♘

         AFTER A FEW hours of walking, the children and Mr. Beaver had turned a corner, spotting a small house that was built of sticks, and logs and it was covered in snow.

"Ah, blimey! Looks like the old girl has got them on," Mr. Beaver smiles, noticing the smoke coming from the chimney. "Nice cup o' Rosy Lee."

"It's lovely," Dorothy spoke up with a smile.

"Oh, it's merely a trifle. You know, still plenty to do. Ain't quite finished yet," Mr. Beaver explains to the siblings as he leads them to his home. "It'll look the business when it is, though."

As they approached the house, a more feminine voice.

"Beaver, is that you? I've been worried sick!" The voice scolded and out walked a female beaver. "If I find out you were with Badger again, I. . ." She paused when she noticed Mr. Beaver and her eyes lit up when she saw the five children following him. "Those aren't badgers. Oh, I never thought I'd live to see this day!" She turned to her husband, smacking him on the arm. "Look at my fur. You couldn't give me ten minutes warning?"

"I'd have given a week if I thought it would've helped," Mr. Beaver joked, causing the siblings, except for Edmund, to laugh.

"Oh, come inside, and we'll see if we can't get you some food, and some civilized company," Mrs. Beaver offered, grabbing a hold of Dorothy's hand and leading her and the others inside.

"Now careful," Mr. Beaver warned as the others followed Mrs. Beaver and Dorothy. "Watch your step."

"Excuse the mess," Mrs. Beaver apologized. "Can't get Mr. Beaver to get out of his chair."

The children and beavers gathered around the table to eat. Edmund was sitting on the steps, alone as usual, as there wasn't any room at the table.

"Isn't there anything we can do to help Tumnus?" Peter asked as Susan poured some tea into everyone's cup.

"They'll have taken him to the Witch's. You know what they say," Mr. Beaver explains. "There's few that go through them gates that come out again."

At his comment, Lucy and Dorothy both began to feel sad, feeling more worried about their friend. Mrs. Beaver, who noticed the girls' sad looks, walked over with a plate of food.

"Fish 'n' chips?" she asked, handing Dorothy a plate of fish 'n' chips and giving her husband a look. She placed a paw on Dorothy's shoulder. "But there is hope, dears. Lots of hope."

Mr. Beaver choked on the drink he was drinking and smiled. "Oh, yeah, there's a right bit more than hope! Aslan is on the move," he said lowly about someone named Aslan.

Although she didn't know who Mr. Beaver was talking about, Dorothy felt comfort from hearing his name, like she already knew who he was and felt a strong connection with him. The looks on her sibling's faces mean that they didn't know who he was either but they still looked hopeful.

"Who's Aslan?" Edmund asked confusingly.

Mr. Beaver starts to laugh. "Who's Aslan? You cheeky little blighter." He continued to laugh until Mrs. Beaver hit his shoulder, getting his attention. "What?" His wife gestured to the children's confused faces. "You don' t know, do you?"

"Well, we haven't exactly been here long," Peter answered, still in confusion.

"Well, he's only the king of the whole wood. The top geezer. The real King of Narnia," Mr. Beaver explained but the siblings still looked very confused.

"He's been away for a long while," Mrs. Beaver says softly.

"But he just got back!" Mr. Beaver exclaimed. "And he's waitin' for you at the Stone Table!"

Lucy furrowed her eyebrows. "He's waiting for us?"

"You're bloomin' joking! They don't even know about the prophecy!" Mr. Beaver complained to his wife.

"Well, then. . ." Mrs. Beaver gestured to him.

Mr. Beaver calmed down and turned back to the siblings. "Look. Aslan's return, Tumnus' arrest, the secret police, it's all happening because of you!" he listed off.

"You're blaming us?" Susan questioned, feeling offended.

"No! Not blaming," Mrs. Beaver says quickly. "Thanking you!"

"There's a prophecy," Mr. Beaver said.

'When Adam's flesh and Adam's bone

sit at Cair Paravel in throne,

the evil time will be over and done.'

"You know, that doesn't rhyme," Susan stated logically.

Mr. Beaver shook his head in annoyance. "I know it doesn't but you're kinda missin' the point!" he exclaimed.

Mrs. Beaver placed a paw on his shoulder and looked at the siblings. "It has long been foretold that two Sons of Adams and the Daughters of Eve will defeat the White Witch and restore peace to Narnia."

After sharing a look with Susan, Peter turned back to the beavers. "And you think we're the ones?" he questioned them.

"Well, you'd better be, 'cause Aslan's already fitted your army," Mr. Beaver informed.

"Our army?" Lucy questioned, turning to look at Peter.

Susan looked up at Peter as well. "Mum sent us away so we wouldn't get caught up in a war," she reminded him.

Peter looked back at the beavers. "I think you've made a mistake. We're not heroes," he says.

"We're from Finchley," Susan added and stood up. "Thank you for your hospitality. But we have to go."

"No, you can't just leave!" Mr. Beaver exclaimed.

"He's right," Dorothy says, speaking up for the first time since they've been at the beaver's home. They all turned to her and saw a sad look on her face. "We have to help Mr. Tumnus."

"It's out of our hands," Peter said firmly as he stood up as well. "I'm sorry, but it's time the five of us were getting home. Ed?" When he didn't hear a reply, Peter and Susan turned to see that he was gone. "Ed?" Peter looked at Susan with a look on his face. "I'm gonna kill him."

"You may not have to," Mr. Beaver says in a low voice. "Has Edmund ever been to Narnia before?"

♘

The four humans and beaver ran through the forest to catch up with Edmund. They followed after his footprints into the woods but it was hard for them because of the steepness of the snow.

"Hurry!" Peter, who held onto Dorothy's hand, called out as they continued to run.

They made their way up a hill and stopped in their tracks when they saw a huge ice castle. Barely, they could make out a small figure making its way to the entrance to the castle and no doubt in mind that it was their brother.

"Edmund!" Dorothy yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Shh! They'll hear ya!" Mr. Beaver warned and Peter was about to run until Mr. Beaver stopped him by grabbing his coat. "No!"

"Get off me!" Peter exclaimed.

"You're playing into her hands!" Mr. Beaver explained to the siblings

"We can't just let him go!" Susan yelled.

"He's our brother!" Lucy added.

"He's the bait!" Mr. Beaver says and looks up at Peter. "The Witch wants all five of you!"

"Why?" Peter questioned desperately.

"To stop the prophecy from coming true. To kill you!"

The siblings all shared shocked looks as it became silent. The Witch wants to kill them!? What kind of a person would be so cruel!? They turned back to the castle and saw Edmund entering it.

Susan looked at Peter with an angry look on her face. "This is all your fault," she says, blaming him.

"My fault?" he questioned in shock.

"None of this would've happened if you had listened to me in the first place!" she exclaimed, scaring Dorothy and Lucy, noticing her sister's scared look, grabbed her hand and squeezed it for comfort.

Peter gave her a look of his own. "Oh, so you knew that this would happen?"

Susan was taken aback a little as she said, "I didn't know what would happen, which is why we should've left when we still could!"

"Stop it!" Lucy yelled, interrupting them and they turned to her. "This isn't going to help Edmund. And You're starting to scare Dorothy."

Susan and Peter looked over at Dorothy, who looked like she was going to cry and they both felt guilty that they were yelling in front of her.

"She's right," Mr. Beaver agreed and looked between the two older siblings. "Only Aslan can help your brother now."

"Then take us to him," Peter says desperately and they all gazed back at the castle, worried for their brother.