Author's Note: Many thanks for all the lovely reviews! Elizabeth Elf—these wolves are of the non-speaking kind, so they are pretty much regular (and very hungry!) animals.

Repentance

Chapter Four: A Pleasant Awakening

I felt sweat break out across my shoulders as the three wolves emerged from the trees and crept closer to me. I tried to shout, in the vain hope that somebody would hear and come to help me, but my voice came out only as a frightened gasp. I knew that if I turned and ran, they would be after me like a shot. I backed away slowly, my heart pounding, and almost stumbled over when my heel caught on something. Glancing down quickly, I saw that it was a large stick. It must have fallen from one of the trees. I swept it up into my hands and stood facing the wolves, trying to look intimidating.

Then one of them sprung.

I barely had time to swing the stick at the wolf before it bowled me over. I heard the animal whine. My weapon had obviously hit home. I had been thrown backwards onto the ground and was trying to pick myself up when the other two beasts appeared in the corners of my vision. I gave a shout and staggered to my feet, clutching the stick, just in time to see all three of the wolves leap at me. As I toppled backwards, I saw something brown and sharp whistle towards me through the trees. It buried itself in the flank of one of the wolves, and the creature fell away, yelping.

I, by that time, was on the floor with two wolves on top of me, and could feel my consciousness slowly slipping away. I felt sharp claws tear my dress, and then my skin. More yelps, and the weight of the animals lifted off me. The next second I felt a sharp pain in my neck and my vision swam. I remember a brief sensation of wanting to be sick, and then I knew nothing more.

I woke very slowly. To begin with I was only aware of a crackling noise nearby. Something about it tugged at my memory, but I was too groggy to form coherent thoughts. I felt warm air playing across my skin and something soft and damp being dabbed at my neck. I opened my eyes and saw the blurry outline of a face in front of me.

"Sylvia?"

The word took a moment to register. Everything—sounds, sights, feelings—seemed very far away. I tried to move but felt strong arms holding me back.

"Don't move; not yet," said the voice, and I realised abruptly that I recognised the speaker. It was the Faun.

Suddenly it all came rushing back to me. I remembered my panicked flight through the forest and the three wolves. I recalled the certainty I had felt that I was going to die, and the strange sensation of regret that had come over me before I had lost consciousness. I shook off the memory and tried to move again, pushing feebly against Tumnus' hands.

"Sylvia, please," he said briskly. "How am I going get you cleaned up if you will not sit still?"

I blinked at him and his face came into focus. I could see clearly now, and I turned my head slightly. I was in the cave. A fire was burning merrily in the grate, sending shadows dancing across the stone walls. The window showed a slightly gloomy sky slowly beginning to lighten as the sun crept up from beneath the horizon. The cave looked just the same as it had when I had left, except Tumnus had placed some grand-looking pots and crockery on the mantelpiece. There were also some new books on the shelves—large, ancient volumes that looked as though they had come from a great library.

Gradually my gaze lowered, and I saw that I was lying in the Faun's armchair. Tumnus was crouching next to me, bathing my neck in warm water. My dress—my new dress!—was torn in places, and I could see blood staining the neckline and one of the sleeves. One of my ankles throbbed painfully, and I winced.

"Am I hurting you?" Tumnus said, taking the cloth away.

I looked across at him. "N-no, it's—it's my ankle."

"Ah." He nodded regretfully. "One of the brutes landed on it when it died, I think. I had to drag him off. I do not think it is broken, but you might have trouble walking for a few days."

I stared. "You … you killed them?"

A faint blush crept into his cheeks, and he gazed fixedly at my neck as though inspecting it. "Only one of them. Here, will you hold this while I change the water?"

My fingers closed around the cloth. I watched him walk over to the door and empty the basin onto the ground outside. The water was red with blood, and, seeing it, I hesitantly put a hand to my neck. When I found the wound I whimpered in pain and shock. A fairly deep cut ran from just below my ear down to my collarbone. Black spots swam before my eyes and I felt a little faint. When Tumnus returned with a basin full of clean water, he gently drew my hand away and resumed his task, humming softly to himself.

I had not encountered kindness of this sort in all my years. At the Queen's Castle, everyone had lived with the knowledge that a wrong step could lead to certain death—or a long stint as a stone statue, at least. You simply had to take care of yourself. It was the only kind of life I knew, and as such Tumnus' rescue had shaken me to the core. I continued to stare at him in the gathering dawn glow, watching the light from the fire dance over his brown curls.

Eventually, when the flames had burnt low, the room had become cold and my eyelids were beginning to droop, I felt the Faun draw away from the chair.

"You look very tired," he said. "Here, I'll help you to the bed."

I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could speak I felt him lift me from the chair onto my feet. I felt an immediate shooting pain in my ankle, and gasped. Tumnus' concerned face appeared in front of me.

"Can you manage?"

I clutched his shoulder and took a hesitant step forward, my fingernails digging into his skin. If it hurt him, he did not let it show. Together we made it to the bedroom, and I fell wearily onto the soft covers. There were so many questions I wanted to ask Tumnus. What had he come after me for? How had he killed the wolf? Why was he being so hospitable towards an intruder—and a rude one at that? I was sure there were questions he wanted to ask me, too, but I knew they would have to wait. I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me and I drifted into a deep sleep, grasping onto consciousness just long enough to feel soft hands tuck a blanket over me.