Властелин колец: Возвращение короля
The Ride of the Rohirrim
YettonoheartinallthehostcameanyfearthattheWildMenwereunfaithful,strangeandunlovelythoughtheymightappear.
‘Weneednofurtherguidance,’saidElfhelm;‘forthereareridersinthehostwhohaveriddendowntoMundburgindaysofpeace.Iforone.Whenwecometotheroaditwillveersouth,andtherewillliebeforeusstillsevenleagueserewereachthewallofthetownlands.Alongmostofthatwaythereismuchgrassoneithersideoftheroad.Onthatstretchtheerrand-ridersofGondorreckonedtomaketheirgreatestspeed.Wemayrideitswiftlyandwithoutgreatrumour.’
‘Thensincewemustlookforfelldeedsandtheneedofallourstrength,’saidÉomer,‘Icounselthatwerestnow,andsetouthencebynight,andsotimeourgoingthatwecomeuponthefieldswhentomorrowisaslightasitwillbe,orwhenourlordgivesthesignal.’
Tothisthekingassented,andthecaptainsdeparted.ButsoonElfhelmreturned.‘Thescoutshavefoundnaughttoreportbeyondthegreywood,lord,’hesaid,‘savetwomenonly:twodeadmenandtwodeadhorses.’
‘Well?’saidÉomer.‘Whatofit?’
‘This,lord:theywereerrand-ridersofGondor;Hirgonwasonemaybe.AtleasthishandstillclaspedtheRedArrow,buthisheadwashewnoff.Andthisalso:itwouldseembythesignsthattheywerefleeingwestwardwhentheyfell.AsIreadit,theyfoundtheenemyalreadyontheout-wall,orassailingit,whentheyreturned-andthatwouldbetwonightsago,iftheyusedfreshhorsesfromtheposts,asistheirwont.
