Disclaimer: The Chronicles of Narnia are all the creative property of C. S. Lewis. I only own Alice and any other original character.

ED'S POV:

A girl. Not just any girl, a human girl. One that was dressed in strange tight fitted trousers and lying on the ground. The wolves were assembled around, sniffing and nudging her. He edged closer. She didn't seem to be a danger. She was unconscious for goodness sakes, of course she wasn't dangerous. Nudging ever closer the wolves departed to let him through. He leaned over her examining the large bump on her head. She must have hit her head or perhaps someone had hit her head.

"What should we do sire?" asked Pholus who was waiting patiently behind him.

"Get me a wet cloth for her head. It might ease the swelling or and least get her to regain consciousness," the centaur nodded and headed back to where the King had left his things. The wolves followed.

He leaned in to examine her closer. Where did she come from? She was positioned on her side, almost as if she had just fallen asleep. What struck him most were her clothes. They were made of such unusual materials that he was certain she didn't belong here. There was the chance that she was from a different part of Narnia, someplace they hadn't discovered yet but that seemed unlikely. Could she be from Earth, another daughter of Eve that just appeared here? Even on Earth her attire would still be unusual.

Her eyes suddenly shot open.

She took one glance at him and bolted upright. Edward, who was caught off guard, didn't think to move away in time and their heads collided. This elicited a groan of pain from the girl as she fell back onto her back and gently clutched her injured forehead. Edward however shrank backwards, biting down on his lip trying not to swear. His nose was bleeding and he was in a lot of pain.

"Ow!"

"Oh, sorry." She genuinely apologised, "I didn't mean to do that, you just scared me that was all. Do you need anything for it?"

"Just leave it," he snapped, "I think you've broken my nose!"

She fixed her gaze on him now on the defensive, "I didn't do it on purpose!" She pushed herself up so she wouldn't feel quite as vulnerable.

"I never said you did!"

"Well, why on Earth would you lean over me like that anyway?! The last thing I needed was another knock on the head!" She collapsed onto her back, not able to maintain her sitting position because of the dizziness that was overcoming her. This didn't stop her rant, "Now I have two injuries! Injuries," she stressed, "plural, honestly."

"You're blaming me for this?" he asked in disbelief, "You've broken my nose!"

"Yes I am blaming this on you because it was mostly your fault. I was unconscious, of course I would be startled if I woke up and some random man was invading my personal space."

Edmund huffed but didn't protest. He covered his nose with his hand and tilted his head backwards to stop the bleeding. They were quiet for a few minutes, both looking over their wounds.

"What happened anyway?" she asked in a small voice, "How did you find me?"

"We heard a noise," he said, "came to investigate."

"Oh, well I suppose I should thank you then, for coming to help me when you could have just left."

He nodded but didn't say anything else and an uncomfortable silence once again descended on the pair.

"What happened to you?" he questioned, trying to lift the tension.

"Funny story really, I don't actually know. I was jogging through the woods and then all of a sudden I landed in a different place. I know it may sound strange, but that's what happened or at least what I think did. Next thing I know, I was taking to a faun."

She let out a soft laugh while still looking at him, "I know, crazy right? Half man, half goat. I must have hit my head harder than I though…" her speech trailed off though when she caught sight of about eight wolves and a centaur appearing with a wet cloth in his hands.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," she scrambled to her feet ignoring the throbbing in her temple. She backed away but jolted when her back hit a tree trunk, "I'm completely bonkers," she whispered running a hand through her hair.

"Your nose King Edmund," said Pholus in concern, stepping forward and handing him the cloth, "is the girl dangerous?"

For the first time Alice took in his strangely grand clothes, "Of course he's a King," she laughed, "Why wouldn't he be, because this place just isn't weird enough? So I'm imaging centaurs, fauns and kings, what next, the wolves can talk?"

The wolves looked between each other anxiously before growling, "Your majesty is the daughter of Eve alright? She seems a bit distraught."

"Perfect," she breathed leaning back so the tree would support her. Edmund was still currently running through what she had said. She obviously wasn't from Narnia but more importantly, she had seen the faun. All he needed to know now was what had happened to him. That was easier said than done.

"You mentioned a faun; do you have any idea where he went?"

"The faun? Do you mean before or after I was running for my life?"

"Why were you running for your life!?"

"Well I'd just met a mythical creature; I didn't stop to ask about his intentions!"

"It's not like he was dangerous."

"How was I supposed to know that?" she asked exasperated.

"Ok, ok." He relented, not wanting to start an argument, "What did he do after you ran?"

"He followed me but before you ask," she cut him off; "I have no idea where he is now. After the running was when I head planted a tree so I'm sorry if I can't be of much use to you."

"Right split up, he can't have gotten far. I want everywhere in the vicinity searched, no exceptions." The wolves quickly got to work, scouring in a circle around the area. Pholus approached Edmund with a worried look on his face. Edmund knew why he was concerned because he was thinking the same thing. Why is she in Narnia and more importantly what should they do with her now she's here? He couldn't just leave her in the forest, no, that would be cruel. On the other hand he still didn't trust her enough to bring her back to Cair Paravel. Not yet anyway.

He looked across at her. She had lost her previous alarmed disposition and was calmly taking in her surroundings. She looked like a child who had just been told Christmas was coming early. Running her hands over anything she could find and her eyes shone with wonder. He remembered the sense of awe he felt when he first came here and the person he first met. Perhaps she was right to not trust on face value like he had. People aren't always what they seem.

"So 'King Edmund'," she said using air quotes, "I think now would be a good time for answers, don't you?" Her tone had given up its harsh quality and adopted a more teasing one. She seemed a lot more at ease now the wolves had gone. Maybe she had been scared of them. He hadn't even considered how intimidated she must have been; one girl surrounded by at least ten wolves.

"A good a time as any," he agreed, still studying her as she moved around the clearing.

"So I landed here," she gestured around her, "wherever this is when I was running. Let's try to make some sense out of this. Right, I looked behind me but then I fell. Where could I fall down in a wood? A hole? Some kind of animal's burrow or sett?" She sighed softly, "I still don't understand why this is happening to me, I'm just me, Alice Riley, college student…" her speech trailed off and her eyes grew wide.

"Wait a minute, Alice, my name is Alice. I fell down a hole, a rabbit hole. Weird things are happening," she deduced, "that all points to one thing. Am I in Wonderland?"

He couldn't take her seriously. She thought she was in Wonderland and to make things worse the look on her face had been priceless. "Hold on," he teased her, "I'll just go and get the white rabbit and the mad hatter so we can have a tea party."

At hearing his amused jab the hopeful look on her face fell, "I'll take that as a no," she muttered her hands falling from the tree they were resting on, "Well where am I then?"

He looked at her seriously to assure her he was telling the truth, "You're in Narnia," he said simply. Edmund wasn't sure how she would take this news but what he didn't count on was her laughing. She doubled over struggling to breathe and tears flowed from her eyes.

"Good one." Her laughter stopped dead however when she noticed the serious expression he was holding didn't leave. "Oh, you're serious. Wow. So Narnia then." She said sceptically.

"Narnia is a land filled with Mythical Creatures and…"

"Yeah, I know what Narnia is."

"You do?"

"Of course, who hasn't heard of Narnia? Oh, I get it now – Edmund." She mulled over the name, "As in Lucy, Peter and who's the other one again? I'm sure her name begins with 'S'."

"Susan."

"Yeah that's it."

"But, but how?" he stuttered.

"How what? How do I know? You don't know about the… You know what never mind."

Edmund was entirely curious as to what she was about to say but decided to pursue the matter any further. Any further conversation was stopped when the wolves reappeared from their search. Much to his dismay there was no faun with them.

"There was no one in the area, your majesty."

So now he was going to have to make his way back to Cair Paravel minus a faun but plus an extremely confused girl whom he was now accountable for.