A/N: Here it is! The next chapter! Sorry for the delay. For those of you who like a bit of fun and fluff, this chapter is going to make you happy. For those of you who'd rather skip it, just read the last few paragraphs, then sit back and wait for the exciting conclusion!

Chapter 4

The Trail

About an hour later, Lucy was sitting in her chair in Tumnus' house, drumming her fingers on the arm. Tumnus had discovered that his old tent had several tears in it and was busy repairing it. She wasn't saying anything, but Tumnus could tell she was not enduring the wait very well.

"Two more tears after this one. Small ones," he assured her.

"Are you sure I need a tent?" asked Lucy. "If sleeping in the open is good enough for you—"

"Then that means nothing for you," Tumnus cut in. "You are a queen and a lady. You will have shelter. And you deserve privacy."

Lucy sighed and went back to staring out the window. After a moment she said, "I think it's gotten cloudier."

Tumnus paused in his mending to look at the sky. "It has…but it doesn't look like rain. We should be fine. But just in case, that's a third reason for me to finish with this tent."

"Yes, sir," said Lucy. Tumnus looked at her, surprised, then saw that she was grinning. Tumnus could think of no better response to that than to flick a piece of lint at her, which made her squeal.

Tumnus soon finished mending the tent, and carefully folded and tied it up. "Do we have everything?" he asked.

"Yes, definitely," said Lucy. "We've been over this three times."

Tumnus nodded and took a deep breath, as if he were about to dive off a cliff. "All right. Let's go."

They went out to where Hwey was patiently waiting with the other baggage and attached the tent. "Is that balanced properly?" Lucy asked the horse.

"Feels fine to me," said Hwey. "Anyone riding?"

"No, we're both going to walk," said Lucy. Hwey nodded. There was a pause where they all stood looking at each other. Then Lucy said, "Well, lead the way, Mr. Tumnus!"

"This way!" said Tumnus, heading down a path. Lucy fell into step beside them, and Hwey ambled along in the back. For a few minutes, no one spoke. Tumnus felt more relaxed than he had all day. The weather was balmy, they were going somewhere familiar, and he had Lucy by his side. And he was quite sure that Lucy's brothers and sister would find them before they made it to the port. He just hoped that Lucy had a good time before that.

"This is nice," said Lucy suddenly. "Walking with you."

"With me?" asked Tumnus.

"I don't think she means me," Hwey put in from behind. Tumnus blushed a little.

"It's like old times," said Lucy. "Remember how we would take so many walks in the woods when I was younger, and you would tell me stories about Narnia and the people here. And you taught me to recognize bird calls."

"Ah, yes, I remember," said Tumnus. "What's that one?"

Lucy listened a moment. "A wren. And there's a mockingbird, too."

Tumnus remembered their walks well. He often thought back to the times he had spent with Lucy over the years. Despite her desire to stow away to Terebinthia, he was glad that she was taking a holiday, and that she had decided to spend it with him.

They were quiet again for a minute, then Lucy spoke. "Have you known that dryad--Rhianna, was it?—for very long?"

"Hmm. I remember knowing who she was when I was very young, before the hundred-year winter. But we've only been on speaking terms in the last ten years or so."

Lucy nodded. "Did you really dance with her for five hours?"

"Oh, yes. She's a marvelous dancer. Interprets the music well. And she's a birch dryad, which gives her a wonderful bendy quality."

"I see," said Lucy. "She seems very fond of you."

Tumnus shrugged. "I suppose so. She's very friendly."

Lucy frowned. "And are you…fond of her, as well?" Tumnus suddenly realized the reason behind this line of questioning. He stopped and faced Lucy, looking into her eyes.

"Lucy, you have been my best and dearest friend ever since we met," he said. He brushed his thumb along her cheek. "You have no competition."

Lucy smiled and looked away. "All right. Thank you," she said softly. They continued walking. "Let's sing something," Lucy suggested.

"Songs for the trail! An excellent idea," said Tumnus. "What should we sing?"

"I don't sing myself," put in Hwey, "but I always enjoy hearing 'Hail to Narnia.'"

"'Hail to Narnia' will be our first selection, then," said Tumnus. They sang, leaving out the verse about "Hail to the Kings and Queens" at Lucy's request. She said she always felt odd singing that part, as if she was singing "Happy Birthday" to herself. They followed "Hail to Narnia" with "The Red Dwarf Road" and one of Tumnus' favorites, "A Walk in Lantern Waste." Tumnus knew he wasn't a very good singer, but he made up for it by singing with gusto, and punctuating it with dance steps, which made Lucy laugh.

They were about to start on another when Tumnus felt something wet hit his nose. He wiped it off. Water. Then another landed on his ear, and another trickled down his back. "It's raining!" cried Lucy. "What do we do?"

Tumnus looked around to get his bearings. "I believe there's a small cave not too far from here," he said. "We can take shelter until it passes. Come on!" He grabbed Lucy's hand and they ran, Hwey trotting behind them. The rain fell faster. It only took them about half a minute to reach the cave, but they all ended up fairly damp. Lucy and Tumnus ducked into the entrance, and Hwey tried to follow, but found that it was too low for her.

"Oh, no, Hwey!" said Lucy.

"Don't worry about me," replied the horse. "I don't mind a little rain. Just take your baggage inside there so it doesn't get soaked."

"Stay here," Tumnus told Lucy. He quickly unstrapped their bags and Hwey's saddle and brought them in the cave. "Are you all right?"

"Other than being wet," said Lucy. She shivered. "And a little cold."

"Where is your cloak?" asked Tumnus.

"In my bag, on the top." Tumnus found it and she put it on. "That's better."

Tumnus rummaged around in his bag and found his towel. He really wanted to shake himself to get the rain off, but that would splatter Lucy, so he did what he could with the towel. His bare skin dried quickly, but his hair and fur were still damp. He unpacked a blanket and wrapped it around himself to ward off a chill. Lucy had settled herself on the floor of the cave, and he sat down near her.

"Are you warm enough, Mr. Tumnus?" asked Lucy.

"Oh, yes…that is…" He paused to assess the situation. He needed to be warm. Lucy needed to be warm. Hwey was outside. (She was probably getting soaked, poor thing, but no time to dwell on that.) "Perhaps if I…" He scooted closer to Lucy, until their shoulders were touching. Even through the layers of cloth he could feel her warmth. "It might be beneficial—to both of us?"

Lucy smiled and moved a little closer. Tumnus' breath caught, and he tried to cover it up by coughing a little. "Are you okay?" asked Lucy.

"Yes! I'm great, just…swallowed funny." He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall of the cave. It was wonderful, being so close to her. I shouldn't be feeling this way, he thought. But maybe just for a few minutes. Then she laid her head on his shoulder, pressing even closer, and sighed happily. His heart was pounding. It would be the most natural thing in the world to take her hand, to touch her cheek again, to kiss that sweet, smiling mouth—No! Bad faun! Wicked faun! He clenched his fists. Fortunately, Lucy didn't notice. He could never let her know that he had these thoughts. She would be horrified. Not her "Mister" Tumnus!

"Do you think of me as old?" he asked suddenly.

Lucy sat up a little and looked at him, confused. "No. Anyone can cough."

"Ah…I wasn't actually referring to the coughing. I was talking about the way you still call me 'Mister' Tumnus."

"Oh!" Lucy thought a moment. "Well, it's not because I think of you as old. I guess it's just…habit. Does it bother you?"

Yes, it does! "'Bother' is such a strong word," he said. "But I think I would prefer it if you would just call me Tumnus. If you don't mind."

"All right." Lucy laid her head on his shoulder again.

Tumnus relaxed, listening to the rain and Lucy's steady breathing. He imagined arriving at the old camp site…showing Lucy the mossy spring where they would get their drinking water…making up stories while dinner cooked over a cheery little fire…laying on a blanket gazing at the stars….

Tumnus didn't realize he had fallen asleep until Hwey's persistent neigh woke him up. "Oh, dear," he muttered. "How long have I been sleeping?"

Lucy was just waking up as well. She stretched her neck and back a little then smiled at him. "I'm sorry, Mist—mm—Tumnus," she said. "I didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

"It's quite all right," Tumnus said, smiling back at her.

"The rain's stopped," Hwey called to them. "And it will be dark soon. Better get moving."

Tumnus shook the fog of sleep off and quickly packed the blanket he'd been wearing back into the bag. He and Lucy soon had Hwey's saddle back on her with the bags and tent attached. "Shall we ride?" Lucy asked. "It will be quicker."

Tumnus eyed the horse. The idea still held no appeal for him. "It's not much further," he said. "I'd rather walk. But you can ride if you're tired."

"Not at all!" said Lucy.

So they continued on foot, as before, but now the wet leaves muffled their steps. The woods were filled with a dusky blue light as the sun began to set behind the remaining clouds. Birds rustled the bushes and chirped as they pounced on worms that had been chased out of the ground by the rain.

"Halt!" called a strange voice. Fear twisted Tumnus' stomach. There was something unfriendly in that voice. He grabbed Lucy's arm and pulled her closer to him.

A centaur emerged from the trees. He was sneering at them, swaggering almost. "Well, well, well," he said, looking over the three of them. No, he was definitely not friendly.