Not my best chapter. Despair.

Chapter 10

"So," Lucy said to Tawny. They were sitting under a tree in the Cair Paravel Garden. They have just gone from the Training Fields with Edmund for Tawny's horse riding lessons. They've been doing these lessons for almost two weeks right now, and unfortunately, Tawny had slow progress. "What're we going to do now?"

"Huh?" Tawny had been gazing in mid-air. "Oh, I don't know, but I'm not up to anything much right now. My everything is aching!" Her body was sore from falling and getting up again on the horse and falling and getting up again. Edmund sometimes got harsh on her, but he learned how to control his temper and be considerate of Tawny.

Edmund had been nice to Tawny for a considerable amount of time. Lucy thought that it was just about the horse lessons. She knows that his brother is a very compassionate person, even if he can be a really big pain in the rear end. Edmund had just gone to the kitchens to get some snacks. Lucy was very much determined to make Tawny and Edmund close to each other. The horseback riding lesson is a good start.

"Tawny," said Lucy after a few moment of complete silence. "Do you think Edmund is a good person?"

"Hmm," Tawny said. "He can be really annoying sometimes, but I guess he's nice."

"Do you think that you and Ed can be good friends?"

"Maybe, aren't we friends right now?"

"Based from what I'm seeing, no."

"Oh," Tawny pondered for a moment. "Do you want us to be friends?"

"Oh yes! Of course I would want you and my brother to be friends."

"Well, tell that to him. He's starting our quarrels, not me."

Lucy smiled, "Don't you notice that he's been kind to you lately?"

Tawny caressed her arm. "With these bruises, I hardly notice him at all."

"He teaches you how to ride a horse. How can you not notice him?"

"I'm just too preoccupied with the lessons. I would just really want to ride a horse that's all."

Edmund was back from inside and sat down beside Lucy.

"Ed," said Lucy. "Where's our food?"

"What?"

"You said you were getting food."

"I ate it." The young King said.

"I thought you were getting us food?" said Lucy.

"What I said was," he replied, and cleared his throat. "Hey, Lucy, I'll just go inside. I'm starving."

"Pssshhhh!" And with that, Lucy went away muttering something about Edmund being an insensitive little brat.

"Aren't you going with her?" asked Edmund to Tawny.

"If you want me to," and she stood up and went after Lucy.

Tawny walked with a slight limp. She had taken a rather bad fall before Edmund ended the lesson.

"Lucy, wait," Tawny called out after catching up with the young queen.

Lucy turned around and smiled at her. The two friends walked on towards the kitchens. But Lucy suddenly stopped. She grabbed Tawny by the arms and stared at her rather excitedly.

"What is it?" Tawny asked nervously. "Why do you look like you're going to piss?"

"Tawny," Lucy said beaming widely. "I just remembered! Tomorrow I'm going to the Beaversdam, you know, where Mr. and Mrs. Beaver live. Mr. Tumnus will also be there!"

"Oh, the friendly beavers and the nice faun you're telling me about."

"Yes! Do you want to come with me?"

"Well…"

"Alright," said Lucy, looking pleadingly. "I know you are completely sore with all those horse riding plus your ankle seems to be a bit injured, but really, you'd get better! And once you've tasted Mrs. Beaver's home-made cookies you'll forget that your body is aching!"

Tawny had to give in. From all the stories she heard from Lucy, the Beavers and Mr. Tumnus sound really warm and they sound like they are a very comfortable company. Lucy forgot all about eating and told Tawny more stories about her Narnian friends.

***

The Pevensies just finished breakfast with Tawny. Lucy was a big ball of happy energy during the meal. She was really excited about their little visit to their friends.

"Tawny are you feeling better already?" asked Lucy.

"Yes, I think so," she replied.

"Pete," Lucy called out to her brother. "I'm taking Tawny with me to the Beaversdam. Are you sure you all wouldn't come?"

"Sorry Lu," Peter said. "I've got some business to take care of."

"Sure I'll come," Susan said. "Why don't you take Ed as well?"

"You're not busy Edmund aren't you?" asked Lucy.

"Not really." Edmund replied.

"Well then, go on Ed, come with them," Peter said.

"Sure."

"Oh goodie!" Lucy exclaimed. "Come on Tawny, come with me. We need to fix you."

"Fix me?" said Tawny, confused. "I'm not broken. My limp is better now."

"No, I mean fix your hair."

"Why would you do that?"

"Well, maybe it has something to do with the fact that ever since you came here, you haven't touched a hair brush." Edmund remarked. "Do you even know what a hair brush looks like?"

"Yes, I do."

"Oh stop your gibberish Ed." Lucy stood up from her chair and pulled Tawny out of hers. The two girls left the room as fauns cleared the table.

"I don't see why you have to do this…" Tawny said as her hair was being brushed by Lucy with great difficulty. Lucy held a hand mirror in front of Tawny.

"Oh…" said Tawny.

"Mrs. Beaver is being too fussy with furs and hairs." Lucy said.

They were sitting on Lucy's bed, with Lucy behind Tawny, trying to untangle Tawny's mane.

"So," Tawny said. "These beavers…and faun, they seem really nice."

Lucy laughed gently, "Because they really are."

Silence passed by.

Hey Tawny," Lucy said.

"What?"

"Why don't you and Edmund talk much?"

"Of course we talk,"

"Minus the sarcasm?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, 'talk' talk. Just talk. About life, and yourselves. About each other."

"Now that I thought of it, we scarcely 'talk' talk at all."

"Hmmm…."

"Hmmm?"

Lucy giggled.

"You know," Tawny said frowning slightly. "I don't really see where this talk about Edmund goes."

Edmund stepped inside Lucy's room with Susan behind him.

"Speaking of which…" Lucy murmured.

The queen sat beside her sister and Tawny. Edmund remained standing and watched as Lucy braided Tawny's hair.

"Girls are so slow."

"What?" Lucy said.

"They need too much time before going out."

"If you are talking about Susan—"

"I'm already done fixing myself." Susan said defensively. "You did a really good job, Lu." She added after seeing Tawny's French braided hair.

"Yeah, Lu, she now looks almost normal." Edmund said.

"Lucy scowled at her brother. "What do you think, Tawny?" She held a hand mirror again in front of Tawny's face.

"It's pretty, thank you Lucy."

"Well," Edmund said. "The horses are all saddled and bridled. We can head out now." And he led the way outside Lucy's chambers. Susan, Lucy and Tawny followed. Soon enough, they were at the stables were four horses were waiting for them. Tawny just stared at the four beautiful horses.

"Is something wrong, Tawny?" Susan asked as she placed her foot on the stirrup.

"I can't ride a horse well enough remember?" Tawny said looking embarrassed. "Maybe I shouldn't come."

"Oh nonsense! You can ride with one of us." Lucy suggested.

"Slow-learner," Edmund said under his breath. Luckily, no one heard this comment.

Tawny looked at Susan, who had just mounted on her horse. Her dress was elegantly arranged and Tawny wouldn't want to mess it. She then gazed at Lucy, who was looking at her smiling, then looking to Edmund, who was on his horse, then looking back at Tawny again. She furrowed her brows, thinking that something suspicious was going through Lucy's mind.

Actually, Lucy was thinking of making Tawny ride with Edmund. But since Tawny looked rather awkward, she said, "You can ride with me, Tawny."

Tawny approached Lucy and her horse. Lucy mounted the horse, and Tawny followed. The party galloped away.

"Why wouldn't you ride with Edmund?" asked Lucy so suddenly. They were the last in line of the galloping horses.

"Ride with Edmund?" Tawny said. "I wouldn't even think of it."

"Edmund is a really good horseback rider."

"And?"

Lucy smiled. "I was just saying."

"Why do you keep asking things about Edmund to me?"

"Nothing."

"Well, it's a bit unusual."

And they rode in silence once more. Tawny just couldn't understand this talks about Edmund.

After time passed by, the Beaversdam was visible.

"Oh, look look! Tawny we're almost there!"

Tawny can't help getting excited.

They reached the Beaversdam, and instantly after the three Pevensies and Tawny got down from their horses, a jolly looking, more or less than two-feet tall beaver came out from a small house made of wood.

"Oh it's you three! I'm sure Peter has something to do that's why he hasn't come with you. Hullo! Who's your new friend?" said Mrs. Beaver. Behind her came Mr. Beaver. Lucy ran to them and hugged them both. Lucy came too, and Edmund shook hands with them. Tawny slowly walked to them and smiled.

"This is Tawny," Susan introduced. "She's staying with us."

"Long story," Lucy added.

"Well, come inside all of you," Mr. Beaver beckoned. "Tumnus will be here soon enough. He's just off getting some chamomile tea."

The Beavers' visitors went inside. The door wasn't large enough for humans so they had to bend a little low to pass through. Unfortunately, Tawny took no notice of this and had hit her head on the door. She lurched on the spot as Edmund took hold of her shoulders from behind. Lucy saw this and beamed.

"I guess you needed that." Edmund joked.

"And what am I to understand by that?" Tawny said as she rubbed her forehead and looking back at Edmund. Edmund just smirked and shrugged.

Mrs. Beaver made Tawny sit down and asked her if she she needed and treatments for her reddening forehead. She refused and told them that it was no bother. Someone knocked on the Beavers' little door just after Edmund closed it. He opened it to reveal a thrilled-looking Mr. Tumnus carrying a small parcel that must've contained the bag of chamomile tea.

"Mr. Tumnus!" Lucy and Susan said in unison. The two queens dashed to the smiling faun and hugged him. Edmund was the last of the three Pevensies to come to the faun.

"Come in come in, old friend!" said Mr. Beaver.

"Ooohh," Mrs. Beaver exclaimed. "I already smell the aromatic scent of the chamomile tea leaves."

Mrs. Beaver asked for a few minutes so she can prepare the food. She said that she didn't want to cook it before they arrive because by then, it might not be warm enough. So to pass time, Mr. Beaver, Mr. Tumnus and the four guests played chess in turns. Tawny didn't play, and just watched the whole game. Apparently, Edmund was pretty much good at it, defeating Mr. Beaver, Mr. Tumnus and his sisters in a row. Mrs. Beaver announced that the food is ready and they all went around the small table to eat.

The food there was over-whelming and the first word that popped in Tawny's head was the 'home'. Everyone tried to sit down round the table but they couldn't fit.

"Alright," said Mr. Tumnus, as he laughed. "I think I need to lose some pounds." He stood up and Edmund realized what he was doing.

"No, no," Edmund said as he abruptly stood up. "I'll sit in the sofa, Mr. Tumnus. You sit back beside Lucy."

Lucy saw the opportunity and edged on a bit to Tawny so that it seemed that there was not enough space for 6 people, even if Edmund was already on the sofa.

"I think I should sit beside Ed on the sofa too," Mr. Tumnus said, noticing the scarcity of room around the table.

"No!" Lucy said so suddenly. She turned to Tawny and said, "Tawny, if it wouldn't be a bother, could you just sit on the sofa? I don't mean to offend you or anything."

"Oh," Tawny said with a smile. "No problem. It is not so much roomy with me here. I understand."

Mr. Tumnus smiled at Tawny apologetically, but Tawny just merely smiled back politely. Edmund was there, munching on a lemon square that Mrs. Beaver baked earlier. She sat down beside him, carrying the tray of cookies and tea that Mr.s Beaver made her take.

Apologies for wrong grammars and spellings.