Division

He chuckled to himself over this last thought. What could a farmer boy like himself do to change an entire world? It was a rediculous thought that he may be able to change even a part of this wretched world.

"Dont think like that Jan," Abors voice came from the blue causing Jan to wonder if he had been thinking out loud again, "You can make a difference in this world as surely as anyone can, you just have to beleive in your reasons to do so, and have the courage to make the change that is needed." Abor leaned down from his mount and winked as if to imply that Jan had a stake in what was happening to Abor himself.

Jan stopped dead in his tracks, and stared at Abor. "How did you do that? I mean read my thoughts like that, how?"

Abor turned the horse about and it stood in front of Jan stamping its hoof, "Some Elves have the gift of insight, and the closer you are to someone, the clearer that someones thoughts can be read. I told you Jan, you are like a little brother to me, the only family i have ever had. Beleive me when I say that someday you will make a difference. And I beleive that you can make that difference." He led the horse forward and placed his hand on his friends shoulder, "We will meet again my friend, on that, you can stake your life." He smiled then and turned from Jan and set the horse to a gallop, and set out throught the valley and out of Jans life.

Jan stood staring after Abor for quite some time after he had left and just as the sun was passing from sight, he turned and headed home. His head ached from all that had be set out before him earlier and he puzzled over every tiny detail wondering if he'd ever be able to put it all together. When he reached the front gate to his home he paused, turned to the heart of the village and headed into town. As he walked he glanced into the houses he passed and wondered how many lives would be change by someone so insignificant as himself. Not too many he supposed noone would remember him after he had gone and noone would be the wiser to the occourences earlier tonight.

He reached the local pub and heard the same shouts and laughter he heard last night only tonight they seemed more hollow and empty than before. They almost sounded as if they were forced, as if death lay in wait just outside the valley and none wanted to let it takes its grip on their souls just yet, as if the drink and laughter could shroud them from the evil lurking just outside.

Jan passed throught the swinging doors and walked to the serving table. A few people recognized him and nodded to his presence, however most just kept on with their conversations and ignored him. He asked Stam, the owner, for an ale and Stam simply winked and set a full mug in front of him. He took a long draught from it as he turnd to the roaring fire and stared into the flames that licked and danced about the stone place.

He sat on his stool for along time just thinking and wondering what it all meant. What was the point of Abor telling him all those things? Wouldn't have been easier, and considerably safer, simply to say good-bye and be on his way, leaving Jan none the wiser and leaving the Elves that much safer? Jan shook his head wondering if the story of the Elves was even the truth. It was all so impossible to beleive. All of the nighttime stories that Jan had heard growing up from his father were true? No, that was just too much to take in and accept, too much for anyone too beleive without some sort of proof. He would have a hard time deciphering this, no matter how much proof he had. His only choice would be to sit and think it over and over again and try to come to some conclusive decision as to what was really happening.

As he sat in his deep thought, he had a vision of riders heading off to some great war, presumably to wage a battle on some terrible enemy. He could see the banners flying, the colors ablaze in the torch light of the setting sun. There were at least fifty of them racing throught the feilds and leaving a swath of broken land behind them. Animals scattered in front of their path as if from an approaching storm. It was such a vivid picture in his minds eye that he almost forgot where he was. Stam had placed another mug of ale in front of him while he sat in deep motionless thought. He registered the barkeep with a smile and took the ale.

Stam appeared as though he were about to ask a question when the glasses upon the shelf began to shake and rattle as remors ran through the tavern as if a thunderstorm was over the village and tormenting the whole of the town. The conversations dropped and all the heads in the bar turned to the doorway, as some souls stood and approached to see what on earth was causing the wall to shake so violently. Puzzled looks were exchanged throuoghout the room and uneasyness settled over them all like an early haze that settled over the valley every morning. Jan stood and walked to the doorway looking right and left to the questioning faces as he reached the doors. He stepped in front of the other patrons and out into the street. Of in the distance a rumble like thunder just barely reached his ears and he struggled to decipher as to what direction the noise was coming from. His eyes settled in a northwesterly direction as his keen eyes picked up a cloud of dust just at the edge of the valley. Horseman. It had to be, nothing else coould rattle the earth as severly as that. He squinted his eyes to try and see if he could make out a banner or the indiviual riders. But they were still too far to be seen clearly. Dusk was settling in and they would be in the village in a matter of minutes.

Suddenly Jan remembered his vision earlier and he searched the cloud more fervently too verify his thoughts, but the light was fading too fast and he could still see nothing of the details of the riders. Then, out of the corner of his eye, a shadow moved behind one of the buildings across the street. Three more followed. When he turned his head, he had just caught sight of the last, and the tunic he wore had the red and yellow pattern of Judiciary soliers.

** 4 **

Jan stood in the doorway, his thoughts spinning in his mind like a restless whirlwind sweeping across the plains gathering up everything in its path and scattering them to the four winds. He saw the soldiers and it were as though everything had turned colorless and blank, everything moving slowly so as to present every detail in agonizing reality. The other patrons had apparently not seen the four horseless soldiers hiding in the shadows and Jan was speechless to do anything about it. the horseman were still too far off in the distance to be recognized, but the villagers were taking a nervous stance as thoughts of the horsemans pourposes were dancing about the tiny tavern like spirits caught in a light breeze. Jan turned back into the tavern and walked steadily toward the back and dropped lifelessly into a chair near the fire. His brow wrinkled as he tried to put together the peices that were spread out before him like a puzzle. His eyes widened as he came to the startling conclusion that the soliers were not here for some measure of protection. His mind twisted and spun trying to comprehend why he was so convinced that this should be so. But there was no denying what the pit of his stomach was relaying to his mind, that there was some malevolent pourpose to the presence of Judiciary soldiers in such force approaching such a small bordertown as this.