Forest Watcher (Book 1) A Peter Pevensie Romance

Mr. Tumnus

We walked farther into the woods. Lucy guiding us through the forest. The place was beautiful with the freshly covered ground and snow sprinkled treetops.

Cresting a hilltop, I grinned. I tossed myself into the snow, rolling a little and sat up while the girls giggled.

"Look! Snow angel!" Lucy giggled, standing up from making one.

"Nice!" Susan grinned.

I looked at Layla and noticed she was laughing too. It was the first laugh I heard from her since we met her. Honestly, it was quite melodious.

"What's funny?" I asked her as we continued on.

She giggled, "You got some snow in your hair."

"What?!?" I exclaimed.

"Here, let me get it off," she offered, stopping to reach up and dust off the snow.

I could feel her fingers run through my hair sending shivers down my spine. I looked at her, her wavy locks bounced on her shoulders and her piercing grey eyes bore into mine. Woah.....

I heard my sisters giggling at us and I looked at them. They couldn't keep their faces straight.

I mouthed at them to shut up and we continued on our way.

We followed Lucy around the corner as she told us all of the wonderful things she had with Mr. Tumnus in his house.

Suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks, her voice trailing off as she stared at a broken down door.

"Lu?" I asked.

She bolted for the door.

"Lucy!" I exclaimed, running after her.

Susan and Edmund shared a look before following after with Layla.

Entering the house, we noticed the house had been ransacked. Pictures and books lay strewn on the floor, and a note was nailed to a post. I walked over to it and took it off.

"Faun Tumnus is hereby charged with High Treason against Her Imperial Majesty, Jadis, Queen of Narnia, for confronting her enemies and fraternizing with humans. Signed Maugrim, Captain of the Secret Police. Long live the Queen," I read. Lucy pulled my arm down see while I read.

Susan took the paper and looked at it then at me. "All right, now we really should go back," she insisted.

"But what about Mr. Tumnus?" Lucy asked.

"If he was arrested for being with a human, I don't think there is much we can do," Susan explained.

"You don't understand do you?" Lucy asked us. "I'm the human! She must have found out he help me!"

"Maybe we should call the police," I suggested.

"These are the police," Susan pointed out.

"Don't worry Lu," I assured her. "We'll think of something."

"Why?" Edmund asked, and we all look at him. "I mean, he's a criminal!"

I frowned at him as a bird landed on a tree outside.

"Psst!" It said.

"Did that bird just 'psst' us?" Susan asked.

I ducked out the door. The others following. When we were outside, the bird flew off and we heard a rustle. The girls pressed closer to me. Lucy grabbed my arm and Susan put her hand on my shoulder. Layla stood next to me and stood slightly....in front of me? Her gaze was impassive as she stared ahead.

A beaver came out from behind a rock and slowly approached us sniffing.

"It's......a beaver," Lucy pointed out.

"Here, boy," I coaxed, clicking my tongue and holding out my hand. "Here boy." I heard Layla giggle behind me.

"Well, I ain't gonna smell it, if that's what you want," the beaver spoke up startling me.

Layla giggled again and Lucy joined her.

"Oh, sorry," I apologized, sheepishly.

"Lucy Pevensie?" The beaver asked.

Lucy frowned, "Y-yes?"

Lucy approached the beaver and he holds out a handkerchief. She took it and looked at the beaver.

"This is the handkerchief I gave Mr.-" she started to say when Mr. Beaver interrupted her.

"Tumnus," he finished. "He got it to me just before they took him."

"Is he alright?" Lucy asked.

Mr. Beaver looks around then whispered, "Further in." He scurried off and I started following with Lucy.

"What are you doing?" Susan hissed, stopping me.

"He said he knows the faun," I replied.

"He's a beaver." Susan pointed out. "He shouldn't be saying anything!"

"Is everything alright?" The beaver asked popping up from behind a rock.

"Yes," I answered, "we were just talking."

"That's better for safer quarters," Mr. Beaver muttered.

"He means the trees," Lucy explained, looking up at the trees.

I sighed and turned to follow after the talking beaver with the others following.