"Mother, I understand that you wish to hold a funeral, but I think Yna would be better off if we targeted the soldiers that attacked us in the first place." I lean back in my chair.

"Eetu..." My father puts his hand on my mother's shoulder, comforting her. His voice carries a warning tone.

"Father, this is merely a suggestion. Besides, I'm sure Caspian would agree with me." I gesture to my left, where Caspian would have been sitting, but he's not there. "If he were here."

"Where is your brother, by the way?" My father asks.

"I'm not sure. He's probably sleeping in." I wave over one of the nearby servants. "Could you please go wake Caspian up and tell him to come down in the Great Hall?"

The servant nods, running off.

"Anyways," I turn my attention back over to my parents, "Mother, I know you've lost another brother, but you've got to put that aside for a second and think of your kingdom."

"My Lords and Lady." The servant I sent off earlier barges into the room, a single piece of parchment in his hands.

"Where is Caspian?" I stand.

"Take a look, sire." The servant hands me the paper, and there, in sloppy letters, Caspian's handwriting reads through the rushed ink blots that decorate the entire paper:

"Mother, Father, and Eetu-

By now, you must have learned that Uncle Caius has died. I know this is a great tragedy, and I hate to add to that, but what I'm about to do is long overdue.

Davy Jones, the kitchen boy you met earlier, may or may not be gone with me as well. We're headed out, to a different kingdom, maybe Allenja, Amion, Cirn, I'm not sure yet. All I know is that I can't stay here in Yna any longer.

If Davy's still here, and what a shame it would be if he was, tell him that I wish we went further than flirting when I worked with him. He's an amazing friend, and he's the best friend I have.

However, if Davy did agree to come along with me, you can rest easy knowing he'll keep me out of trouble.

I hope this won't be the last time you hear from me

-Caspian Quillsnake"

I read it over twice, then hand it over to my parents. My mother breaks down.

"I'll go fetch him. I'll assemble the knights and-"

"Then go! He can't have gone far." My father throws the paper onto the table, wiping his face. "Now, Eetu!"

I throw on my coat and dash out the door. "Harvey!" I yell into the crowd of knights. "Harvey, assemble your men, we're leaving and we're leaving now!"

As my horse trots into the square, the knights are just hopping onto theirs.

"Let's go!" I wave the men forward, letting my horse run at top speed. "There's no time to lose!"

It takes us until sundown to reach the edge of the Canyon. I climb down, picking at the dirt. There's a little pile of scattered twigs at Sir Harvey's feet.

"They left, just a day ago. We gotta go." I swing back up onto my horse, taking off to the west.

"Sire, we've got to rest." Sir Harvey tries to pull the reigns.

"No time. My brother is about to do the stupidest thing he's ever done." I risk looking back at him. "He's only a day away from Delor Ocean, and he knows how to sail. If we don't reach them soon, we'll never see them again."

That keeps Sir Harvey quiet until for a couple hours. Our horses are slowing down by dawn, but when we found a new fire, it had just been put out an hour before. We were hot on their trail, right behind them, hopefully. I still wouldn't let the men rest.

We're all sleep deprived and probably chasing a dead end, and I'm nearly ready to give up when in the clearing above, I hear Caspian's voice.

"This'll do." He grunts.

I peek out from behind the trees, and there's my brother, with the kitchen boy, both of them pushing a canoe into the water. Instinctively, I jump from my horse, bolting as soon as my feet hit the ground, calling my brother's name with as much air as I can spare.

He looks back, startled. This gives me enough time to reach the boat and grab the end of it.

"Where do you think you're going?" I'm barely strong enough to stand.

"You got my note." Caspian looks down at the ground, ashamed. "And yet you came looking for me?"

"You're my brother." I attempt a weak smile, my legs collapse, and I'm on my knees, gripping the boat with what little energy I still have.

"Brother." Caspian repeats the word. He looks at the clear blue water, glistening under the sunlight.

It has a mystical beauty to it, the unknown does. When Caspian looks back at me, my eyes are fighting to stay open.

"Come back to Viâna, please." I would give anything for sleep right now, but I push through, as taxing as it may be on my body.

"I can't." Tears fall from both of our eyes.

I reach out my hand, extending the peace.

"I'm really sorry, Eetu. I'll try to bring you something from wherever we land." He takes his oar and gently pushes me off the boat.

He and the kitchen boy, Davy, begin to paddle away. I crawl into the water after them, still on my knees, screaming their names until Sir Harvey has to grab me from under my arms and drag me back to shore, fighting him tooth and nail.