Perched high on the branch, Ewyn contemplated the tops of the other trees in the forest. This green world stretched out as far as the eye could see. His eyes must stay fixed on the north always on the north. It was his duty. To make sure that no enemy approached the elven village. To his left, however, he could make out the Crystal Mountains of Moonless Hollow in the misty light. He would have liked to have seen them more closely, but until they got to be his present age, Elves never left their forest. So poor Ewyn only knew the village and these endless trees. Green, always green. He thought of Celene, gone to celebrate the spring festival, discovering the plains and finally the town of Ripewood itself. What a marvel it must be!
-"Only three days" he said to himself. "Only three days and I can rejoin my love and finally see something else besides this forest. But for the moment the unfortunate young man was bored to death.
Now it was raining. The hours seemed endless. Ewyn stroked his crossbow. He would almost have welcomed an attack on the village just for the sake of something to do. Nothing. Nothing but the sound of the wind and the rain dripping down his back. Flashes of light split the clouds over the mountains of Moonless Hollow. High above the storm rumbled.
It was overcast now and yet the sky darkened still further. Now all the sounds of the forest fell silent. Even the rain seemed to stay suspended in the air. The darkness intensified. Then with a terrible rustling sound poor Ewyn saw surging towards him the most terrifying creature he could ever have imagined. A DRAGON!
With three beats of it's wings it was suddenly just above the poor boy, all alone faced with the giant beast. The dragon descended gently towards Ewyn, letting itself glide on the air currents. The elf's whole body shook." What can I do against that."
He remembered that the eyes are just about the only part of a dragon that are really vulnerable. The dragon seemed to float above him. It was almost immobile. It looked as if it was watching the village.
Ewyn notched a quarrel into his crossbow and aimed at the creature's head. But the poor boy, half dead with fear , didn't even strike the enormous beast. However it paused in it's inspection of the village and started to scan the trees in the direction of the young elf. Ewyn, panic stricken, grabbed his quiver and pulled out another quarrel. This time he would do better. It was the dragon or him.
He aimed at the head, then the eye, then the pupil, but suddenly it seemed to him that the dragon had spotted him and when he fired the shot was deviated by the wave of fear which rushed through him. The quarrel glanced of the monster's face and the dragon continued on it's way as if nothing had happened. Ewyn followed it with his eyes. It was heading due south. What was a dragon doing in these parts anyway ?
Now Ewyn found himself alone and terribly afraid. He wanted to look south to see if the enormous beast was coming back but his duty forbade it.
Soon Samyth appeared at the foot of the tree.
-"Hey Ewyn, still alive?
-"Yes but I thought my last hour had come" replied Ewyn
-"It's certain you had no chance against that monster. But apparently he has continued his journey southwards. I hope he doesn't attack our convoy or the human town of Ripewood. Ok, you're finished for the day. Go get some rest. You've done an excellent job today and I saw the speed with which you got off those two shots just then. The first was average but the second was a fine shot. Until tomorrow Ewyn"
-"Till tomorrow master"
Ewyn went quickly home and fell asleep almost at once. Worn out with impatience ( to be at the Spring festival), boredom ( the long day's wait) and fear ( that the dragon would come back or, worse still, attack the convoy in which his beloved travelled), his sleep was justifiably troubled.
At the same time :
Ewyn (chapter 2)