As I approached the castle I had to stop myself once or twice to remind myself why I was doing this. Why was I walking myself into the home of the "enemy" you ask?

Edmund.

The castle gates opened and I entered. However I didn't get very far before a large wolf jumped out in front of me.

"State your name stranger!" it growled.

I froze. The wolf circled me, sniffing me occasionally to identify me. "W-Will…" I gulped and tried to speak steadily in order to calm my nerves, "W-what's your name?"

"Brenx," he growled still sniffing me.

"Nice name," I mumbled.

"You," he growled and sniffed me again, "you're a daughter of eve."

I gulped, "I-I guess, that phrase seems to be a lot different here than back home..."

He gave a menacing cackle, "Come with me."

Brenx led me into the castle. As we walked in I saw statues, however most my attention was focused on Brenx in case he decided I might taste good. He led me into a large room that seemed to be made of ice itself.

And there on a throne sat a woman that seemed to be beautiful, I say seemed because in my heart I could tell that her beauty was only superficial.

The witch stood and seemed to smile, but that smile held no hint of goodness in it for I saw only malice and evil in it, "Two out of two isn't bad. Tell me, which one are you?"

"Umm," while her face was flawless I saw evil in her eyes. She was greedy and lusted for power. And she would stop at nothing to get it. I could see why the beavers were afraid of her. "I'm not the daughter of eve you're looking for?"

She surveyed me with cold eyes. "No…no you're not…you're not one of Edmund's sisters…"

I gulped and nodded my head slowly.

She surveyed me then glowered, "No…" she coldly said and turned on her henchman. I could see her piecing me together into the picture in her mind. "You bring me the Protector?" With a scream she hit the wolf with her scepter.

"Well that title is still up for debate," I said, using comedy to keep myself from shaking with fear.

"You'll join him soon," she hissed. "Maugrim, take this failure away." The wolf was dragged to the dungeons. "And take the Protector with you. I have no use for her."

With a jab at my legs I was pushed forward to the dungeons. Where I could only hope Edmund was too.

And he was. I found him chained by his leg to a wall. The door opened and I was shoved in the same cell with him.

"Will?"

I was shoved in and I hit my face on the ice, "Oww…" I lifted my head. "Hey, there you are!" I crawled over to him and touched his face. "Wow, you are cold." I pulled off my jacket, shivering at the loss of heat, and put it around his shoulders. "So how you've been?"

"What are you doing here?" He gave me a look that told me that he thought I was an idiot, "You're not here to rescue me are you?"

Looking around I replied, "Kind of… but it seems we both need a bit of rescuing don't we?"

"I can't believe I trusted her." I let him wallow in self pity a bit. "I betrayed Peter, Susan, and Lucy to her. She's going to kill them…this is all my fault," he moaned.

"Yeah it is."

He gave me a look that told me he was not expecting me to agree with him.

"It's true, and you said it not me, what is with you?" I sat down next to him, "Ever since I met you, you've been sulky. Always frowning and arguing. You can't always be like this."

"Nothing," he mumbled.

I rolled my eyes, "There's always something."

"Peter, I guess," Edmund mumbled.

"Why?"

"He's just…just a…-."

I finished, "A big brother." He looked at me, "I have one too. They're a pain in the neck. Bossy, pushy, hit on your older friends, and chase off your boyfriends. Well the last two don't apply to you, but you see my point."

"What is your point?"

"Under all of that annoying crap, he loves you," I said, "he doesn't always show it well and you don't always understand why he's such a pain in the rear, but he does." I felt tears come to my eyes when I thought of Greg.

"You miss him," Edmund said putting his arm around my shoulder to comfort me.

I sniffed, "No." But I did. Here I was; the prisoner of some witch queen in another world all by myself. And somewhere back in 2013 Wyoming Greg is either still angry at me or worried that he hasn't found me yet.

Once my tears stopped and my breathing became normal again I

"Thanks, Edmund."

"No problem," he said and we sat there for a while until he said, "Call me Ed."

"Ed?"

He nodded and gave me a smile, "Yeah."

I laughed, "I was right!"

"About what?"

"You do look cuter with a smile," I slapped my hand over my mouth.

Edmund looked at me. "What?"

"Nothing!"

"No, what did you say?"

I turned, my cheeks burning; I mentally slapped myself for my stupid mouth.

Edmund pulled me around to face him, "What did you say?"

Taking a deep breath I came up with, "How about a compromise? I'll tell you a secret and you don't ask about what I said again?"

"Alright…"

"Willow."

Ed looked confused, "Hmm?"

Taking another deep breath I elaborated, "My name. It's Willow Janice Ryder. There now you know my terrible secret. Feel free to poke fun."

"No…no…it's a nice name," he said.

"Thanks," I gave him a light punch on the shoulder, "you're a good friend…"

"That's what we are now? Friends?"

I thought about it, "Yeah, I guess."

He held out his hand for me to shake, "Friends then."

"Friends."

Our moment of peace was interrupted by a dwarf. "Get up!" he ordered and marched us outside.

We passed by stone statues…I could only guess by their expressions that they weren't bought from a local Wal-Mart. My suspicions were proven to be correct when I saw a stone wolf that looked like Brenx. I held onto Ed's hand in fear.

Ed squeezed my hand back.

"When you're ready, Son of Adam…protector…" the witch said from her sleigh harnessed to six white reindeer.

The dwarf however seemed to actually be in a hurry as he pushed us forward using his whip. Ed and I sat at the witch's feet. Huddled together he still held my hand. She glared down at us as if we were vermin.

The dwarf whipped the reindeer into a start shouting, "Yah! Yah! Yah!"