Discalimer: Again, I own no one except Alex, Alanna, and I suppose Hafaald. She may get more important as the story goes one.

A/N: Look! an update! Wh00t! Ok.. back to normalcy. This is the first chapter in the world of Narnia, and it takes place before the 4 siblings go into the wardrobe. I think. xD Anyway, enjoy.

Chapter One – Of Course He Isn't Safe!

Alexander woke up with a wince and instinctively put a hand to his aching head. Slowly opening his eyes, he gawked at the sight. Snowy branches against a bright sky, and a mist of cloud above him as he breathed. Eyes widening, he sat up and couldn't help but gasp.

A dark forest was all around him, complete with evergreens laden with snow, and other leafless trees shining with even more of the white stuff and what he could only presume was ice. He rubbed his hands together, trying to put the feeling back into them. Where the hell was he, and how'd he get here? Shivering, he managed to stand up, cursing under his breath as he looked down at his bare (save for the socks) feet, meager jeans, and T-shirt. He definitely wasn't dressed for this. Whatever – or wherever for that matter – this was. Rubbing his all but frozen arms, he started to trudge along in the ankle-deep snow, hoping to find some explanation for all this. In spite of everything, the cold and his throbbing head felt all-too real for this to be a dream.

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Alanna was in the same predicament. Of course, she still had that blanket wrapped around her, so she was a bit better off then Alex. Still, she was no less confused then the other. Her green eyes darted around the area, not much different then a radar, as she tried to find out where she was. A rock here, a tree there. Everything looked so bloody alike! She suddenly stopped, thinking she heard something. Or was it someone? Frowning, she walked towards the sound, which turned out to be mumbling. When she rounded a corner, she found her quarry, and couldn't help but laugh.

It was a boy – not much older then she – and he was (what looked like) attempting to dig himself out of a huge pile of snow. A quick glance to the tree above him told her that he was probably walking under this particularly large wintergreen, and the branch had let go of its weight, dumping all the snow on him.

He looked up at her, finally managing to pull himself out of the thick pile.

"Glad you found that so amusing," he muttered, brushing the snow out of his slightly curly hair.

Alanna quickly regained her composure, but she still couldn't help but smile. She would've shot back a witty remark of her own at him, but another glance around reminded her there were more pressing matters at hand.

"Are we in America?" she asked, referring to his accent. This caused him to frown.

"I could ask you the same thing, only about Britain," he answered, immediately recognizing her own British accent. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I asked you first," she declared, crossing her arms under her blanket. He shook his head.

"I have no idea where the we are, sweetheart," he replied coolly, stepping down from the snow pile. He looked at her closely, frowning. "You seem kinda familiar. What's your name?"

"Alanna," she answered, uncrossing her arms.

"Now I remember! Alanna Winten, track and field star."

"You say that as if it's a bad thing," she admonished, shaking her head and taking off her blanket. "Here. You look cold."

"Keep it, sweetheart."

"It's Alanna first of all, and second, I don't have a T-shirt on, unlike you," she chastised, tossing him the blanket, which he automatically caught. Then the sophomore suddenly frowned. "And how do you know my name? Wait.. you're that new kid, aren't you?" she finished before he could answer her question.

"Yeah," he said, throwing it back. She scowled at him and went to toss it back again when a new voice reached her ears.

"If you're done tossing that blanket around, it'd be nice to get your names, Son of Adam and Daughter of Eve."

Both teens' head turned to find the source of the voice, and both were equally surprised when they saw a fox standing there. He looked at them intently; tail flicking as he awaited their answer.

"Did.. did that fox just.. talk to us?" Alex asked Alanna quietly, as if his voice would scare the animal away. The girl shrugged in response as the fox sighed.

"Yes, I am talking to you two. Have you seen anyone else around here?" he asked them, almost slowly – as if they were young children. Two pairs of eyes – one blue and one green – widened even more, if possible.

"Woah," Alex breathed. Alanna swallowed hard.

"Uh.. I'm Alanna," she answered, her voice louder then the boy's. She elbowed Alex. "He asked for your name," she informed him, glancing over at the junior.

"He's a fox! He shouldn't be asking anything!" he nearly squeaked. Alanna shook her head, looking back at the animal.

"Forgive him. We just.. aren't used to hearing animals talk."

The fox grinned, his grey-green eyes filled with.. well, mischief. What else would you expect from a fox?

"No need to apologize, Daughter of Eve. Is there any more of you?" he asked, sitting down and glancing to the boy before looking back at her. She had an apparent look of confusion, and he explained further. "I mean humans. Any more humans about?"

"No.. but we haven't been here very long," she answered, suddenly feeling comfortable talking to a fox. Perhaps this was all a dream. Nonsense like this always made sense in dreams.

"I haven't seen anyone either," Alex finally spoke, rubbing his arms against the cold. He looked down at his numb feet. "And I'm Alex."

The fox stood, and gave what looked like a bow.

"It is a pleasure meeting you both. Now, come with me. Aslan is waiting." There was a strange shimmer in his eyes when he spoke the name. Alex suddenly felt very small and nervous, but excited and filled with wonder at the same time. Alanna couldn't help but smile at the name, filled with a sudden joy, all her confusion and doubts gone. The fox turned and started to walk, expecting them to follow. They did, even with frozen feet. They walked in silence for a little while, until Alanna finally ventured the question that was on both teens' minds.

"Who's Aslan?"

The fox looked over his shoulder, surprised. "Who's Aslan? Why, the Great Lion, of course!"

Alex frowned. "A lion? Is he safe?"

"Of course he isn't safe!" laughed the animal. He looked foreword again. "But he is good."

The teens exchanged glances, both shrugging.

"So.. Alex, is it? What are we supposed to do?" Alanna asked, watching him rub his arms. She sighed and handed him the blanket again. "And do put it on this time, before you turn blue. He gave her a sidelong look of exasperation, but complied.

"I dunno. Follow the Fox, I guess. After all, he seems to know where he's going," he answered, wrapping the blanket around him.

"You go to my school, right?" Alanna asked, changing the subject. Alex answered with a nod.

"Just moved to London," he said curtly.

"London?" the Fox cut in. "That's not in Narnia, is it?"

Alex looked to Alanna – apparently for an explanation – but she only shrugged.

"Narnia? What's that?" he asked. The Fox shook his head.

"Why, Son of Adam, you're in it! Everything from the Lamppost to Cair Paravel is Narnia."

"Lamppost?" Alex asked.

"Cair Paravel?" Alanna inquired at the same time. The Fox chuckled.

"All will be explained soon. We are nearly there," he informed them. Alanna sighed.

"A talking fox, a 'great lion,' a lamppost, and some place called 'Cair Paravel.' This is making no sense," she thought aloud.

"And I'm feeling the cold too much for this to be a dream," Alex finished with a small grin. His words caused the Fox to chuckle.

"Don't worry. With the arrival of Aslan, winter will soon be over. It is already warmer then normal."

This caused the two teens to have even more questions, but they kept silent, hoping that the Fox was right in saying all will be explained soon.

"I'm cold," Alanna said after a while. Alex looked over to her and started to take off the fleece blanket.

Alanna stubbornly shook her head, seeing his motions.

"No, I'm all right. I just wanted to break the silence."

He snorted and shook his head.

"Ah, here we are," the Fox said, and both humans looked up. They came to the top of a ledge, and were amazed at the sight before them. Tents dotted the valley, consisting of yellows, reds, and golds. Flags flapped in the wind, and strange creatures ambled around the camp. They couldn't see very well from here, but both thought they saw cheetahs, rhinos, horses, and.. were those centaurs? The fox started to walk down the hill, the teens following after a bit of hesitation.

"Is it just me, or is it getting warmer?" asked Alex.

"Aslan," Alanna whispered, almost afraid of the word. "The Fox said that spring will soon be here because of his arrival."

They continued in silence until the reached the bottom of the hill. As they walked through the encampment, they were taken aback at all the creatures they thought only existed in fairy tales.

"Centaurs, fauns, dwarves," Alex counted off, being the smarter one in the area of legends and folklore. Among these were some animals: cheetahs, rhinos (as mentioned before) and even badgers. While the two teens stared, they noticed that they too were being watched.

The Fox suddenly stopped, and the girl and boy nearly tripped over him, forgetting to watch where they were going. They stopped, looking at a large red and gold tent. Their guide bowed, long with all the other creatures around them. Exchanging a look, the teens followed suite, not wanting to be out of place. They kept their eyes trained on the tent, though, and both gasped when they saw what emerged.

A lion was what they expected, and that's what they saw. Even so, they knew this was no mere lion. His velvety paws were huge, but were small in comparison to his darker mane. It framed his almost fierce – but soft at the same time – face, then trailed down his neck and chest, coming to a stop in the middle of his back. Golden eyes regarded them, and when he spoke, his voice was a kind rumble.

"Welcome, Alex, Son of Adam. Welcome Alanna, Daughter of Eve. I trust your journey was uneventful. Do you know of the prophecy?"

When he spoke, everyone rose, the teens soon after. They replied with a shake of their heads, unable to find their voices as they looked at the lion. They both feared and loved him at the same time, and therefore, were quite confused. The lion nodded, as if he had expected their answer.

"You did well, Fox. You may continue with your work," he addressed the other animal. The Fox gave another bow.

"Thank you, Great Lion," he answered, then turned to exit the way he had come. The Lion turned back to the humans, tail slowly swaying side-to-side. Blinking, he looked at the unmoving crowd, and with a slight nod, they continued on with their hustle and bustle, gentle murmurs filling the silence. The lion looked upon them again, and the two teens couldn't meet his intense gaze. He suddenly gave what appeared to be a soft smile, and Alanna exhaled, abruptly realizing that she had been holding her breath.

"You're not very dressed for the weather, are you?" he observed, causing the two to smile back. Aslan looked to two near centaurs. "Oreius, Hafaald," he commanded, motioning for them to come. They obeyed, and Alex and Alanna saw two half human – half horse creatures walk up to them, giving a small bow. The male had long, black hair and fierce, dark eyes. His bare chest led to the black of his horse body. The female's horse half was a tawny brown, matching her curly hair. Her green eyes twinkled when she smiled at the humans, but her hands wrapped themselves in her brown shirt as she looked upon the lion.

I guess everyone's unnerved by him, Alanna thought, looking back at Aslan and resisting the urge to wring her hands together as well. She looked at Alex and found him staring at the centaurs in amazement. She elbowed him.

"Stop staring," she chastised in a whisper. He tore his eyes away from the mythological creatures and gave her a weak smile.

"Sorry. I never thought I'd see a real centaur, let alone this close."

"Find appropriate clothes for the Son of Adam and Daughter of Eve, and feed them as well," Aslan ordered the centaurs. "Then, you may come into my tent we have much to discuss," he finished, addressing the humans this time. With a gentle nod and something resembling a smile he turned and walked back into his tent.

The teens exchanged glances and let themselves be led away, Alex by Oreius, and Alanna by Hafaald. Both had a feeling that all this – the new land, the fox, the encampment, and the lion – was only the beginning.