Wunderkind ❄ A Chronicles of Narnia Tale {Wattys 2018}

What Happened in the Forest

Mrs Beaver and Susan set about packing things into small parcels that fit on everyone's backs. Ruth did her very best to keep away from Peter, who was equally angry with her. Now that the shock of Edmund's disappearance was starting to ebb away, Ruth couldn't help feeling annoyed that they all thought she had betrayed them. She couldn't possibly have known that he was going to the Witch's house; rather, she had thought he was simply trying to find his way home. Besides, Edmund was the one who was heading off this very minute to sell them out to a woman who wanted them dead.

Ruth understood now why Edmund disliked Peter so much. The older boy seemed to have an awful habit of jumping to conclusions before he knew the whole story, and a spiteful part of Ruth hoped that he would pay dearly for this later on. But now she'd had an argument with three of the four siblings, and, despite his betrayal, Edmund was the only one she didn't think was very bad. Well, there was Lucy, of course, but Ruth was still indignant about their first night at the Professor's. Ruth was a selfish girl, and she was almost glad that this situation affected everyone else.

"Do you think we'll need jam?" asked Susan, pulling Ruth out of her thoughts.

"No, we won't jolly well need jam!" snapped Ruth, just as Peter said, "Only if the Witch serves toast!"

The pair glared at each other and Ruth shoved her sleeve against her mouth to stop herself delivering him a biting remark. No, that wouldn't help things at all. Instead she said, "Oh, do hurry up!" and stuffed the last few items into the packs. She couldn't help comparing them to her gas mask box, small but strangely heavy, with a thin strap to fit over their bodies. It would be potentially life saving, too.

Mrs Beaver shot her a slightly irritated look and said, "There, six bags for each of us. You have this one, dear." She handed the smallest one to Lucy.

"Come on!" said Peter, hopping anxiously from foot to foot. He slipped the biggest bag over his head, took Lucy's hand and made for the door.

Suddenly the sound of wolves snarling and howling could be heard outside. The sounds were very faint, but soon they would be upon the others. Ruth's heart thudded beneath her dress and she resisted the urge to burst into tears.

"How did they get here so quickly?" asked Susan, turning pale.

"The Witch would have prepared as soon as she knew your brother was coming," said Mr Beaver; "and I daresay he was going as quickly as he could so he wouldn't stay out in the cold for very long." He leapt in front of Peter, who had just placed his hand on the door, and locked it quickly. "We mustn't go that way, she'll catch us. Here there's a tunnel that I made with my friend Badger. It leads to the woods near his house, and it should give us a decent head start. Follow me." He headed to a cabinet at the far end of the room and opened it. Where there should have been crockery, instead there was a gaping hole that led into the ground. Mr Beaver ushered them all inside.

Ruth knew well enough now that it would be much bigger on the inside, and sure enough they were led down a long, dark, cold tunnel. Something spluttered and hissed, and she turned to see Mrs Beaver striking a match and holding it to a lantern.

"Go, go, quickly, dear!" said Mrs Beaver, pushing Ruth with her free paw.

Ruth tried to go quickly, for she knew they were in a very great danger now, but she was not a graceful girl and kept stumbling on tree roots that protruded from the ground. Before long her knees were scraped and bleeding and her coat was matted with dirt. She lifted the bottom of it up to try and make it a little easier to move, but it didn't help a bit. She tripped and fell with a shout, this time accidentally hitting Peter in the back as she tried to break her fall. He spun around to see what on earth was going on, and for goodness' sake, why was Ruth sprawled on the ground? but before he could say anything, something scratched through the tunnel a little way away. The group froze, looking at each other in horror.