Chapter Twelve: Stone

~o*o~

There, filling the courtyard were hundreds of stone statues. Eustace stepped into the courtyard and looked at them in wonder. They were so perfectly carved that they could have been real animals turned to stone. Their cheerless expressions cast a dark shadow over the courtyard and made Eustace feel that this was an evil place.

There were great centaurs, minotaurs, a dragon, scores of animals like horses, dogs, foxes, wisents, eagles and the like. There were unicorns and griffins, stags and rabbits. Their expressions were so intensely sad and lost that Eustace, for a moment, felt sorry for them.

Suddenly the hairs on Eustace's neck began to prickle. He felt as if something, rather someone was behind him. Eustace heard no sound but he felt a presence. Slowly, very slowly he turned and around and looked right into the burning blue eyes of a white wolf. Eustace recognized him at once as Shard.

"So," Shard said, "You've come?"

"Y-yes," Eustace said, still staring into those cold blazing eyes of blue fire.

"You would really betray your cousins?" Shard hissed, "Your own flesh and blood?"

"I'm not betraying them," Eustace said simply, "They betrayed me. I'm only going to someone I know is my friend."

Shard laughed a dry humorless laugh.

"Shard?" a sharp commanding voice echoed behind the white wolf and Eustace looked up and saw a huge black wolf, "What have you got there?"

"A human," Shard turned around, "who wishes to see her majesty."

"Fenris!" the black wolf turned and called.

Instantly a gray wolf appeared out of the shadows, "yes Maugrim?'

"Go in to her majesty and inquire whether she wishes to see this human before we finish him off."

"Yes Maugrim," Fenris melted into the shadows.

A minute later Fenris reappeared, "She wishes to see him."

"Shard," Maugrim said, "take this two legged pepperoni in to see her majesty."

"You heard him," Shard turned to Eustace. "March, I'm right behind you."

Eustace marched.

He was just beginning to decide to make a run for it when Shard directed him into a long hall filled with icy blue light. The door of it was guarded by two minotaurs with battle axes.

Eustace stared about himself. it was blue, white, ice. The columns looked like giant icicles, his feet slid across the floor. His head began to throb. A dark shape crouched against the wall and Eustace stared at it. It was heavily built with a boxy snout and it was covered with dark grayish brown hair. Its legs were short, but its forelegs were longer then the hind legs. Its chest was broad, almost manlike. With horror, Eustace realized he was looking upon a werewolf.

He looked away quickly and caught sight of a throne. Seated on the throne was the white lady, beside her, just kneeling on the steps to the throne, her head against Jadis' leg, was a little girl dressed in green.

They walked the length of the room and Eustace stood before the white lady.

"Kneel before her majesty," Shard hissed.

Eustace dropped to his knees, "Please your majesty," he stuttered, "I've brought my cousins quite close, they're at the beavers."

The white lady looked down at Eustace as she twined her fingers through the green girl's dark auburn hair, "you have done well, you shall be rewarded," with one quick motion she grabbed her wand and drove it towards Eustace, but didn't quite touch him.

Eustace's legs began to feel numb and cold and he stared down at his hand as it turned to white marble. He looked wildly around himself and caught sight of Shard, looking at him with pain in his now soft blue eyes. Eustace's cry died at his stone lips.

"Shard!" Jadis looked up from Eustace and Shard snapped to attention, "Fetch Maugrim!"

Shard hurried away and returned with Maugrim.

"Yes your majesty?" Maugrim bowed.

"Go," Jadis said, "take twenty of your best wolfs to the beavers dam, bring all you find there to me, if they are not there, track them."

~o*o~

"Well, there he goes, there's no stopping him once he gets an idea in his head," Mr. Beaver said, "Well, I might as well try to get some shut eye while it's still night."

"Peter?" Susan said after Mr. Beaver's steady breathing told her that he was asleep.

"Yes?" Peter said.

"It's really dangerous," Susan said, "isn't it?"

"Yes," Edmund broke in.

"You're still awake?" Susan asked.

"Yes, of course I am!"

"Is Lucy awake?" Susan asked.

"No," Peter said, he could feel her head on his shoulder, "She fell asleep awhile ago."

Peter shifted slightly.

"Ow!" Edmund said.

"What's wrong?" Susan asked.

"Peter kicked me," Edmund said, "He's got a jolly powerful kick."

"I was thinking," Susan said quietly, "what if Aslan is just as bad or worse than the witch?"

"I was thinking the same thing," Edmund said, "nasty thought."

"I don't think so," Peter said, "I have this feeling about him, it's so odd…I feel like he's something wonderful."

"Really?" Susan said after a moment, "I rather do too; I really want to believe in him."

"It was when his name was first mentioned," Edmund said, "I felt like that too, but it wears off."

"I wonder if God can hear us here," Susan said softly.

"I'm sure he can," Peter said, "I know he can."

The darkness was heavy and smothering. Only a little light from the moon filtered through the entrance to the hole, but it made the darkness darker.

"Well," Peter said after a moment, "We should probably get some sleep while we can."

Silent breathing answered him. The dark and cold surrounded them and weighed down on them. The wild, ethereal sound of a wolf howling sent a chill down Peter's spine.

"Dear God," he whispered softly, "if you can hear me here, then please watch over us, especially Lucy, she's so small, and watch over Eustace."

~o*o~

Mr. Beaver's morning yawn split the silence and everyone woke.

"Is It morning already?" Edmund moaned, "I thought I just went to sleep!"

"Yes," Susan said, "Up, don't lie around."

Suddenly everyone fell silent for they heard a nose that made their hearts turn to ice.

A/n I'm sure you can guess who…

Coming up:

Chibb has some problems, Shard puts in an appearance and begins to show his true colors.