Властелин колец: Братство кольца
A Knife in the Dark
Alongthecrestoftheridgethehobbitscouldseewhatlookedtobetheremainsofgreen-grownwallsanddikes,andinthecleftstherestillstoodtheruinsofoldworksofstone.Bynighttheyhadreachedthefeetofthewestwardslopes,andtheretheycamped.ItwasthenightofthefifthofOctober,andtheyweresixdaysoutfromBree.
Inthemorningtheyfound,forthefirsttimesincetheyhadlefttheChetwood,atrackplaintosee.Theyturnedrightandfolloweditsouthwards.Itrancunningly,takingalinethatseemedchosensoastokeepasmuchhiddenaspossiblefromtheview,bothofthehill-topsaboveandoftheflatstothewest.Itdivedintodells,andhuggedsteepbanks;andwhereitpassedoverflatterandmoreopengroundoneithersideofittherewerelinesoflargebouldersandhewnstonesthatscreenedthetravellersalmostlikeahedge.
‘Iwonderwhomadethispath,andwhatfor,’saidMerry,astheywalkedalongoneoftheseavenues,wherethestoneswereunusuallylargeandcloselyset.‘IamnotsurethatIlikeit:ithasa–well,ratherabarrow-wightishlook.IsthereanybarrowonWeathertop?’
‘No.ThereisnobarrowonWeathertop,noronanyofthesehills,’answeredStrider.‘TheMenoftheWestdidnotlivehere;thoughintheirlatterdaystheydefendedthehillsforawhileagainsttheevilthatcameoutofAngmar.Thispathwasmadetoservethefortsalongthewalls.Butlongbefore,inthefirstdaysoftheNorthKingdom,theybuiltagreatwatch-toweronWeathertop,AmonSûltheycalledit.
