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𝕭𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐈: 𝖂𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝖂𝐀𝐑

𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝕿𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞: the mansion and the forest

PETER PEVENSIE BLINKED A FEW TIMES to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. They easily could have been, given he barely slept last night. Another raid had kept them up half the night and the other half he spent lost in thoughts. But when he looked at the sunlit stairs, part of him believed what he saw to be real. He couldn't explain the strange feeling that was pulling at his heart but deep in his soul he knew that the girl he was seeing couldn't possibly be a fragment of his sleep deprived imagination. She had long brown hair that fell in waves around her shoulders and she was wearing a dark blue, floor length, dress. She looked like she had walked right off a page in a fairytale book. Then the sun came crawling around her shoulder, blinding him. He blinked and when he opened his eyes again, she was gone. And the feeling of certainty that she had been real faded from his heart.

'Peter,' Susan hissed and when she pulled the train tickets from his hands, he finally turned to look at her again. He watched as his sister offered an apologetic smile to the train conductor while handing the woman their tickets. He shook his head, as if trying to shake himself awake.

The four siblings were pushed forward by the crowd and they continued their way toward the train. He held Lucy's tiny, trembling hand as tightly in his own as possible while keeping his eyes focused on Edmund and Susan in front of him. The last words that his mother had spoken to him still echoed through his mind. He was the oldest, he was supposed to look after them and he would, of course he would. But a small voice inside of him screamed for freedom, screamed to be free of all the responsibilities, to be able to play cricket with his friends and not worry about what Edmund might be up to, or what new game Lucy had invented or who Susan was having an argument with this time. He cared for his siblings, he truly did, but part of him longed for freedom.

A sudden tug at his hands pulled him out of his thoughts and he turned around to see his little sister standing on her toes. Searching the crowd for their mother with a sad gleam in her eyes. He knelt down beside her, offering her a small smile. 'Come on, Lucy,' he spoke softly, 'we have to stick together now.' A sob left her lips as she leaned into him. 'Everything's gonna be alright. It's gonna be fine,' he promised, though his chest ached because he knew his words meant very little in times like these. 'It's gonna be fine.'

He pulled her along toward the train and helped her board. He went in last, searching the narrow hallway for his siblings. He watched as Susan darted towards the window and looked outside. The three of them joined her, barely fitting through the window together but all of them wanted to have a last look at their mom. They waved at her as the train slowly started driving. 

'Bye mom, we'll miss you!' Peter called out to her. 'We'll see you soon!'

His voice was drowned out by the many other children calling out to their parents and the noise of the train slowly gaining speed. He stared a little while longer at his mother before pulling away from the window and telling the others they had to find a place to sit, it was going to be a long ride. They wandered through the crowded train corridors until they finally found a coupe with enough empty seats left for the four of them. There were two kids seated there already, both of them looking scared and sad, much like Lucy. Peter felt his heart go out to them, but he was too busy holding himself together at the moment to offer them any comfort.

Peter helped Lucy put her suitcase away but when he turned to help Edmund, his younger brother glared at him. Peter swallowed his angry remark and watched as Edmund put his own suitcase away. Susan did accept his help, offering him a small smile that probably meant this was just Edmund being grumpy again. The four of them took a seat and Peter made sure he was seated somewhere outside of his younger brother's view.

It had been like this since their father had gone off to war. Edmund had grown more and more grumpy, withdrawn and eventually downright hostile at times. In the beginning Peter had tried to help him and be patient with his angry outbursts but after a while it became clear that Edmund didn't want his help and so he stopped. He hoped that giving his little brother some space would clear the air, but if anything it only made things worse. And now Peter had no idea how to fix the ever growing gap between them anymore. He felt hopeless whenever there was another fight going on between his siblings and if there was one thing he hated, it was feeling hopeless. But trying to help didn't always go over well either...

When reaching their third stop, the two children they had been sharing their coupe with got up and left. The four siblings watched them through the window as they were picked up by two different families, separated until the war was over. Stone cold horror filled Peter's stomach, leaving him feeling like he was drowning in an icy river. His eyes drifted over to Edmund, who was staring back at him with fear in his eyes but then he blinked and it was gone from his face. And for the second time that day Peter wondered if he was just imagining things.

The train moved on and drove through hills and cities, taking the Pevensie siblings into the unknown. Time stretched out but even their boredom could not take away the sadness of being forced to leave home. Susan had taken her book out her suitcase and was reading in a soft voice to Lucy. Edmund had not moved his eyes away from the window for hours and Peter had found himself lying on the bench, trying to keep himself from thinking too much about...well...everything. He didn't want to think about his father, about the war raging on outside, about the professor they were going to stay with or about the lingering atmosphere of unease between the siblings. Which didn't leave him with much to think about. And so he found himself going back to the weird appearance of the girl on the stairs at the train station. The longer he thought about, the more confident he became that she had just been part of his imagination. Or maybe he was just telling himself that so he wouldn't have to find an explanation for the fact that he felt like she'd been looking for him. But fairytales didn't exist in this cold and war-filled world and so Peter didn't allow himself to believe in the possibility of the vision meaning anything more than that he hadn't been sleeping enough.

It was late in the afternoon when the train finally arrived at their stop. Coombe Halt was a very small station. With only a few wooden posts to keep it standing and one bench that looked incredibly uncomfortable. The siblings took in the decayed station and the fields and forests surrounding them, almost as if silently preparing themselves for what was to come. They were taken out of their trance, however, by the sound of a sputtering engine of a car arriving. Quickly they picked up their suitcases and raced down the wooden platform but the car simply drove past them, the man honking the horn at them.

For a moment they stood in silence, until Susan spoke up. 'The professor knew we were coming.'

'Perhaps we've been incorrectly labelled,' Edmund suggested as he stared at the label they were given which told them where their end stop would be. Before any of them could reply to him however the sound of clattering hooves echoed through the air. And soon enough a carriage came around the corner, drawn by a white horse and steered by a stern looking woman holding a whip in her hand. 

When she reached the four siblings, she ordered the horse to stop, looking down at them from behind her round glasses. Peter instantly knew they had to be careful around this woman. She seemed like the type of person to punish them just because she could. The lines on her face made her seem older than she probably was and more stern too. Her hair was held together in a tight bun, tugged beneath a brown hat.

'Mrs. Macready?' Peter questioned carefully.

'I'm afraid so,' she replied, her eyes scanning their luggage. 'Is this it then? Haven't you brought anything else?'

'No, ma'am,' Peter spoke, looking down at his siblings. 'It's just us.'

'Small favours,' she replied, then nodded for them to take place in the back of the carriage.

After they climbed inside, Mrs Macready took them through the fields. The only sound came from the wind rustling the trees and the clattering of the horse's hooves against muddy grass. Peter could feel the anticipation building within his siblings. They were all curious about their new home, and probably a little afraid too, though none of them felt like voicing those fears.

The carriage was steered around a hill and a lane with immense trees became visible. Down the lane, straight in front of them, stood a magnificent mansion. There were too many windows to count and the yard surrounding it seemed endless. The front door looked like one of those old castle gates. Deep within him he could feel himself wishing to run around the house, pretending he was a knight fighting battles for his king, like he used to do when he was younger. But when he turned his eyes to Lucy, who looked mainly scared, the feeling faded. He reached out and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and didn't let go until Mrs. Macready pulled up the carriage to the front door and ordered them to follow her.

The siblings climbed the stairs to the front door and entered a huge hallway. There were two staircases leading into hallways and the open door to their right revealed a huge living room. There was art everywhere, paintings on the wall, statues scattered around the hallway. The mansion looked more like a museum than a home.

Mrs. Macready started making her way up the stairs, starting her lecture on the rules of the house. 'Professor Kirke is not accustomed to having children in this house,' she began as the Pevensies followed her up the stairs. 'And, as such, there are a few rules we need to follow.' She turned around so suddenly that Lucy jumped slightly. 'There will be no shouting, or running.' She continued her way up the stairs. 'No improper use of the dumbwaiter.'

Halfway up the stairs stood a white bust of a woman made of the whitest marble. Susan reached out her hand but Mrs. Macready had turned back around and shouted. 'No touching of the historical artifacts!' Her voice was so high-pitched and her face drawn in an indignant frown at the idea of touching the valuable statues that Peter felt himself having a hard time holding back a laugh. His eyes went to Edmund, who was standing next to him and appeared to be having the same problem. The two brothers quickly looked away from one another before they would truly burst out laughing.

'And above all,' Mrs Macready continued as she finally reached the top of the stairs. 'There shall be no disturbing of the Professor.'

She showed the siblings to their room, told them to be down for dinner at seven and then left them to unpack. They were given two rooms that were joined by a door, one for the boys and one for the girls. Susan and Lucy disappeared into the room on the right and went to unpack their stuff. Peter and Edmund followed their example in silence, too tired from the journey and all the overwhelming emotions of leaving home to talk.

Dinner was spent in silence and soon as they were finished Peter made his way upstairs to put on the radio and listen to the news. It was a bad habit that had formed ever since the war started. There usually wasn't much news but he still wanted to hold on to whatever was said. He needed something that would help him believe that his father would be alright. And though the chance was little that he would ever see him again, he wanted to believe so badly that it was possible.

Seated in the windowsill he listened to the cracky voice coming through the speakers but before he could much of anything, the radio was turned off. He turned around to see Susan had turned it off. She gestured with a tired sigh to Lucy, who had already crawled into bed. Peter made his way over the bed, sitting down on the edge. Susan stood beside him as they both looked at their little sister, who sighed deeply.

'The sheets feel scratchy,' she muttered.

Peter tried to put on a smile for her while Susan tried to comfort her. 'Wars don't last forever, Lucy. We'll be home soon.'

'Yeah,' Edmund said, walking into the room. 'If home's still there.'

'Isn't it time you were in bed?' Susan sighed.

'Yes, mum,' Edmund snapped.

'Ed!' Peter shouted, not able to keep his annoyance contained. He watched as his little brother sighed deeply but he kept his mouth shut this time. Peter turned back to Lucy. 'You saw outside. This place is huge! We can do whatever we want here.' When Lucy still didn't look convinced he added softly: 'Tomorrow's going to be great, really.'

Finally his little sister managed to smile back at him and though it wasn't wholeheartedly, it was going to have to be enough for now. He squeezed her hand before standing up and heading to his own room, where Edmund had already crawled into bed, pretending to be asleep. He sighed softly before changing into his pajamas. He expected to fall asleep as soon his head hit the pillow but he spent hours twisting and turning, his mind refusing to calm down. When he at long last did fall asleep it was far past midnight. His dreams were filled with the girl from the train station. He tried his hardest to reach her, to ask her if she was real. But every time he was almost close enough to reach her, she disappeared again.

When he woke the next morning, he couldn't remember the dream no matter how hard he tried.

After breakfast in the empty dinner hall, Peter wanted to make good on his promise to Lucy. He couldn't deny feeling a sense of wonder himself when walking around the mansion and he wanted nothing more than to go out and explore. Sadly, those plans were cut short when dark clouds gathered in the sky. Rain came falling down like a thick curtain, ruining their plans.

And so the four of them had found themselves in the living room. Lucy was seated in the windowsill, not having spoken a word since the rain started. Edmund was laying on the ground under a chair. Whatever he was doing, Peter didn't have the energy to say something about it. Susan was seated on the couch next to him trying to get him to play some stupid word game she came up with.

'Gastrovascular,' she spoke, staring at the dictionary in her lap. When he didn't answer she sighed. 'Come on, Peter. Gastrovascular.'

He looked up at her. 'Is it latin?' He asked, realising how bored he sounded.

'Yes,' Susan replied, her eyes growing cold from his lack of interest.

Edmund came crawling out from beneath the chair. 'Is it latin for "worst game ever invented?"

He grinned, unable to help himself. Susan, however, wasn't as happy with their brother's comment and slammed the book shut with a scoff.

'We could play hide and seek?' Lucy suggested, walking over to where Peter was seated.

'But we're already having so much fun,' he said sarcastically.

Lucy put on her pouty face, knowing he wouldn't be able to resist her. 'Come on, Peter, please.' She even added the puppy eyes. 'Pretty please?'

For a second he just stared at her, before a smile broke through on his face and he started counting. 'One, two, three, four-'

'What?' Edmund groaned, but even he got to his feet and made it out of the room after his sisters, leaving Peter behind to count.

While the numbers shouted by the oldest Pevensie echoed through the house, the other three siblings tried to find their hiding places. There were many hidden nooks and crannies in the huge mansion for them to hide. Susan was the first one to find a spot in an old trunk. She climbed inside, telling herself she was doing this for Lucy.

The two youngest were still racing through the hallways, searching for a spot. And soon enough Lucy's eyes landed on the curtains down the hallway but before she could hide behind them, Edmund ran past her and pushed her out of the way. 'I was here first!' He snapped.

Lucy scoffed at him before turning around and continuing her search. Her feet took her down the hallway, where she tried the first door. When this one turned out to be locked, she moved the second door. She all but stumbled into the room, only to freeze when her eyes fell on the only object in the room. She stepped inside, closing the door behind her, her eyes never leaving the huge something that stood against the far end wall. A huge white sheet covered whatever it was and Lucy felt her curiosity get the best of her. She approached the sheet, her hand stretching out to pull it away and reveal what was hidden beneath.

The sheet fell down in a wave of white and dust and a smile spread out across Lucy's face in pure wonder. A huge wardrobe carved out of dark wood was standing against the wall. It was majestic and almost seemed like it belonged to another world, like a touch of magic was added to the design. It definitely looked out of place in the spare room.

With her brother counting in the distance, Lucy slowly reached out and opened the wardrobe. A few mothballs rolled down on the ground. Lucy threw a look over her shoulder, almost as if expecting Peter to come bursting through the door at any moment. Then, with a wide smile on her young face, she climbed inside the wardrobe. She didn't close the door entirely, knowing she'd be locked up if she did. Sparks of pure joy danced around in her eyes as she stared through the little crack. She had found the best hiding place ever.

Slowly she started walking to the back of the wardrobe, holding out her hands so she could feel the fur of the coats against her skin. A small frown appeared on her face, though, when she realised she had taken quite a few steps and still she didn't feel the wall. Suddenly her hand hit something else than fur. Something that pricked against her skin, something that definitely didn't belong in a wardrobe. The smell of pine trees filled her nose and a cold wind prickled against her cheeks. With wide eyes the girl turned around, the game of hide and seek all but forgotten. She turned around slowly, her heart beating loudly in her chest. Behind her a forest stretched out as far her eyes could see. Trees covered in pure white snow, little flakes falling out of the sky, already clinging to her hair and clothes.

She took a step forward and entered the forest. And at the very moment that the first daughter of Eve entered the world of Narnia, Ashara, far away in the castle in the mountains, gasped in pain. The Deep Magic awoke like lightning and spread like wildfire through her veins but she barely felt the pain because she knew Narnia's salvation had arrived.

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Hi guys,

It has been a long while since I updated. School has kept me so busy but now that I finally have my summer break I can get back to writing. I didn't even realise how much I missed writing for this story until I started again! Narnia remains so close to my heart and just love finally being able to give my own twist to this story!

I did struggle a little bit with this chapter since it's basically just writing down the movie and I was afraid you guys wouldn't be interested in reading this. Which is why I decided to add the twist of Peter seeing Ashara and thinking about her. That way I could add a layer to this story and keep it interesting!

I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, please leave a vote or a comment if you did! The chapter for next week is finished as well, so be sure to keep an eye out for it.

xx Nelly