[sixteen: Trust me]

The four children looked down at the banks of the river which was breaking into large chunks of ice that were floating away on the fast current of the river. A frozen waterfall loomed on their left and Peter hastily assessed the situation and, whilst holding Lucy's hand, he started to make his way down the melting bank towards the other side but Susan grabbed his arm in immediate protest.

"We need to cross, now!" Peter demanded as another chunk of ice in the river floated off down the fast current and Susan just scoffed at him whilst Lucy and Genevieve tried to think of a safer way to get across without the fear of drowning.

"Don't beavers make dams?" Lucy asked innocently as she looked at everyone with wide eyes as she looked at the harsh current of the mirror.

"I'm not that fast, dear." Mr. Beaver said and Lucy looked sad for a second, wishing that her idea could have helped in any way - but it didn't. Genevieve took her hand and gave it a squeeze as they watched the oldest Pevensie children argue back and forth and Genevieve wanted to roll her eyes - thank god she didn't have siblings.

"Come on!" Peter urged.

"Wait! Will you just think about this for a minute?" Susan shouted and Peter scoffed as he looked at her, then at the group and then back at the river with a scowl on his features.

"We don't have a minute."

"I'm just trying to be realistic."

"No, you're trying to be smart. As usual." Peter retorted as he and Susan glared at each other and Genevieve sighed deeply as she stepped between them with anger clear in her eyes.

"Stop this, both of you. I don't know what other troubles you have going on but we need to find a way to get over this river now and I will not stand around whilst you two bicker. Now come on." Genevieve said and both went silent as they looked at the younger girl towards them. Peter and Genevieve start climbing down the banks of the river and Susan sighs and looks like she might stay but then she heard a deep set of howls in the distance and she shuddered. The deafening howling of the wolves in the distance changes her mind and she goes to follow them down the bank. At the bottom of the river bank, Peter puts a foot on the ice and water spurts up from under it and hits Lucy slightly causing her to shudder as she moves closer to Genevieve to gain more warmth.

"Lucy, take my coat." Genevieve says as she removes her coat and wraps it round the small girls frame, leaving herself in her hat, gloves scarfs and her summer attire of a grey skirt, blouse and a black cardigan. To say she was freezing was an understatement, but she didn't let Lucy know that.

"Wait. Maybe I should go first." Mr. Beaver said as he assessed the situation and the four children murmured in agreement.

"Maybe you should."

Mr Beaver carefully tests out the ice with his feet and tail, trying to find the strongest passage but seeing that most pieces of ice were sinking. Mrs. Beaver narrowed her eyes at him, wondering how he weighed so much when he didn't eat enough to gain a ton of weight.

"You've been sneaking second helpings, haven't you?" She asked her husband who send her a cheeky smile and a wink as he stepped safely onto the ice with ease.

"Well, you never know which meal's gonna be your last. Especially with your cooking." Mr. Beaver laughs as the children start to follow Mr Beaver across the ice in almost complete and utter silence.

"If Mum knew what we were doing..." Susan whispered as she thought of her mothers face if she found out that three of her children were venturing to find a lion to fight a war against a witch who had kidnapped the fourth child who had betrayed them all

"Mum's not here." Peter stated and Susan just looked down, solemnly as he tried not to think of his mother and the danger he was putting himself and his siblings through.

"Oh, no!" Lucy says as she notices the Witches pack of wolves running across the top of the frozen waterfall to the other side of the river, hoping to catch the children for their mistress.

"Run!"

"Hurry!"

The wolves leap in front on them on the frozen river bank and the four children look around, anxious at the position they were currently in. Turning the four children and the two beavers discover that they are trapped by the rest of the wolves who slowly circulated them across the ice. Mr Beaver tries to threaten on but is pounced on and pinned to the ground by one of the wolves, much to the immediate surprise of the children.

"No!"

"Peter!" Lucy shrieks as Peter draws his sword and points it towards Maugrim with a scared but determined look on his face.

"Put that down, boy. Someone could get hurt." Maugrim growled as he looked at Peter, bearing his sharp teeth.

"Don't worry about me! Run him through!" Beaver said as he struggled in the jaw of a fellow wolf who held his tightly in his white, sharpened teeth.

"Leave now while you can, and your brother goes with you."  Maugrim states, trying to persuade them to follow him to the Witch so that she could finally end their existence.

"Stop, Peter! Maybe we should listen to him!" Susan retaliated, wanting to know how to get Edmund back so that they could go home.

"Smart girl."

"Don't listen to him Peter, he works for the Witch." Genevieve stated, earning a glare from Susan to which she immediately glared back. Why would she trust the wolf anyway?

"Don't listen to him! Kill him! Kill him now!" Mr. Beaver added before he slightly whimpered as the wolf tightened the grip on him.

"Oh, come on. This isn't your war. All my Queen wants is for you to take your family and go." Maugrim manipulated and Genevieve glared at him and stepped forward slightly.

"Liar." Genevieve snarled at the wolf, causing Maugrim to step back slightly at her aggressiveness before lowly growling at her.

"Look, just because some man in a red coat hands you a sword, it doesn't make you a hero! Just drop it!" Susan shouted at her brother, believing Maugrim out of pure want for her brother back.

"No, Peter! Narnia needs ya! Gut him while you still have a chance!"

"What's it gonna be, Son of Adam? I won't wait forever. And neither will the river." Maugrim growled lowly as he took a step closer as the ice cracked at his feet.

"Peter!" Lucy said, looking up horrified at the sight of the the waterfall cracking above them and everyone turned to look at it with horrified expressions.

Genevieve quickly assessed the quickest way across and thought that the only way to do so would be to ride down the current on a broken piece of ice that could likely be made by Peter's sword. However, there was so many of them that it was unlikely that all four children could fit on a piece of ice and float down the current without it sinking and causing people to drown. Someone couldn't go, it was too much of a risk.  It was then it struck her, the sudden realisation that every other individual was important to the prophecy whereas she wasn't. She was just a tag along, an extra and she meant nothing to Narnia at all. She had to sacrifice herself so that the others survived.

"Peter go." Genevieve said as she patted him on the shoulder before taking of her scarf and hat and handing it to Mrs. Beaver who looked at her confused.

"What?"

"Go." Genevieve stated as she motioned for him to plunge his sword into the ice and Peter got the idea and immediately shook his head.

"We can't leave you." He argued and she laughed heartily before giving Peter a small side hug for comfort.

"It's okay, you have to go. I need you to Trust me Peter. GO!"

"Why would we trust you?" Peter asked her and she scoffed as she pushed him lightly before walking backwards.

"Peter! GO!" She screams at him before she took off and ran across the ice, allowing some of the wolves - including the one detaining Mr.Beaver - to run after her therefore allowing the perfect opportunity for the others to escape.

"GENEVIEVE!" Lucy screamed as she went to follow her but was held back by Susan.

"Hold onto me!" Peter directed to Susan and Lucy who did so after looking at Genevieve run across the river, closely chased by the wolves before he plunged his sword into the ice.

The waterfall plunges down on them and sweeps them away and a faint scream can be heard in the distance causing Peter's eyes to widen in shock. That was Genevieve. The two beavers propel the chunk of ice to shore with Susan and Peter following in suit. Peter quickly stood up holding Genevieve's coat that Lucy was wearing in his hand, but no Lucy to be seen across the shore.

"Lovely." Mrs. Beaver states as she watches the wolves run away carrying something, or someone with them.

"What have you done? Lucy! Lucy!" Susan starts calling as she looks around for her younger sister with worry clear on her fair features.

"Has anyone seen my other coat?" They heard a sweetly familiar voice say and they all turn to see Lucy at the shore, absolutely drenched from head to toe.

"Don't you worry, dear. Your brother's got you well looked after." Mr. Beaver said as Peter handed Lucy Genevieve's coat before taking Lucy's off as it was soaked.

"And I don't think you'll be needing those coats anymore." Mrs. Beaver states as she looked around at the shore that didn't hold much ice anymore and instead was warmer and the colour green could be vividly seen. They see a blossom growing into a beautiful dryad and they leave their coats behind as the wood changes from winter into spring and they all muster a smile until Lucy stops.

"Peter, where's Genevieve?"