An eternal winter would not be kind to anybody, but it was to Tumnus—for a carefully

negotiated price. True enough, it was a price that most everybody in Narnia had become
accustomed to pay by then and the exchange was in reality quite simple. Conformity for your
life. Complicity for everything else. For Tumnus, the terms of his homage were these: the
delivery to the witch of any one human child that crossed his paths in exchange for the
security of one statue frozen mid-scream in the middle of her palace. The sardines were an
extra. On the kindness of her majesty, as would say the wolves when he picked up his dues,
and Tumnus would avert his eyes when he crossed over the courtyard so he couldn’t see any
new statues and wonder if he had been the one to put them there. Who could blame him,
though? It was what everyone would do—it was what everyone was doing.

And yet such a thought did nothing to assuage his pounding heart when he woke up in the
middle of the night, riddled with guilt. In his dreams, the statues would all wake as he passed
and his father would finish his scream only to see the parcels in his hands and turn away in
disgust. To think! He would say, and his hooves were paws. My only son a coward, convening
with the Witch to keep a life he wouldn’t try to save. Tumnus would then cry and vow to the
statues not to do it again, but his tea would run out and his arms would fill with parcels once
more. It was only when he met Lucy Pevensie, who wouldn’t believe such a thing of him, that
he found the courage to let the parcels fall and his word began to mean something.

Lucy Pevensie

The single most important person that Tumnus has in his life is easily Lucy Pevensie. She is
somebody he is determined to protect at the cost of everything, including his life. They are
good friends, the best of friends, in fact, and though they are often both busy with their duties
as Queen and Lord Chamberlain respectively, they always find time to have at least one tea
session together. They look on each other for guidance and advice, as well as a good laugh, as
it is inevitable to have those with the young queen. Lucy is his compass and he can always
count on her to return home.

Susan Pevensie

On the suggestion of Susan, who was well aware of the importance that he took on keeping his
home, well, homely, Tumnus was made Lord Chamberlain of Cair Paravel very early on in the
Pevensies’ reign. The mere thought made Tumnus burst into tears, as he happened to be a
sensitive sort of person, but he held her hands very tightly and promised her he would do his
very best to have restore the grandeur to the old castle. Since then, Tumnus has dedicated
himself to the task, finding great pleasure and happiness in his position, and has therefore
grown quite the soft spot for Susan.

Lord Peridan

Though at first put off by the ease of Peridan’s disposition, whatever worries Tumnus might’ve
had when the other was appointed Lord Steward were assuaged when he realized the man
was as serious about the job as he was playful about everything else. Since then, he has been
working quite closely with the knight, and very well at that, and so a soft companionship has
grown between them. Tumnus rather enjoys working with the man, even if their interactions
always keep him on the tip of his hooves.