The Phoenix Archer ∞ Peter Pevensie

i. | F I V E

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P E T E R

My heart sank as I saw the river that was already melting when we got there.

"We need to cross now!" I yelled as I ran forward.

"Don't beavers make dams?" Asked Lucy.

"I'm not that fast, dear!" Mr Beaver replied.

"C'mon!" I rushed as I pulled Lucy along behind me.

"Wait!" Susan exclaims as we approached the river, "Will you just think about this for a minute?"

"We don't have a minute!" I snapped.

"I was just trying to be realistic." She argued.

I let out a sigh in frustration, "No, you're trying to be smart. As usual."

"Enough." The Archer orders, "We don't have time for this. We need to go now!"

She overtakes me, leading the way down the narrow mountain ledge, towards the melting river.

The Archer stops just before the riverbank whipping her head toward the source of distant howls. I follow her line of sight, catching a glimpse of a tail. We really had to hurry if we wanted any chance of making it to the other side.

Without a second thought, the Archer places her foot firmly onto the ice, quickly retracting it as the ice crackled beneath her feet.

"Wait, maybe I should go first." Mr Beaver suggests.

"Maybe you should." I answer before she could, earning me a glare from the Archer.

The Beaver carefully steps onto the ice, stomping its foot and slapping it with its tail to test its durability.

"You've been sneaking second helpings, haven't you?" Mrs Beaver scolded as the ice surrounding her husband sank slightly.

"Well, you never know which meal is going to be your last." Mr Beaver defended, "Especially, with your cooking." With that, he took a step forward, followed by Mrs Beaver.

The ice seemed sturdy enough to take their weight. The Archer takes a step forward onto the ice as well, giving us a steady nod to tell us that it was safe to proceed before we followed.

I went first, followed closely by Lucy and lastly Susan. Lucy shrieks as the ice around her slowly started to crack, making her lose her balance as she clings onto my hand.

"If mum knew what we were doing." Susan commented.

"Mum's not here!" I said sternly as I shot her a glare.

"Oh no!" The youngest exclaimed, drawing my attention to wolves running, right above us.

"Run!" The Archer yelled as she dodged the chunks of ice falling down onto her from above.

The Archer stops me with an outstretched hand as two wolves jumped onto the space in front of us.

She turned around and I followed suit, intending to run the other direction. However, I quickly noticed that they were surrounded.