"On the North"

"Are you sure of it, my queen?" The centaur looked at her with concern. Lucy refrained a sigh.

"I need you here. These people need help. And it will be easier for one human to climb the high mountains than for the group of centaurs. No offence", she added quickly with a hint of guilt. She should have been politer. "I know I can always count on you and I am grateful for that", she added gently. Fern gazet at her devoutly.

"Your wish is my command."

She smiled to him warmly and without further discussion packed her things for the trip. She planned to head West-North, more to the West than her brother followed the giant, hoping she would find some of the talking animals living in the high mountains and they would tell her more about those strange disappearanses in the Wild Lands. The mistery intrigued her and at the same time, made her feel very excited. This was not the quest for an army, it was exactly for someone like her. Who could easily make friends with animals and gain their trust.

She didn't plan to stay there long, wasn't prepared for that. But she thought she had enough warm clothes for the night or two and as the weather was quite gentle even up high, she just packed more food and water, blankets, a rope and left the camp early in the Morning. The wall of ice in her dream wasn't even surprising to her anymore, neither were the dancing foxes. White foxes this time.

As long as it was possibe, she rode on the horse. It took her almost to the point where the woods were getting thinner and the trees got replaced by the low bushes and the rocks became sharper. She ordered the animal to come back to the camp and headed up. The day was as beautiful, as always. The sun was shining so strongly that very quickly it got too hot and she needed to cover her head from the sunburn. Everything there was looking peaceful and innocent. She didn't notice any presence of the giants, in fact, she didn't feel any presence at all. No lizards, no smaller animals. No birds. At first she thought it was due to the giants. It was not a big surprise that the animals were instinctively looking for safer places to raise their young ones. Or, also possible, they were just hiding, not acquainted with sudden trespassers, like her. With this thought she prepared herself for the night. In a little valley she found a perfect rock formation, protecting her from the wind from all around, with a little stream running in the middle. The water was wonderfully refreshing. She ate her dinner, spread one blanket on the ground as her bed, and, covered by the other, stared at the stars.

"The queen is coming!" Little foxes danced in the circle.

"The queen is coming." A white bear approached the foxes and looked at Lucy very seriously. She was standing next to them, with her feet buried in the snow and couldn't keep her eyes off the ice wall in front of her. The ice shone and seemed to float gently on the surface. She wanted to touch it, but then she woke up. To her surprise, she realized she must have been sleeping the entire night and what woke her up was a sunbeam coming directly to her eyes. She stretched and yawned, not fully conscious yet. A sudden ruffling in her food supllies sack drew her attention. Lucy jumped to her feet at once and looked. There was no visible threat, but after a while the ruffling repeated. Her sack with food definitely moved. She found a little wooden stick lying on the ground and poked quite strongly at the spot, where she saw the movement.

"Auch! Stop that!" She heard and to her big surprise a beautiful, fluffy white-silver fox's head appeared in the opening, with her favourite cheese in his mouth.

"And what are you doing here?! So high in the mountains? And stealing my food?" She asked the creature, although in fact she felt like laughing.

"Stealing, stealing! I was hungry!" The fox's voice sounded offended. With a loud 'gulp' it swallowed the last piece of cheese. Lucy grinned and reached her bag.

"Come on, let's have breakfast together, then."

The fox instantly raised the tail and ears and jumped to her. Lucy caressed its puffy fur and took out more cheese and some pieces of smoked fish she still had from the camp. She watched with amusement how quickly her new little friend devoured it.

"So, what brings you here? I thought you guys live a little bit lower?" She asked curiously. The fox stared at her unfinished piece of fish. She laughed and handled it to him.

"Thank you... and who are you exactly?" He asked.

"I am Lucy. Queen Lucy the Valliant", she corrected herself, expecting some signs of impression or admiration from the creature. But the fox didn't look happy. Or impressed at all. "Queen of Narnia?" She precised.

"Yes, I know. Indeed. Well, I will be going now. Thank you for the meal and good day... Your Majesty!"

"Wait!" She grabbed his tail. "Not so fast!" The fox looked nervously around and struggled, but she didn't let go.

"I am not going to harm you. But you need to tell me what is going on! And why are you afraid of me? Please, I just want to talk to you!"

"It's nothing personal", the fox explained, not looking at her.

"So, what's the problem, then?"

"It's just... we do not fancy Narnia much nowadays."

She opened her eyes widely from astonishment.

"Why?"

"It's..." the fox looked very uncomfortable and looked at her apologetically, turning away again. She let go of its tail.

"It's too hot for us." The creature pointed its very thick and beautiful fur. "See, we were used to the snow. It was giving us shelter, and was soft and cool, and clean. We, white foxes, were happy. And then, one day, all the snow melted at once. We lost our homes and the woods were already taken by so many others. So we came here, to the mountains. But it is difficult to find something to eat over here. And there are giants..." He stared at the ground.

Lucy was thrilled and felt very guilty. It never occured to her there were creatures in Narnia who didn't like summer. Who didn't have home after the war. She thought everybody was happy. Suddenly she felt she must have been blind for most of her life. How many of them were also feeling like that, over the years? She felt tears coming to her eyes.

"How can I help you?" She asked softly.

"Thank you, but we don't need any help. Not anymore!" The ears went up as the animal clearly brightened. "We have found a new home. I am heading there now in fact. So, will you excuse me!"

"No!" She stopped him again. Somehow she felt it was very important to learn more from that creature. "Take me with you! I want to see your new home."

"But it is far away."

"I don't care. I can visit you, can't I? You ate my food after all... Please?" She decided to approach the fox from the softer side. The animal didn't look mean and Lucy really wanted to be friends with him. He gazed at her, unsure.

"It is not up to me, really. But you can walk with me if you so insist."

Lucy smiled and quickly packed all her things. The fox still looked distrustful but didn't try to escape anymore.

"So, how far we go?"

"I don't know." He answered. She blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"The shortcut is changing. It can be here; it can be there. We must look and watch carefully."

"I knew it is something magical!" She felt how her heart beat faster. She didn't feel that excited for many years and somehow, she wasn't afraid. Lucy was very sure she could tell if an animal or any other creature was good or bad. At least she strongly believed in it.

"So, what are we supposed to be looking for?" She continued, curiously.

"The snow. Or the wall..."

"...of ice?" She asked silently. Her voice was shaking.

The fox gazed at her and nodded.

"You have seen it, too. Probably that is the reason, we have met."

She followed him in silence after that, looking impatiently around. But there was nothing but rocks, hour after hour, they headed up, the air got much colder and she started to be tired. Definitely it was easier for the fox to climb. She had a big backpack that seemed heavier with every step. Finally, she decided to stop for some rest. The cave that gave them some protection from the wind, was almost on the very top of the line of mountains separating Narnia from The Wild Lands of the North, as they were called. With a sigh of relief Lucy sat, drank some water and ate more bread, fish and cheese. The fox happily helped her in this.

"If it goes on like this, we run out of food." She checked the supplies.

"No, we won't. Look!"

The cave's wall started to change. First, the surface got smooth and then brighter. Much brighter. Lucy gasped. The wall of ice was before her and she definitely wasn't sleeping. Not thinking or hesitating, like in enchantment, Lucy reached out her hand and touched its surface. She felt no resistance, but a chilly air, coming like from an open window. She took one step and vanished in the wall.