[2] Ephemeral - Edmund Pevensie

Chapter 6: Slave Traders

CHAPTER 7

By the time Pommella woke up, everyone was already up and about on the ship. Walking up the deck, she saw that ahead of them was an island; the Lone Islands. On the island were many buildings, stacked together, forming a kind of slump of ancient buildings. At the highest point of the island was a bell tower that seemed not to have been used for ages. There was also a port, Narrowhaven, which was where they would settle their ship.

"Hullo," said Pommella to Caspian, Drinian, and Edmund. They were all lined and looking ahead of them from the fo'c's'le.

"Hello, Pommella," Caspian said back. 

"Ah," she breathed. "The Lone Islands. That's Felimath, innit?" she pointed at an island with a green, grassy hill.

"Yes, and that's Doorn," said Caspian, pointing at a grey slope of buildings.

"Strange," Edmund mumbled. "Not a Narnian flag in sight." Caspian handed the telescope to Drinian, then Edmund. "But the Lone Islands have always been Narnia's."

"Seems suspicious," said Drinian.

"I say we prepare a landing party," Edmund suggested, putting down the telescope. Drinian then glanced at Caspian, then at Pommella. "Drinian?"

"Forgive me, your majesty," said Drinian, and Pommella knew where this would lead to. "But the chain of command starts with King Caspian and Queen Pommella on this ship."

"Right." Edmund agreed, in disappointment.

"We'll use some longboats," ordered Caspian. "Drinian, pick some men and come ashore."

"Oh, but don't you think we have power in numbers?" said Pommella abruptly, before Caspian could walk away.

"Pommella —"

"Unless I've heard it wrong — which I highly doubt, as I am not deaf — I heard the chain of command starts with King Caspian and  Queen Pommella," Edmund smirked at this.

"And I am commanding you to obey my orders." retorted Caspian. "Now, you can choose to stay here," he stomped on the floorboard of the ship. "Or come with us to the island."

"Well, if I stayed you'd be really devastated," she asserted. "Any action without my involvement would turn out quite. . . fatal." Caspian glared at her for a moment, lost for words, then walked away to gather the men to come for the short trip to the island.

"Tavros," said Drinian to Tavros, the minotaur who had been listening in to their conversation.

"Man the longboats, furl the sail, and prepare to drop anchor!" shouted Tavros to the crew.

Then, there was a racket from the ship's crew, who were rushing here and there, obeying Tavros' order and preparing for the short trip to the Lone Islands.

Scurrying down the fo'c's'le, Pommella started grabbing weaponry; a golden sword with a carving of a dragon on the handle, a small dagger encrusted with red, shining rubies, but no shield. She believed shields are for the weak.

"Hurry up!" yelled Caspian. 

So then, Caspian, Edmund, Lucy, Eustace, Pommella, and four other men climbed down the ship and onto the long boat. The four men were tasked to row the oars of the boat, while the other five tried fitting into the boat, squeezing and squashing each other.

"Ouch!" Eustace exclaimed. Pommella had purposefully stepped on his foot with full force. "That was my foot!"

"Did I break it?" said Pommella, raising her eyebrows.

"No." 

"Then I don't see the problem. Now, please scoot, unless you want to be sat on."

Without objection, Eustace scooted to the side, and Pommella took a seat in between Lucy and Eustace. Relaxed, Pommella leaned to the side of the boat lazily, dipping her hand in the salty ocean water. Even though she had been out at sea for nearly thirty days, she still hadn't ever enjoyed the trip much. Probably because she was a girl, Pommella thought, that therefore even if the 'chain of commands' started with her and Caspian, she wasn't allowed to make any commands or decisions, which was a really bovine idea, really. Pommella stared at the reflection of Edmund on the water's dark blue surface, her hand still in the water, creating waves, slowly moving, encircling around her hand all the while.