Властелин колец: Братство кольца
A Journey in the Dark
Therewasnosoundbutthesoundoftheirownfeet;thedullstumpofGimli’sdwarf-boots;theheavytreadofBoromir;thelightstepofLegolas;thesoft,scarce-heardpatterofhobbit-feet;andinthereartheslowfirmfootfallsofAragornwithhislongstride.Whentheyhaltedforamomenttheyheardnothingatall,unlessitwereoccasionallyafainttrickleanddripofunseenwater.YetFrodobegantohear,ortoimaginethatheheard,somethingelse:likethefaintfallofsoftbarefeet.Itwasneverloudenough,ornearenough,forhimtofeelcertainthatheheardit;butonceithadstarteditneverstopped,whiletheCompanywasmoving.Butitwasnotanecho,forwhentheyhalteditpatteredonforalittleallbyitself,andthengrewstill.
ItwasafternightfallwhentheyhadenteredtheMines.Theyhadbeengoingforseveralhourswithonlybriefhalts,whenGandalfcametohisfirstseriouscheck.Beforehimstoodawidedarkarchopeningintothreepassages:allledinthesamegeneraldirection,eastwards;buttheleft-handpassageplungeddown,whiletheright-handclimbedup,andthemiddlewayseemedtorunon,smoothandlevelbutverynarrow.
"Ihavenomemoryofthisplaceatall!"saidGandalf,standinguncertainlyunderthearch.Hehelduphisstaffinthehopeoffindingsomemarksorinscriptionthatmighthelphischoice;butnothingofthekindwastobeseen."Iamtoowearytodecide,"hesaid,shakinghishead."AndIexpectthatyouareallaswearyasIam,orwearier.
