I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to update. I recently started college this fall and it bit me in the behind. Now that I'm used to everything, I can actually concentrate on my story. I apologize for the long wait I put everyone through.

Chapter Eight

Mr. Beaver led them through the forest in complete silence until they reached a small house built into the wooded edge of a small stream. "It's adorable," Annette voiced to Mr. Beaver, who nodded at her words of approval.

"Built it meself," he said, and nodding for the five children to walk towards it. They were all amazed as they stooped to enter to see that it was built as if very tiny people lived there. Inside was a female beaver, Mr. Beaver's wife, of course, and she welcomed them profusely.

Almost immediately, they were put to work. Annette, Susan, and Lucy helped Mrs. Beaver cook dinner with Annette grumbling all the while about, "don't see why the boys can't help cook." Peter and Edmund, on the other hand, helped Mr. Beaver fish, and Edmund, at least, had the manners not to complain. He was actually in his element, since he and his father went fishing a lot when he was home.

Finally, they sat around the fairly small table on stools, feeling like giants, while only the beavers looked the least bit comfortable. "Food taste great, girls," Mr. Beaver complimented, winking at them. Lucy and Susan nodded at him, and Annette managed a small smile as she ate.

Lucy couldn't hold it in anymore. "What happened to Mr. Tumnus?" she asked, nearly crying once again.

The two beavers shared a look before Mr. Beaver began to speak. "Well, there's some things you have to understand about our world, dear. These are dangerous times, and the White Witch knows something is happening around here. Many have been turned to stone at her hand."

"Wait? Turned to stone," Susan interrupted, disbelievingly. "You can't really expect us to believe that."

"Susan, with everything we're going through, you're not seriously still thinking all this isn't believable," Annette shot at her.

"I'm just saying. There's an evil witch, fauns, and talking beavers (no offense)," she said to them, and then eyed Annette again. "I'm sorry that it's taking me a bit more time to comprehend."

"Well, grow an imagination!" Annette shouted, and immediately felt sorry for what she said, once she saw the hurt look on Susan's face. Susan got up from where she was sitting beside Annette, and went to sit next to Lucy instead, leaving Annette near Edmund.

She looked up and noticed the two beavers, watching them, amused. "Well, if you two are quite finished," started Mrs. Beaver, a hand…er, paw, on her tiny hip.

"Sorry," both girls muttered in unison.

"Anywho, it well may be that Mr. Tumnus will be saved anyway, because of Aslan," Mr. Beaver finished.

Annette gasped at the mention of Aslan. It was as if a warm feeling ran through her, and she could the same happened to the others as well.

"Who is Aslan?" asked Lucy, and Mr. Beaver started to chuckle.

"'Who is Aslan?'" he repeated, now guffawing, but stopped at the blank stare on the five's faces. "Oh…right…you don't know."

"Well…" Susan prompted him.

"Aslan's the King of the forest, the Lord of the whole wood, don't y'know?" Mr. Beaver told them. "Why, I'm supposed to be takin' ya to the Stone Table to see him."

At this, Edmund silently rose from the table and only Annette noticed. She held onto his arm. "Where are you going?" she hissed. "Stay here. Didn't you listen to Mr. Beaver? It isn't safe."

"Who are you, my mum? Besides, I'm only going out to get air," Edmund sneered at her, crossing his arms. As he headed out of the door, Annette grabbed her coat, and followed him, the other three still entranced by the beavers' story.

Gasping once she stepped outside, she hugged her coat tighter around her for warmth. It had gotten so much colder and darker. All she could see was the falling snow around her and a shadow where Edmund stood. "Edmund, what are you doing?" she yelled. He was now a little ways away from the dam, going in the direction from which they came. "Why can't you listen?" Again, she grabbed his arm, trying to hold on tightly to the younger but taller boy.

"It's not like you even care," Edmund accused. "None of them do, so let me go." She tried to pull him back into the house, but Edmund gave one good push, and Annette fell. As she did so, she struck her head again something hard, and fell into unconsciousness. The last thing she saw was Edmund walking along a path between two mountain before everything went black.


"Charlie?" Annette called out, running to the figure on the grassy hill. Her older brother turned to smile at her, and they embraced. "Charlie? How's the war? How's Dad? Is it almost over?" She inquired, question after question, but her brother shook his head.

"It won't be over for a while, but I hear you have a whole other war ahead of you," Charles told her, ruffling her hair, as he always did when they were younger.

Annette looked at him, weirdly. "What do you mean, Charlie?"

"The fifth, the extra, she will lead the Narnians to deliverance from a new kind of evil after the old dies, she who will be known as the High Queen of Narnia," Charlie recited, as if it were one of the poems he liked to read. "Remember it well, Annette. I know you'll be a great leader."

"Charlie, what-"

"You'll see," he smiled, and began to fade before her. "It's time to wake up now, Annette. Wake up, wake up, wake-"


"-Up! Annette!" That voice doesn't sound like Charles anymore, she thought to herself. Annette's eyes fluttered open. Above her was Susan, who was shaking her. "Please wake up!"

"Su-Susan?"

"Annette!" Lucy and Susan immediately flung themselves on her, embracing her hard.

"Annette, I'm so sorry about our argument," rattled off Susan, while Lucy ran off, calling, "She's OK! Annette's OK!"

Peter and the beavers tore out of the dam, and he hugged Annette immediately. Annette went wide-eyed before hugging him back. In spite of everything, Susan still had the mischievous streak in her to smile knowingly at Lucy. When he hung back, Peter questioned her, "Do you know what happened to Edmund? Was he taken by someone? What happened?"

Annette racked her brain to remember. "No, he wasn't taken. He left. I tried to stop him but…I tripped over something and fell on something." She decided not to tell them that Edmund had pushed her, as it would only make Peter angrier at him.

Growling, Peter looked all around, calling, "EDMUND!" and then softly muttered, "I'm going to kill him."

Just then, Mr. Beaver piped up, darkly. "Has Edmund ever been to Narnia before?" The three siblings looked from Mr. Beaver to Annette, curiously.

"Oh my…" Annette trailed off. "He met the Witch. We both did. He was sitting in her carriage and eating something, but I can't remember what. He mentioned us to her and she asked him if he'd like to be the King of Narnia…"

Mr. Beaver raced to the mouth of the dam, and beckoned them to follow. "She knows you're here. We've got to move!"

Susan and Lucy followed behind him, quickly, but Peter stated behind. Annette watched as he kicked a rock in frustration. She was about to say something, but decided to just leave him alone for the moment. She really couldn't think of anything, anyway.

He only joined them when he heard wolf howls in the distance. "Oh, don't tell me she has wolves on her side," Annette groaned as she helped Mrs. Beaver pack. Wolves were her favorite animal, after all.

All thoughts of her dream were forgotten, including what her brother told her. Not thinking it mattered, Annette didn't try to remember.

"'Fraid so, dearie," Mrs. Beaver said, patting her arm, and she gave her bag to Mr. Beaver, who hoisted it on her shoulder.

"Son of Adam, Daughters of Eve, over here!" Mr. Beaver nodded towards a large hole in the ground, which they hadn't noticed because a rug hid it.

"You've got to be kidding me," Susan grumbled as she jumped into it. Annette didn't want to go jump either, but scratching noises came from outside of the den, followed by growls, too close to Annette's liking, so she followed her.

Once she jumped in, Annette had to be steadied because she was still a bit dizzy. "You okay?" Peter asked her, concerned. Annette only nodded as she took a torch from him, and grabbed Lucy's hand, since she was closer to her. As they ran, Annette felt sorry for the poor girl, very sure she didn't realize what a true adventure this would be.

"Come on! Move!" cried Mr. Beaver, as he led them through the dark tunnel. Moments later, they emerged into the cold, dark night. Peter and Mr. Beaver put a barrel in front of the hole to close it, and Annette nearly fell, because Lucy tripped over something. She gasped when she saw the little stone creatures. "No." Mr. Beaver shook his head at the sight. "My best mate." He pointed a shaky paw at the stone of a badger, and his wife snuggled close to him for comfort.

"Well, well, well…" said an unfamiliar voice, and the six of them looked up, sharply.