The lion is an angel

Chapter7: Frozen River

Agnes POV

When we reached the frozen river it felt like deja vu all over again. It's impossible; I had a dream just like this a few nights ago. A river once solid ice melting away into a rushing current. There was hardly a safe passage to cross other than where the falls wall of ice meets the river. The ice looking dangerous but there was no other choice. After Father Christmas left, Mr. Beaver hurried us over and now we are at a predicament.

I held Henry's hand as we stared down evaluating the situation. Should we cross what remains of ice? Find another route around the river? Or something else? This wasn't like the frozen lake we crossed last night.

"We need to cross, now!" Peter ordered.

"Don't Beavers make dams?" Lucy asked.

"I'm not that fast, dear." Mr. Beaver said.

"Come on!" I said, as Peter and I started taking our siblings down the earthly ramp.

"Wait! Will you think about this for a minute?" Susan objected.

"We don't have a minute, Susan." I said.

"I'm trying to be realistic." She counters.

"No, you're trying to be smart." Peter snapped. "As usual."

Howling could be heard in the far off distant. Picking up the pace we climbed down till reaching the icy bridge. There was probably twenty feet of width still clinging on while thirty feet to cross. The ice chipped on the end, some steam of cold frost visible from the climate change. The loud crackling could be heard that Peter started to second guess the situation. With just one testing step the ice dipped.

"Wait." Mr. Beaver said. "Maybe I should go first."

"Maybe you should," Peter agreed, fear easily written on his face.

Mr. Beaver took a deep breath before crossing the bridge. He flapped his tail on certain spots that appeared hollow. A few pats and crackling noise now and then until a small crack snapped. Mrs. Beaver scowled at this, accusing her mate to second helpings. As usual, the male gave a joke about his wife's cooking. However it did not relieved the mood.

Seeing that it was secured….sort of. We spread out taking baby steps across. The sound of ice creaking sent hesitation into my very stomach. One false move and it's drowning. Taking shallow breaths, we continue onward, finding balances, if not skipping a bit. Susan was easily scared causing another argument to go on. Before it could get Serious, Lucy looked up and yelped, "Oh, no!" Bloody hell, the wolves already found us. They run on the top of the falls, two stood on the other end while the other two who cross now stayed in front. We tried to run to escape but it was too late. A wolf pounced on Beaver holding him down with his teeth.

We were surrounded.

Peter draws his sword along with Henry aiming it at the alpha wolf. Maugrim as Fox called him. The grey wolf spoke, "Put that down, boys. Someone could get hurt."

"Don't worry about me," Beaver exclaimed. "Run it through it."

"Leave now while you can," Maugrim said, stalking closer. "And your brother leaves with you."

"Stop, Peter!" Susan yelled. "Maybe we should listen to him."

"Smart girl," the wolf chuckled.

"Don't listen to him. Kill him!" Beaver shouted.

I looked at our surrounding the ice now ten feet wide and the water started coating our feet.

"Oh, come on. This isn't your war." Maugrim said. "All my queen wants is for you to take your family and go."

"Look just because some man in a red coat hands you a sword, doesn't make you a hero." Susan scolded. "Just drop it."

"Will you just shut up!" I snapped at Susan.

The stalemate was overwhelming. The wolves say they didn't want to hurt us, that they'll escort us out of Narnia. However their posture said differently. Mr. Beaver shouting at Peter to kill Maugrim this instant. Susan telling him to surrender. And the ice getting thinner each second.

"What's it gonna be, Son of Adam? I won't wait forever." Maugrim asked. "And neither will the river."

A loud rumbling caught everybody's attention, looking at the falls to see a large crack on the ice wall. Lucy screamed her brother's name. Too late, the river has given up. Peter looked around, saying hold onto him as he slams his sword into the ice. Following his lead, I grabbed Henry sword and did the same. We grabbed onto each other as the ice wall shattered destroying what's left of the frozen ground in a private wave.

All of us went under water. The temperature freezing cold while berating us in every direction. Yet none of us let go of the swords. When the ice lifted us back on, I gasped coughing up water. Quickly looking around to see Susan, Peter, and Henry but no Lucy. Before I could find her, a shard of ice banged into us causing my portion to snap. I let go trying to swim to shore though the current was to strong. So remembering what my father said about rip-tides. I follow the current, yet it was so cold impossible to breath.

A few meters down, I saw Lucy clinging to a branch for dear life. I swam up to her and grabbed her by the waist, "Lucy, let go and hold on."

She did as told, clinging on to me. I changed our position so I lay on my back with Lucy against my chest. My arm side lapping, pushing ice away till the strong current finally mellow out. There was no shore of shallow areas yet, and then something happened. A tree root sticking out to the water tangled itself around my arm holding me in place while another made a cage around us. For a second I thought we'll drown, except the roots pulled us up a bit. Realizing the roots were magical, I pushed Lucy out of the water and then climbed out.

Lucy was coughing buckets of water while I lay on my back. We try to regain ourselves after nearly drowning. Luckily the roots to a tree near the water saved us. Once we regain our composer, able to breath I examined Lucy seeing if she was alright. So far she was cold and wet as a drown rat. I sighed in relief before getting up.

"We need to find the others." I said.

Lucy nodded wrapping her arms around herself beginning to walk up river.

"Lucy!"

"Agnes!"

"Lucy!"

Up ahead we saw Susan and Henry calling out our names while Peter holding his sister coat. The beavers searched around as well, not seeing us. I sighed in relief to see everybody was alight.

"Has anyone seen my coat?" Lucy asked.

They turned around to see us surprised. Lucy and I stumbled a little till reaching our friends. Peter helped Lucy put on her coat while Henry hugged me relieved.

"Don't you worry, dear. You're brother got you well looked after." Mr. Beaver said.

"And I don't think you'll be needing those coats anymore." Mrs. Beaver added.

Up ahead the cheery blossom trees were beginning to bloom. Color was returning as the grass began to show green for the first time in a century. Flowers blossoming in the winter frost defying laws of nature. A week's worth of melt happening in minutes before our very eyes. Also the warmer temperature that indeed the coats are not necessary.

After everything that happened we sat down for a moment to catch ourselves. I examined my left wrist to find a decent bruise forming from where the root grabbed me. The Beavers, Lucy, and Henry mention that the trees were alive. More alive than they are back home. Fortunately the tree that saved us was on our side.

"Thank you," Susan said.

"For what?" I asked snapping out of my thought.

"For saving Lucy," she elaborated.

"It's no problem." I answered.

After a while we began our journy to Aslan camp. The beavers had the lead continuing the journey. Lucy and Henry were up ahead exploring the beginning of spring. Susan and I softly chat in the middle while Peter walked behind us. I guess if we ever get back I had to thank my father when he returns from the war for those swimming lessons. Without those I might had drown or unable to save Lucy. The worse feel here in Narnia is to leave Henry alone to defend himself. Also I have a feeling there is a purpose for Henry and I to be here.

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I know it's been forever since the last chapter. Been busy with college work so it won't be as constant.

Anyway, thanks for reading and please leave a review!