Chapter Two:
For a moment, all Peter Pevensie could see and feel was the ice cold water around him, his skin numb from the freezing waters. His lungs started to burn from the lack of oxygen and no matter how hard he tried, he could not focus his eyes long enough to find the rivers surface. And the he felt it. The ice beneath him start to rise up towards the surface, taking him and his sisters with it. As they broke through the water, Peter tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword which was embedded into the large chunk of ice, as the pressure from the water dragged him back towards the water. On either side of him his sisters hanged onto his arms for support as the rivers current carried them down through the rapids, the small chunk of ice finally drifting close enough to the river's edge that his sister Susan could reach out and grab hold of it to pull them up to it. Pulling himself onto the river bank he went to pull Lucy from the ice when he noticed something was wrong. Lifting up her fur coat, he panicked when he saw that it was the only thing he was holding. There was no Lucy.
"What have you done?" Turning to look behind him, he saw Susan looking at him in fear, before looking out at the rapid river. "Lucy!" Looking out at the water however, there was no sign of anyone above the surface, Peter frozen in fear as his sister continued calling out for Lucy.
"Has anyone seen my coat?" It was Lucy. Turning to look behind him, he saw a dripping wet Lucy walking towards him, pulling her jacket around her to try and keep warm. Dropping down to his knees, Peter wrapped the coat around his younger sisters shoulders.
"How did you pull yourself from the river?" Peter asked in amazement, though thankful that she had.
"She grabbed me," Lucy said, as Peter looked up at Susan, both of them confused. As he went to look back down at Lucy he saw a girl standing there next to a black horse watching them. Instinctively, he pulled Lucy behind him and grabbed his sword.
"Relax, Your Majesty. I am no threat to you." Yet Peter didn't believe her.
"And how am I to believe that?" he asked, almost challenging.
"Besides from the fact that I just saved your sisters life?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "If I had wanted you dead, then you would already be dead." Hesitantly, Peter lowered his sword, still looking at the girl.
"Who are you?"
"Anna. I was sent to find you by Aslan," Ann said, walking a bit closer to them.
"You've meet Aslan?" looking down, Anna noticed to Beavers standing next to the humans.
"I have," Anna nodded before looking back at the humans. "But I was lead to believe that there were four of you?" Anna watched as the two elder humans looked at each other.
"Edmund..." Lucy started, before Anna quickly interrupted.
"Edmund?"
"Our brother," Lucy explained. "He's been captured by the White Witch."
"When did this happen?" Anna asked in shock.
"About a week ago," Susan said. "We were told that Aslan could help us get him back." For a moment Anna was silent as she thought about all she had heard. Would Aslan dare try and rescue their brother from under Jadis's very nose?
"He will help us, won't he?" Luck asked softly.
"Your Majesty," Anna started before Lucy cut her off.
"It's Lucy actually. Lucy Pevensie. And this is Susan and Peter," Lucy introduced them all, before quickly adding "and Mr and Mrs Beaver."
"Lucy," Anna smiled, kneeling down so she could look the young girl in the eye. "I promise you, Aslan will help you find Edmund." Lucy smiled up at her brother and sister at the news. "But first we need to get you to Aslan," Anna reminded them, standing up. Opening the leather pouch that hanged from her belt, she pulled out a small handful of pink berries, offering them to the Pevensie's and Beavers.
"What are they?" Susan asked, reaching out and grabbing one.
"Horse berries. You'll need them if you want to reach Aslan today," Anna said, handing two berries down to the Beavers before holding a berry out for Lucy.
"Horse berries?" Lucy asked in bewilderment.
"Yes. They grow in only the deepest forests in the Horses Valley. One berry is enough to supply you with enough nourishment to last you a day," Anna explained as Lucy grabbed one. "Myself and Sharmia have been living off these the past seven days as we searched for you." She held out the last berry for Peter who seemed hesitant to take it.
"I've heard stories of the Horses Valley," Mr Beaver said. "It says that no creature other than a horse can safely enter into the valley."
"The stories are true," Anna agreed. "Many have died trying to find the entrance."
"Well then if the stories are true, how did you get the berries?" Peter asked, grabbing Lucy's hand to stop her from eating the berry. Anna was about to defend herself when Sharmia walked up behind her.
"Anna protects our kind and therefore she is one of us. She has been blessed with the knowledge on how to enter the Valley. The only other creature in the whole of Narnia," Sharmia explained for her friend.
"The berries are not poison Peter. Once you eat you will feel stronger," Anna reasoned, watching as Lucy cautiously put the berry in her mouth.
"It tastes delicious," she exclaimed, looking up at Peter. Glancing over at Susan, he slowly put the berry in his mouth and as he bit down and broke its skin, a flood of energy swept over him. Looking up at Anna, he noticed she was smirking at him.
"Still feel tired?" she asked innocently, a small smile on her lips. Before he could answer, Susan spoke up.
"If you've meet Aslan, does this mean you've meet this True Knight of Narnia?" she asked. "It's just that we've heard rumors that this Knight was travelling with him."
"Yes, of course I have," Anna smiled.
"What's he like?" Peter asked.
"What makes you think the Knight is a man?" Anna asked out of curiosity.
"You mean that it's a woman?" Peter asked in surprise.
"Why do you sound so surprised. Women in Narnia are just as able fighters as the men, if not better," Anna said defensively.
"But isn't the battle ground too dangerous for a woman?" Peter asked in concern.
"Isn't the battle ground too dangerous for men?" Anna retorted, to which Peter had no come-back. "The True Knight of Narnia was given that title because she can handle herself in a fight, far better than other warriors," Anna said. "To date, she has never been defeated in battle."
"She seems like an awfully good fighter," Lucy said in awe.
"I think so," Anna nodded.
"How do you know all of this?" Peter asked curiously.
"First hand," Anna said, watching in amusement as Peter looked her up and down in disbelief.
"You. You're the True Knight of Narnia?"
"I am."
"But aren't you a little young to be a Knight?" Susan asked in surprise.
"Knighthoods are given out based on talent and skill. Not age," Anna explained. "However, now is not the time to discuss battle ethnics and Knighthoods. The sun shall not stay up forever and Aslan will be growing anxious of your whereabouts," Anna said, turning to Sharmia, carefully pulling the reins over her head so they acted as a lead.
"Is it much further?" Susan asked.
"Not really. We should be there in a matter of hours," Anna explained, as she started to lead Sharmia to a path in the trees, the Pevensie's and Beavers following her.