Chapter 4: A prophecy

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"Isn't there anything we can do to help Mr Tumnus?" Peter asked. We were inside the Beavers very cosy house. It was warm and I felt sleepy, like if I could fall asleep at any moment.

"They've taken him to the Witch's. You'll know what I say, 'there's few that go through them gates that come out again'," Mr Beaver answered. I became cold inside. What did he mean?

"Fish 'n' chips?" Mrs Beaver tried to light the tension in the room. "But there's hope dear.  Lots of hope." She looked at Mr Beaver.

"Oh, yeah, there's a right bit more than hope!" Mr Beaver said excitedly. "Aslan is one the move."

When he said the name Aslan, I felt a strange respect for this Aslan I never even met. I also felt like something warmed me up from inside, and I wanted to speak. However, I didn't get the chance to talk, because Edmund said something.

"Who's Aslan?" he asked. Mr Beaver started laughing.

"Who's Aslan?" he laughed, but stopped when he realised that none of us knew who Aslan was. "You don't know, do you?"

"We haven't exactly been here for long," Peter said.

"Well, he's only the king of the whole wood," Mr Beaver begun. "The top geezer. The real king of Narnia!"

"He's been away for a long time," Mrs Beaver said. I noticed that Edmund moved towards the door.

"But he's just got back!" Mr Beaver interrupted. "And he's waiting for you near the Stone Table!"

"He's waiting for us?" Lucy said, speaking for both of us. It's usually like that. I heard the door open, but no one else did. Edmund left the house. I, who sat between Lucy and Peter, tried to get Peter's attention. But he just told me: Later, Emily!

"They don't even know about the prophecy!" Mr Beaver said to Mrs Beaver.

"Well, then..." she answered.

"Look. Aslan's return, Tumnus arrest, the secret police, it's all happening because of you!" he said.

"You're blaming us?" Susan said. But I thought that she might have misunderstood his speech.

"No! Not blaming," Mrs Beaver said. "Thanking you." Like I said. Or thought.

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

"When Adam's flesh and Adam's bone,

sits at Cair Paravel in throne,

the evil time will be over and done."

"You know, that doesn't rhyme," Susan said, pointing out the obvious.

"I know it don't," Mr Beaver said. "But you're kinda missing the point!" Mrs Beaver laid her hand on her husband's shoulder to calm him down.

"It has long been foretold that two Sons of Adam and three Daughters of Eve will defeat the White Witch and restore peace to Narnia," she said. Susan and Peter looked at each other. I knew what they thought. I grabbed Lucy's hand and held it tightly.

"And you think we're the ones?" Peter asked.

"You'd better be, cos Aslan's already fitted out your army," Mr Beaver said.

"Our army?" Lucy asked.

"Mum sent us away so we wouldn't get caught up in a war," Susan said to Peter.

"I think you've made a mistake," he said. I shook my head. He ignored me.

"We're not heroes!" he continued.

"We're from Finchley!" Susan filled in. "Thank you for your hospitality, but we really have to go!" She stood up.

"No, you can't just leave!" Mr Beaver said. Peter stood up as well.

"He's right," Lucy said. "We have to help Mr Tumnus." She didn't stand up, and neither did I.

"It's out of our hands," Peter said. No, it's not, I thought.

"I'm sorry," Peter said to the beavers. They looked like they didn't know what to do. "But it's time the four of us were getting home. Ed?" he looked around. "Ed?"

I had completely forgotten about Edmund leaving the house. I pointed at the door out.

"I'm gonna kill him," Peter said when he realised what Edmund did.

"You may not have to," Mr Beaver said. "Has Edmund ever been to Narnia before?"

I nodded and Lucy said:

"Yes, he has."

"Hurry, we have to hurry," Mr Beaver said. Peter, Susan and Lucy took on their coats, I was on my way to do the same, but I sneezed instead.

"This one is not going out in the cold again," Mrs Beaver said. "Go you." They disappeared into the night.

"Drink this, dear," Mrs Beaver said and handed me a cup of tea. I drank it carefully while Mrs Beaver ran around in the house, packing things, mostly food, in small backpacks.

"I have a bad feeling," she muttered. "Do you know how long ago Edmund left us?"

I shook my head. Suddenly, the door flung open and Mr Beaver and my siblings in.

"Hurry mother! They're after us!" Peter threw my coat to me and I took it on.

"Oh, right then," Mrs Beaver said and ran out to the kitchen.

"What's she doing?" Peter asked.

"Oh, you'll be thanking me later. It's a long journey and Beaver gets cranky when he's hungry," she answered. Susan and I ran to help her.

"I'm cranky now!" Mr Beaver said angrily.

"Do you think we'll need jam?" Susan asked.

"Only if the Witch serves toast!" Peter said frustrated. Then I heard something barking outside the house. Something started to dig its way in. Mr Beaver opened a hidden door in the wall.

"Hurry!" he said and disappeared in the darkness. Mrs Beaver followed, then Susan, Lucy, me and last Peter, who closed the door after us. Mr Beaver handed him a flaming torch and Susan a lantern. We were in a tunnel.

"Badger and me dug this. Comes out right near his place," Mr Beaver said while we ran through it.

"You told me it led to your mum's!" Mrs Beaver complained. My foot got stuck in a root, and I fell over. Susan helped me up. We heard howling and barking. Mrs Beaver gasped.

"They're in the tunnel," Lucy whispered.

"Quick! This way," Mr Beaver cried out.

"Hurry!" Mrs Beaver said. We now ran down the tunnel. I nearly fell over again a few times.

"Run!" Peter shouted from in front of us.

"Quick! Quick! Quick!" Susan pushed us forwards. We came to a dead end.

"You should've brought a map!" Mrs Beaver panicky cried out to her husband.

"There wasn't room next to the jam!" he answered and climbed up the wall. Mrs Beaver followed, and then Susan, dragging me with her. Peter pushed up Lucy behind me and climbed up last. We came through a hole in a tree. Mr and Mrs Beaver, with help from Peter, put a barrel in front of the hole. I just stared. Not at them.

I stared at the stone Badger in front of me.

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