Winter Wonderland

[youngestqueen]

The day broke crisp and clear like so many days before it now. Lucy had dug through the backpack of camping supplies that Scout had left behind, taking the thermos and leaving the rest. Bundled up, she said her goodbyes for the day, not surprised that Shadow came with her as she trudged down the paths to the compound

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[lionelthayer]

Lionel finds he enjoys Lucy's company no matter what they're doing - hell even go so much as to think he'd almost enjoy this trek if it weren't for the cold - but the thought of flying downhill on a sled is a slight bit much.

"Yeah, probably," he nods, working up a smile in return. When he turns to take the view in, his smile turns a bit more genuine, especially when he spies the new brightly colored compound roof. "It's really nice up here."

[youngestqueen]

"It is, isn't it?" Her gaze follows his, the building looking somehow right in the snow as it is. "It's the same world, but from above and everything seems new and fresh."

Lucy was sure the snow helped with that too. It made things seem cleaner, and to her, festive. "How much longer do you think it will last? It started late this year."

[lionelthayer]

"Kinda hope it ends early," Lionel admits. Though he's enjoying the view and plans on taking a few pictures soon enough, the cold does get to him. "I grew up in California, I hadn't even seen snow more than twice before I got here."

[youngestqueen]

"I wouldn't want it to last too long either," her voice dropped a few notes, a quiet come into it that wasn't usually there. Never-ending winter. It reminded her too much of the White Witch, Jadis. "But this I like. Just enough winter for Christmas."

[wongsideofcreek]

Joey looked down then back over to Lucy, mentally acknowledging that they were up quite a bit.

"Frankly I'm not sure that we're high enough." Joey challenged the girl, a playful glint in her eyes.

[youngestqueen]

Lucy laughed, her smile bright at the challenge and from the fun of simply being out here on this day. "You're right, we aren't."

Shadow, of course, followed behind them, the direwolf in her element now that it was winter. "A bit further, then?"

[wongsideofcreek]

The sparkle in her eyes was undeniable as Joey grinned at Lucy.

"I think higher is really our only option." Truth be told Joey was wary around most girls and would continue to challenge them. Lucy was no exception, despite the fact that she took Joey's challenges in stride.

[youngestqueen]

"Alright, but maybe not too high. Not so high that we can't see the bottom," having grown up with Peter and Edmund, she found the challenges not at all bothersome, and knew when to dig in her heels should she want. "But a bit further and it will still be fun."

[polly_okeefe]

I looked down an incline that I was sure could challenge skiers. I swallowed. Among Lucy's many charms, it appeared, was a death wish.

"Quite like flying, in fact," I said, nodding. "In fact, if we hit a bump, I'd go so far as to say that it would be exactly like flying."

[youngestqueen]

"We can steer around bumps," she said seriously as she considered the path below them. Shadow had decided to rest for a moment, sinking low on a bank of snow. "It will be awfully fast, though."

[polly_okeefe]

"That's supposed to be a feature," I replied. "Like roller coaster rides, they're just supposed to make you think you're afraid for your life."

Of course, roller coaster rides had safety inspectors. Toboggans didn't.

[youngestqueen]

In her mind toboggans didn't need safety inspectors. "What's the worst that could happen, even if we did? We'd only land in the snow. Come on!" Lucy lined her sled up, smiling at her friend, "it will be such fun."

[alethioliar]

"Or as close enough to flying as we humans can manage," Lyra pointed out, an even sort of smile curling her flushed lips, the snow-dusted onion domes of compound drawing her attention as she spoke.

Nothing looked as it had the last time the sky wept snow for days on end. As she adjusted her furs for a cozier fit, Lyra felt thankful, for this view was not at all similar to the one she'd marveled at with Will from such a height a full year before. "But you know what would be really exciting," Lyra gushed, her eyes brightening with mischief, tone one of conspiratorial anticipation. "Going 'round back to the other side and then sledding down. Who knows what kind of beasts they got over in that blocked off territory now."

[youngestqueen]

"I know," she said a bit wistfully, thinking of the day they'd managed magic over a year ago now. Peter Pan had shown her what flying was like, and it had indeed been delightful. Terrifying at first, but once she had gotten used to it, just something to enjoy and have excite.

"Well, we have Shadow with us," Lucy glanced at the direwolf, in her element now that her fur was dusted in snow. "Maybe not all the way, but only some? It might still be interesting to see."

[alethioliar]

Lyra too glanced at the direwolf and managed a peculiar smile. In the North there had been hostile wolf daemons with their human counterparts, but the direwolves that saw fit to accompany Lucy and Arya alike seemed kind enough - insomuch as skull-crushing animals could manage to be.

"Oh, all right," Lyra agreed. "It's probably for the best since I haven't a bow with me. Just a slingshot," she grinned. In her opinion, of course, she could do plenty damage with a nice solid pebble and a sturdy branch but the sledding would do just fine. "Oh! We've finally got film all picked out for Sunday," she piped as they began making their way around the mountain.

[youngestqueen]

Narnia had wolves too, and when she had first come here it had been hard for her to accept the direwolves as the protectors they were. After some time it was hard to see them as anything but, even with her memories.

"I've only my dagger," not her Narnian dagger, but a small knife that she had been given here and kept at her waist, "but it won't come to that, I'm sure." The sled made furrows in the snow as it dragged behind them, "we're not going that far."

[infathersimage]

Rilian stopped, dusting a bit of snow from his cloak. He smiled down at Lucy, finding her enthusiasm quite infectious. "I wouldn't know, Lucy. This shall be my first time riding a sled such as these. I would imagine, however, that we are high enough so that nearly anything could happen!"

[youngestqueen]

Shadow was still near to her heels, sitting on her haunches to look up at the two of them in curiosity. "I flew once, you know. Here, it was a day of magic, and a boy showed me how."

An unbelievable story, likely, but not a lie. She looked down over the island, the snow and the buildings all changed. "This won't be quite the same, but it will be great fun."

[infathersimage]

"Truly, you flew?" he asked, mouth gaping open the slightest of degrees. The Prince had seen and heard of many things, though perhaps nothing so wondrous as that which Lucy had just described. The very sound of it was glorious in and of itself. The Prince's enthusiasm, I believe, might quite match that of you and me.

"I expect you had never felt freer that day, Lucy." The corners of his mouth crinkled jovially and he cast a glance upon their sleds. "Indeed, we certainly will have fun."

[youngestqueen]

"It was terrifying at first," she admitted, her smile a bit shy as she thought back on it for a moment. "But once that was past, oh, it was so free. Exactly that Rilian."

Setting the sled to aim down the hill, she nodded to his. "Should we make a race of it?"