A/N: Hmm, I don't have much to say. I hope this chapter isn't too bad. Enjoy!

Peter and Edmund exchanged nervous glances, and Susan looked shocked. Lucy, to Mrs. Pevensie's dismay, looked like she was about to cry.

"Certainly – mum," Peter said after an awkward silence, with a distant smile. Susan to her credit tried to smile also, but the smile looked hopelessly fake, plastered across her face at that moment.

"Alright, then," Mrs. Pevensie said.

She turned from the dining room and discreetly wiped a small tear from her eye. Where had her children gone?

As soon as his mother left, Peter turned and buried his hands in his face, frustrated.

"Oh, bother it all!" Susan said. "We don't know how to act like normal children anymore. And mother's noticed."

A few tears slipped from Lucy's eyes, and Edmund looked back down at the breakfast table forlornly.

"That's it. We've got to find Toby. It can't be too hard, can it? He'll be easy to spot," Peter said. He rose from the table, looking every bit the High King again. They all agreed and asked their father if they could go for a walk through London. He said yes, but most of his focus was centered on the radio beside him, so they didn't think he'd really heard them.

They all walked outside. The morning air was fresh, and all four found themselves longing to breathe the Narnian air again. Walking a few steps ahead of the others, Lucy bumped into a very flustered looking man and apologized sincerely, but he didn't seem to notice. He simply picked himself back up; looking even more disconcerted, and moved on. Lucy watched his retreating back with her brow furrowed for a few seconds, then also turned away and kept walking.

They had decided to walk out in the countryside away from London's busy streets, presuming they were as likely to find Toby outside the city as in it.

They had been walking for a long while, and it was about midday.

"Look there, Ed!" Peter said suddenly. "Why, they're having a tournament."

Edmund looked up curiously. "I say, they are," he answered. "What an odd thing to be doing in England. They have food, too – see the spectators eating? Do you suppose they'd let us join?"

The crowd generally consisted of many teenagers, some young boys, and a few adults here and there. The combatants were about Peter's age. They were all tourists, evidently not from England.

Peter grinned. "Why don't we find out?"

"Peter, how could you? Susan scolded. "What about Toby?"

"There's little chance we'll find him today, and anyway, he might be looking for us. If that's the case, it'd be better for us to stay in one place – right? It can't hurt anything, Su," Peter said, a little pleadingly at the end. He was eager to take part in, or at least watch, something they had done in Narnia all too often.

"…you don't have a sword," Susan pointed out.

"Susan, please?" Lucy said. "I'm sure they'll have extra." She too was eager to see something that reminded her of Narnia, even though she knew all too well that she wouldn't be allowed (by the combatants or her brothers) to fight.

"I suppose so," Susan said, and to the wonder of all, smiled.

Edmund grinned. "Well, then, let's go!" he said.

Toby gradually woke up from his slumber. He was greeted by rather sore legs and stiff joints once again, but he didn't mind. His cuts and bruises were getting better, healing efficiently enough. His nap had been one or two hours at the most, and he felt refreshed.

After walking around in one place for a bit, he started to explore along this strange place's streets again. He barked to a few other dogs, and listened the humans in general. He knew he needed to find the Kings and Queens if he ever wanted to get back to Narnia again, so he started off just to do so. He couldn't follow the directions they'd given him, because he no longer had any idea where the old shop was.

It was hard for him not to ask these humans questions, though he knew he mustn't do so. He nearly did, once or twice. Dogs just weren't made to keep quiet, the ones in this world and the talking dogs alike.

He took in each and every one of the sights, smells, and feelings all at once. He caught the sweet scent of sugar wafting from the bakery, felt the cool stone on the pads of his paws, and watched all the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve – he had never seen so many of them! – bustle about. He also caught many little snatches of conversation. And what strange things these people said!

"…What kind of plane was that?"

"I say, look at that poodle –"

"…Where have you been? Really, at that blasted shop again?"

"Go turn on the radio please, dear –"

What's a plane? Did she just call that little white dog a 'poodle'? What does that mean? And what shop had been blasted? He was sure he hadn't heard any sudden loud noises, and his hearing was good - even for a Narnian dog. And didn't the Kings and Queens mention something about a radio back when they were all in Narnia?

All of these thoughts raced through Toby's head.

Soon, though, he began to get hungry. He realized he hadn't eaten in at least two days, and wondered where dogs in this world got their food. Did they hunt too? He watched the path for any rabbits or small animals, but of course there were none. All this noise and movement would certainly scare them off.

Presently, he came upon a little stall selling meats. A Son of Adam was standing nearby, handing the human behind the food counter a few little silver round pieces. In return, the merchant handed him a few wrapped up packages, thanking the customer for his purchase. Toby surreptitiously sniffed the meat nearest him, trying not to be seen by the stall's owner. He didn't want to steal the food, but there seemed no other way to get it.

He started to extend his tongue, but something stopped him.

A glint caught his eye, and he trotted over to find a little round, silver thing, much like what he had seen the customer holding. He clawed at it. He couldn't pick it up like the human had, with his front paws. He didn't want it in his mouth, but he decided there was no other way and picked it up precariously between his teeth, the metal halfway sticking out of his maw.

How silly he must look! Toby thought. He shook the idea out of his head and jogged back towards the stall. He attempted to look purposeful and resolute, but with little hope. His tail was wagging and his ears were down, eyes big. Toby began to believe he was doing a great job looking intelligent and business-like, even more so when he noticed the man smile at him and finger a bit of the food.

The man's next statement chased away that notion quicker than Toby had ever chased is own tail.

"Oh, how cute you are!"

Toby simply stared. He had no idea what to do now. Cute? Cute was not what he had intended.

But cute worked.

"I would normally resist stray's begging, but you," he said. The man smiled warmly and tossed Toby two fish.

Still shocked but incredibly pleased, Toby dropped the coin upon the man's lap and picked up his meal. If a dog could grin, Toby was doing so now. He scuttled a few feet away to eat his prize, tail wagging rapidly and happily.

The man smiled, watching the stray eat.

He assisted a few more customers before turning back to the dirty brown animal, whom he had decided he might take home and give a bath if the dog would allow him. He lived alone and was often just a little lonesome.

Toby had just finished his two fish, and turned back to the man still sitting at the stall. He bounded up to him, and the man smiled again, wider this time. He had always liked dogs, he reflected, and this one he was beginning to like even more so. The dog's mouth was open, and the man could almost imagine he was smiling at him. What an odd thought.

"Thank you!" the dog told him gratefully.

Only then did Toby realize his mistake.

A/N: Okay, so I hope the Pevensies-tournament-thingy wasn't too weird. Kind of unexpected (Ha, that was the story's original title - before I posted it), even for me, but I wanted to add another sort of scene in the story at some point that's... but I suppose that should wait until next chapter. Okay. So, just apologizing for the odd, random little 'tournament' in the first part of this chapter and for my ignorance of what London was like in the 1940's. I hope my assumptions aren't too far off the mark.
Thanks for reading, next chapter coming soon I hope!

In the last chapter…