Division

Jan sat back with a hurt look upon his face as though he were a scolded dog. What is it he wondered? what could be such a big deal that Abor would be wiling to up and leave all of a sudden? Just go off to wherever and abandon his belongings?

"This war I've told you about, this "Land War" as it is called, was not just a story for me. It wasn't passed down to me from my father or my grandfather." He leaned in close to Jan, his eyes widening and losing all of their former humour, "I was there Jan. I fought in that war."

It seemed at that very moment that even the animals outside hushed upon hearing this. Jans' mouth stoop agape and his eyes were the size of the full moon.

"Jan?"

Jans' head snapped up and their eyes met, "Thats impossible! Thats over five hundred years ago! Abor, you couldn't possibly have lived then! You'd have to be a... some sort of..."

With that Abor stood up and curled his long hair back, revealing his slightly pointed ears and a quick smile revealed what Jan had thought to be impossible.

An elf! Abor was an elf! But that too was impossible! The elves were nothing but fairy tales told to children as bedtime stories. How could this behemoth of a man be an elf? Jan had heard again and agian that elves were a small, frail people, with narrow pointed features. Graceful in every detail and more importantly, they were fictional or extinct. How could this be? Jan looked closer at the mans face. His features were slightly pointed, his jawline well defined, and his eyes slightly narrow but blue as the ocean. The beard! Of course! It was the beard that hid his features so that he appeared to be more human than elf. And of course the hair hid his ears. But what of his size? Abor had to weight at least two-hundred and sixty or better! He was a thick barrel chested man with two trees for legs.

"But youre so big! I always thought that elves were small people. How do you explain that?" Jan had a worried look in his eyes that said that all of a sudden all was not right in his world, something had come along and turned it all upside-down.

"A myth Jan. elves look almost identical to men, only better!" Abor chuckled with this last, "True though, I am quite large for an elf but my size is not unheard of even for my people."

"And you're five-hundred years old? How about that? Elves dont even live that long... or do they?"

The big man smiled again, it was a warm reassuring smile that comforted Jan. "No Jan, Elves dont live that long. I have been asleep for some time, as have my people. You see after the wars ended, the Elves saw the destruction that was wrought on the land from the bickering of two peoples. You see we had forgotten our charge with the care of the earth. We were so concerned with how mankind was treating the earth that we paid no mind of the damage that would be done with a war. All the death that flows from war, returns to the earth, in turn injuring the earth. After the wars were finished, there was no winner. Mankind claimed to have driven the elves to the four corners of the world. We however had seen the damage that we had help wrought and thought it best to cecede. To fall abck to our home in the forest and detatch ourselves from the dealings of mankind in order to allow the earth to heal itself."

"What kind of sleep lasts for five-hundred years?"

"In a moment Jan. First things first. Having gone back to our realm, there was no threat to the Elf-Queen and the royal family. No outsiders knew we existed and none could find us even if they did. I was a commander in the royal guard. We are the elite few that serve and protect the royal family, to our deaths. We are the highest trained soldiers in her majesties army and we serve only her. With no threat to the queen or the royal family it was deemed fit that we sleep until a time came when we, the elves, could live at peace with man or we, the royal guard, were needed to be protctors again. We were awoken a year ago. We were sent into the lands to learn what we could of man and wait until called upon. Last night, I was called upon, and I went swiftly to Tyrn to meet with my Commanders. We recived orders to return to our queen. And that is where i am going, to return to my queen."

Jan's face was flushed and pale, he could not beleive what he was hearing. How could all this be true? Elves, Queens, Royal Guards? He looked up into his friends eyes, "So now youre leaving? Just like that?"

"Yes Jan, just like that. It is my duty, i must," he knelt down on one knee in front of Jan and held him firmly by the shoulders, "Jan, you have been a friend to me when no one else would. For that i am forever in your debt. You made me feel at home when i was far from my home. I will remain forever grateful to you. But you must understand that what i told you must stay within the strictest of confidence between us. It must never get out that the elves are anywhere to be found, do you understand?"

Jan nodded yes that he did understand but so many questions were swirling through his mind that made this whole thing seem like some sort of twisted dream. He did not understand at all. Why wetre the elves summoning their Royal Guard? Why was it such a big secret that the elves were alive? And why was his friend telling him all of this only to leave him behind, here in the dark?

With that, Abor stood, he took Jans' hand and puled him to his feet. "Thank you Jan, for everthing. But I'd like to ask one last favor of you?"

Jan blinked, still bewildered at how his life was turned, and nodded.

"I could use some help loading up that horse out there, if you could spare the time." He grinned at Jan, hoping to ease some of his confusion and help ease the load off of Jans mind.

Jan smiled back in response. Whatever his state of mind might be, Abor was still his closest friend and Jan would never be able to turn him down.

** 3 **

After loading up the horse with the supplies that Abor would need for his trip to the Elven homeland, Jan walked him to the edge of town. The conversation was little more than idle frivolties that said nothing more than how uncomfortable the two men were with Abors departure. Jan simply walked along side of the stead and stared at his feet as they shufled through the dry earth, kicking up little clouds of dust. His mind was still realling with all that Abor had told him and realization had not yet settled into his mind that his friend was leaving, perhaps for good. Jan found himself wanting to go also, to leave this palid life behind and take up a new cause for life, a cause that might lead to something different that plowing feilds and maintaining cattle. Something that somewhere in time might make a difference and change the lives of people all across the lands. Perhaps even place his name in the histories as a hero rivaled only by the ancients of lore, The wizards and warriors, kings and queens that made the world all that it was today. Only the world wasn't all that special today, or at least not special enough to reflect the deeds of those that had long since passed in the battles of the histories. Maybe he could change all that! Maybe he could set right this crooked world and give the lands something to live for.