It's a matter of perspective, I suppose. Sorry, where are my manners. My name is Ayen Wolfwood. I'm an elf of some repute and the village elder. Being an elf and an elder, that makes me quite old, doesn't it?..

Yes... Quite old...

I'm sorry to say it's been so long I lost count. After the first hundred or so, time loses a bit of its meaning. When I was younger I thought little of humans; fleeting things that they are. You glance away for a few decades and all the ones you knew are gone. I was foolish enough to think, "What could you possibly accomplish with such a short life?" Even worse, I was stupid enough to mutter such nonsense out loud...

As I mentioned, I'm quite old now. While I'm unsure of the exact count, I can feel the end nearing. Definately into my 700s at this point. All those years... It's most troubling that what little I remember of them has not left me wanting for regrets. Now that I'm near the end I realize all too well that the humans' short lifespan is actually of some benefit. It might even be one of their greater strengths. You see, I've accomplished almost nothing of note in all the years life has afforded me. 

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Yes... It's strange, isn't it?..

With the time I have left, decades I could count on my fingers with just one hand, I see it. I see the folly of longevity. You take tomorrow for granted when you have so many. You live like you'll never die and... Well... Time loses a bit of its meaning. Sorry, sorry. I've fallen into a habit of repeating myself as so many old people are want to do, but I digress. My point is that the oldest elves accomplish so much at the end. It's a bitter sweet irony. You never appreciate the time you have until you're running out of it. Perhaps that's why humans advance so quickly despite how little time each one of them has. It's certainly why I've squandered so much of my time...

But... What can I do with another thirty years?..

It's a matter of perspective, I suppose.