~Part I~
(The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe)
~Chapter 1~
I smiled as I lowered my lips to the stream. It was ice cold but refreshing. After years of having to boil ice over the fire to even be able to drink, the stream near my house was finally starting to melt.
"Vy! Come on. Dad will be back soon."
I glanced up and Luc smiled at me. He had the bundle of firewood strapped to his back as he trudged through the snow back towards our cabin. He had his long bow in his left hand and his quiver of arrows at his side.
I filled the two large canteens I had with me and rushed to my feet to follow after my older brother.
He pulled his grey cloak over his mop of dark hair to shield himself from the wind. I copied him, brushing my stray burgundy locks out of my eyes. We trekked the half mile back to our small cabin just outside the western wood, a few miles from the mountains.
We ran the last few feet and Luc pushed me inside, closing the door quickly but gently behind him.
Placing his bow and quiver on the table he knelt by the fire to feed it.
"Did you notice?" I asked as I looked out the window.
"Notice what?" Luc asked. I could tell he didn't care about what I was going to say.
"It's getting warmer." I smiled taking my cloak off and hanging it up.
"That's because I'm feeding the fire. That's what happens when the fire gets bigger."
"I mean outside... Do you think... He's back?"
Luc's head shot up and he stood. He quickly walked over to me and grabbed my arm, pressing one of his cold hands over my mouth.
"The queen will have you turned to stone if she hears you talking like that... You know better."
I looked into my older brother's green eyes. He was serious... But that seriousness quickly left his face and his features softened. He moved his hand and let out a deep sigh.
"Please... Don't talk like that... We can't loose you too." He said as he returned to the fire.
"You secretly hope it too." I mumbled.
Luc let out another deep sigh. I knew he heard me but he didn't want to acknowledge me.
I walked over to the fire and looked at the small painting laid within frame made out of sticks. The painting of our mother. Theabryn. Her hair was long blonde and curly... Luc and I obviously looked more like our father.
Luc looked more like dad than I did. Dark brown almost black hair, tall, handsome. My hair was more redish-brown almost Burgundy. But both of us, had mom's green eyes.
"You used to believe her stories too..." I said, resting an elbow on his head.
"They're just stories..." He mumbled poking the fire.
I knew deep down he also believed the real rulers of Narnia would return... Mom used to tell us tales about how the true kings and queens of Narnia would come and save us from the Witch's enslavement.
"Winter will be spring again." I smiled.
"Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight. At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more. When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death. And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again. When Adam's flesh and Adam's bone,Sits at Cair Paravel in throne, the evil time will be over and done." Luc recited the prophesy mom always told us.
"We shouldn't speak of it." He rose to his feet. "If the trees heard us talking Maugrim will have us arrested." He picked up his bow and quiver of arrows and put the hood of his cloak over his head.
"I'm going to find something for dinner... Don't answer the door unless it's dad. You hear me?" He said the same thing every time he went out without me.
I nodded as I sat down in a chair at the table.
I opened my book and started reading. I got about two chapters in when I heard the sound of a tree falling outside. The sound of bark and wood cracking as it fell. I knew Luc was gonna kill me but I put my cloak on and opened the door.
I held my breath as I walked around the house and towards the woods. I found the fallen tree and red stained snow. I followed the trail of blood until I saw the cause of it and most likely the fallen tree.
I could feel my lips quivering as I approached the hurt animal. It had the head, feet and wings of an eagle and a body like a lion. I knew right away it was a gryphon and it was hurt. It didn't even register with me that gryphons were never on this side of the wood. It's feet and wings were tangled in rope and there was a large cut in its back-left leg.
I knew I was putting myself in danger but I slowly approached the distressed gryphon.
It let out a wail as it finally saw me, trying to back away.
"Don't worry... I won't hurt you." I whispered putting my hand out. "I want to help."
The gryphon lowered its head as it stopped thrashing. I took slow careful steps until I was able to press my hand to the gryphon's head.
"It's ok." I smiled as I softly stroked the gryphon's soft brown feathers. "I'm going to cut you lose." I said as I drew my dagger.
I dropped slowly to my knees and cut the rope and threw it to the side. Sheathing my dagger, the gryphon laid down.
"This is going to hurt..." I warned it as I gathered a snowball in my hands.
Then I pressed it into the cut to clean it.
The gryphon let out another wail as I took my cloak off and tied it tight around it's leg.
"Can you walk? My cabin is just outside the wood. I can get you some medicine." I said as I stroked its side to calm it down.
The gryphon stood and started to follow after me, limping. I left the gryphon outside as I ran inside the house, grabbing an old sheet and some salves.
I took my now bloody cloak off the gryphon's paw and put the salve into the cut. It wasn't as bad as it looked and the bleeding had finally stopped.
I had just finished wrapping the wound when I heard.
"VYLA. Step away!" Luc said, emerging from the trees, his bow drawn.
"Luc don't." I said moving more in front of the gryphon. "It was hurt. I was helping it."
"Move out of the way. It'll be better off if I just put it out of its misery."
"Luc... Mom wouldn't want you to do that..."
He let out a sigh and lowered his bow. "Get out of here." He called.
"Be careful. This is the Witch's county." I whispered as the gryphon spread its wings and took off.
"Get inside." Luc said, as he pulled me after him. He closed the door hard and locked it.
"What were you thinking?" He demanded as he threw the two dead snow hares on the table.
"It was hurt. I was helping it."
"It could have killed you!"
"Mom would have helped it."
"Stop bringing mom into everything!" He shouted.
"Stop trying to be dad!" I shouted back.
We were both silent before Luc walked into his room.
I looked at the rabbits on the table and decided to start dinner. Luc was only four years older than me but... He was over protective.
Hours passed. It was dark and my stew was cooking over the fire when I heard the special knock at the door. Three, then two, then one.
I smiled as I rose from where I was sitting near the fire and opened the door.
"Papa." I smiled as I threw my arms around his neck.
"Hello Vy." He whispered as I pulled him into the warm house. His dark hair had snowflakes in it which quickly melted once he was fully inside.
"It smells good in here... Is Luc home?"
"In his room..."
"Lucien?" He called as I took his cloak for him and hung it up. He took a seat in his rocking chair and I handed him a cup of tea.
"Dad?" Luc asked as he walked back in. "How was your trip?" He asked as he took bowls out of the cupboard.
"Long... It's good to be home now." He smiled. "What about you two... Get along without me?"
Luc looked at me as he handed me the bowls.
"Vy... Care to tell him what you did today?" he asked.
"There was this gryphon... And it was tangled in one of the Witch's nets and it had a cut in its leg... I did what mom would have done and helped it..."
"Did you now?"
"Luc was going to shoot it... I couldn't let it get captured by Maugrim..." I said, keeping my voice lowered as I handed him a bowl of steaming stew.
"You're right... I think you did the right thing... But in doing so, you put yourself, and us in danger... You're lucky the trees haven't reported you." He said as he dipped a spoon into his bowl of stew.
I stuck my tongue out at Luc as he got himself a bowl.
We ate and dad told us about his week and a half long journey to Avenard. and I eventually fell asleep and all I remembered was my father carrying me to my bed and tucking me in.