A shaft of early golden light fell across his face; he tasted its sweet beauty with his spirit and drank it in. His hammock swung gently, and the green leaves about him quivered and danced ever so quietly and lightly. Birds� lilting songs danced through the air and fell like silver raindrops on his ears. Aldamir wished that it could always be as it had; that the darkness had never returned.
But as an Elf, he had the wisdom to know that such a thing could never be.
Breaking out of his reverie, he roused himself and leapt lightly out of his hammock. �Good morning, Lindir!� he called merrily.
Lindir swung out of his hammock as well. �Good morning, Aldamir!�
�Come,� said Aldamir. �Shall we watch the dawn from S�rment�?�
Lindir assented, and the two made their way to the point. They were joined there by Haldir; he too meant to watch the sun rise up from the East. In his hand he carried his quiver; he was cleaning and re-polishing it. He sat down next to Aldamir and Lindir and the three watched the magnificent panorama spread out beneath them slowly gain life and light as the sun rose.
None spoke as the dawn gained brightness; words were useless in the face of such beauty. They watched in silence as the light crept out from the East, and as it slowly destroyed the long shadows and crept further towards Lorien. Then it burst over the horizon and the three Elves were bathed in its golden light. Quiet, gilded peace reigned.
A soft sigh from Haldir broke the silence. �Alas that we cannot always
stay here.�
Aldamir and Lindir were silent, not really wanting to think of such things.
Haldir looked up from his quiver and studied the eastern sky. �Have we enough bows and arrows to withstand an attack?�
Aldamir glanced at him quickly. �I have finished mine, and Lindir and I are working on arrows. Why? Do you fear an attack sometime soon?�
Haldir nodded. �The Dark One�s power is growing; it will not be long now until he strikes.�
�But he will not strike us immediately,� said Lindir. �He will strike Gondor first.�
�And then he will attack Rohan, and later us,� replied Haldir. �He will not be satisfied until all of Middle-earth is under his black hand.�
�But there is still hope,� pointed out Lindir. �He does not possess the One. Without it he cannot overpower us. And if it is destroyed, he is also.�
�Yet how long can the Fellowship keep it hidden from him? I trust that Frodo will fulfill his mission, but Sauron will not wait to find the Ring before he releases his forces. We must be ready, for I fear that he will attack soon.�
�If he attacks, how long do you think we can hold out against him?� asked Aldamir.
�I do not know how vicious his attack will be,� answered Haldir. �But there is a strong power in the Golden Wood, and it will take a great deal of his own power to break us. I do not think he can; not for a while, anyway.�
Lindir gazed wistfully back into the forest lying near them. �And we will have no choice but to leave this earth,� he said softly. �If he wins, we must leave, if indeed we can before he kills us; yet even if the shadow is thrown down, we cannot stay."