The Guardians of Narnia

A Sign of the Times

Narnian winters are a beautiful sight to behold, especially at midnight.

The snowflakes against the inky blackness of the night sky made it seem as if the stars themselves were floating down from the heavens to meet with the inhabitants of the ground below. The shining white blanket of snow on the ground shimmered in the light of Lantern Waste as if the snow itself was a feather-down comforter. Yes, Narnian winters are a beautiful sight indeed.

Except when it was a 100-year-long winter created by the vilest being ever to exist.

A lone Lioness sat in the silence of the dark, snowy banks of the Narnian woods, her ears shifting ever so slightly as she tried to pinpoint each sound that echoed into the night. Her mocha-colored fur and the inconspicuous, snow-covered bush behind her offered a slight warmth from the freezing, snow-filled air as she watched the Lantern Waste, her eyes trained on the darkness beyond the lone lantern post. The silence of the woods was deafening as her mind wandered, her thoughts and expression growing more and more troubled as the night went on.

"Hey, Kamari!"

Suddenly, the Lioness jumped to her paws; her maw fixed into a fierce snarl as she tackled the figure that made the noise. The snow around her suddenly liquified as water began to surround them, forming icy spikes waiting for her command to strike. With a shriek, the figure fell to the ground, their arms shielding their face as the ground underneath them seemed to swallow them up, keeping them from moving away.

"Kami! Kami! It's me!" The voice cried.

Then, the figure's hand began to produce a small, red flame, revealing their identity. A boy dressed in a red tunic, tan pants, and black boots, covered in a scarlet cloak, lay in the snow, his caramel frame shivering, his short, black twists dotted white with snow. The firewood he was carrying had scattered around him and somehow missed hitting him altogether in his fall.

The spikes of ice that surrounded them fell away instantly, and the ground below released him as the Lioness's features began to change. Mocha fur turned into mocha skin, the fur on top of her head growing up and out, framing her head in long black braids, her maw turning into a human face.

"Omondi! How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on me like that?!" Kamari hissed, her royal blue cloak revealing her green dress, her arm extended to pull him up from the ground.

Omondi smiled sheepishly as he was set back on his own two feet. With a shake of his head, the snow fell from his hair.

"Sorry, Kami. I couldn't help myself! You were so easy to scare; I just had to take that golden opportunity!"

Kamari rolled her eyes.

"Omo, this is serious. I thought you were one of the Witch's spies! Do you have any idea what I could have done to you?!"

Omondi grew silent as if thinking. Then, he gave a broad smile.

"You wouldn't have hurt me either way. I know for a fact that even if, Emperor forbid, a member of that Witch's army was to come here, you would at least try to get answers from them first before deciding to literally stuff them into the ground."

Kamari looked at her twin brother, unamused, before bending down to grab the firewood that surrounded them.

"Come on then. Let's get these logs inside before the police spot us."

With a groan, Omondi followed his sister, the bush she was sitting in front of separating to reveal their underground hovel.

The hovel was a rather snug place, with a fireplace (the chimney part of it being hidden by the rest of the bushes above ground) that was currently housing a small ember of flame as a black cauldron hung above it. Beside it was a rug that had depictions of the Narnian woods and cushions to sit on, as well as a small, raised mound of flattened earth as a table. There were two separate rooms for them to sleep in, with a cloth covering both entrances.