Chapter Six~
As the five children, two Beavers and Fox sat around the fire Mrs. Beaver tried to clean the Foxes wounds while he squirmed and whined before Lucy asked,
"Are you alright?" making him chuckle and say to her,
"Well, I wish I could say their bark was worse than their bite." then he kept squirming before standing up saying to them all,
"Thank you for your kindness, but that's all the time I have cure for." so that confused Jessie asked him sounding very worried for him,
"You're leaving now? After all of that?"
"It has been a pleasure, My Queen, and an honor but Aslan Himself has asked me to gather more troops." at the mention of 'Aslan' both Beavers grew excited and it was Mrs. Beaver who eagerly asked the Fox sounding like a giddy school child,
"What's He like?" so that the Fox shook his head saying in a wondrous voice,
"Like—everything we've ever hoped for." then turning to Peter the Fox said sounding proud,
"You'll be glad to have Him by your side in the battle against the Witch." Jessie was about to say something only Susan cut her off saying to the Fox,
"We're not planning on fighting any Witch!" causing the Fox to look shocked and surprised as he turned back to Peter saying,
"But surly King Peter, the Prophecy!" so that Jessie noticed the lines on the teens face as he tossed a bit of wood into the fire making shadows appear on his face as Mr. Beaver added,
"We can't go to war without you!" but Peter just said,
"We just want our brother back." then to the other's surprise the Fox and Beavers turned to Jessie saying,
"Then surly Bringer of Spring, the one who will sit by the High King's side. You surly will help us—won't you?" this made the others turn to Jessie as she swallowed thickly saying,
"I—I don't know to be honest. I mean, how do you know I'm that Queen and not someone else?" this made the Beavers and Fox deflate in sadness as they shook their heads before the Fox stood saying,
"Perhaps you will find out sooner rather than later My Queen." then he ran off into the brush and was gone from sight. After a long stretch of silence Mr. Beaver decided it was time to head off again so Peter and Jessie put out the fire before they started off. It took them until just early dawn to come to a bridge of stone to see an endless world beyond them as Mr. Beaver told them,
"Now Aslan's Camp is near the Stone Table just beyond the Frozen River." making Peter pipe up and ask in worry,
"River?" yet Mrs. Beaver said to him waving a paw dismissively,
"Oh the river's been frozen or a hundred years!" but Jessie rolled her eyes at that part making Lucy giggle slightly as they continued to look out over the endless miles and miles of scenery beyond them so that Peter stated in wonder,
"It's so far!" making Mrs. Beaver chuckle and say,
"It's the world dear, did you think it'd be small?" only Susan stated,
"Smaller." so that Jessie frowned as they climbed down a narrow pathway and began crossing a forever long stretch of snowy ground that would eventually take them to the forest on the other side. As they walked Peter moved closer to Jessie asking her,
"Why did you say you didn't know back there, with the fox?" so that Jessie blinked before asking him,
"What do you mean?" so that he put on a 'you know what I mean' face so that she exhaled deeply and ran a hand through her hair saying to him,
"I mean, I have no real family at home but my great aunt Polly who isn't really my family. She's just my dead father's families something or other. She took me in because—" and here she paused feeling her eyes growing watery as Peter noticed and putting a hand on her shoulder said,
"You don't have to tell me Jessie." yet she swallowed and forced herself to say,
"I'm an orphan back in England, the war killed my father and my mother died when I was three. So really—heh—I have no family to speak for me." this surprised Peter so much so that when Mr. Beaver called out to 'hurry up' he didn't hear them. It was only when Susan actually tapped his shoulder that he realized that the two had stopped walking altogether!
"No! Behind you, it's her!" Mrs. Beaver shouted so that Peter grabbed Jessie's hand as she took ahold of Lucy's and they dashed for it across the ground, Susan in the lead as the Beavers raced way beyond. Soon they came to the edge of the trees and Mr. Beaver instructed them to duck under a hideaway of rocks. Soon they were cramped inside and froze when a shadowy figure appeared, stayed for a moment, then disappeared.
"Maybe she left?" Jessie wondered so that Peter said,
"I suppose I'll have a look." but Mr. Beaver stopped him and scrambled out to see who it was, and after a moment or two came back popping his head and crying,
"I hope you all been good because there's someone here to see you!" so confused, the five stepped out to see a man in a long rich colored red coat, trimmed with brown fur along with a white beard and hair plus shinning blue eyes. He had a sleigh that was pulled by several brown reindeer with a massive bag in the back of it.
"Merry Christmas sir." Lucy said so that he replied,
"It certainly is Lucy, now that you have arrived." Peter told him that they all thought he was the Witch so that he chuckled merrily saying that he's driven a sleigh longer than she has probably been around making Jessie smirk.
"I thought there was no Christmas in Narnia." Susan said softly so that he nodded his head sadly saying to them,
"No, not for a long time. But the hope that you have brought back Your Majesties, is finally starting to weaken the Witches powers. Still, I dare say you'll be in need of these." and so at this he brought out his massive bag making Lucy cry out happily. First he called Lucy and brought out a bright red vial and a leather case for it saying how it would heal any injury with one drop, then gave her a small dagger hope she may never need to use it. Then to Susan he gave an ivory quiver with red feather tipped arrows, a beautiful bow and an ivory carved lion roaring horn. Then to Peter he gave a silver shield with a red lion and a sword with letters in the metal saying that the soon the time to use them would be at hand.
"Jessica Ryan," he called making her blink in wonder so that she stepped forward to see him getting out a sword much like Peters in a scabbard just like his only when he pulled out the sword it had different lettering.
"Queen of Narnia fated to Die, by Aslan's Breath shall be Revived, oh Bravehearted Queen will bring back Spring, and fight to sit beside the High King. These Prophecies were written by Deep Magic, and only by Deep Magic can they be undone. Just remember that Jessica." he said before adding to them all,
"These are tools, not toys, bare them and wisely. Now I must be off, winter is almost over and things do tend to pile up when you've been gone a hundred years. Long live Aslan!" then climbing into his sleigh, sitting down and taking up the reigns he shouts,
"And Merry Christmas!" then drives off so that as the other children cheer his goodbye Jessie stares at her sword and thinks over his words. Fated to die, what did that mean?!
"He said, that winter was almost over. You know what that means—no more ice!" Peter said before encouraging everyone forward but Jessie began to linger behind so that Peter taking notice turned to go talk to her. Susan and Lucy seeing kept going but it was Susan who wondered what was up with him as he asked Jessie,
"Are you alright?" shaking her head, Jessie fought back tears as she said,
"I don't know." so that to her surprise, she felt Peter wrap his arm around her shoulders as he said,
"Don't worry, everything's going to be fine—you'll see."