Властелин колец: Две башни
The King of the Golden Hall
Followingthewindingwayupthegreenshouldersofthehills,theycameatlasttothewidewind-sweptwallsandthegatesofEdoras.
Theresatmanymeninbrightmail,whosprangatoncetotheirfeetandbarredthewaywithspears.’Stay,strangershereunknown!’theycriedinthetongueoftheRiddermark,demandingthenamesanderrandofthestrangers.Wonderwasintheireyesbutlittlefriendliness;andtheylookeddarklyuponGandalf.
’WelldoIunderstandyourspeech,’heansweredinthesamelanguage;’yetfewstrangersdoso.WhythendoyounotspeakintheCommonTongue,asisthecustomintheWest,ifyouwishtobeanswered?’
’ItisthewillofThéodenKingthatnoneshouldenterhisgates,savethosewhoknowourtongueandareourfriends,’repliedoneoftheguards.’Nonearewelcomehereindaysofwarbutourownfolk,andthosethatcomefromMundburginthelandofGondor.Whoareyouthatcomeheedlessovertheplainthusstrangelyclad,ridinghorsesliketoourownhorses?Longhavewekeptguardhere,andwehavewatchedyoufromafar.Neverhaveweseenotherriderssostrange,noranyhorsemoreproudthanisoneofthesethatbearyou.HeisOneoftheMearas,unlessoureyesarecheatedbysomespell.Say,areyounotawizard,somespyfromSaruman,orphantomsofhiscraft?Speaknowandbeswift!’
’Wearenophantoms,’saidAragorn,’nordoyoureyescheatyou.Forindeedtheseareyourownhorsesthatweride,asyouknewwellareyouasked,Iguess.Butseldomdoesthiefridehometothestable.
