Chapter Twenty One
Stoned Fox
Jadis stood in horror at what was displayed beneath her. What in the name of Narnia happened? The ice was gone. The snow was gone. The cold was gone. Everything she had worked for all this time had practically vanished, almost as if she had never even existed. The waterfall and river displayed beneath her had all but melted away and was pumping Crystal blue water down the river and into the valley. Her eyes were huge and she found herself short of breath. Who did this?
"It's so . . . warm out," Ginarrbrik said in awe as he looked at the sight around them. He began to take his hot fur coat off until he received an icy glare from Jadis and decided it would be better to leave the coat on, no matter how hot he may be. "I'll go and check the sleigh," he said in an attempt to get away from her.
Edmund smirked at the dwarf, what a wimp. Although he had to admit, Narnia in the spring without the snow was quite a sight to see. The place was beautiful with the fresh green grass and sky blue water. Narnia even smelled sweet, like a new beginning. However, it was very clear that Jadis did not share the same opinion as Edmund and continued to stare at everything in shock and disgust.
"Your Majesty," someone called out from behind the two. When they turned around, they were greeted by Maugrim and his pack exiting the woods and entering the little patch of grass that Jadis and Edmund were now standing on beside a cliff. They didn't know it, but it was actually the same spot where Edmund's siblings, Peter and Susan, stood arguing not even a couple of hours ago.
As the wolves came closer, Edmund saw someone else was with them. A flash of reddish/orange and brown fur stood out and he realized it was a fox that Maugrim was carrying in his mouth. The fox looked to be sad and exhausted as it laid limp in Maugrim's grip, honestly, it was a sad sight to see to Edmund.
"We caught the traitor," another wolf in the pack explained to the Queen as he stood next to Maugrim. "He was rallying your enemies in the shuttering woods."
At these words, Maugrim tossed the fox out of his mouth causing the fox to go airborne and hit the ground hard on its side. The fox let out a yelp of pain with the impact causing Edmund to wince out of pity for the poor creature. The fox truly looked pitiful as it managed to regain its footing and stood up carefully to regain balance.
The fox was Malaki, as soon as the wolves had lost the Pevensie siblings they were quick to hunt down Malaki and kidnap him. He wasn't actually that hard to find considering Malaki had only made it a few miles from where they last met trying to find troops for Aslan's army, being very through to find anyone he could for the cause.
"Ah, nice of you to drop in," Jadis said in a gentle greeting to the fox with her eyebrows raised and making her way in front of the fox with Edmund falling in right behind her. "You must have been so helpful to my wolves last night, perhaps you can help me now."
"Forgive me Your Majesty," Malaki said as he lowered his head with remorse and the pack of wolves were now standing in a wide circle around him with the fox in the center. Malaki had found the fourth sibling, he found the last Son of Adam, the prophecy was coming true. But he knew he was in deep trouble and it was only a matter of time that he probably had left, there was no way the Queen was going to let him go. He was to valuable, he knew to much, Jadis couldn't possibly give him up. The only option was to not try and give anything away, he had to keep Elizabeth safe, Jadis couldn't find out about her.
"Oh don't even waste my time with flattery," Jadis rolled her eyes and made a "tisk" sound with her tongue at Malaki.
But Malaki simply looked at her with an apologetic look. "Not to seem rude, but I wasn't actually talking to you," Malaki stated before turning to face Edmund.
Edmund's eyes became huge at the fox's statement as he turned fearfully up to Jadis who was also staring down at Edmund, all eyes were on him and he had no idea why. Why would the fox be calling him Majesty? He wasn't royal, not an ounce of royal blood was in him as far as he was concerned. Perhaps the fox was hinting at what the Queen had promised him, a throne and to be King. That was the only possible explanation . . . right?
Jadis stared at Edmund a moment more before turning her attention back to Malaki and stepping in front of the fox. She swung her wand before pointing it directly at the fox, she was done playing games. As she glared down at him, her lips turned into a sour curl as she stared him down. "Where are the humans headed?" Malaki said nothing, instead just stared up at Jadis with cold eyes of defiance. "Are they headed to Aslan's daughter?"
At this, Malaki's eyes grew wide. How did Jadis know this? As far as they were concerned, the Witch knew nothing about Elizabeth, certainly not her relation to Aslan as well. This was bad, this was very bad. If Jadis already knew that Elizabeth had survived, then they were running out of time quicker than they thought. Malaki looked to Edmund in fear, how much did the boy know? If he did know more than he left on, was he the one who gave away the truth about Elizabeth to the Witch?
Jadis raised her wand, fumed with anger that she was not receiving any answers, she had enough of this. But as she raised her wand, Edmund dashed in between her and Malaki with his arms outstretched. "Please, no don't!" he begged and Jadis' raised her eyebrows shocked that he dared try to stop her, he better have a good reason for doing so. "The beavers said something about the Stone Table, that Aslan had an army there!"
The entire woods seemed to have gone silent. No one dared make a sound. Jadis' lips twitched as she went over Edmund's words in her head. "An army?" Jadis lowered her want and stood up straighter as she looked down at Malaki.
Malaki looked like he had been bitten all over again, the look on his face was true pain and dismay at Edmund. What had he done? Did he have any idea the chaos he just created! Part of Malaki wanted to thank him for trying to save him while the other part wanted to scream at him for his stupidity. If Edmund hadn't said anything, sure Malaki might be gone, but at least Aslan's secret would still remain hidden from the Witch!
"Thank you, Edmund," she said gently as she stepped around him till she was in front of Malaki once more. "I'm glad this creature got to see some honesty," she smiled at Edmund before turning back to Malaki, her face having gone back sour. "Before he dies."
Malaki opened his mouth and prepared to pounce on Jadis but the Witch was far quicker than he thought. She whipped her wand out at Malaki and a bright blue beam illuminated from her sword and in coming in contact with Malaki turned him to stone. Edmund screamed "no" in the process but was already too late for the fox was frozen in time in front of him. He stared in disbelief at Jadis who was now staring at him, her work completed with Malaki. The two stared at one another until Jadis pulled her hand back and backhanded Edmund clear across the face.
The impact shocked Edmund and he pulled his face up to the spot and rubbed it in an attempt to make the pain go away. Why in the world would she do that? All Edmund just accomplished was helping her and she backhands him for it?
Jadis grabbed Edmund's shoulder till he was looking up at her. "Think about whose side you're on Edmund. Mine—" she started before grabbing Edmund's face and turning it so he was forced to look at Malaki. "—or theirs?"
Edmund could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, he was now beginning to realize how foolish it was to tell Jadis anything. The fox was right, he should have played it safe and not said anything at all. No wonder the fox had looked at him with such betrayal as he did earlier. Jadis was never going to spare the fox, and it was sad that Edmund ever thought she actually would.
Jadis stood up tall as she turned to the wolves still standing there. "Go on ahead," she ordered. "Gather the faithful. If it's a war Aslan wants—" at this time a butterfly was flying by the Queen, minding its own business before Jadis lifted her wand and turned the innocent creature to stone. The frozen butterfly fell lifeless from the sky and hit the ground. "—it's a war he shall get," she finished with her head held high.
The wolves were quick to take out her command and split up among the woods taking off. Edmund could feel his heart beating faster and his breathing become quicker. He knew where they would soon be headed, and he had a feeling his siblings wouldn't be as happy as he was to see them again.
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A/N:
Okay, my apologies for this realllllly short chapter.
I've I'm being honest though I just didn't have any creative juices in me at the moment to come up with anything other than the actual movie so here you go.
I also didn't want to just write something for the sake of writing it and have it come out being so pointless and unbearably boring so I just left it here.
But thanks for reading my young pupils and continue on!!!