FAITH | Caspian X [1]

Treason

*Annabelle's P.O.V.*

    We all walked through the beautiful forest, and looked up at the lamp post that Lucy and I came across before.
"Isn't it amazing?" She asked Peter with a smile, and he nodded in awe. I looked at Susan, and she smiled a small smile as well. We walked further in, knowing where we were going. Lucy was in the front, Peter was right behind her, Edmund was in the middle, and Susan and I were walking side by side at the end. Lucy knew the way to Mr. Tumnus's house as well as I, so she could lead us as well, and if she didn't remember the way, I would help her out. I looked over at Susan and saw her looking at the forest around her in awe with a smile. I smiled. I think she's getting used to Narnia already.
    Suddenly peter ran forward and tried to run down the hill, but slipped and fell on his back. Susan, Lucy, and I all laughed at him, while Edmund was walking with us silently. Peter looked back at us with a smile, hearing our laughs. Susan and I kept laughing when he stood up with his back and pants covered in snow, but stopped once we both tripped and fell on our knees. Lucy and Peter laughed even harder, and I looked at Susan, and then we both laughed as well. We then continued walking further in with Lucy in the lead.
"I'm sure he will give us something delicious to eat, and then I'll ask him..." She trailed off and froze. I walked up to her to see what was wrong. I saw her staring at something, and followed her gaze. I froze. The door to Mr. Tumnus's house were bent over in half and one of the hinges were ripped off. It looked as if though someone has broken in. I heard the other stop behind us.
"Is that here?" I heard Peter ask uncertainly, but Lucy and I didn't reply. We just kept staring. I then realized what must have happened and gasped, before running over to the house as fast as I could. "WAIT!!!" Peter yelled, and I heard everyone else run behind me. I stopped running once I entered the house, or what's left of it. The inside was a mess! Everything was broken or shattered. I felt someone grab my hand, and looked down, only to see Lucy with tears in her eyes. I didn't blame her. I had tears in my eyes as well. Mr. Tumnus has been a friend of mine for quiet some time. He saved my life, and Lucy's as well. He was a real friend.
"Who could do something like that?" Lucy asked quietly, and I wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. I heard a crash behind me, and turned around, only to see Edmund standing on something. The picture of Mr. Tumnus's father. I walked over to my younger brother and picked up the picture from the floor. I then picked up a small table that wasn't broken and put the picture on it. my siblings were watching me with sympathy, and confusion. I felt someone wrap a comforting arm around my shoulders, and saw Susan. I gave her a small smile in thanks, and then looked over at Peter, who held something that looked like a letter in his hands. I shared a glance with Susan, and then we both walked over to him, along with Lucy, to read over his shoulder.
"The faun Tumnus is hereby charged with high treason," Peter shared a look with Susan. "Against her imperial Majesty Jadis, Queen of Narnia, for comforting her enemies and fraternizing with humans. Signed Maugrim, Captain of the Secret Police. Long Live the Queen." He finished quietly, and I took the letter from him and showed to Susan. We both skimmed through it quickly, and then Susan decided to speak up.
"That's enough. We really have to go back."
"We have to save Mr. Tumnus." Lucy protested, and Susan looked down at her.
"If a meeting with a human is a crime, then I don't think we can help him." She said gently.
"You really don't understand what's this all about?" I asked Susan quietly, and she looked at me. "It's all our fault. She found out that he invited us here."
"M-Maybe we can call the police." Peter offered, trying to help.
"These are the police." I said, showing him the letter. Peter then bent down to Lucy's height and looked at both her and I.
"Don't worry, we'll help him." He assured, making me smile softly at him.
"Why?" I heard, and we all turned around to face Edmund.  "I mean, he's a criminal." I glared at him for calling my dear friend a criminal, and for a second he looked like he actually regretted saying that. We all whipped around once we saw a bird outside. He looked like he was calling us. Susan turned around to face Peter and I.
"Does that bird... Want something from us?" She asked uncertainly. Peter and I shared a look, and then we both headed outside. Susan, Lucy, and Edmund followed us. We saw the bird on the branch, but once it saw us coming outside, he flew away. I started to wonder what was going on. Suddenly we heard a crunch on our right. We all whipped around to look at whatever it was, but we didn't see anything. Yet we still heard a pair of feet or paws crunching on the snow and branches. We then heard the same thing on our left, and Susan gasped as we all turned around again. We then heard the same thing, but from the very middle in front of us. Susan, Lucy and I were all standing behind Peter, while Edmund was standing further behind. I stood behind Peter on his left with my hand on his shoulder, whilst Susan stood behind Peter on his right side with her hand on his shoulder as well. Lucy was standing behind me, grasping her hands on my fur coat. Peter reached up and grasped mine and Susan's hands in his own. We all waited anxiously to see who or what was behind the pile of snow. Suddenly a brown beaver emerged from behind the trees. My siblings all relaxed, but I was still quiet tense, because I knew the beaver very well. He was one of my close friends, and I was very happy to see him again, but I didn't know what my siblings' reactions were going to be.
"It's... It's a beaver, right?" Lucy asked uncertainly, and I nodded my head slightly. Mr. Beaver then came closer to us, but he didn't see me yet. Thankfully. Peter then took a step forward and stretched out his hand in front of him.
"Come here." Peter said, clicking his fingers and his tongue, taking steps further in front of Mr. Beaver. I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing, but I couldn't control the shaking of my shoulders. Peter bent down in front of Mr. Beaver, with his hand still stretched out. Mr. beaver looked at his hand for a second and then looked back at my brother.
"Well I ain't gonna smell it, if that's what you want." He said sarcastically, making Peter jump up. I just couldn't control it anymore. I started laughing, and Lucy did the same. Mr. Beaver heard my laugh, and looked at me, his eyes widening. I immediately stopped laughing, and glanced at my siblings. "Annabelle?" He asked, and I smiled a small smile, nodding. My siblings all, except Lucy who probably guessed that he was my friend too just like Mr. Tumnus, looked at me in shock and confusion.
"Hello, Mr. Beaver." I answered, and he smiled.
"I guess that this belongs to you then, Annabelle Pevensie." He said, and held up my handkerchief that I gave to Mr. Tumnus. I walked forward and grabbed it slowly.
"That's the handkerchief I gave to-"
"Yes, I know. He gave it to me right before they took him." He cut me off.
"Is he alright?" Both Lucy and I asked in concern. Mr. Beaver looked around for a second, before facing us again.
"Let's get out of sight." He said quietly and gestured for us to follow him, before turning around and leaving. Lucy, Peter, and I all went to follow him, but Susan stopped us by grabbing my arm and Peter's shoulder.
"What are you doing?!" She exclaimed in a hushed tone, while her and Edmund both stepped closer.
"Exactly." Edmund backed Susan up. "Why do you want to speak with that beaver?"
"Because he knows the faun." Peter replied, and Susan looked at him as if he grew a second head.
"But it's an animal." She stated like it was obvious. "Doesn't it surprise you that he knows our language?!"
"What's wrong?" Mr. Beaver asked, popping up from behind a pile of snow.
"Wait... We need to talk this through." Peter answered, and Mr. Beaver looked at him as if though he was stupid.
"Well, there wasn't any worse place than this one to do so." He replied, and disappeared behind the pile of snow again.
"The trees are her spies." Lucy explained quietly, looking around, I noticed Edmund and Susan sharing a glance, and the sigh. I turned to look at my siblings.
"Come on. We can trust him. He's my friend."
"How is he your friend?" Susan questioned, and I sighed.
"I promise I'll explain later, alright? Just know this: I trust him with my life. And if you trust me at all, you will trust him as well." And with that I followed Mr. Beaver. I smiled once I heard all of my siblings