Author's note: Thanks for the great reviews! On with the story!

Disclaimer: Everyone here, except Mallory, Firumel and perhaps Snowmane, is owned by the amazing C. S. Lewis. Hip hip hurrah!

Chapter 11: The Great Hurry

Bit by bit, she could feel growing warmth. She noticed that they were going slower too. She opened her eyes and saw that Firumel was now skirting the edge of the mountains. He circled a bit over an open glade in the middle of a thick forest and landed there.

Mallory at first couldn't move her legs. Her joints seemed to have frozen.

"You can get off now, Mallory," muttered Firumel.

She sighed tiredly and rubbed her eyes. "Just hang on for a minute. I'm stiff to the bone."

"Who goes there in the glade?" a low, purring voice called out to them, loud but soft and velvety. Mallory's heart leapt. Aslan!

"It is I, Firumel!"

A stalking shadow crept towards them from the trees but halted by an oak tree. Firumel shook Mallory off and rose to his full height. "It is I, Lord Marvyr and Lord Gaurung: Firumel the Flightless!" He didn't exactly like the name 'Flightless', but it was the name the Talking Animals of Stormness Head had for him, so he was forced to use it.

The shadow finally came out into the glade. Mallory was terribly disappointed to find that it was not Aslan but a Leopard. But it was the biggest and most terrible Leopard that she had ever seen. Its yellow eyes shone like beacons and its fangs hung well over its lower lip. On the other hand, his dotted fur was sleek and his hind muscles moved with fluid power. Mallory was so taken by its handsomeness that she lost the will to speak.

As the leopard stopped some distance away from them, another Leopard came out from behind a tree and joined him. Then a Mole popped out from the ground, a large Rabbit hopped into view, two magnificent Horses cantered into the glade, and slowly more animals entered the glade until Firumel and Mallory were surrounded by them. Mallory realised that these were the Talking Animals of Stormness Head; the Animals that were exiled from Narnia by the White Witch.

"It is indeed you, Firumel," said the first Leopard.

Firumel bowed respectfully. "Yes, Lord Marvyr."

"But I saw you. You were flying," said the other Leopard, which must be Lord Gaurung.

"Indeed I have been able to fly," beamed Firumel. "I don't know how it happened, but it did! I am no longer Firumel the Flightless!"

The Talking Animals cheered and clapped. Lord Marvyr and Lord Gaurung exchanged smiled with each other. Then Lord Marvyr turned to Mallory. "And what is your business in these parts, Daughter of Eve? Have you lost your way from Anvard?"

"No," Mallory finally spoke. "I was sent here by Aslan." Suddenly she felt very brave and important and said, "I am here to summon you to the Dancing Lawn where Aslan awaits."

The Animals were abuzz with chatter and murmurs. Lord Marvyr and Lord Gaurung however, sensed the authority and truth in her words. They bowed and said respectfully, "We heed your words, Daughter of Eve. Take us to him, and let us see what he has in store for us."

"But the Dancing Lawn is so far away!" said a most beautiful Unicorn, who had made its way to the front of the line. Mallory fell in love at once with it. It was pure white in colour and its mane was long and beautifully groomed. A single, silver horn protruded from its head and a soft light shone from it. It was so beautiful that Mallory wondered why it wasn't their leader.

"We can reach there today if we mean to, Snowmane," replied Lord Gaurung, and the Animals chorused, "Yes, that's true!" and Snowmane bowed his magnificent head.

"Then in the name of Aslan, let us set off for the Dancing Lawn at once! Narnia calls! Narnia calls!" said Lord Marvyr, and he bounded off into the woods. The Animals followed his lead and disappeared among the trees, creating such a stampede that it shook the very foundations of Stormness Head. Snowmane the Unicorn lingered a little behind as if doubtful and Mallory approached it.

"Hold there, Snowmane. Why so sad?" Then in that strange voice again, she said more tenderly as she stroked its nose, "Why, O Unicorn, do you doubt me? Do you not recognise me? It is I, the mistress of Silver."

Snowmane gave Mallory a deep and testing look. Then he bowed his head and said, "Aye, so you are, my lady. Silver was the name of my good mother. But if you were her mistress, then you are my mistress also. Ride on me, my lady, so that we may reach the Dancing Lawn at once."

Mallory proceeded to climb onto its back. But just then she remembered Firumel. She looked around for him, but there was no sign of the Eagle. At this, she became quite angry and said to herself, "How horrid of him! He has left without me!" But she was left no time thinking about that, for Snowmane had given a silvery neigh and galloped with all its might for the Dancing Lawn.

Mallory held on to it as best as she could. She had ridden on a horse before, but this was quite different. A horse was unpleasant to ride on if you hadn't any saddle on it, but Snowmane's back was comfortable. And a Unicorn was much faster than an ordinary horse too. In a few minutes time, Snowmane had already crossed a narrow pass through the mountains and caught up with the other Talking Animals.

Just a little ahead of her, she spotted Firumel skirting the top of the trees with his fellow Eagles. She heard the merry chatter and clicking of beaks and swoop of powerful wings, and she saw how happy he was. How silly of her to expect him to wait for her when he had got so much to catch up with his friends!

They now entered a thick forest. The Animals slowed down as they descended a soft slope so as not to knock into each other. Snowmane, the most graceful of the lot, broke away from the hustle and bustle and delicately cantered down. Mallory could see a wide lawn in the middle of the forest and a wonderful array of creatures standing in the heart of it, all laughing and some were singing.

And what fantastic creatures they were! Tall, slim, and ethereal-looking men and women wearing silver-green and gold-blue robes sat on the ground in a circle. Two of them were playing mandolins and another played a golden harp. A good many of them danced around the circle, their shimmering robes giving off a radiance that formed a halo of light around them.

Mallory heard and felt Snowmane gasp with wonder. "The Tree-people and the Well-people!"

"What did you say they were?" asked Mallory, for she didn't quite understood what the Unicorn meant.

"Spirits," he replied, and he did a little leap and landed on the lawn. "And – by Aslan! There's Aslan himself!"

At the mention of his name, Mallory immediately straightened up to look for the Lion. Aslan was standing right in the middle of the lawn, and he had a very stern yet joyful look on his face, as if he was a father watching the return of his children. The Animals that had dared to go near him he breathed and licked and said kind, welcoming words.

Behind him stood a row of serious-looking Centaurs, all of them carrying bows and quivers on their backs and naked swords at their waist. Mallory felt a humming warmth return to her fingers at the sight of the swords and the bows. How she dearly wanted to touch them again!

She gasped and a hand flew to her mouth. Snowmane bucked a bit. "What's the matter, my lady?"

"The – the Chest?"

"A Chest?"

"It was mine, and it had all my weapons in it," said Mallory as she looked despairingly at the Unicorn. Snowmane shook his head. "What a terrible pity indeed. If this was an ordinary day I would be glad to run all the way to the end of the world to fetch it to you."

Mallory smiled. "Thank you, Snowmane."

A sharp horn sounded in the air, a sound that sounded like a bugle, but not quite. Mallory saw that a Centaur had blown it. Instantly the lawn was silent. The Well-people and the Tree-people left their merriment and stood behind Aslan in a half-crescent.

Lord Marvyr and Lord Gaurung, the two Leopards, went forward and bowed respectfully in front of Aslan. "O Sire, we have come."

"So you have. And I am very pleased," said Aslan, and he gave a warm lick to each of the Leopard. "As you can see, the spell of the Witch is broken. The four children of the Prophecy are here in Narnia. The Prophecy will be fulfilled. The Witch will be overthrown."

A great cheering rose from the crowd of Animals and Mallory couldn't help but clap as well.

"But the time for our victory is long yet. The Witch will make war, that is for sure. We have to fight it the best way we can, with the Sons of Adam for your leaders," he paused and now shifted his royal gaze onto Mallory, "and a Daughter of Eve."

Mallory fidgeted a bit on Snowmane's back as every Animal on the lawn now fixed their eyes on her. And not only the Animals, she noticed, but the Well-people and the Tree-people too, and the Centaurs.

"Come forth, Daughter of Eve, though you are not of the Prophecy," said Aslan in a low purr that Mallory felt was meant for her ears only. "And you also, Snowmane the Unicorn."

So Snowmane cantered forwards, making his way through the crowd while Mallory felt extremely uncomfortable by the stares. Soon Snowmane had arrived in front of Aslan and bowed. Mallory got down from him and curtsied the best she could. Aslan moved towards her and licked her cheek with enthusiasm.

"My sister," he growled quietly and affectionately in her ears.

She kissed his nose and knelt on the ground on one knee.

From out of nowhere, Aslan produced a sword and grasped its hilt with one paw. Mallory had never seen it before, yet she was quite sure that it had belonged to her. She recognised the sapphire-encrusted hilt and the golden, gilded scabbard.

Then she remembered. She looked up and directly in Aslan's eyes and said, awed, "This is the sword you made for me."

The Lion smiled and nodded. "It is high time this is returned to you. Keep it and use it well."

Mallory took the sword and bowed. "Thank you, Aslan. Thank you." She rose to her feet.

Aslan nodded once more and clapped his paws together. "Now, to the Stone Table everyone!"

"My, what a Great Hurry this is!" said Snowmane as Mallory climbed onto his back once more.