Chapter 1: The Magical Discovery At The Ordinary Store

I am currently sitting on the couch staring blankly at the T.V. I am in Gibson's visiting my Dad, and his new girlfriend. The court has decided that my little sister Alana, and I have to visit my dad for a month every summer. As well as every second Christmas and spring break until we are eighteen.

This is the first year of the ordered visits.

My parents split up three years ago when I was seven. I'm ten now, and I'm still kind of mad at them. Alana got lucky only being three when they split up, so she never really understood. I may have only been seven when they split up, but I understand a lot more then people think I do.

I remember constantly wishing, and praying that they would get back together, and then I would be just like my friends with two parents all the time. But my dreams of that happening were shattered after I met Ruth Halock, my Dad's new girlfriend. I'll never forget the day I first met her.

***

Today is a special day. Today is February.22 2002. Today is my tenth birthday. "What did dad get me for my birthday?" I asked my eighteen year old brother Sheldon Cyr excitedly. We are sitting in the living room of my Oma's house. My Dad went out to pick up one of his friends from the bus station. So, I'm trying to convince him to tell me what my dad got me.

I'm not telling you," Sheldon grinned.

"Come on please," I pleaded.

"No," Sheldon smiled.

"It's my birthday too," my five year old sister Alana Smit decided.

Alana got my dad's last name, Smit, While Sheldon, and I got my mom's last name, Cyr.

"No it's not," I denied. "Your birthday is in November."

Sheldon laughed, "It's Melissa's birthday. Your birthday is November.10."

"No, it's my birthday today too," Alana objected.

I groaned, "Alana it's not your birthday."

"Yes it is!" Alana yelled.

"Okay. It's your birthday too," Sheldon gave in.

I glared at him, and he gave me a look that clearly said 'She's five. She doesn't understand.'

I sighed knowing he was right. All of a sudden the front door opened, and then shut. I grinned. My Dad's back. Now I can find out what he got me for my birthday!

I expected to see my dad with a guy friend, but instead what I saw made my jaw drop open in surprise. There standing in the doorway to the living room was my dad, and a woman with light brown hair and green eyes. She was a little bit overweight, and wore glasses.

I looked at Sheldon, who was sitting behind me, and seen he wore the same expression as me. I turned back to my dad with questioning eyes.

"This is Ruth Halock, my girlfriend," my Dad introduced. "This is Sheldon, Melissa, and Alana."

"Hello," Ruth smiled kindly, but she looked rather uncomfortable.

"Hi," I said quietly, but what I really wanted to do was scream at my Dad for bringing a strange lady home.

My Dad walked to the couch where Sheldon was, and sat down. He motioned for Ruth to come sit down beside him.

It was quiet for a few minutes before Ruth asked quietly, "So, Melissa it's your birthday today, isn't it? How old are you turning?"

"Yes it is. I'm turning ten," I muttered.

"Wow double digits. Happy Birthday."

"Thanks," I said dryly. I stood from my place on the floor, and walked to the door to go outside without a word. I dragged my feet to the backyard.

How could he? What was he thinking? He must have been out of it to think that he could bring home a woman that isn't my Mom.

"Melissa," my Dad said.

I spun around to look at him for a second. I then rolled my eyes, and turned around to continue staring off in to space.

"Melissa please give Ruth a chance. She is a really great person. She loves to bake, do crafts, and play games. She loves kids, so you guys can do all kinds of things together," my Dad said.

I snorted, but didn't say anything. My Dad placed his hands on my shoulders, and turned me around to face him.

"Please Melissa. Just try to get to know her."

I glared at the ground, and then finally looked my dad in the eyes. "She isn't my mom, so don't force me to like her, and don't force me to do stuff with her."

My Dad laughed, "I'm not forcing you to like her, and to do things with her. I'm just telling you she's really great, and want you to give her a chance."

"Dad! Your listing all the things most Moms do with there kids! So, just because my Mom doesn't do that stuff with us very often doesn't make her a bad Mom! She's just really busy!! Oh, and by the way my Mom is the best Mom!! No one will ever replace her, so don't even try!!! I yelled my voice getting louder and louder.

My Dad sighed, "I'm not trying to replace your Mom."

I snorted again, but my Dad continued like he didn't hear me.

"I just really want you to give Ruth a chance. Please."

"What about Sheldon? Is he giving her a chance?" I demanded.

"Sheldon isn't the one who ran outside. Besides we're not talking about Sheldon. We're talking about you," he groaned.

I looked at my Dad for a few seconds, and then looked at the house which was behind him.

Why us? Why? Why did my Mom, and Dad even split up in the first place? I know they still love each other. Why is my Dad forcing me to like Ruth? Why he forcing me to think of her as my Mom?

Fine, I guess I can get to know her a bit. Once my Mom, and Dad get back together she'll be gone anyway. She'll go back to where she came from.

"Fine," I said bitterly. "I'll try to get to know her."

"See. That wasn't so hard to say, was it? Now let's go back inside," my Dad chuckled.

I walked grudgingly back to the house. She'll in a gone in few months. I'll make sure of it.

***

That day was exactly five months ago. Today is July.22 2002, and Ruth is still here. Ruth is actually pretty cool though. We do all kinds of things together, such as, sing, dance, make crafts, bake, but she still isn't my Mom, and she never will be.

My Dad, and Ruth actually seem really happy together. My Dad laughs a lot more with Ruth then he ever did with my Mom. So, I've completley given up on the hope of my Mom, and Dad getting back together about a month after I met Ruth.

My Mom also has a boyfriend now too. His name is Britt, and he follows her around like a lost puppy dog. I guess he's alright, but he's kind of annoying, because I rarely get to spend time alone with my Mom. Britt is always there with us. They have been dating for about three months now.

"Melissa! Come on, let's go!" Ruth said loudly waking me from my web of thoughts.

"Where are we going?" I asked as I slipped on my flip flops.

"To the new second hand store down in Lower Gibsons," my Dad replied.

My Dad, and Ruth lived in a tiny two bedroom apartment on the third and final floor. So we had to walk down two flights of stairs to get outside.

Once we were outside we all got in to my Dad's black ford truck, and we were on our way. The only bad thing about my dad's truck is that the back two seats are jumper seats, and they face side ways instead of forward.

Since the new second hand store is in Lower Gibsons the ride was only four or five minutes from the apartment.

We parked the truck, and entered the store. It was huge! The walls, and floor were all white, and it smelled like a second hand store.

Back in Port Alberni my Mom takes Alana, and I to second hand stores all the time.

I love the smell of them. I breathed in deeply, savoring it.

I looked to my right, and seen they had a small bakery. I moved my eyes forward, and spotted a large book section. It was so big it was the size of a small library. I love to read. Fantasy and Fairytale are my favorite.

"Dad can I go look at the books?" I inquired excitedly.

"Yeah go ahead," my Dad murmured.

"Thanks," I smiled, and rushed over to the books. I started scanning the bookshelves. After looking for five minutes, or so there was a title that popped out at me. It was called The Truth Behind Fairytales and Fantasy by Digory Kirke.

I pulled it off the shelf. It was a very thick dark red book. It had no pictures at all on the inside, or outside, and all it had on the cover was the title and the author.

I flipped it open to the very back to see how many pages the book contained. I gasped quietly. It had two thousand seven hundred eighty five pages, and that wasn't including the index, glossary, and acknowledgments. I placed the book under my arm and continued searching.

After about fifteen minutes I came up empty handed. There was nothing else that caught my interest. This one book will keep me busy for awhile anyway.

I skipped around the store excitedly looking for my Dad. I found him at the opposite end of the store in the airplane section. I walked over to him, "Dad can I get this book please?"

He looked at the book, "That's huge."

"I know, but it will keep me busy for months," I smiled.

"How much is it?"

I hastily located the price, and read, "Three dollars."

"Really? That's a good deal, so yeah you get it."

"Yes! Thanks Dad!" I smiled wildly.

"Yes dear. Here I'll put it in the cart," my Dad stated. "Why don't you go look around some more?"

"Okay. Thanks," I laughed, and handed him the book.

I saw the movie section while I was looking for my Dad, so I started back tracking towards it. I found the movies in between the dishes and shoes. I was about to enter the movie section when a narrow rickety staircase to the right caught my eye. I looked at all the people passing by the stairs as if they couldn't see them. The stairs were so tiny I almost didn't see them either.

I graved a hold of the railing, and cautiously made my way up. Once at the top I noticed no one else was up here. It made me feel uneasy.

I also noticed the only things up here were all antiques. Ruth would flip, she loves antiques. I looked around a bit before I noticed a large, brown, wooden wardrobe at the far end of the room. I slowly walked towards it, my heart pounding.

I timidly reached for the handle expecting it to be locked, but it opened. I pulled the door open completely, and noted that the back wall of the wardrobe was missing.

I stared in to it for a minute, and then shook my head. I was about close the door, and go back downstairs, but all of a sudden I felt a chilled wind blow against my face.

What was that? Where did that wind come from?

I looked around the room for a fan, or air conditioner that the chilly air could have come from, but I didn't see anything. I didn't bother looking for a window because wind that cold couldn't have come from outside on such a hot summer day.

I returned my gaze back to the wardrobe uneasily. Could the wind have come from the wardrobe? I slowly extended my arm in to the wardrobe, and the bone chilling wind greeted me once again.

I hastily pulled my arm out shivering, and slammed the door closed. I raced for the stairs, and took them two at time.

I sprinted to the airplane section to find my Dad still there looking at a black airplane model. "Dad! You have to see this! Come on!" I said urgently.

"Melissa what's wrong?" my Dad asked concerned.

I didn't answer him instead I just pulled him to the staircase. When we were at the bottom of the staircase about to make our way up I heard Ruth's voice. "Where are you two going?"

I turned around to answer Ruth, and Alana was standing beside her. "Upstairs. You guys have got to see this!"

"Okay," Ruth said slowly, and the four us started to make our way up the stairs. I ushered them to back of the room where the wardrobe sat.

"Oh John look at this wardrobe. It must be at least seventy years old," Ruth emphasized.

My dad just stared in awe not saying anything.

I stepped forward, and trusted the door open impatiently. "Look it has no ba--. What? It has a back now! It didn't have one when I was looking at it a few minutes ago!"

I stuck my hand inside the wardrobe once again, and it wasn't freezing like I expected it to be. "It's not cold anymore either!"

I looked to see my Dad, and Ruth share a worried glance. "Melissa I never knew you had such a good imagination," Ruth replied.

"I'm not imagining! It had no back wall, and it was really cold in there too!" I exclaimed loudly.

"What are you talking about?" my Dad inquired.

"When I first looked in the wardrobe it had no wall in the back. Then I felt a really cold wind hit my face. I put my hand in the wardrobe, and that's where the cold wind came from. Inside the wardrobe," I explained quickly. "There's something wrong with this wardrobe."

My Dad chuckled quietly, "You do have quite the imagination Melissa."

I was about to object again, but my Dad cut me off. "Now close the wardrobe, and let's go back downstairs. Were going to look around a bit more, and then we'll go to Sechelt for lunch, Okay?"

"Can me, and Melissa stay up here Dad?" Alana asked. I almost forgot she was here. She's never that quiet.

"No," my Dad said sternly. "Let's go. Now."

I sighed, and closed the door. My Dad, and Ruth were already part way across the room.

"I believe you," Alana whispered from beside me.

"Thanks Alana," I whispered back.

I spared another look at the wardrobe. It couldn't hurt to look once more. I hurriedly threw the door open, and my heart thumped as I realized the back wall was once again missing, and I couldn't help smiling as the ice cold wind hit my face.

I have a strong gut feeling that I'm supposed to go in to the wardrobe for some reason. I stared in to the blackness, and slowly stepped in to the wardrobe.

"Melissa what are you doing?"

I spun around to look at Alana, "I'm going in. Go to Dad and Ruth."

"No, I want to come with you," Alana pleaded.

"No. I don't know what's in here. It could be dangerous," I argued.

"Please!!" Alana wailed loudly.

"Fine! Hurry up, and get in before Dad and Ruth hear you!" I hissed.

Alana jumped in smiling. "Stay close to me," I ordered.

Alana nodded, and moved to stand right behind me.

I bit my lip. Why am I letting her come? I looked at her one last time before I closed the door, and it became pitch black. I couldn't see anything.

I started walking in the direction that I thought was the back of the wardrobe.

"Melissa I can't see," Alana whispered.

"I know. I can't see either."

"Can I hold your hand?" Alana whimpered.

"Yeah," I said quietly. I reached my hand behind me, and searched the dark for Alana's hand. Her hand landed in mine a few seconds later.

We kept walking onward for what seemed like hours, until finally I could make out a faint light coming from the distance up ahead.

"Alana look! There's light!" I whispered excitedly.

Alana didn't say anything. She just kept clutching my hand tightly.

With each step the light kept getting brighter and closer, and the air kept getting cooler.

Something rough brushed against my face, and I jumped back.

I looked around to see what attacked me. I gasped as I seen hundreds of branches littering the wardrobe. What are branches doing in here?

"Alana stay as clo--," I began to say, but I didn't get to finish because my foot caught on something, and I tumbled in to something soft and cold.

I opened my eyes, and was greeted with bright sunlight. I sat up quickly, and noted that I was in the middle of a forest covered in snow.

"Alana," I said quietly.

"I'm right here," Alana answered form my left side. "Where are we?"

"I have no idea," I whispered.

I looked in to the surrounding trees, and stood up brushing the snow off myself.

How did a forest get in to a wardrobe? This is so weird.

I turned to Alana, "Come on. Let's get out of here."

"But Melissa. We found a magic place," Alana announced.

"Alana we do---. What was that?" Something cracked loudly echoing in the icy air.

I snapped my head in the direction the sound came from. Alana pressed herself tightly against my back, and groped my shirt.

"Impossible," A female voice whispered in awe.

"Don't worry. I'm sure it's just your imagination," a younger sounding girl voice teased.

"I don't suppose saying we're sorry will quite cover it?" A boy's voice questioned.

"No it wouldn't," said the second girl's voice quietly. "But that might."

Then there was a bunch of laughter and giggling.

I took a step forward with my heart hammering.

A moment later a second boy's voice snapped, "Ow! Stop it!"

"You little lair," the other boy accused.

"You didn't believe her either."

"Apologize to Lucy," the first boy ordered.

After a second of silence the same boy's voice rang out threateningly, "Say you're sorry."

"Alright, I'm sorry," the other boy said quickly, but he didn't sound very sorry.

"It's alright. Some little children just know when to stop pretending," the younger sounding girl said lightly.

"Oh, very funny," the boy who apologized whispered sarcastically.

"Maybe we should go back," the girl who spoke first suggested.

"Shouldn't we at least take a look around," the second boy urged.

"I think Lucy should decide," the first boy announced.

The girl gasped excitedly, "I'd like you all to meet Mr. Tumnus."

"Well then Mr. Tumnus it is," The boy agreed.

"But we can't go hiking in the snow dressed like this," the other girl objected.

"No, but I'm sure the Professor wouldn't mind us using these. Anyway if you think about it logically," the first boy teased. "We're not even taking them out of the wardrobe."

"But that's a girl's coat," the other boy objected.

"I know," the older sounding boy said knowingly.

I took another step forward not watching where I was going, and stepped on a twig snapping it.

"Shh! I think someone is the tress over there," the older sounding boy whispered. "Stay behind me."

I heard them take a timid step towards Alana and me.

I snapped my head back to look at Alana, and her eyes were filled with terror.

I glanced forward again just in time to see something jump out form behind a tree.

Aaaahhh!!!" I screamed loudly as I cringed back. I don't why, but for some reason I expected them to be some kind of animal, but they were human.

I stared at them in terror as they stared back at Alana, and I in terror.

There were four of them. Two boys and two girls. I looked at the boy who I assumed to be the eldest of the four. He was tall, and had dirty blonde hair with deep, dark, sea blue eyes. The girl on his left side who I guessed was the second eldest was only a little bit shorter then the blonde boy. She had light chocolate brown hair with light gray eyes. Freckles littered her forehead and cheeks. The other boy who looked like the second youngest had dark chocolate brown hair with caramel brown eyes. Then finally the girl I assumed to be the youngest had medium chocolate brown hair with dark gray eyes. Lucy was a few inches taller then Alana. All four of them were rather pale.

"Um, who are you?" the blonde boy asked uneasily finally breaking the silence.

"I'm M-Melissa C-Cyr, and t-this is my s-sister-r Alana Smit-t," I stuttered barley above a whisper.

"What kind of names are those?" the dark haired boy snorted with a thick accent.

I glared at him lightly at the same time the dirty blonde haired boy scolded him, "Edmund!"

The older boy turned to me, "I'm sorry about Ed just ignore him," he apologized also with a strong accent.

I nodded, "What's you're guys names?"

"Oh right, sorry. I'm Peter Pevensie," Peter introduced himself, and reached his hand out to me. I realized the top of my head only reached the top of Peter's shoulders.

I shook his hand, "Hi."

The older girl steeped forward, "I'm Susan Pevensie. Susan extended her hand to me as well, and I shook it smiling lightly. The top of my head came up to the middle of her nose.

I looked at Edmund, and he just snorted moving his eyes to his shoes. Peter glared at him, but said nothing. I looked at him again, and noted that he was about two inches taller that me.

"Hi," chirped the youngest. "I'm Lucy Pevensie." The top of Lucy's head came up to my chin.

"Hello," I smiled. "So which one of you is the oldest?" I asked curiously.

"I am," Peter answered. "I'm thirteen. Then Susan is twelve. Ed is ten, and Lucy is seven almost eight. How old are you two?"

"I'm ten, and Alana is five."

Peter smiled, "Well would you like to join us?"

"Um join you where?" I asked uncertainly.

"To go see Mr. Tumnus," Lucy answered jumping up and down. "He's a faun!"

"What? I questioned.

"A faun is someone who is half goat, and half human," Lucy explained.

"Sounds like someone from a fairytale," I said quietly.

"Tell me about it," Susan piped up. "This whole thing is like a fairytale."

"Where are we anyway?" I inquired.

"Narnia," Lucy smirked. "But it's been winter for a hundred years because the White Witch is ruling. She thinks she's the queen of Narnia but she really isn't."

A shiver ran down my sine when Lucy mentioned the White Witch, and I don't know why. But I have a feeling the White Witch isn't a nice person.

Peter noticed me shiver, and probably thought it was because of the cold, "You two must be freezing. Come on there's coats over here."

The six of us followed Peter, and stopped just a few seconds later in front of a large tree. He pushed the branches aside, and pulled out two brown fur coats.

"Here you go. They might be a bit big, but they'll keep you warm," Peter informed me handing a coat to each me and Alana.

"Thanks," I whispered as looked in to the tree where Peter got the coats. "Was that a wardrobe?"

"Yeah. That's how we got here," Susan explained. 'How did you Alana get here to Narnia?"

"Through a wardrobe in a second hand store."

"Strange," Susan muttered.

"Are these made from Animals?" Alana demanded suddenly.

I was to tell her no because if I told her they were she wouldn't put her coat on, but Peter beat me in answering. "Yes. Why?"

Alana wailed, "I'm not wearing it then!!"

I groaned, "Alana you have to. You'll get sick if you don't."

"So?" Alana snapped.

"Alana put the coat on, or we're going back. Do you want to go back?"

"No," Alana sulked.

"Then put the coat on now," I ordered.

"Fine," Alana shouted stamping her foot. "But I'll never wear it again!"

"Okay," I agreed softly.

Alana walked away, and Peter asked me quietly, "What was that about?"

"Alana loves animals, and she knows fur coats are made from animal fur, so she doesn't like wearing then. It's impossible to get her dressed sometimes."

Peter looked down at the ground, "Sorry for telling her."

"It's alright you didn't know,' I smiled at him.

Edmund finally decided to speak, "Where you from? You have an odd accent."

"We're from Canada, but you guys have the accents not us. Where are you from?"

"England," Edmund sneered, and I realized as soon he said that all four of them did indeed have thick English accents.

"Really I have always wanted to go to England," I grinned.

The wind howled around us, and I shivered. I forgot to put my coat on, so I quickly slipped it on, and felt instantly warmer.

I turned to see if Alana put her coat on, but she wasn't behind me. I whipped back around looking for her, and spotted her a moment later giggling with Lucy over by a large tree. She did have her coat on.

I sighed. Alana loves to run off.

"Can we go see Mr. Tumnus now?" Lucy asked.

"Yes Lucy. Let's go," Peter chuckled lightly.

We began walking through the thick snow covered forest. I looked around at the rocky cliffs, and snow backs. We stopped in front of a lamp post and stared at it for a minute. What on earth was a lamp post doing in the middle of a forest?

We continued to walk for awhile, and then suddenly Susan started grinning.

We came to steep slope, and Peter started chasing Lucy, and he slipped covering himself in snow causing Lucy to laugh. He got up, and continued chasing Lucy down the rest of the slope. I seen Alana zip past following Lucy and Peter.

I looked at Edmund who was behind me, and he was scowling at Peter. What's with Edmund? He seems so angry. Edmund noticed me staring at him and snapped at me, "What are you looking at?"

I turned back around quickly, "Nothing."

Once down the slope we rounded a huge rock, and Lucy smiled at us, "Mr. Tumnus is wonderful. You'll all love him. He likes music, and dancing just like all fauns do. And we'll have lots of cake, lots and lots of -,"

Lucy suddenly stopped talking, and stared at an open door that was torn off it's hinges, and smashed to pieces in a stone wall.

"Lu?" Peter asked from behind me.

Lucy gasped, and raced towards the door.

"Lucy!" Peter yelled running after her. Edmund followed right behind Peter, and Susan was right behind Edmund.

Alana looked at me, "Let's go." Then she ran after Susan, and I followed her.

I steeped in to the cave, and my eyes grew wide. There was things all over the floor smashed, and broken.

Edmund stepped on a piece of a paper, and looked down at his feet to see a picture of a creature. I guessed the creature was a faun.

Peter who was walking towards a piece of paper nailed to a beam turned to look at Edmund for a second. Peter shook his head as he reached for the paper ripping off the wall.

Susan, Alana, and I gathered around Peter looking at the paper in his hands as he began to read aloud.

"Faun Tumnus is hereby charged with high treason." Peter, and Susan shared a quick look before Peter continued reading. "Against her imperial Majesty, Jadis, Queen of Narnia."

Lucy walked to Peter's right side, and placed her hand on Peter's forearm, so she could peer at the parchment.

"For coveting her enemies, and fraternizing with humans. Signed Maugrim, Captain of the Secret Police."

Peter paused for a moment looking at Susan before finishing, "Long live the Queen."

Peter had a look of shock and fear on his features.

Susan took the paper from Peter, and looked at for a second before saying softly, but urgently while looking at Peter, "Alright. Now we really should go back."

"But what about Mr. Tumnus?" Lucy demanded.

"If he was arrested just for being with a human, I don't think there's much we can do," Susan said softly.

"You don't understand, do you?" Lucy demanded again looking between Peter, and Susan's shocked faces. "I'm the human. She must have found out he helped me."

Edmund held a guilty expression on his face, and he looked down at his fur coat.

"Maybe we could call the police," Peter suggested.

I shook my head at the same time Susan stated holding up the paper, "These are the police."

"Don't worry Lu. We'll think of something," Peter promised looking down at her.

"Why?" Edmund complained. "I mean he's criminal. Besides, a lot we could do when we haven't even got anything to eat!"

Shut up – you!" Peter roared loudly at Edmund.

I flinched as he turned to Susan, "What do you think, Susan?"

"I have a horrid feeling Lu is right. I don't want to go a step further, and I wish we'd never come. But I think we must try to do something for Mr. Whatever his name is – I mean the faun," Susan explained softly.

'That's what I feel too," Peter sighed. "But I'm also worried about having no food with us. I'd vote for going back, and getting something from the larder, only there doesn't seem to be any certainty of getting in to Narnia again once you've got out of it. I think we'll have to go on."

"So we're going to help, then," Lucy declared.

No on said anything for a few minutes, so it was silent.

But the next moment there was psst from outside. We all looked out the door trying to find what made the noise. Then I spotted it as it made another psst noise. It was a robin with a bright red breast sitting in the tree just outside the door. "Look it's a bird," I pointed to it.

"Why you're right Melissa" Peter said staring at the spot I pointed to in astonishment.

Did that bird just… psst at us?" Susan asked with eyebrows raised.

Peter looked at Susan, and then made his way outside with the rest of us following him.

The robin flew in to the air as it seen us walk outside.

"Do you know," Lucy whispered. "I really believe he means us to follow him."

Susan sighed, "I have an idea he does. What do you think, Peter?"

Peter, and Susan's eyes locked for a long moment until Peter finally said, "Well, we might as well try it."

The bird must have really wanted us to follow him because every time he flies to another tree he looks at us, as if to make sure we were still following.

We had been following the bird for about half an hour and we haven't found anything yet.

I sighed looking up in front of me where Susan, Lucy, and Alana were walking. Peter, and Edmund were walking a few steps behind me.

"If you're not still to high and mighty to talk to me, I've something to say which you'd better listen," Edmund said quietly.

I have a feeling I'm not meant to hear this, but the way Edmund said he had something to say sent goose bumps all over my skin.

"What is it?" Peter asked loudly.

"Hush! Not so loud," Edmund hissed under his breath. "There's no good frightening the girls. But have you realized what we're doing?"

"What?" Peter asked in a softer voice.

Edmund's voice got even quieter, and I had strain my ears to hear. "We're following a guide we know nothing about. How do we know which side that bird is on? Why shouldn't it be leading us into a trap?"

Peter didn't reply for sometime. He was probably thinking about what Edmund said.

"That's a nasty idea," Peter finally breathed. "Still – a robin, you know. There're good birds in all the stories I've ever read. I'm sure a robin wouldn't be on the wrong side."

"If it comes to that, which is the right side? How do we the fauns are in the right and the Queen, yes I know we've been told she is a witch, is in the wrong? We don't really know anything about either," Edmund argued.

"The faun saved Lucy," Peter explained. "So he must be on the right side."

"She said he did. But how do we know? And there's another thing too. Has anyone the least idea of the way home form here?"

"Great Scott!" Peter exclaimed surprised. "I hadn't thought of that."

"And no chance of dinner either," Edmund spat out at Peter bitterly.

Peter sighed heavily, "Honestly Ed! Stop being such a prat!"

Edmund snorted not saying anything.

"Oh!" Susan, and Lucy suddenly cried.

"The robin!" cried Lucy. "It's flown away!"

"And now what do we do?" Edmund snapped. "What did I tell you?"

Suddenly there was a snap of a branch being broke in two. We all froze, and Alana who was standing beside Lucy quickly spun around, and once she seen me she rushed over. She stood behind gripping my coat in her tiny hands.

Edmund snorted loudly, and I snapped my head around to glare at him.

Then there was another branch being snapped somewhere in the trees in front of us.

Peter was right in front of me with Susan holding on to his shoulder, and Lucy holding on to Susan's coat. Peter placed his hand over top of Susan's hand.

There was light shuffling coming from behind a snow bank only two or three feet in front of us.

My heart was pounding against my ribs as the shuffling got louder, and closer.

We were all staring at the snow bank waiting anxiously for whatever was behind there to jump out at us.

Finally something with brown fur scurried around the corner of the snow bank, and I gasped.