Lindir too was at the River-point, for Galadriel had assigned him to Haldir�s company, and it was that company that now took the eastern side. Here, where the Golden Woods came to an end, it became a wilder sort of land; mallorns still grew there in abundance, but across the river, out of L�rien, it became a wild, rocky landscape. Between the two strong rivers, the River-point rose high and majestic above the waters, a tall, steep-sided promontory. Its sides, though steep, were not impossible to scale; a strong, agile Elf with keen eyes and a good sense of balance would be able to make his way up with some difficulty.
Behind S�rment�, in the mallorns, the Elves had also built flets; simple ones high in the branches, hidden away among the leaves. Aldamir had hung a hammock in one leafy corner for himself; Lindir had also done so in a nook near to Aldamir�s. Here the Elf would lie and gaze up through the grey branches laden with bright, green leaves to the sky where stars twinkled at night and the sun shone in the day.
Aldamir and Lindir, at the moment, stood on the point�s end, contemplating the wild landscape spread out below their feet. Beneath them the rapid water rushed into swirling eddies and splashed over rocks before continuing further on its course. The thunder of the water was not deafening like a great waterfall; rather, a quieter, gentler sound of rushing water. A fresh breeze blew softly through the hair of the two Elves.
�This is fantastic,� murmured Lindir, gazing about.
�It�s truly magnificent,� answered Aldamir. �Look, you can almost see
Mirkwood from here...no, that is Mirkwood, isn�t it?�
Lindir followed his raised arm towards the East; there, just on the edges of the horizon, lay a long, shadowy dark green strip. �I believe it is,� said Lindir, surprised.
�They say you can see Sarn Gebir from here, but that, I�m afraid, is an exaggeration,� said Aldamir, looking south.�
Lindir squinted, gazing hard in the same direction. �No, you can�t really,� he said. �But I think I can almost see Fangorn � or is that just a cloud.�
Aldamir looked to the south. �It�s too far -- I can�t tell,� he said. �But Lindir, what say you to a little archery practice? I need to test the bow I�ve just finished.�
�Certainly!�
The two found a dead pine which would work well for a target; halfway up its height a small round patch of lichen grew which would serve for a center.
Aldamir strung the new bow carefully as Lindir readied his own; both had a quiver of long, slim grey arrows slung over their shoulders. Before he shot, Aldamir tested the string carefully, drawing it back and holding it near his ear, and then carefully letting it out again, holding it all the while. It would be damaging to the bow if he just let go of the string and let it spring back.
�It�s a fine bow,� said Lindir admiringly, watching Aldamir�s moves.
�Aye, it turned out better than I expected,� was Aldamir�s reply as he checked its length for any sign of weakness. �I believe it will serve well for a long time.�
�Ready?� asked Lindir.
�Yes � fire away,� answered his friend.
Flicking an arrow to the string Lindir drew it back and let it go with one swift, fluid motion. It landed with a thwack in the patch of lichen, barely a quarter-inch from the center.
�Close, my friend!� said Aldamir merrily, and let his arrow fly. It landed above Lindir�s; close to but not quite in the center. The bow shot well; its springing strength satisfied Aldamir.
�Better,� said Lindir, and once more drew back and fired. This time the arrow landed squarely in the middle.
Aldamir�s eyes twinkled. �Shall I split your arrow for you, Lindir?� he asked.
Lindir laughed. �I�m sure you can, but if you please, don�t. We�ll be needing every single arrow when it comes to battles.�
Aldamir inclined his head. �True. I�ll leave it whole, to sometime find its way to an orc�s black heart....provided you aim well!�
With that he released his second arrow and it thudded into the wood right next to Lindir�s, so that the wood of the two rubbed against each other.
�Good shot!�
The two Elves spent much of the what remained of the day outdoing each other in archery feats. First Aldamir would shoot several arrows into the shape of a star; then Lindir would make a crescent moon with his. Aldamir would make a tight cross; Lindir would fire his off into a circle around it, or Lindir would carefully shoot his into a slithering line like a snake; Aldamir�s response would be a perfectly made triangle.
And so the day went, until at last the sun dropped low in the sky and set the western horizon afire with a glowing blend of bright, vivid purple, red and orange. Then Aldamir and Lindir ended their friendly contest, and betook themselves to their flet. There, laying aside their weapons, they swung into their hammocks and relaxed, drawing their cloaks close about themselves and losing themselves in the glorious, lofty beauty of a dark, star-studded night-sky in which a silver crescent swung low.