Chapter Ten
When the water retreated, Tumnus and Arayna realized they were in front of the large, iron door and the large, iron door opened. The Elders walked in the room while Tumnus moved in front of Arayna and the Elders could see the anger in his eyes.
"Well done," the first female faun said while Tumnus balled his hands into fists and a low, inhuman growl rumbled from his throat. His father had ingrained into him that he should never hit a female, but something inside him wanted to pound all three of them into a pile of blood, flesh and bone. Arayna slid her arm around his waist as he looked at her then sighed and the anger roaring inside him swiftly melted away.
"We were concerned that you wouldn't rescue her in time," the second female faun said as he glared at her and his heart slammed in his ears.
"Come, you must eat and rest," the third female faun said as they turned and left the room. Arayna saw the anger returning to his eyes as Tumnus sighed and they left the room while the large, iron door closed silently behind them.
The fire crackled in the fireplace as tips of hair peeked out of the top of the duvet when Tumnus moved the duvet down and gently held onto the top of the pillow. Yawning, Tumnus opened his eyes when he rolled onto his back and looked at the shadows moving on the ceiling. Moving the duvet back, Tumnus got out of bed when he noticed the plates of food and a silver pitcher on the table as he shook the sleep out of his head and walked to the table, moving the chair back. Sitting down, he started eating when the door opened and he looked up, seeing the third female faun in the doorway. The third female faun walked toward the table then stood near the chair as he looked at her and she smiled, placing her hands behind her back.
"Good morning," Tumnus said.
"Good morning. Are you ready for the last test?" the third female faun asked.
"Yes. Um, if you don't mind, what is the last test? Do I have to solved puzzles or riddles?"
"No, but you will finally understand things that have been haunting you mind," she said as he frowned, titled his head to one side and sipped on some tea.
"I don't understand," Tumnus said as she sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You will see soon enough. Now, eat, the food is getting cold," the third female faun said as he shrugged then started eating and noticed the sad look in her eyes. He ate when he started feeling dizzy as black dots swirled around in front of his eyes and his blood softly pounded in his ears. He dropped the fork onto the plate when he slid out of the chair and she caught him, sliding onto the floor and held him in her arms.
"What did you do to me?" Tumnus whispered as he closed his eyes and she stroked his hair while tears trickled down her cheeks.
"I am so sorry," the third female faun whispered while holding him against her chest and gently rocked him back and forth as the fire crackled in the fireplace.
"Stick?" a voice called out as Tumnus opened his eyes then slowly sat up, shaking his head side to side. Looking around, he noticed that he was in a cave as the torches in iron holders on the walls flickered and he blinked his eyes a few times.
"Are you coming or not?" a voice called out as he slowly got up, held onto the wall with one hand and shook his head out as he tried to figure out what was going on. He recognized the voices, but a part of him couldn't believe what he was hearing and he sighed, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. He moved down the tunnel when he noticed light coming from the mouth of the cave and sighed, walking outside. He suddenly noticed that he was in a forest as he looked up at the sky and the sun shimmered off the leaves while the wind gently blew on his skin.
"This way, Stick," a voice called out as he walked along the trail then stopped suddenly and looked at the lamppost. He blinked his eyes a few times when he felt someone tap him on the back of his head and he spun around, seeing no one behind him. Sighing, he looked around when he felt like he had to home when he half ran toward the trees and the wind whistled in his ears. The rocks rose around him when he stopped in front of the door to his house and breathed hard and fast through his nose.
"Are you coming in or not?" a voice called out as he walked to the door and jumped as the door slowly opened. Placing his hand on the worn wood, he walked inside as he looked around and stood at the top of the stairs. He walked slowly down the stairs when the door slammed shut and he spun around, looking at the door. Slowly turning around, he landed hard on his bottom on the step after he saw his brothers standing at the bottom of the stairs and his eyes widened, his blood pounding loudly in his ears.
"No, it can't be," Tumnus whispered as he tried to stand up, but his legs refused to work and Talnus walked closer, hold his hand out.
"Up you come," Talnus said as he helped Tumnus to his hooves then down the stairs and Tumnus noticed the large, oozing gash across Talnus' chest.
"She, um, she killed me," Tumnus whispered in reference to the third female faun and Tamnus walked closer, placing his hand on Tumnus' shoulder.
"You're not dead, Stick. Well, not yet," Tamnus said and Tumnus saw that Tamnus' throat was cut, the blood spread out in a dark stain across his neck and chest.
"I don't understand."
"Your heart's got a few beats left, but that's beside the point. You're here for a reason," Telnus said as he took the pipe off the mantel then removed a long matchstick out of the wooden box and lit the long matchstick. Tumnus watched the smoke come out of the large hole in Telnus' chest as Telnus puffed on the pipe then looked down and sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Always said that would kill you," Ternus teased as Telnus glared at him and growled. Tumnus saw a large hole in Ternus' stomach while some of Ternus' internal organs dangled out of the large hole and Tumnus felt a little ill.
"Why am I here?" Tumnus asked as he blinked his eyes a few times and started pacing back and forth.
"Why are any of us here?" Timnus teased as Tumnus stood in front of him and noticed that he was missing one arm and he could see the wall behind Timnus through the large, oozing hole in the middle of Timnus' chest.
"I'm still trying to wrap my head around it," Tolnus said as he walked closer and Tumnus saw that Tolnus' head was under one of his arms and Tumnus sat on the wooden stool in front of the fireplace.
"That will be enough! Can't you see this is confusing him?" a female voice asked as a female faun came down the stairs and Tumnus' eyes widened while he looked at her. Something about her was familiar as she walked closer and his brothers backed away, all of them except Tolnus lowered their heads in shame.
"Sorry, Mum," Tamnus said as the female faun stood in front of the wooden stool then knelt down in front of Tumnus and placed her hand on top of his hand.
"He, uh, he called you "Mum". Are you our mother?" Tumnus whispered as she softly smiled and brushed the hair out of his eyes.
"Yes, I am," she said and the blood pounded louder in his ears.
"What is your name?" he asked and felt the tears trickling down his cheeks.
"My name is Tyna."
"If any of this is a part of the test, I don't understand what I am supposed to do."
"Well, is there anything you want to ask us? Is there anything you need to know?" Talnus asked as he walked closer and knelt next to Tyna.
"Yes, all I ever wanted to know is how I was supposed to be anything with you as my brothers! You were all stronger, braver, smarter and bolder then I was! No matter what I did, I never thought I could be you!"
"Who said you had to be?" Telnus asked while walking closer and knelt next to Talnus.
"Did you know that every faun I talked to while growing up would tell me how one of you did this or one of you did that then get asked why I never did anything like that? Why was I so shy and so careful? Why didn't I ever take chances? I'll tell you why! It is because I never felt like I was any good! That I was nothing like Father or you! Do you know where that got me? It got me alone, imprisoned, tortured and turned into a statue! If it wasn't for Aslan, I would still be a statue! Does that make me feel better that he did turn me back? No, it doesn't! I have suffered more for it and, even though I have had enough pain to last a thousand life times, I can't escape what I am! I am nothing more than a coward, a traitor and a useless excuse for a faun!" Tumnus shouted while the tears rolled freely down his cheeks and Tamnus walked closer, slapping him hard enough to knock him off the wooden stool and Tumnus landed hard on his bottom.
"TAMNUS!" Tyna shouted as she scooped Tumnus into her arms, wiped the blood dribbling out his nose and rocked him back and forth.
"I will NOT have you talking like that! Don't you think we haven't been watching you? We have! None of us would have done half of what you have done!" Tamnus shouted as Tumnus wiped the blood from his nose and glared up at his brother.
"Name one thing I have done that none of you wouldn't have done?" Tumnus demanded as Tyna rocked him and gently stroked his hair.
"Alright," Tolnus said as he sat on the floor in front of him and Tumnus cringed watching Tolnus tried to balance his severed head on his lap. "I think we all agree that none of us would have let that little human go."
"I would have just led her right to Jadis' castle then gave her over to the witch," Timnus said.
"Yeah, why put yourself in danger over some human?" Ternus asked.
"Better her then me," Telnus said.
"You, um, you mean that?" Tumnus asked.
"Yeah, and I think that would have stopped the war, winter would have ended and things would have been alright," Ternus said.
"It wouldn't have been alright! It still would have been winter!"
"Hush now," Tyna said as she gently stroked the hair on his chest over his heart and Tumnus looked down, softly smiling.
"The other thing we wouldn't have done is free Father from that labor camp," Tamnus said and Tumnus' eyes widened.
'Yeah, going to war was one thing, but going on a suicide mission is just insane," Timnus said.
"But it was our father!" Tumnus said and Tyna hushed him, gently rocking him back and forth.
"And where did it get you? You nearly died!" Tamnus corrected.
"Just goes to show that you are braver then all of us put together," Talnus teased as he ruffled Tumnus' hair and Tumnus sighed, looking at the wall.
"Were you ever ashamed of me?" Tumnus asked as they looked at each other and blinked their eyes a few times.
"No!" they said at once and Tumnus softly laughed.
"Are you ashamed of us?" Timnus asked.
"No," Tumnus said and shook his head.
"Well, we have to go," Talnus said as Tumnus watched them slowly fade away then looked up at Tyna and frowned, snuggling closer.
"I don't remember you," Tumnus whispered.
"You were so small that I am surprised if you remember me at all," Tyna whispered and gently stroked his back. "Would you like me to tell you how I met you father?"
"Yes, please."
"Well, I lived in a small shire not far from your father's shire and it was at a moonlight feast. He was slightly drunk and was dancing around the fire, yelping and swinging his arms like something on fire. I just watched him and he was the most amazing faun I had ever seen. Days later, I was walking in the forest and saw him with some of his friends. They were hopping stones in the stream and he jumped from stone to stone like a deer. Suddenly he fell into the water and came up with his hair in his face. His friends laughed and he snorted, coming to shore right in front of me. He did remember me and we talked. He was such a charmer. He walked me home and came inside for some tea. That was when he asked my father if it was alright for him to court me. I was shocked! I had no idea that he even felt anything for me. He did admit being too shy to ask me to dance the night of the moonlight feast. We courted for a long time. The day we were married, he was so scared that he almost forgot the words to the marriage ceremony. A few years later, in the early summer, Talnus was born, but, to be honest, I felt like he was never going to come out. Tamnus came a few years later and took nearly as long to come out. Telnus was born in the summer during a storm and was the loudest crier. Ternus came in the spring and we were afraid that he was still born. It took a few good hits on his back to get him to breath. Timnus came in the fall and was the heaviest. Tolnus nearly fell out of me. I wasn't laying down when he decided to come out and your father just laughed."
"Do you remember the day I was born?"
"Yes, but before you were born, I had this dream. I saw the most amazing things and saw you as you are now. Just before I woke, someone whispered "Tumnus" and I knew that was your name. You were born in the summer, but not at home."
"Where was I born?"
"You were born in a glade surrounded by berry bushes. You father had seen your brothers being born so he knew what to do and you just came out. You cried so softly and were so tiny. I told your father that your name was "Tumnus" and we stayed the night under the stars. You were my little star and I knew that your life was going to be amazing."
"Was I good baby?"
"Well, you were the one that was always hungry! I couldn't keep you fed!" Tyna teased and he shyly smiled. "You loved to snuggle and be held. You would giggle when I would dry you after your bath and loved being rocked. To get you to sleep, I just hum something and you would be out like a light in no time. The thing was you were such a soft breather that I got scared. Your father found me many a night with my hand on your chest, making sure that you were breathing. You did love being in the sling I used to carry you in and hardly cried."
"I cry a lot nowadays."
"I know. I do remember warning your father not to jiggle you after a bath, but he never listened," Tyna said while brushing the hair from his right horn and he looked at her with a confused look on his face. "You see, you'd pee if you were jiggled. He didn't believe me until the day he did and you squirted him from chest to stomach!"
Tumnus softly laughed at the thought of him peeing on his father when he thought of something and looked up at her.
"Why don't you look like...Um...Well, like they did?" he asked and she gently kissed the top of his head.
"I want you to remember me looking like this," Tyna said as he blinked his eyes a few times then sighed and softly smiled up at her.
"How did you find out about what I have done? They said they had been watching me, but none of you could have seen everything."
"Aslan told me."
"You know Aslan?"
"Yes, now, is there anything else bothering you?"
"I still don't understand is why the fauns at Cair Paravel think me a coward and a traitor."
"Why do they think that you are?"
"That's just it. I don't know. Susan, Peter, Edmund and Lucy, the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve, have told me many times that they don't think of me that way. Father has told me the same. You and my brothers just told me that you don't think me a coward or a traitor. All my friends and those that live at Cair Paravel tell me that they don't think of me as such. I have met many fauns since I came to live with Arayna…. Um, she's….she…uh…. Anyway, they all tell me that I am a hero. So who did I betray?"
"Well, think about it. Is there anyone you've betrayed?" Tyna asked as he thought for a few moments then frowned, looking up at her.
"No, it can't be," Tumnus said when she placed her fingers on his lips and softly smiled at him. Suddenly the soft sound of a heartbeat filled the air as he yawned and she watched him slowly close his eyes. The last thing he remembered as he slid into the darkness was her gently stroking his hair and he sighed, tears trickling gently down his cheeks.