This story has had a surge in popularity and I'm glowing. I'm so happy people are reading my stories and enjoying them. Enjoy the latest instalment!
Kato woke cramped and tired. He had only fallen asleep right in the very end, when his body simply would not allow him to remain awake another moment. However tired he was, though, he woke with a purpose. Today they would find Elana and return home.
If we can find Elana, Kato thought. He shook himself. No. We will find her, I know we will.
We have to.
Beside him, Marie was stirring. The petite nine-year-old still managed to look angelic even when she slept, with her golden hair hanging around her face in small curl. She opened her blue eyes and, disorientated, began speaking in French.
"Ce qui? La mère, où suis moi?"
"Shh, Marie, it's Kato. I'm here, everything is alright."
"Oh Kato, I had this amazing dream. There was a forest and snow and a badger and – and it talked!"
Just at that exact moment, Jeb the fox woke from his slumber. He stretched and shook himself, just like a dog might, before greeting the two children.
"Good morning. Is everything alright, my Queen?"
Marie covered her hand with her mouth to stop herself from squealing in delight. Kato, however, noticed the subtle address and was none too pleased.
"My cousin is not your Queen," he said coldly, then realised a different approach was needed. "Please. We just want to find my sister and return home."
"I agree," said Pierre who had also risen and was rubbing his eyes.
Geraline the badger appeared in the cave, her arms full with frozen berries. "I'm sorry; this was the best I could find. Eat up everyone and then we'll set off to find the other little Queen."
Kato eyed the badger from behind cold eyes until she repented.
"Pardon. I mean your sister, of course."
They ate as many of the berries as they could manage and then set off. Kato desperately wished that he and his cousins had been wearing warmer clothes when they disappeared out of their world and appeared in this one. However, it wasn't as bad this morning, for despite being surrounded by snow, the sun was shining brightly and trying to share a little of its warmth on the frozen land.
The children just followed the animals at first, who were discussing the best way in which to go about the search.
"We need to start at a definite place so we don't go in circles."
"How about the house of the Tumnuses? That family have been living there since the beginning of Narnia itself and would be more than willing to help."
"True, Geraline, but should things – take a turn for the worst, I would hate to be the one responsible for bringing anyone else into our predicament."
"Those are wise words indeed, Jeb. Well, how about we begin at the Lamp-post?"
"A fine idea."
Apart from a small home, recognisable by a door or window here and there, Kato saw no signs of life or civilisation, so how a lamp-post came to be in this forest was a puzzlement. However, barely five minutes later they arrived in a clearing and sure enough, there at its centre was a lamp-post. It was covered in frost but there was still a small fire burning behind the class case. It reminded Kato so much of England and home that he almost ran up to the iron post to embrace it.
"We will begin our search here. We will move as one party rather than several, because splitting up has never worked in the last ten years. If necessary, ask anyone you see along the way if they saw anything suspicious."
The party of five set of again, Geraline in the lead, followed by Pierre and Marie with Kato and Jeb bringing up the rear. Pierre and Marie chatted animatedly with each other and Geraline who pointed out many interesting homes and describing the talking animals who inhabited them as they went. Jeb and Kato walked in silence until the fox broke it with an odd question that threw Kato off his guard.
"Why do you not wish to be King?"
Kato blinked and opened his mouth to reply before closing it again. He really didn't know what to say.
"You do not believe the prophecy?"
"I'm sure there is a prophecy it's just – I still feel extremely disorientated."
The fox chuckled. "Understandable. Yet that does not answer my question."
Biting his lip, Kato mumbled a hasty response.
"Sorry, sire – pardon me, Kato, I didn't quite catch that."
Kato sighed. There was no escaping the truth. "I said, I'm too scared! I can't run a Kingdom. I'm not brave or wise enough."
Jeb was silent for a moment. "I have not known you long enough to know whether you are either of those things. But I do know something. I have seen the way you care for your cousins. I know you stayed up most of last night, worrying about your sister. That may not demonstrate wisdom or bravery but it most certainly displays another important trait. Compassion. I would willingly serve any King if their heart was filled with that unheard amount of kindness."
Kato could almost feel himself going red. He was glad someone thought this way about him, but it did nothing to change his perspective. He still did not see himself as rightful to rule.
Suddenly a small squirrel leapt down from a tree and landed silently in front of us. Its eyes were wider than Kato had imagined could be humanely possible.
"Good morning Auburnfur," said Geraline pleasantly.
"A-are those – are th-they..." the squirrel stuttered and trailed off, too overcome to even speak. Finally, he seemed to gather enough nerve to blurt out, "Are they humans?"
"Yes," answered Jeb. "This is Kato, Marie and Pierre and we are currently searching for Kato's sister, Elana."
"There are four of them?"
Geraline's eyes twinkled. "Yes."
The squirrel sunk into a low bow. "Your Majesties. Thank Aslan for letting me live to see this day."
Kato was about to retort, but then he saw the happiness and hope that was now clearly written across the squirrels face. Why should he be the one to take that away? After a brief discussion, the party headed on, firmly reminding the gleeful Aurburnfur to tell no-one what he had seen.
"See?"
Kato looked at Jeb. "Pardon?"
"You are symbol of hope, sire. And believe me when I tell you we Narnians have had precious little to be happy of hopeful about in the last decade."
Kato was so moved by one the insightful fox had said, he barely registered the way in which he had been addressed. He decided, for now, the best course of action was to one more focus entirely on finding his sister.
After turning a corner, the three children almost shouted out with surprise. There in front of them was an old man, carrying an umbrella. But it wasn't an old man. From the waist down he was covered in fur and instead of feet he had two cloven hooves. Marie clutched Kato's arm in fear.
"Quel est-il?" she whispered.
"It's a faun," Kato replied.
"Good morning, old Mr Tumnus. Where is your son this fine morning?"
"Back at the house," the ageing faun replied. He was staring intently at the children, but did not look surprised. Jeb picked up on this instantly.
"These are not the first humans you have seen, are they?"
"No...I saw another, but only for a very brief moment."
Kato's heart soared. "You saw my sister? When? Where?'
The faun's face suddenly became quite stricken. "Your sister? Oh I am so sorry."
Kato's eyes flashed. "Where is she?"
"Peace, sire," said Jeb.
"I-I saw her yesterday. A frightful storm was picking up and I was on my way home. I saw a figure in the distance and realised it had to be a human. I was going to go and aid the poor creature but then...she came."
Geraline gasped. Jeb shook his head furiously. "Tell us the human child got away, please tell us!"
Old Mr Tumnus dropped his head. "I'm sorry. The Witch took her."
A child ran down Kato's spine as he registered who the Narnians were talking about and what had happened. The White Witch, the evil usurper Queen had his sister.
"What can we do?" asked Pierre.
"You can only hope that –"
"That's not good enough!" Pierre shouted, his voice echoing throughout the forest. The three Narnians looked extremely wary.
"Your Majesty, you must understand, she will be in the palace by now."
"Then that is where we shall go."
Kato had never admired his younger cousin's bravery as much as he did right at that very moment.
"We cannot possibly hope to infiltrate the palace! It has never been done."
Marie stepped forward. "We must try. The Lion told us to try."
Silence reigned as everyone digested this.
"What lion?" Mr Tumnus asked eagerly.
"The big Lion in my dream. He told me that should something unthinkable happed, we couldn't give up hope. And we have to try."
Jeb stepped forward. "I believe you. I will try. For the rightful Kings and Queens of Narnia. And for Aslan."
Everyone else nodded. "For Aslan," they echoed.
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