A NEW GENERATION
Presenting chapter 9! Sorry it took so long, people, and I hope this helps make up for the previous chapter.
Chapter 9
Terence was yet alive, thankfully…but the grueling fight with the wolves had weakened the young man considerably, and he'd received quite a thrashing. Several nasty-looking gashes marred his handsome face, and his good clothes were torn and tattered. A wide ribbon of blood streaked down one cheek, another trailed from his left temple, and another from the right of his lower lip.
When Lucy and Tumnus first discovered their poor friend lying on the ground after the wolves were driven back into the forest, Tumnus had fled to his side at once and gathered his mate very gently into his arms, although Terence wouldn't respond when Tumnus cried out to him. Right then, a great thundering of hooves sounded, and Oreius and his men showed up out of the blue with their weapons drawn, all set for a full-blown fight.
They'd heard quite a commotion while combing the forest for Puck, and when they heard Tumnus's voice, they knew right away that there was trouble, and came immediately to assist the faun. But the battle had already ended by the time they showed up, and the wolves were already long gone.
So, there was really nothing to be done now, except tend to Terence.
After examining Terence thoroughly, Oreius declared that the young man must be taken to Cair Paravel at once, and he offered to carry Terence there himself—considering he was the biggest and the strongest of the lot, after all.
Now, Tumnus and Lucy sat with Terence in Terence's personal chambers, one on either side, caring for the young man while he rested upon his bed in a semi-sitting position. Terence had come around just as they'd arrived at the castle, and though Tumnus and Lucy were glad to see him awake, it twisted their hearts to see their dear friend in such a state.
With a soft, clean rag soaked in warm water, Tumnus carefully wiped the bloodstains from Terence's face. Gentle as he was, Terence winced in pain whenever the faun touched his wounds. Lucy then applied some kind of salve to the gashes that she said would help tremendously, though it burned like fire.
During all of this, Puck sat at the far end of Terence's bed and watched them closely. The little faun was a great deal calmer by now, but after a dreadful fright like that, he would not be going anywhere the rest of that day, or anytime soon. Now, he just wanted to be with his parents, and with his godfather, where he would be safe.
"You all right, mate?" Tumnus asked Terence at length, while his wife administered the salve.
"I've been better," said Terence wryly.
"You're lucky," Lucy told him, as she added one final dollop of the ointment to his injured face. Terence flinched at the sharp sting, but he said nothing, and he kept perfectly still. "Those wolves nearly made mincemeat out of you," Lucy went on. "Not very many men can take on a whole pack of wild wolves single-handedly, and live to tell the tale."
"Half-man, remember?" Terence reminded her. "Had I been in my unicorn shape, I might have stood a better chance against those brutes."
"You could have easily been killed back there, Terence," said Tumnus, gazing down at his best mate with a very unhappy expression on his face.
"Do you think I don't realize that?"
"And yet you stood your ground," said Lucy softly, a strange look now spreading over her face, a catch in her voice, "and did everything you could to protect our son from those wolves. You willingly risked your life, for Puck's sake. For that, Terence, you have our eternal gratitude."
"We are indebted to you, mate," Tumnus added earnestly.
"What else could I have done?" Terence asked them. "I couldn't bring myself to simply stand by idly, and let harm come to Puck. I just couldn't." The young man hesitated a moment before continuing ruefully, "And, I suppose, in a way, I deserve what has come about me."
"Don't say that, Terence," Lucy scolded him gently.
"Don't ever say that," her husband added emphatically, seizing Terence roughly by the shoulder and giving a fervent squeeze.
Terence abjectly looked away from them both, but said nothing; and for a time, all three of them remained silent.
Presently, Terence spoke up once more.
"Tumnus, Lucy—I'm so sorry," he said dispiritedly, lifting his hopeless blue eyes and gazing forlornly into their faces. "I've been a terrible friend to you both lately. I've acted like a real fool." He glanced over beseechingly at Tumnus. "Tumnus, mate…all those awful things I said, earlier today, concerning Puck and all…I'm sorry. I didn't mean it; really, I didn't. I don't know what in the world I was thinking back there. I simply lost control of myself, somehow."
Tears welled in Tumnus's eyes as he regarded his friend. The sight of Terence's distended nose and black-and-blue cheek made his heart ache, knowing full well that that certainly hadn't come from the wolves.
"No, Terence…I'm the one who should be sorry," the faun said in a hushed voice. "I should never have lashed out at you like that. I should never have struck you the way I did."
"No, it was my fault," said Terence woefully. "I should have kept my stupid mouth shut."
"If I may, what exactly are you two talking about?" Lucy piped up. "I'm afraid I don't quite understand."
Terence and Tumnus both took turns elaborating to Lucy the shameful story of the row they'd had between them that day, including the part where Tumnus pummeled Terence. When they were through, Terence bowed his head and murmured dejectedly, "I can't say I blame Tumnus. I really went too far that time. I really pushed my luck. What I got was nothing I didn't deserve, now that I stop and think about it."
"And I could have conducted myself back there with more decency and civility," said Tumnus. "I could have—and I should have. I'm so sorry, mate. Truly, I am."
"I didn't mean to sound like I didn't care about Puck," Terence said. Looking up once more at his friends, the young man went on ashamedly, "I suppose I got a little…well, jealous."
"Jealous?" Lucy repeated incredulously. "Of Puck?"
Terence nodded. "It seemed like your son was all anyone around here ever cared about anymore," he said gloomily. "Everybody kept talking about how cute and clever Puck was…and it made me feel left out. It was as though I no longer mattered, as though nothing else in the entire world mattered."
He turned to face Tumnus once more as he continued earnestly, "And I felt like I was losing you, mate. For the longest time, it had used to be just you and me…and Lucy, of course. I had you entirely to myself. We did everything together, and had some great times together. Then Puck came into the picture, and all of a sudden you didn't need me so much anymore. You started spending all of your spare time with Puck, and you didn't seem to have any time left for me. That's what really upset me, more than anything else. From the way I viewed it, Puck was far more important to you than I was—and I no longer counted as your friend."
Hearing Terence speak of these things, in this manner, nearly broke Tumnus's heart. The young man's words found their way to Lucy's heart as well, and both Lucy and Tumnus felt their throats tighten and hot tears prick at their eyes. Neither one of them had known, or had ever given any consideration to the idea, that Terence had been feeling this way.
Now that they truly thought of it, they hadn't spent that much time around Terence lately.
And, quite frankly, they hadn't really gone out of their way to make time for him.
All at once the pieces of the puzzle fit together, and Terence's odd behavior suddenly made a great deal more sense.
Both Tumnus and Lucy felt awful. As much as they loved and cared for their son, as important as Puck was to them both, Terence mattered every bit as much.
He was the very best friend either of them had ever known—and they'd let him down.
Terence sighed deeply and hung his head once more, closing his eyes. "I don't deserve to be the godfather to your son," he muttered disconsolately to his friends. "You may as well pick someone else…someone who's more worthy of the title than I am."
Neither Lucy nor Tumnus spoke anything, at first.
And then Tumnus reached out once again and laid a tentative hand on Terence's drooped shoulder, saying quietly, "But there is no one else, Terence."
Terence opened his eyes and lifted his face upon hearing this, though he remained silent.
"Puck is my son," Tumnus went on solemnly, "but you're my best friend, Terence. More than just a friend, you're also my brother. If I have failed to show appreciation, I am truly sorry."
Lucy nodded, blinking back tears. "I'm sorry, too, Terence."
"Nothing will ever change the way I feel for you, mate," Tumnus vowed, tightening his grip significantly on the young human's shoulder. "I will always care for you, and I will always be there for you…no matter what happens."
This speech brought tears to Terence's eyes, and in no time they spilled over his lids and flooded down his cheeks in two unrestrained rivers. They burned his already tender wounds on his face, but he hardly noticed. "Oh, Tumnus," was all he could say.
Tumnus bent down, and together he and Terence hugged one another tightly. They were both sniffling, and tears were streaming profusely down both their faces.
"Oh, Tumnus," Terence whispered again into the faun's ear, "can you ever forgive me?"
"I already have, Terence." Pulling away from the embrace and wiping a trail of tears from one cheek, Tumnus continued, in a voice thick with emotion, "And will you, in turn, forgive me? For this"—he gestured slightly at Terence's bruised cheek and bloated nose—"and for everything?"
"Will you forgive us both?" Lucy added entreatingly.
Terence nodded, and managed to smile. "Of course."
His friends smiled back, and Tumnus drew the young man into his arms once more for another hug. This time Lucy joined them, leaning over and locking her own slender arms securely around both men. With his head resting against Tumnus's shoulder, Terence closed his eyes and sighed contentedly. Knowing that they were all friends again was more wonderful than words could possibly express.
As the threesome held onto one another, Puck impetuously crawled across the bed toward them.
"Terry."
Upon hearing this, Terence's eyes snapped open, and he jerked his head up immediately in surprise. "What was that?"
Simultaneously, Tumnus and Lucy looked up as well.
"What?" said Tumnus bewilderedly.
"What'd you say?" Terence asked him and Lucy.
"I didn't say anything," said Lucy, looking puzzled.
Her husband shook his head and added, "Neither did I."
"Terry." The same word sounded a second time, as clear and obvious as the peal of a bell.
As if of one mind, they all now directed their wide-eyed stares toward Puck. The faun youngling drew himself up to them, and clambered on top of Terence's blanketed lap. He extended a small, chubby hand to his godfather, and said lucidly, "Terry."
Tumnus, Lucy, and Terence looked at Puck, astonished to see his lips actually move and hear his actual voice. The voice that emanated from the little one's mouth was small and soft; yet perfectly audible and perfectly intelligible.
"Terry," Lucy echoed, her own lips moving almost imperceptibly, her voice scarcely a whisper.
Turning to the young men, she cried excitedly, "Tumnus, Terence—Puck said his first word!"
"You're joking!" said Terence, floored.
"No, I'm serious!" Lucy said, every bit as flabbergasted as he was, if not more so. "He has never said anything before; not even 'mama'!"
"I can't believe it!" Tumnus gasped. "My son—he's talking!"
The three of them gawked at one another; and within seconds, delight replaced their disbelief.
In no time, they were all laughing and crying and hugging each other, all at the exact same time. "Oh, Tumnus!" was the only comprehensible thing Lucy could say.
And all Tumnus could say was, "Oh, dearest Lucy!"
And this time, Terence was every bit as overjoyed and overwhelmed as his friends were, and he laughed and sobbed every bit as hard, if not harder. At a complete loss for words (and unable to speak even if he desired it, due to the massive lump lodged within his throat), all he could do was clasp Puck in his arms, who readily returned his godfather's impassioned embrace.
"Terry! Terry!" the infant faun kept babbling over and over, in his sweet, innocent little voice.
And Terence and Tumnus and Lucy were all more than convinced that it was "Terence" that he truly meant to say.
Terence and Puck © unicorn-skydancer08
Tumnus and Lucy © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media
Story © unicorn-skydancer08
