'Alas! he speaks all too shrewdly,' said Théoden. 'And our scouts say that they have cast trenches and stakes across the road. We cannot sweep them away in sudden onset.'
'And yet we need great haste,' said ?omer. 'Mundburg is on fire!'
'Let Gh?n-buri-Gh?n finish!' said the Wild Man. 'More than one road he knows. He will lead you by road where no pits are, no gorg?n walk, only Wild Men and beasts. Many paths were made when Stonehouse-folk were stronger. They carved hills as hunters carve beast-flesh. Wild Men think they ate stone for food. They went through Drúadan to Rimmon with great wains. They go no longer. Road is forgotten, but not by Wild Men. Over hill and behind hill it lies still under grass and tree, there behind Rimmon and down to D?n, and back at the end to Horse-men's road. Wild Men will show you that road. Then you will kill gorg?n and drive away bad dark with bright iron, and Wild Men can go back to sleep in the wild woods.'
?omer and the king spoke together in their own tongue. At length Théoden turned to the Wild Man. 'We will receive your offer,' he said. 'For though we leave a host of foes behind, what matter? If the Stone-city falls, then we shall have no returning. If it is saved, then the orc-host itself will be cut off. If you are faithful, Gh?n-buri-Gh?n, then we will give you rich reward, and you shall have the friendship of the Mark for ever.'
'Dead men are not friends to living men, and give them no gifts,' said the Wild Man. 'But if you live after the Darkness, then leave Wild Men alone in the woods and do not hunt them like beasts any more. Gh?n-buri-Gh?n will not lead you into trap. He will go himself with father of Horse-men, and if he leads you wrong, you will kill him.'
'So be it!' said Théoden.
'How long will it take to pass by the enemy and come back to the road?' asked ?omer. 'We must go at foot-pace, if you guide us; and I doubt not the way is narrow.'
'Wild Men go quick on feet,' said Gh?n. 'Way is wide for four horses in Stonewain Valley yonder,' he waved his hand southwards; 'but narrow at beginning and at end. Wild Man could walk from here to D?n between sunrise and noon.'
'Then we must allow at least seven hours for the leaders,' said ?omer; 'but we must reckon rather on some ten hours for all. Things unforeseen may hinder us, and if our host is all strung out, it will be long ere it can be set in order when we issue from the hills. What is the hour now?'
'Who knows?' said Théoden. 'All is night now.'
'It is all dark, but it is not all night.' said Gh?n. 'When Sun comes we feel her, even when she is hidden. Already she climbs over East-mountains. It is the opening of day in the sky-fields.'
'Then we must set out as soon as may be,' said ?omer. 'Even so we cannot hope to come to Gondor's aid today.'
Merry waited to hear no more, but slipped away to get ready for the summons to the march. This was the last stage before the battle. It did not seem likely to him that many of them would survive it. But he thought of Pippin and the flames in Minas Tirith and thrust down his own dread.
All went well that day, and no sight or sound had they of the enemy waiting to waylay them. The Wild Men had put out a screen of wary hunters, so that no orc or roving spy should learn of the movements in the hills. The light was more dim than ever as they drew nearer to the beleaguered city, and the Riders passed in long files like dark shadows of men and horses. Each company was guided by a wild woodman; but old Gh?n walked beside the king. The start had been slower than was hoped, for it had taken time for the Riders, walking and leading their horses, to find paths over the thickly wooded ridges behind their camp and down into the hidden Stonewain Valley. It was late in the afternoon when the leaders came to wide grey thickets stretching beyond the eastward side of Amon D?n, and masking a great gap in the line of hills that from Nardol to D?n ran east and west. Through the gap the forgotten wain-road long ago had run down, back into the main horse-way from the City through Anórien; but now for many lives of men trees had had their way with it, and it had vanished, broken and buried under the leaves of uncounted years. But the thickets offered to the Riders their last hope of cover before they went into open battle; for beyond them lay the road and the plains of Anduin, while east and southwards the slopes were bare and rocky, as the writhen hills gathered themselves together and climbed up, bastion upon bastion, into the great mass and shoulders of Mindolluin.
The leading company was halted, and as those behind filed up out of the trough of the Stonewain Valley they spread out and passed to camping-places under the grey trees. The king summoned the captains to council. ?omer sent out scouts to spy upon the road; but old Gh?n shook his head.
'No good to send Horse-men,' he said. 'Wild Men have already seen all that can be seen in the bad air. They will come soon and speak to me here.'
The captains came; and then out of the trees crept warily other púkel-shapes so like old Gh?n that Merry could hardly tell them apart. They spoke to Gh?n in a strange throaty language.
Presently Gh?n turned to the king. 'Wild Men say many things ' he said. 'First, be wary! Still many men in camp beyond D?n, an hour's walk yonder,' he waved his arm west towards the black beacon. 'But none to see between here and Stone-folk's new walls. Many busy there. Walls stand up no longer: gorg?n knock them down with earth-thunder and with clubs of black iron. They are unwary and do not look about them. They think their friends watch all roads!' At that old Gh?n made a curious gurgling noise, and it seemed that he was laughing.
'Good tidings!' cried ?omer. 'Even in this gloom hope gleams again. Our Enemy's devices oft serve us in his despite. The accursed darkness itself has been a cloak to us. And now, lusting to destroy Gondor and throw it down stone from stone, his orcs have taken away my greatest fear. The out-wall could have been held long against us. Now we can sweep through – if once we win so far.'
'Once again I thank you, Gh?n-buri-Gh?n of the woods,' said Théoden. 'Good fortune go with you for tidings and for guidance!'
'Kill gorg?n! Kill orc-folk! No other words please Wild Men ' answered Gh?n. 'Drive away bad air and darkness with bright iron!'
'To do these things we have ridden far,' said the king, 'and we shall attempt them. But what we shall achieve only tomorrow will show.'
Gh?n-buri-Gh?n squatted down and touched the earth with his horny brow in token of farewell. Then he got up as if to depart. But suddenly he stood looking up like some startled woodland animal snuffling a strange air. A light came in his eyes.
'Wind is changing!' he cried, and with that, in a twinkling as it seemed, he and his fellows had vanished into the glooms, never to be seen by any Rider of Rohan again. Not long after far away eastward the faint drums throbbed again. Yet to no heart in all the host came any fear that the Wild Men were unfaithful, strange and unlovely though they might appear.
'We need no further guidance,' said Elfhelm; 'for there are riders in the host who have ridden down to Mundburg in days of peace. I for one. When we come to the road it will veer south, and there will lie before us still seven leagues ere we reach the wall of the townlands. Along most of that way there is much grass on either side of the road. On that stretch the errand-riders of Gondor reckoned to make their greatest speed. We may ride it swiftly and without great rumour.'
'Then since we must look for fell deeds and the need of all our strength,' said ?omer, 'I counsel that we rest now, and set out hence by night, and so time our going that we come upon the fields when tomorrow is as light as it will be, or when our lord gives the signal.'
To this the king assented, and the captains departed. But soon Elfhelm returned. 'The scouts have found naught to report beyond the grey wood, lord,' he said, 'save two men only: two dead men and two dead horses.'
'Well?' said ?omer. 'What of it?'
'This, lord: they were errand-riders of Gondor; Hirgon was one maybe. At least his han
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