Winter Light

04

The siblings ran through the halls and eventually ran into the spare room. Edmund immediately rushed to the wardrobe and opened the doors. "Come on!"

Susan let out a scoff. "You've got to be joking."

Peter ordered, "Go!"

They walked into the wardrobe and started shoving each other, wading their way through the coats.

"Get back!" Susan yelled in a whisper.

The pushing continued and Peter and Susan landed backwards on the snow. When they stood, they looked around and Susan muttered, "Impossible!"

Lucy smirked at her sister. "Don't worry, it's probably just your imagination."

Peter glanced at his youngest sister. "I... I don't suppose saying we're sorry would quite cover it?"

"No, it wouldn't. But that might!" Lucy cried as she threw a snowball at him.

Immediately, Peter threw a snowball back at Lucy and soon, three of them, excluding Edmund, were involved in a snowball fight. Susan threw a snowball at Edmund and it hit his shoulder. He rubbed it and shouted, "Ow! Stop it!"

"You little liar!" Peter cried.

"You didn't believe them either!"

Peter stepped closer to his brother. "Apologise to her. Say you're sorry!"

Edmund frowned at Lucy. "All right! I'm sorry."

Lucy shot him a wide smirk. "That's all right. Some little children just don't know when to stop pretending."

"Oh, very funny."

"Maybe we should go back," Susan suggested.

"Can't we at least take a look around?"

"I think Lucy must decide!" Peter decided.

Lucy grinned and said, "I'd like you all to meet Mr. Tumnus."

"Mr. Tumnus it is, then."

Susan stared at herself. "We can't just walk around like this."

Peter returned moments later with four heavy coats. Susan frowned. "Peter, they don't belong to us."

"Well, I don't think the professor will mind," Peter told her. "And if you think about it logically, we aren't even taking them from the wardrobe."

Susan glared at Peter as he handed Edmund a grey feminine coat. "But it's a girl's coat!" Edmund protested.

"I know," Peter said with a nod.

Lucy was ahead of everyone else and was rambling about all the things they'd do once they reached Mr. Tumnus'. She stopped abruptly and ran into the house.

"Lucy!" Peter called as the three ran after her.

Glass crunched beneath their feet.

Marion, who was investigating the house, made her presence known. She looked between the four and smiled as she realised what they meant.

Susan said, "Peter. What is that on the wall? Who are you?"

Marion curtsied. "My name is Marion. I'm friends with the faun. Who might you be?"

Lucy looked at Marion. "This is my brother and sister Peter and Susan."

Marion smiled lightly and glanced around nervously. "Read the note, Peter."

Peter ripped the note off of the wall and began reading aloud. "The faun Tumnus is under arrest for High Treason against her Imperial Majesty Jadis, Queen of Narnia, and Her Majesty's Daughter Marion, Princess of Narnia, comforting her enemies and fraternising with Humans. Signed, Maugrim, captain of the Secret Police, Long live the Queen."