Once a Queen

The Fox and the Hound

"Hurry, Mama! They're after us!" Beaver said as they all rushed into the little dam, Susan helping Mrs. Beaver pack provisions and otherwise in cloths.

"What's she doing?" Peter asked helplessly as Mrs. Beaver scurried about the kitchen.

"Oh, you'll be thanking me later. It's a long journey and Beaver gets pretty cranky when he's hungry." Mrs. Beaver explained cheerily.

"I'm cranky now!" Beaver shouted, though that didn't deter his bustling wife.

Elise could hear the wolves just outside the door, and suddenly felt like one of the trapped little pigs, stuck inside a little wooden hut with the big bad wolf begging to get in.

"Do you think we'll need jam?" Susan asked hurriedly, already reaching for the jar.

If not in a dire moment of crisis, Elise would have laughed at her sister's fixation on unnecessary things, and then Peter's response, "Only if the witch serves toast."

Elise and the rest froze when they heard the wolves begin pawing at the doors and the walls, effectively breaking apart the dam that was once a safe home for the Beavers.

With little time, they all rush into the tunnel that Mr. Beaver had previously dug.

"Badger and me dug this," he told them quietly, pride thinly veiled in his voice. "Comes out right near his place."

Mrs. Beaver stared scandalized at her husband. "You told me it led to your mum's!"

Before any of the Pevensies could speak up and remind them of the impending doom, Lucy's foot got caught on a root, causing the young girl to pitch forward and fall to the ground.

"Lucy!" Susan called, but immediately hushed when they all heard growling and barking echoing along the walls.

"They're in the tunnel," Lucy whispered, though the effort was futile now.

Mr. Beaver hurried to the front of the group once more, taking charge. "Quick! This way!"

There was a cacophony of hushed shouts and gestures as they all ran through the tunnels, coming up on a dead end.

"You should have brought a map!" Mrs. Beaver berated her husband.

Beaver sighed, looking at his dear wife. "There wasn't any room next to the jam!" he retorted.

He jumped up, scrabbling to reach the hole. Once he did, it was easy to help the rest of them out, with Elise being the last one up. As she took a step forward, her foot knocked on something, causing her to push her hands out and accidentally shove Lucy. Her youngest sister stumbled and fell backwards from where she stood waiting to help her elder sister up, landing with a thud over the top of small stone figures.

"I'm sorry, Lu," Elise rushed out, hurrying to help Lucy stand up and brushing down her dress, fussing over her. The minimal reaction gave her pause, and she stood up fully to look around at where they had come out. There were little woodland creatures dotting the open space before them, the life behind their eyes forever frozen by some cruel trick of fate.

"Oh..." Elise breathed, reaching out a hand to carefully brush a few pine needles off of one of the stone creatures, a little lynx, from what she could tell.

"I'm so sorry, dear," came Mrs. Beaver's voice, as the caring wife rested her hand on her husband's shoulder gently. Mr. Beaver stood in front of a stone badger, who must've been the friend he had told them all about.

"He was my best mate," he noted sadly, his paw resting on poor Badger's.

A moment of silence stretched as they all took in the scene, before Peter broke it. "What happened here?" he asked.