THAT NIGHT WE MADE CAMP AND I LEARNED MORE ABOUT OTHELLO AND HIS PAST. "I SUDDENTLY FEEL NERVOUS," HE MUMBLED. I LAUGHED. "COME ON OTHELLO, YOU OFFERED! IT'S NOT I'M GOING TO JUDGE YOU." HE HEAVED A SIGH. "I KNOW, IT'S JUST THAT I'VE NEVER TOLD ANYONE THE WHOLE TRUTH BEFORE." HE CUPPED MY FACE IN HIS HAND. "OKAY, HERE IT GOES. I STARTED OUT AS A LITTLE BOY WITH BIG DREAMS. I TRAINED WITH MASTER SWORDSMEN AND COMBATANTS ALMOST CONSTANTLY. THEY ALL MADE SURE THAT I GOT MY SHARE OF BUMPS AND BRUISES, BUT I GOT BETTER BECAUSE OF EVERY HIT I TOOK. AS THOMAS EDISON SAID 'EVERY FAILURE IS AS VALUE TO ME AS A SUCCESS.' I WAS SOON THE BEST IN TRAINING, BEATING EVEN THE ONES WHO WERE SET TO MOVE OUT INTO THE WORLD. AT THIS POINT I WAS ABOUT TWENTY YEARS OF AGE. THE ONES LEAVING WERE ALL AROUND FIFTY. I WAS SIGNED ON TO THE ELVIN FIGHTING FORCE. I FOUGHT IN THE FORCE FOR TWO HUNDRED YEARS, AND SAW SUCH CARNAGE AND FIGHTING THAT YOU WOULDN'T BELIVE ME IF I TOLD YOU." OTHELLO PAUSEDTO SHUDDER. "ANOTHER QUOTE-'IT IS WELL THAT WAR IS TERRIBLE, OR WE WOULD GROW TOO FOND OF IT.' ROBERT E. LEE SAID THAT AND I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WITH IT. THE MOST HONORABLE GENERALS CAN TURN INTO BLOODTHIRSTY HOUNDS IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE. WHEN THEY FINALLY RELEASED ME I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. SO I WENT BACK TO CAMP TO TALK TO LILY. SHE ADVISED ME TO TAKE A GENTLER PATH. SO I TOOK A JOB IN A SMALL TOWN AS A STABLE MANAGER, I HAD ALWAYS TAKEN CARE OF THE HORSES IN THE FORCE SO IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME. BUT EVERYTHING TURNED OUT TO BE A MISTAKE. THE HUMANS IN TOWN WAS ALWAYS SCARED OF ME, OF MY ABILITIES. AS SOON AS I TOOK MANAGEMENT OF THE STABLE AND SUPPLIES THEY ALL STARTED BUYING FROM ANOTHER TOWN, EVEN THOUGH I MADE EVERYTHING AND PRACTICALLY GAVE IT ALL AWAY. THE ONLY EXEPTION WAS THIS ONE FAMILY. THEY WERE CALLED THE HUES. TEDDY AND HOLLIE HUE. THEY WERE A NICE HOMELY COUPLE. I BECAME CONNECTED TO THEM AND THAT WAS WHY THEY HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS. THE OTHER HUMANS SHUNNED THEM. THEY WOULD INVITE ME OVER TO THEIR HOUSE FOR LUNCH OR DINNER AND THE OTHER PEOPLE HATED THEM FOR IT, HATED THEM FOR WELCOMING SOMETHING ABNORMAL INTO THEIR 'REGULAR' SOCIETY. I DISREGARDED THEM, HATERS I CALLED THEM. I HANDELED THE HATERS WITH LAISSEZ-FAIRE, AND THAT WAS MY BIGGEST MISTAKE OF ALL. I DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION TO THE THREATS, BUT HOLLIE DID. ONE DAY I WAS ESCORTING HER TO THE MARKET WHEN A GROUP OF THE HATERS STARTED TRAILING ME AND TRIED TO PROVOKE ME. I JUST SHOOK IT OFF AS USUAL, BUT HOLLIE TURNED AROUND AND STARTED SHOUTING AT THEM TO 'SHUT THE HELL UP.' THE HATERS JUST KEPT ON, NOW INSULTING HER. NOW, KNOW THIS, I AM A VERY PRIDEFUL ELF. WHEN THEY STARTED TO DISH IT OUT TO HOLLIE I SNAPPED. 'DO YOU NOT HAVE ANYTHING BETTER TO DO THAN INSULT A LADY?' ONE OF THEM DREW HIS SWORD AND SAID 'YEAH, KILL A NO GOOD OUTSIDER LIKE YOU.' I PULLED OUT BOTH OF MINE AND LEPT ON HIM BEFORE HE COULD REACT. BEFORE THE OTHERS COULD DRAW THEIR SWORDS I CUT OFF HIS HEAD. SADLY, IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT THE MAYOR OF THE TOWN HAD WALKED BY AND SAW ME KILL THE MAN. SO IT WAS LEAVE OR BE HUNG. I HAD TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE HUES AND THE STABLE. I HAVE HAD LITTLE CONNECTIONS WITH ANY HUMAN UNTIL YOU, ARY. I WAS STUNNED TO SAY THE LEAST. I STARED INTO HIS EYES FOR A LONG TIME SAYING NOTHING. "I'M SORRY ABOUT ALL OF THAT. HUMANS CAN BE VERY HURTFUL. LIKE YOU, I HAVEN'T HAD VERY MANY HUMAN FRIENDS. THE CATS, DOGS, AND HORSES WERE MY ONLY FRIENDS. OTHELLO PULLED ME INTO HIS ARMS AND ONTO THE MINI BED. "I LOVE YOU ARY. NOW LETS GET TO SLEEP." "OKAY, SNUGGLE CLOSER."
