Roe waited in vain for the elves to show up. It was not until the third day after Aliendre had visited her that she saw Thorundur again. His blond hair bounced around his head, the most beautiful sight that Roe could imagine. She resisted her impulse to throw herself around his neck. To Roe’s disappointment the horse, Moonlight, didn’t accompany the elves because Aliendre was walking by foot. The dress that she was wearing looked very unpractical in the forest. Roe couldn’t understand why anyone would want to wear clothes like that. It must be extremely difficult to run after a deer or climb a tree with all that cloth around the legs. Aliendre smiled warmly when she saw Roe. “I’m so happy to see you again Roe.” Roe realized, slightly surprised, that she was happy to see Aliendre again.


But this day didn’t turn out to be as good as Roe had hoped. Thorundur’s behavior was strange. All his attention was directed towards Aliendre. Sometimes he didn’t ever hear what Roe said because he was following Aliendre with his eyes.


When they crossed a small stream Thorundur hurried to help Aliendre by offering his hand as support. Roe felt deeply annoyed whenThorundur ignored her and let her cross the stream by her own without any help.


But then she had to laugh when she pictured herself in Aliendre’s stupid white dress crossing a stream with the support of Thorundur’s strong arm.

“You look happy today Roe,” Aliendre said. Roe didn’t answer. She had thought that Aliendre was her friend but now she wasn’t even sure that she liked Aliendre very much. How hard could it be to cross a stream anyway?

The day got worse and Thorundur’s behavior more ridiculous. He smiled stupidly as soon as Aliendre turned her eyes towards him and seemed to forget completely about Roe. Aliendre did her best to include Roe in the conversations, but Roe didn’t have a good time at all. The elves talked about common acquaintances and other things that made Roe feel excluded.


“Thorundur is so fun, don’t you think?” Aliendre said. “He’s such a good friend. I really like him. He knows so much about the forest.”


“He has learned about the forest from me. I’m Thorundur’s best friend.” Roe said. She had to use all her self control to hide the rage that filled her when Aliendre looked at her with eyes filled with compassion. Roe was relieved when the elves had to return home early this day.


Next day Roe's heart was filled with joy when Thorundur showed up alone. “Aliendre had other things to do today,” he said.


At last it would be only her and Thorundur, like it should be. “What do you want to do today Thorundur? We can take a swim in the lake.”


Thorundur’s eyes seemed absent and were looking somewhere far away. He didn’t answer Roe’s question. Then he turned his head towards her and started to talk. ”Don’t you think that she’s beautiful, Roe? Do you think that she likes me? Has she said anything about me?”

“She said that she was angry when you behaved badly towards the human prince,” Roe said. She knew that this was not what Thorundur wanted to hear. If she had been nice she would have told Thorundur that Aliendre thought that he was fun to be with, but she didn’t want to be nice.


Thorundur looked down and bit his lip. “I know I should make an effort to behave better. From now on I will really do my best to behave like a normal elf. Roe you’re my sister and best friend and I need to tell you something.” He looked up and swallowed before he continued. “I think that I have fallen in love with Aliendre but she’s a princess and I’m just a common elf. Do you think that it would be possible that she could love me?”


The ground opened under Roe and she was falling. This couldn't be true! “You’re so stupid Thorundur, she screamed. Aliendre is not right for you!”

“You’re my best friend! I thought that you of all people would understand and support me Roe.” Tears filled the corners of his eyes.


Roe couldn’t take more. She had to get away. “Leave me alone stupid elf!” she screamed and turned her back to Thorundur. She ran through the forest with branches hitting against her face without noticing it. Through the noise in her head she could hear Thorundur calling her name but she kept running. She ran faster and faster but no matter how hard that she tried she couldn’t run away from her feelings.


When she finally returned home exhausted late that night her parents were very worried. “Thorundur was here looking for you, he waited until he had to return home. What has happened?” Roe only shook her head.

“Thorundur wanted us to tell you that he will go away with Aliendre for two weeks to visit some other Light elves. He really wanted to see you before he left.”


Next morning Roe got up early and went out into the forest just in case that Thorundur would show up at her home to say goodbye. She didn’t want to see him when she knew that she had lost him. Roe sat down. How could it be possible to feel so miserable? She was sure that she would never be happy again.


Roe closed her hand around her necklace as she often did when she had to think. The Mother had told her to listen to her heart. Her heart was screaming loudly. She tightened the grip around the necklace and closed her eyes. Yes, maybe there was something that she could do. Roe ignored the small voice within her that tried to hold her back. The mother had also said that her heart could delude her but Roe had already decided what she had to do. When Roe had set her mind on something she wasn’t going to let anything stop her. Now that she knew what she had to do there was no time to lose.