Lazarus • Peter Pevensie

04 • The Beavers

"C'mon, we dont wanna get caught out of 'ere after nightfall," Mr. Beaver ushered the siblings and Lazarus, as they walked through the forest.

Lazarus smiled reassuringly at Lucy, as she looked worriedly at the trees surrounding them. The other Pevensie siblings looking around in wonder at the snow covered landscape of Narnia. Susan and Edmund looked around in cautious curiosity, as Peter looked around in excited fascination.

Lazarus knew Susan had a right to be cautious. From what he had seen so far, she was a cautious person. She was wary of Narnia, for she knew nothing about it or its inhabitants. All she could trust was Lucy, who was a only a mere child (and was perhaps a bit too trusting in Susan's opinion) and two Narnians who she'd only just met. Edmund, however, was cautious for an entirely different reason. Though Lazarus could not tell what this reason was, he was sure it was of ill intent. He'd have to keep an eye out for the boy.

Finally free of immediate danger (he hoped), Lazarus began to think. He thought of the last few days, how frantic they'd been. Meeting Lucy had changed his life. Her presence had brought up things Lazarus hadn't thought of in a long time. The prophecy and wondering if her appearance in Narnia meant it was real. If his parents had been right all along.

Lazarus was ashamed to say he hadn't thought of his parents in a long while. But the thought was painful. It hurt to think back to when they'd recited that prophecy to him every single night, to keep hope close to his heart. To teach him to never give up, no matter how cold things got.

They had meant everything to him and Lucy made him think of them. Made him remember all the things he longed to have. How he wished he could have them back. Lazarus fingered at the ring on his left pointer finger at the thought of his parents.

But Lucy had also brought warmth in the cold of Narnia. He had never met anyone with such a bright soul. She was kind and courageous and Lazarus admired the girl.

But even the bravest of souls doubted themselves.

"Zarus?" Lucy asked in a timid voice.

"What's wrong?" Lazarus asked, his senses reaching out to see what could be frightening the girl. When he sensed nothing wrong, he looked down, seeing Lucys face scrunched up in a mix of pained emotion. "Lucy, whats the matter?"

"Do you think Mr. Tumnus is alright? Did they hurt him? When- when they took him away?" Lucy asked him, her lip trembling, as her eyes filled with tears for her friend.

Lazarus heart clenched at the sight of the poor, upset girl. He too, was worried about his dear friend. However, Lazarus tried not to let it phase him too much, as he kept them walking, knowing they could not lag behind, not even for the sake of Tumnus. He needed to be strong and keep going, for Tumnus. There would be consequences if they didnt hurry, that much Lazarus knew. He also knew that Lucy was blaming herself for the events that unfolded: Tumnus arrest and Lazarus getting injured.

"Tumnus is strong," Lazarus told her, surety lacing his voice and reflecting through his eyes. "He has lived a long life and he knows how to take care of himself. What happened was not your fault, darling. Do not blame yourself for the Witch's anger. Tumnus will prevail. And so will we."

Lucy bit her lip. She was still worried for Mr. Tumnus, but Lazarus confidence meant the world to her. She knew he had only spoken the truth and that reassured her mind. He and Tumnus had known each other ever since Lazarus was born and so Lucy trusted his judgement concerning Tumnus.

The walk from there was mostly silence, a quip from Mr. Beaver and the snow crunching beneath their feet were the only sounds heard for quite a while. Lazarus felt his wounds healing, thankfully, however the long walk was rather making him feel a bit dizzy.