Author's Note: Well, I've made Peter and Aceline just a little bit more nicer to each other. I liked this chapter, mainly because, in the movie, this is my favorite part. I apologize for the wait.

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Chapter Five: Getting Chased is Never Fun

A howl suddenly broke the silence. Aceline's violet eyes were clouded with worry and alert. Peter and she grabbed Lucy's hands and began to run back to the dam. Her breathing soon became labored. How did the dam get so far away? This question rang in her head. She looked over at the others. Susan and Lucy were panting like she was. Mr. Beaver was a little bit ahead of them while Peter looked like running was something he did everyday. She looked forward, the beavers' home coming into sight. Mr. Beaver was the first one through the door.

"Hurry, mother!" he yelled. "They're after us!" Mrs. Beaver nodded and began to grab food from random cabinets and drawers.

"What's she doing?" Peter asked.

"You'll be thanking me later. Beaver gets pretty cranky when he's hungry."

"I'm cranky now!" Aceline quickly walked forward, Susan at her side. Susan grabbed a jar of jam and stared at it.

"Do you think we'll need it?"

"Only if the Witch serves toast," Peter said at a bad time to joke. Aceline looked at him.

"Not the time, Peter." She made a makeshift sack out of the tablecloth and slung it over her shoulder. Just then, howls sounded from somewhere outside.

"Through here!" Aceline turned to look at Mr. Beaver, who was gesturing for them to come. She saw that he was standing in front of a tunnel that was cunningly hidden behind part of the wall. She pushed Lucy and Susan in front of her. Aceline turned to Peter, who was holding something by the fire.

"Peter, what are you doing?" she asked. He stood up, holding a flaming stick.

"Torch," he answered with a smile. She nodded at his idea. He made a motion for her to go first. She smiled and walked forward, Peter trailing behind her.

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The tunnel was like a maze. First, you went one way and then had to go another. You also had to bend down to avoid bumping your head on the ceiling. To make matters worst, roots from trees popped out at odd intervals. Aceline stumbled over a particularly large one. She would have probably had fallen on her face if it hadn't been for Peter's quick reflexes. Lucy wasn't so lucky. She fell on her knees. Her older sister looked concerned. Suddenly, a howl sounded in the tunnel, telling them that they weren't so safe anymore.

"They're in the tunnel," Lucy whispered.

"Come on!" Peter called, pushing all three girls in front of him. This time, Aceline didn't show her resistance towards Peter. But he could stop being so bloody noble. They reached what looked a dead end a moment later. The beavers argued with each other, ending when Mr. Beaver climbed through a hole in the ceiling. Lucy and Susan followed. Aceline turned to Peter as he lightly pushed her forward.

"Put the torch out and come on," she said sensibly. Peter followed her orders. She went ahead first, pulling him by the hand. Together, they moved a large barrel in front of the hole. Then they turned around.

Aceline noticed stone statues standing around them. There was a bulldog, a fox, another bulldog, a bird and a badger. She walked over towards the bulldog and examined it. It looked so...lifelike. She lightly ran her fingers on its nose.

"He was my best mate," a voice said. Aceline looked at Mr. Beaver, who was standing in front of the badger. There was a sad expression on his face. Realization finally dawned on her. Surely, they couldn't be real. She looked back at the bulldog. With a sick feeling, she thought about how the creature had once been living, moving, breathing. And now it was as cold as stone. She gulped as she thought something else.

This could very well happen to her.

"Who would do this?" she said at the same time that Peter asked, "What happened here?"

"This is what happens when you disobey the Witch," answered a voice. Aceline jumped, her face instantly alert. She stood behind Peter, who had somehow gotten in front of her. Out came what very much resembled a wolf. Yet, it was slightly smaller.

"You take one more step, traitor, and I'll chew you to splinters!" Mr. Beaver yelled, his wife restraining him from attacking.

"Relax," said the fox. "I'm one of the good guys."

"Yeah? Well, you look a lot like the bad ones." Aceline took a step forward so she stood next to Peter. He looked over at her. She looked right back. The expression on their faces were exactly the same: I'm not moving. A howl came from the blocked tunnel.

"It seems you could use some help," the fox said. Another howl, this one more closer, came from the tunnel.

"What did you have in mind?" Peter asked. The fox smiled at them. He glanced pointedly at a tree.

"Climb that tree. The wolves can't get you there," he said. The beavers didn't need any help. Aceline and Peter helped the younger girls up. Peter turned to her.

"I'll help you," he said.

"Climb up first. That way, if I look like I'm about to fall, you can hold on to me," she said. He nodded and climbed up. Aceline slowly climbed up the tree. She was glad that she was used to climbing trees back in England. A branch gave away under her right foot. Seeing as she her other foot was in mid-air, she couldn't help it that a startled shriek escaped her lips. Just as she thought that she was going to fall, a larger hand grabbed hers. Aceline looked into Peter's concerned face. With his help, she managed to pull herself up next to him. Suddenly, the wolves appeared and surrounded the fox.

"Evening, gents," he said in a mocking tone.

"Don't patronize me. I know where your allegiance lies. We're looking for some humans," said a harsh voice. She looked down and saw that the largest wolf had spoken. The fox chuckled.

"Humans? Here in Narnia? That's a bit of valuable information, don't you think?" The response was a wolf biting him around the waist. Aceline clutched Peter's arm instinctively. He had covered Lucy's mouth when she had gasped, "Mr. Fox." All of them wore horrified expressions. Finally it ended when Mr. Fox pointed with a limp paw in the opposite direction from the tree.

"North. They ran north." With that, the wolves ran, leaving the fox whimpering on the ground.

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A fire crackled merrily in front of them. The heat that came from the flames was enough to make the cold tolerable. The sight would been cheerful if it hadn't for the yelping fox.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Aceline asked. She knew Lucy had just asked the question, but she was still worried. Mr. Fox nodded, giving her a weak smile in the process. She smiled back.

"I thank you for your cure. But I'm afraid that's all I have time for now," he said, suddenly getting up.

"You're leaving?" Lucy asked.

"It has been a pleasure, my Queen, and an honor," he said, bowing to her. "But Aslan himself has asked me to gather more troops." Mrs. Beaver gasped.

"You've seen Aslan?" Mr. Beaver asked. His wife added, "What's he like?"

"Like everything we've ever heard of. You're lucky to have him in the battle against the Witch."

"We're not planning on fighting any witch," Susan said. Mr. Fox's face clouded with doubt.

"But surely, King Peter," he began, "the prophecy." Simultaneously, everyone turned their heads to Peter. His forehead was creased in concentration. Finally, he looked up.

"We just want our brother back." The fox nodded at him and dashed off. Aceline turned back to Peter. The expression on his face made her reach over and pat him comfortably on the hand. He looked up at her in surpise. She gave him a smile back.

"We'll find him, Peter," she whispered in low voice so the others wouldn't hear.

The reply was a smile.