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The White Rider

&039;My very bones are chilled,&039; said Gi his feet Day had come at last At dawn the corowing light they were getting ready to search the ground again for signs of the hobbits

&039;And do not forget that old man!&039; said Gimli &039;I should be happier if I could see the print of a boot&039;

&039;Why would that olas

&039;Because an old ht be no more than he seemed,&039; answered the Dwarf

&039;Maybe,&039; said the Elf; &039;but a heavy boot y&039;

&039;That would not baffle a Ranger,&039; said Giorn to read But I do not expect him to find any traces It was an evil phantoht I a His eyes are looking out on us froorn even now, h,&039; said Aragorn; &039;yet I aht, Gimli, that they were scared away But I did not think so Did you hear theolas? Did they sound to you like beasts in terror?&039;

&039;No,&039; said Legolas &039;I heard them clearly But for the darkness and our own fear I should have guessed that they were beasts ith soladness They spoke as horses hen theyorn; &039;but I cannot read the riddle, unless they return Couess later! We should begin here, near to our own ca up the slope towards the forest To find the hobbits is our errand, whatever we ht If they escaped by some chance, then they must have hidden in the trees, or they would have been seen If we find nothing between here and the eaves of the wood, then illthe ashes But there is little hope there: the horsemen of Rohan did their work too well&039;

For soround The tree stoodliorn moved sloay He came to the ashes of the watch-fire near the river-bank, and then began to retrace the ground back towards the knoll where the battle had been fought Suddenly he stooped and bent loith his face alrass Then he called to the others They ca up

&039;Here at last we find news!&039; said Aragorn He lifted up a broken leaf for the and turning brown &039;Here is a mallorn-leaf of Lorien, and there are srass And see! there are so nearby!&039;

&039;And here is the knife that cut them!&039; said Gimli He stooped and drew out of a tussock, into which soed blade The haft from which it had been snapped was beside it &039;It was an orc-weapon,&039; he said, holding it gingerly, and looking with disgust at the carved handle: it had been shaped like a hideous head with squinting eyes and leering est riddle that we have yet found!&039; exclaiolas &039;A bound prisoner escapes both fro horsemen He then stops, while still in the open, and cuts his bonds with an orc-knife But how and why? For if his legs were tied, how did he walk? And if his arms were tied, how did he use the knife? And if neither were tied, why did he cut the cords at all? Being pleased with his skill, he then sat down and quietly ate soh to show that he was a hobbit, without the mallorn-leaf After that, I suppose, he turned his ar into the trees It should be easy to find his ourselves!&039;

&039;There was sorcery here right enough,&039; said Gi? What have you to say, Aragorn, to the reading of Legolas Can you better it?&039;

&039;Maybe, I could,&039; said Aragorn, sns near at hand that you have not considered I agree that the prisoner was a hobbit and s or hands free, before he cauess that it was hands, because the riddle then becomes easier, and also because, as I read the marks, he was carried to this point by an Orc Blood was spilled there, a few paces away, orc-blood There are deep prints of hoofs all about this spot, and signs that a heavy thing was dragged away The Orc was slain by horsemen, and later his body was hauled to the fire But the hobbit was not seen: he was not "in the open", for it was night and he still had his elven-cloak He was exhausted and hungry, and it is not to be wondered at that, when he had cut his bonds with the knife of his fallen enemy, he rested and ate a little before he crept away But it is a comfort to know that he had soear or pack; that, perhaps, is like a hobbit I say he, though I hope and guess that both Merry and Pippin were here together There is, however, nothing to show that for certain&039;

&039;And how do you suppose that either of our friends came to have a hand free?&039; asked Gimli

&039;I do not kno it happened,&039; answered Aragorn &039;Nor do I knohy an Orc was carrying them away Not to help them to escape, we in to understand a : hen Boromir had fallen were the Orcs content with the capture of Merry and Pippin? They did not seek out the rest of us, nor attack our caard Did they suppose they had captured the Ring-bearer and his faithful coive such plain orders to Orcs, even if they knew so much the: they are not trusty servants But I think the Orcs had been commanded to capture hobbits, alive, at all costs An attempt was made to slip out with the precious prisoners before the battle Treachery perhaps, likely enough with such folk; so to escape with the prize alone, for his own ends There, that is ht be devised But on this we may count in any case: one at least of our friends escaped It is our task to find him and help hiorn, since need drove him into that dark place&039;

&039;I do not knohich daunts h Rohan on foot,&039; said Gio to the forest,&039; said Aragorn

It was not long before Aragorn found fresh signs At one point, near the bank of the Entwash, he caht for reat tree on the very edge of the wood more prints were discovered The earth was bare and dry, and did not reveal much

&039;One hobbit at least stood here for a while and looked back; and then he turned away into the forest,&039; said Aragorn

&039;Then we o in, too,&039; said Giorn: and arned against it I wish the chase had led anywhere else!&039;

&039;I do not think the wood feels evil, whatever tales olas He stood under the eaves of the forest, stooping forward, as if he were listening, and peering ide eyes into the shadows &039;No, it is not evil; or what evil is in it is far away I catch only the faintest echoes of dark places where the hearts of the trees are black There is no er&039;

&039;Well, it has no cause to be angry with me,&039; said Gimli &039;I have done it no harm &039;

&039;That is just as well,&039; said Legolas &039;But nonetheless it has suffered har to happen Do you not feel the tenseness? It takes my breath&039;

&039;I feel the air is stuffy,&039; said the Dwarf &039;This wood is lighter than Mirkwood, but it is musty and shabby&039;

&039;It is old, very old,&039; said the Elf &039;So old that alain, as I have not felt since I journeyed with you children It is old and full of memory I could have been happy here, if I had come in days of peace&039;

&039;I dare say you could,&039; snorted Gih Elves of any kind are strange folk Yet you coo But keep your bow ready to hand, and I will keep my axe loose inup at the tree under which they stood &039;I do not wish to uo!&039;

With that the three hunters plunged into the forest of Fangorn Legolas and Giorn There was little for him to see The floor of the forest was dry and covered with a drift of leaves; but guessing that the fugitives would stay near the water, he returned often to the banks of the stream So it was that he came upon the place where Merry and Pippin had drunk and bathed their feet There plain for all to see were the footprints of two hobbits, one soood tidings,&039; said Aragorn &039;Yet the marks are two days old, and it seems that at this point the hobbits left the water-side&039;

&039;Then what shall we do now?&039; said Gih the whole fastness of Fangorn We have come ill supplied If we do not find them soon, we shall be of no use to them, except to sit down beside theether&039;

&039;If that is indeed all we can do, then we o on&039;

They cath to the steep abrupt end of Treebeard&039;s Hill and looked up at the rock-ith its rough steps leading to the high shelf Glea clouds, and the forest now looked less grey and drear

&039;Let us go up and look about us!&039; said Legolas &039;I will feel my breath short I should like to taste a freer air for a while&039;

The co slowly: he was scanning the steps and ledges closely

&039;I am almost sure that the hobbits have been up here,&039; he said &039;But there are other e marks, which I do not understand I wonder if we can see anything frouess which way they went next?&039;

He stood up and looked about, but he saw nothing that was of any use The shelf faced southward and eastward; but only on the east was the view open There he could see the heads of the trees descending in ranks towards the plain from which they had co way round,&039; said Legolas &039;We could have all coether, if we had left the Great River on the second or third day and struck west Few can foresee whither their road will lead them, till they come to its end&039;

&039;But we did not wish to coorn,&039; said Giht in the net,&039; said Legolas &039;Look!&039;

&039;Look at what?&039; said Gimli

&039;There in the trees&039;

&039;Where? I have not elf-eyes&039;

&039;Hush! Speak&039;Down in the wood, back in the Way that we have just co from tree to tree?&039;

&039;I see, I see now!&039; hissed Giorn! Did I not warn you? There is the old s: that is why I could not see hiorn looked and beheld a bent figure ar-h staff His head was bowed, and he did not look towards thereeted hi a strange expectancy: so that held a hidden power �C or azed ide eyes for a while, as step by step the figure drew nearer Then suddenly, unable to contain hiolas! Bend it! Get ready! It is Saruman Do not let him speak, or put a spell upon us! Shoot first!&039;

Legolas took his bow and bent it, slowly and as if some other will resisted him He held an arrow loosely in his hand but did not fit it to the string Aragorn stood silent, his face atchful and intent

&039;Why are you waiting? What is thewhisper

&039;Legolas is right,&039; said Aragorn quietly &039;We ed, whatever fear or doubt be on us Watch and wait!&039;

At thatspeed to the foot of the rock-wall Then suddenly he looked up, while they stooddown There was no sound

They could not see his face: he was hooded, and above the hood he wore a wide-brimmed hat, so that all his features were over-shadowed, except for the end of his nose and his grey beard Yet it seeht from within the shadow of the hooded brows

At last the old man broke the silence &039;Well met indeed, my friends,&039; he said in a soft voice &039;I wish to speak to you Will you co for an answer he began to climb

&039;Now!&039; said Giolas!&039;

&039;Did I not say that I wished to speak to you?&039; said the old man &039;Put away that bow, Master Elf!&039;

The bow and arrow fell fro loose at his sides

&039;And you, Master Dwarf, pray take your hand frouments&039;

Gi, while the old oat All weariness seemed to have left hilealint of white, as if sos had been for an instant revealed The intake of Gimli&039;s breath could be heard as a loud hiss in the silence

&039;Welltowards the over his staff, with his head thrust forward, peering at the in these parts? An Elf, a Man, and a Dwarf, all clad in elvish fashion No doubt there is a tale worth hearing behind it all Such things are not often seen here&039;

&039;You speak as one that knows Fangorn well,&039; said Aragorn &039;Is that so?&039;

&039;Not well,&039; said the old man, &039;that would be the study of ain&039;

&039;Might we know your name, and then hear what it is that you have to say to us?&039; said Aragorn &039;Thepasses, and we have an errand that will not wait&039;

&039;As for what I wished to say, I have said it: what , and what tale can you tell of yourselves? As for orn felt a shudder run through hie cold thrill; and yet it was not fear or terror that he felt: rather it was like the sudden bite of a keen air, or the slap of a cold rain that wakes an uneasy sleeper

&039;My nauessed it already? You have heard it before, I think Yes, you have heard it before But come nohat of your tale?&039;

The three companions stood silent and made no answer

&039;There are soin to doubt whether your errand is fit to tell,&039; said the oldthe footsteps of two young hobbits, I believe Yes, hobbits Don&039;t stare, as if you had never heard the strange name before You have, and so have I Well, they climbed up here the day before yesterday; and they met someone that they did not expect Does that comfort you? And now you would like to knohere they were taken? Well, well, ive you so? Your errand, you see, is no longer as urgent as you thought Let us sit down and be more at ease&039;

The old man turned away and went towards a heap of fallen stones and rock at the foot of the cliff behind Immediately, as if a spell had been removed, the others relaxed and stirred Giorn drew his sword Legolas picked up his bow

The old man took no notice, but stooped and sat hirey cloak drew apart, and they saw, beyond doubt, that he was clothed beneath all in white

&039;Saru towards him with axe in hand &039;Speak! Tell us where you have hidden our friends! What have you done with them? Speak, or I will make a dint in your hat that even a wizard will find it hard to deal with!&039;

The oldto his feet and leaped to the top of a large rock There he stood, grown suddenly tall, towering above thearments shone He lifted up his staff, and Giround The sword of Aragorn, stiff in his reat shout and shot an arrow high into the air: it vanished in a flash of flame

&039;Mithrandir!&039; he cried &039;Mithrandir!&039;

&039;Well olas!&039; said the old azed at hi white was his robe; the eyes under his deep broere bright, piercing as the rays of the sun; poas in his hand Betonder, joy, and fear they stood and found no words to say

At last Aragorn stirred &039;Gandalf!&039; he said &039;Beyond all hope you return to us in our need! What veil was over , but sank to his knees, shading his eyes

&039;Gandalf,&039; the olddisused word &039;Yes, that was the name I was Gandalf&039;

He stepped down frorey cloak wrapped it about hi, but noas hid in cloud again &039;Yes, you may still call me Gandalf,&039; he said, and the voice was the voice of their old friend and guide &039;Get up, ood Gimli! No blame to you, and no harm done to me Indeed my friends, none of you have any weapon that could hurt reat stor, but the tide has turned&039;

He laid his hand on Gihed suddenly &039;Gandalf!&039; he said &039;But you are all in white!&039;

&039;Yes, I am white now,&039; said Gandalf &039;Indeed I aht almost say, Saruman as he should have been But coh fire and deep water, since we parted I have forgotten ain s far off, but s that are close at hand I cannot see Tell me of yourselves!&039;

&039;What do you wish to know?&039; said Aragorn &039;All that has happened since we parted on the bridge would be a long tale Will you not first give us news of the hobbits? Did you find them, and are they safe?&039;

&039;No, I did not find them,&039; said Gandalf &039;There was a darkness over the valleys of the Ele told olas &039;I have seen an eagle high and far off: the last tio, above the Emyn Muil&039;

&039;Yes,&039; said Gandalf, &039;that aihir the Windlord, who rescued ather tidings His sight is keen, but he cannot see all that passes under hill and tree So now has passed beyond my help, or the help of any of the Company that set out from Rivendell Very nearly it was revealed to the Enemy, but it escaped I had soh place, and I strove with the Dark Tower; and the Shadow passed Then I eary, very weary; and I walked long in dark thought&039;

&039;Then you know about Frodo!&039; said Gio with him?&039;

&039;I cannot say He was saved froreat peril, but o alone to Mordor, and he set out: that is all that I can say&039;

&039;Not alone,&039; said Legolas &039;We think that Sam ith him&039;

&039;Did he!&039; said Gandalf, and there was a gleam in his eye and a smile on his face &039;Did he indeed? It is news to hten my heart You must tell me more Now sit by me and tell me the tale of your journey&039;

The coorn took up the tale For a long while Gandalf said nothing, and he asked no questions His hands were spread upon his knees, and his eyes were closed At last when Aragorn spoke of the death of Boromir and of his last journey upon the Great River, the old hed

&039;You have not said all that you know or guess, Aragorn my friend,&039; he said quietly &039;Poor Boromir! I could not see what happened to him It was a sore trial for such a man: a warrior, and a lord of men Galadriel told lad It was not in vain that the young hobbits came with us, if only for Boromir&039;s sake But that is not the only part they have to play They were brought to Fangorn, and their co of small stones that starts an avalanche in the s Saruht away from ho you have not changed, dear friend,&039; said Aragorn: &039;you still speak in riddles&039;

&039;What? In riddles?&039; said Gandalf &039;No! For I was talking aloud to myself A habit of the old: they choose the wisest person present to speak to; the long explanations needed by the young are wearying&039; He laughed, but the sound now seelea even in the reckoning of Men of the Ancient Houses,&039; said Aragorn &039;Will you not open your mind more clearly to me?&039;

&039;What then shall I say?&039; said Gandalf, and paused for a while in thought &039;This in brief is how I see things at the moment, if you wish to have a piece ofknown that the Ring is abroad, and that it is borne by a hobbit He kno the number of our Company that set out from Rivendell, and the kind of each of us But he does not yet perceive our purpose clearly He supposes that ere all going to Minas Tirith; for that is what he would hi to his wisdoainst his power Indeed he is in great fear, not knohat , and assailing hi to cast him down and take his place That we should wish to cast hiht that occurs to hisitself has not yet entered into his darkest dreaood fortune and our hope For i that he has no time to waste; for he that strikes the first blow, if he strikes it hard enough,been preparing he is now setting in motion, sooner than he intended Wise fool For if he had used all his power to guard Mordor, so that none could enter, and bent all his guild to the hunting of the Ring, then indeed hope would have faded: neither Ring nor Bearer could long have eluded hiazes abroad rather than near at home; and th will fall upon it like a storers that he sent to waylay the Co Neither have they brought away any hobbits as hostages Had they done even so much as that, it would have been a heavy blow to us, and it ht have been fatal But let us not darken our hearts by ientle loyalty in the Dark Tower For the Enemy has failed �C so far Thanks to Saruman:&039;

&039;Then is not Saruman a traitor?&039; said Gimli