Flawed *EDITING* (Chronicles of Narnia & Harry Potter Crossover) (PeterxOC)

90- Eustace Learns to Fight

Chapteer Inspiration:

- Hit Me With Your Best Shot ~ Madonna

The next morning, we were sailing smoothly, getting farther and farther away from the Lone Islands, the farthest land in the world that we knew of. As exciting as this was, to be exploring new places in this world, it was also a terrifying truth.

I was sat next to Lucy, polishing Fortis while Lucy sewed up some holes in her jerkin. Edmund was sitting on a barrel next to the railing, using a knife to remove the crust on the sword. So far, only the tip was visible, but what could be seen was a shiny silver, made of fine craftsmanship. Reepicheep was next to Ed, talking with him quietly.

"Uh, why are you talking to that bird?" I looked up to see Tavros and a crewman looking down at Eustace in confusion. He was sitting in a tight space with his diary and pencil in hand. A bird was on a box and apparently, he was talking to it. "Well I just naturally assumed you can-" Eustace started. Tavros started laughing. "He's talking to birds!"

The crew member joined in, crowing, "He's mad as a loon that one!" The man patted the Mintouar who was still laughing. "Yeah." He replied, "patting" the man on the back a little too hard. He smacked into the rail in front of him. I looked down to Eustace and watched as he sourly shooed the seagull away, "Shoo! Go on, get off!"

I bit my lip, still feeling really bad for him. Well, I guess if he wasn't so whiny and useless everyone would stop making fun of him. But then again, he is kind of asking for it. Undecisive, I stopped thinking on the matter and continued to polish and sharpen Fortis.

~

Twenty minutes later, I sheathed Fortis, the blade now wickedly sharp. Eustace came sprinting onto the deck, running smack dab into Tavros. "Watch it!" he grumbled. "Sorry!" Eustace yelled, running away only to knock over another crewman with items in hand. Reepicheep came bouncing out of the same door as Eustace came from, shouting, "Trying to run away? We're on a boat, you know!"

I stood up, musing with a smirk, "Oh, this ought to be good." The Mouse swung on a rope and landed gracefully on a barrel, his sword out and pointed at Eustace. The boy looked around, scared, and said, "Look, can't we just discuss this?" Reepicheep sliced the bottom of his shirt open, yelling, "That is for stealing!" He plunged his sword into the orange that was found there. "That is for lying!" Reep took his sword with the orange on the end and smacked Eustace across the face with the orange. "And that is for good measure!"

Eustace, looking as if being hit by the orange was the last straw, which it probably was, shook the butcher's axe in his hand. He swung it at the Mouse, only to have Reepicheep jump out of the way and onto the railing of the ship. "That's the spirit! We have ourselves a duel! Catch!" Reepicheep swung the orange and it went flying off of his sword. Drinian caught it with an amused expression on his features.

"Come on, now. Take your best shot!" Reep called to Eustace. He darted for the Mouse again, only to have him dodge it again. "Is that it? Come on, boy!" Reepicheep goaded. Eustace gracelessly threw more swings at Reep. "Focus! Focus!" Reepicheep yelled, on the other side of Eustace again.

Eustace started swinging at the Mouse blindly. "Yes! Ha!" I almost didn't want to watch anymore because Eustace's form was ghastly. Luckily for me, the Mouse addressed that next. "Stop flapping your wings like a drunken pelican! Poise." Eustace seemed to take this into account as he watched the Mouse, who was in a fighting stance. "Keep your blade up!" He did so.

"Up! Up! That's it!" He crowed, dodging Eustace's sluggishly slow darts. At one point, Eustace's axe was caught on a piece of the rigging, giving Reepicheep the time to grab a rope and fly himself to a barrel again. Eustace continued to tug the axe free from the wood. "Yoo-hoo! Over here!" Finally, he was able to tug the blade free from the wood. He turned on Reep and lunged again. The Mouse hopped down from the barrel and instructed, "Now lunge with your foot. Not your left, your right. Got it?" He smacked him on the leg with his small sword to show him which foot to use.

He leaped up onto the railing again, advising, "Be nimble! Be nimble! It's a dance, boy, a dance!" Eustace went on to execute four perfect slices. That Mouse really was a good teacher. On the fourth swing, Reepicheep pretended to wobble on the edge. He "fell" off, wailing, "Oh, no!" Eustace, seeming to buy it looked over the side of the boat, looking for the Mouse. Because he was so busy, he didn't notice Reepicheep climbing over the edge and tapping him on the opposite shoulder with his tail.

He retracted his tail just as Eustace looked over that shoulder, Reep ran forward and shoved him, causing him to topple to the ground and knocking over a barrel. The duel was over, leaving the crew to laugh. I could've sworn I heard a shriek, but brushed it off. Suddenly, two tiny hands came from under the blanket covering the barrel, the body of a small girl following. "Look!" Lucy said, pointing to the small girl.

Rhince pushed his way through, seeing his daughter standing there. "Gael? What are you doing here?" She brushed her bangs aside, not responding. He went forward and hugged his daughter. The sound of boots on the wood drew my attention to their owner: Drinian. Turning the orange over in his hand, he said, "Looks like we have an extra crewmember."

Rhince smiled gratefully to the Captain, watching as he gave her the orange. "Come on. Look lively." Drinian called to the men, heading back to the steering wheel. As everyone went back to work, Lucy approached Gael. "Welcome aboard." she smiled. The little girl curtsied bashfully. "Your Majesty." Her smile grew as she told Gael, "Call me Lucy. Come on." I realized that she was going to need my place in the room, but felt the need to do something before handling that.

I walked over to where Reepicheep was with Eustace. "Good match. I'll make an excellent swordsman of you yet." Reep was saying. For a moment, a genuine smile bloomed on his face, before turning back to the sour scowl I've known to be on his face. "Yes, well, if the playing fields were a little more even...would have been an entirely different match." Eustace started to walk away, probably putting the axe back where it belonged. I walked after him, catching Reepicheep muse, "Indeed."

"Eustace." I called, making him turn around. "What?" He snapped rudely. I took a deep breath, knowing he wouldn't take me up on the offer, but deciding to tell him anyway. "You know, if you ever want to spar, which means to practice dueling or fighting...I'm always available to practice with." He seemed surprised by my offer. I nodded and walked away, going to find Lucy and Gael.

To my surprise, I was alone when I arrived in our room. She must be giving Gael a tour of the boat. With this in mind, I started to pack my things up, hoping to find a hammock somewhere. Just as I was walking out the door, Lucy and Gael were walking in. Lucy frowned, seeing my things in my arms. "Where are you going?" She frowned, hurt in her tone.

I looked down at my things and replied, "Well, I figured that since Gael needs a room, I would give her my share of this room." Her frown deepened as she asked, "Then where are you going to sleep?" Biting my lip, I mumbled, "I'll sleep with Ed and Caspian." Lucy sighed, looking disappointed. I shifted my stuff so I could squeeze her arm. Her mouth quirked into a smile quickly before turning neutral.

I shuffled through the ship, making my way to the crew's quarters. I spotted Ed sitting on his hammock and called out to him. He frowned seeing my things in my arms. "What are you doing?" I chewed my lip, saying hopefully, "I was wondering if I could room with you and Caspian since I've offered Gael my half of Lucy's room."

He got up and took some of the things in my arms. "'Course. That was really nice of you...but the three of you can't fit in that huge bed?" I shook my head. "It isn't as big as you think. Lu and I were really cramped last night as it was. She'll have more room with such a tiny body." Ed grabbed an extra hammock and strung it up across from his and Caspian's. "Just so you know, it's not as glamorous down here as your room with Lucy." Ed warned.

I nodded. "I know and that's okay with me." He smiled, handing me a leather pillow and blanket. "Well, I have no doubt you'd be able to adjust to this." I smiled at him. "Thanks, Ed." He nodded, returning to his book. Just as I got everything situated, someone yelled from above, "Land ho!" Sighing, I stood up and climbed upstairs with Edmund right behind me.