Властелин колец: Братство кольца
The Old Forest
Thesunonthehil-lopwasnowgettinghot.Itmusthavebeenabouteleveno’clock;buttheautumnhazestillpreventedthemfromseeingmuchinotherdirections.InthewesttheycouldnotmakeouteitherthelineoftheHedgeorthevaleyoftheBrandywinebeyondit.
Northward,wheretheylookedmosthopefuly,theycouldseenothingthatmightbethelineofthegreatEastRoad,forwhichtheyweremaking.Theywereonanislandinaseaoftrees,andthehorizonwasveiled.
Onthesouth-easternsidethegroundfellverysteeply,asiftheslopesofthehillwerecontinuedfardownunderthetrees,likeisland-shoresthatrealyarethesidesofamountainrisingoutofdeepwaters.Theysatonthegreenedgeandlookedoutoverthewoodsbelowthem,whiletheyatetheirmid-daymeal.Asthesunroseandpassednoontheyglimpsedfaroffintheeastthegrey-greenlinesoftheDownsthatlaybeyondtheOldForestonthatside.Thatcheeredthemgreatly;foritwasgoodtoseeasightofanythingbeyondthewood’sborders,thoughtheydidnotmeantogothatway,iftheycouldhelpit:theBarrow-downshadassinisterareputationinhobbit-legendastheForestitself.
Atlengththeymadeuptheirmindstogoonagain.Thepaththathadbroughtthemtothehillreappearedonthenorthwardside;buttheyhadnotfoloweditfarbeforetheybecameawarethatitwasbendingsteadilytotheright.SoonitbegantodescendrapidlyandtheyguessedthatitmustactualybeheadingtowardstheWithywindlevaley:notatallthedirectiontheywishedlotake.Aftersomediscussiontheydecidedtoleavethismisleadingpathandstrikenorthward;foralthoughtheyhadnotbeenabletoseeitfromthehil-top,theRoadmustliethatway,anditcouldnotbemanymilesoff.
