To Be Brave (Chronicles of Narnia fanfiction)

Chapter 8: The Beaver's Dam

Hannah's body tensed up. The bird's chirping grew louder, urging her and the other's to follow it. The chirping stopped after a few seconds. Susan looked at the others with a raised eyebrow, unsure of what was going on.

Then they heard a rustling sound behind some nearby trees and bushes. The noise suddenly turned into a more violent and abrupt sound. Peter stopped in his tracks and protectively stood in front of them. Susan held onto his arm and Hannah quickly held onto Lucy and Susan's shoulder. She felt Lucy's warm fingers wrap around hers, giving her body a chance to relax. From the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but notice Edmund coward behind her. No one dared to move.

The sound of rustling in the snow caused Hannah's head to whip around. Her bones stiffened when she heard a slight patting noise. Her eyes widened with fear. She and the Pevensies knew that the noise was coming from one of the small rocks in front of them. Something began to walk out from behind the rock. At this moment, Hannah prepared herself for the worse. She expected something like a wolf with large, pointy teeth; a minion of the White Witch. However, the creature that emerged from behind the rock wasn't large at all. In fact, it was a small, brown animal with a long tail.

"It's... it's a beaver," Lucy observed.

"I thought it would've been a more... threatening-looking creature," Hannah said, curiously looking over at the beaver.

The others stopped and stared for a moment, completely speechless. The beaver slowly made its way towards them. Peter knelt in front of it, holding out his hand. "Here, boy," he said, rubbing his fingers together. He started to make clicking noises, "Here, boy." The beaver just stared at him, cocking its head.

"I ain't gonna smell it, if that's what you want," the beaver said, unimpressed.

Hannah and Lucy laughed as the others jumped. Edmund gasped and Susan stared with wide eyes. Astonished, Peter slowly lowered his hand.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"Lucy Pevensie, and Hannah Grunberg," the beaver began, causing the two girls to stop laughing. Their smiles immediately faded. Lucy cautiously followed Hannah as she slowly approached him.

"Y-yes?" Lucy asked.

The beaver held out a white handkerchief. Hannah scanned it with her eyes. It only took her a few seconds to make a connection.

"That's the hanky she gave Mr.-" she began.

"Tumnus," the beaver finished for her. "He got it to me just before they took him."

Hannah felt this sense of darkness towards the word they. It was very familiar. She gulped, knowing exactly what could've happened to him.

"Is he alright?" Lucy asked.

The beaver looked from left to right before coming closer to them. He pointed to the direction behind the five children, who looked at him curiously. "Further in," he whispered, before hopping off to a slope of snow. Hannah was quick to follow Lucy. Peter was right behind her, but the three of them were held back by a concerned Susan.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. Hannah always thought Susan sounded more like a mother rather than a sister. She even had that same stare, with her eyes threatening to pop right from her socket.

"She's right," Edmund agreed. "How do we know we can trust him?"

"He said he knows the faun," Peter said, as if it was obvious.

"He's a beaver," Susan reasoned. "He shouldn't be saying anything!"

"On the contrary," Hannah said, matter of factly. "Since the logic of Narnia defies the logic from our world, it would be safe to say that animals can talk."