The Hunt - Edmund x OC/Reader

Intro - Aslan

The world erupted into chaos after the kings and queens of old mysteriously disappeared. The talmares quickly sensed our vulnerability and attacked. No one was all the surprised considering aslan kept them at bay, but him disappearing aswell meant the land was theres to take. The battle was brutal, not many surviving it. It was more of a slaughter after the soldiers were killed, they didnt stop. They went straight for the civilians. My mother realized this, watching them turn to the villagers after the soldiers were dead. Within seconds she had a small bag packed for me and was ushering me into the back of our house. There was a small crack in the wall under my fathers bed that I was barely small enough to fit through. Ironically I had discovered it during a game of hide and seek, I had never thought I would need to use it to escape...I cried, of course I did but I did it silently and I didn't agrue with my mother. After first I hesitated but she said she would try to escape and come find me so I did as I was told and ran. I think a part of me knew that I would never see my mother again but after finding that hollow tree deep in the forest I waited still. She had promised she would come find me. She wouldn't lie to me. I slept there for days, so many I lost count living off the food she had managed to pack me just in time. Eventually though, the food ran out. I knew it would but I thought she would have found me before it did. I even saved her some that I had eaten on the last day out of desperation, she would have insisted I eat it if she came to save me anyway. My stomach made noises and hurt but still i stayed in that tree waiting. Until one day, i woke up to the sounds of talking. Peaking out of the hole I noticed a mouse and a honey badger. They seemed to be in a hurry and pretty desperate. But they were talking, my mother had always taught me most animals that talk are kind. Taking a deep breath I decided to take a chance and slipped out of the tree.
"H-Hello?" I managed to squeak out ready to bolt at the moments notice if they showed signs of aggression. Surprisingly instead they both jump back, fear in there eyes before realizing it was just a small girl.
"Hello, say where did you come from? Oh that doesn't matter right now we need to hide! Talmarines are coming! Follow us!" The badger grabbed my hand talking while we ran. Since they weren't trying to hurt me and soldiers were coming I followed willingly. I'd rather take my chances on a badger and a mouse then a bunch of soliders. They lead me almost to the edge of the deep forest, looking around the badger opened a door I hadn't even noticed to open a hollow tree. A warm light glowed inside, it was so well camouflaged I doubted the soliders would notice so I followed them inside. The badger shut the door securely behind us locking up the several lockes all over the edge of the door. We sat silently until we heard the soliders riding by. They were talking rather loudly but they hadn't noticed us in the slightest, riding by completely ignorant. After a minute of the soliders being completely out of earshot I let out a breathe I hadn't even realized I was holding.
"They're gone but that was risky. We shouldn't try to raid the town for supplies anymore Thistle." The badger stated staring hard at the mouse.
"How was I supposed to know they would be guarding it now they weren't last week?!" The mouse questioned louder then I had expected from an animal his size.
"Town? The one just outside the other end of the forest? Were there any survivors?" I questioned I'm sure they could hear the desperation in my trembling voice. After a moment the badger spoke, slowly.
"No survivors. Just a big pile of bodies in the middle of the square, think they're trying to lure any survivors out. Then they'll dump them in the ocean when they're satisfied that they have all of them. We heard the soliders talking about it while we were raiding. I'm sorry." His words felt like an icy slap to the face. I had known but confirming it didn't make me feel better.
"Thank you, for telling me." I mange to force out through trembling lips and tear filled eyes.
"Of course I'm sorry I can't do more." The badger humbly replied, to his credit he looked lile he was actually sorry.
"I'm sorry I should get out of your hair now that the soliders are gone." I state slowly standing and reaching for the first lock with a trembling hand.
"Your family is dead right?" The mouse chirped up finally speaking.
"Yes." I slowly state a tear falling down my cheek.
"You can stay with us then, we're just trying to survive and help any narnia we can. Maybe if enough of us are left we can fight back!" The mouse chirped cheerfully, not very empathetic but he was offering me a place to stay. I look over at the badger who nods in agreement so I slowly nod my head.
"Ok I'm always happy to help, if you think I won't be a burden then of course I'll help you."
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At the time I really didn't know what I was getting myself into, but I quickly learned. I was running, fighting, raiding, and helping. Not to hard, after I got into shape that is, I quickly learned to carry my own weight something I hadn't had to learn yet living with my mom. I learned to fight to survive and help others survive to. To not kill unless necessary and to know when its necessary or not. Battle skills were harder to learn but apparently my mouse friend Thistle liked to watch the soliders at the castle so he knew everything about battle skills or he at least claimed to, no one else knew better. We all got along, we all got stronger. Training hard, working hard, playing harder. This life I had found wasn't to bad. Until it was. Watching that sword plunge through Grangers heart was not something anyone had prepared for. He was our leader! But he was more then our leader he was our friend and a proud badger. He was always bragging about his sense of smell, he could smell soilders from a mile away and we were all prepared by the time they got close. That was the first time my friend died in front of me, and while I was sad like I was with my mother, now a secondary emotion had taken place in my heart next to sadness, anger. I killed that solider and the rest of the soliders in his group. That was the first time I took a life, I took fourteen lives in total. And every single one of them was justified, still the fact I killed someone haunted me, I had the worst nightmares. Tossing and turning in my bed night after night, finally giving up one night i took a walk to a nearby pond. I sat on a log near the edge gently dipping my feet into the water and allowing myself to embrace the cold. A deep sigh, and some relief before I suddenly heard a deep voice behind me that almost made me jump out of my skin.
"A deep burden to bare, surviving and helping others survive as well. Especially when your friends die next to you. Can you handle it?" The sound made me jump but for some reason his voice was deeply calming. I turn around slowly and recognize the lion of legends, aslan himself.
"I have to sir, I know I can't save everyone. But I can try." My voice quivered in the presence of the legend, who could easily snap me in two with one giant paw. He smiled at that I think, it was hard to tell but I saw his teeth and heard him chuckle.
"You have saved so many of my children so far. I would like to give you a gift. To make your job easier. It will feel strange after first but you'll get used to it. Will you accept?" He questioned confidently. I don't know how I feel right now, but who am I to turn down a gift from a legend that I lucky to even be talking to?
"I would love to accept your gift." I say as calmly as I can but my voice quivered. He chuckled again. He slowly walked towards me, and kissed my forehead. My body felt strange, my muscles felt different. I opened my eyes and looked at my reflection in the pond. To my shock a snow leopard was staring back at me. I looked over to him in shock. 
"Th-thank you but how do I control it?" I question suddenly nervous that I'm stuck like this. He chuckled at the question.
"You just have to want it and believe you can, and you can change forms whenever you want. This gift will help you protect my children. It will also effect your aging. I need you to be around for awhile. So I have tied your aging to the sons of adam and the daughters of eve. When they return Narnia will once again be free. And you will help them. Until that day, farewell." His voice slowly fading away as he talked. Until he and his voice had disappeared. Looking back into the pond I take a deep breathe and with hopeful confidence I shut my eyes and open them again. My muscles feel normal and looking into the pond I look like me. I shift again and back just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating before heading back completely flabbergasted. I slept well for the first time in weeks that night, I still don't know why but I never had another nightmare about killing soliders. And life went on with me using my new form to protect my friends and any survivors we could find.