[four: further in]

The world was at peace as the clock struck 10 and Genevieve looked outside, a scowl on her features. The thick blackened clouds were dragged down by the heavy rain which it held in its delicate frame. The clouds which struggled to withstand the burden of the weight which the rain held, soon gave in. The rain poured down over the country with a roar. The sound of emptiness was disrupted by the loud gregarious boom of thunder. The cold icy rain pierced her pale and wet skin she ran her arm across the window pane in an attempt to close the winder, her posture weakened by the weight of her soaked clothes. The quality of darkness shifted in the sky but the rain kept pouring. The harsh rain obliterated the crystal reflection of the sky and turned it into an disorientated chaos. Genevieve sighed as she laid down on her bed, her ideas of going out into the countryside being diminished with the struck of lightning outside her window and Genevieve let out a puff of air as she stared at the cracked ceiling with an unamused smile. She was bored.

Genevieve loudly sighed again before remembering the wardrobe in the back hall and she smiled. Genevieve quickly grabbed her mothers locket off the counter and placed it around her neck before putting on her shoes and walking to the room at the end of the hall. As she opened the door Genevieve was immediately met with a calming sensation, as if fate had been telling her that she was destined to enter that room at the exact time of 10:04 that very day.

She looked upon the wardrobe that with the faintest of voices seemed to be beckoning her closer to its interior design. Genevieve lightly grazed her hand along the exterior of the wardrobe, the dancing creatures moving closer to the lion-encrusted doorknob as if begging her to open the wardrobe. As if being hypnotized by magic, Genevieve placed her hands around the doorknobs and slowly pulled the wardrobe open as a gust of wind suddenly flew through her half-frizzy hair and she sighed in contempt.

Closer, she heard a faint voice say as yet another gust of wind flew though her hair and Genevieve stepped into the wardrobe, a chilly breeze suddenly hitting her as she looked back into the room one last time. Genevieve walked backwards through the wardrobe, her back hitting a variety of coats simultaneously as she walked backwards a gust of icy cold wind hitting her before she slipped and fell backwards onto the wet floor with a thud.

As Genevieve looked around she saw she was enveloped in a blanket of white. Glittering snowflakes fell soundlessly, taking their time before they reached their destined places of rest, enveloping everything in a calm, silent coldness that was comforting in its own special way. Genevieve blinked thoughtfully as the frost patiently kissed her face, captivated by the soft, dusty illusions of light that sat heavy on her eyelashes. She adored the snow, more so when it was falling. But where was she?

Genevieve quickly grabbed the nearest coat out of the wardrobe as wrapped herself up in it, becoming enveloped in the warmth of the layers within the coat itself. Genevieve smiled as a snowflake fell upon her nose, causing a magical sensation to pass through her body. Unsure of where to go Genevieve walked forward, ensuring she watched her tracks so that she knew her way back and couldn't get lost later on. After seeing a faint light in the distance, Genevieve ventured forward until she saw a faint lamppost in the distance. As Genevieve went to approach, she suddenly saw a familiar face in some sort of predicament with a faun. Genevieve quickly hid behind a tree as she listened in on their conversation.

"Well, then, Lucy Pevensie from the shining city of War Drobe in the wonderous land of Spare Oom, how would it be if you came and had tea with me?" The faun asked Lucy who smiled up at him, looking almost delighted from hearing the offer.

"Well, thank you very much, but I... I probably should be getting back." Lucy said and Genevieve nodded along, proud of Lucy for not walking off with a total starnger.

"Yes, but it's just around the corner! And there'll be a glorious fire with toast and cakes! And-and, perhaps, we'll even break into the sardines." Tumnus prompted her and Lucy still deliberated her options, unsure of what to do.

"Don't do it Lucy." Genevieve whispered to herself, hoping Lucy didn't take his offer.

"I don't know..."

"Come on. It's not every day that I get to make a new friend." Tumnus prompted, hoping that he had the final say on the matter and that Lucy would follow him home.

"Well, I suppose I could come for a little while. If you have sardines." Lucy gave in and the faun smiled at her and she immediately smiled back.

"By the bucketload." They decided to walk arm-in-arm back to Tumnus' home.

Genevieve sighed as she walked Lucy and the faun walk away and she was almost tempted to follow them before she heard rustling in the bushes behind her. Genevieve quickly grabbed a nearby branch before holding it out to the bush that previously rustled.

"Whose there?" Genevieve asked, her voice slightly faltering as the bushes continued to rustle until something suddenly jumped out and Genevieve fell back into the snow as she held up her hands in defense.

"Please don't hurt me. Please don't hurt me." Genevieve whispered over and over again and she heard whatever jumped out of the bush approaching her. She couldn't bare to open her eyes, the mere thought of what sort of creature could be in front of her. She pictured a wolf with freshly sharpened teeth staring at her with hungry eyes, just ready to pounce and devour her like she was some sort of animal.

"Blimey!" She heard someone say and she willed herself to open her eyes and almost gasped at what she saw. Stood in front of her was beaver. He looked as though he was extremely ordinary but his posture was high and the way he spoke was almost magical. Yet she willed herself to remember, beavers shouldn't speak at all.

"Who are you?" Genevieve asked as she warily looked at the beaver, who was looking at her with a look of upmost disbelief.

"I never thought I would see the day." The beaver said as he looked at the daughter of Eve in front of him with a smile on his face. The prophecy is unwinding.

"I said, who are you?" Genevieve clarified as she looked at the beaver who seemed to break out of his trance.

"Well I thought it would be obvious by looking at me." The beaver stated as he looked at the girl. "Would you like me to do a twirl?"

Genevieve watched as the beaver in front of her mocked her by doing a mocking twirl and Genevieve wanted to laugh at his sense of humor which instantly attracted her to him. The Beaver stopped and looked at Genevieve who held a smile on her features.

"The names Beaver."

"Genevieve Potter." She said as she nodded towards Mr. Beaver with a smile. "Now where am I?"

"Further in." Mr. Beaver said and beckoned her to follow him but she stood her ground. "Come on."

"I'm not following you."

"Why not?"

"Because for all I know you could try to kidnap me and I'm not taking that chance."

"Fine. Stay here and be captured by the White Witch." The Beaver said and started walking away.

"Who" Genevieve asked but the Beaver still walked away. "WAIT!" She went running after the Beaver who stopped abruptly before turning back to her.

"Further in."

As Genevieve warily followed Mr. Beaver through the woods, ensuring she memorised the way in case she had to make a quick escape home. As she followed the Beaver she let herself take in the beautiful surroundings of the wood. Despite the bitterness of the cold, the scenery surrounding the land she was in was beautiful and felt almost... familiar to her. She focused her mind on the story her uncle had told her only the day before and was set with a sudden realisation.

"Narnia." She whispered and the Beaver stopped abruptly as he turned to look at her. "I'm in Narnia."

"Further in Genevieve." Mr. Beaver repeated and Genevieve rolled her eyes as she followed the Beaver further into the woods.

Not long later, they came across a dam in the distance and a smile quickly formed on Genevieve's face as she looked at it. Despite how small it may seem, the whole exterior of the dam looked extremely strong and beautiful as if it had been freshly built.

"Home sweet home." She heard Mr. Beaver whisper and that caused an even greater smile to form on her features.

"Your dam is lovely."

"It's merely a trifle. Still plenty to do. Ain't quite finished it yet. It'll look the business when it is, though."

"I'm sure it will." Genevieve said as she followed Mr. Beaver into his dam with a smile on her face.

"Beaver, is that you? If I find you've been out with Badger again I...Oh!" Genevieve looked upon someone who he could only assume to be Mrs. Beaver who hardly concealed a smile. "Well, you aren't a badger. Oh, I never thought I'd live to see this day. Why didn't you warn me Beaver?"

"I didn't know. I just found her wandering in the wood and knew she would be safer here." Mr. Beaver said as she sat down in his chair with a sigh and Genevieve just stood politely, not wanting to sit down and be out of place.

"Sit down dear," Mrs. Beaver said to Genevieve as she rushed around the kitchen. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Yes please." Genevieve politely replied as she sat down at the table. "Do you mind if I take off my coat?"

"Feel free too dear." Genevieve removed her cut and hung it on the back of the chair as she let the warmth of the small dam fire consume her. Genevieve felt a sense of home whilst in the beaver's dam and she couldn't be more thankful for it as she had never felt this at home since her mother passed years ago.

"Do you have any siblings?" Mr. Beaver asked her but Genevieve shook her head.

"No, I'm an only child. I nearly had a sibling but then my mother passed and it didn't happen." Genevieve said as tears welled up in her eyes but she pushed them away. "Have you got any children?"

"Aslan's beard no," Mr Beaver said and Genevieve saw a change in Mrs Beavers posture. "We've been trying though."

"That's nice to hear. After what you've done for me today, you both deserve to be parents."

"Here's your tea dear." Mrs Beaver said as she handed Genevieve a steaming cup of tea which Genevieve thanked her for.

"So i'm in Narnia?" Genevieve asked and both Beaver's nodded and Genevieve smiled happily. "I knew I wasn't crazy."

"Why would you be going crazy?" Mr Beaver asked and Genevieve shifted in her seat.

"My uncle told me a story about my grandfathers best friend who actually visited Narnia in its creation. I can't remember it for exact detail but my uncle mentioned a lion called Aslan in he story."  Mrs. Beaver immediately dropped her pot with a gasp.

"Aslan?" Mr Beaver asked her and Genevieve nodded.

"Yes Aslan. Since I arrived in the country I keep seeing a lion almost everywhere I go. I saw a lion on the carriage and I keep seeing a lion in the mirror of my bedroom almost... calling me to the wardrobe. It sounds silly I know." Genevieve said and Mr. Beaver held a knowing smile as he embraced his wife who was about to burst into tears.

"I can't believe its happening Beaver, after all this time." Mrs Beaver happily sobbed to her husband and Genevieve smiled at them, slightly confused as to what she had said to upset the poor Beaver.

"Narnia will finally be rid of this winter."

"Excuse me?" Genevieve interrupted their heart to heart. "I hate to interrupt but doesn't winter just end normally at the end of say January and then the sun reappears?"

Both Beavers stared at Genevieve in disbelief, unsure of how she didn't know a lot about Narnia despite having being there. Mr. Beaver looked at her skeptically, unsure of whether the girl even knew her place in the prophecy or about the white witch at all.

"No dear, we have an eternal winter in Narnia. Its been winter for about 100 years." Mrs. Beaver stated as she took the empty cup from the girl and went to wash up.

"100 years of winter? That's terrible. I know I'm a fan of the snow but to have it every day must be torture. Why is it always winter?"

"Because of the White Witch?" Mr. Beaver grunted and Genevieve looked at him, intrigued.Her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she stared at the beavers in front of her.