Gwen crept around Aslan's camp, trying to find the mice. Oreius had charged her with taking care of them while they prepared for battle, but she was afraid she had lost them. They were rather mischievous and Gwen believed they got a kick out of seeing her annoyed. She tip-toed around the tents, stepping over the sleeping centaurs and cheetahs, softly whispering, "Here, mice...good mice...come out wherever you are..." When the mice still didn't show up she rubbed her forehead. What was she doing? Why was she here, hunting for mice, and not out there preparing for battle? "Come on! I bet the cats out there are hungry! If you don't come out by the time I count to three -"
A mouse popped up, a look of outrage on its face. "You wouldn't!" it cried.
"Aha!" Gwen snatched the mouse and all the others rushed out to rescue their comrade. The mouse squirmed in her hands. "Come on guys, why can't you just sit still? Oreius told me to take care of you."
"I won't be Daughter of Eve-handled!" the mouse cried, jumping out of her hands and running away.
Gwen shrieked, picking up her skirts and running after them, knocking over weapons and waking up the minotaurs, who weren't too happy about it. She chased the mice all the way until they disappeared inside Aslan's tent. She groaned, and popped her head inside, prepared to explain herself to the Lion himself, but sighed in relief when she saw he wasn't inside. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, she crept in and looked around. "Mice! I'm not going to hurt you. You're going to get me in trouble!" There was a torch on one side of the tent, illuminating the small space, but even in the light she couldn't tell where the mice went. The room was small, but roomy, with only a bed and the torch on the wall. She spotted a flash of tail disappearing behind the bed and she smiled, jumping and catching the mice in her arms. "You guys are coming back with me!"
"Let us go!" one squeaked, nibbling at her hand.
Gwen's stomach dropped when she heard a commotion just outside the tent doorway. Panicked, she ran for it, accidentally knocking over the torch, setting fire to the tent. Master Centaur stared at her as the tent slowly burned to the ground and even the mice stopped squirming to stare at the tent in disbelief. There was a light cough behind her and she reluctantly turned around to come face to face with Aslan. The mice gulped and jumped out of Gwen's limp arms, scurrying down her skirts and out of sight. "I can explain -!" Gwen cried.
"It was a simple job!" Oreius cried, his nostrils flaring.
"Peace, Oreius." Aslan said. He focused his attention on Gwen. "Because you have been unable to take your time with anything, there is only one thing to do for you." He breathed on her and she started to feel a tingling all up her arms and spine and the world started to grow smaller and smaller. Her voice grew higher until it finally stopped and someone handed her a mirror. She screamed when she saw the hedgehog screaming back at her.
"A hedgehog!? REALLY?!"
Aslan ignored as he commissioned someone in the crowd to make him a new tent. "You have a lesson to learn, Gwendoline. Learn it well and I will return you to human form."
"What lesson!?"
Aslan smiled to himself and stalked away.