𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 || Narnia x Zombie AU

Chapter Three: Sentinel

A/N: Welcome back to zombie land, folks! Just wanted to say a big thank you again to everyone who's commented on the first two chapters. Every comment seriously makes my day and motivates me to keep writing, I appreciate you all bunches!

Also this chapter is a long one, so buckle up, haha. It really should be two chapters, but my schedule didn't allow for that so instead enjoy this mammoth beast of a thing. Love y'all!

xXx

"What time would you say it is?" asked Peter.

Edmund squinted up at the angry clouds through sparse treetops, the dull grey sky affording no hint at the sun's position.

"Mid afternoon. Maybe four," he guessed, though he was going more by the feeling of the air than by trying to imagine which patch of cloud was less dim.

They fell back into silence, save for the plodding of the horses' hooves over soft earth, and occasional scattered birdsong. The three riders had long since given up conversation.

When they'd left the Cair yesterday morning, Lucy and Peter had attempted to keep up an exchange to distract themselves, but it only put Edmund more on edge, afraid they would make too much noise, or miss something important. Now they only commented here and there on the places they passed, or the weather, or the time.

Even then, Edmund's insides felt like lead, and every hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

The country which had once felt so welcoming and joyful was now utterly unknown to him. Every shadow seemed a threat, the canopy of shivering leaves beneath which he would ordinarily have felt at home now harbored any number of dangers. The blanket of fear hanging over the land was one he had not known even in all his years fighting dark creatures in the far reaches of the wood. Worst of all, this wasn't something he could hunt.

It did scare him. More than the witch ever had.

That being said, their journey so far had been relatively fortunate. They had occasionally come through places littered with remnants of destruction, blood or bodies, or hastily abandoned homes lying open and unguarded, but Lucy had only been forced to shoot one fox, and although she had cried bitterly, their plan of traveling north seemed to be working better than Edmund had expected.

At last they crested a low hill and came into view of a fork in the wide river that flowed a ways to the south of them on the left.

"That's our path," said Edmund. "It'll be easy enough to ford this time of year, and then down to the foothills around the thick of the forest."

Peter nodded.

"Wait," said Lucy, pulling up abruptly.

Edmund and Peter both slowed and turned back to her.

"What is it?" asked Peter.

"We need to check on Tumnus."

Edmund sighed, and glanced at Peter whose expression was tight. I knew this would happen, he wanted to say, but instead he looked back at his sister.

"Lu." He tried to be as gentle as he could, but largely failed to keep the edge out of his voice. "I'm sure there are any number of creatures in this wood we're worried about, but we can't risk everything for one person. Our path is south."

"No," she said, "Really, I have a feeling about this, we need to go, I know it."

"How?" asked Peter. "That only takes us deeper into the forest. We won't be able to defend ourselves if the place is overtaken."