My first phanphic, so be merciful, I beg of you!

SUMMARY:

Part One: Basically, Tumnus' story of his friendship with Lucy.

Part Two: Their friendship after Lucy becomes Queen Lucy the Valiant of Narnia.

Part Three: Lucy and Tumnus reunite many years later, and how their friendship progresses into love.

Disclaimer: I don't own Lucy, Tumnus, or anything, really, in Part One. I get to own more stuff as the book progresses... but for now, I own nothing; I am simply a phanphiction hobo.

This chapter is extremely short in comparison to the others. It's not much of a chapter, really, but would make the previous too long, and would not be rightly placed in Chapter Five. It's just a bridge between the two.

Chapter Four:

An Act Forgiven

Tumnus was still lying in the corner in utter darkness when he heard stirring. He remained motionless, hoping she would just leave – leave and dismiss him from her mind. But he heard the footsteps and knew that wouldn't occur, it mattered not what he hoped.

The human girl came into view, her face murky in the dark. 'Why, Mr Tumnus!' she cried at the sight of him hiding in the corner and fear written all across his face. 'Whatever is the matter?'

'Oh – oh!' He wept softly, whispering the words: 'I'm such a bad faun.'

'Mr Tumnus,' consoled Lucy. 'what have you done?'

'It's not what I've done,' He moaned. 'It's what I'm doing.' He felt a pang of anguish in his heart as Lucy stepped back.

'Mr Tumnus . . . What is it?'

The words were colder to Tumnus than spoken aloud to the girl, unforgivable and ever-lingering:

'I'm kidnaping you.'

Lucy stepped back once more, into a beam of light from the window, and Tumnus could see her face clearly. Her face was sad, her voice wavering. 'I thought you were my friend,' said Lucy, sadly and dispiritedly accusing.

A single shining tear quavered in her eye, threatening to fall.

Mr. Tumnus stared directly into her bitter eyes as they shared an understanding that is impossible for this writer to verbalise.

Before she, or even Tumnus, knew what was happening, they were both out in the snow and black coldness. The faun tugged on her hand, dragging her along through the winter and whispering in haste words that she had no time to ponder upon.

'Mr Tumnus!' she shrieked. 'Stop, please!'

'No time,' he mumbled profusely. 'Have to be quiet . . . Even the trees, some of the trees . . .'

'Mr Tumnus, please don't kidnap me!'

Tumnus turned around to face her and bent down to meet her eye level. 'I could never do that, Lucy. I can see that now. But we must hurry.'

And before Lucy could say another word, they were off again. Leaping over roots and unidentifiable lumps covered by a layer of white they ran in a panicked rush. They slowed as Lucy saw a light above and ahead. The lamp-post, she realised when the run stopped into a clearing. Tumnus reduced to her eye level again. 'Now Lucy, Daughter of Eve, do you think you can find your way back from here?'

Lucy looked over his shoulder to the cluster of trees where she'd entered Narnia. 'I'm sure I can.'

Tumnus bit his lip as he looked at her child-face, and burst into an absurd bout of tears.

'Mr Tumnus, it'll be all right,' Lucy consoled, bringing a monogram handkerchief out of her pocket and handing it to the faun. Tumnus took it and buried his face within it, weeping hysterically.

'Oh, Lucy, Lucy,' he moaned. 'Please . . . can you ever forgive me for what I've done? For what I was going to do?'

'Of course I can.' Lucy smiled in attempt to solace his detonation of tears.

Tumnus straightened a little bit. 'I apologise. I shouldn't have ever done such a thing.'

'It's all right!' she promised. Tumnus gave a weak smile and handed her the damp handkerchief.

'Oh no, Mr Tumnus. You can keep it.'

Tumnus was taken aback by this act of forgiveness and wrung the square of cloth in his hands. 'Thank you.' He laughed shakily. 'I expect I'll be needing it rather more.' Lucy smiled, but Tumnus shoved her lightly ahead. 'Go, now. I don't know if it's safe here, now.'

Lucy stepped forward, then called over her shoulder, waving, 'Goodbye, Mr Tumnus!' She disappeared behind a gathering of trees before he could respond.

'Goodbye, Lucy Pevensie,' he whispered, and began the lonely, silent walk back to his den.

She had forgiven him.

The words resounded in his memory again and again. She'd forgiven him! After the horrible deed, the horrible intentions, she'd forgiven him. The child was so kind, so forgiving, and so completely wonderful. It seemed almost eerie that a child should be so adult in her actions. Yes, there was indeed something special about the Pevensie girl. She... she had. . .

She had seen him cry, and comforted him like . . . Well, like he was a child.

Tumnus was amazed and bewildered about this one fact. For what was, perhaps, the first time in his life, he'd cried in front of a child.

Perhaps this was why he became suddenly drawn to her as he went about his usual tasks when he'd returned home. Normally inevitably dull chores became a different, as though it was not he, Tumnus the Faun, doing the work. He had met a human. A true Daughter of Eve. And they were friends.

As he watched the flame return to the fireplace, he remembered with a sting of regret how he'd seen her suffer so. His wandering eyes landed upon the wooden flute, remaining in its place on the floor. With angry bitterness, he picked it up with ginger fingers and tossed it into the hearth.

It was consumed instantly by fire.