Chapter 7:
Reminder, any paragraphs in italics are Jo's visions.
Thankful for the few reviews I have, it means a lot! Things are going to start picking up soon, I promise!
Long chapter warning: 5,296 words!
Joanna once again stood in a cold room, surrounded by ice. Her breath fogged in front of her face and her body shook in the cold temperature. The sounds of animals echoed all around her and she desperately searched for the source. The tiny, stone animals from the clearing began to appear at her feet. Each animal with a look of horror on their face, the sounds suddenly turning to cries for help. Tears streamed down her face because she could not help them, she didn't know how to help them.
"Do you know why you are here?"
Joanna looked up and suddenly the room went quiet. She was staring into the dark eyes of a beautiful woman. Her skin was as white as snow, her crown sitting atop her head in glory, she knew who this was.
"Because I believe in a free Narnia." a voice from behind her said, obviously tired and in pain.
She turned to see another creature on the ground behind her, staring up at her. The Witch approached her and stood next to her. She smiled evilly at the creature and chuckled darkly.
"You are here because he," she paused and threw her staff to the corner of the room, "turned you in. . ."
Joanna followed the Witch's stare and gasped at the sight of Edmund curled up in fear in the corner of a cell.
". . .For sweeties." the Witch finished with a small smile. Edmund looked away in guilt and pulled his knees to his chest. There was a bruise on his forehead and a cut on his lip, she had been hurting him.
Suddenly the Witch rounded on the creature and her hand collided with his cheek, the slap echoing around the room. Joanna gasped and took a step backwards. Immediately she turned and ran to Edmund's side, waving her hands in front of him and calling out his name.
"We're coming to find you, Edmund!" she cried out to him, desperately hoping he could hear her. He peered over his knees and looked up, the Witch stood towering over him.
"Ready my sleigh," she commanded her dwarf minion, "Edmund misses his family."
Joanna placed an arm on his shoulder and he jumped in surprise, "We will find you, Ed!"
As the group prepared to leave after a small nap, Joanna pulled Peter aside. The dream she'd had during the small sleep had shaken her to the core. She worried for Edmund and the people of Narnia, now.
"Peter, we need to stay and help these people."
"Did you see something?" he whispered, pulling her behind a tree.
She nodded, "It's Edmund, she's hit him. He's so alone, Peter,"
Peter placed a hand on her shoulder, "What else did you see?"
She gulped, "They're preparing her sleigh to go on the look for us, and I have a feeling that she'll find us if we don't get a move on now."
The older boy nodded and sighed, the frustrations getting to him, "Why the sudden urge to help Narnia?"
"The White Witch has them all under her thumb, she uses fear to keep these creatures at her command," she paused and looked away, "There was another creature there, and he said he believed in a free Narnia."
Peter stared at her, "This isn't our world-"
"Do you not see how frightened they all are of her? And how hopeful they are of Aslan?" she asked in a harsh whisper, "There's a war going on back home, too, Peter. Others have come to our aid, why should we not come to theirs?"
Peter huffed his bangs out of his eyes and looked down at her. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared back at him, her eyes staring straight through him it seemed. He knew she was right but part of him wanted to go back home and forget all of this had happened. Jo's arms slumped to her side and she hung her head, feeling stuck. There was no use in arguing with this stubborn boy, he had always been this way.
"I think we should head out now," she whispered before walking away.
The early dusk wind whipped at the children's faces as they travelled through the forests and fields of Narnia. The Beavers lead the way and had no trouble walking through the snow. Their shoes were completely soaked through and paid no help to them.
Jo tried to stay as alert as she could while walking, hoping her sight may help them in locating the Witch somehow. This didn't seem to be part of her gifts, though, much to her dismay. Peter kept glancing back at her and she met his stare every time. He knew where she stood and she wasn't going to let him forget it. She was deeply disappointed in the boy for not wanting to help.
Eventually the two were walking behind the Beavers and making small talk to one another. He mentioned that all the talk of war here in Narnia only made him want to join the army back home even more. The girl couldn't share his feelings, though. It was all easier said than done. Actually being faced with the prospect of war scared her. Back home she knew she had no chance of joining, so it was easy to talk about and pretend.
She was thankful her mother had sent her away now. However, she missed home more than ever now. It was so far away, it seemed.
"How does it feel to be a King?"
Peter chuckled, "I'm no king,"
"That's not what the Narnians think." she said with a smile towards the Beavers.
He sighed, "To say it's frightening would be an understatement."
Jo nodded her head, this whole journey had been frightening. Perhaps this all really was a dream and she was bound to wake up soon. In all of their hearts, they knew it was real. Their encounter with the wolves brought the reality to life, at least for Joanna. Never had she felt such evil in her life. No nightmare could create that intense of a feeling.
Peter nudged her side, "How does it feel to be Seeker, or, um-"
"Seer?" She asked with a cocked brow.
He rolled his eyes, "Whatever you are."
Joanna let out a huff, "I feel a bit out of place, to tell you the truth."
"Why?"
"Well, I'm not prophesied royalty, unlike you lot," she said with a laugh, "I don't like these visions, either."
Peter looked away, "What are they like?"
Joanna took a moment to recall what they felt like. They felt so real. She could see her breath in the air, feel how cold the castle was and feel Edmund trembling beneath her fingers when she placed her hand on his shoulder. There was no telling when they would come and what they would bring, that was the worst part.
"They're frightening." Joanna sighed with a sheepish smile to her younger friend. Peter's brow furrowed in sympathy and he took her hand.
She didn't let go.
Suddenly the group found themselves atop a bridge made of rock, overlooking the majestic mountains covered in snow. The humans looked on in awe, never had they seen land like this before. Not even in pictures.
"Aslan's camp is just over there, by the stone table. Just across the frozen river!" Beaver exclaimed in excitement, grasping his wife's paws in his.
Joanna cleared her throat, "Did you say a frozen river?"
Mrs. Beaver chuckled, "It's been frozen for one-hundred years!"
"It seems so far." Peter said as he eyed the body of water wearily.
Mrs. Beaver once again let out a laugh, "It's the world dear! Did you expect it to be small?"
Susan rolled her eyes and looked to the older children, "Smaller. . ." she grumbled as she walked past them.
Joanna looked back to her blonde-haired friend and smiled, "Ever the cheerful one, isn't she?"
"Always!" he exclaimed, extending his arm towards her once more. Joanna chuckled and slipped her arm around his once more. She enjoyed having the extra fur of his coat surrounding her, it kept her warm. However, it seemed that the wind was finding it's way through the coats somehow. None of them were feeling any warmer.
Finally the group came to a vast, outstretched piece of snow-covered land. It seemed to go one forever. The beavers padded on while the kids began to fall behind. Lucy was obviously getting tired and was tripping over her feet. Beaver was constantly turning around and reprimanding them for how slow they were being.
"Come on, humans! Before we're old!" he cried out once more as he and his wife trudged on ahead.
Lucy sighed and leaned her head on Peter's arm. He sensed her annoyance and scooped her up into his arms, "If he tells us to hurry up one more time, I'm going to turn him into a big, fluffy hat!"
"Peter, that's rude!" Joanna exclaimed as she punched his arm.
"Hurry up, humans! We don't have all day!" he cried out once more, a hint of panic in his voice.
Lucy grumbled as her brother set her down, "He is getting kinda bossy,"
"Besides, I'd give you the prettiest hat of all, Jo!" Peter said as the two girls giggled.
"No! It's her!" Mrs. Beaver suddenly cried out, her tiny paw pointed behind the children. Everyone turned to the sight of a sleigh charging right towards them. Joanna's heart began to thud loudly in her chest and she took off running. Peter took Lucy's hand and charged after her, Susan following closely behind the Beavers.
They could hear the sleigh growing closer, the bells clanging against each other combined with the sound of hooves hammering against the ground.
Beaver ran ahead into the forest and called after them, he was hiding under the root of a rather large tree. Once they approached him, they all clambered under the root and huddled together. They all held their breaths as the sleigh approached just behind them.
Someone had gotten out of the carriage, obviously looking around for them.
Joanna squeezed her eyes shut and held her knees close to her chest. Her heart was pounding so fast she felt her chest would explode. The air was cold and made it feel as if every breath cutting against her chest. The person stood close to the root, making snow fall over their knees.
Finally, after a few minutes, the person left to join the Witch back on the sleigh. Surely they had missed them?
"Maybe she's gone?" Lucy whispered to them.
Peter nodded, "I'll go and have a look-"
"No!" Mr. Beaver cried out, "You're worth nothing to Narnia dead."
Mrs. Beaver whimpered, "Well neither are you, Beaver."
Her husband took her paws lovingly and smiled, "Thanks, dear."
The animal scurried out of sight and over the root. Everyone once again sat with bated breath, waiting for any sign that he was alright. More minutes passed agonizingly slow before he suddenly peaked over the edge of the root, sending everyone into a panic.
He had a wide, toothy grin plastered on his face, "I hope you've all been good! There's someone here to see ya!"
Susan and Jo exchanged skeptical looks at Beaver's comment. Immediately Mrs. Beaver was out of the hiding place and joining her husband. She encouraged the children to follow her soon after.
Everyone clambered out to a marvelous sight.
Father Christmas.
'Oh my word, he's real!' Joanna thought to herself with wide eyes.
The man stood before them, dressed in deep red robes with a smile to greet them. His cheeks were not quite as rosy as Joanna had always imagined them to be, but they had a lively color to them. He had no hat with a white, fluffy ball on the end. He simply wore appropriate winter clothing, something you might find on anyone who lived in such weather all the time.
He let out a laugh and immediately Lucy was at his side, "Merry Christmas, sir!"
"It certainly is, Lucy, thanks to you."
Susan cocked a brow, "I thought there was no Christmas in Narnia?"
"It hasn't, not for a hundred years. But now the Witch's power is crumbling," the man returned to his sled and reached over to grab something. To everyone's delight, he pulled up a bag of presents.
"Presents!" Lucy exclaimed in delight.
Father Christmas let out another loud, bellowing laugh. The children gathered around the bag in excitement. Joanna felt like a child again, and it felt wonderful. Who knew that this legend existed in other worlds as well? With the same traditions?
He reached into his bag and pulled out a small flask filled with red liquid, "Lucy, Eve's Daughter, this is for you. If you, or one of your friends are wounded, one drop from this cordial will restore them." he said with a smile as Lucy took the gift with wide eyes, "And though I do not expect you to use it, this." he added, reaching into his bag and pulling out a small, sheathed dagger. Joanna's heart skipped a beat at this, were they to receive weapons of war?
"Well, I think I could be brave enough," Lucy said shyly.
"I am sure you could, but battles are ugly affairs." he said as he pat Lucy on the shoulder. He reached into his bag once more and revealed a beautifully carved bow and arrow. Along with it he had pulled out a quiver full of bright, red feathered arrows. "Eve's Daughter, Susan, trust in this bow. For it does not easily miss."
Susan took the gift with uncertainty in her eyes, "What happened to 'battles are ugly affairs?'"
The man simply smiled and turned back to his bag, "And, though you have no trouble making yourself heard, this." he handed the raven-haired girl a beautifully crafted, ivory horn. In the end it curled into the head of a lion. "When you put this horn to your lips and blow it, wherever you are, help will come."
Susan nodded with gratitude and stepped away to examine her new gifts. The man turned to Joanna with a smile then, and she couldn't help the warm feeling of excitement in her stomach at what she was to be given.
"Eve's Daughter, Joanna, to you I present a golden whistle." he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, shimmering, golden whistle. It was attached to an equally shining, golden chain. He handed the small trinket to her and she took it carefully. "It is silent to foes, and only heard to those under your command."
"My command?" she asked.
The man winked at her, "You will find that your friendship with certain creatures in Narnia are stronger than others," he said as he smiled. This earned an excited jump from one of his reindeer, and he nodded to her, "But, when in dire need and it is sounded, all who are loyal to you can hear it. And last, this," he said as he turned once more to his large bag. Joanna gasped as he revealed a sheathed sword to her. She slipped the whistle over her head and took the sword into her shaking hands. Could she fight? Could she kill with this?
"I know the doubts you have, but with this sword you will lead a strong fight."
Joanna nodded her head and held the weapon close to her chest, not wanting to look at it.
Peter straightened up as the man turned to him finally. He reached into his bag and pulled out a sword as well. Jo could instantly see the size of this sword was bigger compared to hers, fit for a king. The man also handed Peter a heavy shield.
"Peter, Son of Adam, these are tools, not toys." he said with a stern face, "The time to use them may be soon at hand."
Peter unsheathed the sword and admired the shining weapon.
"This is the brother to your sword, Joanna. Together in battle, they will put up a hard fight, that I can assure you."
Joanna looked down to her sword, then, and unsheathed it as well. Peter and Joanna looked to each other and back to their weapons. Were they meant to fight this war together, then? Were they meant to save Narnia?
"Bare them well," he said to the older friends, "I best be off! Winter is almost over and things do pile up when you've been gone a hundred years." the man scooped his bag up and threw it into the sleigh. Joanna watched as her childhood dream-come-true turned and waved to them, "Long live Aslan!" he cried out, taking his seat and taking off in his sleigh.
The children stared in wonder as the man drove out of sight. Peter and Joanna looked at each other again, panic settling in on her. She didn't want to fight.
"Sibling swords?" she asked with a nervous laugh, buckling the sword around her waist.
Peter did the same and shrugged his shoulders, "Hopefully they get along well,"
"Ha, ha, very funny." she said, wrinkling her nose at him.
Lucy turned to the older children with a smirk on her face, "Told you he was real."
"Did I ever say I didn't believe?" Joanna reminded her.
"It's only because you didn't want to make me upset!" Lucy replied with a laugh.
Suddenly Peter's eyes went wide, "Did you hear what he said? Winter is almost over. . ."
"So? Isn't that a good thing?" Joanna asked.
Peter looked to her with worry, "No more ice."
After receiving their gifts and coming to the same realization Peter had, the group hurriedly continued on. Jo could feel the sword hitting against her leg and couldn't help but feel scared a little. Peter could be brave enough, surely, but could she?
The sound of rushing water filled their ears. Peering over the hill, Beaver made a gasp to himself.
"Blimey I don't know 'ow we'll get across that." he whispered to his wife. The two creatures exchanged nervous glances, but nonetheless encouraged the children to hurry.
Lucy stopped upon seeing the rushing river, shaking in fear. Jo nudged her forward but placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry, the beavers will know what to do."
"Right, they live around water," Lucy reminded herself.
Jo nodded, "That's right, they're the experts here."
They came to a stop at the frozen water's edge. The waterfall was still frozen over and left a small portion of the river frozen as well. This comforted the group little, as the water that was flowing did so dangerously fast. Joanna pulled her coat tighter around her and shook her head, clearing her nervous thoughts.
"Wait, maybe we should think about this?" Susan said as Beaver placed a foot on the ice.
Peter shook his head and turned to her, "We don't have time."
"I was just trying to be realistic-"
"No, you're trying to be smart! As usual." the older boy retorted with the roll of his eyes. Susan glared back at him and crossed her arms.
Everyone watched again as Beaver placed his foot down. The ice crackled the slightest bit beneath him, causing his wife to pull him back.
"Maybe I should go first," he said.
Peter nodded, "Maybe you should."
"You're smaller than us, and you can grip the ice better." Jo pointed out, more in a fearful realization than encouragement.
Beaver nodded and turned back to the ice. Each step he took was more agonizing than the last. The ice let out moans under his weight, cracking at his step. Mrs. Beaver shook her head, "You've been sneaking second helpings, haven't you?" she squealed at him.
Beaver chuckled and shrugged, "Well you never know what meal is gonna be your last. Especially with your cooking!" he responded, hoping to keep everyone in good spirits.
"If mum knew what we were doing-"
"Mum's not here!" Peter shouted back to Susan, the two obviously growing annoyed amidst the anxiety.
Joanna pushed her way between the two, "Now is really not the time to argue, so please stop!" she growled at the two, glaring. She knew they had to move fast. Who was to say that the river wouldn't take the ice away?
For a moment, all went still and silent.
Joanna gasped at the sound of the ice grumbling. She looked up to see the waterfall breaking through the ice, sending shards and chunks their way. She ducked and covered her head, waiting for the water to sweep her away.
"Joanna!" Peter shouted as he grabbed her shoulders, shaking her back to reality. The girl turned and grabbed his hand in a panic.
"Peter, the ice isn't going to last long." she whispered.
"Oh no!" Lucy shouted, pointing to the hill where they had stood just minutes before.
Joanna gasped at the sight of wolves, on the hunt once more, "We need to move, now!" she exclaimed as she took Peter's wrist.
"I'm going first," he commanded, pushing the girl behind her.
Joanna reached for Susan's hand, who reached for Lucy's. They pushed Lucy to the front behind Peter, who began to inch his way across the ice. The beavers were already halfway across the ice.
Joanna felt sick as she stepped onto the ice. Every step she took iminated some sort of sound from the ice. She took a deep breath and squeezed Susan's hand in hers, the two exchanging nervous glances.
"We'll be alright, Jo," Susan encouraged with the nod of her head.
Halfway across was when the wolves met them, snarling and baring their teeth. One of the wolves leapt across the ice and pinned Beaver to the ground between his teeth. Mrs. Beaver made a move to get to her husband, but was snatched back by Susan.
Peter unsheathed his sword and held it out in front of him, hands shaking. Joanna gripped his arm from behind with wide eyes, too afraid to move.
The leader stood before Peter in a daring stance, "Put that down boy, before somebody gets hurt!"
"Don't worry about me! Slit 'is throat!" Beaver cried out.
"Leave now while you can, and your brother leaves with you." the wolf, Maugrim, snarled at Peter with a grin.
Edmund.
"He's lying, Peter!" Joanna cried out, sensing his grip on the sword loosen.
Susan argued back, "Maybe we should listen to him!"
"Smart girl," Maugrim said with a smile.
"Don't listen to him, kill him now!" Beaver shouted with all of his might.
"Look, just because some man in a red suit hands you a sword doesn't make you a hero! Just drop it!" Susan screamed at her brother.
Joanna shook Peter's arm, "He gave it to you for a reason, Peter! Don't trust him, do it if you have to!" she screamed even louder, face growing red from her anger.
Beaver let out a gasp for air, "Peter, Narnia needs you!"
Maugrim began to circle the group, snarling, "What's it gonna be, Son of Adam? We're not going to wait forever, and neither is the river."
Peter felt like he was going to crumble beneath the screaming and snarling. The pressure was heavy and thick in the air, his heart pounded in his ears and he screwed his eyes shut.
Be the hero he knew he could be, or drop the sword?
Before he could do either, the sound of Lucy's scream interrupted him. The water was bursting through the ice, spraying them with cold water. Joanna pulled him closer and watched in horror as the waterfall began to burst through the ice.
Peter decided to be the hero he knew he could be, "Hold onto me!" he cried out. He plunged his sword into the ice and knelt to the ground. The girls held onto each other, clinging to Peter's arms. Maugrim had run away already, the wolves leaving Beaver be.
The water broke through and the ice crumbled, revealing the waterfall.
They turned to watch as the water suddenly rose up, pushing the piece of ice they were on further out into the river. Mrs. Beaver leapt into the water with her husband, swimming beneath the piece of ice they clung to.
Suddenly they were submerged into the freezing water. Joanna felt as if tiny little daggers were pricking at her skin. It was so cold, she couldn't even think.
Then came the air.
Everyone took deep gasps for air as they peeled out of the water, everyone still holding onto Peter as they rode down the river. Joanna sighed in relief and held onto Lucy, smiling that they were all safe. Of course that didn't last for long.
Lucy lost her grip on the ice and slid off the back. Joanna cried out and let go as well, pushing off the piece of ice and latching onto her small friend. She pulled the girl onto her back and swam towards the shore. She watched in fear as Peter and Susan landed against the bank, but the two girls continued downstream.
Joanna and Lucy kicked with all their strength towards the riverbank. The water was picking up in speed and for a moment, Joanna thought they wouldn't make it. She cried out in surprise as they hit a sunken tree trunk beneath the water. Their bodies slammed against the wood as the girls let out surprised cries. It stretched out from the bank, allowing them to climb against it to the shore.
Joanna pushed Lucy before her, telling her to get to the bank as fast as she could. The water beat against them as the clung to the trunk, making it a challenge to get to the shore. Jo's body ached so much, the force of the traveling water only making it worse. With every fiber in her body, Jo was pushing off the tree closer to the shore. She wouldn't let it take her or Lucy under.
In no time, they were clambering onto the land and nearly kissing it. Joanna's head spun and her heart thundered against her chest. It seemed that she couldn't get enough oxygen to last her a lifetime, she wanted to breathe it all in. She quickly peeled off her coat and draped it over a shivering Lucy, not that her wet coat would be of much help.
She heard the cries of Susan searching for them, so they followed it around the bend until they found the frantic girl. Peter stood with Lucy's coat in her hand and a look of terror on his face.
How could he have let his sister slip away?
"Has anyone seen my coat? Seems I've taken Jo's for the time," Lucy said with a smile.
Susan pulled Lucy into her embrace and thanked Joanna for bravely jumping off the ice. Jo nodded her head and turned to Peter. Her head throbbed and her knees were shaking. The boy had tears threatening to spill, his blue eyes glued to her.
"Jo, you saved her."
It was the last thing she heard before she collapsed.
Joanna ran to Edmund as he sat in her sleigh, knees pulled to his chest and tears spilling down his cheeks. It was warm outside, green grass beneath her feet. Edmund jumped as she placed her hand on his shoulder, slightly shaking him.
"Where is she taking you?" Joanna asked in a whisper.
Edmund looked all around him, frightened and shaking. Joanna called out to him, waving her hand in front of him. He couldn't see her, that she knew, but he could hear her. Even if it was quiet, she knew he could.
She took a deep breath and screamed his name. The boy's head snapped to her, his eyes meeting hers, whether he knew it or not.
"Joanna?"
"Where is she taking you, Edmund?" she cried out to him.
"I'm not sure! Where are you?"
"Ed, we're coming to get you, I promise!"
The boy shrunk back against the sleigh, a shadow crossing over his features. Joanna turned her head slowly and cowered before the White Witch. She eyed Edmund and grabbed his chin, pulling him up, "Who were you talking to?" she spat at him.
"No one, I swear." he said weakly, closing his eyes.
She threw him back to the floor, "I've sent wolves to follow your siblings, we'll find them in no time."
Edmund curled into a ball once more, his shoulders shaking. Joanna reached forward once more and squeezed his shoulder, "We're coming to find you, Ed."
"There we are," Mrs. Beaver whispered beside Joanna, "Easy now, dear."
The girl groaned as water trickled over her face. Her vision slowly came back to her, the blurry outlines turning into green leaves and a blue sky. Joanna slowly sat up with help from Mrs. Beaver and Susan. Her head was still throbbing slightly, her body ached and her chest felt sore and rusty.
"The river took quite a beating on ya," Beaver said with a small chuckle.
"Oh hush, Beaver. You'll be fine, love," Mrs. Beaver cooed.
Joanna rubbed her eyes, "What happened?"
"You fainted," Peter said as he knelt in front of her, "You put in a lot to save Lucy, Jo."
Lucy stood behind her brother, "Thank you, Jo."
The older girl nodded and smiled, taking Susan and Peter's outstretched hands. Slowly, she stood up and let the dizziness subside before walking forward. She knew it was time to hurry, especially if the wolves were on their tails.
"I saw Edmund, again." she whispered hoarsely, "I don't know where she plans on taking him, but the wolves are following us."
"We left our coats a little farther back, it may throw them off." Peter said as he took her hand to steady her.
"I told him we would find him, and he heard me." she said, causing everyone to straighten up a little more, "But we have to move now before they find us-"
"Don't you worry, Seer Joanna, Aslan's camp is just beyond the thicket here."
Joanna blanched at the news and smiled. Suddenly, she took note of the warmth in the air. There was green grass beneath her feet, just like her vision. Flowers were sprouting from the ground, green leaves dotted the trees. It was spring.
"It's so warm!" Joanna exclaimed, voice cracking.
Lucy laughed, "Aslan is back!"
"Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight. At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more. When he bares his teeth, winter meets it's death. And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again." Mrs. Beaver recited with a calming smile. Jo relished in the calming blanket that took over them, smiling to herself.
