The Youngest Pevensie Sibling series- book 1- The Faithful

Part 1- chapter 3- Arriving

I won't bore you with the details of the journey that lasted 3 hours. But I will tell you the excitement I had when the landscapes changed into gently rolling hills of fresh green grass and tall trees reaching into the sky like giants. The immense beauty of this new land. The blue skies and the sun overhead sparkling off lakes and water. Plants filling the views and hills appearing as if they were chasing us. The clouds scurried in the sky above. It was peaceful; there was no sign of war. I could almost forget that a war was happening in the first place. I was so excited about living in this new world of natural beauty. I slept for the last part of the journey.

Later I was woken up by Susan shaking me gently saying that we were there. She helped me up and grab my bags before leaving the train where the others were waiting for us. Lucy was holding Peter's hand and I was holding Susan's. Edmund was looking bored and stubbornly sulking. I looked around me taking in the scenery. This was the middle of nowhere deep in the countryside with no houses visible. The hills gently sloped down to the railway track that cut through the valley. The station itself was so small with no roof and only one bench that was half broken. It was a short one platform with makeshift looking walls and steps. The little station was apparently called Cobalt.

It was blue sky overhead and sun shining down as I clutched my small coat further around me. It was cold here.

Presently we heard a gentle hum of an engine as a motor car passed or roared towards the station. We all grabbed our bags and ran down the steps waving at the motor car to stop. It simply honked its horn and roared off over the track and into the forest on the opposite side.

We all shared glances and looks of confusion with each other.

"Perhaps we were labelled incorrectly." Suggested Edmund as one reason for our confusion.

"You all right Lu, Soph," asked Peter looking down at us.

We nodded in reply as we all turned our heads around to the sound of hooves and a cart approaching us.

"Whoa, whoa Bess," said the lady who sat upright on the driving seat of the cart. My first impressions of her were of a woman who stood for no nonsense, very strict and hated children.

The cart came to a stop before us, and the older women stared down at us.

"Mrs. Macready," asked Susan.

"Yes," replied the Women. "Is this it? Haven't you brought anything else?"

"No mam," Peter responded.

"Small favours," muttered Mrs. Macready as she indicated for us to climb into the cart.

It was a small cart, so I sat on Susan's lap and Lucy with peter to make room for the suitcases.

The first impression of the house was a very large red bricked mansion with large sash windows 5 to each of the three stories. Up the walls grew ivy and holly camouflaging the brick gaps. The gable of the roof was steep and the tiles slate.

So, this was our new home. Temporary home as my inner voices reminded me. But at least for the foreseeable future maybe two weeks, months, years or longer. It looked magical and mysterious like a building found in a fairy-tale story. It was going to be full of excitement and adventure and I for one couldn't wait for out time here to begin.