Chapter Five
As the weeks passed, Tumnus' strength and health returned and he was able to keep down broth and some tea. Yawning, Tumnus opened his eyes when he looked at the ceiling and blinked his eyes a few times. Looking to his right, he watched the fire in the fireplace as he yawned and looked at the wooden bed to the right of the fireplace. Feeling the pillow under his legs and the softness of the blankets covering him, he moved the blankets back as he lifted his head and very slowly started to sit up. The room spun around while he closed his eyes and held his head in his hands, feeling the blood pounding in his ears. He breathed in and out when he slid one leg over the side of the bed then the other leg and held onto the bed. His legs felt rubbery when he stood up and the room swirled in wild circles. Holding onto the mattress, he felt his balance returning when he stood straighter and let go of the mattress. He slowly walked around the room when he smelt the sweet smell of tea leaves and turned, walking slowly toward the stove. He opened the cupboard above the stove when he saw the tea tins as he smiled and took one of the tea tins out of the cupboard. He opened the tea tin when he sniffed the sweet scent of the tea leaves and smiled. Closing the tea tin, he placed the tea tin back in the cupboard when he heard something and frowned. Turning around, he watched as the door opened and Arayna walked inside, carrying several packages in her hands.
"What are you doing up?" Arayna asked as she placed the packages down on the wooden table and walked to him. Taking his hand, she led him to the bed when she sat him down on the mattress then slid his legs under the blankets and tucked the pillows under his knees. Sitting next to him, she brushed the hair out of his eyes as he sighed and frowned then looked at the ceiling. He watched the shadows moving on the ceiling as she gently placed her hand on his chest and he breathed hard and fast through his nose. Carefully getting up, she walked to the stove while he watched her as he smiled then noticed something coming inside and sat up on his elbows.
"Um, Arayna, there's a BEAR coming in here!" Tumnus said as she turned and smiled at the large, tan fur bear standing in the doorway.
"That's just Brock. Brock, go over and say hello to Tumnus," Arayna said as the bear lumbered over to the bed and Tumnus looked at the bear as he tilted his head to one side.
"Hello," Brock growled as Tumnus nodded then gently reached over and touched the soft fur.
"Hello, if you don't mind me asking, where, uh, did he come from?" Tumnus asked when Arayna brought over the wooden bowl and sat on the edge of the bed.
"I found him in the woods as a cub," Arayna said as Tumnus slid back down on the mattress and gently stroked the fur behind Brock's right ear.
"My mother and father were killed by a hunting party," Brock growled when Arayna gently lifted Tumnus' head and helped him drink what was in the wooden bowl.
"That was disgusting!" Tumnus said as she lowered his head back onto the pillow and she softly smiled at him.
"Well, that's the last time you have to drink it," Arayna said when he smiled then saw the wolf coming inside and his eyes went wide, "What's wrong?"
"That!" Tumnus said as he sat up and sat against the wall.
"It's just Orin," Arayna said while she watched the wolf come down the stairs and stood next to the wooden table.
"I, um, sorry, but I don't get along well with wolves," Tumnus said when Orin walked closer and sat next to Arayna then looked at Tumnus, tilting its head to one side.
"Do not fear. I will not hurt you," Orin said while placing a paw on the mattress and Tumnus went to lie on his left side and looked at Arayna. She took his hand as she brushed the hair from his eyes and Tumnus frowned, closing his eyes. Aryana watched him drift off to sleep when she carefully got off the bed, covered him with the blanekts and walked to the stove. She started to make dinner as she glanced over at Tumnus and smiled, placing some carrots into the pot.
The warm glow from the fireplace filled his eyes when Tumnus opened his eyes and looked around, moving the blankets up toward his chest. Watching the shadows on wall, he felt like someone was watching him as he looked into a pair of yellow eyes and his eyes widened. Orin sat by the bed when Tumnus sat up and sat against the wall, making Orin sigh.
"Please, do not be afraid of me," Orin whispered as Tumnus crawled under the blankets and rolled onto his left side, placing his head in his head. Slowly reaching his hand out, Tumnus watched Orin place its head on the bed next to Tumnus' hand and Tumnus patted the soft fur. "Why are you afraid of wolves, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Well, um, my mother was attacked and killed by wolves when I was very small," Tumnus whispered and Orin lifted its head.
"They must have been very hungry."
"And when I didn't do something Jadis the Witch asked me to do, she sent her wolves to destroy my house," Tumnus whispered and Orin laid its head back down.
"I did hear of some wolves that worked for her. What was it that she wanted you to do?"
"She told me to bring any humans I found to her. When I did find one, I couldn't do it."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because the human I found was only a child."
"What did she do to you after the wolves brought you to her?"
"She tortured me, placed me in the dungeon then turned me into a statue. If it wasn't for Aslan, I would still be one. If you don't mind me asking, how did you come to live with Arayna?"
"She saved me from a hunting party a year ago," Orin whispered and Tumnus scratched the soft fur behind Orin's ear.
"She does like to take in strays, doesn't she?" Tumnus whispered then looked over at Arayna sleeping under the blankets and smiled.
"Hm,"
"What's wrong?"
"You like her, don't you?"
"I, uh, um, don't know. I just met her," Tumnus whispered as Orin settled on the floor near the bed and Tumnus watched Arayna sleep. A few minutes later Tumnus drifted off to sleep while Orin looked up at him, smiled then placed its head on its paws, closing its eyes.
Weeks turned into months as Tumnus' health improved and he would sit up in bed, talking to Arayna, Brock and Orin about his life at Cair Paravel. Moving the blankets back, Tumnus opened his eyes when he yawned then sat up and slowly got out of bed. Walking toward the stove, he opened the cupboard as he looked through the tea tins and placed the tea tin on the counter. He opened the tea tin when he sniffed the sweet scent of the tea leaves then looked for the teakettle. He placed the teakettle on the stove when he lit the stove and looked around for a teacup. He found a teacup with butterflies painted in vibrate colors in the cabinet when he heard the door open and looked at the door. Arayna, Orin and Brock came inside when he smiled at the look Arayna was giving him and placed the teacup on the counter.
"Hello," Tumnus said when Arayna walked closer then took his hands and softly smiled at him.
"Hello," Arayna said when the teakettle whistled and he turned, looking at it.
"I made some tea. Care for some?" Tumnus asked as he walked to the stove, took the teakettle off, poured the tea into the teapot, placed the teapot on the tray, got an extra teacup and put the fire out. He carried the tray to the small, wooden table while they followed him and they sat down on the wooden stools. Orin and Brock sat near them as Tumnus poured the tea then noticed he forgot the cream and Arayna got up and got the cream. She sat down as she placed the cream in her teacup and he smiled sweetly at her.
"Seeing that you're feeling better, would you feel like going on a trade run with me?" Arayna asked as he sipped the tea and blinked.
"Um, uh, yes, I would love to," he said as they stood up and she held her hand out. Taking his hand, they walked to the door when she opened the door and they walked outside. Tumnus looked up at the brown, red, orange and yellow leaves as he blinked his eyes a few times and wondered if Tinkleberry had returned to the castle with words of his…..
"Tumnus, is everything alright?" Arayna asked when he smiled softly then nodded his head and they walked down the path. Tumnus then noticed the sled while Arayna walked to the sled and carefully strapped the harness around Brock's chest and waist. "Do you want to walk or ride?"
"Pardon?" Tumnus asked and she softly laughed.
"Do you want to walk or ride on Brock's back?" she asked when Tumnus carefully walked to Brock and carefully climbed onto its back. Arayna smiled when they started down the trail and Tumnus looked back at her, giving her a small grin.
The sled clattered as Tumnus looked at the buildings, huts and stalls and Arayna gently patted his leg. There were animals hitched to carts, sleds and wagons and the fauns moving by didn't give him a second glance. They moved from one stall to the next as Tumnus gently patted the soft fur and Arayna introduced him to those they visited. Tumnus wasn't sure if her doing that was a good idea as they moved along and he noticed the woolen scarves hanging on tiny hooks in one of the stalls. He looked at the red one as he tilted his head to one side and Arayna saw the sadness in his eyes.
"Tumnus, is there something wrong?" she asked and he sighed, gently nodding his head.
"I used to have a scarf like that," Tumnus said as he pointed to the red, woolen scarf and she gently placed her hand on top of his hand.
"What happened to it?"
"I lost it when I fell into the water. It was dragging me underwater and I had to take it off."
"Oh," Arayna said when she walked to the stall and he watched the faun take the red, woolen scarf off the peg. A few minutes later she walked back as she held out the red, woolen scarf and Tumnus' eyes widened. Arayna watched the blush move across his cheeks while she gently draped the red, woolen scarf around his neck and shoulders and gently smiled. "There!"
Tumnus sighed as they moved by the stalls then noticed a gathering of fauns coming closer and they stopped near one of the alleyways.
"What is the meaning of this? Why are you stopping us?" Arayna asked as the gathering stopped in front of them and one of the fauns walked toward her.
"Arayna, is it true that your friend is called "Tumnus"?" a faun asked as he looked at Tumnus and Tumnus felt his heart speed up.
"Yes, it is. Why are you asking?" Arayna asked when four fauns walked closer and Orin stood between them and Aryana and Tumnus.
"Stay back!" Orin growled, bearing its teeth.
"Please, we do not wish any harm to a hero of Narnia," one of the fauns said and Tumnus gave him a stunned look.
"Are you talking about me?" Tumnus asked when an older faun slowly walked closer and stood next to Brock.
"Yes! Do you not remember us?" the older faun asked as Tumnus looked at the four fauns then frowned, shaking his head. "I don't think you would. It was dark when you rescued us from the ogre labor camp."
"You were in the labor camp with my father?" Tumnus asked.
"We were in the cage next to his. We watched as you got the keys from that ogre. None of us would have been that brave. Only a true hero would do that," the older faun said when Tumnus felt a tug on his fingers and looked down. Standing next to the older faun was a small, male faun and the small, male faun smiled up at him.
"Can I give you a hug?" the small, male faun asked and Tumnus carefully slid off of Brock then knelt down, accepting the hug. "Thank you for saving my pa-paw." The small, male faun let go as Tumnus smiled, stood up and gently ruffled the small, male faun's hair. Tumnus looked at them as the others gathered around them and the small, male faun held onto Tumnus' fingers.
"I thought all fauns hated me," Tumnus said.
"We have heard tales from the castle that paint you as a traitor and a coward, but we do not believe the lies. No traitor would do the things you have done!" the older faun said and the other fauns agreed with him. Tumnus sighed as he smiled and tears started to form in the corners of his eyes. Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, Tumnus looked at the fauns when the small, male faun pulled on his fingers and Tumnus looked down at him.
"Can you tell us a story?" the small, male faun asked, pointing to the faun children standing near the stone bench under a large tree.
"Alright," Tumnus said as they walked toward the faun children and Tumnus looked down at the small, male faun. "What is your name?"
"My name is Tumnus," Little Tumnus said, smiling up at him.
"That is a very good name," Tumnus said as Little Tumnus led him to a stone bench and Tumnus sat down. The faun children gathered around him as he looked at them then started telling how he met Lucy and the clouds moved slowly across the sky.