~By the Lion's Mane~ >A Narnian Fanfiction<

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

I was sweeping out the ashes in the fireplace in our little home when an excited pounding came from the door. I laid my broom against the wall and went to answer it as Bauchan came in from the next room.

"Who is it?" he asked the visitor.

"Oh, just open up will you?! I've got news!" came the exasperated reply.

I did as the familiar voice asked, for I recognized it as one of Bauchan's friends, another faun. He came charging in, stomping off snow onto the doormat as he did so.

I frowned at his mess and asked grumpily, "What's so important that you must break down our door?"

He whirled to face me. "Everything! I've just heard the news!" He turned back to talk to Bauchan too. "They're here! They've come!"

I was puzzled in a moment of stupidity, and asked, "Who've come?"

The faun turned to me, incredulous. "Why, the humans of course! The ones from the Prophecy!" He faced Bauchan again and continued. "Not more than children, however. The oldest one's only eighteen, and the youngest can't be older than thirteen!"

This was unnerving. "How can they be the ones to fulfill the Prophecy if they are only children?"

The faun brushed off my question. "Oh, Aslan works in mysterious ways." He said to Bauchan, seeming determined to ignore me, "A faun called Tumnus found the youngest, a child called Lucy, wandering near the Lamppost in Lantern Waste about two weeks ago. He kept it quiet, and the girl visited him a few times. But then she found out about it from a treacherous Wolverine, and sent her Secret Police after him. Dead by now, no doubt." The faun shook his head regretfully.

"But what happened to the children? Are they safe?" Bauchan asked worriedly.

"Oh, yes, yes, they are safe enough for now. Beaver found them at Tumnus's home, or what's left of it." The faun answered.

I shivered. That poor faun. Just for having contact with a human, he had been taken by the Witch's Wolves. Wolves frightened me more than anything, and often they haunted my nightmares while I slept. I dreamed of them coming, tearing down the door, their teeth ripping, biting, their howls still ringing in my ears even after I woke.  I thought of what could happen to me and Bauchan, but shook it off. I wouldn't think unhappy thoughts now, not at the arrival of such joyous news.

Just then, a scratching at the door alerted us to the arrival of another visitor. I opened the door to let another one of our friends, Grimwar the Boar, enter. He shook his body to rid his wiry hair of the snowflakes that had gathered on it on his way here. I sighed as the puddle on the doormat grew.

"Have you heard!?" He asked in his deep, guttural voice.

"About the children? Yes, we've just got the news," Bauchan answered, gesturing to his friend.

Grimwar shook his thick head vigorously. "No, no! Not about them! Have you heard about Aslan?"

"Aslan?" I asked. "What about him?"

"He's here! In Narnia!" the Boar answered, fairly trembling from excitement.

My heart leaped into my throat. Aslan? Here in Narnia? I thought. Perhaps... perhaps the Witch actually could be defeated!

They continued to talk about Aslan and the children, and I listened eagerly, my heart racing in happiness. Perhaps soon it would no longer be necessary for me to hide.