A/N chapters like this are the reason this story is rated Teen. I'm not the best at writing romance beyond a simple sweet connection, but hopefully I didn't do too poorly. As always hope you all enjoy. Ari

Just to add, I don't own anything to do with Narnia.

The warm southern air seemed to linger for several days. During their time together Perna and Edmund shared many affectionate smiles and gentle touches. They tried to keep each other at arms length. Edmund knew he could never stay, and Perna just lost her betrothed. But some feelings are too strong to hide. One morning Edmund went to retrieve more wood from the pile and Perna slipped out gracefully behind him and pulled him back towards her to steal a kiss. He then pushed her up against the hut and returned to her a deep kiss on her lips.

On the morning after they managed to finish off the deer meat, Perna grabbed her bow and motioned for Edmund to head out. "It's been getting rather cramped in there," she told him as they made their way up river. "What do you think we can catch today?"

"I'm not sure. The woods are quite," he replied crouching low to the ground and surveying the area. "Let's keep heading up stream and see what we can find there." The pair could not spot any tracks and continued up the river. Edmund stopped for a moment and blinked a couple times in the sun light.

"Why I have a feeling today is my sister's birthday," he exclaimed as he watched the position of the sun in the sky and saw a light crescent of the moon in the west.

"Today is fourteen days after the solstice."

"It is Susan's birthday," he whispered to himself quietly. Susan had been the New Year's baby in the family. Oh, how could he miss her birthday? Many months ago he had brought back from a visit with the dwarves a beautiful gold comb for her gorgeous hair.

"She must be very resilient, practical, and ambitious," she told him trying to lighten the mood. He looked at Perna with a surprised look.

"How do you know that?"

"Your sister was born in a time of little sun and in the shade of the birch tree. She's a ground element, who tends to be well- grounded and sometimes slightly unimaginative. But those born in the shade of the birch tend to be achievers in one or more aspects in their life. So to achieve you must be ambitious and to deal with failure usually resilient." She blushed as she tried to explain herself. "My mother taught me how to read people's birth profiles. It's a skill most of the higher born women in my village have. Actually, I was being trained to be a matchmaker it's a position of honor. It helps to know birth profiles to make succesful matches. Take me for instance. My birthday is forty nine days after the solstice. I'm born of the element of air, under the shade of the ash tree. I've been told I'm objective and innovative. People of my birth time are also thought to be eccentric and slightly reclusive."

"I cannot say I disagree."

"What's that suppose to mean?" She tried to sound offended but she knew Edmund didn't mean any animosity.

"Peace my lady," he replied slightly sardonic. "But will all do respect, you do speak your mind and have been living in a secluded hut for many months. I would agree you are innovative. You saved my life with knowledge of herbs few people, with the exception of our best medics, know about. I don't want to think of what would have happened without your quick wit."

"People born under the ash are thought to be enchanters as well."

"That I have little trouble believing." He had a roguish smile that made her grin back. He tried to move in for a kiss but she turned away. "What about me, my birthday is…" he paused to count the days in his head. "I was born nine days after the fall equinox."

"Ahh," She thought for a moment. "You are also born of the element of air and can be a bit of a dreamer and a diplomat. You were also born under the shade of the ivy, and ironically enough means you are a survivor. Born at a time of turmoil in the seasons you have a keen mind, but can be indecisive." He thought on this for a moment. "Am I close?"

"So it seems, I like to believe I have a keen mind, so I'll take that as a compliment. It all sounds well enough like me." Then he paused. "As for being indecisive, I'm just not sure about that. Maybe I am, but maybe I'm not." Perna let out a resonating laugh and playfully smacked him.

"I've been told that the ivy and ash often make for a good combination. Gaine was born under the ivy. My mother saw to it that our birth profiles would be compatible. She's rather superstitious like that, and would not have agreed to the engagement unless we matched on some level." Edmund didn't respond but allowed her to grasp his hand as they continued.

They must have spent half the day walking before they reached a cleaning in the mountains. It was a much wider valley then the one that held Perna's hut with the small lake. Though the snow had melted and cleared the land, Edmund recognized it as the battle camp where he'd first met the Mountain People. "I've not ventured this far," Perna said quietly as they explored the area. One the other side of the river the tracks of a bear and the centaurs could still be spotted in the soft dirt, if one knew where to look. A broken sword caught the high sun and gleamed in the brown grass. It seemed to dare Edmund to cross the river and retrieve it. His brow furrowed in frustration, and Perna shot him a look of concern.

"You look pensive. Is everything alright?"

"I've been here before." He was carful not to go into detail, but he walked with his head towards to ground. A glimmer of red caught his eye and he pulled from the dirt the tattered remains of a Narnian battle flag. It was deep red with the lion emblem embroidered across it. Despite being filthy it still seemed to shine splendidly in the sunlight and Edmund carefully folded it up and placed it into a pocket. The flag must have blown across the river. She placed a concerned hand on his chest. "I'm sorry for being aloof, but this place brings back many memories. I'm not sure what I'm feeling right now" A horse ran across the crest of the large hill before him. It looked almost familiar but Edmund shook it off. The horse was out of sight anyway. A strange feeling screamed from his gut. "I'm getting stronger by the day and soon, I'll have to return back to my family." He sighed deeply. Perna buried her face in his chest.

"You are not meant to stay here," she agreed softly. "I've kept telling myself every night that I feel nothing for you and never did. I tell myself every night that I only feel this way because of your kindness repaying me. Teaching me how to hunt, helping Laia and I find food so we don't starve, it'll be difficult with you gone. I never should have kissed you. It would have been better to have bit my tongue. Yes, we would have danced awkwardly around each other for a short while. Like strangers who's paths crossed briefly. At least I wouldn't miss you. If we had left it like that I probably would be relived to see you go." She scolded herself. "I guess I thought maybe if you fell for me too, you'd stay with us."

Edmund seemed taken back by the proposal. He'd never even considered staying with Perna in the hut. He had a duty back home in Cair Paravel to his people! He was a King, their king. But he never appreciated how happy he'd been the past couple weeks. Life was simple and not demanding. Then there was Perna, the strange and ethereal woman. He wasn't quite sure if he truly loved her, or if he liked her out of opportunity. The thought crossed his mind, she had nurtured him. It seemed only natural to have an affinity for the person who saved his life. But he was sure he felt something more and staying with her could be wonderful. He also knew deep in his heart, he couldn't. His right and his duty was to the Narnian people.

"Staying with you would make me a very happy man. It seems I have grown quite fond of you as well."

"I hear the hesitation in your voice."

"I have a duty to the High King and country. As you guessed I am a warrior and I am bound to my people." She nodded slowly biting her bottom lip again.

"But I… I think I may love you," she whispered in strange tone. He rushed over to her and picked her up. Her willing body pressed into his as he lowered her to the ground. He felt her warmth heating up the frozen ground underneath them. Her legs tangled into his and she felt his hot breath against her neck as he slowly undid laces of her dress.

Edmund's mind suddenly went back the first time he bedded a woman. She had been the daughter of a Baron from one of the islands. He couldn't quite remember which. One of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen, his sisters excluded, with full hips and a soft stomach which he liked very much. He had been lucky enough to beat Peter and win her favor in a tournament. In fact it had been the same tournament that was held in honor of her father's visit to Narnia, so he could introduce her to Court. At the banquet following she had a made an innuendo about properly collecting on her favor. The next thing he remembered was throwing her on to his bed with silken sheets and downy pillows. It was an exhilarating experience and she was a very sensual lover. Embelle, her name was Embelle. She stayed for seven month as a lady in waiting to Lucy. He had bedded her several more times after their first night, but then she got homesick and returned back to the island. Perna wasn't nearly as beautiful Embelle. Perna really wasn't anymore beautiful than most of the women of Court. But she spoke to him like and equal. She had no idea who he was and therefore never reserved her speech or held her tongue. He wasn't sure why, but he admired her for it.

A warm bed seemed so far removed from the wintry ground. However, when Edmund opened he eyes and saw Perna gazing at him with a come hither look he realized that, to him, she looked like the most stunning woman he'd ever seen. Her eyes, which he thought gray, now shone a vivid blue in the sunlight. And her hair, it seemed to form a fiery halo around her as it scattered on the ground. Her husky voice made a sultry moan as his hands guided along the terrain of her body. It was one of the most elating explorations of a foreign land Edmund could remember. A cold wind caused goose bumps on his bare skin, as Perna's eyes, begging him for more, gazed into his and they moved together in perfect rhythm.

The walk back to the hut seemed to take less time and they arrived as the sun was setting low in the west. They were not able to catch any game, but they did bring back a basket of fish to fry. Neither Perna nor Edmund spoke much to each other with the exception of a, "watch your step here," or "here let me give you a hand."

They were still contemplating what had just transpired between them. Although neither regretted their fit of passion, it seemed to complicate their feeling for each other. The bare trees made an eerie black outline against the red sky. Edmund chuckled lightly to himself. "A red sky at night is a sailor's delight." Wasn't quite sure why that came to mind but it seemed right. Perna turned to look at him, searching the eyes she could read nothing from.

"Ed, tell me again about the colors of the ocean." Perna asked.

"The ocean is so vast that you can stare all day and never see across it. The colors ranges in all shades of blue, but it depends on her moods. On stormy days when the tempest rages she turns deep navy, almost black, with white crests of foam. But she has her calm days as well, clear sunny days when she's a magnificent turquoise the sea spans out like a pane of glass searched out across a whole other world. On those days when the sun greets you in the morning, you can hear the melodies of the merfolk. During the summers they would often sing outside my window. They have the most beautiful voices. They taught both my sisters how to sing with them in perfect harmony." Perna stared straight ahead unblinking as she tried to picture what Edmund delineated for her. It seemed like the most enchanting and magical place she'd ever heard of. His voice took almost a wistful quality to it. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she came back from her daydream.

"My one wish in this world is the see the ocean, someday, at least once before I die."

"Come with me Perna. What do you have to lose?" She shook her head forlorn.

"You constantly speak of your duty to your country. I have a duty to my people as well. I must be here to guide my people should the need arise. I can't leave my father, not when were like this. I'm the only thing he has to keep going." Edmund looked at her hapless for a moment. She saw the brake in his normally mysterious and sharp eyes. He understood exactly why she needed to stay, but it didn't mean he'd have to like it. "I'm going to bed. Make sure to stoke the fire before you settle down." She always seemed to bark at him like that when she was upset. Edmund thought it better not to press the issue.

Thank you again to all my faithfull reviews you keep me going. ^_^