“Thorundur seemed to enjoy the visit to the palace but now he’s running around in the forest with that girl just like before.” Toraldor felt helpless. He loved his brother and therefore he also worried very much about Thorundur’s behaviour.

His wife Liandra looked thoughtful. “I think I might have an idea. Thorundur seemed to like Aliendre very much. According to what I have heard Aliendre would like to travel a little to look around in the realm. Maybe we could ask if she could stay here with us for a while. It would be a great honour for us of course but I think that it might be possible that our offer would be accepted.”



“I have good news Thorundur. Aliendre will come and visit us.” Toraldor smiled when he saw his younger brother’s enthusiasm. Thorundur was so lively and his feelings were always so easy to tell. Once again Toraldor felt very lucky to have such a wise wife. If Toraldor would have had the gift to look into the future he would probably not have felt the happiness that he felt today. It is often true that ignorance is a blessing.


Wolf looked up from the skin that he was preparing. His eyes were large and his mouth wide open. Roe turned her head and looked in the same direction as her father. Bear, Wolverine and Squirrel were approaching their home.



“We were just passing by and thought that Roe might like this basket that Bear made.” Squirrel said.

Forest people never “just passed by”. It was obvious that Bear’s family had walked all the way from their home just to give Roe a gift. There was a skilfully prepared deer skin and a hunting knife in the basket. This was a very generous gift indeed. Too generous, Roe thought. The elders sent Roe and Bear to get some roots to eat with the meat that they would share for dinner. Obviously they wanted Bear and Roe to spend time alone together.


When the visitors had left Wolf sat down to speak with Roe. “Bear thinks that it’s too long to wait for the next meeting to be joined with you. He would like you to be joined already this autumn, and I cannot see any reason to delay.”

Roe looked down. “I don’t know if I really want to have Bear as my spouse at all”

Wolf lowered his eyebrows and looked as if he tried to understand such a strange statement. “You cannot expect to get a better husband. He’s an excellent hunter and strong. You’re old enough to start your own family.”

Roe knew that there was really nothing wrong at all with Bear. He was kind and skilful. He had only one fault, but that fault was very big… he was not Thorundur. As if he had heard her thoughts Wolf hesitated and said, “I should probably have talked with you about this a long time ago Roe, but I hope that you don’t have any fantasies about the elf. He can never be your husband.”

“Why?” Roe wished immediately that she had not asked. She had not meant to reveal her feelings about Thorundur.

“An elf can never be happy with one of our people and you would never be happy with an elf. They are different from us in many ways. Most importantly they are immortal. You will grow old while he will remain the same. The elf will never choose you. He will marry an Elven girl one day.”



Roe was hurt. She needed to be alone. Thorundur liked her. She was his best friend. Somehow it had to be possible to make him feel about her as she did about him. She couldn’t accept what Wolf had said. Her parents, Bear and his parents expected her to be joined with Bear before winter but her heart felt as if it would break when she thought about a life without Thorundur.


Thorundur had decided that he wanted a bear skin. I was early spring but he had seen fresh paw prints outside a male bear’s den and figured that the bear had wakened early. Roe thought that the idea to hunt a bear at this time of the year was stupid. It would be skinny and hungry but she had more important things on her mind and had not objected. Roe was walking in her own thoughts because she had decided that she would tell Thorundur about her feelings for him. It frightened her but she couldn’t see that she had much to loose anymore. Suddenly a deep roar broke the peacefulness and Roe realised that she had been unforgivable careless to get lost in her own thoughts like this.


Thorundur was running with an angry and wounded bear after him. His eyes were glowing, and there was a big smile on his lips. It was obvious that he was enjoying himself. Whatever strange plan Thorundur might have had to get himself a bear skin was ruined when he fell over a root.


The enraged bear rose on its hind legs. Thorundur was lying helpless on his stomach and Roe realised with horror that there was no chance in the world that she would be able to get to him in time. Her scream echoed in the forest.