword, I wouldn't go for a rock of all things." A small smirk growing on her lips, she shot Caspian a teasing look as she added, "Or stopped just because a little girl told me to."

"It surprised me," he defended. Helena gave an amused smile, focusing her gaze back on the fire. Her green eyes shone like emeralds as the firelight streamed through her dark curls. Caspian caught himself staring before he noticed the way her pale skin glowed like the sun in the warm light. Even as conversation resumed all around them, he couldn't help but find his eyes trailing back to her at the slightest peal of laughter or the slightest shift of posture. She took no notice, engrossed as she was in the many tales of which Edmund and Lucy began making her privy. Her laughter was musical and rich like a finely tuned cello but yet somehow brighter and full of life.

"And what has become of him now?" Helena asked, glancing over at him. Caspian met her gaze, attempting to recall who Lucy had been speaking of.

"Oh, yes, whatever did become of dear Trumpkin?" Lucy added, saving him the embarrassment of admitting he knew not of whom they spoke.

Collecting himself, he replied, "He is back in Narnia. I set him as Lord Regent. He's looking over the country until my return."

"That must be a grave responsibility," Helena said. "I don't think I could ever manage."

"It was nice, wasn't it, Edmund, to have three other rulers to help," Lucy said, glancing over at him. Edmund nodded.

"In some ways I miss it," he said. "The only downside of those years was..."

"What?" Helena asked with a frown.

"Nothing," Edmund said quickly. "It doesn't matter now."