frost | e. pevensie

1.05 | first impressions

"As soon as I saw you I knew a grand adventure was about to happen."
- A. A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

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Rays of sunlight poked through the trees, casting a harsh glare on Andie's closed eyelids. Golden-white beams pushing through the ordinarily cloud-filled sky, beckoning her to wake up. Well, more like demanding. A silence engulfed the forest, not even the birds brave enough to sing their songs. The air was crisp and still - the calm after the storm. A fresh sheet of powdery snow covered Andie's numb body like the most unwelcoming of beds.

It was quite a miracle she hadn't contracted frostbite or hypothermia.

The girl slowly stood up, leaning against a tree for support until she regained some feeling in her limbs. Her hair was damp and her clothing was caked with snow. Brushing off what she could, Andie surveyed her surroundings. She squinted against the snow, the sun's reflection making the world appear brighter than it really was.

How could a world that was so bleak be covered in a substance that was so bright? So happy?

For most people, snow was a rather magical occurrence. The first snow of the season brought hope and joy. It brought excitement for the holidays and the promise of canceled school. There was nothing quite like sitting in front of a roaring fire on a snowy day, hot cocoa in hand, and nose in a book. Snow was a truly wonderful event that most people looked forward to in the winter months.

Unless you lived in Narnia.

Snow brought no hope to Narnia. There was no joy, no excitement, no holidays. As long as Narnia was covered in snow, the Witch's reign continued and the world was shrouded in evil. As long as Narnia was covered in snow, the Narnians had little hope of ever seeing spring again.

As long as Narnia was covered in snow, Andie would never know who she was.

Snow was not a happy occurrence. Nor would it ever be. Not for Andie.

Shielding her eyes with her hand, Andie tilted her head upwards. The sun was shining brightly in the middle of the sky, meaning that it was midday already. Had she really slept that long? Perhaps she'd just been in a coma of sorts, sleeping out in the snow for so long. Mrs Beaver had scolded her more times than she could count about staying out in the cold all night.

But Andie had a duty to fulfill. If nothing else, she knew that she was going to take this task seriously. Aslan believed that she could do it. She was not going to let him down.

She quickly unwrapped the food that she'd brought from the Beavers' home, scarfing it down as if she hadn't eaten in weeks. It was nearly frozen, but it would do. She reached for her canteen and unscrewed the lid, only to find that the last bit of water was frozen solid. She sighed, stuffing it back into her satchel and sitting down in the snow.