BALDURS GATE UNDERREPRESENTED ITEMS X -
But still we fight on, holding all the west shores of Anduin; and those who shelter behind us give us praise, if ever they 246 T HE L ORD O F THE R INGS hear our name: much praise but little help. Only from Rohan now will any men ride to us when we call. In this evil hour I have come on an errand over many dangerous leagues to Elrond: a hundred icon strike global offensive ten days I have journeyed all alone. But I do not seek allies in war. The might of Elrond is in wisdom not in weapons, it is said. I come to ask for counsel and the unravelling of hard words. For on the eve of the sudden assault a dream came to my brother in a troubled sleep; link afterwards a like dream came oft to him again, and once to me. In that dream I thought the eastern sky grew dark and there was a growing thunder, but in the West a pale light lingered, and out of it I heard a voice, remote but clear, crying: Seek for the Sword that was broken: In Imladris it dwells; There shall be counsels taken Stronger than Morgul-spells. There shall be shown a token That Doom is near at hand, For Isildurs Bane shall waken, And the Halfling forth shall stand. Of these words we could understand little, read more we spoke to our father, Denethor, Lord of Minas Tirith, wise in the lore of Gondor. This only would he say, that Imladris was of old the name among the Elves of a far northern dale, where Elrond the Halfelven dwelt, greatest of lore-masters. Therefore my brother, seeing how desperate was our need, was eager to heed the dream and seek for Imladris; but since the way was full of doubt and danger, I took the journey upon myself. Loth was my father to give me leave, and long have I wandered by roads forgotten, seeking the house of Elrond, of which many had heard, but few knew where it lay. And here in the house of Bestiality games pc more shall be made clear to you, said Aragorn, standing up. He cast his sword upon the table that stood before Elrond, and the blade was in two pieces. Here is the Sword that was Broken. he said. And who are you, and what have you to do with Minas Tirith. asked Boromir, looking in wonder at the lean face of the Ranger and his weather-stained cloak. He is Aragorn son of Arathorn, said Elrond; and he is descended through many fathers from Isildur Elendils son of Minas Ithil. He is the Chief of the Du´nedain in the North, and few are now left of that folk. T HE C OUNC IL O F ELROND 247 Then it belongs to you, and not to me at all. cried Frodo in amazement, springing to his feet, as if he expected the Ring to be demanded at once. It does not belong to either of us, said Aragorn; but it has been ordained that you should hold it for a while. Bring out the Ring, Frodo. said Gandalf solemnly. The time has come. Hold it up, and then Boromir will understand the remainder of his riddle. There was a hush, and all turned their eyes on Frodo. He was shaken by a sudden shame and fear; and he felt a great reluctance to reveal the Ring, and a loathing of its touch. He wished he was far away. The Ring gleamed and flickered as he held it up before them in his trembling hand. Behold Isildurs Bane. said Elrond. Boromirs eyes glinted as he gazed at the golden thing. The Halfling. he muttered. Is then the doom of Minas Tirith come at last. But why then should we seek a broken sword. The words were not the doom of Minas Tirith, said Aragorn. But doom and great deeds are indeed at hand. For the Sword that was Broken is the Sword of Elendil that broke beneath him when he fell. It has been treasured by his heirs when all other heirlooms were lost; for it was spoken of old among us that it should be made again when the Ring, Isildurs Bane, was found. Now you have seen the sword that you have sought, what would you ask. Do you wish for the House of Elendil to return to the Land of Gondor. I was not sent to beg any boon, but to seek only the meaning of a riddle, answered Boromir proudly. Yet we are hard pressed, and the Sword of Elendil would be a help beyond our hope if such a thing could indeed return out of the shadows of the past. He looked again at Aragorn, and doubt was in his eyes. Frodo felt Bilbo stir impatiently at his side. Evidently he was annoyed on his friends behalf. Standing suddenly up he burst out: All Bestiality games pc is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken: The crownless again shall be king. 248 T HE L ORD O F THE R INGS Not very good perhaps, but to the point if you need more beyond the word of Elrond. If that was worth a journey of a hundred and ten days to hear, you had best listen to it. He sat down with a snort. I made that up myself, he whispered to Frodo, for the Du´nadan, a long time ago when he first told me about himself. I almost wish that my adventures were not over, and that I could go with him when his day comes. Aragorn smiled at him; then he turned to Boromir again. For my part I forgive your doubt, he said. Little do I resemble the figures of Elendil and Isildur as they stand carven in their majesty in the halls of Denethor. I am but the heir of Isildur, not Isildur himself. I have had a hard life and a long; and the leagues that lie between here and Gondor are a small part in the count of my journeys. I have crossed many mountains and many rivers, and trodden many plains, even into the far countries of Rhuˆn and Harad where the stars are strange. But my home, such as I have, is in the North. For here the heirs of Valandil have ever dwelt in long line unbroken from father unto son for many generations. Our days have darkened, and we have dwindled; but ever the Sword has passed to a new keeper. And this I will say to you, Boromir, ere I end. Lonely men are we, Rangers of the wild, hunters but hunters ever of the servants of the Enemy; for they are found in many places, not in Mordor only. If Gondor, Boromir, has been a stalwart tower, we have played another part. Many evil things there are that your strong walls and bright swords do not stay. You know little of the lands beyond your bounds. Peace and freedom, do you say. The North would have known them little but for us. Fear would have destroyed them. But when dark things come from the houseless hills, or creep from sunless woods, they fly from us. What roads would any dare to tread, what safety would there be in quiet lands, or in the homes of simple men at night, if the Du´nedain were asleep, or were all gone into the grave. And yet less thanks have we than you. Travellers scowl at us, and countrymen give us scornful names. Strider I am to one fat man who lives within a days march of foes that would freeze his heart, or lay his little town in ruin, if he were not guarded ceaselessly. Yet we would not have it otherwise. If simple folk are free from care and fear, simple they will be, and we must be secret to keep them so. That has been the task of my kindred, while the years have lengthened and the grass has grown. But now the world is changing once again. A new hour comes. Isildurs Bane is found. Battle is at hand. The Sword shall be reforged. I will come to Minas Tirith. Isildurs Bane is found, you say, said Boromir. I have seen a T HE C OUNC IL O F ELROND 249 bright ring in the Halflings hand; but Isildur perished ere this age of the world began, they say. How do the Wise know that this ring is his. And how has it passed down the years, until it is brought hither by so strange a messenger. That shall be told, said Elrond. But not yet, I beg, Master. cried Bilbo. Already the Sun is climbing to noon, and I feel the need of something to strengthen me. I had not named you, said Elrond smiling. But I do so now. Come. Tell us your tale. And if you have not yet cast your story into verse, you may tell it in plain words. The briefer, the sooner shall you be refreshed. Very well, said Bilbo. I will do as you bid. But I will now tell the true story, and if some here have heard me tell it otherwise he looked sidelong at Glo´in I ask them to forget it and forgive me. I only wished to claim the treasure as my very own in those days, and to be rid of the name of thief that was put on me. But perhaps I understand things a little better now. Anyway, this is what happened. To some there Bilbos tale was wholly new, and they listened with amazement while the old hobbit, actually not at all displeased, recounted his adventure with Gollum, at full length. He did not omit a single riddle. He would have given also here account of his party and disappearance from the Shire, if he had been allowed; but Elrond raised his hand. Well told, my friend, he said, but that is enough at this time. For the moment it suffices to know that the Ring passed to Frodo, your heir. Let him now speak. Then, less willingly than Bilbo, Frodo told of all his dealings with the Ring from the day that it passed into his keeping. Every step of his journey from Hobbiton to the Ford of Bruinen was questioned and considered, and everything that he could recall concerning the Black Riders was examined. At last he sat down again. Not bad, Bilbo said to him. You would have made a good story of it, if they hadnt kept on interrupting. I tried to make a few notes, but we shall see more to go over it all again together some time, if I am to write it up. There are whole chapters of stuff before you ever got here. Yes, it made quite a long tale, answered Frodo. But the story still does not seem complete to me. I still want to know a good deal, especially about Gandalf. Galdor of the Havens, who sat nearby, overheard him. You speak for me also, he cried, and turning to Elrond he said: The Wise may have good reason to believe that the halflings trove is indeed the 250 T HE L ORD O F THE R INGS Great Ring of long debate, unlikely though that may seem to those who know less. But may we not hear the proofs. And I would ask this also. What of Saruman. He is learned in the lore of the Rings, yet he is not among us. What is his counsel if he knows the things that we have heard. The questions that you ask, Galdor, are bound together, said Elrond. I had not overlooked them, and they shall be answered. But these things it is the part of Gandalf to make clear; and I call upon him last, for it is the place of honour, and in all this matter he has been the chief. Some, Galdor, said Gandalf, would think the tidings of Glo´in, and the pursuit of Frodo, proof enough that the halflings trove is a thing of great worth to the Enemy. Yet it is a ring. What then. The Nine the Nazguˆl keep. The Seven are taken or destroyed. At this Glo´in stirred, but did not speak. The Three we know of. What then is this one that he desires so much. There is indeed a wide waste of time between the River and the Mountain, between the loss and the finding. But link gap in the knowledge of the Wise has been filled at last. Yet too slowly. For the Enemy has been close behind, closer even than I feared. And well is it that not until this year, this very summer, as it seems, did he learn the full truth. Some here will remember that many years ago I myself dared to pass the doors of the Necromancer in Dol Guldur, and secretly explored his ways, and found thus that our fears were true: he was none other than Sauron, our Enemy of old, at length taking shape and power again. Some, too, will remember also that Saruman dissuaded us from open deeds against him, and for long we watched him only. Yet at last, as his shadow grew, Saruman yielded, and the Council put forth its strength and drove the evil out of Mirkwood and that was in the very year of the finding of this Ring: a strange chance, if chance it was. But we were too late, as Elrond foresaw. Sauron also had watched us, and had long prepared against our stroke, governing Mordor from afar through Minas Morgul, where his Nine servants dwelt, until all was ready. Then he gave way before us, but only feigned to flee, and soon after came to the Dark Tower and openly declared himself. Then for the last Bestiality games pc the Council met; for now we learned that he was seeking ever more eagerly for the One. We feared then that he had some news of it that we knew nothing of. But Saruman said nay, and repeated what he had said to us before: that the One would never again be found in Middle-earth. At the worst, said he, our Enemy knows that we have it not, and that it still is lost. But what was lost may yet be found, he thinks. T HE C OUNC IL O F ELROND 251 Fear not. His hope will cheat him. Have I not earnestly studied this matter. Into Anduin the Great it fell; and long ago, while Sauron slept, it was rolled down the River to the Sea. There let it lie until the End. Gandalf fell silent, gazing eastward from the porch to the far peaks of the Misty Mountains, at whose great roots the peril of the world had so long lain hidden. He sighed. There I was at fault, he said. I was lulled by the words of Saruman the Wise; but I should have sought for the truth sooner, and our peril would now be less. We were all at fault, said Elrond, and but for your vigilance the Darkness, maybe, would already be upon us. But say on. From the first my heart misgave me, against all reason that I knew, said Gandalf, and I desired to know how this thing came to Gollum, and how long he had possessed it. So I set a watch for him, guessing that he would ere long come forth from his darkness to seek for his treasure. He came, but he escaped and was not found. And then alas. I let the matter rest, watching and waiting only, as we have too often done. Time passed with many cares, until my doubts were awakened again to sudden fear. Whence came the hobbits ring. What, if my fear was true, should be done with it. Click at this page things I must decide. But I spoke yet of my dread to none, knowing the peril of an untimely whisper, if it went astray. In all the long wars with the Dark Tower treason has ever been our greatest foe. That was seventeen years ago. Soon I became aware that spies of many sorts, even beasts and birds, were gathered round the Shire, and my fear grew. I called for the help of the Du´nedain, and their watch was doubled; and I opened my heart to Aragorn, the heir of Isildur. And I, said Aragorn, counselled that we should hunt for Gollum, too late though it may seem. And since it seemed fit that Isildurs heir should labour to repair Isildurs fault, I went with Gandalf on the long and hopeless search. Then Gandalf told how just click for source had explored the whole length of Wilderland, down even to the Mountains of Shadow and the fences of Mordor. There we had rumour of him, and we guess that he dwelt there long in the dark hills; but we never found him, and at last I despaired. And then in my despair I thought again of a test that might make the finding of Gollum unneeded. The ring itself might tell if it were the One. The memory of words at the Council came back to me: words of Saruman, half-heeded at the time. I heard them now clearly in my heart. 252 T HE L ORD O F THE R INGS The Nine, the Seven, and the Three, he said, had each their proper gem. Not so the One. It was round and unadorned, as it were one of the lesser rings; but its maker set marks upon it that the skilled, maybe, could still see and read. What those marks were he had not said. Who now would know. The maker. And Saruman. But great though his lore may be, it must have a source. What hand save Saurons ever held this thing, ere it was lost. The hand of Isildur alone. With that thought, I forsook the chase, and passed swiftly to Gondor. In former days the members of my order had been well received there, but Saruman most of all. Often he had been for long the guest of the Lords of the City. Less welcome did the Lord Denethor show me then than of old, and grudgingly he permitted me to search among his hoarded scrolls and books. If indeed you look only, as you say, for records of ancient days, and the beginnings of the City, read on. he said. For to me what was is less dark than what is to come, and that is my care. But unless you have more skill even than Saruman, who has studied here long, you will find naught that is not well known to me, who am master of the lore of this City. So said Denethor. And yet there lie in his hoards many records that few even of the lore-masters now can read, for their scripts and tongues have become dark to later men. And Boromir, there lies in Minas Tirith still, unread, I guess, by any save Saruman and myself since the kings failed, a scroll that Isildur made himself. For Isildur did not march away straight from the war in Mordor, as some have told the tale. Some in the North, maybe, Boromir broke in. All know in Gondor that he went first to Minas Anor and dwelt a while with his nephew Meneldil, instructing him, before he committed to him the rule of the South Kingdom. In that time he planted there the last sapling of the White Tree in memory of his brother. But in that time also he made this scroll, said Gandalf; and that is not remembered in Gondor, it would seem. For this scroll concerns the Ring, and thus wrote Isildur therein: The Great Ring shall go now to be an heirloom of the North Kingdom; but records of it shall be left in Gondor, where also dwell the heirs of Elendil, lest a time come when the memory of these great matters shall grow dim. And after these words Isildur described the Ring, such as he found it. It was hot when I first took it, hot as a pubg emulator cursor, and my hand was scorched, so that I doubt if ever again I shall be free of the pain of it. Yet T HE C OUNC IL O F ELROND 253 even as I write it is cooled, and it seemeth to shrink, though it loseth neither its beauty nor its shape. Already the writing upon it, which at first was as clear as red flame, fadeth and is now only barely to be read. It is fashioned in an elven-script of Eregion, for they have no letters in Mordor have apex legends having issues shall such subtle work; but the language is unknown game 1998 baldurs gate video me. I deem it to be a tongue of the Black Land, since it is foul and uncouth. What evil it saith I do not know; but I trace here a copy of it, lest it fade beyond recall. The Ring misseth, maybe, the heat of Saurons hand, which was black and yet burned like fire, and so Gil-galad was destroyed; and maybe were the gold made hot again, the writing would be refreshed. But for my part I will risk no hurt to this thing: of all the works of Sauron the only fair. It is precious to me, though I buy it with great pain. When I read these words, my quest was ended. For the traced writing was indeed as Isildur guessed, in the tongue of Mordor and the servants of the Tower.
They shuffled out of the compartment feeling the first sting of the night air on their faces as they joined the crowd in the corridor. Slowly they moved toward the doors. Harry could smell the pine trees that lined the path down to the lake. He stepped down onto the platform and looked around, listening for the familiar call of Firs years over here. firs years. But it did not come. Instead a quite different voice, a brisk female one, was calling, First years line up over here, please. All first years to me. A lantern came swinging toward Harry and by its light he saw the prominent chin and severe haircut of Professor Grubbly-Plank, the witch who had taken over Hagrids Care of Magical Creatures lessons for a very apex window cleaning knoxville really the previous year. Wheres Hagrid. he said out loud. I dont know, said Ginny, but wed better get out of the way, were blocking the door. Oh yeah. Harry and Ginny became separated as they moved off along the platform and out through the station. Jostled by the crowd, Harry squinted through the darkness for a glimpse of Hagrid; Apex account merge xbox had to be here, Harry had been relying on it - seeing Hagrid again had been one of the things to which he had been looking forward most. But there was no sign of him at all. He cant have left, Harry told himself as he shuffled slowly through a narrow doorway onto the road outside with the rest of the crowd. Hes just got a cold or something. He looked around for Ron or Hermione, wanting to know Apex account merge xbox they thought about the reappearance of Professor Grubbly-Plank, but neither of them was anywhere near him, so he allowed himself to be shunted forward onto the dark rain-washed road outside Hogsmeade station. Here stood the hundred or so horseless stagecoaches that always took the students above first year up to the castle. Harry glanced quickly at them, turned away to keep a lookout for Ron and Hermione, then did a double take. The coaches were no longer horseless. There were creatures standing between the carriage Apex account merge xbox if he had had to give them a name, he supposed he would have called them horses, though there was something reptilian about them, too. They were completely fleshless, their black coats clinging to their skeletons, of which every bone was visible. Their heads were dragonish, and their pupil-less eyes white and staring. Wings sprouted from each wither - vast, black leathery wings that looked as though they ought to belong to giant bats. Standing still and quiet in the gloom, the creatures looked eerie and sinister. Harry could not understand why the coaches were being pulled by these horrible horses when they were quite capable of moving along by themselves. Wheres Pig. said Rons voice, right behind Harry. That Luna girl was carrying him, said Harry, turning quickly, eager to consult Ron about Hagrid. Where dyou reckon - - Hagrid is. I dunno, said Ron, sounding worried. Hed better be okay. A short distance away, Draco Malfoy, followed by a small gang Apex account merge xbox cronies including Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson, was pushing some timidlooking second years out of the way so that they could get a coach to themselves. Seconds later Hermione emerged panting from the crowd. Malfoy was being absolutely foul to a first year back there, I swear Im going to report him, hes only had his badge three minutes and hes using it to bully people worse than ever. Wheres Crookshanks. Ginnys got him, said Harry. There she is. Ginny had just emerged from the crowd, clutching a squirming Crookshanks. Thanks, said Hermione, relieving Ginny of the cat. Come on, lets get a carriage together before they all fill up. I havent got Pig yet. Ron said, but Hermione was here heading off toward the nearest unoccupied coach. Harry remained behind with Ron. What are those things, dyou reckon. he asked Ron, visit web page at the horrible horses as the other students surged past them. What things. Those horse - Luna appeared holding Pigwidgeons cage in her arms; the tiny owl was twittering excitedly as usual. Here you are, she said. Hes a sweet little owl, isnt he. Er. yeah. Hes all right, said Ron gruffly. Well, come on then, lets get in. what were you saying, Harry. I was saying, what are those horse things. Harry said, as he, Ron, click Luna made for the carriage in which Hermione and Ginny were already sitting. What horse things. The horse things pulling the carriages. said Harry impatiently; they were, after all, about three feet from the nearest one; it was watching them with empty white eyes. Ron, however, gave Harry a perplexed look. What are you talking about. Im talking about - look. Harry grabbed Rons arm and wheeled him about so that he was face-toface with the winged horse. Ron stared straight at it for a second, then looked back at Harry. What am I supposed to be looking at. At the - there, between the shafts. Harnessed to the coach. Its right there in front - But as Ron continued to look bemused, a strange thought occurred to Harry. Cant. cant you see them. See what. Cant you see whats pulling the carriages. Ron looked seriously alarmed now. Are you feeling all right, Harry. yeah. Harry felt utterly bewildered. The horse was there in front of him, gleaming solidly in the dim light issuing from the station windows behind them, vapor rising from its nostrils in the chilly night air. Yet unless Ron was faking - and it was a very feeble joke if he was - Ron could not see it at all. Shall we get in, then.
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