Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven: The Knife in the Dark

As they were getting ready to go to bed at Bree's inn, Buckland was in darkness, and a mist lingered over the valley and the banks.The house in the valley was silent.Little Chubby Borg opened the door cautiously and peeked out.He felt uneasy all day long and couldn't sleep, as if some kind of threat was waiting in the frozen night sky.While he was peeking out, a black shadow moved silently under the tree, and the door seemed to open and close silently by his own will.He felt terribly frightened.He shrank back, shaking in the living room.Finally, with difficulty, he locked the door. The night gradually darkened.There was a low sound of horseshoes outside the door.They stopped outside the door, and three dark shadows walked in quietly.One stood in front of the door, and the other two stood on both sides, motionless like the shadow of a rock, despite the passing of time.The house and the old shaking tree seemed to be waiting.

Something moved in the leaves, and in the distance a rooster crowed.The coldest moment before dawn has passed.The figure by the door began to move.In the starless and moonless darkness, a blade gleamed like a beam of light unsheathed.There was a low but heavy knock on the door, and the whole door began to shake. "In the name of Mordor you open the door!" a thin voice threatened. With only a second knock, the door fell, flying sawdust, and the lock snapped in two.The black shadow floated in quickly. At that instant, a horn sounded from among the nearby bushes.The piercing sound cut through the silent night like a sharp knife.

wake up!Be alert!Misfire!There are enemies!wake up! * Chubby Borg is not stupid.As soon as he saw the dark shadows slipping into the garden, he knew that he would die if he didn't escape this time.Without hesitation he ran out the back door, across the garden, and out the door.When he reached the nearest house, a mile away, he collapsed out of breath. "No, no, no!" he cried. "Not me! Not in my hands!" It took a while for people to figure out what he was muttering.At last they guessed that an enemy had invaded Buckland, probably monsters from the Old Wood.Then, they didn't waste any time.

＊Be alert!Misfire!There are enemies! * Members of the Brewbuck Clan blew the Buckland siren, which hadn't sounded for a hundred years since the White Wolf invaded during the winter when the Brew River froze. ＊Wake up!wake up! * Other horns began to answer in the distance.The siren began to spread around. Those dark shadows came out of the house.One of them left a hobbit cloak at the door as he left.The sound of horseshoes gradually turned into a gallop, rushing into the darkness with a thunderous force.Sirens sounded all around the valley, and there was the sound of running and people calling each other.But the black knight still ran towards the north gate unaffected like a strong wind.Let the little ones blow the horn!Sauron will take care of them later.They had another task: they were already sure that the house was empty, and the Ring was gone.They rushed past the guards at the door and disappeared into the Shire like a nightmare.

Frodo awoke suddenly from his sleep, as if some voice had awakened him.He saw Strider still sitting on the chair with bright eyes, staring at the fire that was flourishing under his care; but he did not take any warning action. Frodo soon fell asleep again, but this time the dream was full of strong winds and running hooves.A strong wind seemed to surround the house, trying to uproot it; and he could hear the clamor of horns in the distance.He opened his eyes and heard a rooster crowing in the yard.Pedestrian opened the window sill, and pushed open the blinds with a bang.The dawn of the sky has already shone in, and a gust of cold wind blows in from the window.

As soon as Strider woke everyone up, he immediately led them to the bedroom.When they saw the misery in the room, they couldn't help but be glad that they had accepted his advice.The windows were pried open, the window sills were flying in the morning wind, the beds were messed up, the sheets and blankets were torn into pieces and thrown all over the floor. Shenxingke immediately called the shopkeeper.Poor Buttercup looked sleepy, startled and frightened.He hadn't closed his eyes (that's how he said it) most of the night, but he didn't hear a sound. "I've never encountered such a thing in my life!" He waved his hands in horror. "Guests can't sleep on the bed, the room has been messed up! What's going on here?"

"It's a dark omen," said Strider. "But at least you'll have a moment of peace now that we're gone. We'll be leaving right away. Never mind the breakfast, we'll just stand and eat and drink as we please. We'll be gone in a few minutes." Buttercup hurried out to see if the horses were ready, and brought them some food.However, he soon returned angrily.The ponies were all gone.The stable doors were opened in the middle of the night, and all the horses were gone.Not just Merry's ponies, but all the livestock kept there were gone. The bad news made it almost impossible for Frodo to walk.How could they have reached Rivendell on foot, pursued by horsemen?It would be faster to go directly to the moon.Strider looked at the four hobbits silently, as if evaluating their strength and courage.

"There's no way the ponies will keep us out of these steeds," he said at last, as if guessing what Frodo was thinking. "The way I'm going doesn't make much difference between walking and riding. I was going on foot anyway. My worries are about food and equipment. We can't get food between here and Rivendell, You can only carry supplies by yourself. And we must bring more, because we may be delayed or forced to detour. How much luggage can you carry?" "As much as you want," said Pippin heavily, but he still managed to pretend he was a hero. "I can carry two," Sam said firmly.

"Is there no other way, Mr Buttercup?" asked Frodo. "Can we get a few ponies from the village? Or even just one to carry luggage? I don't think we can hire them, but we might be able to buy them," he added hesitantly. Not sure if I can afford it. "Not very likely," said the store owner sullenly. "The few rideable ponies in Bree that were kept in my stables are all gone now. As for the rest of the camels, whether cart-horses or ponies, they are in Bree. It's very rare. Even if it exists, there's no way it's going to be sold. I'll do my best to figure it out. I'll wake up Bob right away and send him to look for it."

"Okay," Strider said reluctantly. "You'd better figure it out quickly. I'm afraid we'll need at least one pony this time to carry our luggage. We're done with our plan to leave quietly in the dark! It's like beating a gong and a drum to let everyone know! I think it must have been planned by them." "The only reassuring thing," Merry said, "is that at least we can sit down and have a good breakfast. Let's go find Norbert!" In the end, their trip was delayed by more than three hours.Bob reported that there were no nearby horses willing to lend or sell.There's just one exception: Bill Fern has a mount up for grabs. "That poor skinny horse is starving," said Bob. "If I'm right, Old Bill will take the opportunity to triple the price when he sees your plight."

"Bill?" said Frodo. "Could it be some sort of trap? Could the horses he's selling run back with packs, or even assist someone else in following us?" "Maybe," said Strider. "But I can't really imagine any animal leaving him and wanting to go back. I think it's just Bill's pettiness: he wants to make as much profit as he can. The main danger is that the horse might be dying .Forget it. I don't think we have much choice. How much is he asking for?" Bill's price was twelve silver pieces; it was indeed more than three times the price.The pony was indeed a scrawny, malnourished, listless animal, but at least it didn't look like it was going to die anytime soon.Mr. Buttercup paid the money out of his own pocket, and gave Merry another eighteen silver pieces to make up for the other lost ponies.He was an honest tradesman, and his reputation in Bree was not bad; but thirty silver pieces was still a heavy blow to him, made worse by the fact that the money had been cheated out of him by Black Bill. In fact, good people get rewarded in the end.It wasn't long before they discovered that only one horse had actually been stolen.The others were driven away, or fled in panic.They were subsequently found in various places around Bree.Merry's ponies make their move together, and finally run back to the Downs to find the fat redneck.So they had a good time under Tom's care.But when Tom heard of Bree's condition, he sent the ponies to Butterburr.So Buttercup bought five good horses at a pretty good price.Of course, they were hard work at Breed, but Bob was nice to them.Therefore, on the whole, they were lucky enough to avoid a dark and dangerous journey. The only pity was that they didn't have the opportunity to visit Rivendell. But that's all for later.Butterfly now only knew that he had lost a great deal of money.And he has other worries.As soon as the residents in the hotel heard what happened last night, they immediately became noisy.Several tourists from the south also lost several horses, and immediately blamed the shopkeeper loudly.Later, they discovered that a famous companion had also disappeared: the squinting man who went in and out with Bill and acted furtively.Soon, they became suspicious of this man. "It was you who were traveling with a horse thief and brought him into my shop," Buttercup said angrily. "You should bear all the losses yourself, instead of yelling at me. Ask Bill where your good friend is!" After a while of questioning, it turned out that no one knew him at all, and no one remembered what he was. It's time to start walking with everyone. After breakfast, the hobbit had to repack and gather more supplies for the long journey ahead.It was nearly ten o'clock when they finally set off.At that time, the whole Bree was as lively as a pot of boiling hot water.The trick of Frodo's mysterious disappearance, the appearance of the black knight, the robbery of the stables, and the stalker joining the ranks of the hobbits.This mass of exciting news has indeed become a legend in Bree for many years.Most of the residents of Bree and Stadow, and many even spectators from Archet and Comby, gathered on both sides of the road to see them off.Every guest in the hotel peeked into this rare and lively scene from the room. The Strider changed his mind and decided to leave Bree by the Highroad.Going off into the wilderness right away as planned would only make matters worse.Most of Bree's inhabitants would probably follow them, making it impossible for them to hide. They said goodbye to Noble and Bob, and even thanked Mr. Butterbur. "I hope we can meet again at a better time in the future. I sincerely hope that I can rest in peace in your hotel for a while." They were depressed and took steps under the watchful eyes of everyone.Not everyone looked kindly, but not everyone glared either.Most of Bree's inhabitants seemed to be in awe of the Strider, and most of the inhabitants who received his glare shut their mouths and stepped aside.He went before Frodo, and behind him came Merry and Pippin.Sam went last, leading the pony.It carried most of the luggage hobbits could bear to put down.However, even with heavy steps, it seemed to have become more energetic, as if it thought it had finally changed its luck.Sam was nibbling an apple thoughtfully.He carried a sack full of apples that Norbert and Bob had given him. "Apples for walks, and pipes for breaks," he said. "I think I might miss those two things a lot in the near future." The hobbits ignored the prying eyes around the doors.But, as they approached the gate, Frodo noticed a ruined house hidden behind a high wall, and it was the last of the row of houses.He caught a fleeting glimpse of a squinting evil face in the window. "So that southerner is hiding here!" he thought. "He looks like he's a bit of a half-orc." Inside the wall, there was another person standing upright.He has two bushy eyebrows, a pair of tricky black eyes, and a big mouth with a contemptuous smile.He was smoking a short black pipe.As they approached, he removed his pipe and spat. "Good morning, long-legged man!" he said. "Leaving so early? Have you finally found a friend?" Shenxingke nodded, but did not answer. "Good morning, kids!" he said to the others. "I guess you know who you're walking with? That poor and white wanderer! Heh, I've heard worse nicknames. Be careful tonight! And you, Boy Sam, don't Abuse my poor pony! Bah!" He spat again. Sam's response was very quick. "Bill," he said, "get that ugly face away, or you'll get hurt." With a flash of his hand, an apple flew out, right on Bill's big nose.After he squatted down in pain, vicious curses came from behind the wall. "I wasted a good apple," Sam said regretfully as he walked forward. They easily walked out of the village under unexpected obstacles.The children and troublemakers who followed them were also tired from walking, and turned back to the south gate one after another.Even when no one was watching, they continued on the road for miles to hide.The road then turned to the left, rounded the foot of Bree Hill, returned to its eastward direction, and entered wooded moors.To their left they could see the houses of Stadow and the hobbit's burrow, which happened to lie on the gentler southeastern slope of Bree Hill.Looking to the north, there is a deep valley with a few wisps of cooking smoke in it, which must be the village of Compi; Archie is hidden in the woods further away. The party continued along the road for some time, until the outline of Bree Hill was completely out of their minds; then a narrow path to the north appeared before them. "From here on, we're going to avoid the main roads and keep a low profile," said Strider. "Hopefully it's not some 'shortcut'," Pippin said. "The last time we took a shortcut through the forest we almost got screwed." "Ah, you weren't with me then," Strider said with a smile. "Whether the road I choose is long or short, there will be no problem." He carefully looked at the surrounding environment, and there was no sign of people on the road.He immediately led the crowd towards a valley with lush forests. Although the hobbits knew little of the neighboring districts, they could guess his plan so far.He was going to go to Archie first, then cross the village from the west, and then drive as straight as possible towards Wind and Cloud Hill.If all goes well, they can avoid a big bend in the road this way.Of course, the reason why the road was detoured was to avoid the weak water swamp; since they didn't want to detour, they had to pass through the swamp.The Striker's description of the swamp is really unreassuring. So far, at least, the journey has been pleasant.If it wasn't for the accident last night, their mood would even be better than ever before.The sun was shining brightly, but it didn't make people sweat profusely.The trees in the valley are still full of leaves of various colors, giving people a sense of peace and calm.The Strider led them confidently through many side roads; if Frodo and others were to come by themselves, they might have lost their way.Godwalker deliberately chose a roundabout path, trying to get rid of possible pursuers. "Bill will definitely watch our entrance off the road," he said, "but I don't think he'll be able to follow in himself. He knows the neighborhood well enough, but he knows he can't compete with me in the woods. My concern is that he will pass the information on to others. I think these people should not be far away. Let them think that our target is Achette, which is better for us." Whether it is because of Strider's skills or other reasons , they found no trace of any living things that day.It doesn't matter if they are two-legged or birds and beasts; at most, there are only foxes and a few squirrels running in front of them.The next day they made steady progress toward the east, and everything remained as calm as before.On the third day they left Bree at last and entered the Chet Forest.Since they left the road, the terrain has continued to decline.At this time they came to a wide and low level ground, and it was even more difficult to advance.They had moved far from the area of ​​Bree, into the wilderness without any roads, and were getting closer and closer to the Weakwater Marsh. The ground began to get wet slowly, and there were even foul-smelling pools in some places, and there were many chirping wild birds hidden in the crooked reeds and rushes.They have to pay careful attention to their feet so that they can keep their direction without getting stuck in the mud.Things start off pretty well, but as time goes by, their pace slows down and their surroundings become more and more dangerous.The swamp itself is so wild that not even a ranger can find any consistent path here.Gnats and all kinds of small insects attacked in groups, and they were surrounded by swarms of mosquitoes. These guys mercilessly crawled into their necklines, sleeves and hair. "I'm about to be bitten to death!" cried Pippin. "It's still a weak water swamp! It should be called a mosquito swamp at all!" "How did they live when there were no hobbits to bite?" Sam complained, scratching his neck. They spent the day in the goddamn place.The place where they camped that night was wet and cold, and the hungry mosquitoes were even more reluctant to let them have a good rest.There were also strange insects that seemed to be a wicked variety of crickets infested the grass, and they sang *nil-nil* all night long, driving the hobbits mad. On the fourth day, the situation was better, but the situation after nightfall was still difficult to sleep.The niklokni bugs (named for them by Sam) didn't follow, but the damned mosquitoes still came after them. So Frodo lay on the ground, aching all over, but unable to sleep; suddenly, a bright light came from afar in the eastern sky.It blinks several times.Strangely enough, it's not dawn yet. "What kind of light is that?" he asked the walker.The other party had already stood up vigilantly, looking into the distance. "I don't know," replied Strider. "It's too far away to see. It looks like lightning is erupting from the top of the mountain." Frodo lay down again, and for a long time he could still see white lights shining across the sky.Shenxingke didn't say a word, and looked at the spectacle with a solemn expression.It was a long time before Frodo forced himself to sleep. On the fifth day they escaped the swamp without going very far.The terrain slowly began to rise again.Silhouettes of hills can be seen not far to the east.The highest hill is on the far right, and seems to keep some distance from the other hills.The hill was bathed in sunlight, as if it had been crowned with a shining crown. "That's Weathertop," Strider said. "The ancient trail we left earlier passes a short distance south of the hill. If we go straight toward it, we should arrive by noon tomorrow. We'd better not delay." "What do you mean?" asked Frodo. "I mean: When we go up to Weathertop, we don't know what to expect. It's very close to the road." "But, we should be able to meet Gandalf over there, right?" "It's possible, but not very likely. If he came this way, he probably wouldn't need to pass Bree at all, and of course it would be impossible to know what we were doing. That is, unless we were lucky enough to arrive at that place at the same time." or we will probably miss each other. Neither he nor we should wait there for too long, it's too unsafe. If the black knights didn't find us on the road, they should also rush to Weathertop The view there is the best nearby. Even birds and beasts can see our whereabouts standing there. And some birds are the eyes and ears of other forces, and some more evil spies haunt the wilderness.” The hobbit looked at the distant hills with trepidation.Sam looked up at the pale sky, worried that he might see a falcon or bird of prey glaring at them unfriendly. "Striker, your words make me feel scared and lonely!" he said. "What do you suggest we do?" asked Frodo. "I think," Pilgrim answered slowly, pondering the situation in front of him; he didn't seem quite sure what to do either. "I think the best way is to go as far east as possible, aiming at other hills, not Wind and Cloud Hill. We can go around the hill from there, and approach Wind and Cloud Top in a relatively stealthy way from the north. Let's come back and take a closer look around." They traveled for another day, until the slightly cold evening came early.The whole land seemed drier and more inhospitable, but mist hung over the swamp behind it.A few solitary birds wailed desolately, watching a round of red sun slowly sinking into the horizon.A silence fell over the land.The hobbits began to miss watching the lovely sunsets from the Bag End windows. At last they came to a stream that ran from the hills into the fetid swamp.While there was still light in the sky, they followed the river bank as far as they could.It was quite dark when they finally camped under the alder trees by the river.In the darkness they could vaguely see the bare outlines of the hills ahead.That night they chose a person to watch the night, and that person was a wanderer who never seemed to sleep.A crescent moon casts a cold gray light on the earth. The next morning, they set off as soon as it was light.The air was heavy with last night's frost, and the sky was a pale blue.The hobbits felt refreshed, for last night's sleep had been undisturbed for a rare occasion.They had already begun to get used to this rush; if they were still in the Shire area, they might not even be able to walk.Pippin declares that Frodo looks more like a hobbit than ever. "It is queer," said Frodo, tightening his girdle, "and I have actually lost quite a bit of weight. I hope I don't go on so thin, or I might turn into a ghost." "Don't make fun of this!" Shenxingke unexpectedly warned everyone in a very serious tone.The hills are getting closer.They formed a towering barrier, a thousand feet high at the highest point, and low enough for winding paths to pass through, to the east.Along the foot of the mountain, the group saw many walls and ditches covered with green vegetation, and there were many ancient stone ruins in the valley.At night they reached at last the foot of the western slope, and camped there.It was the evening of the fifth of October, and they had been out of Bree for six days. It was only in the morning that they found the first obvious path since leaving Cheet Forest.They turned right and followed the road south.The road bends and turns ingeniously, deliberately avoiding sight from the forest and the top of the mountain.It burrows into small valleys and follows cliffs; the few flat areas lined with stones, large and small, hide the traveler like a fence. "I don't know who built this road and for what purpose," Merry couldn't help asking as the group walked through the boulder area. "I think it's kind of weird. It's kind of— kind of a tomb wight kind of thing. Are there tombs on Weathertop?" "No. There are no ancient tombs on Weathertop nor on these hills," replied the Strider. "The royal family of the West did not live here; however, they used the hills as a line of defense against the evil forces of Angmar in the later period. This trail was a transportation line for the mountain fortress. However, before that, the northern kingdom was just created. when they built a tall watchtower on Weathertop. They called it Amon Sul. But it was burnt down, and only a wall remained, like a crude crown on the hill On the hill. However, it was once a tall and majestic building. It is said that the Emperor Elendil once guarded Gilgalad, the leader of the elves, waiting for him to join the final alliance between humans and elves." The hobbit looked at the strider.This person is not only a master of survival in the wild, but also has a lot of research on ancient history. "Who is Gilgalad?" Merry asked.But Godwalker didn't answer, and seemed to be stuck in the memory of the past.Suddenly, a voice whispered: Gil-galad is the king of the elves. And the harp mourns his death: Only his country is beautiful and free Stretching from the ocean to the verdant hills. His sword cuts iron like mud, his spear is invincible, His shining helmet is seen from afar; Countless stars haunt the firmament All reflected on his silver shield shining.Long ago he rode away, No one knows what happened to him afterwards; Beyond the Shore of Mordor Die the stars into darkness. * (Annotation 1) Everyone else turned their heads in surprise, because it was Sam's voice. "Go ahead!" Merry said. "That's all I know," Sam stammered, blushing. "I learned that from Mr. Bilbo when I was little. He used to tell me stories about it, because he knew I liked elves best. That's why he taught me how to read. Old Mr. Bilbo is a great reader, He also wrote poems. I just read his poems." "He didn't write the poem," said Walker. "It's a poem called *The Fall of Gilgalad*, written in the Old Tongue. It must have been Bilbo's translation, for I never heard that version." "There's a lot more," said Sam, "all about Mordor. I didn't recite the ones because it gave me goosebumps. I never thought I'd go there!" "To Mordor!" cried Pippin. "Hope we don't end up like this!" "Don't shout that name!" said Strider. It was noon as they approached the southern end of the trail, and before them was a gray-green bank bathed in the pale October sun.It leads like a bridge to the north slope of the hill.Everyone decided to seize the light of the sky and attack the summit immediately.Now that they can no longer cover their tracks, they can only hope that no enemies or spies are watching them.There was nothing moving on the nearby hills.Even if Gandalf was near, they found no trace of it. On the west slope of Weathertop they found a sheltered hollow with a grassy bottom.Sam and Pippin remained there with the ponies and their luggage.The other three continued on.After half an hour of climbing, Shenxingke easily reached the top.Merry and Frodo followed, panting.The last section of the slope is steep and rugged. Sure enough, there are traces of stone buildings on the top of the mountain, covered with green grass accumulated over the years.There is a pile of broken rocks in the middle of the stone circle.They were scorched black in appearance, as if they had been roasted by a fire.The grass near the stone pile was all burned, and the grass in the stone circle was all withered and scorched, as if a fire from heaven fell on the stone circle.There are no other traces around. The three of them stood by the stone circle and found that they could indeed see the scene of the four fields.Most of the area is a featureless grassland, with sparse forests occasionally interspersed in the south, and some reflections on the water surface further away.The ancient road passed through the south side of their feet like a ribbon, and extended to the east in a zigzag way.There is nothing moving on the road.Looking east along the road, they saw the Misty Mountains.The nearer hills were yellow and dead, and behind them were tall gray silhouettes, and behind them were white peaks that shone among the clouds. "Phew, it's finally here!" Merry said. "It looks like a mess here! No water, no shelter. And no sign of Gandalf. If he has been this way, I don't blame him for staying." "Not necessarily," the traveler looked around thoughtfully. "Even if he got to Bree a day or two after us, he'd probably be here first. If necessary, he's riding at full force, which is amazing." He looked down suddenly at the top of the stone pile. of a rock.The rock was flatter and cleaner than the others; it seemed to have escaped the flames of the hill.He picked up the stone and examined it carefully, turning it over and over. "Somebody touched the rock recently," he said. "Can you see what these marks mean?" Frodo saw some scratches on the bottom of the stone. "It looked like one stroke, one point, and then three strokes," he said. "The scratch on the left is probably a rune representing Gandalf's initials, but the three strokes next to it are unclear," said Strider. "Though I can't be sure, it's possible that this is Gandalf's plan left behind. The scratches are fine, and it doesn't look like much time has passed. But the meaning of these marks may be completely different from what we guessed, a little bit like us. It doesn't matter. Rangers use runes too, and they pass here often." "Suppose it was Gandalf's, what would it mean?" asked Merry. "My inference," replied the Strider, "is that this stands for 'Gamsan'; that is to say, Gandalf was here on the third of October, about three days ago. This also suggests that he must have been here at that time. Too much haste or danger to leave a more obvious, or clearer message. If so, we need to be on our toes." "I wish there was some way of ascertaining that it was he who left it, and the content is not important," said Frodo. "Whether he's in front or behind, it's a lot more reassuring to know he's on his way." "Perhaps," said Strider. "From my point of view, I believe he has been here before, in danger. There are burn marks here, and I just suddenly thought of the strange light from the night three days ago. I guess he was attacked on the top of the mountain, but the final result I have no way of knowing. He is no longer here, and we must rely on our own strength to reach Rivendell as soon as possible.” "How far is Rivendell?" Merry looked around wearily.Looking from Fengyunding, the sky and the earth become very wide. "A day's walk east from Bree, there is the Inn of Oblivion. I wonder if anyone has ever measured the length of the ancient road from there," replied the Strider. "Some say it's very long, and some say the opposite. This road has a long history, and people don't care so much as long as they can reach their destination. I just know how long it will take me to walk from here, in the weather Twelve days, in good and unforeseen circumstances, from here to Brunan's Ferry, where the Highway crosses the Noisy River from Rivendell. two weeks." "Two weeks!" said Frodo. "A lot can happen in between." "Indeed," said Strider. They stood silently at the southern end of the hill.In this place that seemed to be cut off from everything, Frodo really realized for the first time the meaning of desperation and danger.He regretted that fate had taken him away from the lovely Shire.He stared down the goddamn avenue, all the way to the west where his hometown was.He suddenly found two black shadows on the avenue slowly heading west, and when he looked closely, he found three other black spots heading west to join them.He let out a low cry, and tightly grasped the arm of Shenxingke. "Look," he pointed down. Immediately the Striker lay down on the ground, and then pulled Frodo down.Meili squatted down alertly. "What's going on?" he asked in a low voice. "I'm not sure, but I have to prepare for the worst," Strider replied. They slowly raised their heads and looked out through the gap between the stone circles.The sky was getting dark, and the clouds drifting from the east covered the sun that was setting in the west.All three could see the shadows, but neither Merry nor Frodo could see their exact forms.However, there was a feeling that told them that those black shadows were the black knights who had been chasing after them. "That's right," the sharp eyes of Godwalker confirmed everyone's worries. "The enemy is approaching!" They leaned away carefully and walked down the north slope, trying to join their companions.Sam and Pippin were not idle either.They took the time to explore the surrounding area.They found a clear mountain spring not far away, and there were footprints left in the last day or two nearby.The pair also found signs of campfires and hastily camped in the pit.There were a few fallen rocks at the edge of the hole, and behind them Sam found some neatly stacked firewood. "I wonder if Gandalf has been here," he said to Pippin. "Judging from the way the firewood is piled up, this man has a plan to come back." 神行客对这发现大感兴趣。「我刚刚真该留下来亲自检查这块区域，」他边说边迫不及待的走到山泉旁检查脚印。 「果然和我担心的一样，」他走回来说。「山姆和皮聘踩乱了该处的脚印，现在变得难以分辨。最近有其他的游侠来过此处，是他们留下这些柴火的。不过，附近也有几个不是游侠的足迹。至少有一组是在一两天之前由沈重的靴子所造成的。至少有一组。我不太能够确定，但我觉得该处有许多穿靴子的脚印。」他停了片刻，双眉紧锁的思考著。 哈比人脑中全都不约而同的浮现了披著披风、穿著靴子的骑士身影。如果那些骑士已经来过这里，神行客最好赶快带他们走。山姆一听到敌人就在几哩外的地方，马上开始用厌恶的眼神打量著这个坑洞。 「神行客先生，我们是不是应该尽快离开？」他不耐烦的问道。「天色已经晚了，我不喜欢这个地方；它让我觉得很不安心。」 「没错，我们必须要马上决定该怎么做，」神行客抬头打量著天色和气候。「这么说吧，山姆，」他最后说，「我也不喜欢这个地方。但是我实在想不出来在天黑之前能够赶到什么别的地方去。至少我们可以暂时在这里躲一躲，如果我们离开这里，反而更容易被敌人的耳目发现。我们现在唯一的选择只剩下退回之前所走的路，那里的风险和待在这边一样大。大道一定正被人严密的监视，但如果我们要往南走，藉著该处的地形隐匿行踪，我们就一定得经过大道才行。大道的北边，靠这座山丘的地方一连好几哩都是平坦毫无遮掩的。」 「这些骑士们看得见吗？」梅里说。「我是说，平常他们似乎好像都用鼻子闻，不用眼睛看。至少我感觉在白天的时候是这样。可是，当你发现他们的时候，却立刻叫我们趴下来，而且你现在还说如果我们贸然行动，可能会被发现。」 「我在山顶的时候太大意了，」神行客说。「我当时一心只想要找到甘道夫留下的痕迹，可是，我们三个人一起站在山顶那么久的时间实在太显眼了。黑骑士的马看得见，我们在布理学到的教训告诉我们，黑骑士可以指使人类和其它的动物来当他们的耳目。他们观看白昼的方式和我们不同。我们的身影会让他们看见独特的影子，只有正午的太阳才能消弭。而他们在黑暗中可以看见我们所不知道的许多痕迹和形体：那时才是我们最该害怕的时候。在任何时候，他们都可以闻到生物的血肉，这让他们又渴望、又痛恨。除了鼻子和眼睛之外，他们还有其他的感官。我们一来这边，就可以感觉到他们的存在，因为他们会让我们觉得不对劲。而他们可以更清楚的感觉到我们。除此之外，」他压低声音说，「魔戒会吸引他们。」 「难道我们真的无路可逃了吗？」佛罗多慌乱的看著四周。「我一动就会被发现和追杀！如果我留下来，还会吸引他们过来！」 神行客拍拍他的肩膀说。「一切都还有希望，」他说。「你并不孤独。我们可以把这里准备好的柴火当做前人给我们的暗示。这里没有什么遮蔽或掩护，但火焰可以身兼两角。索伦可以将一切用在邪恶之途上，火焰也不例外。但这些骑士不喜欢火焰，也会畏惧那些手持火焰的人。在荒野中，火焰是我们的朋友。」 「或许吧，」山姆嘀咕道。「除了大喊大叫之外，这也是另一个告诉别人『我们在这里』的好方法。」 他们在这坑洞最低、最不起眼的地方升起了营火，开始准备晚餐。夜色渐渐降临，气温越来越低。他们突然间感觉到饥肠辘辘，因为自从早餐之后他们就什么都没吃了。不过，受限于环境，他们只敢草草的准备晚餐。前方的路上只有飞禽走兽，是个人烟罕至的恐怖地方。偶尔会有游侠经过那块平原，但他们人数不多，更不会久留。其它的旅客更少，但可能更邪恶。食人妖有时会在迷雾山脉的北边山谷中出没。少数的旅客都只会取道大路，而这些大多数都是自顾自赶路的矮人，对陌生的过客不理不睬。 「这些食物要怎么撑到目的地？」佛罗多说。「我们过去几天一直省吃俭用，这顿饭也不例外；但我们已经吃掉了比计画要多的食物。如果我们还必须旅行两星期以上，这铁定不够的。」 「世界上还有其他的食物，」神行客说，「莓子、植物的根、药草，有必要的话我也可以狩猎。在冬天来临之前，你们不需要担心饿肚子的问题。不过，收集食物很累又很耗时，我们不能在这上面浪费时间。请勒紧裤袋，好好想想到爱隆那边要怎么大吃大喝吧！」 气温持续的降低，天色越来越暗。他们从这个凹坑往外看，只能看见灰蒙蒙的大地逐渐消失在黑暗中。夜空慢慢出现了星斗。佛罗多和伙伴们瑟缩在营火前，披著所有的毯子和衣服。神行客则是照旧只披著斗篷，坐得远远的，若有所思的抽著烟斗。 到了晚上，夜色降临之后，火光开始成了唯一的照明。神行客开始讲故事，希望降低大家的不安。他知道很多许久以前精灵和人类的历史和传奇，更知道很多远古的善恶事迹。他们有些好奇他的年纪到底多大了，又是从那边学到这么多知识的。 「告诉我们吉尔加拉德的故事，」当他讲完精灵王国的故事时，梅里突然插嘴道。「你知道比你之前说的还多的事情吗？」 「我知道，」神行客回答。「佛罗多也知道，因为这和我们的命运息息相关。」梅里和皮聘转头看著佛罗多，后者一言不发的瞪著营火。 「我只知道甘道夫告诉我的那部分，」佛罗多缓缓说。「吉尔加拉德是中土世界最后一名伟大的精灵国王。吉尔加拉德在他们的语言中是星光的意思。他和精灵之友伊兰迪尔一起进入─」 「不行！」神行客插嘴道，「当魔王的仆从就在附近时，我们最好不要讲述这个故事。如果我们能够到达爱隆的住所，你们就应该可以听到完整的故事。」 「那么再告诉我们一些古代的故事嘛！」山姆恳求道。「告诉我一些在精灵迁徙之前的故事。我好想要多听一些关于精灵的传说，这可以帮助我抵抗黑暗。」 「我说个提努维儿的故事好了，」」神行客说，「不过，我只能说个经过简化的版本。因为这个故事原先很长，结局则是无人知晓，而且除了爱隆之外也没有人能够记得真正的传说到底是怎么叙述的。这是个很美的故事，却又有些哀伤，就如同中土世界的所有传说一样。但它依旧可以让你们觉得精神一振。」他沈默了片刻，接著柔声吟唱起来： 树叶蓬勃，青草翠绿， 一望无际的芦苇活力如风， 草原上有耀眼的光芒来去， 暗影中的星辰闪耀， 提努维儿神采飞扬的舞动， 循那隐形的风笛乐曲， 星光在她的秀发中闪动， 华美的衣物上流光晶皓。 来自冰冷高山的贝伦驾到， 他在绿叶的森林中迷路， 孤单的漫步哀悼， 在那精灵长河的沿岸。 他向著无边的芦苇问路， 却看见黄金的花朵舞蹈， 在那美女的披风华服， 漆黑的秀发如同影闇。 魔力医好他疲惫的身心， 他注定要在山间林边漫游； 勇敢的向前满腹欢欣， 抓向那满地月光。 穿越精灵乡之林木山头， 美丽的女子巧笑闪身， 只剩他依旧孤单的苦苦哀求 处身在那寂静的森林一方。 他听见了女王逃窜的声响， 轻盈如同落叶一般， 或像地底琼音旁徨， 在隐匿的谷地中颤声唱。 芦苇早已枯萎斑斑， 一声声的叹气忧伤 低声萦绕在那山毛榉的好梦正酣。 在萧瑟的树林里留下无尽惆怅。 他为了伊人四野流浪， 踏遍了地角和天涯， 沐浴在月影和星光 经历过暴雪和霜冰， 望见她的披风挂月牙， 彷佛就在那遥远的山冈， 她舞动著七彩的云霞， 伴随著她的身影迎风升。 当冬日渡过，她又再度出现， 她的歌谣释放了美丽的春晓， 如同飞舞的云雀和那雨露均沾， 融化的冰霜低语， 精灵的花朵年少 在她的脚边一现，医好了他的苦恋 聆听久候的歌声及舞蹈， 在那翠绿的草地上看著窈窕淑女。 她又再度转身奔逃，但这次他不肯轻饶。 提努维儿！提努维儿！ 他叫著她的精灵名号； 让她停下脚步回望。 片刻间，魔法的力量攫住美丽的人儿， 贝伦的声音穿破喧闹， 末日从此降临，只因她灵巧的双耳， 在他的臂弯，是流著泪的绝望。 贝伦看著她的双眸， 掩盖在她秀发的阴影中， 是那天际颤动的星光恳求， 他看见镜中的倒影摇曳。 提努维儿是精灵中的星斗； 永生的精灵情锺， 漆黑的秀发绕著他缠扭， 臂膀中有著恋人的甜蜜。 命运无情的拆散两位， 相隔著冰冷的高山峻岭， 穿越钢铁厅堂和黑暗守卫， 踏入幽暗密林和无边沼泽。 大海也无法分隔情牵梦仍， 但他们最后终能相守无畏 隐入那无尽美梦， 永不后悔这唯一选择。 * 神行客叹了口气，继续道：「这是首歌，」他说，「这是以精灵们称之为安─坦那斯的格律来颂唱的歌谣，它一三六句对韵，二五七句对韵，四八句对韵；以通用语是极难翻译的，这只不过是极为粗浅的模仿而已。这诗歌叙述的是巴拉汉之子贝伦和露西安?提努维儿的故事。贝伦是个凡人，但露西安却是远古时的精灵国王庭葛之女。她的美色放眼世上无任何生物能与之相比。她的美丽就如同北地迷雾中的星光，而她的面孔更是隐隐透露出柔和的光芒。那时还是天魔王肆虐的世代，魔多的索伦不过只是他的奴仆。天魔王居住在北方的安格班，西方精灵渡海回到中土讨伐天魔王，为了夺回他所偷走的精灵美钻，人类的始祖也基于义愤协助精灵作战。但天魔王杀死了巴拉汉，贝伦历经艰难险阻，才从惊怖山脉逃进奈朵拉斯森林中庭葛的秘密王国。他在那里见到了于魔法之河爱斯卡督印旁唱歌起舞的露西安。惊为天人之下他将她取名为提努维儿，那是古语中的夜莺。他们之后共同经历了许多磨难，分隔了很长的一段时间。提努维儿将贝伦从索伦的地牢中救出，在九死一生之后，两人携手击败了天魔王。从他的铁王冠上取下了三枚精灵宝钻中最美丽的一枚，作为献给岳父的礼物。但最后贝伦却死在安格班的恶狼之手，在提努维儿的臂弯中过世。接著，她舍弃了永生，选择追随贝伦而去。根据歌谣的内容，他们又在海的另一边再度会面，再度回到翠绿的森林中。之后，他们携手生活了很长的一段时间，最后脱离了这世界的束缚。精灵中唯一如此死亡的只有露西安?提努维儿。她的子嗣依旧还存活在这世界上，据说她的血脉永远不会断绝。瑞文戴尔的爱隆就是她的子孙。因为贝伦和提努维儿生下了迪奥?庭葛的继承人。他的名字叫埃兰迪尔，娶了白羽爱尔温。最后，精灵宝钻被镶嵌在他的眉心，让他驾著巨舰航入苍穹。埃兰迪尔和爱尔温生下了努曼诺尔的国王，也就是西方皇族之始。」 当神行客在述说著这一切时，他们看著他被火光照红的脸颊，注意到他脸上激动的表情。他的双眼发亮，声音充满了感情。他的头上是一片黑暗的天空。突然间，一道苍白的光芒从风云顶之上照下。新月已爬上了山丘，遮掩了原先隐约的星光。 故事结束了。哈比人们站起来伸展手脚。「看哪！」梅里说。「月亮升起来了：时候一定不早了。」 其它人跟著抬起头。在此同时，他们看见山顶上有黑色的轮廓沐浴在月光下。这可能只是一块刚好座落在该处的大石因苍白的月光而显得格外突出。 山姆和梅里站了起来，走到火光外。佛罗多和皮聘依旧在营火前沈思。神行客专注的看著山坡上的月光。一切似乎都十分平静。但佛罗多觉得神行客一说完故事，就有股冰冷的恐惧爬上心头。他又往营火靠近了些。就在那时，山姆从坑洞的边缘跑了回来。 「我不确定那是什么，」他说，「可是我突然间觉得非常不安。不管给我多少钱我都不愿意走出去，我觉得有东西沿著山坡爬上来。」 「你看见了什么吗？」佛罗多一跃而起。 「不，大人。我什么都没看见，也不敢多做停留。」 「我看见了某种东西，」梅里说，「我觉得在西边山顶，月光照著的地方，好像有两三个黑影朝著这边过来。」 「靠近营火，脸孔朝外！」神行客大喊著。「捡些长棍备用！」 他们就这样背对著营火，提心吊胆的坐著，仔细打量著眼前的黑暗。什么事都没有。夜色一片沈寂，没有任何的声响。佛罗多动了动，他快按捺不住，想要大吼发泄这压力。 「嘘！」神行客警告道。「那是什么？」同一时间皮聘惊呼道。 在这个坑洞的边缘，靠近山坡之处，他们感觉有道阴影升起。他们使尽眼力看去，似乎觉得那阴影正在增长。很快的，他们就不再怀疑：三个还是四个的高大身影就站在斜坡上，低头看著他们。他们黑暗的身体彷佛想要将一切吸入一般。佛罗多可以听见恶毒的嘶嘶声和感到刺骨的寒意。接著，那黑影开始缓缓的前进。 梅里和皮聘害怕的不能动弹，只能趴在地上动也不动。山姆紧靠著佛罗多。佛罗多并没有好到哪里去：他全身剧烈的颤抖，但那恐惧却突然间被戴上魔戒的欲望所掩盖了。他满脑子都是魔戒的影像，根本无法多做思考。他没有忘记古墓的经历，更没有忘记甘道夫的忠告；但似乎有种力量引诱他忽视一切的警告，而他已经快要屈服了。这并不是因为他想要逃跑，或是做任何的好事、坏事，他只是单纯的想要戴上魔戒。他说不出话来。他可以感觉到山姆正担心的看著他，彷佛感应到自己的主人有了麻烦；但他却无法转过头去看著山姆。他闭上眼，挣扎了片刻，但很快的就再也无法抵抗这诱惑。佛罗多缓缓的掏出练子，将魔戒套上左手的食指。 虽然一切都和之前一样，但敌人的身影立刻变得清晰许多。他能够看见那黑衣底下的身躯。一共有五名高大的骑士，两名站在山坡上，三名正步步进逼。他们苍白的脸孔上是无情的双眼，披风底下则是灰色的长袍。他们灰色的头发上带著银制的头盔，枯瘦的手中则握著钢铁的长剑。他们锐利的眼光彷佛穿透了他，立刻快步向他走来。他绝望中掏出剑，在他眼中看来，这剑染著火红的色彩，彷佛是根炙热的火把。两个身影停了下来。第三个比其它骑士都要高，它的头盔上套著皇冠。他一只手拿著长剑，一只手则拿著小刀。拿著小刀的手和刀柄都同样透出苍白的幽光。他一跃向前，扑向佛罗多。 就在同时，佛罗多也跟著扑向地面；他听见自己叫喊著＊伊尔碧绿丝！姬尔松耐尔！＊同时他也砍中了敌人的小腿。一声凄厉的叫喊划破夜空，他觉得彷佛有根淬毒的冰块刺进他左边的肩膀。即使在那天旋地转中，他还是看见神行客双手各拿著火把，从黑暗中跳了出来。佛罗多使尽最后的力气丢下剑，将戒指褪下，牢牢的用手抓住。 译注一：吉尔加拉德是林顿的精灵国王。他出生于第一纪元，其名意为「耀星」。在第二纪元时，因眼见索伦恶势力不断扩张，因此派兵加入征讨索伦的行列。稍后并与登丹人结成了人类与精灵的最后联盟，携手攻打索伦。他手持神矛伊洛斯，亲率盟军参与达哥拉之役，击溃索伦的大军。从此之后战况急转直下，盟军花费七年的时间横扫魔多。最后兵临城下，黑暗魔君索伦被迫亲自应战；但吉尔加拉德及伊兰迪尔皆亡于此役。