Lucy slowly turned around to see what was behind her, and was stunned to see a pine tree, covered in snow.

She couldn't believe her eyes.

This was a forest she was looking at, and not just any forest.

It was a pine forest, and it was winter, and she could see the sky above.

It was rather cloudy but there was not a thunderstorm, and outside the professor's house there was actually a thunderstorm at the moment.

This was a whole new world.

She slowly stepped into the world, and walked ahead, and found herself looking at a lamp post.

She walked just a little ahead.

And it was then that she heard a sound.

It sounded like someone approaching, getting close.

And then, she suddenly saw the figure, a strange figure come round a tree and right in front of her.

She was so taken aback that she screamed and hid behind the lantern.

The figure himself screamed and hid behind the tree.

Lucy hid behind but realized that the figure didn't seem to be trying to attack her.

She slowly walked forwards and noticed a parcel on the ground.

Even as she neared the parcel, she noticed the face of the creature. It was part human, but the ears were that of a goat, brown. It was a male, with curly brown hair and a beard, mostly at the chin. He was wearing a red scarf and his chest was bare.

Even as she picked up the parcel, the figure slowly emerged from his hiding spot, revealing his legs to be those of a goat, except they were larger than a typical goat's legs.

He was holding a white umbrella in his hand, and he shivered as Lucy held the parcel out to him.

Lucy asked, "Were you hiding from me?"

The figure took the book and stuttered, "I, no, I, I, I just didn't want to scare you."

Lucy asked, "If you don't mind me asking, what are you?"

The figure replied, "Well, I'm a faun, and what about you? You must be some kind of beardless dwarf or hobbit."

Lucy laughingly replied, "I'm not a dwarf. I'm a girl. And actually, I'm tallest in my class."

The faun looked at her and asked, "You mean to say, you're a daughter of Eve?"

Lucy replied, "Well, my mum's name is Helen."

The faun said, "Yes, but you are in fact, human."

Lucy said, "Yes, of course."

The faun asked, "What are you doing here?"

Lucy tried to explain, "Well, I was hiding in the wardrobe in the spare room…"

"Spare Oom," the faun said, "Is that in Narnia? Or the Shire? Middle Earth?"

"What's that?" Lucy asked.

The faun indicated the whole area and said, "Well, everything you see, every stick and stone, every icicle from this lamp to the western sea, and to the east, south and north, is Middle Earth, and Narnia is just one part of it."

"It's no ordinary wardrobe." Lucy stated in awe.

"Wardrobe?" the faun started, then said, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tumnus." He ended with a small bow.

Lucy smilingly replied, "Pleased to meet you Mr. Tumnus. I'm Lucy Pevensie."

She held out her hand for a handshake.

Mr. Tumnus took her hand and began to shake it in a rather funny way saying, "Well then, Lucy Pevensie, from the shining city of wardrobe, in the world of Spare Oom."

He ended the handshake and asked, "How would it be, if you came and had tea with me?"

Lucy replied, "Thank You very much, but… I probably should be getting back."

Tumnus added, "It's only just around the corner. Right in Bag End of the Shire."

"The Shire?" Lucy asked.

Tumnus replied, "Well it is what part of Narnia we are in now. The creatures that live there are very interesting. Mostly hobbits, lovable people, into food, fun and a love for gardening."

Lucy couldn't help grinning at that.

Tumnus further added, "And, there'll be a roaring fire with toast, and tea and cakes, and perhaps, we'll even break into the sardines."

Lucy smiled but said, "I don't know."

"Come on," Tumnus pleaded, "It's not everyday that I get to make a new friend."

Lucy replied, "Well I suppose I could some for a little while, if you have sardines."

"Well come along," Tumnus said before they set off away from the lamp post.

They soon came out of the forest, and into a slightly hilly area where Lucy could see houses, mostly cottages covered in snow.

She saw a few people about, around her height with curly hair, presumably the hobbits.

They didn't look different from humans, except for their short height.

Tumnus said, "These are the hobbits of the Shire, a very wonderful place."

The hobbits either did not seem to notice the new girl that passed by with the faun, or thought that she was one of them, a little strange given her straight hair, for they either just casually looked at her for barely a second or smiled cheerfully at her.

Soon, they reached an area with two houses, built into small hills, close to each other.

Tumnus pointed to the first one with a black door and said, "Come on."

Soon, they were inside, and Lucy was quite fascinated by how large the house was, although built into a rather not so large, but very small, hill.

Soon, they were at the fireplace, and it was there that Lucy saw a portrait of a faun, on a small table.

Even as Tumnus shook his legs and kept his umbrella away, Lucy picked up the portrait.

Tumnus noticed her and said, "Now that is my father."

Lucy smiled and said, "Oh, he looks a lot like you."

Tumnus emitted a small laugh, but it could not hide a small bit of guilt even as he said, "Well, I'm not like him much at all really."

"My father's fighting a war," Lucy said sadly.

Tumnus was surprised at this and said, "My father went to fight a war too. It was a long time ago. Before this dreadful time."

"Winter's not at all so bad," Lucy said, "I don't see how this is dreadful. There's ice skating, snowballs, and Christmas!"

Tumnus smiled and said, "Well no, except for in the Shire, we haven't had any celebrations in a long time." even as he brought a tray to the table near the fireplace.

"No celebrations?" Lucy asked, "No presents?"

Tumnus replied, "Not in a hundred years. But you would love the Shire in spring, summer, autumn."

Even as he added some tea to a c

Even as he added some tea to a cup which Lucy was holding, he said, "You know, we'd never get tired. Music, oh, such music!"

Even as Lucy smiled, Tumnus asked with a little hesitation, "Would… would you like to hear some now?"

Lucy, the ever eager child that she was, replied with a smile, "Yes please."

Tumnus reached out for a box on a nearby shelf, took it, and opened it.

He asked, "Now, are you familiar with any Narnian lullabies?"

Lucy replied, "Nope, sorry."

Tumnus replied, pulling out a pipe with a mouthpiece and two soundholes, "Well that's good, because this probably won't sound anything like one."

He began to play, and at first it seemed just nice and melodious.

Lucy noticed a fiery stag in the fire, moving around in a circle and was stunned by the sight.

The flames gradually formed into men and elves on horses, and dwarves, all running round in a circle, then changed into fauns and dryads, elves, men, dwarves and animals and hobbits dancing, all little figures in the fire, laughing.

Lucy's eyelids however began to droop and soon, she grew weary and fell asleep, dropping her cup in the process and causing it to break and spill its contents on the floor.

Tumnus noticed but played on, and then suddenly, the flames formed into a lion which gave a sudden roar, and with that, the fire went out and the candles in the room were all extinguished in an instant.

It was then that Lucy woke up and realized it was dark.

She looked out the window, realizing it was dark and said, "Now I should go."

It was then that she heard Tumnus saying, "It's too late for that now. I'm such a terrible faun."

Lucy was shocked to hear that and walked up to him saying, "No, you're the nicest faun I've ever met."

Tumnus sadly replied, "Then I'm afraid you've had very poor sound hearing."

Lucy pulled out a handkerchief and said, "You can't have done anything that bad."

Tumnus wiped his tear-filled eyes with it and said, "It's not what I've done Lucy Pevensie, it's something I am doing."

Lucy asked, "What are you doing?"

Tumnus looked up at her and said in a low voice which carried remorse, and was more of a whisper, "I'm kidnapping you."

That statement was like a bombshell in Lucy's face.

He explained tearfully, "It was the white witch, she's the one who's not allowed any celebrations, who's made the winters longer and colder than normal. She has spies everywhere handpicked and has given them orders, that if one of us finds a human not from Middle Earth or the far southern realms in Narnia, especially in the Shire, we're supposed to hand it over to her."

The explanation was even worse.

Lucy whispered, "And you're one of them."

Tumnus sobbed and explained, "I was made one of them in exchange for my life and freedom. The only reason she has ignored the Shire so far is because she believes Hobbits to be insignificant and below her, but many say she will show more and more of her true colors. She has barred humans from entering the Shire. And I've been made her spy here, right in this very place."

Lucy looked at him in shock and said, "You wouldn't Mr. Tumnus."

Tumnus did not say a word.

Lucy said sadly, "I thought you were my friend."

It was this statement that made the faun look up at her with a new sense of resolve in his eyes.

And soon, he was running, leading her through the night saying, "She may already know you're here. The witch has her spies everywhere, even some of the trees are on her side."

They soon reached the lamp post and the faun asked, "Can you find your way back from here?"

Lucy replied, "I think so. Will you be alright?"

Tumnus was so moved by her concern and innocence that he began to sob again saying, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry…"

"Hey, hey," Lucy said softly, "It's alright."

The faun tried to return the handkerchief but Lucy placed it in his hands saying, "Keep it, you need it more than I do."

Tumnus looked up at her and said, "No matter what happens Lucy, I am glad to have met you, you've made me feel warmer than I've felt, even when it's not winter, in a hundred years."

He affectionately dabbed her on the nose with his finger and said, "Now go."

Lucy ran back towards where she had entered this new world, even as Tumnus watched her go for a moment before walking away himself.