Chapter Three: Into the Wilderness
Chewing my fingernails, I stared down at the unconscious Faun on the carpet. I had dragged him, whoever he was, over to the fireplace. He was now lying in front of the flames as though asleep. I was perched on the edge of the armchair, wondering what to do with him.
I couldn't tell whether this was the Faun called Tumnus or not. I supposed I would have to wait for him to wake up to find out. He looked reasonably young—perhaps around thirty or so—but I did not know how long Fauns lived or when they reached maturity. Half of him was decidedly human, apart from the curling horns and the little ears protruding from his hair. His lower half was goat-like, with dark furry legs and hooves, and, I noticed with a slight smirk, a tail. I reached my foot out and nudged him, but there was no reaction. He was well and truly out cold. I got up and left him there, thanking my lucky stars that he had not turned out to be a dangerous warrior or suchlike.
I ventured over to the door and peered outside. On the grass a metre or so away was a large bundle. I opened it hesitantly and found a multitude of pots and parcels inside. The Faun's belongings. I dragged the bundle into the cave and left it underneath the window, then I closed the door.
Half an hour later I was crouched next to the fire heating some fish soup, when I heard a soft groan from behind me. I turned my head and saw that the Faun was stirring. I took the soup off the fire and placed it on the floor just as his eyes flickered open. With a yelp, he scrambled away over the carpet and stood up, panting slightly and staring at me with wide eyes.
"You—you hit me?" he said, as though astonished to see that I was nothing but a small, slightly slender, and certainly not very imposing female. He stared around at the cave in disbelief. "Am I dreaming?" He looked back at me and gave another yelp, pointing a finger accusingly. "What have you done with my curtains?"
I glanced down at my dress and started to speak, then thought better of it. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach as I looked back at him. "I—I'm sorry," I said, getting to my feet. "Is your name Tumnus?"
"Ye—" he started, then frowned and shot me a suspicious look. "Why, yes it is. How did you know that?"
"But you should be dead!" I exclaimed in surprise.
His eyebrows quirked skywards in puzzlement. "Should I?"
I hurried over to the bookcase and opened a drawer, taking out the notice of arrest I had found upon my arrival at the cave. I handed it to him and he read it in silence.
"Ah-ha! Yes, that." He scrunched up his nose as though there was a bad taste in his mouth and crumpled the parchment into a little ball. "That particular episode is perhaps best left in the past." He moved into the middle of the room and stared at the furniture, the fish in the corner, the repaired door, and the little homely touches I had added around the place such as the string of ivy over the mantelpiece. Finally, he stared at me.
"I don't mean to seem impertinent, but who—who are you?" he asked.
I fidgeted uncomfortably, fighting down the sense of dread that had replaced the sinking feeling in my stomach. "Sylvia," I muttered.
"Are you a Daughter of Eve?" he said, moving a little closer to me.
I scowled, causing him to take a sudden step back. "No, of course not!"
"Well," he said hesitantly, "what are you, then?"
"A naiad."
"To be sure! How silly of me," Tumnus said nervously, his gaze shifting fleetingly to Nymphs and Their Ways, which was sitting on one of the bookshelves. I felt sure he was remembering the chapter I had read and laughed at all those weeks ago.
As his gaze returned to me, the sense of dread in my stomach turned into a lead weight. I realised with a pang of unhappiness that Tumnus was the rightful owner of the house and that I … I was the intruder. I was going to have to leave.
"Will you allow me to gather my belongings before I go?" I asked, feeling the beginnings of tears prick the corners of my eyes. I had become so attached to the little cave that the thought of having to leave it deeply saddened me.
"Well—I—I—I'm sure we can think of something—" Tumnus began to say, but I was already miserably collecting my fish and stuffing it into a bag.
"No," I said thickly. "There isn't room for both of us, and you've probably lived here for years and years." I swallowed and crossed the room to collect my other dress from the bedroom.
"Not at all! That is to say—" Tumnus started, stepping out in front me.
I interrupted, brushing him aside. "Faun, I cannot stay here. Even if you do not report my whereabouts, somebody will soon discover me. Besides," I continued, shooting him a sorrowful glance, "if you truly knew who I was, I am certain you would not want me here. I must leave immediately." Clutching a sack containing the food I had stored, my dress, and several other belongings I had acquired over the past four weeks, I teetered over to the entrance and stood on the threshold, gazing one last time at the interior of the cave. "Forgive me," I said, wiping a hand over my eyes.
Then I stepped out into the darkness.
When I reached the thicket of trees at the bottom of the grassy slope, I looked up at the cave. Tumnus was standing at the door, peering out at my retreating form. After a moment I turned back and continued on my way, cursing my foolishness. I had let myself become too fond of the cave. I should have realised that my presence would be discovered before long. I had been silly to believe I could stay there. Indeed, I had been lucky to remain there for as long as I did. I stumbled into the depths of the woodland, trying to form a coherent plan of action in my mind.
I had been walking for half the night. The first vestiges of dawn were beginning to appear in the sky above me when I heard the first howl. My skin tingled with fear as I slowed to a halt, looking around at the black branches of the trees. They swayed in the wind, offering no protection against the creatures that prowled beneath them. Another howl came, closer this time, and terror clawed at my stomach. I took off at a run, which, I realise now, was probably not the most sensible thing to do. The crashing and snapping of the foliage as I barrelled through it brought the wolves down upon me straight away, and I soon found myself trapped in a small clearing, with three slavering beasts creeping towards me through the gloom.
How was I going to get out of this one?