(no subject)
I don't know maybe YOU wrote 1,000 words of AU Bran/Lucy fic over your lunch hour.
He had escaped, but it was a near thing. First, Jadis tempts, and if the subject cannot be tempted they are broken beyond repair. He had slipped away just in time, and only thanks to her hastily built castle’s shoddy construction. Dungeon walls that should have been solid ice were yet snow , and a desperate man could dig out a hole large enough to slip through. Now he was out and trudging through a snowstorm still in only the thin summer clothes he was wearing but a few days ago when the fields were still green. This was no subtle scheme; the White Witch had unleashed all her strength in one furious blow in a bid to banish summer for good.
Her efforts would fail, Bran knew, and even if caught unawares at first a powerful resistance would be mustering against her. It just seemed more and more likely that he may not see winter’s end, for he had long lost feeling in his feet and stumbled more often in the raging white of the storm. Every breath was a painful gasp, and though he doggedly kept on going Bran knew his progress was too slow to do any good. His mind drifted until he was imagining himself in Summer running across the snow on powerful legs, heedless of nothing but the driving need to find his quarry.
So caught up in the vision of the hunt, Bran didn’t realize he was the prize until a grey bulk materialized out of the white and Summer bounded over to him. Unfeeling fingers reached for the familiar fur as the direwolf nuzzled against his face with a whine before turning to bark in the direction he’d come. Another figure appeared from the storm, and it took Bran a moment to realize it was someone on horseback.
“Bran?” Even mostly lost on the wind, he would know that voice anywhere as Lucy dismounted and hurried over to him. Bran smiled at her, though he couldn’t manage much else. Lucy was safe, inasmuch as you could call in a storm near the White Witch’s castle safe, and she would never have left the children if she wasn’t absolutely certain no harm could come to them. So, see, all was well even if he was nearly frozen through. “Oh, love, look at you. Come now, onto Loric. Here-“
She started to wrap her thick fur-lined cloak around his shoulders and gave him a sharp look the minute he opened his mouth to argue. “Don’t you dare say you don’t need it when you’re a carrot nose away from being a snowman. I’m fine. Everything’s fine now, come on.” They made their way over to where Loric, Captain Horse of the King’s Calvary, bent down so Bran could get onto his back. Once Bran was up, Lucy mounted and they were off once more into the storm. Summer and Loric seemed to know the way, though Bran could do little more than wrap his arms around Lucy and try not to shiver too much.
“The children?” He asked and now they were pressed together he didn’t have to shout over the wind.
“Safe on a ship in the harbor,” Lucy told him, and Bran could faintly feel her squeezing his hand. “You know how much she can’t abide the sea. I’ll tell you everything once we’ve warmed you up.”
Compared to what seemed endless hours stumbling through the storms, they came quite quickly to a forested place protected from the wailing wind and where sturdy tents had been erected. Talking Animals and men in warm cloaks milled about, and every eye was on them as they rode up. As Bran clumsily dismounted with hands and feet that still wouldn’t obey him, Edmund strode over looking greatly relieved to see them.
“Bran! Glad you’re safe.” Edmund clapped a hand to Bran’s shoulder, and Bran knew that he more than anyone remembered what it was like to face the awful temptations of the White Witch. “You have Lucy and Summer to thank for that, they were ready to march right up to the castle gates if it came to that.”
“Luckily it didn’t,” Bran said, though if any two could defeat her on spirit alone, it was them. He opened his mouth to speak again but Lucy cut him off.
“I’ll catch you up on everything once we’re inside, now come on,” she said and waved Edmund and the rest away without another word. It’s only as they slowly made their way into one of the tents that Bran saw that she was pale and trembling but not from the cold. “Oh, Bran,” she whispered and caught him up in a tight embrace. “Oh, Bran, I was so worried. We came as fast as we could. I kept imagining what was happening to you, and Summer wouldn’t stop howling, I was so frightened--“
Bran kissed her, though there were still bits of ice frozen in his beard. “I’m here,” he said softly. It seemed unreal that after all that time lost in cold fear he could be again safe in her arms. She squeezed him tight and rested her head to his shoulder for a long quiet moment. “We’re safe. You rescued me.”
“Summer and I did,” Lucy agreed, calmer now than a moment ago as though those last lingering fears had been dispelled. She tied the tent flap closed and began stripping off the warm woolen clothes she had on. “He knew exactly where to find you. And you’ll have to tell me about how you managed to escape. Now off with those clothes and get under the furs. We’re going to warm you up until the hot bath is ready.”
“As you like, my queen.” he said with a smile as he began tugging the ice-crusted tunic off. First Jadis tempts you, but all her efforts had been wasted on him. He already had everything he could want.
He had escaped, but it was a near thing. First, Jadis tempts, and if the subject cannot be tempted they are broken beyond repair. He had slipped away just in time, and only thanks to her hastily built castle’s shoddy construction. Dungeon walls that should have been solid ice were yet snow , and a desperate man could dig out a hole large enough to slip through. Now he was out and trudging through a snowstorm still in only the thin summer clothes he was wearing but a few days ago when the fields were still green. This was no subtle scheme; the White Witch had unleashed all her strength in one furious blow in a bid to banish summer for good.
Her efforts would fail, Bran knew, and even if caught unawares at first a powerful resistance would be mustering against her. It just seemed more and more likely that he may not see winter’s end, for he had long lost feeling in his feet and stumbled more often in the raging white of the storm. Every breath was a painful gasp, and though he doggedly kept on going Bran knew his progress was too slow to do any good. His mind drifted until he was imagining himself in Summer running across the snow on powerful legs, heedless of nothing but the driving need to find his quarry.
So caught up in the vision of the hunt, Bran didn’t realize he was the prize until a grey bulk materialized out of the white and Summer bounded over to him. Unfeeling fingers reached for the familiar fur as the direwolf nuzzled against his face with a whine before turning to bark in the direction he’d come. Another figure appeared from the storm, and it took Bran a moment to realize it was someone on horseback.
“Bran?” Even mostly lost on the wind, he would know that voice anywhere as Lucy dismounted and hurried over to him. Bran smiled at her, though he couldn’t manage much else. Lucy was safe, inasmuch as you could call in a storm near the White Witch’s castle safe, and she would never have left the children if she wasn’t absolutely certain no harm could come to them. So, see, all was well even if he was nearly frozen through. “Oh, love, look at you. Come now, onto Loric. Here-“
She started to wrap her thick fur-lined cloak around his shoulders and gave him a sharp look the minute he opened his mouth to argue. “Don’t you dare say you don’t need it when you’re a carrot nose away from being a snowman. I’m fine. Everything’s fine now, come on.” They made their way over to where Loric, Captain Horse of the King’s Calvary, bent down so Bran could get onto his back. Once Bran was up, Lucy mounted and they were off once more into the storm. Summer and Loric seemed to know the way, though Bran could do little more than wrap his arms around Lucy and try not to shiver too much.
“The children?” He asked and now they were pressed together he didn’t have to shout over the wind.
“Safe on a ship in the harbor,” Lucy told him, and Bran could faintly feel her squeezing his hand. “You know how much she can’t abide the sea. I’ll tell you everything once we’ve warmed you up.”
Compared to what seemed endless hours stumbling through the storms, they came quite quickly to a forested place protected from the wailing wind and where sturdy tents had been erected. Talking Animals and men in warm cloaks milled about, and every eye was on them as they rode up. As Bran clumsily dismounted with hands and feet that still wouldn’t obey him, Edmund strode over looking greatly relieved to see them.
“Bran! Glad you’re safe.” Edmund clapped a hand to Bran’s shoulder, and Bran knew that he more than anyone remembered what it was like to face the awful temptations of the White Witch. “You have Lucy and Summer to thank for that, they were ready to march right up to the castle gates if it came to that.”
“Luckily it didn’t,” Bran said, though if any two could defeat her on spirit alone, it was them. He opened his mouth to speak again but Lucy cut him off.
“I’ll catch you up on everything once we’re inside, now come on,” she said and waved Edmund and the rest away without another word. It’s only as they slowly made their way into one of the tents that Bran saw that she was pale and trembling but not from the cold. “Oh, Bran,” she whispered and caught him up in a tight embrace. “Oh, Bran, I was so worried. We came as fast as we could. I kept imagining what was happening to you, and Summer wouldn’t stop howling, I was so frightened--“
Bran kissed her, though there were still bits of ice frozen in his beard. “I’m here,” he said softly. It seemed unreal that after all that time lost in cold fear he could be again safe in her arms. She squeezed him tight and rested her head to his shoulder for a long quiet moment. “We’re safe. You rescued me.”
“Summer and I did,” Lucy agreed, calmer now than a moment ago as though those last lingering fears had been dispelled. She tied the tent flap closed and began stripping off the warm woolen clothes she had on. “He knew exactly where to find you. And you’ll have to tell me about how you managed to escape. Now off with those clothes and get under the furs. We’re going to warm you up until the hot bath is ready.”
“As you like, my queen.” he said with a smile as he began tugging the ice-crusted tunic off. First Jadis tempts you, but all her efforts had been wasted on him. He already had everything he could want.