Lucy led the way forward, chattering about all the various things they would get at Mr. Tumnus' place, about the animals that talked, and about Thumper and Pippin.
They soon reached the Shire, and entered Bag End, but for some reason, there didn't seem to be as many hobbits out as usual.
Lucy assumed they probably were inside or just away.
Peter looked to the side and saw a middle aged hobbit look at them warily and say, "You better watch where you're going lads. This ain't no place for humans."
Lucy said, "We didn't mean to bother you."
The hobbit said, "You ain't bothering me, but I'm warning you for your own good. If you're going to Bag End, you'll see what I mean. We hobbits may be good hearted but you can't trust everyone."
Lucy said, "Thank you," and went on her way, with the others following him.
She began to walk fast, and Peter and Susan noticed that she seemed to be worried.
They reached Bag End, and it was then that they reached the house where Tumnus was supposed to live, except…
The door was hanging ajar, damaged, on one hinge.
Lucy rushed forward even as Peter cried out to her to stop.
They all entered the house to find out just what terrible state it was in.
It was evident that it had been ransacked.
Cups were broken, tables had been broken and overturned, furniture was broken and strewn all over the place; the house was a total mess.
Lucy said, "Who would do something like this?"
Edmund stepped on something which caused some sort of breaking noise. He looked down to see what it was, and it was a faun's picture, that of Tumnus' father, evidently not respected in the ransacking that had taken place.
Peter gave Edmund a warning look even as he moved to a pillar on which had been nailed a notice.
He tore it off and began to read it out, even as Susan moved over to see what it was, "Faun Tumnus has been charged with high treason, against her Imperial Majesty, Jadis, Queen of Northern Narnia, for comforting her enemies and fraternizing with humans in the Shire.
Signed,
Maugrim,
Captain of the Secret Police."
It ended with, "Long live the Queen."
Susan took the notice from Peter and looking at it, she said, "Now we really should go back."
"But what about Mr. Tumnus?" Lucy asked, "Gandalf may be here too. What if he's here?"
"Who's Gandalf?" Susan asked.
Lucy explained, "A wizard who I met last time. He gave me a ring which he said was from Bilbo, in the envelope you told me not to look at."
"The envelope?!" Peter cried out, "Lucy, do you have it with you?"
Lucy pulled something out from her pocket and sure enough, there it was.
Lucy said, "Maybe he could help us help Mr. Tumnus."
Susan said, "Lucy, if he was arrested for just being with a human, I don't think there's anything we can do."
"You don't understand, do you?" Lucy said, causing both Peter and Susan to look at her, "I'm the human. She must have found out he helped me."
Peter suggested, "Maybe we can call the police."
Susan said, "These are the police."
Peter bent down and said, "Don't worry Lu, we'll think of something."
"Why?" Edmund suddenly spoke up, "I mean, he's a criminal."
Suddenly, they heard a sound, "Psst…"
Everyone turned in the direction of the sound and Susan asked, "Who just did that?"
Peter said, "Stick together. It had better not be any trouble."
They slowly stepped out of the house and came face to face with something interesting.
It was a short man with yellow hair, looking extremely worried.
Peter said, "Excuse me, we don't mean any…"
The man in front of him broke off into a worried rant saying, "You shouldn't be here. The White Witch is looking for you."
Lucy's eyes widened and she rushed to hug him crying out, "Sam!"
Even as Lucy hugged Sam, Peter asked, "You know him?"
Lucy said, "This is Sam, he's a good friend of mine. He's a hobbit. Sam, these are my siblings Peter, Susan and Edmund."
Sam looked at them and said, "You shouldn't stay out here. Come on."
He turned around but stopped suddenly as a beaver suddenly came up to them.
Peter tried coaxing the beaver by holding out his hand and softly saying, "Come on, there's a good boy."
The beaver went up to Peter, stood up and said in a male voice, "I'm not going to smell it, if that's what you want me to do."
Even as Lucy couldn't help but laugh, the beaver turned to her and asked, "Lucy Pevensie?"
Lucy went up to the beaver and he gave her something.
It was a white handkerchief, Lucy's handkerchief.
The beaver said, "Tumnus washed it and gave it to me shortly before they took him."
"He did?" she asked.
The beaver said, "Yes, now come on. We'd better get you home."
"So," Susan asked, "We're going back now?"
"No," the beaver replied, "To Lucy's house, which my wife and I look after. Used to be Bilbo's."
"You're Mr. Beaver," Lucy said, realizing who it was, "Gandalf said I could trust you."
Mr. Beaver said, "He told us to watch out for you. You'd better come on."
He started to move even as Edmund said, "How can we trust him?"
Susan said, "I mean, he's not supposed to be talking."
Peter said, "Look, we'll just have to trust him for now."
Mr. Beaver asked, "Are you coming or not?"
Peter said, "We were just talking."
They then followed the beaver, towards a gate, a little away but opposite Tumnus' house, through the gate, and up some stone stairs up to a house under a hill.
Lucy looked at it. It was the first time she was going to see it from the inside.
Mr. Beaver knocked on the door and it opened to reveal another beaver.
The beaver cried out in a female voice, "Oh my goodness, you've come to us at last!"
Lucy realized who it was and said, "It's Mrs. Beaver."
Mrs. Beaver turned to her and said, "And it is indeed. We've been waiting for you."
She then turned to Mr. Beaver, and said, "You should have told me ten minutes earlier they were coming!"
She said to the children, "Of course, there is some food on the way. Make yourselves comfortable. Welcome to your house. You'd better come in."
Peter, Susan and Lucy entered but Edmund stared at two hills which lay some distance away.
Mr. Beaver asked, "Are you coming in?"
Edmund went inside.
A few minutes later, they were sitting around a table near the fireplace.
Mrs. Beaver brought a plate up to the four children and said, "Some cheese from Hobbiton for appetizers. Fish and chips on the way."
Peter asked, "Isn't there anything we could do for Mr. Tumnus?"
Mr. Beaver said, "He's in the witch's house, and hardly anyone who goes in there comes out."
Lucy asked, "But what about Gandalf? Surely, he'd be able to do something."
Mrs. Beaver said, "Last time he checked in, he said he'd found out more about the ring. Luckily Tumnus had already told you about Sauron, so it shouldn't take much explaining to do."
Mr. Beaver said, "There is hope though."
Then in a whisper he said, "Aslan is on the move."
"Who's Aslan?" Edmund asked.
"He's the king of this place," Mr. Beaver said, "He's the real King of Narnia!"
Lucy added, "And of much of Middle Earth, at least for those who respect him."
"Middle Earth?" Peter asked.
Lucy explained, "This is only one part of Middle Earth. We are in the Shire right now which is a part of Northern Narnia. Southern Narnia is known as Gondor, and it is currently ruled by the line of Stewards."
"Aye," Mr. Beaver said, "Denethor ain't a great steward really, from what I've heard."
Mrs. Beaver asked, "You still have the ring, right?"
Lucy pulled out the envelope that contained the ring. All of a sudden, Edmund pulled the envelope and threw it into the fire with such rage that Lucy was too horrified to say a word.
Peter shouted, "Edmund! Why did you do that?!"
Edmund cried out, "That ring is a curse! All thanks to it you almost killed me!"
With that, he stormed out of the dining room.
Mr. Beaver said, "It's alright, I can fix this."
He pulled out a pair of tongs and went close to the fireplace.
By this time, the envelope had been burnt to a cinder, but there was a ring in the fire. Mr. Beaver slowly pulled it out with the tongs and placed it on the table.
Susan looked at the ring and said, "There's something about this ring. Peter and Edmund had a fight over it, and it got really bad. That's why he acted that way."
Mr. Beaver said, "Don't worry about it. What you should be more worried about now is sticking to each other."
Just then, Lucy gave out a cry and said, "Look, there's markings on it!"
Peter looked at it and sure enough, there were some markings.
He peered at them and said, "I can't read it."
Lucy said, "It must be some sort of Elvish."
Mr. Beaver said, "Let me see, if I'm right…"
He peered at the ring closely and gave out a gasp.
Mrs. Beaver, who had joined him, gasped, "Oh my!"
Lucy asked, "What's the matter?"
Mr. Beaver said, "Lucky Gandalf taught us to recognize different languages. If I'm not wrong, this is the Black Speech of Mordor, which can only mean one thing."
"What's Mordor?" Susan asked.
Mr. Beaver said, "Far in the South, to the east of Gondor lies the dark land of Mordor, inhabited by one far worse than the White Witch, the Dark Lord Sauron. He and the White Witch have worked together more than once, and Sauron was the one who created this ring!"
Lucy asked, "You mean, this is the One Ring?"
"The One Ring?" Peter asked.
Lucy explained, "Long ago, he crafted rings for elves, dwarves and humans, and in Mordor, he created a ring to control them all. He put all his hatred and cruelty into it. One ring to rule them all. He lost it when Isildur of Narnia cut off his finger, but he refused to destroy it. At one point, he was killed and the ring was lost, until it somehow ended up with Bilbo."
Mr. Beaver said, "That's right, and before that, it was in the hands of a creature called Gollum. Gandalf was trying to find him. He said he wanted to know how he had gotten it and what he knew of it."
He then said, "The ring, Lucy coming into Narnia, Tumnus' arrest, it's all happening."
"What's all happening?" Susan asked.
Mr. Beaver laughed out loud saying, "Why, you haven't even heard the prophecy, have you?"
"What prophecy are you talking about? I'm still trying to understand all this stuff." Peter said.
Mr. Beaver explained, "The prophecy goes like this. When Adam's flesh and Adam's bone, not of Middle Earth, sits in Minas Tirith in throne, the evil time will be over and done."
"You know," Susan said, "That really doesn't rhyme."
"Ugh!" Mr. Beaver exclaimed, "You're completely missing the point!"
Mrs. Beaver put a hand on him to calm him down and said, "It has long been foretold that two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve would arrive in the Shire, defeat the White Witch and Sauron once and for all and deliver Narnia."
"And you think we're the ones?!" Peter asked.
Mr. Beaver said, "Why of course you are! But for now, we have to wait for Gandalf! He'll know what needs to be done."
Peter said, "I don't really know what all this means, but whatever it is, I don't want us all getting mixed in this."
Susan said, "Yeah, Mum didn't send us away to get mixed up with a dark lord and an evil witch."
"You can't just leave!" Mr. Beaver cried out.
"He's right!" Lucy cried out, "What about Mr. Tumnus? What about the ring?"
Peter said, "I'm afraid it's out of our hands Lu."
Lucy cried out, "But if Sauron gets the ring back, he'll have a physical body, and it'll be all over. He and the witch will show their true colors and destroy everything!"
Susan said, "He doesn't even know where it is. And besides, we can take it back into our world. He doesn't know about it."
Peter said, "I guess that's the best we can do, what do you think, Edmund?"
He turned around but Edmund wasn't there.
"Edmund?" Peter cried out, "Edmund, where are you?!"
Meanwhile, Edmund was walking in the cold night. He realized that there was not much snow around. It was scattered and it seemed winter was ending.
He looked up and saw that he was near the spot that the Queen had told him about.
He was almost there.
He walked a little ahead and saw a gleaming castle, although rather foreboding, made of ice up ahead.
He went towards the door to let himself in.
A little away, Peter, Lucy, Susan, the beavers and Sam were running as fast as they could, but by the time they could see the castle, it was too late.
Edmund had stepped inside.
"Edmund wait," Peter cried out and was about to follow but Mr. Beaver grabbed the back of his coat crying out, "NO!"
Peter angrily turned on him saying, "What do you mean no?! We can't just let him go like that!"
"He's our brother," Susan added.
"Don't you understand?!" Mr. Beaver explained, "She'll stop the prophecy from coming true! By killing you!"
Peter looked at him, not knowing what to say.
"This is all your fault!" Susan shouted at Peter.
"How is this my fault?!" Peter cried out.
"I knew we should have just left while we still could!" Susan cried out.
"Stop it!" Lucy cried out, "This isn't going to help Edmund."
Peter and Susan looked at Lucy, realizing that she was right.
"She's right," Mr. Beaver said, "Aslan and Gandalf are the only ones that can help your brother now. I don't know where Aslan is, but Gandalf said he'd be at Bree."
"Bree?" Peter asked.
Mr. Beaver said, "It's to the east of the Shire. We will have to start at once if we are to get help."
Peter looked back for one moment and then said, "Take us to him then."
Meanwhile, Edmund was walking through the castle, with awe filling him at how large it was.
He came to a sudden halt and gasped at what he saw.
There, before him, was a giant with a club.
But it was only a statue.
Walking forward, he saw several statues in the area, some of centaurs with swords, others of creatures he didn't know of, some of animals, and at one point, one of a hobbit.
He saw a tiger at one point, a statue of course, with wide open jaws, and picking up a stick in the ice, put it in its mouth for fun.
He then walked ahead, and came to a set of ice steps.
Just ahead, he saw something else lying on the floor with its back to him.
It seemed to be some sort of wolf.
Thinking it was just another statue, Edmund made to step over it.
He was totally unprepared when the wolf suddenly sprang up and pinned him to the floor with a growl.
With a snarl, the wolf spoke in a male voice, "Be still, stranger, or you'll never move again. Who are you?"
Edmund replied, "I'm Edmund. I met the Queen in the woods. She told me to come back here. I'm her favorite."
The wolf growled at him but got off him and said, "Alright. Let me go check and see. Don't move from here, or else…"
With that, he went off.
A minute later, he came back and said, "The Queen said it's alright. You can see her now. Right this way."
He then proceeded to lead the boy up a flight of stairs and into a large, but desolate and foreboding looking room, made of nothing but ice, with a high ceiling, and a throne of ice at the end.
There was even a fur cloak on it.
The wolf said, "I'll leave you here for now." and went off on his own business.
Edmund gleefully went up to the throne and examined it. He sat down on it to enjoy the comfort and found himself liking it.
The cloak was warm which meant that the Queen must have sat upon it.
He felt safe.
He was distracted by the sound of a familiar voice calling out, "Like it?"
Edmund was startled and got up to see the Queen striding over to him.
"Yes," Edmund replied, "Your Majesty."
The Queen went up to him and asked, "Tell me, are your sisters deaf?"
Edmund said, "No."
The Queen, taking her seat, asked, "And is your brother unintelligent?"
Edmund said, "Well I like to think…"
But before he could say another word, the Queen suddenly stood up and in a furious tone shouted, "THEN HOW DARE YOU COME HERE ALONE! ONE THING, YOU COULDN'T DO?! I TOLD YOU TO BRING THEM HERE!"
"I tried," Edmund tried to explain, "But they wouldn't listen!"
"Then where are they?" the Queen asked.
Edmund replied, "They're at a house which used to be some Bilbo Baggins' house, but apparently he…"
"Bilbo Baggins," the Queen suddenly breathed, "Didn't he leave the Shire long ago?"
Edmund said, "Yeah but he gave his house to Lucy, so it's hers, except the Beavers take care of it for her."
"I see," the Queen said, "You aren't a total loss to me then."
She then cupped Edmund's face in her hand and said, "At least I know where they are."
Edmund asked, "Are you going to eat me?"
Sitting on the throne, the Queen pulled him into her lap, kissed his cheek, and said, "I would love to, my sweet Edmund, but I'll save you for later."
Edmund said, "He also gave her a ring. Peter and I fought over it and he almost killed me."
"Wait a minute!" The Queen cried out, "Baggins gave his ring to your sister?!"
Edmund said, "Yes, and it's made things worse for us."
"Indeed it has," Jadis said, "Do you know anything else about that ring?"
Edmund said, "No, I left while they were talking about it. Last thing I heard was that somebody called Sauron made the ring, but I was too angry to listen anymore."
Jadis gave the boy a look of disappointment and said, "Didn't I warn you about Sauron last time? That he is a cruel dark lord who would want to get his hands on you and harm you? You should not have left so suddenly. If you had, you could have ensured their protection already. Now however…"
"What do you mean?" Edmund asked.
Jadis indicated for him to stand and explained, "Sauron is the Dark Lord of a dark land called Mordor. It began with the forging of the rings. Three for the race of elves, known for their immortality and wisdom, seven for the dwarves who desire for gold in the mountains, and nine for the race of me, who above all else desire power. Within these rings, held the power to govern all of Middle Earth, of which, Narnia is just a part of. And this is only Northern Narnia for that matter, but they were all deceived, for another ring was forged; in the land of Mordor, from the shadows of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged a master ring, into which he poured all his cruelty, his malice and his hatred. One ring, to rule them all."
As she ended, the room became even darker and the Queen's voice became louder, causing Edmund to feel frightened.
He felt the Queen take him by the hand and seat him next to her, wrapping her arm around him.
The way she had just said everything and the darkness made him wonder if a monstrous form was going to emerge from it any moment.
Jadis held him and spoke softly, "Don't be frightened Edmund, you are safe here with me."
Even as she spoke, the darkness reduced and the light went to its original level.
Jadis continued, "Many lands fell to the power of the One Ring. Sauron conquered land after land and slaughtered many, especially in Narnia. But there were some who could resist. A last Alliance of Men, Elves and Dwarves and other creatures of Narnia fought against Sauron on the slopes of Mount Doom. Victory was near, but the power of the ring could not be undone. Sauron used it to kill several of his enemies, and finally struck down the King of Gondor. At that moment, when all hope had faded, Isildur, son of the King, took up his father's sword and managed to cut the ring that held the finger. Without the ring, Sauron could not maintain his physical body, and he was defeated. Isildur kept the ring for himself, only to lose it in a river a few years later. He was slaughtered by evil creatures called Orcs that serve the Dark Lord."
Edmund asked, "But how did Bilbo get it?"
Jadis continued, "Two and a half thousand years later, a creature called Gollum found it. It gave him long life, but also ensnared his mind. He hid in the misty mountains for 500 years, but finally the ring left him. Sauron was becoming stronger. But it was found by Bilbo Baggins who happened to be on a quest at that time. And that is how he came to have it."
Edmund asked, "But he should have given it to you. I mean, you're the Queen of Narnia. How did you know he had it?"
Jadis smiled and said, "Well he chose to keep it for himself, but I have my ways of knowing."
She extended her hand sideways and showed him a table of ice, on which was kept some object covered in cloth.
Jadis explained, "It is a device called a palantir. I have seen things that many cannot see with it. I know for a fact, by looking into it, that Sauron is building up his armies, and is looking for his ring."
Edmund looked at the Queen in amazement and said, "Wow! That is so amazing, but…"
"Wait," Jadis said, "Let me finish. As I said, I can see things that many cannot see. Shortly after Bilbo left the Shire, I began my own hunt for this ring. I tried to find Gollum, but Sauron found him before I could. He tortured him."
"He tortured him?" Edmund asked, "But why? How?"
Jadis whispered, "He tortured him with all kinds of heated weapons."
Edmund noticed that Jadis' nails were on his stomach and he asked, "Are you going to torture me?"
"No," Jadis laughingly said, "You're so cute. I might want to eat your tummy first though, after all that Turkish Delight."
With that, she made a chomping noise.
She resumed her serious mood and continued, "Gollum could not hold out and he screamed two words, 'Baggins', 'Shire'."
Edmund looked at her and asked, "But does that mean he's going to come here?"
Jadis said, "He sent his servants, known as the Nazgul. There are nine of them. They are his strongest servants. They crossed the Anduin recently and are headed for the Shire as we speak."
Meanwhile, far away, a hobbit was chopping up some firewood when suddenly, a dog who was standing nearby began to bark out in fear.
The hobbit stopped his work and said, "Easy boy," and looked up to see a figure, dressed in black robes, on a black horse, hooded.
The figure looked at him and said in a cold voice, "Baggins, where?"
The hobbit stuttered, "His house is right this way."
The figure rode away, even as the hobbit and the dog ran into their house and closed the door in fright.
Meanwhile, at the castle, Jadis was saying, "They sense the presence of the ring at all times. They will find the bearer of the ring, and kill the bearer."
Edmund stood up in realization and cried out, "Lucy! I have to warn them!"
As much as he resented them, he didn't want them to die. They were his family.
He ran towards the doors to the throne room but they suddenly closed shut with a bang.
Edmund tried to find another set of doors but he suddenly saw Ginabrik, the dwarf he had encountered last time, and the latter said, "Can't have you leaving."
Edmund turned towards Jadis who had run up to him with a black staff in her hand and said with tears in his eyes, "Please, Your Majesty, you must save them!"
Jadis turned towards Edmund and said, "Edmund, all this time, did you really think I was on your side?"
She continued, "A palantir is used mainly for communication, and I can use it to converse with the Dark Lord. You clearly did not know that Sauron and I have always been allies."
Edmund said, "You're mad!"
Jadis suddenly thrust her staff out and Edmund fell to the floor, causing the dwarf to laugh out loudly.
She then called out, "Maugrim!"
The wolf from earlier came in front of her.
She said, "You know what to do."
Edmund watched in horror as Maugrim howled and s few other wolves emerged from the shadows upon his command.
