Uh... I got locked in the wardrobe?
Man, it's been a while since I updated this story! The combination of horrible writer's block and a crazy school year left my muse utterly empty. But I just got back from London, and being in the Pevensies' hometown gave me a lot of inspiration. I went to a school in the English countryside by train (out of a train station that could have been the one from LWW), and as the train pulled out, I cranked up Narnia soundtrack and let my imagination take over. This was the result. :D
Thanks for waiting all of my faves and followers, and special thanks to Astaldowen, Lereniel, and Qoheleth for reviewing!
And now, back to Narnia. :)
Chapter 4: Across the River
Geraint chuckled. "I still can't believe you did that," he said, a smile etching across his face as he nibbled at his apple.
Rhydian just laughed in response, pulling his steaming hands out of the snow to check on them. "Wonderful," he said grimly. "Frostbite."
"Of course," I groaned, nearly asleep.
Geraint sighed. "I think Renn's got the right idea," he said, stroking my hair and lending his shoulder to me for a pillow. "We should probably try to get some sleep."
"I'll take the first watch," Rhydian offered. "Don't want to wake little Renn up," he added, motioning towards me.
I felt Geraint nod before I finally fell asleep.
And not but what felt like a second later, I jolted awake again, my eyes widening as the howls of wolves echoed across the valley.
Rhydian leapt to his feet, hastily grabbing his crossbow and loading it. Geraint quickly jumped up and helped me to my feet, tossing his pack to Rhydian and hoisting me onto his back.
And when the howls grew louder, I'm sure I nearly strangled Geraint with my fearful grip.
"This way!" Rhydian shouted. "Quick!"
He scrambled down the side of a sheer cliff, rocks tumbling onto the icy snow beneath him.
"Come on!" he barked, stretching out hand to us. His fingertips were beginning to turn black with the cold.
I suddenly felt myself falling from Geraint's back and into the snow. Hastily, he grabbed my wrist and all but yanked me to my feet. Trembling, I ran to the edge of the precipice, sliding to a stop when I saw how far it was.
The howls grew closer.
My heart stopped.
"Go, Renn!" Geraint snapped. "We don't have much time!"
Cautiously, I sank to the ground and swung my short legs over the side, feeling my way down with my feet. The frozen river sprawled beneath me, the cascades of its falls frozen in place next to me.
One step. Two.
My shaking hands fumbled for something to hold onto, and I lowered myself down onto a ledge.
Three steps. Four.
I was halfway down.
An arrow whistled through the air, and one of the wolves sharply barked as it fell to the ground.
"Geraint!" I cried.
He was surrounded.
"Go!" he barked.
Tears beginning to well in my eyes, I took one more step down the frozen mountainside.
And slipped.
For a brief second I felt myself falling and heard Rhydian shout my name. As soon as I hit the ground, he leapt on top of me, shielding me from the hunks of ice and rock that thudded into the snow around us.
Rhydian's strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me to my feet. He sank onto one knee and down to my level, pointing to something in the starlight.
"There's the riverbank," he said gently, desperately trying to hide the fear that was mounting inside him. "If you can get there, you'll be safe."
My eyes widened. "What about you?"
Rhydian smiled. "I'll be right behind you," he replied.
Something in his tone told me he was lying.
More rocks tumbled down the cliff, and Geraint rolled into the snow beside us, hurriedly fitting another shaft into his crossbow.
"Go, Renn," he said. "We'll be fine."
Completely frozen, I watched in complete horror as the first of the wolves jumped down onto the ice.
"Your mother would have a thing or two to say if she could see you now," Maurgrim sneered, eying Geraint as if he were a wounded buck.
"Run!" Geraint bellowed, reaching up and giving me a shove.
He winced, and I noticed he was holding his side, a few streams of blood shimmering across the back of his hand. "Now!"
Tears streaming down my face, I took off for the woods.
"After her!" Maurgrim ordered, one of his Wolves shooting forward.
He hardly made it five feet before Rhydian shot him down.
I bolted. The ice was slicker than usual, I noted, and the closer I got the forest, the warmer the air seemed to get. Finally, I toppled onto the riverbank, coughing raggedly as I fought to catch my breath.
One of the Wolves sharply howled in pain, and my head snapped up. Brushing the snow from my long hair and my body, I watched as Rhydian helped Geraint to his feet. The two now stood back to back, crossbows loaded and aimed. Maurgrim did what he did best, stalking back and forth and dastardly taunting his frightened prey. Rhydian fired at the Wolf and missed.
And another pounced on him.
Geraint shouted in surprise and moved to free our brother, but was soon overtaken himself. Being too frightened and, at the time, too small to put up a fight myself, all I could do was stand on the bank and scream, drawing my dagger and helplessly holding it in front of me.
Suddenly, a loud roar echoed through the woods, the trees bending in the wind it created. The warmth from the woods grew stronger, and the pounding of hooves could be heard in the distance.
A hail of arrows rained from the woods and struck the Wolves. I can still hear their piercing howls, still feel the cold chills that shivered up my spine as they retreated.
I wish I could forget the terror that seized me as I beheld my brothers, who both lay motionless on the ice.
Maurgrim, annoyed, held his ground, bellowing at his troops to stand. The hoof beats grew louder, and a Centaur with gleaming black sides soon charged from the woods, brandishing two massive great swords as a host of Fauns and Satyrs thundered through the woods behind him.
Smug satisfaction crept into my pounding heart as I watched the Secret Police retreat with their tails between their legs, and it leapt with relief when Geraint slowly sat up.
But when he pulled an unresponsive Rhydian into his arms, it fell to the pit of my stomach.
As fast as my little legs would carry me, I ran forward towards my brothers. A few sobs escaped me when I laid eyes on Rhydian.
"Rhydian?" Geraint said softly, his voice shaking with suppressed emotion.
Gingerly, I pushed a piece of bloodied blonde hair out of his face. My little hand found a place on his broad shoulder, and I gently shook him. "Rhydian?" I begged, tears freely running down my cheeks.
Rhydian didn't move.
"Wake up!" Geraint cried desperately. "Please wake up!"
Both of us were sobbing.
Suddenly, the warmth I felt on the riverbank washed over me again. I thought it strange that it was calming me down then, but now that I look back on it, there is nothing else it could have done.
Geraint and I heard a rumble behind us, followed by what felt like a warm, gentle wind. Geraint's golden hair slightly tossed in the breeze, and I closed my eyes, snuggling into his one-armed embrace.
"Renn!" he suddenly shouted. "Look!"
My eyes snapped open and fell back to Rhydian's lifeless face, which was beginning to color again. The gash on his forehead closed and the blood cleared, not even leaving a scar to mark its presence.
He took several deep breaths, and his crystalline eyes fluttered open. Our tears of sorrow turned to tears of joy in an instant.
Rhydian coughed. "Frostbite's gone," he said flatly, scrutinizing his now porcelain hands.
Laughing, Geraint wasted no time hoisting Rhydian off the ground and into his arms. They held each other, brother and brother, for a blissful eternity.
"Don't ever do that to me again," Geraint finally whispered, his head resting on his older brother's shoulder.
Rhydian pulled back. "Stay out of trouble, little brother," he tenderly retorted, ruffling Geraint's hair affectionately, "and I won't have a reason to."
Rhydian looked at me. "Come here," he smiled, holding his arms out. I cannoned into him, and Geraint held on from behind me.
Speechless, we could only cling to each other and weep in relief. Finally, I felt their grip relax, and we all pulled away from each other a bit. Hoping he might say something, I looked up at Rhydian again and tried to get his attention.
His eyes were fixed to something behind us. He didn't look fearful or shocked or leery. Whatever it was, it had him and Geraint both completely awestruck.
"Rhydian—"
"Shhh," he cut me off, but he wasn't angry. In fact, his face was shining like a child's would on future Christmas mornings.
A bright smile lit up Geraint's face. "Look," he said softly, pointing over my shoulder.
I turned, and my jaw dropped.
Being the daughter of the White Witch, I should have been terrified of what we were seeing, but instead I was rendered speechless by overwhelming joy.
The warmth, the wind, the sudden peace. It all made sense now.
"Aslan," we finally breathed.