The next morning, Fallon woke up with snow in her ear.
Sitting up, the girl shook her head, watching as a few snowflakes fell out of her hair and onto her legs. Looking around, she noticed that everyone other than Lucy was awake, so she chose to join Susan as she tried to put out the fire that had kept them warm the night before.
No one said a word, and after about ten minutes, Peter had woken Lucy up, and the group was back on track, walking through the snow, following the beavers, all with the goal of getting to Aslan's camp before nightfall.
Once they reached a hilltop, Beaver stopped, causing the lot to do so behind him as well.
"Now, Aslan's camp is near the Stone Table, just across the Frozen River," he said.
"River?" Peter said, speaking everyone's thoughts out loud.
"The River's been frozen solid for a hundred years," Mrs. Beaver explained, as if it would somehow make Peter stop worrying.
"It's so far," the boy said, and Fallon nearly laughed at his whine. He sounded like a child.
"It's the world, dear," Mrs. Beaver said. "Did you expect it to be small?"
"Smaller," Susan said, looking at Peter before brushing past him, following the beavers down the hill.
It was obvious she was still upset with him about what had happened in front of the castle, but Fallon wasn't willing to take sides on this.
"Hey, Pretty Boy," she called when she noticed the blond wasn't following. "You coming?"
Peter gave the girl a small smile, making his way behind her.
A few minutes later, Fallon finally noticed how she wasn't as cold as she'd been last night, so she unwrapped her arms from around herself, no longer regretting not taking her coat.
"Come on, humans!" Mr. Beaver called once they were on flat ground. "While we're still young!"
"If he tells us to hurry one more time, I'm gonna turn him into a big, fluffy hat," Peter said, crouching down so Lucy could get on his back.
"Hurry up! Come on!"
Susan and Fallon laughed when Peter rolled his eyes at the beaver.
"He's getting a little bossy," Lucy commented.
"So, what style will that hat be, Your Highness?" Fallon teased, Peter sticking his tongue out at her like a seven year old would.
"Very mature," the girl said sarcastically.
"Not any less mature than teasing a King," Peter responded.
"Well, technically, you're not really King yet."
Peter was about to reply when Mrs. Beaver's voice boomed around them. "Behind you! It's her!"
Fallon's eyes widened and she snapped around to see a sleigh coming towards them, and she immediately started running, taking Lucy's hand as Peter put her down frantically.
"Run!"
The four kids started sprinting behind the beavers, Peter and Fallon never loosening their grip on Lucy as they neared the woods, Susan only a few steps in front of them.
"Hurry!"
They finally reached the trees, but Fallon knew they weren't protected enough to get away from the Witch. Her heart was in her throat as Mr. Beaver gestured for them to get under a caving in a rock.
"Inside! Dive, dive!"
"Peter!" Fallon called, noticing the boy hadn't gotten inside with them.
When he appeared in front of them, Fallon took a sigh of relief, but her eyes were still wide as both he and Mr. Beaver crawled into the caving.
Susan gripped onto Fallon's hand while Lucy curled up next to Peter, all of them silent as they kept their eyes locked on the top of the rock, listening for any sort of alarming noise.
A shadow appeared in front of them, and Fallon squinted her eyes to make out the figure.
It doesn't look like an evil witch... she thought, and a second later the silhouette disappeared.
"Maybe she's gone?" Lucy whispered.
Beaver sniffed around for a bit, asking Fallon if she smelled anything strange, but the girl just shook her head, still not quite knowing what she'd done in the woods when they'd first gotten to Narnia.
"I suppose I'll go look," Peter said quietly, going for the exit.
"No!" Beaver whispered loudly. "You're worth nothing to Narnia dead."
"Well, that's very reassuring," Fallon commented.
"Neither are you, Beaver," Mrs. Beaver said, noticing how her husband had moved towards the side of the rock.
"Thanks, sweetheart," Beaver said, before climbing up the side of the rock.
The stone itself seemed to be holding its breath as Fallon listened, hearing shuffling coming from above her. The girl tightened her hand around Susan's, shutting her eyes as she heard footsteps nearing the entrance of the rock.
That's it, she thought, we're going to die–
"Come out, come out!"
Lucy let out a shriek, Beaver sticking his head above the rock.
"I hope you've all been good, cause there's someone here to see you!"
Fallon and Susan let out sighs of relief, climbing out after Peter and Lucy.
And now, Fallon felt as though she wanted to faint.
"You've got to be joking," she muttered, taking in the sight in front of her.
The old man standing in front of her chuckled, looking her over with a smile on his face, not uttering a word.
"Merry Christmas, sir," Lucy said, letting go of Peter's hand and walking forwards.
"It certainly is, Lucy–"
"So he speaks," Fallon muttered again.
"Since you have arrived. And yes, Miss Hunter, I do."
Fallon felt her face turn completely red as she mumbled an embarassed apology. She felt something nudge her, and she stuck her tongue out at Peter, who was doing his best to hold in his laughter.
"Very mature," he said, and Fallon was about to smack him when Susan's voice interrupted her movements.
"Look, I've put up with a lot since I got here but... this–"
"We though you were the Witch," Peter said, taking a step beside his little sister.
"Yes, yes, I'm sorry about that," Father Christmas said, "but, in my defence, I've been driving one of these longer than the Witch."
"I thought there was no Christmas in Narnia," Susan said, walking up next to her brother.
"No," the man said, "for a long time. But the hope you have brought, Your Majesties, is finally starting to weaken the Witch's powers. And knowing that a Cold Blood Hunter is on your side should be quite reassuring."
Fallon looked down at the last part, but she couldn't help the ghost of a smile that spread across her lips.
"Still," Father Christmas continued, "I dare say you could do with these."
"Presents!" Lucy exclaimed, taking two quick steps towards the huge bag the old man had just lifted out of his sleigh.
Father Christmas dug around the bag for a moment before bringing up a small flask wrapped in a leather binding.
"The juice of the fire-flower," the man explained, handing Lucy the container. "One drop will cure any injury. And," he reached behind him, "though I hope you never have to use it..." he handed Lucy a small dagger, wrapped in tight, dark red leather.
"Thank you, sir," Lucy said, her eyes gleaming as she eyed the objects lying in her hands. "But I think I could be brave enough."
"I'm sure you could," the white haired man said, eyeing the dagger. "But battles are ugly affairs. Just ask your friend, over there. She should know."
"Could everyone stop saying that I should know things? Because I really know nothing about what's going on," Fallon said, exasperation in her voice. She hadn't noticed, but the old man had simply wanted to tease her.
The man chuckled, turning around and digging into the bag once more.
"Susan," he called, holding a quiver of arrows with a bow safely tucked inside.
The older girl walked towards him, her eyes staying locked on the quiver.
"Trust in this bow, and it will not easily miss."
"What happened to 'battles are ugly affairs'?" Susan asked, but taking the weapon nonetheless.
Father Christmas chuckled deeply, carefully choosing his next words.
"Though you don't seem to have a problem with making yourself heard, blow on this," he said, taking out a horn from seemingly thin air, "and wherever you are, help will come."
"Thanks," Susan said, her genuine tone making Fallon smile.
"Peter."
The blond stepped forwards, and Fallon watched as the bearded man handed him a sword, –in the same leather as Lucy's dagger– and a silver shield, the print of a red lion decorating the front.
"The time to use these may be close at hand."
Peter slowly unsheathed the sword, watching it glint under the sunlight.
"Thank you, sir," he said, quoting his sister.
"Fallon."
The girl looked at the man, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
"Me?" She asked. "But I'm not royal."
Father Christmas chuckled again. He seemed to quite enjoy doing so. "No, dear. You are much more dangerous than that."
Susan and Peter gave Fallon reassuring smiled as she walked forwards, standing in front of the man as he took out a black, double belt, a series of sheaths on both sides, each with a handle creeping out of them.
The man reached towards one of the sheaths, taking one of the weapons out.
Fallon's breath caught in her throat as she watched a dark grey, steel ring dagger make its way into the sunlight, the leather around the handle capturing the rays of light.
The man reached onto another sheath, this time taking out a slightly smaller blade, the silver shining brightly against the sunlight, its gloom betrayed by the black leather binding on the handle. Throwing daggers.
"Woah," Fallon said. She was about to protest, to say that she could never use these, or throw them for she had no aim or concentration, but Father Christmas raised a finger, as if to silence her before she'd even spoken.
"You doubt yourself, dear one. Let the warrior in you show you the way, and trust that you shall be the Huntress you wish to be."
Fallon opened and closed her mouth for a minute, unsure of what to say, before simply locking her lips closed, and giving the man a curt nod before making her way back to the others.
"These are tools, not toys." The man's words caught everyone's attention. "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 hurled the bag back onto the sleigh, and looked at the group one more time before saying, "Long live Aslan! And Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas!" Lucy called after him, and the rest of the lot chorused behind her.
Then, the little girl turned towards her sister.
"Told you he was real," she said, and Fallon smiled at her.
She'd never believed in Father Christmas, but she certainly hadn't expected him to give her weapons if he was.
"He said winter was almost over," Peter said, bringing everyone back to reality. "You know what that means."
The three girls looked at him, realization dawning over them.
"No more ice."
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holaaaaa so yeah she got her weapons lmao
and ye ok maybeee this was a bit of a filler.
TO THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT DOUBLE BELTS, RING DAGGERS AND THROWING DAGGERS/KNIVES LOOK LIKE
THAT'S A DOUBLE BELT (NOTE THAT FALLON HAS THE BLACK ONE)
SO THERE'S THE RING DAGGER SHEATHS ON THE TOP ONE AND THE THROWING DAGGER/KNIFE SHEATHS ON THE BOTTOM ONE
THOSE ARE RING DAGGERS
AND THESE ARE THROWING DAGGERS/KNIVES WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL THEM
AND YES I DO KNOW THAT TWO PICTURES ARE BIG AND HUGE AND THE OTHER ISN'T
sooooo ya enjoy lmao