Властелин колец: Две башни
The Riders of Rohan
’Shallwerestbynight,orshallwegoonwhileourwillandstrengthhold?’
’Unlessourenemiesrestalso,theywillleaveusfarbehind,ifwestaytosleep.’saidLegolas.’SurelyevenOrcsmustpauseonthemarch?’saidGimli.’SeldomwillOrcsjourneyintheopenunderthesun.yetthesehavedoneso,’saidLegolas.’Certainlytheywillnotrestbynight.’
’Butifwewalkbynight,wecannotfollowtheirtrail,’saidGimli.
’Thetrailisstraight,andturnsneitherrightnorleft,asfarasmyeyescansee,’saidLegolas.
’Maybe,Icouldleadyouatguessinthedarknessandholdtotheline,’saidAragorn;’butifwestrayed,ortheyturnedaside,thenwhenlightcametheremightbelongdelaybeforethetrailwasfoundagain.’
’Andthereisthisalso,’saidGimli:’onlybydaycanweseeifanytracksleadaway.Ifaprisonershouldescape,orifoneshouldbecarriedoff,eastward,say,totheGreatRiver,towardsMordor,wemightpassthesignsandneverknowit.’
’Thatistrue,’saidAragorn.’ButifIreadthesignsbackyonderrightly,theOrcsoftheWhiteHandprevailed,andthewholecompanyisnowboundforIsengard.Theirpresentcoursebearsmeout.’
’Yetitwouldberashtobesureoftheircounsels,’saidGimli.’Andwhatofescape?Inthedarkweshouldhavepassedthesignsthatledyoutothebrooch.’
’TheOrcswillbedoublyontheirguardsincethen,andtheprisonersevenwearier,’saidLegolas.’Therewillbenoescapeagain,ifwedonotcontriveit.
