The snow moved slowly around the lamp post while the wind blew and the soft sound of hooves crunching the snow filed the air. The umbrella fluttered in the wind as the sad eyes looked at the lamp post and figure softly, his breath swirling around in little circles. Tumnus looked at the snow while some snowflakes stuck to his long lashes and he blinked.
He missed Lucy Pevensie. He shivered as his red woolen scarf flapped against his back and he gently rubbed his arm with his hand. He was about to walk home when he thought he heard something to his left and looked at the shadows around the trees. He heard the sound of children's laughter coming from the shadows and walked slowly toward the trees. The laughter grew louder as he looked into the shadows and smiled.
"Lucy," Tumnus whispered as the laughter grew louder and he placed the umbrella down on the ground. Reaching out with his hands, he entered the shadows and the darkness surrounded him. He reached out, trying to figure out where he was, then felt what appeared to be a door and pushed gently on the door. The door opened when he stepped out of the wardrobe and looked around.
"Where am I?" Tumnus thought, looking around the empty room. Walking to the window, his hoofs clicked on the floor and he looked out the window.
"This isn't Narnia," Tumnus whispered when the door opened and he turned around, seeing a familiar face behind him. "Lucy!"
Lucy was shocked as Tumnus titled his head to one side and she closed the door.
"Mister Tumnus?" Lucy stuttered, making him smile.
"Hello, Lucy. How are you?" Tumnus asked. Walking closer, she walked around him then took his hands and he blinked.
"How did you get here?"
"I came from there," Tumnus said, pointing to the wardrobe, and she walked to it. Walking inside the wardrobe, she noticed that the doorway was open again and felt the cold air blowing in the darkness. "Where am I?"
"The spare room," Lucy said, stepping out of the wardrobe.
"This is Spar Oom?"
"No, it's a room in the house I'm living in."
"Oh, well, can we go outside?" Tumnus asked, pointing to the window.
"No! I mean I would like to take you outside, but there are people here that might be afraid of you."
"But I'm not dangerous," Tumnus said softly, feeling a little hurt that she would think he was. Lucy's heart hurt as she took his hands and he gently squeezed her fingers.
"I know. The other thing is that the opening might close up and you'll be stuck here. You couldn't go back."
"If I can't then I can't," he said with a smile.
"But you'd never be allowed out of this room. It wouldn't be safe. And I couldn't see you every day because someone might find us."
What she said made him think. Not to leave the room? Never go outside? Only seeing Lucy every now and then?
"I guess I better go," Tumnus sighed, turning and headed for the wardrobe.
"No, stay right here. I'll be right back!"
Lucy left the room while he looked at the door and waited. The door opened a few minutes later when he saw Lucy wheeling in a cart and a tea setting for two was on the top.
"It was in my room. I borrowed one of the other cups," Lucy said. She set the cups and teapot on the floor then the tray of teacakes and he sat down on the floor. She sat next to him when she poured the tea and he sipped on it. It was the best tea he had ever tasted. They talked while sipping on the tea and nibbled on the teacakes. She told him what the children had been up to and how much she missed him and Narnia. He nodded when he stood up and looked at the wardrobe.
"I think I should go back now," Tumnus said when she stood up, walked closer and hugged him. Letting go, she walked to the cart, took a small box wrapped in brown paper off the cart, walked back to him and handed the small box to him.
"Don't open it until you get home," Lucy said as he nodded then walked back into the wardrobe. The darkness filled his eyes while he walked along then felt the cold air and stepped out of the trees. The snow fell on him when he picked up the umbrella and turned around. He walked back into the trees but couldn't find the doorway and sighed. Walking back to the lamp post, he looked up at the snow and felt like crying. Sighing, he headed for home but felt like a part of him was missing. Arriving at his home, he opened the door, walked inside and closed the door behind him. Putting the umbrella against the wall, he walked down the stairs, heading for the fireplace, lit the fire and sat on the stool in front of the fireplace. He opened the brown paper then the box when he looked at what was inside and blinked.
Inside the box was a little china doll dressed in a blue dress and had a blue hat on. He carefully lifted it out of the box when something fell to the floor and he picked it up. It was a picture of the children and they smiled at him. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he stood up, placed the china doll and the picture on the mantel, took his pan pipe out of its box then sat back down on the stool. The music filled the air as he played a happy tune and the snow gently fell outside the windows.
THE END...