Song Per Chapter: 'Lucy Meets Mr. Tumnus' by Harry Gregson-Williams (Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe OST)
Part One: Chapter One: A Beardless Dwarf
For no reason in particular, Thea sat perched on the lower branches of a snow covered oak tree, watching the sunset in the distance. The fresh air was sharp and felt like it pierced her lungs with each new breath. She liked the sensation however, especially given that she hadn't had the chance to be outdoors in quite some time. Her chosen sunset viewpoint wasn't necessarily the most clear of perspectives, but she didn't have the luxury of wandering around out in the open. Then again, given that the clouds usually covered any view of the sun setting, it was a beautiful sight no matter how poor the angle.
A cold gust blew through the trees forcing her to pull the fur cape she was wearing closer. As she grabbed the fabric, she noticed she had accidentally torn the fabric towards the bottom. She would have to mend that, her Aunt would not be impressed if she came home with tattered clothes. As she pulled it closer to inspect she heard a noise in the distance, like feet shuffling through snow. Her interest peaked, she moved a branch out of the way to get a better look and into the nearby clearing marched a red scarf-wearing Faun, carrying an overambitious pile of neatly wrapped parcels.
"Why if it isn't Mr. Tumnus!" Thea laughed, jumping out of the tall oak. In a fright Mr. Tumnus dropped the packages he had been carrying, his heart almost skipping a beat. His eyes darted around for the owner of the voice and finally locked onto his assailant. His fear subsided in an instant.
"Thea Rose Fletcher... Now that's a face I haven't seen in a long time." he said with a smile, "What brings you to my neck of the woods?"
"Well the weather looked so perfect, it would be criminal not to take advantage of it." Thea mused, picking up one of the packages that had fallen in the snow near her as he frantically began to retrieve the rest.
"We live in a real tropical paradise!" Mr. Tumnus quipped back, brushing wet off the top of one of his items. Thea plopped the package on the top of his pile and helped readjust his scarf that was falling down.
"You look well."
"Quite the contrary actually. My wits are at their end," Tumnus' bright expression dampened, "The Witch's wolves have been particularly active the last couple of months. I feel like every week I hear of another Narnian accused of treason and taken to stand trial at her castle. But none of them ever return..."
Thea's eyes darted to the ground. More than anyone, she knew that his fears were founded in a very dark truth. But she couldn't share what she knew with him, even if she wanted to. Queen Jadis, or the White Witch as she was more commonly known, had ruled the land for a hundred years; a cold unbroken winter, her gift to the creatures of Narnia. Jadis was a conqueror, a murder and an all powerful witch, who quickly cast Narnia into despair and starvation. Anyone who opposed her reign would risk enraging her ill temper. But perhaps the most unfortunate fact of all was that Thea called her family, as loosely as one could to use the word to describe their maniacal witch of an Aunt anyway... Tumnus, of course, had no idea who Thea really was.
"Sorry to be so glum." Tumnus' smile made a half-hearted return. "It's almost nightfall, we should probably start to head indoors. I can accompany you home if you'd like."
"Oh you don't have to worry about me, I'm not quite as fragile as I look." Thea patted a small dagger belted to her hip.
"These woods are dangerous at night―," Tumnus went to protest but his small movement sent his packages tumbling to the ground once more. Thea knew she shouldn't laugh, but it was a little bit funny. She bit her lip to stifle a snicker, as he started collecting them again.
"You have far too many packages to carry and I could really use some company for a while longer. So how about I help accompany you home instead and you can trust that if Maugrim and his police come across me heading home, that they'll be the ones in peril."
"It doesn't really matter if I insist otherwise, does it?" Tumnus gave a resigned sigh.
"No. Not really." Thea chuckled, taking three of his parcels and putting them inside her leather bound satchel. Standing so close Thea could see crumbs stuck in Tumnus' beard.
"Have you been eating biscuits without me?" she laughed.
"Oh!" Tumnus got embarrassed, trying to brush his beard clean. He did a decent job, but couldn't completely clear it.
"Here…" Thea reached over and dusted a piece from his moustache with a smile. Tumnus' face went bright red and he smiled coyly.
"I've got… back at my cave… uhh… biscuits..." he stuttered, before clarifying, "I've got biscuits back at home."
"The ones with jam in between?" Thea's eyes lit up.
"Freshly baked." Tumnus nodded.
"Well how could I say no to that?!"
The two began walking in the direction of Tumnus' home. It would be about a 15 minute walk from where they were to his home and they had plenty to catch up on. Of all the people she knew (and there weren't many) he was the closest to what she'd call a friend. But as kind and caring a faun he was, she doubted that if he knew the truth he would still feel the same. Tumnus had lost his own father in an uprising against the Witch many years ago and with it the last spark of open rebellion was snuffed out. Thea hadn't been present for it, but if you'd asked any other Narnians if they'd seen her there, they'd tell you otherwise.
That was her other big problem… In many a rumour Thea, the Ward of the White Witch, was just as terrifying as Jadis. To the rest of Narnia, she was a similarly sinister figure and the cause of much of their suffering. Some of the rumours had been amusing, like the ones she heard about having a deformed boar's head or tentacles for hands, but for the most part it hurt that no one knew the true version of her. To the world, how could any relation of Jadis have an inkling of kindness in their heart? Although, as rumours generally are, that couldn't be further from the truth.
All the years by Jadis' side she had refused to become bitter. It was important that in some way she tried to balance out the universe. For every cruelty Jadis performed, Thea would enact a kindness. The two bore similar appearances, they couldn't be more different. Much like the Queen, Thea's hair was almost white. While Jadis could be described as Amazonian in appearance, Thea was much daintier. Being half Jinn, like all her royalty from their homeland of Charn, she was blessed with pleasant features to grace your eyes over. Her nose was rounded and petite. Her lips, small but full. Her eyes crystal blue without the biting coldness of her Aunts... Boar's head, yeah right!
Tumnus walked on up ahead while Thea playfully wandered around in her surroundings. It was quite a magical day, as far as the Long Winter went. All until there was a terrible scream that echoed through the trees further along the path. With a racing heart she froze in her spot.
"Mr. Tumnus?" she called to no response. She padded forward in the snow, slowly drawing her the dagger from her belt. It was no ordinary dagger, but enchanted much like her Aunt's icy scepter, able to turn anyone it touched to stone. When she came to the clearing Thea heard voices.
"Were you hiding from me?" a tiny voice spoke.
"No, uh well...I just... I... um. I..I... just didn't want to scare you." Tumnus' voice sounded much more intimidated than the small voice. Tumnus was in danger and Thea had the element of surprise on her side. Sneaking around the side of a large snow covered tree, Thea raised her knife and caught sight of the small dwarf-like creature in strange attire edging closer to Tumnus.
"If you don't mind my asking, what are y―?"
"Leave the faun alone!" Thea cried from the woods and appeared behind the dwarf. The dwarf spun around in shock and almost fell over a raised root sticking out from the ground.
"I'm not going to hurt him..." the dwarf declared assertively, turning back to Tumnus, "You're a faun!"
"You sound surprised for a beardless Dwarf!" Thea laughed.
"I'm not a dwarf. I'm a girl! And actually I'm the tallest in my class."
"You mean to say, you're a daughter of Eve?" Tumnus' mouth could have hung agape.
"Well... my mum's name is Helen."
"Ye―," he shook his head in disbelief, "Yes, but you are in fact... Human?"
"Yes, of course." she said plainly. Tumnus and Thea couldn't help but meet eyes in shock.
"I never thought I'd see the day," Thea raced by the daughter of Eve's side. She knelt down on the girl's level and took her face in her hands to inspect her.
"What are you doing here?" Tumnus said from behind.
"Well, I was hiding in the wardrobe in the spare room―,"
"Spare Oom? Is that in Narnia?" Tumnus shook in the cold. Thea stood up and took another parcel from him.
"Narnia? What's that?"
"My dear girl, you're in it! Everything from the lamp-post all the way to castle Cair-Paravel on the Eastern Ocean. Every stick and stone you see, every icicle, is Narnia." Tumnus pointed to the lands of Narnia.
"It's an awfully big wardrobe." she mumbled under her breath.
"I'm sorry, please allow me to introduce myself, my name is Tumnus." he said with a gentle smile.
"Glad to meet you, Mr. Tumnus! I'm Lucy Pevensie," she extended her hand and both Tumnus and Thea shared a confused glance, "Oh, you shake it!"
"Why?" Tumnus and Thea laughed in unison.
"I-I don't know! People do it when they meet each other." she laughed as well realising the absurdity of the gesture.
"I am Miss Fletcher, but you can call me Thea." Thea reached out to reciprocate the funny gesture Lucy had shown them beforehand.
"Lucy Pevensie, from the shining city of War Drobe in the far land of Spare Oom, how would it be if you came and had tea with Thea and I?" Mr. Tumnus asked. In an instant Thea knew it would not be a good idea. She didn't exactly leave her aunt's castle with permission... If she wasn't back shortly someone might realise she was gone.
"I really should be going." Lucy looked over her shoulder where she came from.
"It's just tea." Tumnus insisted.
"Actually I can't stay," Thea grimaced, "But Lucy you really should try Mr. Tumnus' biscuits, they're the best in all of Narnia. I'm sure he could always use any extra set of hands to help carry his parcels as well."
"Well, if it's really as good as you say… maybe I could stay for a little while longer."
"Excellent." Mr. Tumnus chirped. Thea took out the parcels she was carrying in her satchel and handed them to Lucy.
"Mr. Tumnus, do you mind if we have a quick word, before I leave…" Thea smiled, but it was forced. The two walked out of hearing range from Lucy, dropping their voices so the trees couldn't hear, "Watch over her... I know that the law says we should take her to the Queen, but I think it would be best if she had some tea and biscuits, and then you sent her on her merry way. Back to wherever she came from."
"I suppose you're right..." Tumnus nodded with the same forced smile.
"That comment isn't really instilling confidence in me…" Thea raised a brow.
"I will keep her safe. You have my word." Tumnus replied.
"Good," Thea smirked, patting him on the shoulder before turning back to Lucy, "It was lovely to meet you Lucy Pevensie."
"Lovely to meet you too." Lucy said in return.
"You'll have to give me a raincheck on the biccies Tumnus!" Thea turned on her heel and with a dramatic swish of her cape, she head back in the direction they had come. As Lucy and Mr. Tumnus shrunk in the distance, Thea couldn't stop her mind from racing. But she had to stay focused, the sun had almost set and Jadis would request Thea's company for dinner shortly. She knew it was wise to be there when the guards came knocking.
Making her way to the peak of a nearby cliff she stood on the edge so she could clearly see her home, the icy castle that stood in the heart of treacherous Narnia. How Thea wished this winter would end. As she began to remove her cape for the journey home and stuffed it in her bag, she noticed an odd sight on the tip of an icy branch. The icicle had a small but clear water droplet forming on the bottom on it. Thea's face lit up in realisation; Lucy Pevensie's arrival had marked the end of the Long Winter.
Leaning over the edge of the cliff Thea prepared herself for the drop. Oh, that was the final thing about Thea Rose... While she was half Jinn on her mother's side, her father on the other hand was something the people of Charn called an Angelus; human-like beings born with large, feathered wings much like eagles. Thea's cape no longer blocked the sight of the majestic winged limbs that sprung from her back. She leant forward, leaving the safety of ground and was on her way back to the castle… Back to the screaming rants of her Aunt.
Authors Note: So for those of you who have never read my stuff before, I do this little thing called 'Song per Chapter'. It's instrumental music that sets the scene of each chapter as you read, it helps build emotion and overall they are magnificent songs to listen to. For the course of this story I will do the same. Usually I put the reference to the song at the start of the chapter, like above. I really recommend you listen to them because it makes your whole reading experience so much more enthralling.
Also feel free to leave as many reviews as you want, I respond to each of them as I post new chapters! Hope you enjoy!