a/n: Much thanks to my reviewers! I feel so loved and appreciated. And thanks for pointing out the mistake, Miss.Mira (cut and pasting dilemma, hehe) And if anyone's wondering why their review got deleted and why the story suddenly disappeared for a short while. . . Well, we'll just say I had a little trouble in the process of attempting to correct my typos (Yeah, Long time since I've used fanfiction and also very, very blonde) Ahem, clears throat Aaanywho. . . . My apologies.
Oh yeah, and, uh, I don't own Narnian (or New Jersey). Only Elizabeth and Farren thus far and probably more characters to come. That said, here's chapter two! (And there was much rejoicing.)

Elizabeth followed Farren to the back of the kitchen where he came to a halt.
"Ah, here we are," the fox announced.
Elizabeth looked around, trying not to laugh.
"Um. . . I hate to be the glace-half-empty one here," she said skeptically, "but we're still in the kitchen. . ."
"You can't think me so dim," said Farren, with a sideways look over his shoulder.
Elizabeth threw him an amused glance.
"I mean behind the door," he said.
Elizabeth recognized the door they stood before as the giant, steal freezer the size of a small room, which had forever remained situated in the back corner of the kitchen. She had always hated that freezer. The door had always been just out of her reach from the back shelf when she was sent to fetch something, and it always sprung back into place when left ajar. Thus Elizabeth had nearly locked herself inside many times before.

"It's the freezer," Elizabeth said dully.
"Yes," Farren nodded matter-of-factly. "And also. . . Our door to Narnia."
"What?" Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh at this.
Farren stepped towards the door.
"If you'll do the honors," he said. "I'm not exactly good with handles."
Apparently he wasn't kidding.
Elizabeth gave a glance from the fox to the door, then shrugged with relinquish. Hey, everything else had seemed (almost) as ridiculous as an entire civilization in the freezer and she'd followed all that so far. Why not step inside the giant freezer?
Elizabeth heaved on the handle and the heavy door gave way. She was more than glad to offer Farren the honor of entering first. She followed behind him and began dragging a crate, full of gallons of milk, to prop the door open. (A trick she had recently taught herself.)
"What are you doing?" said Farren.
"The door will close otherwise," said Elizabeth, looking up.
"That's kind of the point of it," replied the fox.
Elizabeth's eyes widened with something like panic.
"But what if it doesn't work?" she cried. "What if all that happens is we get locked in this stupid, giant freezer and then we die!"
"I'm sure someone would have to find us eventually," shrugged Farren nonchalantly.
"That isn't funny," said Elizabeth, not feeling any less panicked.
"Alright," said Farren, trying to be serious. "Then try this: Just. . . Trust me."
"Trust you?" nodded Elizabeth shakily.
Farren gave a nod.
Elizabeth took a deep breath.
"Right," she said to herself, turning back toward the door. "Trust the talking fox. Just trust the talking fox."
"The best chance of us freezing to death," said Farren, with a mix of sarcasm and impatience, "would be if you keep us in here long enough, talking to yourself."
Elizabeth resisted the urge to respond to this and pushed the crate out of the way, letting the door close with a soft 'boom'. Afraid to turn around, Elizabeth stared strait at the door that she had just let lock into place. Nothing happened. The steal door stood before her tauntingly. She was feeling a little too freaked out to notice the coolness blowing on her back had stopped and the freezer's hum seemed farther away.
"Now what?" she said, staring.
"Turn around," smiled Farren.
Elizabeth turned slowly, not realizing she held her breath as she did so; and once she had, her mouth fell open with a gasp, for what she found instead of the cold, steal wall was a lush, green wood spread out vastly before her. They stood at the edge of a small hill that ran down into a little forest glade with a cool stream trickling off towards the left. Soft beds of wild flowers and moss lay beside and large, white rocks were scattered randomly among the moss and the water.
"Wow," uttered Elizabeth. "It's beautiful."
"That's Narnia," grinned the fox.
"And, you can believe me, it's far better close up," he said over his shoulder, trotting forward into the warm sun.
He breathed in deeply of the warm Narnian air. It smelled fresh and sweet with scents of flowers and life. His eyes brightened almost instantly.
Elizabeth's eyes swept over the thriving, free land, untouched by the hands of man. The grass was as thick and as rich as the sturdy trees scattered about the lawn. Beyond them, Elizabeth just caught the sight of what appeared the roofs of a city or perhaps a mansion of some sort. It was made almost entirely of white stone with a few flecks of gold or red that she couldn't quite make out. She had never in her life seen anything near so beautiful or even imagined that such places could exist. Her thoughts were broken by the voice of Farren.
"Well, come on then!" he said gaily as he broke into a run towards the bottom of the hill.
Elizabeth took one cautious step forward. A cushion of thick grass coiled like a spring under her foot. At the first feel of the merry Narnian sun and the soft breeze and the sound of the stream and distant birds, all her doubts and fears subsided. She couldn't remember ever feeling so certain of anything before. With a smile and a final look she made off down the hill.

Farren lapped water from the stream, then licking his lips as he lifted his head once more. He trotted off for a moment. He'd said he went to find someone not very far off, and Elizabeth waited by the stream. She sat on a near rock in the midst of painted flowers, more deeply and vibrantly colored than you've ever seen before. She reached down and plucked up a small blue one and looked at it. It had five, wide petals that began deep blue at the very center- so dark that it almost seemed black- But the blue slowly faded toward the edge of the petals to a bluish tented white. Flecks of gold sparkled over it in the light. Elizabeth began to see: everything here was alive, everything thriving. It was as though there was some sort of energy within everything- from each tree and stream to the very air she breathed- as though the entire forest were flowing and singing too softly for her to hear. Though Elizabeth didn't know it at the time, what she felt was the magic of Narnia which resided in every part of it and had even already begun to change her, even if in a very small way.

In a few moments, Farren returned.
"Alright," he said cheerily. "Time to shove off."
Elizabeth looked up from her thought.
"Time to shove off where?" she inquired.
"Why, to the castle, of course," Farren replied.
"Castle?" came Elizabeth. "You never said anything about a castle."
"I suppose I didn't," said Farren thoughtfully. "I assumed you knew."
"You seem to assume a lot of things," Elizabeth blurted out, not meaning any harm.
"Well, it is my duty to report to the kings and queens of Narnia on my return," Farren responded. "And anyone who wants to see a king or a queen of Narnian, has to go to the castle. Why so alarmed?"
"I'm not alarmed," said Elizabeth unconvincingly. "It's just, that- I've never been in a castle before. . . and. . . ." Here her voice trailed.
Farren smiled knowingly with a nod.
"There's no need for distress," he said. "Don't forget that you travel with one of the royal messengers. I practically live in the castle; and you needn't worry. Anything you need to know, I'll be right there with you to make certain you're aware. And I won't assume anything," he added playfully.
Elizabeth smiled.
"Well, as long as you promise," she said, standing to her feet.
"You have my word," replied Farren.

They made their way across the stream, stepping from stone to stone, and then on through the trees. The ground was a little hilly and sloped only slightly more downwards for awhile before they began climbing up and to the right. As they went on, the slope rose more and more steeply until they were more of climbing than walking. Farren kept up most the conversation well enough for the majority of the journey.
"Haradoth has already made off ahead of us to warn them of our approach," he said. "So as not to catch them too much off guard. As far as Haradoth's assumptions gather, I've only been gone just more than six weeks by Narnian time, which is less than I had supposed and shall prove much greater on our behalf." He paused as he leapt to a higher rock. "We need all the time there is to spare," he finished.
"Haradoth is the friend you left to find I'll assume," said Elizabeth, climbing the hillside slowly behind him.
"Oh. Yes," said Farren, bounding up a small boulder. "An eagle that lives near the stream. One of the swiftest. He's probably there by now, if I know Haradoth."
"You see," said Farren then. "Sometimes it's good to assume things (if you assume correctly, at least)."
Elizabeth shook her head.

At last, they reached the top of the hill, Elizabeth panting a bit. The castle, Cair Paravel loomed up before them against the blue, cloud smudged sky. Elizabeth gaped as she had at first sight of Narnia. It was much larger than she had guessed from a distance. Red flags, baring the gold emblem of a lion, flapped in the wind and the smell of salt was in the air. Elizabeth caught distantly the sounds of the ocean somewhere beneath the cliff the castle sat perched upon.
They were still about twenty fathoms or so from the castle gates. A few came and went on the road off to their left. (Some of them Elizabeth thought curious looking characters.)
"Now, I should warn you, some are frightened by the gates at first, simply because they seem so enormous," Farren explained. "But there's nothing to worry of."
Elizabeth only caught a word or so of Farren said, for she was caught up in watching those they came and went on the road. She saw a group of about five or so young women. But a few years older than herself she guessed. There was something different about them, but she couldn't quite figure out just what it was. They were all very beautiful with long, shining hair and fair skin. They talked and laughed merrily as they went and Elizabeth smiled, thinking how she would like to be one of them. Then she frowned as she looked down at her jeans and long sleeved shirt, a bit dirty from the forest. Each of them wore beautiful gowns, far more fit for a palace. She wondered if the King or Queen would mind at all.
Here they joined the path and made their way toward the gates.
"I hope you're ready to meet the royalty of Narnia," said Farren cheerily.
"So do I," Elizabeth mumbled a bit miserably.
"You don't trust yourself very much, do you?" chuckled Farren, catching the remark.
"Of course I do," said Elizabeth indignantly. "Why shouldn't I- trust myself?"
Farren shrugged.
"You're right," he said. "My mistake, I suppose."
"Why would you think I don't trust myself?" Elizabeth asked at length.
"Oh, I don't know," said the fox. "You just always seem so uncertain- afraid to decide one way or another. No one in Narnia need feel that way."
"Oh," said Elizabeth simply.
"Well, not to mean any offense," Farren added.
"No, of course not," said Elizabeth quickly. "I just guess I never realized it before."
There was a short silence that Elizabeth thought a bit too awkward.
"Well, it looks like we're almost there," she said suddenly, hoping to change the subject.
"Yes," said the fox. "Now, allow me to introduce to you: Cair Paravel."