Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lucy and the strange creature screamed, she tried to hide behind the lamppost while the other hid behind a tree. The creature had lost all the packages he had been carrying though and they lay in the snow . Lucy carefully peeked from behind the lamppost trying to get a glimpse of the creature, she carefully stepped away from the lamppost in the direction of where the creature was hiding. The creature was peeking out from behind the tree watching her every move.

As Lucy approached one of the packages it had dropped se slowly began to bed through her knees as if t pick it up. The creature had seen her intention and began to slowly protest coming out from behind the tree at the same time. Lucy took one of the parcels and slowly approached the creature, noticing it seemed to have the legs of a goat. She gently offered the parcel back to its' owner who took it gently neither of them daring to move too brusquely.

"Were you hiding from me?" Lucy asked gently. The creature seemed startled by that question and started to mumble a bit, clearly he was at a loss for words. He began picking up his other packages all the while stuttering.

"No, I…I … umm, no, I was just, I didn't want to scare you." He finished all the time keeping an eye on Lucy as if he was afraid if he took his eyes of her she would be gone. Lucy gave him a small laugh, she clearly wasn't going to buy that excuse, it was quite lame really, but then again, some of her siblings were champions in coming up with good excuses.

"If you don't mind my asking, what are you?" Lucy asked him, she couldn't stop herself staring at his legs, they were so odd, the rest of his body seemed normal though, although she was wondering how he could go hiking in the snow with only a scarf to cover his upper body.

The creature was looking at her in surprise, ' My, that little creature really asks some very strange questions' he thought. He really wasn't good with addressing strangers, he always found himself stuttering like a fool.

"Well, I'm a faun. And what about you? You must be some kind of beardless dwarf? He asked taking a wild guess, honestly he wouldn't know what else the little creature could be. The little creature wasn't of the same opinion as he was, it looked quite shocked to be seen as a dwarf.

"I'm not a dwarf! I'm a girl!" here she paused to pick up another parcel and gave it to him. "And actually I'm tallest in my class!" she finished. Lucy saw that the creature's expression had changed to one of amazed wonder, she was surprised, who had never heard of a girl before?

"You mean to say, that you're a daughter of Eve?" the faun asked her.

"Well, my mum's name is Helen." She began but was soon stopped by the faun

"Yes, but you are in fact human?" he asked her with a tinge of wonder in his voice. Lucy was getting more and more confused.

"Yes, of course." She said. The faun looked around for a moment than continued in a whisper:

"What are you doing here?" Lucy brightened up, at least that was a logical question! Now she may be able to find out where she was.

"Well, I was hiding in the wardrobe in the spare room and…"

" Wait!" the faun interrupted her "Spare Oom? Is that in Narnia?" Here we go again thought Lucy, again questions I can't understand.

"Narnia? What's that?" she asked him, he gave her a look as if she had fallen on her head.

"Well, my dear girl, you're in it. Everything from the lamppost all the way to Castle Cair Paravel on the Eastern Ocean, every stick and stone you see, every icicle, is Narnia." Lucy stared at the place in renewed wonder, wait till her siblings found out about this.

"It's an awfully big wardrobe." She said in wonder before she could stop herself. She heard the faun mumble herself until she came back to her senses as he introduced himself as Tumnus.

"Pleased to meet you Mr Tumnus!" she said happily, "My name is Lucy Pevensie." She extended her hand for him to shake until she discovered he didn't seem to know what to do.

"Oh, you shake it." She said as if that explained everything, Mr Tumnus merely cocked an eyebrow and asked her why.

"I don't know!" it was true, no one had ever bothered explaining it to her, she made a mental note to ask it to Susan when she went back through the wardrobe.

In the meantime she contented herself by giving Mr Tumnus a short explanation.

"People do it when they meet each other." Mr Tumnus gave her a small unsure laugh and grabbed her hand shaking it very quickly in a way that was really funny. The two of them couldn't help but laugh and Lucy started swinging their hands from one side to the other. Seemingly coming to a decision Mr Tumnus gave her a broad smile.

"Well then, Lucy Pevensie, of the shining city of Wardrobe in the wondrous land of Spare Oom." Here he paused to pick up his umbrella and expertly flipped it open and held it over their heads.

" How would it be if you came and had tea with me?" he finished with a smile, lifting his eyebrows at her.

"Well thank you very much, but, I'd probably should be going back." Lucy said, the disappointment clear in her voice as she gave a small glance towards where the wardrobe would be. She was slightly surprised when Mr Tumnus was quick to convince her to come, he looked at her with a pleading look in his eyes when he had mentioned they might break into the sardines.

At this Lucy perked up slightly but she was still unsure, the game had been busy for awhile now, it was probably over and her siblings would be getting worried.

"I don't know." She told Mr Tumnus.

"Oh come on." He pleaded, "it's not everyday I get to make a new friend." This finally convinced Lucy.

She picked up the last package and instead of giving it back to the faun she clutched it under her arm.

"Well, I guess I could come for a little while, get some sardines…" she murmured. Mr Tumnus smiled broadly and let her link her arm with his. "By the bucket load" he assured. Then the two of them started moving in the direction of Mr Tumnus' house, all the while chatting happily.

I'm terribly sorry but I'll have to leave it at this. I've been very busy and didn't have a lot of inspiration for this chapter so instead of making it too long and boring, I decided to make it a bit shorter.