Bravely Gentle

02

Lucy entered a forest clouded in white and walked up to a lamp post. She admired it and heard what sounded like scurrying about. She ducked behind the lamp post. A creature with a red scarf carrying parcels appeared. The creature and Lucy screamed and the creature dropped his parcels.

Moments later, the two of them walked back towards the lamp post. "Were you hiding from me?" Lucy asked curiously.

"Huh, um, n... n... no. I didn't want to scare you," the creature said.

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

He looked shocked that Lucy didn't know what he was. "Why, I'm a faun! And you must be some kind of beardless dwarf?"

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

The faun remained confused and asked, "But you're saying you're a daughter of Eve?"

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

The faun cut her off. "Yes, but you are in fact, human."

She nodded and the faun questioned, "What are you doing here?"

Lucy glanced back. "Well, I came from the wardrobe in the spare room, and..."

"Spare Oom."

"Spare room. Is that in Narnia?"

The faun seemed confused. "No. This is Narnia. Everything from this lamp post to Cair Paravel on the Eastern ocean, every stick and stone, every icicle is Narnia."

"This is an awfully big wardrobe."

The faun turned his gaze to her. "Wardrobe? I'm sorry, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tumnus."

Lucy smiled and extended her hand. "Glad to meet you, Mr. Tumnus. I'm Lucy Pevensie." Tumnus stared at her hand. "Oh. You shake it."

Tumnus frowned. "Why?"

Lucy thought for a moment. "I-I don't know. People do it when they meet each other."

Tumnus shook her hand, before he said, "Well then Lucy Pevensie, from the shining city of War Drobe in the wondrous land of Spare Oom, how would it be if you came and had tea with me?"

Lucy glanced at the wardrobe. "Oh, well, thank you very much, but I probably should be getting back..."

"Yes, but it's only just around the corner. And there'll be a glorious fire. And toast and cakes. And maybe... we'll even break into the sardines."

"Well, I don't know..."

"Oh, come on. It's not everyday I get to make new friends."

"Well, maybe for just a little while... if you have sardines."

"By the bucket load," Tumnus answered with a small smile. "Come along."

She followed the faun to his house. When they arrived, she asked, "Can I help you?"

Tumnus nodded and she took a couple of parcels and opened the door. "Why, thank you!"

They put the parcels down and began examining the pictures. Tumnus noticed what she was doing. "Oh... that is my father."

"He has a nice face," Lucy said with a smile. "You look just like him."

Tumnus' expression changed almost instantly. "No, I'm not very much like him at all really."

Lucy sighed softly. "My father is fighting in a war."

Tumnus stared at Lucy a moment. "My father went to war too... but that was a very long time ago... before this dreadful winter."