CE Narnia - Jakob

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One of the benefits of having a character that can control the doors between worlds is that she can take me to the worlds of many of my favorite books. Like right now, she says I'm in Narnia, though she didn't tell me exactly where or when.

I'm in the middle of a a busy market where people are bustling here and there ... well, I say people, but in truth, there are plenty of non-humans about, such as the mouse arguing with the faun over the price of some sort of cheese. Wait, there's a time marker - if I remember right, mice didn't talk in Narnia until after Aslan's death when they chewed though the ropes.

This also means that it's not during the Telmarine period. So ... that narrows it down the the last few hundred years of Narnian history.

"You know, I suddenly understand the confusion of the Water Princess when she found herself in our world."

Okay ... that's not a Narnian.

I turn to see a young man of about seventeen with brown hair and eyes, dressed in some sort of medievally camping gear.

"Jakob," I recognize him instantly, since I only just came from writing a scene with him in it."Did Laura bring you here, too?"

"It would appear so, Kendra," he accedes. "What is this strange place? I have never seen such a strange assortment of intelligent creatures - I doubt even the Isle of Talking Beasts can boast of such." He nodded to a faun.

"It's Narnia," I answer. "The world that inspired yours, actually, though Rizkaland has become very different."

"That's quite obvious," he agrees. "Now, come, we shouldn't just stand here in the corner gawking. Shall we go peruse the wares. Perhaps we can gather news."

"Sounds good."

Since the mouse and faun are still busy arguing, we approach a pair of dwarf brothers who are selling jewelry. I suck in a breath as I notice a necklace made out of purple stones, with a silver heart as a pendant.

One of the bothers notices my interest. "Ah, ye have fine taste indeed, miss. Genuine calkin amethysts from the North, these are."

"And a fair price, too," adds the other dwarf, naming it. His eyes fix on Jakob, who's standing just behind me. "Come now, sir, is that too high a price to spend on your lady?"

"She's not my ..." Jakob protests.

"Well, sister then. We all know how sisters are, don't we Ricatic?"

"She's ..." Jakob began, but our eyes meet and he apparently decides that the whole authorship concept is too complicated for him to explain. "It is a fair price, I suppose, and I do have the money."

Before I can protest, Jakob pulls out his money bag, and counts out a handful of coins for the brothers. How Klarandish money can turn into Narnian, I have no idea, but perhaps Laura had something to do with it. Satisfied, Ricatic hands him the necklace.

"Will you be wearing it at the coronation?" the other brother asks.

I blink. "Coronation? I'm sorry sir, but we've been traveling, so we haven't heard the news. When is it?"

"Haven't heard the news!" Ricatic repeats, shaking his head in surprise. "It's next week. And it's Aslan's miracle that there's to be a coronation at all. Seems he sent some children from the other world to find the lost prince for us - and just in time, too. How good a king Rilian will be having spent the last ten years under a spell, I can't tell you, but it's good to have a king at all, you know."

"Oh," I say, now knowing exactly when we are. "Well, I'll be sure to wear it then, if we go. I'm not sure how long Jakob and I will be here."

We say our farewells, and Jakob and I continue on.

"Your necklace?" Jakob points out, once we've taken a few steps.

"Oh yes," I remember. I hold my hair out of the way while he clasps it around my neck. "You do know you didn't have to do that. I would have survived without a new necklace."

"Perhaps so," he admits. "But Laura had given me the money and told me to buy you something, and you seemed so taken with it ..."

"I thought she had had something to do with it," I say with a shake of my head. "Well, thank-you. You're such the gentleman, Jakob. It's no wonder that ... a certain someone fell in love with you."

"A certain someone?" he repeats.

"Yes. You'll figure it out soon enough. But ... why did you never tell me about your twin sister?"

Jakob shrugged. "She never came up, I guess. And since she was frozen by Amber ..."

"Well, I'll see what I can do about that. Why don't we see if we can find something to eat - did Laura give you enough money for that?"

"Of course."

"Then come on."