Chapter 6:

The sand was white as the snow that once covered all of Narnia. When a permanent winter blanketed the lands and kept the people inside their homes, afraid to step outside.

And even with the sun shining above, and no wind to chill her skin, the sand felt oddly cold to the touch. As if it were snow. Even at this time of year, when everywhere else was getting colder, somehow life on the coast had always remained warm just a few weeks longer. But not today. Not for Susan.

But, perhaps, her body was merely reflecting what was within. That the sand felt as it always had: warm and soft like walking atop summer grass. That it was cold to Susan simply because that was the state of her heart.

All she could feel was desperation to see her son again, and knowing that there was no guarantee he would be at the end of these tracks. The tracks she had been following since leaving the ruins of Cair Paravel and the bundle of broken arrows held within. She was much more likely to follow the tracks and meet these sirens and so-called Lord of the Coast.

However, why should Susan fear meeting them? She was once a Queen! Far beyond the station of a mere Lord.

But, walking the beach alone, with barely a home to return to even if she found Christopher, Susan felt below everyone. Lord or not.

Even as the sun got low in the sky, Susan had not reached the end of the tracks in the sand. It was beginning to frighten her how long she had been in Narnia. And how much longer Christopher had been here alone. Thinking of him was all she needed to keep going. As much as her body began to crave rest, she pressed onwards.

But just as Susan vowed to continue until she reached the inevitable end of the tracks, she saw something ahead that gave her pause.

It looked to be a mound of sand, a dune formed in an area where the beach was as flat as could be. It looked very out of place, and Susan stopped for a few moments before deciding to step forward. But, as she finally approached it, a part of the dune rose. Sand flowed off of something beneath like small pale waterfalls.

"Hello?" said the head of a person buried beneath the sand.

"Hello?" Susan answered with as much concern and query as the head itself.

"Are you Aslan?" the head asked, feathers beginning to pop out from beneath the sand as more of the buried figure moved.

"Aslan? Oh my, of course not."

"Pity."

"Do you need help?"

"I should think so," said the figure, who began to squirm underneath the sand.

"Please, allow me," Susan said and crouched down to dig the poor thing out from where it had been buried. In no time, and with surprisingly little effort, they were almost entirely free of sand, but remained seated on the beach. Even with their entire form free, Susan found it difficult for her eyes to fully comprehend what the being looked like. She could see feathers, a beak, claws, and even shining jewelry, and yet, somehow, her mind could barely register a singular shape, "Who did this to you?" she asked.

"Who? I don't know their name, but whoever it was took their time doing it. I have been sitting here for longer than I can count. With each passing moment, this person placed another grain of sand on me until it covered all that I am."

"A single grain of sand?"

"Yes. I never did get a good look at them. I think they may be invisible."

"Perhaps, are you describing…the wind?"

"Wind! Yes, that is their name. One of Aslan's cursed creations. Who else would spawn something so vast, so omnipresent, so powerful, and yet impossible to touch, see, and accuse after it has destroyed your home or buried you in sand?"

"I don't believe the wind buried you on purpose."

"Silly girl! Of course it did. Aslan made the wind. And Aslan is perfect. Therefore, the wind was meant to bury me on this wretched beach."

"Excuse me, I may just be a silly girl, but can I ask," Susan said, standing back to her full height, more than a little annoyed by this strange, feathered person, "if you did not want to be buried in the sand, why did you not move?"

"So, my desire to remain unburied must be met with action? Can I not simply sit in silence without being accosted by the creations of that beastly lion?"

"I suppose…"

The being rose to its full height, all of the remaining sand falling off of it in a single avalanche. And its full height was nearly twice that of Susan's. Instinctually, she stepped backwards away from the massive being.

"I worry I am frightening you," it said, "and that is not my intent. I simply allow my passion to overtake my manners from time to time. My apologies."

"That is quite alright," Susan said, with only a modest amount of dishonesty. "I'm sorry if this is rude of me, but as you are now free, I really must be going. I'm looking for my son along the coast."

"Allow me to escort you. It is the least I can do after receiving your help."

"Fine," Susan said out of politeness alone, and allowed the strange feathered creature to walk beside her along the coast. It walked on two legs like a human, but sighed with each step like an engine running on fumes. With it by her side, suddenly Susan felt her fear of the coast replaced with a fear of something new, "What did you say your name was?"

"I don't remember," it said after thinking very hard for a few seconds, "But I can assure you, it wasn't a name given to me by Aslan."