The Fox & The Crow

Chapter Four

I take a few steps back, frightened as whatever approaches gets closer and louder. Though it might not be dangerous, I'd rather watch it pass by from the safety of the surrounding trees. Edmund curiously squints towards the noise and I reach out and tug on his sleeve to try to get him to hurry and follow me.

"Come on," I whisper, pulling him back a couple of steps.

"We don't even know if it's dangerous." But he reluctantly follows me into the trees, turning back to try to glimpse whatever's behind us.

"We also don't know if it's safe."

At the crack of a whip, we both flinch, straightening shoulder to shoulder against a fur's trunk. Edmund snorts at our reaction and I shush him. We both peer through low-hanging branches to watch as a beautiful, shimmering carriage pulls into the clearing we had just been in and I gape in awe at how it reflects light onto the snow. I'm almost tempted to step out and introduce myself, but my gaze shifts to the horrid-looking animals pulling the ride.

They look like reindeer, but their skin is pulled taut over their bones which jut out and is so thin it's almost translucent. Their eyes are sunken in from starvation and their antlers look cracked and brittle. They wheeze, the air puffing forth from their noses, and close their eyes as the whip lashes over their heads.

My skin grows cold at the sight of the poor creatures and I immediately want to return to the wardrobe. As I turn to motion to Edmund that we should leave, my heart skips a beat as I see him quietly leaping from the safety of our tree to the next to get a better view of the carriage. I gasp, about to call out to him, before I clamp my mouth shut, realizing that I can't without giving us away.

There's a crunch of footsteps and I glance around my tree to see a small, gruff-looking man stepping down from the front of the carriage to inspect something in the snow. My stomach drops when I realize he's staring at Edmund and my footprints. I turn back to Edmund, my eyes widening in horror as he jumps to the next tree and I want to yell at him to stop being so stupid before he gets us caught. Frustrated, I glance around to find something I can use to get his attention before I fix my gaze on the snow. In a quick second, I gather together a small snowball and toss it at him. It breaks against the shoulder of his bathrobe and rains down on the ground, the sound sending him veering behind the nearest tree.

I hold my breath, hoping the man didn't hear us. When I'm sure it's safe, I peek my head out to see Edmund glaring at me. He jerks his head as if to say What the hell?

I shrug my shoulders in response. What did you expect me to do? I wave my hand around the forest. Yell, and give us away? Then I jab my thumb in the opposite direction of the carriage. Let's leave.

He just rolls his eyes and turns back around, ignoring me. I watch as he spots the man, who's now marching along the forest's perimeter and peering in. Edmund glances back at me and grins, before he leaps to the next tree, just out of sight. Surely, he's close enough to enjoy the view of the carriage and then we can finally leave. But he keeps going, timing his jumps to the steps of the man, always nearly spotted. I glower as he silently laughs at my reactions, but in the next second, I'm back to gasping as he dodges around the next tree, even closer than the last.

Calm down, his face seems to say to me.

I purse my lips.

He smiles and shakes his head before leaping off, out of my view, leaving me shivering, anxious, and alone. Oh, how I wish Edmund had an ounce of sense and we could leave like I'd wanted. The thought of just returning alone is enticing, but I can't very well do that.

I huff, wishing I was more selfish, and step from my spot to dash to the nearest tree in the direction Edmund went. I straighten against the trunk, closing my eyes, confident that the man has spotted me. Holding my breath, I wait for him to appear, but that moment doesn't come. I sigh and carry on, growing quicker with each step until I'm almost by the carriage.