Властелин колец: Братство кольца
The Great River
Unlesstheweatherchangesoncemoreandcheatsus,weshallhaveagoodchanceofslippingthrough,unseenbyanyeyesontheeasternshore.Buttonighttwomustwatchtogetherinturns:threehoursoffandoneonguard."
Nothinghappenedthatnightworsethanabriefdrizzleofrainanhourbeforedawn.Assoonasitwasfullylighttheystarted.Alreadythefogwasthinning.Theykeptascloseastheycouldtothewesternside,andtheycouldseethedimshapesofthelowcliffsrisingeverhigher,shadowywallswiththeirfeetinthehurryingriver.Inthemid-morningthecloudsdrewdownlower,anditbegantorainheavily.Theydrewtheskin-coversovertheirboatstopreventthemfrombeingflooded,anddriftedon:littlecouldbeseenbeforethemoraboutthemthroughthegreyfallingcurtains.
Therain,however,didnotlastlong.Slowlytheskyabovegrewlighter,andthensuddenlythecloudsbroke,andtheirdraggledfringestrailedawaynorthwarduptheRiver.Thefogsandmistsweregone.Beforethetravellerslayawideravine,withgreatrockysidestowhichclung,uponshelvesandinnarrowcrevices,afewthrawntrees.ThechannelgrewnarrowerandtheRiverswifter.Nowtheywerespeedingalongwithlittlehopeofstoppingorturning,whatevertheymightmeetahead.Overthemwasalaneofpale-bluesky,aroundthemthedarkovershadowedRiver,andbeforethemblack,shuttingoutthesun,thehillsofEmynMuil,inwhichnoopeningcouldbeseen.
