The wall of ice was before her again. Lucy stood very close, practically touching it with her face, trying to look inside, like through a window. But she couldn't see anything, neither the transparent structure or the frost, nor her own reflection. The wall was white, shining and very solid.

"You need to go with us!" She heard the familiar voices from behind. She turned and saw the family of foxes from the wood, jumping in excitement and looking at her.

"Go where?" She asked curiously.

"To the party! You are invited to!" The Fox Children shouted at her and suddenly they ran between her legs and jumped into the ice wall. So did their parents and before the last fluffy tail vanished in the wall, the Fox Father repeated.

"Come on, join us! In the mountains!"

Lucy woke up. It was another, beautiful day and quite late hour, judging on the sun being already above the ships from the pier. Her bedroom windows were on the eastern side, so, for Lucy, the morning sun was telling her the time more accurately than any clock. Naturally, only when the sky wasn't clouded. But that was rare in Narnia. In fact, there was always summer there. Cloudy and rainy days happened from time to time as well, but even they were always warm. Lucy stood up and wondered, reminding her vivid dream. Now she remembered not only the wall of ice and the foxes, but also the snow. She was definitely standing in the snow that almost covered her feet. That brought to her the old memories of something shiny and cold, but pretty. The snowflakes dancing in the air like little crystals. She liked them and felt she wouldn't mind the winter in Narnia again, sometimes. Everything then was sparkling, silvery white and soft. It was beautiful. Of course, she knew she shouldn't ever mention this to Edmund. But these thoughts didn't want to go away, so she decided to confess them before her best friend.

"No, I don't miss the snow. At all." Said Mr. Tumnus firmly when they met again to share a cup of tea. This time she brought him a cherry pie, baked in the castle and Mr. Tumnus was delighted. But her mentioning the snow was apparently a bad idea. He saddened and their conversation wasn't as merry as usual. She noticed how he looked at her anxiously, with a hidden guilt, the same kind of guilt she had seen in Edmund's eyes.

"Come on, Mr. Tumnus. It was so long ago. Don't be sad, please?" She patted him on the hand.

"Do you want to hear a new song?" Suddenly he snapped out of the nostalgia and reached his flute. Lucy grinned. That was the Mr. Tumnus she loved to visit.

He started to play and the new melody was cheerful at the beginning, but later the main motive got haunting and melancholic, turning into an unexpected culmination, making Lucy feel lonely, yearning for something she didn't know, yet, something important, calling her and crying. She closed her eyes and then the ice wall appeared again. She clung to it and slowly, her hands pressed gently on the cold surface and felt no ice anymore. They came through.

"Lucy! Lucy! Wake up!"

Mr. Tumnus shook her by the shoulders and looked concerned.

"My music must be really bad, to put you to sleep so quickly." He said apologetically.

"On the contrary! It was beautiful. It was like magic. And made me dream strange dreams..." She whispered more to herself, but the faun looked at her closely.

"You are very pale. And your hands are shaking!"

She realized it was true. Her hands were white and cold, as if she really kept them in the ice, and they were shaking.

"Here, have some tea!"

She took the cup and felt instantly better. The warmth brought back the blood to her veins and her eyes shone brighter.

"Don't worry, Mr. Tumnus! It was just a strange dream, nothing more." She smiled sweetly. One hour later she hugged her friend and promised to come back the next week, as always.

'I am worried, dearest Lucy. I am.' He thought, coming back to his empty house, much bigger and prettier than the old one, from before the war. It was a gift from the Queens and Kings of Narnia, to have him closer to the castle, as the royal guard. He reached the closet with some old pictures and scrolls. Even his own imprisonment scrolls from "Her Majesty Jadis the Queen of Narnia" was still there. He didn't know why he never threw it away. "Long live the Queen!" He read and stared at it, musing.

"The Calormenes are leaving. And they don't look happy!" Edmund whispered to Lucy the next morning at the breakfast table. Susan giggled.

"Too bad you didn't see his face when I turned down his proposal!"

Peter rolled his eyes.

"You didn't say a clear 'no' to him. I really think you should be more honest."

"Peter, dear," said Susan mockingly. "You need to learn more about women. To leave a hint of hope in a man's heart makes him adore you even more. And he knows that was a no. He is not that stupid, is he?" She winked at Lucy, who burst into laughter over her plate with boiled eggs.

"I think your behavior is stupid." Peter wasn't amused. "You are playing and toying with our neighbor. He might feel offended. Do you know, what it could mean to Narnia?"

Susan sighed. She indeed loved to flirt and be adored by everyone. But Peter was right after all. Maybe she shouldn't have drunk so much wine last night?

"Alright, if this goes on, I send him an honest message. Cross my heart."

"Girls!" Edmund and Peter exchanged their looks.

"How is your Giant Problem, Piet?" Asked Edmund suddenly, making Lucy giggle. "Giant Problem" was his way to refer to the latest issue with the Northern Giants crossing Narnia's borders.

"Not good. I may need some more people to secure the entire quarter. They become bolder with every month."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go together!" Edmund's voice got impatient. He was always eager to get into some fighting.

"But weren't you supposed to visit Archenland the next week?"

"I will go with you!" Lucy jumped on the chair. They all stared at her, surprised.

"Lu...", started Peter, but she didn't let him finish. "You always try to keep me away when something is going on. Did you forget who healed everybody after The Last Battle? And who trained the archery with Susan and throwing knives with Ed?" Her voice was raised and loud and her eyes shone with excitement as she spoke. She didn't even think why it was that important that she would go, she just felt how much she wanted it. Needed it. And there was nothing that could stop her.

"Alright, if you insist." Peter said with resignation. He didn't feel like fighting the younger sister this time. "But I don't want to be forced to watch your back instead of the giants", he added not thinking and instantly realized he shouldn't have. His sister's title was Lucy the Valiant after all. "I am sorry. I didn't mean that, Lu."

"Don't worry," she replied coldly. "I can perfectly watch my back myself." But she wasn't really angry and Peter knew about it. The next day, they both, in perfect brother-sister harmony, led the troops towards the Northern Mountains.