~

The thundering roar of water rushed past Adeline ear's as they scrambled to the river. A wall of ice towered over them on their left side and on the right, the melting river began to drift chunks of ice down the stream.

"We've got to get across now!" Adeline exclaimed, staring down at the scene before them from the top of the ridge, "We don't have enough time so it's now or never."

Adeline grabbed Lucy's hand pulling her down a small trail on the side of the ridge, "Don't beavers make dams?" she asked innocently.

Mr. Beaver waved his palms, "I'm not that fast deary!"

Adeline's stomach rumbled with pain and she remembered the last time they had eaten, last night in the stone village. They had left their packs behind in the cave where they had met Father Christmas, deciding that the bags would slow them down, oh how she missed those warm blankets.

Adeline picked up the hem of her fur coat, trying not to slip as she figured out a way to get down. The large rocks which made up the ledge were covered in ice in water, making it practically impossible not to almost slip. Adeline carefully scanned the area, trying to find and step on the dryest parts of the rock and helping Lucy as well.

"Come on!" Peter ran ahead of her, leading the way as Adeline helped Lucy down.

"Wait!" Susan intervened, "Can we think about this for a minute."

"We don't have a minute!" Peter snapped, his blue eyes widening in panic.

Adeline twirled to face Susan, her chocolate hair getting undone and wisps flying in her face, "Susan, we need to move quickly."

"I'm trying to be realistic." she defended herself, taking a step back.

Peter took Adeline's free hand and pulled her towards him, "No," he talked back to his sister, "you're trying to be smart, as usual!"

"Peter!" Adeline scolded, "Susan. Both of you stop it, fighting is not going to get us anywhere."

Adeline jumped down from where she was standing onto a solid area on the ledge and reached up to help Lucy down, the little girl clutching tightly to Adeline's arm when she hopped down. Peter, Susan, then the beavers followed suit as Adeline managed to reach the bank of the river.

The faint echoing howl of wolves raised the hairs on the back of Adeline's neck, her magic reacting suddenly to the danger by entwining her free hand. A gentle brush on her lower back and brought her to her senses as Peter stood beside her, locking his eyes with her, worry swirling like little pools. 

"They're getting closer, aren't they?" he asked quietly.

Adeline nodded wordlessly and turned her attention to the river, the ice on top slowly breaking away.

Both beavers appeared at her feet as they surveyed the ice. Peter set a single foot on the ice,  immediately sinking slightly just before Adeline pulled him back by his sleeve.

"Wait," Mr. Beaver held up a paw, "maybe I should go first."

"Maybe you should," Peter said.

Mr. Beaver slowly made his way onto the ice, using his tail to tap on areas, making sure it was thick enough to step on. The ice cracked here and there and Mrs. Beaver held out an accusatory finger,

"You've been sneaking second helpings haven't you?!"

Mr. Beaver chuckled, "Well, you'll never know which meals gonna be your last?"

Adeline gripped tightly onto Lucy's hand and went ahead of her, stepping exactly where Mr. Beaver had been, and flashed a worried look over to Peter.

"Come on, Lu." she beckoned the little girl who followed her like a duckling, "That's it. Right where I was." she encouraged softly.

Behind her Peter and Susan slowly followed, their feet skidding on the ice as they tried to keep their balance.

A small yelp, focused her attention onto Lucy again as she almost slipped, the only thing keeping her up was Adeline. She held tightly to the girls arm and pulled her up, the ice under her cracking as she sped up.

"If mum knew what we were doing." Susan muttered.

Peter shouted, "Mum's not here!" 

Large ice pieces suddenly began to fall from the frozen waterfall making Adeline gasp as she avoided them and shielded Lucy's head with her spare hand.

"Oh no!" the little girl cried, looking up.

Adeline followed her eye line and her heart dropped to her stomach. Above them were large grey wolves, running across the ice, which was the cause of the spare pieces falling onto them.

"Run!" Peter commanded, grabbing onto Adeline's free hand and pulling her behind him, the four children sprinting to try to make it across.

Lucy screamed as the wolves blocked them from going further, jumping onto the ice ahead of them. Adeline turned to go back but there were other wolves behind them as well, slowly making their way towards the children.

"Peter!" Adeline shouted in panic, looking to the eldest to figure out what to do. Peter reached for his sword and pulled it out, pointing it to the largest wolf who was staring down Mr. Beaver like he was dinner.

Another wolf jumped and grabbed Mr. Beaver by the neck, pinning him to the ice.

"No!" screamed Adeline as she reached for Luna and unsheathed it, pointing it at the leader of the pack, who was getting closer by the second.

"Put that down." the wolf spoke, Adeline recognized it as the voice of the wolf who had interrogated the fox at Beaver's dam. "Someone could get hurt."

Adeline gathered Lucy to her with her spare arm and concentrated on Luna, allowing wisps of her magic to entangle it, the blue reflecting off of the blade and making it glow. She didn't know what it was supposed to do, but perhaps it would frighten the wolf in some way. 

"Don't come any closer." she spoke up, praying her voice wouldn't fail her, "Or this will go straight through you." 

The wolf's eyes seemed to widen before he snarled, "So the rumors are true, the heir has returned. My queen will be pleased with me if I hand you over as a prisoner." 

Adeline's hands shook with fear as she glared the wolf down. So the witch didn't know she was here, and she had just stupidly revealed herself to them. Even if they made it out alive she didn't know how long that would last now that they had found out about her.

"Don't talk to her!" Peter shouted, both his hands clutching his sword.

The wolves seemed to approach from every angle, making their moving space even smaller, "Give us the girl," the leader growled, "We'll return your brother to you and you can leave Narnia in peace. "

Adeline's hand faltered at the possibility of getting Edmund back. She lowered Luna slightly, "Peter..." she began.

"No!" he shouted. "It's a trick. I've lost Edmund, I'm not going to lose you too." his head turned to her, his stern blue eyes pinned her down, tears of frustration building up in them.

Adeline's breath trembled as she raised her weapon again. He was right, but the slight chance that the others would be safe still resonated with her. 

"Stop, Peter! Maybe we should listen to him!" Susan shouted to her brother. Adeline took a step back, the ice underneath her already beginning to crack and she could feel water dampening her slippers.

The wolf chuckled, "Smart girl." 

"Peter," Adeline spoke up, "They want me, not you." She shuffled closer to him, "If I go with them, the rest of you will be safe."

Peter's hands shook on the hilt of his blade as he held it up higher, he looked over to Adeline, fear in his eyes. Adeline felt the same way, she didn't know what to do now.

"Kill him!" Mr. Beaver shouted, "Kill him now!"

The wolf taunted them, backing them up against the last pieces of the remaining ice, "Oh come on, this isn't your war." he addressed Peter, "Your brother and sisters have no place here. The girl, however, is the one we want. She's an  important part of this war and we can't have her running about now, can we?"

Susan turned to her brother, "Look, just because some man in a red coat hands a sword, it doesn't make you a hero. Just drop it!"

"No!" Adeline shouted her grip on her dagger tightening, "Peter, do not drop that sword! You need to get Edmund and the girls out of here. I'm the one they want," she faced Peter, his terrified gaze on the wolf, "And I'll go gladly if that means you can go home safe."

The wolf neared them and Adeline pulled a trembling Lucy closer to her, "What's it gonna be, son of Adam?" The wolf taunted, "I won't wait forever, and neither will the river!"

Adrenaline rushed through Adeline's blood. She knew Narnia needed her but now they were caught in a rock and a hard place, and her priority, the one that came before she knew Narnia existed, was to protect the children she had so desperately come to love. Adeline opened her mouth to tell the wolf she would go with them but was interrupted by a shrill shriek.

"Peter!"Lucy cried.

Adeline looked up to see the ice above them cracking, water spurting out as the waterfall trembled.

"Hold on to me!" Peter cried, driving his sword into the ice underneath them. Adeline sheathed Luna and grabbed his arm with one hand, the other wrapped around Lucy who was clutching onto her brother.

Adeline concentrated as the cracking of the ice thundered through the air. In her peripheral vision, she could see a faint blue bubble slowly encompass them. She focused even harder as large chunks of ice fell on them, bouncing off of her blue shield. The waterfall came tumbling down as the ice shattered completely, Adeline and the others letting out screams as the wave of water surrounded them. The water pounded on her shield as they were pushed underwater. Adeline clutched onto Peter and tried to focus on keeping the shield up, her vision going black for a moment as her energy was drained out of her. Suddenly bright light blinded her as they popped out of the water and her shield disappeared, Adeline's magic fading away. Adeline's head and limbs ached and she focused on holding onto the brown fur coats of Peter and Lucy as they drifted downstream.

Lucy shrieked for a moment as she began to slip, Adeline pulled her up by her coat, trying to hold onto the little girl as she began to slide off herself. She was soaked to the bone and the cold was freezing her limbs to the point where she couldn't feel them.

She clutched onto Peter who was holding her close to him with his spare arm. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw brown fur in the water as the beavers appeared and pushed them to shore.

Susan and Peter climbed off first, Adeline pushed herself off the ice and reached over to help Lucy out. She froze, her stomach dropping as she realized the only thing left on the piece of ice was a small brown fur coat that she had been holding onto.

Adeline scrambled onto shore, the coat in hand as she scanned the water and the land around her. "No no no no," she yelled panicked, her hands shaking from both the cold and fear. She made eye contact with Peter and Susan, who were both staring at her terrified.

Tears fell from Adeline's eyes as she screamed out, "LUCY!"

"What have you done!" Susan shouted at her.

Peter took the coat from her hands in a panic, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"I tried to hold on-" Adeline's voice came out shaky, her breath coming out in huffs, "I didn't know- I couldn't - I-"

"How could you have known," Peter said, "I didn't even know, I'm supposed to protect her!"

"Lucy!" Susan's cries echoed through the air. Adeline looked into the water hoping she wouldn't see a little girl floating in it.

"Has anyone seen my coat?" a small voice asked.

Adeline swiveled and precious ease took over her as Lucy stumbled up to them, drenched to the bone, but alive.

"Oh my goodness," Adeline sobbed in relief as she ran to the girl and took her into her arms. Lucy's small hands wrapped around her neck as Adeline clutched tightly onto her, never wanting to let her go.

Peter came up to her as Adeline gently set the little girl down, wrapping her soaked coat around her, although it wouldn't do much good.

"Don't you worry dear," Mr. Beaver said, "Your family's got you well looked after."

"And I don't think you'll be needing those coats anymore." Mrs. Beaver added on.

Adeline and the others looked to where she was pointing. On a frost-covered tree, there were spots of pink, small blossoms were beginning to grow. The sight brought a warm feeling to her chest, the signs that winter was finally over. 

 Adeline's body ached as the panic and adrenaline from before faded away, leaving her with its aftermath. She had never used her power to that extent and with the worry over Lucy, she felt as though she was completely drained. 

And arm wrapped around her as she stumbled slightly, following the beavers.

"You alright?" a warm voice asked her. Peter rubbed her arm as if trying to provide some type of comfort. Adeline didn't speak and just nodded, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes just for a moment of peace.

They were alive, which was what mattered the most at this moment.

"Perfectly wonderful," she whispered. 

~

The growls of wolves startled Edmund as the queen's henchmen arrived. His head ached and his body was sore as he had been beaten and dragged across half the land until they had stopped at a melting waterfall, where according to the witch, his family had been just hours before. He missed them terribly, even Adeline, who he had only known for a couple of days before leaving them behind, which he regretted soon after finding out that the so-called queen was actually a witch. 

"We found the traitor." a wolf growled as another threw a small red fox onto the ground. "He was rallying your enemies in the Shuddering Woods." 

"Ah, nice of you to drop in." The witch towered over Edmund as she made her way to the fox, her long blue dress and white fur cloak dragging behind her. Her icy voice made Edmund flinch, nothing like how it was when he had first met her.

"You were so helpful to my wolves last night." Her wand was clenched in her fist, "Perhaps you can help me now." 

The fox bowed his head, "Forgive me, your majesty."

"Oh don't waste my time with flattery." The witch snapped.

"Not to seem rude," the fox talked back, "But I wasn't actually talking to you."

His gaze turned to Edmunds as panic flared up in him, not wanting to be any sort of trouble. The witch's stare landed on him as well which sent shivers up his spine. 

The witch pointed her wand at him, the ice tip sharp enough to impale someone. "Where are the humans headed?" she demanded.

The fox looked at him in a panic, not opening his mouth. The witch suddenly raised her wand, ready to strike.

"Wait, no!" Edmund jumped in front of her, "The beavers had said something about the stone table and that Aslan had an army there!" 

The witch's black eyes stared into his soul and he trembled under her gaze. "An army?" 

The fox shook his head in disappointment, Edmund knew she shouldn't have said anything but he had panicked, wanting to save the fox's life.

"Thank you Edmund." the Witch said as Edmund backed up, "I'm glad this creature got to see some honesty before he died." She plunged her wand at the fox, turning him immediately into stone.

"NO!" Edmund cried out. The witch turned to him suddenly, sticking him across the face. Pain flared up as blood dripped from his lips.

A cold hand gripped his shoulder and turned up, the witch staring him down from her towering height.

"Think about whose side you're on, Edmund. Mine?" she grabbed his face and turned it to the stone statue, "Or theirs?" 

She released him, allowing him to back up as he cradled his face. 

"Your Majesty," the pack leader interrupted, "We encountered the children here at the river."

"Yes. I know." she said impatiently, "I do not need to know useless information."

The wolf's head bowed in fear as he spoke up, "Yes, Your Majesty, but you must know. The heir is in Narnia."

"What?!" she demanded, "Do not lie to me Maugrim."

The wolf's eyes grew in fear, "She was with the other humans. I'm sure it's her she had the magical abilities of the fae, I saw it with my own eyes."

Edmunds brow furrowed. There was no heir, the only girl with his family was Adeline, and she was human, like them.

The witch turned to Edmund in a rage, her black eyes furious, "You told me there were three human girls."

"Adeline is human!" Edmund tried to defend himself, "She was born in our world. She doesn't have powers?!" 

The witch's lip curled, "Foolish boy. You know nothing of the girl you brought with you."

The witch turned to her henchmen, "Gather the faithful. If the heir is truly back in Narnia then the prophecy is unraveling. If it's a war Aslan wants," her hand moved suddenly as her wand shot up, turning a nearby butterfly into stone. "it's a war he shall get."

Edmund's eyes widened as he gulped, the fear now growing even stronger as he worried about his family and the innocent girl he had just sent to her doom.

What had he done? 

~

First chapter of 2021! I would have published one sooner but school was kicking my ass with the end of the semester. But, I wanted to submit one today because it is officially the one year anniversary of when I first started this story! It feels surreal since it hasn't felt like a year has passed.

I can't believe we've hit 3k reads! I'm so glad people are enjoying my story.

Question of the day:

~ What advice would you like to give or get from any Narnia character? ~

Thank you so much for reading and don't forget to leave a vote and a comment.

Until next time,

StoryTeller5678