I'm listening to Loreena McKennitt and wishing I was in Ireland again…so I may as well write and take my mind off of it. *sigh*

Oh and feel free to tell me anything you think I should do to help build the relationship between Nakoda and Edmund because I could use some ideas :D

Thanks to all you awesome reviewers who make me smile when I read what you have to say! Makes me want to write more!

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Edmund and I sat next to each other at breakfast and it seemed to me that sharing a secret automatically made two people closer because he was joking around with me and talking to me in general much more lately. Within the last few days he had took me horseback riding to his many favorite places in the region, made of list of books I HAD to read from his private library, sat up till the wee hours talking with me about America and our old world, and made plans to go hunting today.

I was excited because the only hunting I had ever done was deer hunting with my 12 gauge shotgun back in my woods at home in Missouri. Nothing like bow hunting in the wild woods of Lantern Waste. He said it was about a 5 days journey to the west of Cair Paravel and I was super excited to see more of the land of Narnia. I was determined to get to know it as well as my good old Missouri.

So it was that I found myself saddling up a non-talking bay colored horse while Edmund saddled a non-talking black horse. I thought it was fitting and they went well together because they were both dark yet sweet. I shook that thought from my head and focused on cinching the saddle tight and fixing the stirrups. I had never ridden on a saddle like this any more than I had bowhunted and I eyed it cautiously. I was use to Western saddles and this one looked flimsy in comparison. Edmund said it was made for travelling long distances and wouldn't tire out the horse nor make our backsides as sore. I had to agree that this sounded plausible and so I pulled myself up and gave it a testing wiggle. It seemed sturdy enough now that I was on it and I smiled and gave Edmund a 'thumbs up'. He nodded and we turned our horses toward the gate and took off at a trot.

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We crossed a small stream and I smiled as we rode into the woods on the other side, they were mainly oaks and birches and I loved how clear the underbrush was. It was easy to traverse and we made good time through it. We met up with many talking Beasts along the way including a lovely She-Leopard who was taking her three cubs out for a stroll. Edmund stopped to talk to her for a bit and ask after her family and I played with the cubs while they visited. The cubs were named Nips, Speck, and Fang and they were delightful and very well mannered Leopards indeed.

I bid them goodbye when Edmund came to get me and they bowed, in a very unusual bow that no one on my earth had ever seen and will never see again, and then ran off to their mother. I smiled as they went. Narnia was so magical…where else would a person talk to and play with a Leopard?

We rode on, chatting gaily about life back at Cair Paravel and he asked me what I thought of Narnia so far. I was not joking when I said it felt like home.

"So you think you'll stay?" Edmund asked as he ducked under a branch.

"I'll stay as long as you'll let me," I replied with a laugh as I ducked as well.

Edmund fell silent and I wondered what had made him do so. But I knew by now that when he was silent and thoughtful it was best to let him be so until he was ready to speak again. And I was right because pretty soon he turned his head to me and smiled.

"Well, I would be fine with you staying forever, I suppose," he said, sounding very genuine.

I looked at him funny, calculating his expression. It was just as serious as his words had been.

"Was that an invitation?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied simply. He turned COMPLETELY around in his saddle to look at me, bracing himself by placing his hands on the horse's rump. "You DO want to, right?"

I nodded furiously.

"Of course I do!" I replied, "But…even if I didn't, what could I do? It's not like I know how to get home."

Edmund looked thoughtful for a moment.

"It seems to me that I DO know how to get home," he said quietly, "But…I just can't seem to remember it."

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That night, we came to a halt right as we exited the woods. Edmund started a lovely roaring fire and I cooked up a fine dinner of venison and mushrooms. We ate in relative silence, both too hungry to speak around our chewing. Then when we had finished eating we fell into comfortable conversation and Edmund began showing me the constellations. We laid side by side as the sky grew darker and darker until finally my eyes got too heavy to stay open. I yawned and Edmund looked at me with a smile.

"Would you like me to lullaby you?" he asked quietly and I nodded in surprise. Yes, yes I would.

Edmund began to sing softly and smoothly, his lovely baritone voice soothed my tired mind. I smiled.

"You have a beautiful, voice, Edmund," I mumbled tiredly. I tried to stay away so I could hear him sing but the lullaby was doing its work and I slowly slipped into a deep slumber.

I didn't even hear Edmund whisper "Thank you," and I definitely didn't feel the kiss he pressed to my forehead before he retired as well.

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You know something? I LOVE the mood Loreena McKennitt puts me in. Seriously…give her a listen.

There we are :D Review!