such a long update wait but I think it was worth it. I hope you enjoy this chapter
We ran as fast as we could, jumping over logs and trudging through the snow, following Edmunds footsteps. I knew he was trouble! I knew it! Now look what was happening. We were all going to get killed for this stupid boy. We reached the bridge, covered in ice, leading to the white witches grand ice castle. Pillars and columns of ice held up the multiple floors, and I couldn't help being impressed by this beautiful, magnificent castle. We see Edmund crossing the bridge, and Peter tries to run forward after him.
"Edmund!" He cried, and I dropped my bow, running forward and grabbing him. I hauled him away from the bridge, but he struggled. I pulled him back towards his sisters with all the strength I could muster, hauling his body against mine, trying to restrain him.
"They'll hear you. Then we'll all be dead!" I hissed into his ear. He tried to wriggle out of my grasp, grunting with exertion, but I could feel the fight draining from him slowly. He leaned against me, staring at Edmund as he walked towards the door.
"Let go of me!" He almost screamed, clearly not fighting anymore, and I pushed him towards his sisters, not wanting to hurt him. I couldn't hurt him. He was only trying to protect his family, I had seen it outside Mr Tumnus wrecked home, when I put the blanket around Lucy's shoulders. He'd been grateful, and anyone who cared that much about his family didn't deserve to be hurt for trying to protect them.
"Don't you see? Your playing into her hands." I looked at them, but they didn't seem to understand. I didn't understand either. How had she got to Edmund so fast? How had he known where to go?
"We can't just let him go." Susan contributed, her breath visible in the air.
"He's our brother!" Lucy cried, and seeing her this messed up made me almost let peter get past. I knew what it was like, having your family taken away by the white witch, but I couldn't let them all die. Not when so much was riding on this.
"He's the bait." I growled, no emotion in my voice. "She wants all four of you."
"Why?" Peter asked, and Susan started to breath heavily, obviously working her way into a fit.
"To stop the prophecy from coming true." Beaver explained, but that explanation wasn't harsh enough for me, wouldn't discourage them. They didn't understand what the prophecy meant, and didn't care about it. It wouldn't have discouraged me either, if I would have had the opportunity to go after my family I wouldn't that've cared about some stupid prophecy.
"To kill you. He made his choice, now you don't have one." I said grimly, and Susan exploded.
"This is all your fault!" At first I thought she was talking to me, and I was ready to jump at her, to teach her a lesson, but them I realised she was looking at Peter. I watched as the castle door closed, and Edmund turned his back on his family. How could he do that? After all I've seen of the family, I couldn't understand why Edmund would leave the,. Sure, Susan was a little emotional and Peter could be bossy, but they loved him.
"My fault? How is this my fault?" He shouted, and I looked at the castle worriedly, knowing if they shouted any louder the whole of her army would descend on us. Then, we would all be dead.
"This wouldn't have happened if you would have listened to me in the first place." She screamed, and that did it. I leapt at her, pinning her to the ground, my dagger at her throat, my fist in her mouth, muffling her scream. I'd had enough of this, all of this. She was being irrational.
"Shut up! Shut up now. This isn't going to help Edmund. If they hear you, they'll kill you." I whispered, my voice full of malice. She looked up in fear at me, her breathing coming fast, and finally she stopped fighting, going limp. I got off of her, dusting down my clothes.
"Only Aslan can help your brother now." Beaver said, and peters jaw set as he stared at the castle, longing to save his brother. My heart ached for him, for all of them, but I tried to ignore the pain in my chest.
"Then take us to him."
We arrived back at the beavers house, and I could hear the wolves fast approaching. I shouldered open the dam door, and everyone filed in. Mrs beaver started packing, but I rushed to the secret passage, opening it easily as the wolves tore apart the house, and I could hear their claws scratching at the wood. I saw a muzzle and a set of gleaming white teeth, and started to freak out. I grabbed a torch, lighting it on a stone, before grabbing onto Lucy and shoving her half way into the passage. I don't know why, but I felt the need to protect this little girl. I had never had a sister of my own, and it felt nice to watch over someone else's for a while. The beavers ran in, then Susan, and finally Peter. He looked at me with an expression I didn't recognise, but there was no time to analyse him as the walls started to fall apart. I jumped into the passage way, lit another torch, and started to run.
I passed the torch to Peter, drawing out my bow, loading it as I heard the wolves searching the house. No one talked for fear they would hear us, but when Lucy fell, we heard the wolves jump down into the tunnel, the click of claws on the floor. They weren't going to stop until we were dead.
"Run." Beaver whispers, and I don't have to be told twice. I run, and keep bumping into peters back, who refuses to run any faster for fear they leave Lucy behind. I'm about to shoot him for being so slow when we reach a dead end. I turn, searching the darkness, my bow poised as beaver digs through the exit, blocked with old stones and leaves. Finally, when I start to sweat because I can hear the wolves so clearly, Peter grabs onto my arms and pulls me from the tunnel.
I run into the night air, and as Peter and beaver block the exit with a barrel, I see the tiny frozen animals stood beside the exit. I look away, knowing every single person there. I feel anger and sadness, but I don't show it, afraid they will think I'm weak. At any second,those wolves will jump through the barrel and devour us. Lucy strokes the animals frozen flesh, staring at it in disgust.
"What happened here?" Susan asks, picking up a frozen mouse and inspecting it. Before I can lie, before I can make up a story less grim, a fox jumps down from a rock, sauntering towards us.
"This is what happens to traitors." The fox said, and beaver jumps at him, only stopped by mrs beaver. "Relax, I'm a good guy." The fox said, looking at my loaded bow, raising his eyebrows.
"Funny. You look so much like a bad guy." I observed, and he looked to the tunnel as the barking gets louder. They are coming, and we have to run. They are faster than us, stronger than us, and my weapons will only hold them back for so long. I look for somewhere to run, but it's no use. There's nowhere we can run where the wolves can't follow.
"An unfortunate family resemblance. Right now we have to move." He said, looking up the tallest tree near by. I nod to Peter, who instantly climbs up the tree, lifting Lucy carefully into the highest of branches. He then helps up Susan, the beavers, then looks at me, as I still have my bow poised and aimed at the barrel.
"Natalya. Now." He hissed, offering me his hand. I hesitate, wanting to kill more of her troops, but then realise I would be outnumbered, that it would be a suicide mission. I grab his hand, and he pulls me into the tree, almost into his arms. I position myself on the branch next to him and watch as the fox starts to get rid of our tracks, sweeping his tail over our footsteps to make them disappear. The wolves burst through the barrel, sniffing around the ground, confronting the fox, circling him dangerously. I hold my breath, knowing that if one of them looks up, it'll all be over.
"We're looking for humans." The head wolf barks, and I quickly load my bow, just in case. Peter watches me carefully, and suddenly I feel his hand at my waist. I frown at him, not in the mood for whatever he's doing, then realise he's sliding my dagger out of its holster, preparing to fight. I feel my cheeks flush red in embarrassment, before I turn back to the conversation. The fox tried to act coy, shrugging the information off.
"Humans in Narnia? Now that is a piece of valuable information." The fox said with a little smirk, and I know it's because he knows me. He knows how long I've lived here. Another wolf attacks, taking the wolfs fragile body in his mouth. The fox whimpers, and Peter covers Lucy's mouth, shielding her face against his coat. I've never had family. I've never experienced love like that. I stopped staring, trying not to be jealous of Lucy, watching the wolves again.
"Your reward is your life. Where are the fugitives?" The fox whines again, looking slightly at us, and for a terrible second I think he's going to rat us out. I pull the bow string back further, ready to leap from the tree, when the fox gestures with his muzzle north.
"North, they went north." They drop him, and start to run north, sniffing the ground. I jump down, and so does mrs beaver. The fox is breathing, and I drop to my knees beside him, lifting his head, hoping he's okay. He saved our lives. He didn't have to, but he did.
"Thank you." I whispered, before turning him over to mrs beavers capable hands. I joined Peter, who was searching for fire wood. I didn't attempt to make conversation with him as we searched for dry wood. I heard the fox whining as Lucy helped mrs beaver to get snow to numb the pain. They both set about healing him, and I couldn't bare to watch. So many Narnian's I had known have been attacked by wolves, I can't see another one die.
"This must be hard for you." Peter said suddenly, but I don't look up from my pile of wood. He has no idea. Yet, remembering what Susan said, about war back home, maybe he did understand. Again, I felt his hand at my waist, sliding the knife back into its rightful place, but his hand lingers longer this time, as if he's more confident to touch me. I look up at him through my eyelashes, before going back to collecting fire wood.
"This war is... Difficult. Innocent people die, for no reason but the fact they support Aslan. It's... Terrible." I said, no other words coming to mind. Peter removed his hand, dusting off the snow from the wood, and I walk back to the beavers, making a place for the fire to go, clearing the snow. I light the wood with my sword sharpening stone, and pile the fire high enough to last the night.
We all sit around the fire as mrs beaver heals the fox, watching him carefully as he explained what happened with the frozen animals. They were trying to help Mr. Tumnus, but the witch had gotten there and found them trying to help. She'd frozen them instantly. Finally, the fox got to his feet, looking around at the group. I would always owe him. He saved our lives. That's a debt I'll never be able to repay.
"Thank you for your kindness, but I'm afraid I must leave." He said, and I wondered why he had to leave. Did he have a family? Children?
"Your leaving?" Lucy asked in that little girl voice of hers that could make anyone do anything.
"I must. Aslan himself asked me to rally the troops." He said, and I gasped without meaning to. It didn't matter, because the beavers were practically dying of excitement next to me.
"You've seen Aslan? What's he like?" They were the questions I wanted to ask, but beaver got there first. Fox seemed to go starry eyed as he recalled how Aslan looked, and I knew even before he spoke that Aslan was something to be cherished.
"Like everything we've imagined." He looked directly at me when he said this, before turning to Peter. "You'll be glad to have him at your side in the battle against the witch." Fox said, and Peter looked uncomfortably away from fox. They still didn't want to fight? But... Why? They saw how life here was now, they saw why we needed a war. Surely they want to help.
"We don't intend to fight." Susan said blankly, and fox looked dumbfounded.
"The prophecy... Surely king Peter?" He looked hopefully at Peter, who shook his head,
"We just want our brother back." Well maybe that's what we are fighting in this war for. To save others like their brother, who were victims of the queen, tricked into trusting her. The fox hung his head for a second, before looking up cheerily again.
"Well, I must rally the troops. Good bye, good friends." He bowed, before scampering off. Susan scoffed, muttering something about how us people couldn't expect them to fight our battles. She really was starting to get on my nerves. I balled my fists into the snow to prevent me from jumping on her again. Peter saw, and shushed Susan, before moving towards me. I looked away, not wanting to have to make friends with them. We could all die, and I didn't want to have to grieve anymore.
"I'm sorry, about my sister. She... She doesn't get it." He tried to apologise for her, and I nodded, fiddling with my sword sharpening stone. I picked up a spare piece of wood, carving into it to keep myself busy. Peter moved closer, until his shoulder was pressed against mine, trying to see what I was doing. I sighed, knowing he was only trying to be nice to me. I looked back up at him, and he smiled, taking the wood from me, carving into it like I had, just with a less experienced hand.
"It's fine." I replied, watching as his hands moved swiftly over the wood, like he was an expert. I was entranced by his movements, losing all awareness of my surroundings, until suddenly he stopped, showing me his finished work. It was a little bird, simple, not really very hard to do. But it was beautiful all the same. He handed it to me, and I twisted it over in my hands, inspecting it closely. I looked up at him, and he smiled, putting the knife back on my lap. It was then that I realised we were the only two still awake. Lucy was curled up with the beavers, while Susan slept among hers and peters coat. He must be frozen. As if to prove my point, he shivered, teeth chattering loudly. I reached into my bag, drawing out the blanket I had given to Lucy before, handing it to him. He looked at it in surprise, before shaking his head.
"No, I'm fine. You have it." He tried, but I dropped the blanket on his lap, not caring about the cold. He wasn't used to it, and I was. He needed it more than I did.
"Take it. I'm not cold." I told him, tucking the carving into my bag before moving to turn away. He caught my wrist, stopping me, and I looked warily at him. He smiled gratefully, blushing slightly.
"Thank you. For everything." He said, before letting me go, moving to lay down beside Lucy, wrapping the blanket around him firmly, making sure to shield Lucy from the wind. He was so caring, sacrificing his coat for Susan, protecting Lucy. I couldn't help but smile as I leaned back against the pile of logs, knowing someone should keep watch. I loaded my bow, before settling back comfortably, watching the flames dance, watching them struggle against the wind. It was going to be a long, sleepless night.
okay I know it has been missing the element of romance but I don't wanna rush it! It is going to happen, just not for a chapter or two. Hope you liked it xx