The group got up and moving quite early in the morning to continue the journey to find Aslan and get help for Edmund.
"Now, Aslan's camp is near the Stone Table just across the frozen river," Mr. Beaver pointed out.
"River?" Peter asked.
"Oh, the river's been frozen solid for a hundred years," Mrs. Beaver said.
Peter looked out at the great distance they still had to go. "It's so far."
"It's the world, dear. Did you expect it to be small?"
Susan gave Peter a coy look. "Smaller."
They all continued their journey and Elaine's eyes were beginning to hurt from all the whiteness surrounding them.
"Come on, humans!" Mr. Beaver called. "While we're still young."
Peter stopped walking for a second and crouched down so Lucy could get on his back. "If he tells us to hurry one more time, I'm going to turn him into a big fluffy hat."
"Hurry up! Come on!"
"He is getting a little bossy," Lucy remarked.
"No! Behind you! It's her!" Mrs. Beaver cried.
They looked behind them and saw a sleigh quickly approaching. Peter quickly set Lucy down, and they all began running towards the trees as fast as they could, knowing if they got caught by the White Witch, they would all die.
Once they made it to the trees, Mr. Beaver directed them to a place where they were hidden from the snow. "Inside! Dive! Dive!"
They watched in fear as a shadow loomed on the snow in front of them. It stayed there for what felt like hours until it disappeared from the whiteness.
"Maybe she's gone," Lucy said quietly after a few seconds.
"I suppose I'll go look," Peter said, preparing to venture out. Elaine unconsciously put her hand on him, unwilling to see him slaughtered at the hands of the Witch.
"No!" Mr. Beaver said quickly. "You're worth nothing to Narnia dead."
"Well, neither are you, Beaver," Mrs. Beaver said to her husband.
"Thanks, sweetheart."
Mr. Beaver left the safety of their hideout, and the seconds passed by painstakingly slow as they all hoped and prayed that Mr. Beaver was alright.
Suddenly, his head popped in front of them which surprised them so much that Lucy and Elaine let out small screams.
"Come out! Come out! I hope you've all been good, because there's someone here to see you!"
The four humans came out into the open and were met with the last person they expected to see: Father Christmas.
"Merry Christmas, sir!" Lucy smiled.
"It certainly is, Lucy, since you have arrived," Father Christmas said to the girl.
Susan turned to the older ones. "Look, I've put up with a lot since I got here, but this…"
"We thought you were the Witch," Peter said before Susan could finish.
"Yes, yes, I'm sorry about that," Father Christmas apologized. "But, in my defense, I have been driving one of these longer than the Witch."
"I thought there was no Christmas in Narnia," Susan said.
"No. For a long time. But the hope you that have brought, Your Majesties, is finally starting to weaken the Witch's power. Still, I dare say you could do with these!" He took a huge sack out from the back of his sleigh.
"Presents!" Lucy cried with delight.
Father Christmas laughed and took out a couple of items from his bag before going over to the youngest sibling. "The juice of the fire flower," he said as he gave her a small bottle filled with red liquid. "One drop will cure any injury. And though I hope you never have to use it…" He handed her a small dagger.
"Thank you, sir. But I think I could be brave enough."
"I'm sure you could. But battles are ugly affairs." He went back to his bag and pulled out two more items. "Susan. Trust in this bow and it will not easily miss."
Susan hesitantly took the bow and arrows. "What happened to 'battles are ugly affairs'?"
Father Christmas chuckled lightly before giving her an intricately carved horn. "Though you don't seem to have a problem making yourself heard, blow on this, and wherever you are, help will come."
"Thanks."
Father Christmas pulled out another two items and looked at the eldest sibling. "And, Peter. The time to use these may be near at hand." He handed Peter a sword and a shield with a lion on it.
Peter took the sword out of its sheath and examined its gorgeous quality. "Thank you, sir."
Elaine smiled at the others. Those objects were some rather exciting gifts that she was sure would come in handy with what they were supposedly destined to face.
"Elaine," Father Christmas said.
Elaine's head snapped over to look at the older man. "What?" she said softly, taking a small step forward. "You…have something for me as well?"
"Of course I do." He produced two additional gifts from his bag, one she wasn't quite sure how it managed to fit. "Use this well, and it shall not miss its mark." He handed her a long wooden staff with beautiful golden Narnian designs etched on it. "And if you ever find yourself lost or confused, look into this and the answer you need will come to you." He presented her with a beautiful silver mirror that felt ordinary, but she had no doubt that it would do what he said it could.
"Thank you very much," Elaine said. She couldn't understand why she was being given gifts. So far, all signs pointed to the conclusion that she wasn't supposed to be here in Narnia, and yet, here was she was with presents from Father Christmas.
"These are tools, not toys," Father Christmas explained. "Bear them well and wisely. Now, I best be off. Winter is almost over, and things do pile up when you've been gone a hundred years! Long live Aslan! And Merry Christmas!"
Father Christmas rode off as they all shouted their thanks and good-byes.
"Told you he was real," Lucy said to Susan.
"He said winter was almost over," Peter remarked. "You know what that means. No more ice."
At the realization that their path was quickly going to be useless if they didn't get there in time, the group went as fast as they could to the frozen river. When they got there, they saw with horror that the ice was quickly melting and floating away, taking away their shortcut.
"We need to cross now!" Peter said.
"Don't beavers make dams?" Lucy asked.
"I'm not that fast, dear!" Mr. Beaver told her.
Peter took Lucy's hand. "Come on!"
"Wait, will you just think about this for a minute?" Susan demanded.
"We don't have a minute!"
"I'm just trying to be realistic."
"No, you're trying to be smart. As usual!"
Elaine awkwardly left the ensuing confrontation and they all began making their way down to the river. When they reached the ice, Peter carefully stepped on it, but it immediately began to break. On instinct, Elaine quickly pulled him away and back on land.
"Wait, maybe I should go first," Mr. Beaver said.
"Maybe you should."
Mr. Beaver slowly went out onto the ice, slapping it with its tail to test its strength. Several times, the ice cracked beneath him.
"You've been sneaking second helpings, haven't you?" Mrs. Beaver said to him.
"Well, you never know which meal's gonna be your last. Especially with your cooking."
Elaine smiled a little, but it quickly disappeared when she began to traverse out onto the ice with Peter leading the way. Lucy screamed as she tripped on a portion of the ice, but Peter caught her before she fell.
"If our mums knew what we were doing…" Susan started.
Peter rolled his eyes and glared at her. "Our mums aren't here!"
Ice fell from the waterfall which made them all glance up. The wolves were crossing the waterfall above them to cut them off!
"Oh, no!" Lucy cried.
"Run!" Peter exclaimed as he grabbed Lucy's hand.
They tried to quickly hop over the ice, but they didn't make it before Maugrim stood in front of them and growled. They turned the other way and found several more wolves boxing them in on the ice. Mr. Beaver hissed at one of the wolves, but the wolf lunged at him and sank his teeth into his throat.
"No!" Mrs. Beaver screamed.
Peter whipped out his sword and aimed it at Maugrim.
"Put that down, boy," Maugrim growled. "Someone could get hurt."
"Don't worry about me!" Mr. Beaver shouted. "Run him through!"
Elaine took a firm hold of her staff and stood next to Peter, aiming her weapon at the same enemy. Peter spared a glance at her, and she nodded to him, silently telling him she had his back.
"Leave now while you can, and your brother leaves with you."
Susan looked at Peter after hearing those words. "Stop, Peter! Maybe we should listen to him!"
Maugrim chuckled darkly. "Smart girl."
"Don't listen to him!" Mr. Beaver said. "Kill him! Kill him now!"
"He's right, Susan!" Elaine said quickly. "We can't trust him! Or anyone working for the White Witch!"
"Oh, come on," Maugrim said, slowly inching forward. "This isn't your war. All my Queen wants is for you to take your family and go."
"Well, that's not what anyone else wants!"
"Look, just because some man in a red coat hands you a sword and a staff, it doesn't make you a hero!" Susan told the older ones desperately. "Just drop them!"
Elaine looked at her and back at Maugrim. "We can't."
"No, Peter!" Mr. Beaver urged again. "Narnia needs you! Gut him while you still have a chance!"
Maugrim inched forward even more. "What's it gonna be, Son of Adam? I won't wait forever. And neither will the river!"
"Peter!" Lucy screamed.
They all looked up and found water beginning to burst through the ice. Peter frantically looked around for a way to save everyone's lives.
"Hold on to me!" he shouted.
Lucy, Susan, and Elaine clutched onto his coat as he sank his sword into the ice they were standing on. The water came bursting forth which send a wave straight for them. The girls all screamed as they felt the water lift up the ice and wash over them.
Elaine could not describe how she felt when she was submerged into the water. It was freezing cold, and it seemed to sink through her skin into her bones. The fact that they were clinging to a piece of ice didn't help.
Just when she couldn't hold her breath any longer, the patch of ice broke through the surface and they could finally breathe again. Lucy squealed as the ice floated down the river with the current. Elaine's lip quivered from the cold as she took in gulps of air.
The Beavers swam over to them and pushed the piece of ice over to the bank. Susan and Elaine got onto the ground, and turned back to Peter. He had a panicked look on his face, and they realized he was holding Lucy's coat. No Lucy.
"What have you done?!" Susan exclaimed.
"Lucy!" Elaine called.
"Lucy!"
"Has anyone seen my coat?" a small voice said.
Peter whipped around and relief washed over him as he saw his little sister approaching them. He gently helped her put her coat back on as Elaine and Susan smiled.
"Don't you worry, dear," Mr. Beaver said. "Your brother's got you well looked after."
"And I don't think you'll be needing those coats anymore," Mrs. Beaver added.
They looked over at the trees and saw that the snow was beginning to melt, and the pink flowers on the trees were blossoming once again.
