I decided this was going to be the story I worked on for the summer. Read and please review. I have the next chapter already written so as soon as I get… let's say between three and five reviews, I'll put it up. I promise I haven't abandoned this story.

Chapter Seven

Corny's POV

This youngster I had picked up sure was a strange one. She was clearly a native Narnian, but didn't seem to know anything about the country. The way she talked was different, her accent distracting. It made me wonder where she had come from for her to be so ignorant of the world around her.

I was pulled out of my thoughts yet again by Jasmine's voice, "Hey, Corny? Are we almost there?"

To my surprise, she sounded worried. Through the fading light I could see the hunched shape of her shoulders and was amazed at how small she looked. After all she couldn't have been that old. Judging by her size I'd guess she was just over a year.

Settling down in a bush at eye level, I cocked my head at her. "What are you so antsy about? We're making good time. If you're tired it's not too far," I told her reassuringly, though she didn't look tired.

Somehow I had a feeling that wasn't it.

"Well, okay, but…" she trailed off and looked anxiously at the patches of sky through the trees. "It's getting pretty dark…"
She seemed to hunch farther into herself. There was a glimmer of fear in her eyes and the way she was shuffling her paws had me putting two and two together.

"You're afraid of the dark." I said; I could have slapped my self at her look of shame for sounding so incredulous.

She nodded rather sheepishly and refused to look me in the eye, opting instead to study her paws.

Although cats weren't necessarily night animals, most were just as comfortable in the dark as they were in the sunlight because they could see just as well. That one could be afraid of the dark sounded ridicules even to me who had seen quite a lot of strange things in my travels.

I wonder what's happened to her to have her so afraid of the dark? I thought maybe it would be too personal to ask at the moment.

I sighed. "I guess it can't be helped," I muttered under my breath then cursed at my self for being so stupid when I saw Jasmine lower her head even more.

You idiot! I berated myself. Of course she can hear you she's a cat for Aslan's sake!

With a hop I was balancing on her head and soothingly ran my beak through the fur on her forehead in apology.

"Let's go," I told her gently, "There might even be a spot of supper waiting for us when we get there."

That idea was immediately forgotten as a scream echoed through the surrounding forest.

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Genevieve's POV

We spent hours in the woods, just doing nothing in general. It felt strange not to have a mile long list of chores to have done by night fall, but no doubt I could get used to this. I wouldn't mind just living out in the middle of no where if I could forage for myself.

Just me and the kids and maybe a Talking Animal or two, but not people.

Definitely not people.

I had had enough experience with people to last me a couple life times. If I didn't see another man (I wouldn't mind another woman's company now and then) it would be too soon.

The woods were peaceful if not quiet. Birds were singing in the trees, bees buzzed among the flowers, and little critters rustled in the bushes.

Around mid afternoon we stumbled across a secluded field of wild flowers that was bordered on one side by a bubbly brook. It was a beautiful place to say the least so that was where we stayed the rest of the day. I even taught Leah to make flower crowns and chains. I fumbled through it at first because I couldn't remember quite how it went, but we both got the hang of it after a few tries. Then, after Leah had decorated the both of us in flower arrangements, we took a bath.

The water was wonderfully refreshing from the heat of the day and we took full advantage of it. Especially since I hadn't washed in four days or more, I was probably chasing the wildlife away with the smell. Something bubbled up and out of my throat and seemed to echo around the clearing. I stopped wide eyed and stared at my reflection in amazement.

Had I just laughed?

I hadn't done that in so long that it sounded weird to have it coming from me. There weren't many funny things in a slaves' life that honest to goodness laughter was more foreign than crying. I saw that Leah was looking at me curiously as if wondering what I was frowning about, making me realize that I was indeed frowning. I smiled and splashed her gently, making her squeal and splash back. It was so good to see her giggling and playing around and acting kind of goofy for once that I didn't have the heart to tell her to stop. We got out when Leah was completely knackered.

Lying out to dry fully clothed (just because I didn't know any one was in the area didn't mean they couldn't stumble upon us), Leah dropped off into sleep while I dozed contentedly propped up by a nearby tree.

Something woke me and I lurched upright, looking around. Leah, who was also awake, clutched at my skirt and stared wide eyed into the near by foliage. The knot that had quickly formed in my gut squeezed, telling me in no uncertain terms that something was not right.

What had woken us?

On first glance around the meadow it didn't appear to be any different than before we went to sleep, but something was indeed not as it had been. It struck me as I looked around that it was too dark. We should have still had the light of the setting sun but even that was blocked by clouds that were getting bigger and darker by the minute, building into to an angry rain storm.

The second thing that caught my attention and (I cursed myself for not noticing first hand) turned my blood to ice was the horse grazing on the other side of the brook from us. Usually horses don't bother me, and it didn't, it was the saddle draped across a thick tree branch.

We had company.

I unconsciously ground my teeth together in agitation and looked around wildly. There was no doubt in my mind that it was going to start pouring soon, we needed shelter. Unfortunately, the closest thing was the cave the horse stood just outside of, which already had a flickering fire started.

A low whine of fear escaped as I realized what I would have to do. If we didn't want to catch a potentially fatal cold, I would have to approach the man (for no woman would go riding alone) in the cave and ask if we could join him.

I hoped Leah couldn't see my shaking hands as I detached her from my skirt.

"Stay here. I'll be rite back."

It took all of my strength of will to start forward; it was my responsibility to Leah that kept me going. I could not it good conscious let her fall ill if there was something I could do about it.

Nimbly, I hopped from rock to rock across the water. As I got closer, the lump in my throat grew bigger and the knot in my gut became unbearably tight. I started to panic.

I-I can't do this. I can't. I can't!

I was floundering in my own head. I wanted to step back but my legs wouldn't move. In the next minute everything happened so fast and the choice was ripped away from me.

"What do you think you are doing?" a clearly male voice asked from behind me.

I jumped and gave a little "eek!" and tried to turn to look at him when a large hand came down on my shoulder and all sense left me and I screamed.