A/N: You guys are in for a treat – not only is this the longest chapter yet, but everyone's favourite Witch makes a feature appearance. Initially I was only going to have Tumnus go through some mental anguish, but I got a request for a little physical pain from Robin. I began to think, "Why not?" After all, in The Silver Chair the witch turns into a serpent when manipulation doesn't work. So blame it all on Robin!

Disclaimer: Do I really have to say it again? I own nothing, okay?

A Faun's Tale

Chapter Five: The most severe punishment

The inside of a cell in the White Witch's House is not at all a nice place. First of all, it is very cold – especially when the country has been in the grip of a hundred-year-long winter. Second, there isn't anything nice to sit on, only mouldy straw which prickles awfully. Third, if you are in extreme disfavour with the Queen, you could be one of the unlucky prisoners to get a wet prison cell.

Mr. Tumnus was one of these unlucky prisoners. The water dripped incessantly, collecting in large slimy puddles, and as the cell was not very big to begin with, this made finding a dry place quite a challenging task. Mr. Tumnus, a typical Faun who liked everything to be clean and neat and warm, was feeling utterly miserable. He was awaiting trial for High Treason against the White Witch and that alone would be enough to make any decent Narnian go out of his mind with worry – but now he had to put up with such distasteful accommodation as well? It was almost too much. If only he had his little flute – playing those old tunes his father had taught him always managed to comfort him, somehow.

The little Faun was in dire need of comfort. He had been led directly into the Witch's House and down to the dungeons. Passing through the courtyard and halls full of statues was one of the most awful things Mr. Tumnus had done in his life. Worst of all was when he recognized some of those poor people who had been turned to stone. He had no doubts left in his mind as to his punishment – his only worry was whether or not he would be able to keep his silence about Lucy when put on trial. He fervently hoped that the young girl was safe in War Drobe, and would remain there until this whole mess was sorted out by Aslan.

He did not know how many hours he had been sitting in his cell before he was finally summoned. Two wolves flanked him, and led him up a set of narrow winding stairs to a long hall. It was dark, with the only light coming from a single lamp. However, Mr. Tumnus could perceive the outlines of many statues scattered among the pillars, and he suppressed a shiver at the sight.

Beside the wavering greenish light sat the Queen upon her throne. It was curiously-shaped and covered in barbs and spines, crafted from solid silver. For some reason, the sight of that chair made him shudder.

Mr. Tumnus was led forward and stood in a clear space in the middle of the hall. He could see movement out of the corner of his eyes. Realizing with a thrill of fear that wolves were lurking in the shadows, all mad thoughts of escape quickly left his head.

The Queen looked down at the small, quivering figure. "The trial of Tumnus the Faun will begin", she announced. The wolves edged closer to the light, eager to watch the spectacle. More than one licked his slavering chops, and Mr. Tumnus thought he might collapse.

"You have been charged with High Treason", the White Witch said in a sharp, ringing voice. "Also, with comforting our enemies, harbouring spies, and fraternizing with humans." She leaned forward, and her sharp golden crown glinted ominously. "These are serious charges, and if found guilty you will receive the most severe punishment within my power." With her wand, the Queen gestured at the crowd of statues scattered throughout the hall, making it perfectly clear what that punishment would be.

Desperation made Mr. Tumnus uncommonly bold. "If you please, your Majesty", he stammered, "Couldn't you just… have my horns sawn off? Or maybe my beard plucked out? Or even…" His voice trailed off at the ruthless expression on the Queen's face. He would find no mercy with her – that much was clear.

"Five days ago", the White Witch said, "You met a human girl in Lantern Waste. Is this true?"

"Yes", Mr. Tumnus mumbled, hanging his head in despair.

"And did you take that girl home with you?"

"Yes."

"Did you intend to turn her over to me?"

Mr. Tumnus hesitated. If he told her the truth, then she would know that he had been faithful to her, until recently. The silence stretched. From the darkness behind the Queen's throne, Maugrim suddenly barked, "Answer the question!" causing the Faun to jump.

"I- I-" the poor Faun stuttered. "I m- meant to, at first."

The Queen sat back with a slight smile on her red lips, and Mr. Tumnus flushed with shame. "I see", she said softly, her whisper carrying through the hall. "Once she was at your house, what did you do?" The expression on her white face was unreadable.

Mr. Tumnus fiddled distractedly with his tail. "I gave her tea, and told her stories, and played some music", he babbled. There was something about the Queen's face that made you want to tell the truth, because if you did not, terrible things would happen. Mr. Tumnus found himself strangely drawn to that face…

"Go on", the White Witch said in an encouraging tone of voice that was much at odds with the pitiless expression in her dark eyes.

"The girl made as if to leave, and she was so very kind and sweet that I – I just had to tell her the truth." Large round tears were rolling down the Faun's cheeks.

Disgust flickered briefly over the Queen's stern features, but her expression quickly turned to one of sympathy. "And you let her go back to her world?" she asked. The Faun nodded miserably, dabbing at his eyes with the tufted end of his tail. The Queen sat forward ever so slightly, her face becoming tense. "Did the girl return?"

Mr. Tumnus caught his breath – the White Witch seemed to know about Lucy's first visit, but had her spies found out about the second? He glanced up, and met those bewitching black eyes. "Yes", he found himself saying, "Yes, she came two days ago." Mr. Tumnus clapped his hands over his mouth in horror – what in the world was he doing?

"Will she come again?"

The Faun did not say anything. He fixed his gaze determinedly on the ground, resolved not to speak another word about Lucy.

The Queen gave a little sigh. "Tumnus", she said gently, "You have done well. You were my loyal subject, until you decided to let the human child go free. If you help me find her, then I will pardon you for these dire offences."

Mr. Tumnus fidgeted, but his mouth remained resolutely closed. Oh, if only she would just get it over with! Trying to resist her was almost more than he could bear. Would he hand over Lucy, to save himself? He was ashamed to admit that the thought was a tempting one. He would do almost anything to keep from being turned to stone.

"Come, now", the Queen said reasonably. "All I ask is for you to carry out your end of the bargain. What have I been paying you for, all these years?" Seeing that her words were affecting the Faun, she pressed on. "I promise, if you bring the girl to me, she will not be harmed."

Mr. Tumnus made the mistake of looking up at this pronouncement, and his mouth opened seemingly of its own accord. "I… She…" He desperately tried to regain control over his words. The Queen's eyes were boring into his, and as Tumnus weakly struggled against her will, he suddenly found his thoughts drifting to Lucy. The image of her bright smile and laughing eyes gave him the resolve that he needed. "I will not", he cried triumphantly, "And I pray Aslan keep her from your grasp!"

The Queen's white face suddenly became very ugly. She raised her wand, and Mr. Tumnus staggered, all but falling to his knees in stabbing pain; he felt as though a thousand icy needles were driving themselves into his skin. The torture abruptly stopped, and the little Faun looked up, eyes glazed, panting like a baited animal.

"Will the girl come again?" No kindly words this time, only cold command. The golden wand hovered threateningly over his head.

Mr. Tumnus remained silent. Oh, Aslan! he thought despairingly, I'm going to die. Give me the strength to protect Lucy. I will not betray her. I will not, I will not, I will not…

Twenty times worse, the pain returned. This time the Faun could not keep his feet and he collapsed onto the cold stone floor, curling up into a little ball in his attempts to stifle the agony; he felt icicles boring through his flesh, driving towards his heart; he had never known that anything could hurt so much–

The pain subsided, and Mr. Tumnus got unsteadily to his feet. His throat ached, but he could not remember screaming.

The Queen arose from her silver throne and towered over the shivering Faun. Her face was cruel and utterly devoid of pity. "I only ask a question three times", she warned. From the shadows between the pillars, the wolves drew even closer in vicious anticipation. Mr. Tumnus was shaking so much that he could hardly stand. The Queen looked down at the Faun, and her wintry voice sent chills down his spine: "Will the girl come again?"

Mr. Tumnus knew that he could stand no more. Overcome with fear, he turned and fled, hooves clicking as he scampered down the length of the gloomy hall. He had nearly reached the door when a large wolf bounded in front of him, blocking his escape. Panicking, the little Faun turned to see the Queen striding towards him, backed by dozens of vicious wolves. She came to a stop a short distance from where he cowered.

"I will find that human girl!" she hissed, eyes flashing murderously. She took a calming breath and continued, her words cutting into him like chips of ice. "And as for Aslan, to whom you call for help, he cares no more for Narnia if indeed he ever did of old. You still have faith in those old rhymes? I laugh at your ignorance! The four thrones at Cair Paravel will never be filled; that was merely an old fable dreamed up by fools, and kept alive by a fool's hope. No human child would survive a day in my kingdom, for my spies are everywhere and my wolves are swift – you know all of this."

Mr. Tumnus trembled, his resolve beginning to waver, but he was not about to give the Queen any more information. He knew that he was as good as stone. If it was true what the Queen was saying, and Aslan was not coming back, he could only hope that Lucy would stay far away from Narnia.

"You have resisted me, Faun, but all of your pitiful efforts have come to naught." The Queen sneered down at him, contempt in every line of her body. "The girl will be killed, and you will become no more than a statue, never to awaken. I hereby find you guilty of High Treason."

Mr. Tumnus gazed up at her sadly, broken and forlorn.

The golden wand waved.

A little stone statue was left standing by the door.

A/N: And that is where Edmund finds him…Don't worry, Mr. Tumnus! Aslan's on the way! As always, reviews are priceless. So little effort on your part, and so much happiness on mine. Oh – and did you notice a little something about the Queen's throne? Let me know if you did – you'll be rewarded with a ham sandwich!

Due to the love for Mr. Tumnus in all of you, I have created a new C2 Community. It's called "Fun With Fauns", and so far contains seven stories. Many are very good and deserve more lovely reviews, including some by our very own JacksTortugaLass and Lauren Wagner! (insert applause). Take a look, subscribe if you want, and tell me if you would like to be staff.