"Hurry, mother!" Beaver said as they ran inside the dam. "They're after us!"
"Oh, right!"
She ran around the home, gathering materials.
"What is she doing?" Peter asked. He had placed Alex's feet on the ground, but her arm was still around his shoulder.
"Oh, you'll be thanking me later," Mrs Beaver said. "It's a long journey and Beaver gets pretty cranky when he's hungry."
Susan ran to help Mrs Beaver pack, making the process go quicker.
"I'm cranky now!" Beaver exclaimed.
Alex's head shot up as she listened to the noises outside.
"Take them." It was Maugrim.
"Do you think we'll need jam?" Susan asked.
"Only if the Witch serves toast," Peter replied.
Wolf barks could now be heard overhead. Alex looked at Lucy.
"Lucy, grab my swords," she said. "They're by the bed."
Lucy nodded and returned a moment later with Alex's weapons.
"Here you go."
"Thank you."
"Quick!" Beaver said. "In here!" He opened up a secret passageway and ran inside. The others quickly followed. "Badger and I made this. It comes out right near his place."
"He told me it led to your mums," Mrs Beaver said.
Lucy suddenly tripped on a root. Susan helped her up. Suddenly, they heard barking.
"They're in the tunnel," Lucy whispered.
"Quick! This way!"
"Hurry!"
"Run!"
They soon came to a dead end.
"You should have brought a map!" Mrs Beaver said.
"There wasn't room next to the jam!"
They quickly climbed up through the exit and into the night air.
"Come on, Lucy," Susan said.
As soon as Peter was through, he and Mr Beaver blocked the passage with a barrel. Lucy suddenly cried out, making everyone look at her. She had fallen over small stone statues that looked like squirrels. There were a few other statues nearby, one being Beaver's friend Badger.
"I'm so sorry, dear," Mrs Beaver said.
"He was my best mate," Mr Beaver replied.
"What happened here?" Peter asked, fear in his voice.
"This is what becomes of those who cross the Witch."
The group turned to see a fox standing above them.
"You take one more step, traitor," Beaver said, "and I'll chew you to splinters."
"Relax," the fox replied. "I'm one of the good guys."
"Yeah? Well you look an awful lot like one of the bad ones."
"An unfortunate family resemblance. We can argue breeding later. Right now we've got to move."
Barks could suddenly be heard from the tunnel. Peter looked at the fox.
"What do you have in mind?"
~
Alex sat beside Peter as Mrs Beaver tended to the Fox. He had been bitten by one of the wolves and was slightly hurt.
"We were helping Tumnus, but the Witch got here before I did," the Fox said. "Ow!"
"Are you alright?" Lucy asked.
"Well, I wish I could say their bark is worse than their bite. Ow!"
"Stop squirming," Mrs Beaver scolded. "You're worse than Beaver on bath day."
"Worse day of the year," he muttered to the children.
"Thank you for your kindness," the Fox said, standing up, "but I'm afraid that's all the cure I have time for."
"You're leaving?" Lucy said.
"It has been a pleasure, my queen, and an honor," he said bowing, "but time is short, and Aslan himself has asked me to gather more troops."
Mrs and Mr Beaver gasped.
"You've seen Aslan?"
"What's he like?"
"Like... everything we've ever heard. You'll be glad to have him by your side in the battle against the witch."
"But we're not planning on fight any witch," Susan said to him.
"But surely, King Peter. The prophecy."
"We can't go to war without you," Alex said, putting a hand on his arm.
He looked at his sisters.
"We just want our brother back," he replied.
The talking beasts sighed, but nodded. The Fox hurried away. Alex looked at her friends.
"Get some rest," she said. "I'll stand guard tonight."
"But you're still hurt, dear," Mrs Beaver pointed out.
"You can take care of me later, Mrs Beaver. Right now, we have to get these three to Aslan."
~
The Beavers, Pevensies, and Alexandra walked over the frozen land of Narnia. Alex stayed by the Pevensies' side while the Beavers took the lead. She spent a lot of the time talking with them and telling them about Narnia.
"Come on, humans," Mr Beaver said for probably the sixtieth time since their day started. "While we're young."
Alex rolled her eyes at him. She stopped beside the siblings.
"If he tells us to hurry one more time," Peter said, "I'm going to turn him into a big fluffy hat."
He bent down so Lucy could climb on his back. His sisters chuckled. Alex smiled at Peter's words and started forward again.
"Hurry up!" Mr Beaver said again, this time with more urgency. "Come on!"
"He is getting a little bossy," Lucy commented.
"No! Behind you!" Mrs Beaver exclaimed. "It's her!"
Alex turned around and stared. There was a sleigh following after them.
"Run! Run!" Beaver shouted before running away himself.
"Move!" Alex said to the kids.
Peter set Lucy on the ground, but grabbed her hand as they started to run. Alex glanced over their shoulder multiple times as they ran. The sleigh was growing closer and closer. Alex looked back in front of them and saw the woods up ahead. A sudden thought came to her. She stopped in her tracks and pulled out her swords.
"What are you doing?" Susan shouted to her, noticing she had stopped. "She's coming!"
"I can slow her down!" Alex shouted back. "Get to safety!"
"But you're hurt!" Lucy said.
"Don't worry about me! Just get out of here!"
"Come on!" Beaver said to them.
The kids looked back at Alex as she turned to face the oncoming sleigh before continuing after the Beavers. They heard the sleigh stop for a brief moment before starting up again. The first thought that came to mind for everyone was Alex.
"Inside!" Beaver said, motioning to a small burrow in the side of a hill.
"But what about Alex?" Lucy asked.
"We just need to trust her," Peter said, gently pushing his sister into the burrow.
"Quick," Mrs Beaver said, helping them inside. "Quick, quick, quick."
They quickly quieted down when they heard the sleigh come to a stop right above them. Snow suddenly fell in front of them and they noticed a shadow being cast onto the snow back before them. After a minute, it turned and left.
"Maybe she's gone," Lucy said after another silent moment.
"I suppose I'll go look," Peter offered.
"No," Beaver said, stopping him. "You're worth nothing to Narnia dead."
"Neither are you, Beaver," his wife retorted.
"Thanks, sweetheart."
He climbed up the bank and disappeared from their sight. There was a minute of silence. Dread filled them, thinking the Witch had gotten Beaver.
"Come here!" Beaver said, suddenly appeared above them, making Lucy scream in fright. "Come here! I hope you've all been good, cause there's someone here to see ya!"
The children got to their feet and walked out of the burrow. They stared when they saw a man in a red coat with a white beard standing in front of a sleigh. Alex was sitting in the front, smiling at them.
"Merry Christmas, sir," Lucy said with a smile.
"It certainly is, Lucy," he replied, "since you have arrived."
"We thought you were the Witch," Peter said, ignoring what his sister was about to say.
"Yes, yes. Sorry about that. But, uh, in my defense, I have been driving one of these longer than the Witch."
"You sure have," Alex said with a laugh.
"I thought there was no Christmas in Narnia," Susan said.
"No, not for a long time. But the hope that you have brought, your Majesties, is finally starting to weaken the Witches power. Still, I dare say you could do with these."
He pulled his large sack from the back of the sleigh.
"Presents!" Lucy said happily.
She stepped forward as the man pulled out two small objects.
"The juice of the fire flower," he said, holding up a cordial. "One drop will cure any injury. And though I hope you never have to use it." He handed her a dagger.
"Thank you, sir. I think I can be brave enough."
"I'm sure you could, but battles are ugly affairs." He glanced to his side as Alex climbed out of the sleigh, holding her side slightly. He turned back to Lucy. "I think you have your first patient."
Lucy nodded and ran to Alex's side as she sat down on the ground.
"Are you alright?" she asked the elf.
"I will be, yes, Lucy. Do not worry about me."
Lucy held out her cordial to her.
"Here. Drink some of this. It will help you." Alex took the glass object from her small hand and poured a drop into her mouth. She handed the cordial back to her friend with a smile before starting to undo her bandages. "Are you better already?"
"Let's find out."
Lucy helped Alex unravel her bandages until they were no longer on her body. The Daughter of Eve gasped.
"Look, Alex! Your wounds are gone!"
Alex glanced down at her legs and arms. Sure enough, the wounds were closed up. The only thing that remained in their place were light scars, though the elf did not mind.
"So they are, Lucy. Thank you."
The two hugged for a moment before pulling away to look at the others. Susan had gotten a bow, a quiver of arrows, and a magical horn while Peter got a shield and a sword.
"These are tools," the man was saying, "not toys. Bear them well and wisely. Now, I must be off. Winter is almost over and things do pile up when you've been gone a hundred years!" He threw his bag back on his sleigh and sat in the front. "Long live Aslan! And Merry Christmas!"
With a snap of the reigns, the reindeer took off, dragging the sleigh away.
"Bye!"
"Merry Christmas!"
"Told you he was real," Lucy said to Susan.
"He said winter is almost over," Peter said, almost as if he was in a daze. He suddenly seemed to come back to reality. "You know what that means."
"No more ice," Alex muttered. "Come on!"