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"…But it was one of the magical places of that world, one of the chinks or chasms between that world and this. There were many chicks or chasms between worlds in old times, but they have grown rarer." ~ Aslan Prince Caspian
Chapter One: Betrayed
Far in the wilds of Narnia during the hundred years' Winter lived three dwarves and a rabbit. The hardships of the winter had left the dwarves almost gnome-like in appearance, and only the coal they dug from their mine kept them from freezing.
There had been four of them once, and all had sworn that they would never defect to the Witch, as so many of the dwarves seemed wont to do. But the day they had found the half grown rabbit shivering on the doorstop and had taken it in, sharing their scanty food with it as a matter of course, Daskor had grown moodily silent. A week later, he had disappeared.
The other dwarves looked at each other, but did not voice their suspicions. Each thought of moving their home, but where else could they go? Surely even if their brother had gone to join the White Witch, that didn't mean he would betray them.
And what harm had they done her? True, they had vowed never to join her, but neither had they actively opposed her; they weren't even part of the smugglers who brought food from Archenland, though they had certainly made use of some of those supplies. The worst they had done was take in a rabbit that had been so frightened by whatever it had experienced that it had been robbed of the power of Speech, and surely that was no great crime.
They rationalized and comforted themselves with those thoughts, yet none of them was truly surprised when a sleigh drew up in front of their home and a pounding came at the door. Their only surprise was that the Witch had thought them important enough to come herself and had not merely sent her minions.
The rabbit cowered behind Rarmitton as the pounding came at the door, but none of the others had time to think of hiding. "Open in the name of Jadis, queen of Narnia!" called a voice that was horrifyingly familiar.
"It's Daskor," Dekhoffyn whispered, feeling actually sick to his stomach at the thought that their brother's betrayal had gone even this far.
"She won't have given him a choice," Sonnagan whispered through stiff lips, though he couldn't help feeling it would have been unnecessary to mention them to the Witch at all. Perhaps Daskor's loyalties truly did lie with the Witch, and he had not gone to her merely to save his own life, as they had assumed.
The pounding came again, more insistent this time, and was accompanied by a fierce growl that made the rabbit cower down even more, his nose trembling. Then the door flew open, and Daskor stepped aside to disclose the White Witch standing there angry and terrible, flanked by two huge wolves, their teeth bared. "What do you mean, refusing to open to the queen of Narnia?" she demanded.
Sonnagan swallowed and licked suddenly dry lips. "We — you surprised us, your majesty," he said.
"Hah! A poor excuse, but no matter. I have been informed that you harbour a spy among you."
"N-no, majesty!" Sonnagan exclaimed, wondering if Daskor had even gone so far as to make up tales against them. Did he bear an actual grudge against his brothers for some reason? Sonnagan sent a despairing glance his way, but saw no hint even of recognition in his eyes. Bewitched, he thought almost hopefully; his treachery would at least be easier to bear if he was under the Witch's spell and not in his own right mind. Yet Sonnagan doubted it was true; Daskor's eyes were cold and hard, but still strangely sane.
The Witch's eyes narrowed. "Do not lie to me!" she hissed. "I know that you have taken in a spying rabbit; what has it told you?"
A quivering nose appeared for an instant from behind Rarmitton's leg before disappearing again.
"Nothing, majesty!" Sonnagan declared, bold in the exact truthfulness of the statement, though her apparent fear of being found out made him wonder just what the rabbit had witnessed.
"He can't Talk, your majesty," Dekhoffyn put in.
"Is this true?" the Witch demanded haughtily of Daskor.
"Aye," he said gruffly. "It ain't said a word since it came."
"But it may," she murmured as if to herself; "it may. Perhaps it already has…"
"No!" Sonnagan cried, sensing what she was about to do.
The rabbit leapt out, going to its hind legs in a gesture of appeal — and there it was frozen as she waved her wand.
"Now, Daskor, we must be off," she said with an air of dusting her hands of the affair as she turned.
Daskor followed without a backward glance or apparent shame for what he had done, leaving the three statues that had been his brothers behind him.
Next chapter coming next week!
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