Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: 21 Yule 1006 will see the first lunar eclipse to occur on the Winter Solstice in four hundred years. Enemies of Narnia rejoice! For the time of the Golden Age will come to an end with the spilling of royal blood and Jadis will be revived!

A/N: If you have not read the first three stories in the A Light in the Darkness main story arc (Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed), I highly recommend you do so. However, if you want to give this one a whirl on its own, you can.

Chapter Fifteen: Susan

17 Yule 1006

Susan opened her eyes with a start. She hadn't even remembered falling asleep. Her eyes fell on the red snow, barely more than a dark stain in the pre-dawn gloom, where the fallen Werewolf had been devoured by his pack and she immediately had to look away, feeling sick to her stomach. Oh Aslan, what should I do? Susan froze as she realized the Werewolves were all sleeping. She had to try again. She would not give up.

She carefully rose to her feet, defying the little voice that whispered she would be better off waiting. Waiting for what? Logic said it would be hours or even days before anyone caught up with the Werewolves and, in all likelihood, she would be dead by then. She took one step then another and another until she was further from the Werewolves before she lifted her skirts and ran for the trees.

Her heart was pounding as she reached the trees and quickly hid behind a large fir tree. She held her breath listening, but no howls or snarls rang out. Perhaps Aslan had hidden her completely. Susan peeked around the trunk but she didn't see any of the Werewolves coming toward her. She leaned back against the trunk again and scanned the surrounding trees carefully, but none of them were Trees. She would have to move further into the woods to find help, perhaps, though, she would come across a patrol.

She waited a moment longer and then she ran deeper into the woods, pushing past branches heavy with snow and ice that pulled at her hair and scratched her face. She raised an arm to protect her face as she continued running in spite of the low visibility. She didn't dare stop. A small voice whispered that this was all too easy, but she firmly ignored it. She wouldn't let fear stop her.

Susan ran until suddenly her foot caught on the edge of a tree root and she fell. A soft cry of shock broke free as she tumbled down a steep embankment. She heard her skirt tearing. The snow at the bottom of the embankment was not as deep as it could have been and she landed heavily enough that she felt a sharp pain flare from her left ankle. She lay there panting for a moment as she tried to assess herself for injuries. Her skirt was torn, but only the overskirt…a dull ache radiated from her left ankle, which flared into a sharp pain the moment she tried to put her full weight on it. But, otherwise, she seemed no worse for wear.

Susan scanned the area but there was still no sign of any Trees nor was there any indication of friendly Beasts and Birds. She cautiously got back to her feet, the pain in her ankle wasn't so unbearable that she couldn't walk, thank Aslan. Still, she couldn't run as she had been, so logic dictated that she follow the little gulch until she found a place where she could easily climb out. Logic also dictated that as tempting an idea as it was, especially when the pain flared slightly as she began limping, she could not stay in the gulch. The Werewolves had probably realized she was gone by now and they would find her before anyone else if she stayed put.

The pain in her ankle had settled into a constant throbbing pain by the time Susan at last found a place where she could climb out of the gulch without worrying too much about aggravating her injury even further. She was panting when she finally reached the top of the gulch. She was not unfit, but she also wasn't accustomed to this type of long stressful endurance. She had a bit more sympathy for her brothers groaning every time General Oreius decided to focus on their endurance training, which usually involved some type of quick march according to their complaints. She wearily rose to her feet again and began limping in what she hoped was the right direction for finding help.

There was only a whisper of warning. A flash of movement spied out of the corner of her eye. She twisted to face it, but her ankle gave out. Claws and teeth filled her vision as she fell. Susan screamed.

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A/N: Please Read and Review! Short, evil cliffie chapter, but at least I got a chapter out right? ;) Next chapter should be longer, but it will also be a longer span of time before I post it.