Author: Sam

Story: The Butterfly Effect: 1 of 7

Series: One Little Change

Characters Intro'd: King Caspian, Pug the Slaver, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, Reepicheep the Mouse, Lord Bern, Eustace Scrubb, Killian

Rating: T: Slavery; Minimal Nudity

Summary: Caspian is bought by someone other than Lord Bern in the Lone Islands. Freeing the Lone Islands won't be quite as easy as originally told.

Spoiler: Yes, I've spoiled The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as well as Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Category: Adventure; Fantasy

Disclaimer: The Chronicles of Narnia, and all seven of the titles therein, are trademarks of C.S. Lewis and Disney. I am in no way connected with these people, and I do not claim ownership to these characters, lands, or names. I have borrowed them to share a story… and most likely not a story C.S. Lewis would have written, had he had the time or no. I am making no money from this, and it is just for my entertainment and that of free entertainment to a select group of friends. Thank You.

Distribution: Please ask first?

Setting: AU: The Lone Islands during The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
>p? Note: Very briefly: The Butterfly Effect says that if a butterfly flaps its wings in one part of the world, the result would be a hurricane in another part of the world: cause and effect.

Feedback: Please? I love comments. samwise_baggins@yahoo.co.uk

Webpage: http://www.oocities.org/samwise_baggins/index.html

First off, the bonds round his wrists were tight… too tight. They hadn’t started out as such, but as they walked, the slaver Pug seemed suddenly to realize that they’d done a poor job of securing one of their new captives, for Caspian had nearly worked his left hand free. Of course, he’d had no idea what to do if he had gotten free unnoticed, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t tried all the same. He’d almost gotten free, too, when a sudden cry of “What ho? Wait a minute, Lad! What do you think you’re about, then?” made the seventeen-year-old’s heart sink. Pug, himself, had noticed what he’d been doing and suddenly Caspian found his wrists bound cruelly tight this time.

Secondly, for good measure, Pug had also looped a length of rope around the King’s neck and secured it to the rope 'round the young man’s wrists, ignoring Edmund’s indignation, Lucy’s tears, and Reepicheep’s threats.

This had taken place in a small village before a small stone house, and it was evident by the many averted faces that they would find no salvation among the locals.

Two buildings ahead, a man walked out a door, paused with a fierce frown on his kind, stern face, and called out that Pug had better treat his stock well or it’d be the worse for him. The voice led Caspian to believe that the man could have been persuaded to befriend them, or at the least champion their cause, but they were too far away to make eye contact and the man was quickly turning away to go about his business.

A surprising turn of events occurred then. Eustace, who had been grumbling about barbarism and laws and such, called out rather loudly, “I say, do you know where the British Counsel is?” It was more out of hope that one of the many people would come to his aid rather than in a real belief that these ignorant island folk might possibly know about anything as civilized as a British Counsel. After all, no one else had let on that they knew anything of such practical use.

Pug let out a growl; he’d had enough of the boy’s whining. With a threatening, thunderous look, the slaver advanced on the young teen.

“Hold, Pug,” called a deep, resonant voice.

All turned to look, except Caspian, whose bound neck prevented such freedom of movement. There stood a very tall, very solid man, like a small tree. He had to have been near seven feet tall, and looked as if he could lift a carthorse without a second thought. His dark hair was close-cropped, clearly displaying his beady brown eyes in a weather-creased, tanned face. Pug actually seemed to quiver as the man stumped over to the small group.

“Ah, yes,” said Pug, evidently trying to collect himself, “it is, uh… Lord… uh…”

“Killian. Just Killian,” the human mountain replied, all affability, as if he was glad to see Pug, and Pug would naturally be glad to see him. It was very much evident, however, that Killian was the man Pug least wished to see.

Eustace jumped at the chance he’d been given before anyone else could interfere. “Ah, yes, and you would know of the British Counsel?” He very much doubted this brute of a man could even spell Counsel, let alone find one, but one had to make due, didn’t one?

The large man turned his small eyes, made smaller by squinting, on the boy and nodded wisely. With a huge grin he boomed out, “Don’t know as I ever heard of a British Counsel, lad. Closest you’ll find to any counselling ‘round here would be Governor Gumpus, but you’ll only get in to see him on second Saturdays, ‘lessen you’ve got a ‘pointment… and it’s powerful hard to get a ‘pointment with his Sufficiency.” Then the big man scanned the prisoners and nodded. “I see you haven’t given up peddling flesh, despite Lord Bern’s warnings, eh, Pug?”

As Caspian’s ears perked at one of the names of the seven lords he was seeking, Pug opened his mouth. Killian continued, however, effectively cutting the slaver off before he could get even one word out. “Well, that’s as may be, but I still say that someday you’ll peddle the wrong man then you’ll get what for, what?” He rocked back on his heels with a booming chuckle, his huge grin splitting his dark face. The group almost expected a small earthquake to start with his movements; he was so very large.

The slaver laughed in response, but it was the kind of laugh a bully gives off when a professor comes across him torturing the younger boys. “Well, best be going now, my Lord. These children’ll need sleep to look fresh for the market tomorrow. Can’t be keeping the poor beggars standing around now, can we?” And Pug made as if to shoo his group off, like naughty children late for bedtime.

“Hold, Pug.” Killian’s voice hadn’t lost its jolly tone, but the deep rumble commanded instant obedience none-the-less. “Now, I’m not one to jump beforehand, say, but I’m thinking these might be special circumstances, what? Let me have a look at these children.”

And Pug let out what sounded very like a defeated sigh. He reluctantly turned back to the man and nodded, seeing little he could do to avoid this impromptu market… and possibly even sensing some small profit in the end. “New, fresh stock, My Lord. All fit and as sweet to look at as a Christmas Pudding. Now, take this here… intelligent, inquisitive lad.” Here he indicated Eustace, thinking that as it was Eustace’s question that had stopped the large man, he might purchase the annoying blighter. But whether it was Eustace’s sudden indignant frown or the fact that Killian wasn’t interested in an ‘intelligent, inquisitive lad’, the large man merely shook his head.

“No, Pug. I’ve more an eye on the older lad. Why’s he tied neck and hand?”

Now Pug’s mind worked fast, as was often needed in such a nefarious trade as slavery, and he immediately started wheedling. “He’s that precious to me, he is…”

Killian merely nodded affably as Pug relayed a story of kindness and love and remembrances of playmates dead and gone these long years, until finally the slaver ended with a sigh. “I had to tie him careful-like so's he wouldn't run off and get in trouble now, didn't I?" When Killian didn't comment, Pug nodded sadly, "Three hundred Crescents, my Lord, as I see no way I can keep the precious lad, and knowing you to be a kind, fair…” but this seemed too much for Killian at last. He threw a dark, warning look at the slaver that was missed by all but Reepicheep.

“By the Lion, that man’s a warrior. I’d stake my whiskers on it!” His small, shrill voice seemed to cut through the air like the rapier he’d had taken from him by the slavers.

This seemed to quickly catch Killian’s interest, but in a far different sort of way than the humans had. His eyes narrowed so much they almost disappeared as he glowered at the Talking Mouse. Reepicheep opened his mouth to say something more, whether mere comment or sudden challenge we’ll never know. Suddenly the man turned his thunderous look on Pug and barked out, “Three hundred for the boy and the Mouse, Pug,” in a growl so menacing, the windowpanes of the building closest them rattled as if in a thunderstorm.

Pug paled considerably. He seemed to think of protesting, going so far as to open his mouth, thought better of it, then nodded and handed over the ropes.

Lucy burst out tearfully, “Oh, please don’t separate us, Sir!”

Killian turned and bent a look so sorrowful on her, it near made her heart want to break for him and to forget all about being left with the slaver. “I’m that sorry, Miss, but I oughten even buy one slave. It don’t look right, see, me working for Lord Bern and him so against slavery and all.”

Lucy turned and buried her tear-stained face against Edmund's shoulder, sobs wracking her body. Her brother would have encircled her if he, too, had not been bound. As it was, both Edmund and Eustace were forced to watch as Killian handed over the fee and took the ends of the ropes binding Caspian and Reepicheep. The Mouse gave a fiercely proud nod towards the children, as if in reassurance. After all, his duty was to remain with the King, and Killian's decision made that possible.

“Courage, Lucy,” Caspian softly commented before the over-large Killian led his new slaves away.

Neither captive spoke to one another or their new master as they made their way down a side alley and out of earshot, and sight, of the unhappy party behind them. Reepicheep’s tongue was held by the commanding look his liege had squared on him, and, for his part, Caspian was trying to puzzle out an appeal for a meeting with Lord Bern. It was with some surprise, then, that the King noted they were stopping at the alley’s end. He turned cautious eyes on the unknown man who’d bought him.