Властелин колец: Братство кольца
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony
‘Weathertop?’saidSam.‘What’sthat?’
‘Itisahill,justtothenorthoftheRoad,abouthalfwayfromheretoRivendell.Itcommandsawideviewallround;andthereweshallhaveachancetolookaboutus.Gandalfwillmakeforthatpoint,ifhefollowsus.AfterWeathertopourjourneywillbecomemoredifficult,andweshallhavetochoosebetweenvariousdangers.’
‘WhendidyoulastseeGandalf?’askedFrodo.‘Doyouknowwhereheis,orwhatheisdoing?’
Striderlookedgrave.‘Idonotknow,’hesaid.‘Icamewestwithhiminthespring.IhaveoftenkeptwatchonthebordersoftheShireinthelastfewyears,whenhewasbusyelsewhere.Heseldomleftitunguarded.WelastmetonthefirstofMay:atSarnForddowntheBrandywine.Hetoldmethathisbusinesswithyouhadgonewell,andthatyouwouldbestartingforRivendellinthelastweekofSeptember.AsIknewhewasatyourside,Iwentawayonajourneyofmyown.Andthathasprovedill;forplainlysomenewsreachedhim,andIwasnotathandtohelp.
‘Iamtroubled,forthefirsttimesinceIhaveknownhim.Weshouldhavehadmessages,evenifhecouldnotcomehimself.WhenIreturned,manydaysago,Iheardtheillnews.ThetidingshadgonefarandwidethatGandalfwasmissingandthehorsemenhadbeenseen.ItwastheElven-folkofGildorthattoldmethis;andlatertheytoldmethatyouhadleftyourhome;buttherewasnonewsofyourleavingBuckland.IhavebeenwatchingtheEastRoadanxiously.’
