04; Hug a Tree, Save a Life
Emily could hear the wolves howl in the distance as the group retraced their steps back to the dam. She felt terrible that she and the others had brought chaos upon this lovely couple. When all they had done was give them food and shelter, as well as vital information.
In the dark of woods Emily was surprised she didn't trip on her own two feet as she entered the small home. She was sure upon entering the living room that they scared the living daylights out of Mrs. Beaver.
"Hurry Mum, they are after us!"
Mrs. Beaver turned to them and placed her paws on her hips, "Right then."
"What is she doing?" Susan asked as Mrs. Beaver began to rush around the small space gathering supplies.
"Don't worry, you'll thank me later. It's a long journey and Beaver gets cranky when he's hungry." Mrs. Beaver replied.
Mrs. Beaver's answer seemed logical enough and Susan began helping Mrs. Beaver pack food in the bag. Peter was discussing an escape plan with Mr. Beaver while Lucy remained at Emily's side. Emily placed an arm around the girl's shoulders and peeked through the window to keep a lookout.
"I'm cranky now!" Mr. Beaver shouted, causing Peter and Emily to share a look of amusement before realizing it was not the time.
"Do you think we should bring jam?" Susan asked, holding up a jar filled with raspberry jam.
"Only if the witch has toast! " Peter answered, sending Susan an irritated look.
In most circumstances Emily would have laughed, but she knew now wasn't the time. Emily began to take the full bag from Susan and slipped it over her shoulder before continuing to keep watch. Peter and Mr. Beaver began to move some of the furniture out of the way in the corner to reveal a hole in the ground, an escape route.
"This should lead us to Aslan." Mr. Beaver said, turning towards the group.
He then helped Mrs. Beaver into the hole along with Peter, Susan, and Lucy. Emily hurried over to the hole and tried to lower herself down, but gracefully failed. Her foot slipped and she closed her eyes waiting for impact, but impact never came.
Instead a pair of hands caught her about the waist and slowly lowered her to the ground. She realized it was Peter that had caught her and blushed furiously while saying thank you. When he let her go Emily noticed his cheeks were two shades darker and couldn't help but feel thankful it wasn't just her.
"Come on!" Mr. Beaver called to them to bring them out of the clouds.
The two followed him down the dark tunnel as Mrs. Beaver yelled, "I thought it led to your Mums!"
Mr. Beaver didn't reply as he continued to lead them further into darkness. Emily stayed directly behind Lucy with Peter following behind her. Susan was in the lead with Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. As they continued to go through the tunnel, Emily heard more howling and felt the ground shake violently. Lucy stumbled at the force of the shake, but Emily grasped her shoulders to steady her.
Everyone had the same fearful look as Lucy said, "They're in the tunnel. "
Left.
Right.
Right.
Left.
Left.
After running around five more corners they came upon what appeared to be a dead end. Emily looked around frantically trying to find a way out as Mrs. Beaver said, "You should have brought a map!"
"There was no room next to the jam!" Mr. Beaver replied before finally locating the way out of the tunnel.
Mr. Beaver was the first one out of the hole and began helping the rest of them. As Peter helped Emily out last the group heard Lucy let out a terrified yelp. Emily turned quickly to see Lucy laying on the snow in front of what appeared to be a statue. Peter went to help Lucy up as Emily took a closer look at the surrounding statues. She discovered they were all animals and they were terrifyingly lifelike.
"He was one of my best mates." Mr. Beaver said, a tear in his eye as he placed a paw onto one of the stone animals.
"What happened to them?" Susan asked, looking at them in confusion.
Before Mr. Beaver could answer an unknown voice cut in, "This is what happens to the enemies of the White Witch."
Emily looked around to see a fox come out of the woods and into the small clearing. She knew the statues were detailed, but she didn't know they had once been alive. Her body went still as she stared in open horror. The witch was sounding more like Medusa than Elsa.
An image of a glass scepter flashed through Emily's mind and she felt another headache come on. She didn't understand what was happening to her. She first thought her mind was trying to process all the information, but now she wasn't so sure.
Emily found herself believing in the possibility that magic might be causing her strangely timed headaches. It was obvious that magic was for Narnia and she couldn't help wondering if it was trying to help her. Her mind kept going back to her dream and to her it almost felt like Narnia was trying to communicate with her.
"Stand still traitor." Mr. Beaver said.
At the mention of traitor, Peter didn't hesitate to put both Susan and Lucy behind him while Emily armed herself with a tree branch. She was tired of being helpless. Emily stood in front of the Pevensies but behind Mr. and Mrs. Beaver as they began to approach the fox.
"Relax, I'm one of the good guys."
"Well you look an awful lot like one of the bad guys." Mr. Beaver said, taking a threatening step towards him.
"An unfortunate family resemblance, but we can discuss family breeding later. Right now we need to move." The fox said, his voice holding a sense of urgency.
No one believed him until the sound of scratching could be heard. Emily decided to take a leap of faith and turned toward the fox to kneel in front of him, "Do you know who we are?"
He nodded and bowed to them. This gesture seemed to be enough for Peter as he stepped forward and placed a hand on Emily's shoulder, "What do you suggest?"
The foxes brilliant idea was to stick them in a tree!
Emily looked down to the ground in apprehension hugging the trunk of the tree in panic. She hated when her feet didn't touch the ground and to top it all, her safety was in the paws of a fox. Emily wanted to believe she could trust his intentions, but seeing what the witch could do she had her doubts.
On one side of the tree was Peter, Susan, and Lucy, while on the other side sat the beavers and Emily. They all looked down just as the Queen's wolves emerged from the hole to see the fox waiting to greet them. She shared a look of worry with the Beavers as they watched everything unfold.
"Evening gents. Did we lose something?" The fox asked, his voice clear and full of confidence.
The main wolf snarled, "Don't patronize me, I know where your allegiance lies. We are looking for some humans."
"Humans in Narnia, now that's some valuable information." The fox said with a laugh.
"Where are they?!" The wolf shouted.
Lucy let out a small whimper at the demand, but Peter quickly quieted her by pulling her close. He stole a glance over at Emily only to see her hugging the tree while looking very pale. Emily looked over at him and tried to give him an encouraging smile, but it came out more like a grimace.
The two resumed watching as the fox glanced around helplessly. He was completely surrounded. When he began to hang his head Emily started to panic. She held her breath and watched, hopping he wasn't about to betray them to save himself. She prayed that she was wrong.
"They were heading North." The fox finally answered.
"Quickly, smell them out!" The wolf ordered.
Everyone watched as the main wolf picked the fox up and tossed him aside, leaving him whimpering on the ground. Emily closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the wolves leaving the clearing, continuing their hunt north. She knew everyone was getting down from the tree and she probably looked ridiculous, but she had one major fear.
"Emily?" Peter called. "Are you alright?"
"Just dandy!" She replied not opening her eyes.
"Are you afraid of heights?" He asked.
"What ever gave you that idea?"
Emily knew her sarcasm was unwelcome, but in her defense it was obvious she was terrorized. She was shaking like an earthquake. Throughout the entire trip Emily felt like she was the only one responding normally to what they were going through.
First she thought she was in a magical place with fairies and rainbows, then she is accused of being a criminal. Now talking Beavers were telling her that she was a guide to four children and that the fate of a kingdom rested on her shoulders. All while experiencing visions of a lion and hugging a tree.
"Jump down Emily. I promise to catch you!" Peter called.
Emily shook her head, "No can do Pete. I've grown to like this tree. I'm sure the real estate is a total bargain with the White Witch running things."
"I promise Emily." He repeated. "I won't let you fall."
Emily thought back to how he had caught her in the Beaver hole. The way he had held her and cared for her spoke volumes to the type of person he was. Not once had Peter failed to protect not only his family, but her as well. They were a team.
She opened her eyes and looked down at him. His blue eyes held calmness with a hint of determination. He wouldn't let her fall and Emily believed him. She also knew if she didn't come down he would come up.
Emily took a few breaths to ready herself before taking a leap of faith and jumping. Just like before his arms wrapped around her waist and brought her safely to solid ground. The only difference was she didn't let go of Peter's coat.
She knew she was safe, but the feeling of falling had still brought painful memories. She buried her head in Peter's chest still shaking violently as fear coursed through her veins. He didn't say anything. Instead he wrapped his arms around her and placed a warm hand behind her neck. He rocked her back and forth like he would a child, allowing her to calm down.
"Thank you." Emily said after a moment, opening her eyes to see him staring at her.
"It was my pleasure." Peter replied turning red like he had just got a Californian sunburn.
Emily blushed as she realized his arms were still around her and put some space between them. Her heart was beating erratically, but she couldn't tell if it was from the fall or Peter. She desperately wished Sienna and Kayla were there to help her sort out her thoughts and feelings. On top of everything else she didn't need a crush on the oldest Pevensie.
The teens walked over to join the others only to hear Mrs. Beaver yell, "Stop squirming! You're worse than a beaver on bath day!"
"Worst day of the year." Mr. Beaver mumbled causing Susan and Lucy to giggle.
"Well I'm afraid that is all the healing I have time for." The fox explained slowly getting up.
"You're leaving?" Susan asked her face full of worry along with Lucy's and Emily's.
"It has been a pleasure my Queen, but I have been asked by Aslan himself to gather more troops." The fox replied holding his head high with pride.
"You've seen Aslan?" Mr. Beaver asked, pure awe etched on his face.
"What's he like?" Mrs. Beaver added.
"Like everything we have ever heard. He'll be a good help fighting the White Witch." The fox replied to Mr. and Mrs. Beaver.
"We are not planning on fighting any witch. "Susan stated.
The fox stared at the four children with a confused look, "Surely King Peter-"
"We just want to get our brother back." Peter interrupted with a firm tone.
"Lady Emily, will help us of course."
Everyone turned to look at Emily as if suddenly remembering she was there. She once again hated being the center of attention, but was giving into the idea that this would be her new normal. She could only hope her experiences in Narnia will help her with giving speeches in school.
"I will try, but I can't promise anything. I'm inexperienced so if anything, expect a clumsy teen who's terrible at math and can't hold a sword." Emily said with a warm smile.
Her answer seemed to satisfy the fox, "That's all Narnia needs. Aslan will teach you the rest."
He gave her a final nod before rushing into the woods leaving them alone once more. Emily was not at all prepared for what she had signed up for, but she knew she could never go back. She was tired of feeling weak and hiding behind others. If Aslan was willing to teach her how to fight, then she was willing to learn. No matter the cost.
Emily sighed sitting down and tracing small shapes in the snow. The group had been walking for a good while trying to put some distance between themselves and the wolves. However night was falling fast and everyone was showing signs of fatigue. It wasn't until Lucy asked Peter for a piggyback ride that they stopped to camp for the night.
Mr. Beaver and Peter went to look for firewood while Susan and Mrs. Beaver prepared a light dinner. Lucy was too tired to eat anything and fell asleep almost the moment her head came to rest on Peter's shoulder. Susan wasn't too far behind her little sister and Emily watched as both girls were soon fast asleep next to their older brother.
Peter tucked his sisters in and made sure they were secure before turning to check on Emily. She seemed to be holding up alright, but she was obviously exhausted. This was not how her night was supposed to go. She was supposed to wake up and hang out with her friend, but instead was lying in the snow.
"Are you okay?" He asked with his eyes holding concern.
Emily knew it was no use lying to him as he clearly saw she wasn't, "Not really."
"Why are you afraid of heights? If you don't mind me asking." Peter asked.
Emily closed her eyes and breathed deeply trying to calm her nerves, "When I was 10 my friends, Sienna and Kayla, wanted to go on this big roller coaster."
"What's a roller coaster?"
"It's like riding in a car, only you go upside down and stuff." Emily explained before continuing her story. "I was a little scared but I didn't want to be teased so I went. Worst decision of my life. When the coaster shot off I was fine. However it was when we hit the loop that makes you go upside down that everything went wrong. The ride broke down."
Peter looked at her in horror, "While you were upside down?"
Emily nodded, "I was very small back then, so the buckles that secured me to the ride didn't fit properly. I began slipping out of my seat. Sienna had to hold onto me and Kayla to keep us from falling out of the ride. When the firemen came I was the first to be taken to the ground. Everybody surrounded me and I felt like I couldn't breathe. It was a horrifying experience for me and now I can't handle heights."
Peter shushed Emily and brought her into a hug, "It's alright you're safe now. I won't ever let you fall, I promise."
Emily nodded knowing that Peter had more than proven his word. She buried her head into his chest, silent tears falling from her eyes, as Peter rubbed her back soothingly. If Emily didn't know any better she would say she was falling for Peter, but she did. Now wasn't the time for a crush on the boy who had protected her like a family member. If anything he probably only saw her as another annoying little sister.
"I've never told anyone that story." Emily said, continuing to lean on his chest. "Only my friends know what happened. I didn't have the heart or the stomach to tell my parents."
"I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me." Peter said as the two smiled at each other, before yawning at the same time.
"I think we should call it a night." Emily suggested lying down.
"I agree." Peter replied, lying down next to her. "Goodnight Emily."
"Goodnight Peter."