Mr. Fox came to next to a small fire. He looked up, and Mrs. Beaver instantly hurried over. Fox saw the smallest child look, sad and confused, at the stone statues that were formerly animals. Feeling he needed to offer an explanation, he said, softly "They were helping Tumnus. The Witch got here before I did," then gasped, suddenly, in pain as Mrs. Beaver's paws hit a tender part of the wounds on his back.
The small girl said "Are you alright?"
Fox attempted a small laugh (but it came out barely more than a whisper), and said "Well, I wish I could say their bark was worse than their bite…OW!"
Fox yelped in spite of himself, and Mrs. Beaver said "Oh, stop squirming! You're worse than Beaver on bath day."
Beaver shuddered. "Worst day of the year."
This caused the two girls to smile. Mr. Fox got slowly to his feet, saying "Thank you for your kindness, but I'm afraid that's all the cure I have time for."
"You're leaving?"
The youngest girl, Queen Lucy, looked at him. He found he was smiling, in spite of himself. With a bow, he said "It has been a pleasure, My Queen, and an honour, but time is short and Aslan himself has asked me to gather more troops."
The Beavers gave him a look of utter disbelief. Mrs. Beaver gasped. Mr. Beaver said, in awe "You've seen Aslan?" and his wife followed with "What's he like?"
Well, Mr. Beaver's changed his tune, thought Fox. Out loud he answered, "Like everything we've ever heard."
Turning to the children he said "You'll be glad to have him by your side in the battle against the Witch."
Immediately, Queen Susan said something completely unexpected.
"But we're not planning on fighting any Witch."
The fox looked, in astonishment, at Peter.
"But surely, King Peter, the prophecy!"
Beaver turned to him as well and added "We can't go to war without you."
But King Peter just backed up his sister by saying, after a moment of thought, "We just want our brother back."
Fox sighed, but he could see there was nothing he could do. Wishing them all the best, he turned and sped off into the night.
Fox raced across the cold, snow-covered terrain. He had tried several, small woods, but had only found a few creatures willing to trust him, believers of Aslan or, indeed, many creatures at all. Now, as he raced across the snow, he knew of one more place he could try: the Shuddering Woods.
That big, black band of trees, where so many treacherous creatures could be lying in wait.
Gritting his teeth, he pushed this thought to the back of his mind, and picked up the pace - the wood was near, he could smell it!
Ok, again rather short, but still! I can guarantee that the next chapter will be the last - I don't have that much more to put in, but I'll do my best with Chapter 4! Please R&R!