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P E T E R
My heart sank as I saw the river that was already melting when we got there.
"We need to cross now!" I yelled as I ran forward.
"Don't beavers make dams?" Asked Lucy.
"I'm not that fast, dear!" Mr Beaver replied.
"C'mon!" I rushed as I pulled Lucy along behind me.
"Wait!" Susan exclaims as we approached the river, "Will you just think about this for a minute?"
"We don't have a minute!" I snapped.
"I was just trying to be realistic." She argued.
I let out a sigh in frustration, "No, you're trying to be smart. As usual."
"Enough." The Archer orders, "We don't have time for this. We need to go now!"
She overtakes me, leading the way down the narrow mountain ledge, towards the melting river.
The Archer stops just before the riverbank whipping her head toward the source of distant howls. I follow her line of sight, catching a glimpse of a tail. We really had to hurry if we wanted any chance of making it to the other side.
Without a second thought, the Archer places her foot firmly onto the ice, quickly retracting it as the ice crackled beneath her feet.
"Wait, maybe I should go first." Mr Beaver suggests.
"Maybe you should." I answer before she could, earning me a glare from the Archer.
The Beaver carefully steps onto the ice, stomping its foot and slapping it with its tail to test its durability.
"You've been sneaking second helpings, haven't you?" Mrs Beaver scolded as the ice surrounding her husband sank slightly.
"Well, you never know which meal is going to be your last." Mr Beaver defended, "Especially, with your cooking." With that, he took a step forward, followed by Mrs Beaver.
The ice seemed sturdy enough to take their weight. The Archer takes a step forward onto the ice as well, giving us a steady nod to tell us that it was safe to proceed before we followed.
I went first, followed closely by Lucy and lastly Susan. Lucy shrieks as the ice around her slowly started to crack, making her lose her balance as she clings onto my hand.
"If mum knew what we were doing." Susan commented.
"Mum's not here!" I said sternly as I shot her a glare.
"Oh no!" The youngest exclaimed, drawing my attention to wolves running, right above us.
"Run!" The Archer yelled as she dodged the chunks of ice falling down onto her from above.
The Archer stops me with an outstretched hand as two wolves jumped onto the space in front of us.
She turned around and I followed suit, intending to run the other direction. However, I quickly noticed that they were surrounded.
"No!" Mrs Beaver exclaimed in distress as a wolf pounced forward, managing to grab Mr Beaver.
The Archer cursed under her breath as she swiftly nocked an arrow. Bow at the ready, she aims it at the wolf who has Mr Beaver in his grasp.
"Peter!" Lucy called out, drawing my attention to the Wolves closing in from behind us as I drew my sword.
"Put that down, boy." Maugrim spoke, "Someone could get hurt." He says as he took a step towards us.
"That's as close as you get, Maugrim." The Archer warns as she stepped defensively in front of us.
The wolf lets out an amused laugh, "Is this betrayal, Archer?"
"Call it what you want, Maugrim." She replies, "No one needs to get hurt. Let him go and leave."
"One last chance to pick the right side, Archer. Or you'll soon end up like your little friend." Maugrim taunts, "What was his name again?"
"Don't you dare speak about him again!" She thundered, making me shiver at the sheer might of her voice, "I said, let the Beaver go or I won't hesitate to kill any of you."
Maugrim scoffs," And risk the lives of your new friends?" He asks.
"Don't worry about me!" Mr Beaver yells as he struggles to get loose from the wolf's grip, "Run him through!"
"Leave now while you still can," Maugrim speaks over Mr Beaver, "And your brother leaves with you."
The Archer rolls her eyes at his offer, "Don't listen to him. The Witch wants all of you dead and he'll make sure of that whenever he gets the chance."
"Stop, Peter! Maybe we should listen to him!" Susan suggests.
Maugrim chuckles upon hearing her words, "Smart girl." He praises, a smirk spreading across his face.
"Did you not listen to a word I said?" The Archer lets out a heavy sigh, shaking her head in disapproval, "He's lying!" The Archer spat.
"Oh, c'mon. This isn't your war, all my Queen wants is for you to take your family and go." The leader of the pack says.
"Enough with your lies, Maugrim!" The Archer growls.
"Kill him! Kill him now!" The struggling Beaver yells.
"Look, just because some man in a red coat hands you a sword, it doesn't make you a hero!" Susan scolds, her words obviously starting to get on the Archer's nerve, "Just drop it!"
"No, Peter! Narnia needs you! Gut him while you still have the chance!" Mr Beaver tries to convince.
"What's it gonna be, Son of Adam? I won't wait forever and neither will the river." Maugrim urges.
"Peter!" Lucy cried, pointing to the ice that was falling apart.
"Looks like you can't save your friends, Archer." Maugrim mocks, "Why don't you try and take the shot?"
"You should know me by now, Maugrim, I never miss." The Archer swiftly sets her arrow loose, and it to sink into the flesh of Mr Beaver's attacker, setting him free as she dives into the water.
"Hold onto me!" I instructed as I plunged his sword into the ice.
The ice shatters beneath me and soon, the icy cold water takes its course, engulfing us into the large body of water.
I choked from the water before I soon found myself climbing onto dry land.
"What have you done?" Susan exclaims in horror.
My heart sinks as I see the empty coat in my hands, my mind immediately thinking the worst.
"Lucy!" Susan calls out desperately, "Lucy!"
"Has anyone seen my coat?" Relief fills my chest as I hear Lucy's voice.
I whirl around, letting out a sigh of relief as I spot her.
"Don't you worry, dear. Your brother's got you well looked after" Mr Beaver says, drawing a couple of nervous touches of laughter.
"And I don't think you'll be needing those coats anymore!" Mrs Beaver adds.
My heart starts to pound against my chest once again as I realise that one of us was still unaccounted for.
I scan the area and soon, my eyes land on a figure slumped over amongst the brunches.
I rush forward, "Are you alright?" I asked, kneeling down beside her.
Her shoulders shook uncontrollably as she choked and her face looked sickly.
"I'm fine." She says between coughs.
She pushes herself to her feet but stumbles as soon as she does.
"Be careful!" I yelled, quickly catching her before she could fall.
A warm breeze rushes over us and immediately, she looks a whole lot better than before.
The Archer looks up at me, her eyes darting uncomfortably.
"Thank you, but I can handle myself from here." She says, before turning on her heels, "This way."