Властелин колец: Братство кольца
The Shadow of the Past
HeclutchedtheRinginhishand,asifhesawalreadydarkfingersstretchingouttoseizeit.
’Itwastakenfromhim,’saidGandalf.’ThestrengthoftheElvestoresisthimwasgreaterlongago;andnotallMenwereestrangedfromthem.TheMenofWesternessecametotheiraid.Thatisachapterofancienthistorywhichitmightbegoodtorecall;fortherewassorrowthentoo,andgatheringdark,butgreatvalour,andgreatdeedsthatwerenotwhollyvain.Oneday,perhaps,Iwilltellyouallthetale,oryoushallhearittoldinfullbyonewhoknowsitbest.
’Butforthemoment,sincemostofallyouneedtoknowhowthisthingcametoyou,andthatwillbetaleenough,thisisallthatIwillsay.ItwasGil-galad,Elven-kingandElendilofWesternessewhooverthrewSauron,thoughtheythemselvesperishedinthedeed;andIsildurElendil’ssoncuttheRingfromSauron’shandandtookitforhisown.ThenSauronwasvanquishedandhisspiritfledandwashiddenforlongyears,untilhisshadowtookshapeagaininMirkwood.
’ButtheRingwaslost.ItfellintotheGreatRiver,Anduin,andvanished.ForIsildurwasmarchingnorthalongtheeastbanksoftheRiver,andneartheGladdenFieldshewaswaylaidbytheOrcsoftheMountains,andalmostallhisfolkwereslain.Heleapedintothewaters,buttheRingslippedfromhisfingerasheswam,andthentheOrcssawhimandkilledhimwitharrows.’
Gandalfpaused.’AndthereinthedarkpoolsamidtheGladdenFields,’hesaid,’theRingpassedoutofknowledgeandlegend;andevensomuchofitshistoryisknownnowonlytoafew,andtheCounciloftheWisecoulddiscovernomore.ButatlastIcancarryonthestory,Ithink.
