Ok you wonderful readers...I'm so ashamed of myself! It's been 16 months since I first posted this story! I'm sooooo sorry! Thankyou to the 8 wonderful people who reviewed the first chapter and I am SO SO sorry to have completely failed at being a good writer...but now here's my idea of a long chapter to make up for it! Please review and let me know you're happy I've finally done something! Enjoy!
The group walked through the gates of Cair Paravel slowly with saddened hearts a few hours later. Although Orieus was carrying two he walked in with more energy and grace than any of the others, his head held high and proud as usual. The group stopped at the bottom of the entrance steps and Lucy and Susan ran out to greet them and enquire into the success of the battle before they realised how dejected their forms were.
Edmund jumped from Arion's back with a mutter of thanks and helped the girl dismount before Peter jumped down behind them.
"It was over before we got there." Peter told Susan shortly as she stared at the young girl. "She's the only survivor."
At his words Lucy tried to speak comfortingly to the girl. "Hello," she said softly, "what's your name?" at eleven years old Lucy should've looked the same age as the girl, but the girls dirty, dishevelled form seemed to shrink into itself at Lucy's words as the girls face crumpled and more tears started to flow. Taking a few steps back the girl hid behind a taller and very surprised Edmund and clung to his chainmail; burying her face in one of his shoulder blades.
Everyone turned to stare at Edmund in shock and he shook his head slightly with wide eyes to indicate he had no idea why she'd chosen him.
"Mrs Beaver is of the caring, mothering sort...perhaps we should take her to her...?" Susan said, her voice rising in her uncertainty.
"Good idea, Su!" Peter exclaimed, glad that someone had come up with an idea and broken the awkward silence that had descended over everyone gathered at the girls actions.
"Did someone say my name?" Asked Mrs Beaver as she appeared in the castle entrance. "Oh, Peter, Edmund, you're back safely!" She called in happiness as she spied the two young Kings and started to come down the steps. "And who is this?"
"We're not sure Mrs Beaver..." Peter told her as she walked to the small cluster of royals. "She's the only survivor, but she won't speak. We were hoping that you would know what to do..."
"I think a nice cup of tea and some cake first, and then a hot bath and change of clothes..."
"Excellent plan Mrs Beaver!" Peter said, ever grateful to her for taking control of the situation.
"Come along dear." Mrs Beaver said to the girl; walking around Edmund to try and get to her, but the girl shrunk away from her helping paw and clung tighter to Edmund, gradually working her way to standing in front of him as she tried to stay out of Mrs Beaver's kind reach.
"Erm, hello." Edmund said to the girl as she looked up at him with puffy eyes. Mrs Beaver stopped chasing the girl at Edmund's voice and instead watched him. "I really do think you should go with Mrs Beaver...she's very nice!" After an agonisingly long moment her hand unfurled from the front of his chain mail and curled up again in front of her mouth uncertainly. Her other hand was still clinging onto the knife; Peter had thought it best to just let her keep hold of it on the journey, even though she'd almost poked her eye out with it several times.
Mrs Beaver once again held up her paw and the girl slowly inched her hand towards it. Everyone breathed an audible sigh of relief when Mrs Beaver eventually led the girl up the steps and into the castle whilst chattering to the girl about her very nice fruit cake that everyone admired.
"Tell us everything." Susan said, turning to Peter and Edmund suddenly.
"Everyone come to the kitchen for refreshments." Peter called over his shoulder at the still waiting group before following Mrs Beaver and the girls up the steps. "Well," he started as his sibling fell into step beside him, "It was a complete slaughter. We got there and nobody was alive and just as we were leaving Sharpfur heard breathing. He followed the sound to a house and we found the girl underneath the floorboards in a cupboard! She won't speak or make a sound...even her crying is silent! Her mother was dead only a few feet from her and the house was completely ruined..." Peter trailed off as they neared the kitchen.
"I think she saw things." Edmund inputted. "I mean...she's what? Ten?"
Peter nodded on the other side of the group. "I'm not surprised she won't talk."
"It doesn't take a genius to figure out she'll be scarred for life." Susan said quietly as they all stood outside the kitchen.
Inside, Mrs Beaver was bustling about making tea whilst the girl was wrapped in a blanket and seated on a chair at the wooden table with a plate of a large piece of fruit cake in front of her. Her treasured knife lay beside the cake and the girl was instead using her fists to hold onto the blanket around her. Her feet were so high off the floor it would've been comical if her situation wasn't so sad.
"Here you are my dear." Mrs Beaver said, cheerfully putting a down tea in Mrs Beavers own mug. "Now eat up!"
As the Narnian group arrived at the kitchen behind the royals Mrs Beaver looked up at them all. "Cook has made some tomato soup that you might enjoy." She said to the four humans. "What can I get the rest of you?" She asked the beats behind them.
Each species clamoured separately for their own preference before leaving the kitchen doorway and slinking off to the great hall as they had no wish to spend any more time than necessary with the silent child.
Throughout all of this Edmund had been watching the girl and as he turned to leave he realised that not once had she looked up and acknowledged anyone.
The young girl stayed at Cair Paravel for the next two months, at first she was under the care of Mrs Beaver but then the grey wolf Gelanide took her under her care. The match was perfect; the girl (whom they nicknamed Enid because it meant 'quiet woman') had lost everything in the slaughter, and Gelanide had lost her two cubs and partner to the sickness Anthrax a few weeks ago. Geladine needed someone to love, whilst Enid needed someone to care for her and love her.
In the months Enid and Geladine lived at the castle they were given their own room and allowed to do as they pleased. The two were frequently seen sitting together in the garden on the swing seat and, despite the sunshine, Enid was always wrapped in a warm blanket as she was dangerously thin from a lack of nourishment. Everyone inside the castle continuously tried to tempt her to eat tasty morsels at all hours of the day but her blank stare and unresponsiveness would deter anyone from trying for more than a few minutes. Lucy had kindly given Enid all of her clothes that she herself had outgrown as Enid was slightly smaller than Lucy and would sit and talk to Enid even though the younger never replied.
One morning at breakfast the royal siblings were squabbling over which was the best type of fruit when Edmund observed that raspberry's must be the best and that he could prove this as whilst they were his favourite fruit, they also seemed to be Enid's favourite as they were the fruit she most frequently ate.
"Safie." She said so quietly her voice was barely a whisper. She sat as usual wrapped in a warm blanket with Geladine by her side. It was a moment before the table's occupants fell silent as they realised one by one that Enid had spoken.
"Pardon?" Asked Mr Tumnus hesitantly after a lengthy pause.
"Safie." She said again, slightly louder this time. Her voice sounded hoarse and unused and the word was awkward in her mouth. Enid licked her lips and continued to stare blankly at her empty plate as though nothing had happened.
"Safie isn't a fruit." Lucy whispered uncertainly after another pause.
"No silly, it's her name!" Edmund suddenly exclaimed. "Safie, would you like some tea?" He called down the table.
Safie shook her head mechanically and Edmund triumphantly looked around at his siblings as she proved his theory.
For the remainder of breakfast everyone attempted to get Safie to speak again but the young girl steadfastly refused to even acknowledge that anyone else but Gelanide was even in the room.