Lifeline ⤞ Peter Pevensie [Chronicles of Narnia]

ix

After her short talk with Oreius, Fallon had been sent to a tent with one of the Dryads to change into more proper attire. At first, she hadn't been overjoyed about having to wear a dress, but she let Lucy and Susan convince her into doing so, and, she wasn't going to lie, she was actually much more comfortable in the Narnian clothes than she had been in her trousers and cotton shirt. She'd left her belt at the tent along with Susan's bow and arrows, but had insisted on at least keeping a normal belt on, a throwing knife safely tucked into it, nearly invisible to the sight. She was rather fond of her dress, after having inspected it for a while. It was simple, a silver colour draping over her form, the black belt around her waist making it seem almost fierce. Her locket seemed to morph into the material, and three black laces held the split on her chest together, under them being a black, cotton shirt. Instead of wearing the sandals Susan and Lucy had chosen, though, she sported a pair of black lace up boots. Her brown locks had been tied much like the other girls', with two braids starting at the sides of her head and making their way back, strings of moss and dark green leaves woven into them, the rest of her hair being kept under them,

"You look like mum," Lucy told Susan as the girls walked around, heading near a river.

"Mum hasn't had a dress like this since before the war," Susan replied, mixed emotions running through her orbs.

Lucy thought for a moment. "We should bring her one back," she suggested happily. "A whole trunk full!"

Susan was quiet for a few seconds before replying sadly. "If we ever get back."

Lucy and Fallon both gave her a look, Fallon's being almost annoyed while Lucy's was plain hurt. When Susan noticed her sister's face, her sad expression was replaced with an apologetic one.

"I'm sorry I'm like that," she said, and Fallon chose to move away from the conversation, letting the two share a sister moment as she walked back towards the camp.

A centauride, one that she recognised from when she and the Pevensies had first gotten to the valley, gave her a smile, and Fallon replied with the same expression, looking around for something to keep her busy. She couldn't train, Oreius had said they would start doing that the next day, so she just stood still, staring at the sunset, when something pinched her sides. The girl let out a yelp, jumping and turning around, her fist already balled as she hit the person standing behind her, before kneeing them in the stomach.

Fallon's eyes went wide when she saw who the person was.

"Oh my– Peter, I am so sorry," she said, kneeling down next to the groaning boy. "I have no idea where that came from."

Peter let out a coughed laugh as he took her hand, Fallon helping him off the ground as he held his jaw.

"Remind me to never sneak up on you again," he said, but his last words went lower when Fallon reached for his jaw, gingerly touching the sore spot.

The boy just stared at her, noticing how her amber eyes seemed to capture the sunlight around them, and how the light freckles on her nose were starting to show more than he'd noticed.

"I really am sorry," she told him, snapping his out of his gaze and taking her hand away from his cheek.

"I– it's alright," he replied, stuttering a bit. Then he let out an awkward cough, regaining his composure. "So, what were you doing anyway?" He asked.

Fallon opened her mouth to reply, but her words were cut off by a horn sounding through the camp. She shared a look of fear with Peter, the boy saying,

"Susan!"

The two sprinted towards the trees, Fallon leading the way, knowing that if Susan had gotten to the horn, she and her sister couldn't be far from where she'd left them.