serendipity - narnia [EDITING]

chapter 3

Chapter 3
The Chase

They were running again. Shortly into their dread-filled walk back to the dam, a pack of howling wolves caught their scent. Edmund had given the Witch their location. Though Dahlia knew she should reserve her magic, she used it to whip aside low branches and keep the group atop the snow. She was exhausted by the time they reached the dam and collapsed onto the Beavers' tiny couch.

Mr. Beaver bolted the door. "Hurry, Mama! They're after us!" he shouted to his wife. She scurried about, snatching things from various cupboards. Little Lucy stumbled back from the door. She bumped into the couch, landing beside Dahlia. The mage wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"What's she doing?" Peter blurted as Mrs. Beaver continued packing with Susan's aid.

"Oh, you'll be thanking me later," she gently pushed him aside to grab a cheesecloth. "It's a long journey and Beaver gets pretty cranky when he's hungry."

"I'm cranky now!" Mr. Beaver protested. Growling rumbled through the dam's thin windows. The wolves were approaching. Dahlia passed Lucy into her brother's care. She moved the kitchen table aside to stand at the center of the house. Dahlia grounded herself, grateful for the dirt floor. Her magic was channeled from the earth. She stretched out her arms and spread her legs, making a star with her limbs. Silver energy pulsed through her. It trickled from her toes and fingertips, weaving a barrier into the walls of the dam. This was a trick she'd had to teach herself. It wasn't very strong, but it could keep the wolves at bay. They snarled as they clawed and bit at the wood. Dahlia's barrier sparked with each strike. The shocks pinched her skin as if she was the one being attacked.

Teeth clenched with effort, she looked over her shoulder. Mr. Beaver opened a hidden cupboard to reveal an underground tunnel. He ushered Lucy and his wife in first, then hopped down after them. Dahlia flexed her fingers to push further strength into her wall. She turned to Peter. "I can hold them off a little longer. You go."

The elder Pevensies looked at each other. Susan nodded to indicate that it was Peter's call and slid down the tunnel. Her brother ripped Dahlia's arm from its rigid position, breaking the shield. The wolves growled hungrily and doubled their efforts. Now Dahlia's hand was forced. She slid into the tunnel with Peter and closed the hatch behind them. They followed the glow of Mr. Beaver's torch, stumbling on bent knees. Dirt stained their clothes and dusted their hair. The tunnel rumbled. Growls reverberated through it. The wolves had followed them.

Dahlia reached an arm behind her. She curled her fingers, drawing the roots from the earth. They grew into a gnarled barrier that would not stop the wolves entirely, but would at least slow them some. Too focused on her casting, Dahlia didn't notice the dead end. She ran straight into Peter's back. He steadied her while Mr. Beaver used a stick to open the hatch above his head. He helped his wife through and jumped up after her. Peter interlocked his fingers. He hoisted his sisters and Dahlia out of the tunnel. She pulled him up and stepped aside so Mr. Beaver could roll a barrel in front of the exit.

Something clattered behind them. Dahlia whipped around, fingers already alight, to see Lucy sitting among a cluster of small, stone woodland animals. These were not statues, or rather, they didn't used to be. "This is what becomes of those who cross the Witch." A small fox appeared above the Beavers' tunnel. His bronze fur shone brightly against the snow. Dahlia's flames darkened to match the shade. The fox sighed and lept down. "Relax. I'm one of the good guys."

"Yeah?" Mr. Beaver challenged. "Well, you look an awful lot like one of the bad ones."

"An unfortunate family resemblance, I grant you." While the creatures bickered, the barrel plugging the tunnel shifted. Claws scratched wood. Dahlia snapped, sending a spark between Mr. Beaver and the fox. They hushed and heard the ruckus. The fox's cool demeanor faltered. He looked up at Dahlia. "You're the mage?" She nodded. "Excellent. I have a plan."

Said plan involved far more energy than Dahlia had left, especially for something she had never attempted. She knew that air was among the elements she could control. Manipulation of it was what kept her from sinking into the snow. Levitation was a skill she used sparingly and only on herself. This was the first time she'd given the gift of flight to three children and two beavers. Only the looming threat of the wolves pushed her onward. Once they were all settled among the branches of an evergreen, Dahlia enveloped herself in the icy air and floated up to join them.

The mage watched, slumped against the trunk, as the fox brushed away their footprints. He vanished the last boot tracks just before the barrel splintered. A quartet of wolves sprung from the tunnel. "Greetings, gents. Lost something, have we?" the fox taunted.

"Don't patronize me," the largest snarled. He faced the fox while his companions circled him. Surely this was Maugrim. "I know where your allegiance lies. We're looking for some humans."

"Humans? In this part of Narnia? That's a valuable bit of information, don't you think?" A stalking wolf pounced. The fox whimpered as the beast's jaws closed around him. Dahlia clung to the branches. She could not save him without risking the Pevensies' safety.

"Your reward is your life. It's not much, but still. Where are the fugitives?" Maugrim demanded. The fox hung his head in shame. Dahlia held her breath.

"North. They ran North." The wolf flung him to the ground and the pack ran off to chase a lie.

***

The humans and animals huddled around a small fire while Dahlia tended to the fox's wounds. Her parents had channeled most of their magic into medicine as Narrowhaven's healers. Their deaths were caused by a deadly bout of pneumonia caught from their patients. A snowstorm had trapped Dahlia inside with their weakening bodies. She had not been skilled enough to save them.

"They were helping Tumnus. The Witch got here before I did. Ow!" the fox yelped. Dahlia whispered an apology as she bandaged the punctures in his side.

"Are you alright?" Lucy inquired across the fire.

"Well, I wish I could say their bark was worse than their bite." The fox squirmed out of Dahlia's hands and stood up despite her protests. She scooted closer to the fire, accepting the hunk of bread with marmalade Mrs. Beaver offered. "Thank you for your kindness, but I'm afraid that's all the cure I have time for." He bowed to Dahlia. "It has been a pleasure, my lady, and an honor. But time is short and Aslan himself has asked me to gather more troops."

"You've seen Aslan?" Mr. Beaver asked eagerly.

"What's he like?" his wife pried.

"Like everything we've ever heard," the fox smiled. He then looked to the Pevensies. "You'll be glad to have him by your side in the battle against the Witch."

"But we're not planning on fighting any witch," Susan protested, "and I'm sure Dahlia isn't either." The mage agreed but remained silent.

The fox frowned at the girls. He turned to Peter. "But surely, King Peter. The prophecy!"

"We can't go to war without you," Mr. Beaver chimed.

Peter shook his head. He chucked a bit of wood into the fire. It sparked, scattering embers that melted the snow. "We just want our brother back."

The Beavers and the fox shifted their fears to Dahlia. She bowed her head to avoid their pleading eyes. "I know I'm the only Narnian. I know about the prophecy and the Deep Magic, and I do want my home to be free of the Witch. I'm just not strong enough to stop her."

"None of us signed up for this," Peter supported her. "Besides, you'd think the Deep Magic would know better than to hand Narnia over to a bunch of kids."