Властелин колец: Возвращение короля
The Siege of Gondor
Menthatsawthemwhisperedsaying:‘Beliketheoldtalesspeakwell;thereisElvishbloodintheveinsofthatfolk,forthepeopleofNimrodeldweltinthatlandoncelongago.’AndthenonewouldsingamidthegloomsomestavesoftheLayofNimrodel,orothersongsoftheValeofAnduinoutofvanishedyears.
Andyet-whentheyhadgone,theshadowsclosedonmenagain,andtheirheartswentcold,andthevalourofGondorwitheredintoash.Andsoslowlytheypassedoutofadimdayoffearsintothedarknessofadesperatenight.FiresnowrageduncheckedinthefirstcircleoftheCity,andthegarrisonupontheouterwallwasalreadyinmanyplacescutofffromretreat.Butthefaithfulwhoremainedthereattheirpostswerefew;mosthadfledbeyondthesecondgate.
FarbehindthebattletheRiverhadbeenswiftlybridged,andalldaymoreforceandgearofwarhadpouredacross.Nowatlastinthemiddlenighttheassaultwasloosed.Thevanguardpassedthroughthetrenchesoffirebymanydeviouspathsthathadbeenleftbetweenthem.Ontheycame,recklessoftheirlossastheyapproached,stillbunchedandherded,withintherangeofbowmenonthewall.Butindeedthereweretoofewnowlefttheretodothemgreatdamage,thoughthelightofthefiresshowedupmanyamarkforarchersofsuchskillasGondoroncehadboasted.ThenperceivingthatthevalouroftheCitywasalreadybeatendown,thehiddenCaptainputforthhisstrength.Slowlythegreatsiege-towersbuiltinOsgiliathrolledforwardthroughthedark.
