serendipity - narnia

chapter 33

Chapter 33
A Not-So-Warm Welcome Home

Dahlia, Caspian, Drinian, and Edmund all stood against the railing by the helm, watching the island grow closer on the horizon. Dahlia was hunched over with her forearms on the rail, her hands locked tightly together as she tried to remain calm. She'd only been to Narrowhaven once since the start of the three years she'd been sailing with Caspian, and it was nothing like the place she remembered. Of course she'd expected that seeing as she hadn't been there in 1300 years, but it still hurt to see how hostile the community had become under Telemarine rule.

"The Lone Islands. The port of Narrowhaven," Drinian said, confirming what Dahlia already knew. Caspian, in passing his brass telescope to Edmund, noticed that the water below Dahlia's hands was swirling. The environment around the ship was often affected when Dahlia was stressed or upset, something Caspian had learned to deal with early on in their journeys.

"Strange," Caspian said, casually leaning forward on the railing next to Dahlia. "Not a Narnian flag in sight." He reached over and grabbed her clenched, slightly shaking hands with one of his own, pulling them apart and holding the hand closest to him. It took a moment, but the water stopped swirling and Dahlia's hands stopped shaking; Caspian rubbed her hand with his thumb, trying to keep her calm as the port got closer. She muttered a weak 'thank you' and squeezed his arm with her free hand.

"But the Lone Islands have always been Narnia's," Edmund said, too preoccupied with the telescope to notice Dahlia and Caspian. He would've absolutely told Lucy about it had he noticed; they'd started keeping track of little interactions between Dahlia and Caspian. At one point the king put a hand on Dahlia's lower back as he walked past her and Lucy had nearly exploded trying to keep it together (to be fair, so had Dahlia).

"Seems suspicious," Drinian remarked. Dahlia held out her Caspian-free hand for the telescope and took a good look at the port for the first time; there was no sign of life hold for a few seagulls.

"I say we prepare a landing party. Drinian?" Edmund prompted, clearly expecting a response to his orders.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty," Drinian replied after exchanging a look with Caspian. Dahlia's nose scrunched and she looked down. She knew what Drinian was going to say, and she knew Edmund wouldn't take it well. "The chain of command starts with King Caspian on this ship."

"Right," Edmund said after an uncomfortable beat of silence. Caspian gave Dahlia's hand one last squeeze and let go, turning to Drinian. Dahlia watched Edmund as the Telemarine king spoke; the look on his face was one Dahlia had seen many times during the Golden Age.

"We'll use longboats. Drinian, pick some men and come ashore." Caspian and Drinian left the helm and Dahlia leaned closer to Edmund.

"You technically still outrank him," the mage muttered, nudging his shoulder with hers. "Just remember that, High King Edmund." She patted his arm and walked down the stairs to help the crew.

***

Two longboats glided through the water from the Dawn Treader to the port, although not one of the crew members was rowing them. Dahlia, in a longboat with the Pevensies, Caspian, Eustace, and Reepicheep, had one hand over the water and was manipulating it to push the longboats to shore.

"Onward!" Reepicheep said when the longboats reached the dock. The crew in the other vessel climbed out to tie the boats up and Reepicheep eagerly jumped out with them. "The thrill of the unknown lies ahead."

"Couldn't this have waited till the morning?" Eustace complained from beside Dahlia as the Pevensies left the longboat; neither the boy nor the mage had been too pleased with that seating arrangement.