the first occasion

[deepest_magic]

The house just northeast of Forks proper is very big, quite abandoned, and really easy to just walk right in if you're of a mind to. There are signs that people have been camping in it while hiking, but currently it is unoccupied by visitors, squatters, or any animals larger than a squirrel. There's been a fair amount of furniture but fewer small possessions left behind: couch, piano, dining table, wardrobe, armchair, kingsized bed. It's in extremely variable states of repair.

Comments

[alicornucopia]

Presently there is food! And tea! It is tasty. Tumnus tells stories about dancing at midnight with nymphs, about going on hunts for the wish-granting white stag, about adventuring with dwarves in deep mines seeking treasure, about how there was summer once and beautiful holidays where the forest folk would be visited by this or that grand personage and the rivers ran purple with wine. The part about summer seems to make him sad. He then plays a little straw flute, to cheer himself.

[neverbeatme]

"It's summer right now where I'm from," offers Elizabeth. "But it isn't always. We have winter too, once a year."

[alicornucopia]

"Lucky daughter of Eve, to have summer at all. I suppose Christmas comes once a year too?"

[neverbeatme]

"Yeah. Doesn't it for you?"

[alicornucopia]

"No, no. Always winter and never Christmas," sighs Tumnus.

[neverbeatme]

"Why's that?"

[alicornucopia]

"Oh, it's the White Witch, ever since she came along it's been the same."

[neverbeatme]

"...Who is she?"

[alicornucopia]

"Well, she's the Queen, these days. Of Narnia."

[neverbeatme]

"Oh. She doesn't sound very nice," says Elizabeth. "What does she have against Christmas?"

[alicornucopia]

"I have never, er, asked."

Tumnus is looking increasingly depressed.

[neverbeatme]

"...Is everything okay?"

[alicornucopia]

"Oh, I'm a terrible Faun," exclaims Tumnus, bursting into tears.

[neverbeatme]

"What is it, what do you mean?" she asks, leaning forward concernedly and putting a hand on his shoulder.

[alicornucopia]

"Oh, you wouldn't be a bit worried over me if you knew," sniffs Tumnus. "I am certainly the worst Faun since the world began."

[neverbeatme]

"It's okay, you can tell me," she says. "What's wrong?"

[alicornucopia]

"Oh, my old father would never have done a thing like this, he'd be terribly ashamed of me. I'm in the pay of the White Witch, that's what I've gone and done."

[neverbeatme]

"See, look," she says, "you told me and I'm still worried about you. What did you do that you're this upset about?"

[alicornucopia]

"Oh, just look at me, would you think to look at me that I'm the sort of Faun who'd find a Daughter of Eve wandering the woods, a harmless child who'd never done me any ill, and pretend to be friendly and invite her to my cave meaning all the while to occupy her until she asked to sleep there for the night all for the sake of turning her in to the White Witch?"

[neverbeatme]

"No, I didn't think any such thing when I met you," she says. "But look - you didn't go through with it, did you? Here we are, I'm okay and you're okay and nobody's turned anybody in to anybody."

[alicornucopia]

"Oh, of course I've lost my nerve now, but if she finds out I found a human and then let it go, she's sure to have my tail cut off and my horns sawn off and she'll wave her wand over my hooves till they've turned into wretched horse hooves of all things, and if she is in a specially bad mood perhaps after all that I will be turned into a statue until the thrones at Cair Paravel are filled and who knows when that shall happen, or whether it ever shall at all?"

[neverbeatme]

"Well, you're not going to tell her, and I'm not going to tell her, and I don't see anybody else around here," says Elizabeth. "Do you want a hug?"

[alicornucopia]

He hugs her, but says, "It would be best if you were back where you came from at once, I think, I can see you as far as the lamppost. Can you get to your own country again from there?"

[neverbeatme]

Hug.

"I think so. I'll try."

[alicornucopia]

"We must go quietly," advises Tumnus, sighing and getting to his hooves. "The whole wood is full of her spies. Even some of the trees are on her side."

He picks up his umbrella again and leads Elizabeth back as far as the lamp post.