"Grandpapa," one of the young Fauns called out fearfully. "Who is that?"
"Edmund!" Lucy hissed. "Put that thing down."
Staring the elder Faun in the face, he lowered his sword.
"My deepest apologies, Fluntisk. I didn't mean too…" Edmund trailed off. Some of his earlier anger was slowly dripping out of him as he relaxed in the homely setting.
The two young Fauns looked at their motionless Grandfather. Then, the youngest turn to Edmund.
"You broke him!" she cried. "Fix him!"
Lucy hurried over, kneeling in front of the elderly Faun. She took his hands, and looked him in the face.
"Are you alright, sir?"
The Faun didn't move.
"Ed?" she called, still staring the elder in the face. "Do something."
"I'm trying, Lucy." he snapped. As if a light bulb turned on in his head, he did the only thing any sensible person would do.
He opened his skin bottle and poured out the contents of cold, fresh water over the old Faun's head.
"Ah! Wha-wha, oh!" Flintisk cried. "I'm so sorry, your Majesties! I guess it's old age…"
Lucy smirked, standing from her position on the floor.
"It's alright, my friend," she said cheerfully (well, as cheerful as one could be in this situation) "But don't let it happen again."
He nodded, trying to stand to greet his Monarchs properly. Edmund pushed him back gently.
"Don't bother, soldier. It's alright."
Flintisk looked up at him, quizzically. "How do you still remember me, sire?" he asked. "It's been awhile, has it not?"
"Aye, it has," Edmund said. "But I don't forget people who have given good impressions. Just like yourself."
The old Faun sighed, leaning back in his seat. His grandchildren cuddled into either side of him.
"What are they, grandpapa?" one asked.
"Oh!" Flintisk cried. "I almost forgot. Queen Lucy, King Edmund, Daleen," he nodded towards his old companion. "These are my grandchildren; Helda and Zarin."
Zarin gasped, leaning into his Grandfather's ear, attempting to whisper. "So they are the ones you fought with? The reason the mean Lady is gone?"
The Faun laughed, noticing his grandson's remark was heard throughout the hut.
"Yes," he replied, ruffling Zarin's hair. "Yes it is."
Both young Fauns stared up at the young Monarchs. Then, Helda leaned into her grandfather's ear, doing the same as her brother.
"But they're not much older than Porten!"
Before anyone could answer her statement, Lucy coughed.
"Please, we'd like to know all we can."
"And we are not allowing you too leave. At least, not now." Edmund added. "Wait until the rest of our guard gets here; then we can count our numbers."
And so Flintisk started his tale. He told them about how it started no more than a month past. How children had started disappearing from their beds. How no evidence was left behind. How one night, a family had tried to escape, but had been threatened by a Hag that she would bewitch the whole town if they did so. So then they stayed. Then the next morning, the townsfolk found followers of the White Witch surrounding their perimeter. No one could leave. How sometimes, during the school hours, children would come home in tears, claiming they had be threatened.
It was a very complicated and long story.
"And so, seeing as I was one of the only fighters here-even if I am retired, I had been elected as one of the people to guard the children's' sleeps. I would sit there all night, and nothing would happen. Until one night, I'd been sitting with an old friend of mine, Daffin, you probably don't remember him, Majesties, he didn't get to the battle until the end. We were in the Town Square, in front of the schoolhouse, waiting, watching, and then someone had thrown something our way. We don't remember anything from after that. Except, the next morning, we found four more children missing."
"Four…" Edmund murmured. "Is it always four?"
"I don't know, Majesty." Flintisk replied, scratching his head. "I don't recall every child gone missing. It's as if…as if someone is wiping them from our minds."
Lucy had opened her mouth to respond, but there was a sudden scratch at the door.
Edmund unsheathed his sword once more, Lucy behind him. Gritting his teeth, Edmund muttered firmly. "Stay back. All of you."
Lucy rolled her eyes, staying a few steps behind her brother. As he opened the door, she let out a sigh of relief.
"Darkar!" she cried. "You made it!"
The Tiger growled, bounding joyously around his king, finding himself wrapped up in one of Lucy's famous hugs.
"So I did, your Majesty. Nice to see you're all well then."
Edmund shut the door, then turned to their new visitor.
"Darkar, I have a message for you to return to Fordunus."Immediately, the Tiger stiffened, acting serious once more. He turned in Lucy's lap and look up at him.
"Yes, King Edmund?"
"Tell him to only send down four of the men. Two of them will stay with us, the other two will escort Flintisk and his kin back up to our camp. We may be sending more by the end of the week. I trust you know of a way out of here?"
"I'm a Tiger, sire! Of course I know how to swerve myself out of unpleasant situations. Do you have any preferences?"
"We trust you all, Darkar. Now go. Make haste."
With one lick on the hand to both of the Monarchs, the Hound was bounding out back to where he'd come from.
I should probably stop for tonight…
Goodnight everybody! Thanks J