-MEETING THE BEAVERS-
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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷CHAPTER SIXˏˋ°•*⁀➷
(act i)
———PROMISES———
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THE FIVE CHILDREN, acquired with their fluffy coats, walked through the snowy forests of the new discovered world. Edmund was in front as they reached a lamp-post. Lucy kept explaining to everyone the story about when she ventured through the wardrobe for the first time.
This time, the others were able to visualise it for themselves. Lucy led the way, smiling to herself as she looked up at the snowy cliffs. Emily and Susan were walking together as they exchanged glances in awe at their surroundings.
After they had walked through the cliff, Peter saw the slope down, ran and slide in the slow, laughing to himself. Edmund glared at his brother's immaturity as he walked down the slope. The other three laughed at Peter's antics, before they carried on their journey.
Lucy led in front, with Edmund behind, then Emily, then Peter, and finally Susan. The children gaped up at the snowy rocks in awe as they passed them. They emerged from a cliff and Lucy looked down at the snow, explaining her story with Mr. Tumnus and hyping up the others.
"...lots and lots of lovely food and we'll have lots and lots of... fun." Lucy stopped dead in her tracks once she saw the little door, broken down. She gasped, noticing the broken down door and ran towards the it. Peter called her name before running after her. The rest of them followed after Peter and Lucy.
When they looked inside, everything was broken. Things had been tossed around and furniture had been broken. It looked like someone had harshly broken in. "Who would do something like this?" Lucy asked, her voice trembling.
"What's on that wall over there?" Emily pointed over at something pinned on the wall. Peter walked over to it and took it off the wall reading it out.
'The faun Tumnus is hereby charged with high treason against her imperial majesty, Jadis, Queen of Narnia, for comforting her enemies and fraternising with humans. Signed Maugrim, Captain of the Secret Police. Long live the queen.'
Peter handed the letter over to Susan who read it over. "All right. Now we really should go back." Susan concluded once she finished reading the letter. "But what about Mr. Tumnus?" Lucy asked.
"If he was arrested for just being with a human. I don't think there's much we can do." Emily pointed out. "You don't understand, do you? I'm the human. She must have found out he helped me." Lucy looked up at Emily, Susan and Peter. Edmund looked away, feeling guilty.
"Maybe we could call the police?" Peter suggested. "These are the police." Susan replied. "Don't worry, Lu. We'll think of something." Peter reassured her.
"Why? I mean he's a criminal." Edmund spoke up. Emily frowned, glancing at him, noticing his secretive behaviour A bird chirped from outside grabbing the children's attention. "Did that bird just pssst us?" Susan asked. Peter took Lucy's hand and lead her outside, Susan following behind.
"Why do I get the feeling that you have something to do with this?" Emily asked Edmund, narrowing her eyes at him.
"I don't know. Why do you?" He snapped at her before brushing past Emily, following his siblings. "Dickhead." Emily scoffed before following after the four siblings.
The children heard rustling in the bushes. They all looked around frantically looking for anything that was going to pop up and scare them, hoping it was no one. Susan, Lucy and Peter huddled together, creeping closer.
Edmund and Emily were slightly behind them, inching closer. A branch snapped, making Emily jump and clutch onto Edmund's arm. Edmund frowned turning his head towards Emily.
Emily looked over at him, seeing he was already staring at her. "Sorry." she apologised, awkwardly removing her hand from his arm.
They looked over at the rock in front of them when a beaver emerged from behind the rock. "It's a beaver?" Lucy questioned.
"Here boy, *clicking his tongue* here boy." Peter held out his hand. "I ain't gonna smell it if that's what you want." the beaver said. Susan, Edmund and Emily's eyes went wide while Lucy giggled. "Oh, sorry." Peter apologised.
"Oh my, is that Princess Emily?" the beaver gaped. The four siblings turned and looked towards Emily. "I--uhhh...I'm not a Princess. How could I be a Princess?" Emily stuttered.
"How do you not remember? You absolutely loved it here. Such wonderful times. It seemed as if it was just last week." he paused for a second. Susan and Edmund looked at Emily confused. Emily looked back at them sharing their confusion. "Lucy Pevensie?"
Lucy's eyes widened, before stepping forward. "Y-yes?" The beaver pulled out a handkerchief with the initials L.P sewed onto it. "Hey, that's the handkerchief I gave to Mr. Tu-" "Tumnus. He gave it to me just before they took 'im." Mr. Beaver finished for her.
"Is he alright?" Lucy asked, concerned. "Further in." Mr. Beaver motioned for them to go behind the rock. Emily, Peter and Lucy walked after the beaver but we were stopped by Susan.
"What are you doing?" Susan asked pulling Peter's arm. "She's right. How do we know we can trust him?" Edmund agreed. "He said he knows the faun and Emily. For reasons none of us understand." Peter shrugged his shoulders. "He's a beaver. He shouldn't be saying anything!" Susan shrieked.
"Everything all right?" Mr. Beaver poked his head out from behind the rock. "Yes, we were just talking." Emily replied, turning her body slightly towards the beaver. "That's better left for the safer quarters." Mr. Beaver said going back behind the rock. "He means the trees." Lucy explained looking up at the still trees.
The others cautiously looked up at the trees, confused. The five children and Mr. Beaver trudged through the woods of Narnia. They soon reached some cliffs.
The children were beginning to get tired, their fast paced walks slowing down. "Come on. We don't want to be caught out here after night fall." Mr. Beaver pointed out as he led the way.
They walked through an entrance of tall cliffs. The entrance slowly caved in, reducing the amount of space. Mr. Beaver was at the front, leading. Behind the beaver was Lucy, who was eagerly following the beaver. Susan was behind Lucy, then Emily, then Edmund and finally Peter.
As they walked through the narrow cliffs, each of them holding onto the rocks beside them, to keep their balance and not slip on the snow.
Edmund knew that Emily was onto him. She definitely knew something. Did he give anything away? He wasn't sure if he did. But he just had to somehow lure his siblings and Emily to the Queen.
They began to head up a hill. The walls of the cliffs expanding out, yet the children still walked in a line, one behind the other.
They reached the top of the cliff which looked down onto a dam. "Ah, blimey! Looks like the old girl's got the kettle on. Nice cup of rosy lee."
"It's lovely." Lucy gasped. "It's merely a trifle. Still plenty to do. Ain't quite finished yet." Mr. Beaver replied.
The six of them walked down the cliff to the beaver's home. "And here we are then." The Beaver announced. "We best be inside before dark." Mr. Beaver reminded. As the elder four followed after the beaver, Lucy crouched down and moved away some snow, revealing some frozen fish.
She lightly gasped, glancing towards Emily and her elder siblings, and then back down at the frozen fish. She then stood up and caught up with the rest of the others.
"Beaver, is that you? I've been worried sick! If i find out you've been out with badger again I'll..." A woman's voice was heard and slowly became larger, but she stopped once she saw the humans.
"Oh those aren't badgers. I never thought I'd live to see this day. Look at my fur. You couldn't give me ten minutes warning?"
"I would've given you a week if I thought it would of helped." Mr Beaver chuckled. "Oh, come inside. And we'll see if we can get you some food and some civilised company." she led the five of them into the little dam.
Emily had now found herself behind Edmund. He was the last of his siblings to enter the dam. He stared over at the two hills in the distance.
Emily frowned, wondering why he had stopped and looked over at where he was looking. "Will you hurry up? Those bloody hills aren't that interesting." Emily said, snapping Edmund out of his daze.
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Emily sat on the edge of the bottom step since there was no more room at the small table. Edmund sat a few steps above her obviously not wanting to sit with his family.
"Isn't there anything we can do to help Tumnus?" Peter asked. "They'll have taken him to the witch's castle. You know what they say. There's few that go in them gates, that come out of them." Mr. Beaver explained. The three siblings sat at the table, exchanged glances.
"Fish n' chips? But there is hope, dear. Lots of hope.." Mrs. Beaver tried lightening the mood. Mr. Beaver spat out his drink. "Oh, yeah. There's a right bit more than hope! Aslan is on the move." The children stayed silent.
"Who's Aslan ?" Edmund stood up from the step. Mr. Beaver laughed. "Who's Aslan? You cheeky little blighter." Mrs. Beaver nudged him, noticing the awkward looks on the children's faces. "You don't know, do you?" "Well, we haven't exactly been here very long." Emily pointed out.
"Well, he is only the king of the whole wood. The real king of Narnia." Mr. Beaver explained enthusiastically. Edmund gave the beaver a disgusted look before moving and sitting back down on his step.
"He's been away for a long while..." Mrs. Beaver began. "But he's just got back! He's waiting for you near the stone table!" Mr. Beaver said a little too excitedly.
Emily felt a cold breeze hit the back of her neck. She looked over her shoulder to see no Edmund and the door wide open. She quietly sighed and quickly stood up and followed the footprints in the snow.
Soon enough, she had caught up to him, trailing behind him so he wouldn't know she was there. She wanted to ask him, what the hell are you doing but she noticed that there was a frozen lake where an ice palace stood.
She watched as Edmund trudged down toward it. She took one last look behind her and then back at the castle. She decided to follow Edmund down to see what trouble he could be causing.
What she didn't know, was that something bad was about to happen.
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