[Shenandoah]

They stood with baited breath as it became clear that it was not footsteps they heard... but rather hoofs impacting with the cold ground. The figure emerged from the wood, an umbrella over his head and an armful of parcels in his grip.

Then he looked up and all heck broke loose in a moment. The figure, half human half what appeared to be goat or some such, yelped in shock and dropped all his packages and his umbrella as he scrambled backwards behind a tree, his bright red scarf fluttering behind the tree moments later.

Fay was startled. Her skepticism held her still for a moment, and Zach was much the same, but her manners overrode her shock and she stepped forward to grab the packages from the snow. As her fingers brushed the first one, a partially inhuman head poked out slightly from behind the tree before scared eyes widened further and he ducked back with a soft exclamation.

"You don't have to hide," she said, her voice braver than she was really feeling. "We won't hurt you."

[Belle]

Marie walked closer helping Morgan pick up the packages before looking at him "like she said we won't harm you, we're jsut a bit confused as to where we are" she took a step closer to him holding out a few packages for him to take "sorry if we startled you, i hope nothing broke inside the packages" she added before smiling as he walked closer and took the packages she was holding out to him

Alex was stunned that the fawn had acted like he did before watching the girls pick up the packages and try and help calm the man or fawn down he simply stayed silent not wanting to overwhelm the man

[Shenandoah]

The fawn poked his head out again, seeing his packages being gathered. "S-stop," he said, very wary of these new individuals. "Y-you do not have to..."

Once Fay had picked up the packages she was close to and that Marie hadn't recovered, she placed them neatly near the tree before stepping back.

"Do you know where we are?" Zach asked, piping up. "And what's your name?"

The faun looked at them from behind the tree and saw similar looks of confusion and awe on all their faces. He was definitely confused himself. They did not look like people from Narnia, but they did appear to be in complete awe of him and the scenery around him. But they were trying to be nice and not scare him further, so he decided... even if it was somewhat foolish... to trust them for the moment.

"I am Tumnus, the fawn," he introduced himself, coming from around the tree with more courage in his face than what was in his tone. "And you are in Narnia. Where are you from?"

"McGill University in Montreal," informed Fay. "Well, we all go to school there, at any rate."

[Belle]

Marie shivered "i swear it just got colder" she said softly before feeling Alex's hand on her head "Alex get your hand off of my head" she said

Alex chuckled as he moved so he wasn't leaning on her since he had moved so he could lean on her in the first place, "Marie i think you're the only one that felt the change" he said "if there was one"

Mr. Tumnus nodded "she's right it has gotten colder, here why don't you all follow me back to my home and i can tell you what is going on and why it got colder" he said picking up the packages "follow me" he said walking off

[Shenandoah]

Zach walked after Mr. Tumnus, eager to leave the cold but not yet ready to go through the wardrobe and back to 'reality'. Fay groaned and stomped off after him.

"Come on, you two. No need getting split up," she called over her shoulder to Marie and Alex.

[Belle]

Marie and Alex ran after the three Marie falling into step next to Zach and Alex falling into step beside Morgan Mr. Tumnus smiled as he entered his home and closed the door after everyone was inside "what do you want to know first?" he asked them after getting a fire going

[Shenandoah]

"Where are we?" blurted Zach. It wasn't the most amazingly original first question, but it worked well as all present wanted to know what was going on as well as where they were.

"You are in Narnia, of course," Tumnus responded with an expression flitting across his face of 'you should have known this'.

"Where is that?" Fay asked him, pressing for more information.

"Everything from the lamp post all the way to Cair Paravel. It is quite a bit of country." He made a waving gesture towards the wall, apparently indicating the direction of this 'Cair Paravel' he spoke of.

He gave them an intensely curious look. "Are you Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve?" he asked, forgetting for the moment his original pretense of answering questions and getting them into a position where he could perhaps help them. He was very afraid of the White Witch... but if her hold could be broken over Narnia, he would help these people if they were indeed who he thought they were.

[Belle]

"sons of Adam and daughters of Eve?" Marie asked confused, the only Adam and Eve in her family were the first man and woman on earth that her religion told of and even then they were the only ones her family knew of that far back

Alexander raised an eyebrow "why do you ask this? if we are or are not does it matter?" he asked the fawn

[Shenandoah]

"What I mean is...." Tumnus thought on it for a bit, working to remember the word. "...Are the four of you... human?"

"Yeah... we are," Zach said, puzzled. "You don't get a lot of humans around here?"

"No, we do not. It was once said that two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve would appear to defeat the White Witch, go to Cair Paravel, and bring peace as well as summer to Narnia once more. It is part of the reason I brought you here, away from the forest. There are many that are her spies, even the trees."

"Trees?" queried Fay a touch incredulously, zoning in on that before backpedaling. "You are saying that we're these people you're talking about?" His style of speech was beginning to affect her, making her not want to use as many contractions.

"Who else could you be?" Tumnus was truly puzzled.

[Belle]

Marie frowned "well i guess all of us stumbling into Narnia was no accident" she said shrugging "i mean it's not like we all want to go and study for our finals right?" she asked them looking at the others one after the other before a smile lit her face seeing Alex nod his head

Alex after listening to Marie nodded "Fairy's got a point, why don't we try and help?" he asked Morgan and Zach Mr. Tumnus smiling hearing Marie and Alex

[Shenandoah]

Fay frowned. "I do actually like to study," she said in her patented Southern drawl. "It's one of the few times I get to be by myself without all the chaos."

Zach looked at the blonde before looking at Alex. "I'm in. I hate studying." He looked at Mr. Tumnus. "What would we have to do?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I have heard rumors of Aslan and if we can get to him, he will know what to do next."

"Aslan?"

[Belle]

"Aslan is a lion, he is rumored to have been alive when this world was just beginning" Mr. Tumnus said

Marie frowned before she turned to look at the door "was that a sleigh i heard?" she whispered fear starting to consume her for no reason she would think of

[Shenandoah]

"I did not hear one..." murmured Tumnus, his hoofs quietly clacking against the stone floor as he crept to the door. Cautiously, he cracked it open and peered out, no one in the room daring to breathe even as the candles guttered. Tumus fastened the door back and the candles stilled also.

"No, there was not. But if you do hear the sound of sleigh bells, you can almost guarantee that the White Witch is nearby." He looked around at them. "For now... we will go to find Beaver. He has heard more about the goings on in Narnia than I have." Tumnus looked a bit abashed. "I have been trying to..." He bit his lip. "Well, let us just say I am not a very brave faun. If it had been but one of you... and much younger... I might have chanced saving my own skin."

"That is completely reassuring," drawled Fay, not liking what he was saying. "And if this 'Beaver' is actually an enemy?"

"No, he isn't. You will find that there are two sides to this war... those that like to keep winter and those, like Beaver and myself, prefer spring and summer. Much happier, warmer months." He shuddered, wrapping his furred arms around himself.

"Anyway, we need to get moving. No doubt the White Witch has heard of you four by now. It is time we get moving!"

"Y'know... I'm beginning to feel like I'm on a bad trip," muttered Fay to Zach, earning a flash of teeth for her remark.

"I know, right? But it's real."

[Belle]

Alex chuckled "seems like the one adjusting the most is Fairy" he said pointing to Marie who was helping the fawn get ready for their trip to Beavers "i think me calling her fairy was a fair guess" he said to Zach and Fay

[Shenandoah]

"And seems like my nickname's way off mark," Morgan responded despondently even as Zach's lips twisted in a mirthful grin.

"I'm gonna help, too."

"Good idea," Fay said, standing. Once they got busy and helped, it didn't take much to finish up packing and start moving out. Fay now had a pack slung on her back filled with some food and Zach had his own pack. There wasn't much food. Just enough for a couple days' rations rather than an extended runabout for weeks on end. And the rations would not be required if nothing went wrong on the way to Beaver's.

Zach happily walked through the snow, knowing that his boots were waterproof and reveling in the warmth they provided... Fay just wished she had a warmer coat. At least her feet were fine.

[Belle]

"maybe not, you could be the fair Morgan and one of us will be king Arthur to rule by your side the other shall be Merlin and Morgaine" Alex said a smile on his face "mom made me read the books when i was old enough to understand the words" he explained

Marie trying to keep up with the long legs stepping in the boot prints of Zach to try and stay as warm as possible, her boots letting the cold in but the snow out