The Youngest Pevensie Sibling series- book 1- The Faithful

Part 1-chapter 8- Always winter.

The air chiled the two young girls as they and their new friend trudged through the deep snow. Sophie and Lucy walked in awe at how beautiful this country was. The pure snow glistened in sunlight marking the way forward.

They traveled past a huge rock formation and past a frozen stream. They turned a  corner and arrived at a small, wooden and curved door which sat in a flat rockface. The door was so well hidden that it could have easily been missed.

Sophie and Lucy let go of Mr Tumnus's arms as he found his keys within a pocket situated in the scarf around his neck.

The girls went inside first while Tumnus held back to shake his hooves of snow and place his scarf and umbrella just inside the door.

The door opened to a dark cave filled with large objects. One the girls eyes adjusted they could sea a cozy house with a large fireplace in the middle of one cave wall. Facing the fire from different angles, sat three large armchairs covered in a striped or plain patterns. One was a middle blue colour, one was a deep red, and the third was a plain faded brown. The armchairs looked old, faded, a bit tattered but well used. There was also a tin bucket of wood next to the fireplace.

Next to the fireplace was an curved enclove containing shelves squashed with books bound in leather. Opposite the front door a opening led to a kitchen with a sink and slabs of wood held against the walls with string made from vines.  There was also a smaller fire in the kitchen covered by a metal grill. On the open shelves sat glass jars filled with some familiar foods and others that looked alien.

Against the nearest wall was situated a thin but long table. On the table was a photograph of an older faun.

"Please sit," instructed Tumnus indicating towards two of the armchairs. "I will put the fire on and boil some water for tea."

"It is okay, we want to explore your wonderful house if we can?" Lucy inquired.

"Of course was the answer."

Sophie went over to the book case to investigate the titles of the books. The titles were definitly different. They included titles such as 'is man a myth?', 'Drayads and Nyaids the differences.' Fauns and their ways and 'Phrophies of narnia.' There was one golden coloured book that was simply titled 'Aslan.'

Sophie thought to herself, Aslan why does that word fill me with warmth and bravery and all things nice.

While Sophie had been looking at the book Lucy had wandered over to the table and picked up the photograph for a closer look.
She noticed that the older male faun had the same face as Tumnus and the same redish brown hairy legs. It must be his father she thought.

So she asked "Is this your father he looks a lot like you."

"Yes that is my father. No I'm not like him at all really." Replied Tumnus.

"Our fathers away fighting in a war." Sophie sadly stated joining in with the conversation.

" My father went away to fight too." Tumnus commented. He paused briefly before he continued, "But that was a long time ago now."

" Your the nicest faun we have ever met," proclaimed Sophie.

"Indeed," agreed Lucy.

Sophie saw that tumnus looked sad for a second before he quickly changed his expression to one of a happy smile.

"Now now come and sit down the tea is ready." He instructed.

Sophie sat down in the red arm chair, Lucy in the blue, and after he had handed each girl a cup of tea, tumnus sat in the brown arm chair.

The fire had been lit,  it filled the little cave with warmth and illuminated all three faces.

"Is it winter here," quizzed Sophie.

"Unfortunately it is always winter here," had been Tumnus' solemn reply.

"Winters not all bad," acknowledged Lucy. " There's snowball fights, sledging, snowmen and snow angles, warm cosy fire, hot chocolates and you can't forget Christmas."

"We haven't had a christmas here in a hundred years." Sighed Mr tumnus.

"No christmas," exclaimed a shocked Sophie. " christmas is always the best part of the long winter, presents, fires, christmas dinner, games and no school."

"Always winter never christmas" Muttered Lucy.

"Now have you ever heard a narnian lullaby?" Requested Tumnus.

Both girls shooks their head at this.

Mr tumnus reached above him and brought down a small box. Inside the box was a musical instrument a bit like windpipes.

Mr tumnus played a sweet but sad lullaby as Sophie and Lucy drank their tea.

Both watched the dancing flames. The flames showed many creatures that all danced in a circle and cried with happiness and laughter.

Both Sophie and Lucy had found themselves drawed to the fire as the fire creatures kept speeding up the dancing. Their eyes fought sleep before they gave in. Their hands fell lose which caused the cups to be dropped and smashed.

Suddenly a huge mighty roar filled the cave. The flames showed a lion roaring before they terminated which placed the cave in darkness.

Sophie and Lucy abruptly woke at the noise to find it dark and Tumnus gone.

They heard crying and turned to find Tumnus slumped on a window seat.

"I am not a nice faun," he cried.

"Whatever do you mean Tumnus?" Lucy argued back . You have been so kind to us."

"What's the matter? what's happened?" Sophie questioned.

"It's not something that has happened, it's something that I am doing now." Mr tumnus choked out.

Both girls looked at tumnus confusion etched on their faces.

"I work for her. The white witch, she's the one who made it winter here but never christmas," wailed Tumnus.

"What work do you do Mr tumnus?" Implored Lucy.

"I'm, I'm, I'm a kidnapper," Mr Tumnus exclaimed.

Both girls took a step back fear shown on their faces.

"We were told that if ever a human child came this way we were to persuade it to come for tea, wait for it to go to sleep and turn it over to her, the white witch." Cried Mr Tumnus

"But you wouldn't?" Sophie stummered in fear and shock that her friend could do this.

"We thought you were our friend?" Lucy trembled in fear.

"But if I don't she's sure to find out. She'll have my house destroyed, my hooves and horns sawn off, or worse turn me into a stone statute like so many in her house." Whined Tumnus.

"You have to let us go," demanded Lucy who did her best to hide her fear.

"Oh I know. I had never met a human before, but now that I have met you I can't hand you over.. to her," agreed tumnus. "We need to leave now! She may know you are here already. She has spies on her side. I will take you both back to the lampost but you must go on together back to your land of spare'oom ."

All three were back out the door in two minuets. Tumnus draged the girls along which forced then to run to keep up.

When they reached the lampost, Tumnus stopped.

"Now you both must go on together." Cried Tumnus.

"Hey hey, please stop crying. Here take my hankichief, you need it more than I do" Lucy tried to comfort Mr Tumnus.

"Thank you," Tumnus sniffled. "You must go now. Goodbye Sophie, goodbye Lucy. Whatever happens meeting you has made me the happiest I have been in a hundred years."

And with these parting words Sophie and Lucy ran back throught the woods,  through the coats and through the wardrobe landing on the hard wooden floor of the professor's spare room.