THE STRANGEST VOYAGE, casmund

two.

Eustace was yelling so loud, Edmund wouldn't have been surprised if his cousin's lungs hurt when he stopped. He was trying to drag his wailing cousin through the water, but the ship was moving straight towards them and it was fast.

Edmund could hear splashing behind him. He thought it was Lucy so he looked back, but, when he did, he only saw a face of someone who was a complete stranger.

He turned back around, panicked, and swam with as much energy as he could muster until he heard a shout from Lucy:

"Edmund, it's Caspian!"

Caspian. King Caspian. Their friend who helped them save Narnia. The person who cared for the Narnians when they weren't here.

The man that had been swimming, practically chasing, after Edmund and Eustace was gaining on them and shouted, "You're in Narnia, boys!"

Narnia; home.

Edmund felt a smile form on his face, which hadn't happened in months, and stopped swimming, turning around to be led towards the ship. Though it was no longer Edmund's problem, he couldn't block out Eustace's complaining -- like always.

"I don't want to go," he cried. "I want to go back to England!"

Honestly, he could make anyone's ears bleed with the way he screamed -- it was so high pitch.

•••

Lucy had gotten onto the ship safely, and Caspian was walking with her, wondering how she, Eustace and Edmund had arrived in Narnia when he heard a voice:

"Cas?"

Edmund.

Only Edmund called Caspian that. He'd accidentally said it once when the Pevensie siblings were last here in Narnia and the name stuck.

Caspian always felt a slight flutter in his chest when Edmund would call him it. Not a bad one! It was a good feeling -- one that Caspian couldn't explain...

"Edmund!" Caspian shouted in glee.

He ran towards the raven-haired boy so quickly that he had to skid to a halt in front of him.

Caspian could see Edmund more clearly now. He looked more matured, but still young. His hair was wet, dripping, yet it still framed his face and made him look majestic.

Wait... what? No! What had gotten into him? He can't think like that. He liked Susan, not Edmund.

But--

Before he could finish that thought, Edmund caught his gaze. "Why're you staring?" He asked.

Why had he been staring? Good question.

"You just look older than you did before -- when we met," Caspian replied, a little bit awkwardly. What had gotten into him?

Caspian shook his head slightly to distract himself from his thoughts, and swung his arm around Edmund, ruffling the raven-haired boy's hair with a towel, that had already been around Edmund's neck, as they walked up to Lucy.

Suddenly, a young boy was yelling at Reepicheep: "That giant rat thing just tried to claw my face off!" He pointed at 'that rat'.

"I was merely trying to expel the water from your lungs, sire," Reepicheep replied sourly, almost scowling at the boy -- which the mouse didn't do often.

The boy's face was hilarious -- he looked so shocked. Caspian had to stifle a laugh. "I-It just talked... Did anyone else see that?"

All the men on the ship were surrounding him now. The young boy was making quite a scene. Caspian understood how he felt. When he first saw a creature that talked in Narnia, he blew a mysterious horn before getting knocked out by said strange, talking creature. It was a rather hard thing to process.

"He always talks," someone from the crowd said.

"It's getting him to shut up that's the trick," Caspian said cheekily.

"When there is nothing to be said, I shall not say anything, sire," Reepicheep retorted, sending an annoyed glance Caspian's way.

All the men laughed at their retorts, whilst the young boy was running around. "I demand to know where in the blazes am I?" He cried loudly.

"You're on the Dawn treader, finest ship in the realm," a minotaur answered.

The poor boy fainted, and Caspian, still wearing a slight smile on his face from trying not to laugh, walked over to them.

"Was it something I said?" The minotaur asked.

Caspian -- giving in to the desire -- laughed, grinning. "Take care of him, will you?"

"Yes, sir."

Caspian walked away, joining Edmund and Lucy.

"Did you call for us?" Lucy asked.

"No, not this time," Caspian replied, his mind suddenly being drawn back to wondering why the Pevensie siblings had returned.

Edmund looked at him. "Well, whatever the case, I'm just glad to be here." He smiled at Caspian. Oh, how happy he looked -- it made Caspian feel fuzzy.

He smiled back, neither of their eyes wavered from the others.

"I shall introduce you to the crew," Caspian said suddenly.

He walked up two stairs and yelled for attention. "Welcome, Edmund the Just and Lucy the Valiant! High King and Queen of Narnia."

Everyone clapped, then, quickly, went back to work. Edmund was smiling, and Lucy was looking around, analysing the ship.

"Let's get you guys settled into rooms, then I shall show you what we have accomplished since you have been gone."

They nodded, and Caspian led them through the doors. He let them settle in and change before showing them a special room.

They walked into the room, and found that it was where their belongings were being held. Lucy noticed Susan's bow and arrows; Edmund walked towards an interesting painting. Caspian pulled out the things that belonged to Lucy when she was in Narnia and she thanked him.

"Peter's sword!" Edmund said excitedly, and walked over to the intricate sword that once belonged to his heroic brother. Caspian smiled at him.

"Yes, I looked after it as promised." Caspian took the sword out and tried to hand it to Edmund. "Here, you can have it."

"No, I think he would've wanted you to have it." Caspian met Edmund's gaze and that feeling in his stomach was back. He felt weird? He looked away, not liking how he couldn't understand his own mind and feelings.

Caspian smiled when he noticed something that Edmund would want. "I did keep this safe for you, though." He grabbed Edmund's torch and threw it towards him.

The raven-haired smiled at him.

This feeling won't go away, Caspian thought.

"Thanks, Cas," Edmund said, beaming.

Caspian felt his knees buckle -- the name, the smile, it was an overload of feelings that he didn't understand -- but he never fell.