The High Queen of Narnia

Chapter 25

Edmund was trailing behind the trio as they returned to the shore, Caspian walking close to Elodie but not touching her for a moment as he still processed what just happened.

"What food did you find?" he asked his crew as they peered into the five baskets that sat on the sand.

"It's volcanic, your majesties," Rhince explained. "Not much grows."

"Still, well done. It's better than nothing," Elodie praised and he nodded in thanks.

"Wait. Where's Eustace?" Lucy asked as she noted her cousin's absence.

"I believe he's out, not helping us load the boats," Reepicheep answered.

"Eustace! Eustace!" Lucy called but she received no response. "Edmund, Ellie, I have a bad feeling."

"I'll go find him," Edmund volunteered.

"I'll come with you," Caspian voiced and Edmund stopped in surprise.

"Caspian-"

"We'll be alright," he promised his wife. "Leave us one of the longboats. We'll meet you back on the ship."

"You better. If you don't Caspian, I swear on Aslan that I will kill you," she threatened and he simply smiled as he kissed her.

"I better keep my promise then," he chuckled as he handed her Lord Restimar's sword and he and Edmund began walking.

"Alright, boys," Elodie addressed as she turned to her crew. "You heard your king. Back to the ship."

"Aye, your majesty," they chorused as they began moving. But the second they were back on the ship, Elodie was standing in the crows nest with a spyglass held to her face as she peered out at the island.

"Queen Elodie, perhaps you might come down and-"

"I will come down when my husband and brother are safely on their way back to us, captain," she called down to Drinian before the spyglass fell from her hand and onto the deck as a loud screeching roar cut through the air as the whole ship and the whole island seemed to shake. Meanwhile, on the deck, Lucy and Gael were talking with Drinian.

"What was that?" Lucy wondered as they saw a flash of fire.

"Is it a volcano?" Gael wondered.

"Oh, that's no volcano," Drinian answered as Elodie began screaming orders from the crows nest.

"Archers to the ready! All hands on deck!"

"You heard the queen! Move it!" Drinian bellowed. And then came the dragon as it came racing towards their ship, blowing fire into the air as it flew around them.

"Take aim!" Elodie shouted as she climbed out of the crows nest and prepared to climb down the rope ladders only for the dragon to come straight for her.

"Stand down!" Drinian screeched as he watched two men fire arrows at the dragon that landed on the main sail, Elodie clinging to the railing of the crows nest as she tried not to fall. "You could hit the queen!"

But Elodie had more immediate problems than being hit by an arrow or even falling from that height as the weight of the dragon began to knock the sail loose, so she had no choice. Elodie jumped onto the dragon's back.

Her legs were still dangling off the dragon as she grabbed for the spikes of skin that protruded from its back.

"It's going to break the mast! Get it off the ship!" Drinian shouted and if Elodie could scowl at him she would've.

"I've never ridden a dragon before! Why don't you come give it a try?!" she sassed back as she was finally able to swing her leg over the dragon's back, pulling at the spikes on its neck as it seemed to lose its balance, hanging onto the mast with its front legs.