Властелин колец: Две башни
Helm’s Deep
ThentheDeeping-stream,swollenbytherain,churnedandfrettedinitschokedpath,andspreadslowlyincoldpoolsfromclifftocliff.
’Itwillbedrierabove,’saidGimli.’Come,Gamling,letusseehowthingsgoonthewall!’
HeclimbedupandfoundLegolasbesideAragornandÉomer.Theelfwaswhettinghislongknife.Therewasforawhilealullintheassault,sincetheattempttobreakinthroughtheculverthadbeenfoiled.
’Twenty-one!’saidGimli.
’Good!’saidLegolas.’Butmycountisnowtwodozen.Ithasbeenknife-workuphere.’
ÉomerandAragornleantwearilyontheirswords.AwayontheleftthecrashandclamourofthebattleontheRockroseloudagain.ButtheHornburgstillheldfast,likeanislandinthesea.Itsgateslayinruin;butoverthebarricadeofbeamsandstoneswithinnoenemyasyethadpassed.
Aragornlookedatthepalestars,andatthemoon,nowslopingbehindthewesternhillsthatenclosedthevalley.’Thisisanightaslongasyears,’hesaid.’Howlongwillthedaytarry?’
’Dawnisnotfaroff,’saidGamling,whohadnowclimbedupbesidehim.’Butdawnwillnothelpus,Ifear.’
’Yetdawniseverthehopeofmen,’saidAragorn.
’ButthesecreaturesofIsengard,thesehalf-orcsandgoblin-menthatthefoulcraftofSarumanhasbred,theywillnotquailatthesun,’saidGamling.’Andneitherwillthewildmenofthehills.Doyounotheartheirvoices?’
’Ihearthem,’saidÉomer;’buttheyareonlythescreamofbirdsandthebellowingofbeaststomyears.’
