”Thorundur!” Roe threw herself around Thorundur's neck. “I’ve missed you so much!”

“I missed you too Roe. My parents wouldn’t let me leave home until now. I was so afraid that you might have moved so that I wouldn’t be able to find you again.”



It was like they never had parted. They could still talk about everything and spent almost all time together. Thorundur enjoyed hunting and was more than happy to learn from Roe who had improved her skills during the years that had passed.


“I have such a good time with you Roe.” Thorundur said and Roe felt warm and happy. “You’re the best sister I could have.” Somehow these words didn’t make Roe as happy as they used to.



“I met two dark elves who became my friends.” Roe worried about how Thorundur would react to this information considering what the dark elves had told her about the relations between light and dark elves. But Roe didn’t want to have any secrets for Thorundur.

“Dark elves!” Thorundur looked upset. “Dark elves are evil. How could you be friend with such people?” he asked accusingly.


Roe was hurt and angry. “They were nice to me and they are my friends. Ondina and Orm said that light elves are cruel. I can’t understand why elves cannot get along with each other.”
She got up and walked away.

“Wait, Roe. I didn’t mean to be angry at you. It’s not your fault. You couldn’t know how cruel dark elves can be. Please don’t be angry at me. Do you still see the dark elves?”

Roe hadn’t seen Ondina and Orm for some time before Thorundur showed up. She didn’t know if they kept away because they knew that Thorundur was here or if they just were busy with other things.

“I won’t see them again as long as you’re here if you don’t want me too,” she said.

“I better stay then,” he said with a smile.

Thorundur was upset to learn that Ondina and Orm had settled down in the mountains not very far away from his brother’s home. But Thorundur and Roe didn’t talk more about the dark elves.



“Father you can’t be serious!” Princess Aliendre was upset.

“You’re the only elf here who’s about the same age as Prince Alexander,” King Eraldor said. “I think that it’s more than reasonable and polite that you spend some time with him. He’s going to be treated as an honoured guest in our palace.”

“But a human!” Aliendre was not happy. “Am I supposed to be a nanny to a human?” She could think of thousands of things that she’d rather do than spend time with a human.


“Humans may be mortal and different from us but they are our allies. We have not forgotten the help that they gave us when the evil dark elves started the war hundreds of years ago. You were not born then but most of the light elves are old enough to remember how the humans helped us to win the war when it looked hopeless. Our numbers were seriously reduced and never has there been a sorrow worse than what we experienced because of the war. The human king who supported us was an ancestor to Prince Alexander and therefore the prince must be treated with respect.”

Aliendre sighed and bowed her head.


Although Aliendre had no other choice than to do as she was told, she didn't look forward to the visit by the human.