The Depth of Love

Chapter One

I sat bolt upright, sweat dripping down the nape of my neck and shiver running down my spine as I remembered the night the mer-folk where killed. My family. Since then I had been alone but I had survived as my mother had told me. I live in the sea when I am hunted on land, I live on land when I am hunted in the sea. The Telmarine's didn't stand a chance in their efforts to catch me, as the last and only of my kind I was good at escaping. I had made Narnian friends in my travels, the remaining naiads, a large number of the forest-dwelling creatures. A badger named Trufflehunter and his dwarf friends Trumpkin and Nikabrick I had taken a specific liking to. But largely I traveled alone which didn't help me my efforts to find peace in this world. But I had enough for now.

Recently, I had been sheltering the royal caverns of Cair Paravel. The sea was close by, golden sands and a well-stocked orchard provided me with fruits to gorge on. I rubbed my eyes, dislodging the sleep and forcing them to readjust to the darkness around me. I felt my stomach growl and shook the nightmare memory from my mind for now as I got to my feet. A huff escaped my breath and I started the slow but mercifully short climb up the steps where I could already see the daylight peeking through the wooden boards and cracks in the old stone walls. My bare feet were noiseless but my open shirt and dark coloured trousers caused a light noise as I wiggled through the rotten wooden door to the caverns and daylight blinded me.

I was forced to rub my eyes again to adjust to the bright light, it was a sunny and hot day in Cair Paravel and I almost had a sense of promise for the day. In the back of my mind, I knew it was never going to be a fantastic day, but I held hope that it would be one of the more enjoyable days in Narnia. Pulling an apple off a nearby tree I bit into it and began my regular stool through the tall grasses that had since overtaken the castle after the battle that destroyed it. I could have imagined how in the Golden Age with the kings and queens of old how the castle would have stood tall and proud over Narnia, a symbol of their triumph over the Witch herself. "Catapults" said a sudden voice and I quickly hid behind a low wall, pulling out my sword from its sheath at my side I watched as four individuals climbed up the slope of grass. They wore funny clothing that looked somewhat like a uniform of sorts in their similarity, but it was no one I recognised and their scruffiness suggested that it wasn't being worn as it should be. The leader of the group, a tall blond-haired boy perhaps around my age looked familiar but I couldn't place his face. Following him was another boy, defiantly younger than me but his hair was darker than the older, he was skinnier too, with a bag strapped over his shoulder and a sad look in his eyes. The remaining members of the group were two girls, the first was the older of the two, dressed in a shirt and skirt her long dark hair was enviable against mine which was possibly longer, but more of an ashy white colour. The younger girl wore a strange grey dress and skipped a little as she walked. They didn't look like they were Telmarine, but I couldn't be sure. "What?" asked the older boy.

"Catapults" repeated the younger "This didn't just happen, Cair Paravel was attacked." I frowned. How could they not know what happened here? Anyone who lived in Narnia, Narnian, or otherwise knew what happened to Cair Paravel.

The boys walked over the grass in the direction of the caverns and immediately spotted the door there. I gripped my sword a little tighter, if they where un-friendlies then they would surely know I was here. I needed to get out now while I could. "I don't suppose you have any matches in there?" the older asked as he ripped off the bottom of his white shirt and began to make a torch and nodded to the bad held by the other. "Hmmm no, but would this help?" the other asked laughing and he pulled out a metal bar of sorts that clicked and then glowed projecting light into the darkness of the cavern. Magic?

"You might have mentioned that a bit sooner" the elder laughed and I watched as the four of them piled inside the door. This was it my chance to run. I ran out from behind the wall and down the slopes of the castle, I had left my boots down in the cavern which was annoying and I would have to find more from somewhere but right now I just knew I needed to get out. I watched my footing as a scrambled down the cliffs and ledges, I fell a little even scrapping my knee on a rock and cutting it a little. That was gonna hurt in transformation but needs must, I had had worse.