Властелин колец: Братство кольца
The Shadow of the Past
’Thatisasampleofhistalk.Idon’tsupposeyouwantanymore.Ihadwearydaysofit.ButfromhintsdroppedamongthesnarlsIevengatheredthathispaddingfeethadtakenhimatlasttoEsgaroth,andeventothestreetsofDale,listeningsecretlyandpeering.Well,thenewsofthegreateventswentfarandwideinWilderland,andmanyhadheardBilbo’snameandknewwherehecamefrom.WehadmadenosecretofourreturnjourneytohishomeintheWest.Gollum’ssharpearswouldsoonlearnwhathewanted.’
’Thenwhydidn’thetrackBilbofurther?’askedFrodo.’Whydidn’thecometotheShire?’
’Ah,’saidGandalf,’nowwecometoit.IthinkGollumtriedto.Hesetoutandcamebackwestward,asfarastheGreatRiver.Butthenheturnedaside.Hewasnotdauntedbythedistance,Iamsure.No,somethingelsedrewhimaway.Somyfriendsthink,thosethathuntedhimforme.
’TheWood-elvestrackedhimfirst,aneasytaskforthem,forhistrailwasstillfreshthen.ThroughMirkwoodandbackagainitledthem,thoughtheynevercaughthim.Thewoodwasfulloftherumourofhim,dreadfultalesevenamongbeastsandbirds.TheWoodmensaidthattherewassomenewterrorabroad,aghostthatdrankblood.Itclimbedtreestofindnests;itcreptintoholestofindtheyoung;itslippedthroughwindowstofindcradles.
’ButatthewesternedgeofMirkwoodthetrailturnedaway.ItwanderedoffsouthwardsandpassedoutoftheWood-elves’ken,andwaslost.AndthenImadeagreatmistake.Yes,Frodo,andnotthefirst;thoughIfearitmayprovetheworst.Iletthematterbe.Ilethimgo;forIhadmuchelsetothinkofatthattime,andIstilltrustedtheloreofSaruman.
