The forest was darker now. Snow clung to every branch, muffling their footsteps as the five of them moved through the woods-Peter and Susan trailing behind Lucy, Edmund sulking in silence, and Yelena keeping a sharp watch on the path ahead.
Yelena had grown accustomed to reading the land: broken twigs, melted footprints, the unnatural hush that meant something wicked had passed. She read Narnia the way some read books-every branch, every snowdrift a sentence.
Lucy led them with excitement, her face bright. "It's just over this ridge," she said, brushing snow from her sleeves. "Mr. Tumnus's house-it's warm and cozy. He made me tea and played his flute-he wouldn't just leave!"
But Yelena already felt the change. The air had a different weight. The silence wasn't natural. It was... expectant.
They crested the hill and came to the hollow in the side of the slope-a small, rounded doorway half-buried in snow.
Lucy's steps quickened. "Mr. Tumnus?" she called. "It's me-Lucy!"
No answer.
Peter and Susan exchanged wary glances.
Yelena pushed the door open carefully. The hinges creaked. Inside, the cave was cold and empty. The fire had long gone out. Furniture was overturned. The cheerful tones Lucy had described-scarves on pegs, books and a teapot-had been ransacked.
Lucy stepped inside slowly, her face crumpling. "No..."
On the floor lay a parchment, partially unrolled, pinned down with a broken cup.
Susan knelt to read it. "'The Faun Tumnus is under arrest for High Treason. For comforting and harboring spies and human vermin, he shall be turned to stone by her Imperial Majesty, Jadis the White Witch.'"
Lucy's voice was barely a whisper. "She took him... because of me."
Peter's jaw clenched. "We should get out of here."
"No," Yelena said sharply, eyes fixed on the forest outside. "Someone's watching."
Peter stepped beside her. "How do you know?"
Yelena didn't answer. She reached for an arrow and notched it lightly, scanning the trees.
A rustle.
Then a blur of movement-and before Peter could draw his blade, a small, hunched creature scurried out from behind a tree, bundled in rags and snow-dusted fur.
"Wait!" Lucy cried. "That's not a wolf!"
The creature froze.
It was a beaver.
And it spoke.
"If it's safe talkin' you're after," the beaver said gruffly, "we best not do it here."
The children stared. Even Yelena blinked in surprise.
The beaver looked at her and gave a quick nod. "You'll want to come with me. They'll be back soon-the wolves."
Yelena lowered her bow. "Where?"
"To the dam," the beaver said. "You want to save your friend the faun? You'll need help."
He turned and waddled back toward the trees, leaving a trail of small paw prints in the snow.
Peter looked at Yelena.
She didn't hesitate. "We follow."
YOU ARE READING
unexpected // p. pevensie
FanfictionYelena Carson, a girl orphaned as a result of the Blitz. She takes shelter in an abandoned chapel and is entranced by a magnificent statue of a lion. She is taken into the realm of Narnia, where she learns to survive by herself. Until one day, where...
