As the years went by without Thorundur showing up again, Roe realised that he probably had forgotten about her and was busy with his life with the elves. She would never forget her best friend even if they only had spent a short time together. But that year had been the best time of her life. There was not a day that went by when she didn’t think about the elf and the good times that they had shared together.


Roe was, however, not unhappy. It was not in her nature to be unhappy for a long time and she still enjoyed her life with all the small adventures in the forest. One day she made new friends. A couple of dark elves, Ondina and Orm, had moved to a place in the mountains not very far from Roe’s family’s hunting grounds. Their blue eyes reminded her of Thorundur. At first she had thought that Thorundur’s eyes looked strange but very soon she’d started to like his blue eyes that were so vivid. Ondina and Orm were much older than her and she didn’t share the same kind of familiarity with them that she had with Thorundur but she enjoyed spending time with the elves.


Ondina smiled friendly. “You know everything that is worth to know about the forest Roe. Would you like to help us to collect some of the ingredients that we need for our potions? Perhaps we can help you sometime in return.”


Roe was flattered. The dark elves made her feel special when they thought that she could help them with their magic. Some of the ingredients that Ondina and Orm had asked for were extremely poisonous. It was the kind of plants and mushrooms that she had been taught to carefully avoid. Roe figured that it was logic that strong magic required strong ingredients.


“I used to have a friend who was an elf just like you. He’s name was Thorundur.” Roe smiled sadly.
“That sounds like a light elf name.” Ondina’s eyes met Orm’s.
“Yes, of course. Thorundur is a light elf.” Roe was puzzled by the strange expression in Orm’s and Ondina’s faces.


“I’m sure that he was a nice person if you chose him to be your friend.” Ondina didn’t sound as if she really meant this. “But you should know that light elves cannot be trusted. There are things in the past that we will never forgive them. They started a cruel war against the dark elves and we will never forget our terrible losses. It’s probably better for you to keep away from light elves.” Ondina’s face hardened when she talked about light elves.
.
This was a lot more information about the elves than Roe had wanted to have and the new knowledge disturbed her. Forest people had no enemies and treated everyone with respect. How strange that dark elves and light elves who were of the same kind did not get along with each other! She didn’t talk more about Thorundur and didn’t ask about the differences between light and dark elves because she really didn’t want to hear any bad things about light elves.


“I don’t think you should spend so much time with the elves,” Otter’s ears twitched slightly and Roe had to look down to hide her smile. She didn’t want her mother to believe that she was being disrespectful. It was always so easy to tell when Otter was uncertain. Her ears revealed her. “We Forest people proud ourselves to be polite and kind but we don’t socialise with other species and only rarely with those of our own kind that are not family. I know that you had much fun with the light elf when you were a child but you are growing up and should follow the ways of our people.”


“Why don’t Forest people socialise with others?” Roe couldn’t understand this. It was so fun and interesting to be with the elves.

Otter’s ears twitched again. She really didn’t know exactly why she thought that Roe shouldn’t spend time with the elves. It just felt strange and wrong. She worried because it became more and more clear that maybe Roe was different from other Forest people, and according to Otter being different meant trouble. “Because it’s not how we are. It’s against our nature.” Otter realised that the answer was insufficient for Roe who just looked more questioning.


Roe hugged her mother. “Don’t worry about me mum. I’ll be fine.” Otter gave up. Maybe being different could be something very good sometimes, she thought hopefully.


Wolf sat down by the fire next to Roe. “It’s time for the Forest people meeting next summer. You’re now old enough to participate in the competitions, and I think that you will enjoy that.”

Roe was thrilled. She still remembered her first and only meeting as a very special event in her life. She would indeed enjoy competing with other hunters of her own kind.


Roe had seen a colony of bees in a tree some days before and had decided that she would surprise her parents with honey today. She was thinking about how happy Otter and Wolf would be when she came home with the honey when her sharp nose picked up a very familiar scent that she had not felt for many years now. The scent brought back so many memories from the past, but it was not possible, she must be mistaken.




She was not mistaken. Suddenly he stood there in the forest looking straight at her, just like the first time that she’d met him.

“Hi Roe, I think that you have grown since last time I saw you.” The familiar smile made his eyes glitter.