a [longlong] wayyy from HOME

[Lucy Pevensie]

Lucy Pevensie giggled in delight as she grabbed the fauns arm and tread trhough the snow. She was happy to get out of the snow and into...a house or whatever a creautre here might live in. She smiled up at Tumnus, nodding. [color=[purple]"Nor me, but we;re staying at the professor, my brothers and sister and me. And no one's out there, its the country part of England. So I never get to meet anyone new..."

[/color] she trailed off breathlessly. She stared at the small rock door in forn of her, nicley fashioned into the wall of rock, a cliffside if she might call it so. She quietly followed the faun inside.

"This is lovely! I never guessed you'd live in a...cave may I call it? But it's fantastic, and so warm..." she assured ihm politly, wandering around after she brushed the snow off herself. She went over to the bookshelf and looked about for a while, seeing things like "Narnian Lullaby and How it started: A guide to Narnia's beggining. She grazed her fingers across them, glancing up at a picture of an older faun, sitting, looking very handsome and pelased.

"Oh is that your father? You look very much like him."[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Tumnus]

Tumnus had ignored Lucy's first words, for he had been busying himself with readying the tea. He had gotten all of the wretchedly familiar snow off of his fur and skin, but the cold that it had left seemed to cling to him still. The fire looked welcoming, and he expected that he would be sitting in front of him. But he paused when Lucy spoke, freezing as if encased in ice. "No," he said softly, his voice shaking slightly more than he would have liked it to. "I'm not very much at all like him, really."

His father had been a good Faun. Not like him. He had fought against the White Witch, and for all he knew, had met his end in her very courtyard, battling Jadis himself. How ashamed he would be if he could see what his son was doing now. I'm sorry, Father. Tumnus winged a silent apology up to the distant clouds. Then, with a trembling hand, he set the tea in front of Lucy, then settled down in a chair across from her.

Having locked the door, he settled into the chair, cursing this "dreadful winter" without realizing that he had said it out loud. He shook his head a little, muttering an apology. "It's been a long winter. We haven't had a Christmas in a hundred years," he explained quietly. "Always winter, never Christmas." Forcing a smile onto his face as he handed Lucy her cup of tea, he added, "But you would have loved Narnia in summer. We Fauns danced with the Dryads all night. And you know, we - we never got tired. And the music - ah, such music!" He paused, realizing that he had been babbling. A cruel voice whispered in his ear, chilling him, and he glanced about quickly before continuing. "Would... would you like to hear some now?"

ooc: Eh. Awful. Sorry :/

[Lucy Pevensie]

Lucy Pevensie traced her fingers over the painting of the faun. Yes Tumnus resembled his father very much. Lucy stared at the photo for a little while and then looked back at Tumnus, suprise on her face. "Wow really? No Christmas. But winter if fun, there's ice skating and snow ball fights too!" she assured him quickly. It was cold in winter yes but she always had fun building forts and snowmen with her siblings.

She tried to keep the questioning out of her eyes and off her face as Tumnus mentioned not being like his father. Lucy told herself he was but didn't bother explaining it to him again. She sat down with her tea on a saucer in her hand. She listened in wonder. "Whats a dryad Mr. Tumnus?" she asked politly, not understanding that part of the story. But the rest sounded absolutly wonderful. Dancing until y ou couldn't anymore.

Lucy nodded and drank a sip of her tea and nodded as Tumnus asked if she wanted to hear a lullaby.

[Tumnus]

Tumnus missed the innocence of his youth, the very sort Lucy possessed. Not knowing why winter was bad! The thought awed him. Perhaps she had been fortunate enough to never experience anything like it. He could only hope that she would never have to. But that was up to him, really, wasn't it? He hated the burden of responsibility that had been placed on him and, suddenly and strangely and intensely, he hated Jadis for putting it there. He had never really felt hatred for her before, only fear. But he realized now that, even if he had agreed to do her bidding, she must have done something to him to cause him to do so. No Narnian in their right mind would.

He went back to Lucy. He ignored her question about Dryads out of pure absent-mindedness, for his thoughts were already otherwise occupied with thoughts of the girl herself. Though he liked her, and he hated Jadis and Jadis' orders, he could think of no alternative but to carry them out. So, he went on with his plan (Jadis' plan, he silently amended, for the two were now two separate things in his mind). "Have you ever heard a Narnian lullaby before?" Grinning a little, Tumnus answered his own question as he apologized in advance: "This probably won't sound much like one." In truth, Tumnus, who had trained at the flute his whole life in the hopes of playing it upon summer's return, was only being modest - though he didn't know why he felt like he had to be, because Lucy was not the sort who he had to impress, seeing as he had been told to lull her into sleep then kidnap her. But all the same, he wanted to. And, for some reason, felt as though he should. As if she were royalty.

And so, he began to play. The song was haunting and sad and wonderful all at once. In time, the fire began to move. And he knew it was not because of Jadis, for her magic was over only ice and not fire, and not nearly beautiful enough to do this. No, something else was causing this, but what, Tumnus did not know. Tumnus watched the fire himself, entranced. It flowed along with the music; creatures danced in the flames. Nothing could distract him from the song and the fire that seemed to accompany it. But then, the fire shifted into a roaring lion, and Tumnus stopped. The flute fell from his fingers, forgotten. Aslan. Everything had gone dark, but the name hung before his starry eyes like dying embers in the ashes. Tumnus retreated to the steps, where he huddled, hugging his knees to his chest as his eyes glazed over in astonished fear. Aslan. Oh, Aslan, what had he done? The Lion was real, and he was coming. Lucy started it all. And Tumnus thought that he could not hand her over to the witch, not for any price, or even his own worthless life. Aslan. He repeated the name in his head, and it became his mantra, a condemnation and a shred of hope in one word. Lucy - where was Lucy? His voice guttural with pain, he choked out in the darkness, "I'm such a bad Faun."

ooc: Hope that's all right, I wanted to move things along a bit faster so the plot can get goin'!

[Lucy Pevensie]

Lucy nodded in excitment. She would love to hear a Narnian Lullaby. "Im sure it'll sound fine Mr. Tumnus." she assured him quickly, taking another sip of her tea. She listened to the beautiful tune flow from his flute type thing. Smething like that...her brain started to slow as she sat, saucer in her hand, transfixed by the bright orange flames of the fire. Was it just her or were they starting to turn into shapes...ones very similar to fauns?

Lucy watched, not even looking back at Mr. Tumnus. The fauns turned into a unicorn...no a deear of somesort...and dwarves were chasing. Was that noise? No she must be imagining it...all of it. Her eyelilds became very heavy as she stared into the bright fire. Her head began to fall and then all of the sudden her teacup and saucer dropped, shattering at her feet as her head fell to her chest, light golden hair falling over her eyes.

She woke with a starta while later. Looking around she noticed all the lights were out. No candles and the fire was goen too. She glanced out a window above the bookshelf. "I should go..." she murrmurred softly, rising and turning around to find Mr.Tumnus. SHe looked over at the door. The faun was there, crying. She walked over, confused as to what was going on. "Mr. Tumnus? No no your not a bad fuan. Your the nicest faun Ive ever met. Here take my hankerchief and tell me whats wrong...please..." she begged him, desperatly getting a feeling that she needed to return home soon.

ooc; That was a really great post Jewls. HAPPY BRITHDAY btw.

[Tumnus]

"Then I'm afraid you've had a very poor sampling," Tumnus murmured, his voice low and tortured with the agony that came of doing something that he knew his father would not approve of, and in truth, he didn't either. He never had. But he had felt trapped for so long under the White Witch's thumb, and he didn't know that there was a choice to be anywhere or do anything else. All the books he had read did not tell him what to do in a situation like this. Up until now, he had been utterly alone, and every poor decision he made reflected this fact, for surely someone would have tried to give him good counsel. The trouble was, Tumnus had been so distraught that he was not sure he would have even listened. Mournfully, he shook his head. Poor, innocent Lucy, who trusted him so naively. "You wouldn't say that if you knew."

Gratefully, he accepted Lucy's hankie, for great big tears like none you have ever seen before had begun to roll down his cheeks and even down his endearingly large nose. Then he realized that this was another kindness she was doing for him unknowingly, undeservingly, and he began to cry all the harder. He could not believe that he was doing this. He could not leave her to the fate that he had not been instructed to - he simply couldn't. Not after all the stories he had told her of Narnia (didn't he know that, according to the Prophecy, she was the only way that it could go back to being like that? Didn't she?) Not after he had given her all sorts of food; eggs and cakes and toast and tea. Not after he had walked arm in arm with her like they were great old friends. And one day, they might have been.

"It's too late now," he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut - it was to shut out the image of lovely little Lucy, but it almost seemed as though he was trying to hide from a horrific being that stalked him, and he cowered away from it like a cornered animal. He pressed the hankie to his closed eyelids futilely. "I'm kidnapping you." His eyes opened once more, shining with fresh tears, these reflecting his fear. "It was the White Witch. She's the one who makes it always winter, always cold. She gave orders... If any of us found a Human wandering in the woods, we-we-we were supposed to turn it over to her." He dragged in a deep, shaky breath, forcing himself to look away from Lucy's sweet face.

ooc: I could say the same of your post! ;D Thanks!!

[Lucy Pevensie]

Lucy walked over to Mr. Tumnus after handing him her hanky. She was becoming white with fear and she crouched down beside him and stared at him. "Too late, too late for what Mr. Tumnus?" she asked softly, touching his arm. She tried not to notice the tears that were falling from his eyes, for the nshe would not have the same thing happening to her blue eyes. She started at Mr. Tumnus's next words, standing up and backing into a table that fell with a crash.

"Your... kidnapping me?" she asked breathlessly, not even seemin to notice the fallen table behind her. She felt sick to the stomach and crumpled to the floor a little bit away from the faun. "No, Mr. tumnus...wiat who'se the White Witch. And are oyu syaing there aren't any other humans here..." she trailedo ff, tears now streaming down her cheeks, white with shock and fear.

"Mr. Tumnus what does she want with me? Please...I thought you were my friend..."

[Tumnus]

Tumnus shook his head miserably, not hearing any of Lucy's questions through his haze of guilt. He couldn't answer her anyway; he couldn't explain all of it to her. Not now. Perhaps not ever. He didn't know if he would see her again, after this. Of course someone as sweet and innocent could not comprehend the cruelty of the White Witch. Tumnus remembered in his racing mind the Prophecy that every Narnian clung to; it was their last hope in this age of ice. But there was no time to give Lucy the details. At the word "friend", Tumnus' head snapped up, and his tear-filled eyes gazed into hers.

He couldn't do it. He would rather die than let the same happen to Lucy. She was all he had - all Narnia had. His only hope was that she would return and help Narnia as it had been promised, but right now, she couldn't be here. Tumnus got up swiftly, went to Lucy, and took her arm, insistently but not painfully. Pulling her to her feet, he said, almost to himself, "I've got to get you home."

And so he did. He began leading Lucy outside, half-dragging her. "Now, she may already know you're here," he fretted, stumbling along as fast as possible through the deep snow. "The woods are full of her spies." Narrowly avoiding tumbling down a hill, he continued breathlessly, "Even some of the trees are on her side!"

They found their way to the lampost and Tumnus skidded to a stop. He looked around quickly before asking, "Can you find your way back from here?"

[Lucy Pevensie]

Lucy was not going to let him take her to this...witch. The word was bad enough but Mr. Tumnus sure seemed to be scard of her. Lucy woud not go unheard. She'd go kicking and screaming all the way. She was about to plan or look for an aescape route when the faun pulled her to her feet. Her heart lept at his next words. He was going to get her home. Yes yes, and hopefully this witch woul never find out or harm Mr. Tumnus for being so brave and kind to her. He was risking his life to save her.

She tried to keep up as he pulled her through the deep coldwet snow, draggin her along behind him. She wouldn't let go of his hand for fear of geting lost, and this is what made her keep up to the faun. She glanced at the trees. "What do you mean trees on her side?" she whispered, scared as she looked at them. They seemed to loom over her, dark and forbooding. She tried to glance through the dark woods at the spies Tumnus was mentioning but failed to find anyone. But she knew better than to assume she was safe.

She stopped brreathlessl at the lappmost, which was now the only light in the forest. It glowed omuniosly and she kept hold of Mr. Tumnus's hand. "Yes, yes the wardrobe is right over there. I can find my way back from here... she trailed off, looking at the faun, right into his dark eyes. "Mr. Tumnus..." she gulped down the tears that pricked at her eyes. She would not cry again. "Thank you. Your the best faun, the nicest one Ive ever met. I hope--I hope I see you again..." she faltered at the end.

ooc; after you reply I'll reply once more then we're done this thread. Finally lol.

[Tumnus]

ooc: Haha, all right.

It pained Tumnus to give Lucy a send off such as this, but it was really the only way. The only way for Lucy to come back, safe, was to send her away. When she faltered, Tumnus let out a choking little sob, realizing that it was very possible that he would never see her again. Oh, he was quite certain that this brave little girl would find a way to venture into Narnia once more (after all the things that he had told her, she seemed very interested, and very determined). It was just that he was not sure if he would be alive when she returned. Jadis surely knew by now that the Narnians were rebelling against her, even in the smallest of ways - though it took a lot of courage on their part. There were plenty more minions to spare, but Tumnus was determined not to be one of them, even if it meant his death. Did that mean he wanted to die? Of course not. But if that was what it took to save Narnia, then he realized he would do it. Lucy, in her bravery, had shown him his.

He pressed Lucy's hankie to his left eye to suppress the single tear that slipped out of it. "I'm so sorry," he murmured, his blue eyes searching hers for forgiveness that he knew he did not deserve. He folded the cloth quickly and, taking her fingers into his, pressed it into her tiny hand. Even though she was not too much smaller than he, he marveled at how small she seemed against the backdrop of endless white snow and countless trees. This land was so new to her. And yet she would be its savior. Of course, she didn't know this yet, and Tumnus regretted that he would likely not to be the one to tell her so. But someone else would. Someday, she would live up to everything that had been prophesied. If only he could live to see that day himself. His chance for redemption, he realized, had passed.

His eyes met hers in a fierce, solemn gaze. "No matter what happens, I'm glad to have met you, Lucy Pevensie," he told her. "You've made me warmer than I've felt for a hundred years." His eyes narrowed for an instant, shimmering with tears that had not been shed. Then he reached up and tapped her lightly - almost playfully - on the nose. A goodbye. "Now go," he commanded, though it pained him so. It would all be for the better. When she hesitated, he repeated more urgently, "Go!" He watched her leave, watched her lope through the snow. Just a child, but such an important one, at that. Tumnus had told himself that Humans weren't real. And he had also tried for so long to convince himself that the Prophecy would never come true. He felt that perhaps it was not such a bad thing to be wrong. If only he could be wrong about the feeling of doom that lay over him like a cloud, ready to bury him in snow.

[Lucy Pevensie]

Lucy sniffed in an attempt to stay strong and brave as Mr. Tumnus sobbed. But it was nouse and silent tears slid down her cheeks from the pool of blue in her eyes. But no sob or sound escaped her lips as she watched him. She pressed the hankie back into his warm hand that had just left hers moments earlier. "No you keep it. You need it more than I do..." she tried to reasure him, wiping her cheeks on her own sleeves.

She let go of his hand, trying to keep the sobs down in her throat where the ybelonged. She would come back, she had the feeling Tumnus would be alright, but she didn't know for sure. The witch might do somethign to him. Her heart felt like cracking at his next words. "Mr. Tumnus Im so happy to have met you. You'll be alright... I can feel it." he tried to tell him, bt he would know he wasn't safe as well. She quickly nodded as he urged her to go.

"Yes yes I will. Thank you Mr. Tumnus...for everything." wherethe last words from her mouth as she turned and ran back to where the back of the wardrobe was. She shoved herself through the doors, looking back once at the snowy dark wood. And suddenly she was back. She tumbled out onto the floors and pushed herself bak up with her hands. She was home.