Frodo crawled to the side of the road and watched the knight disappear into the distance. Due to the distance, he wasn't sure what he saw. But he seemed to see the knight galloping into the forest on the right.
" This is really strange and worrying," Frodo said to himself as he walked back to his companions. Pippin and Sam had been sprawled on the grass and had seen nothing; Frodo had to explain to the two of them what the knight looked like and what he looked like.
"I don't know why, but I feel like he's sniffing for me. I just don't want him to find me. I've never seen such a person in the Shire or felt this way before.”
"But why would a big guy be interested in the three of us?”said Pippin. "What is he doing in our territory?”
"There have been rumors of human appearances lately," said Frodo. "There seems to be some conflict with these big guys in the southern region of the Shire. However, I have never heard of a human like this knight. He wondered where this guy came from.”
" Please allow me to interrupt," Sam suddenly said." I know where this guy came from. Unless there was more than one such knight, he must have come from Hobbiton. And I know where he's going."
"What do you mean?" asked Frodo in surprise. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"Sir, it's because I just remembered. Well, when I returned the keys to our house last night, my dad said to me,"Hello, Sam!" He said, I thought you left with Mr. Frodo early this morning. A strange visitor had just asked about Mr. Baggins at Bag End, who had just left. I told him he should go to Bucklebury to find you. But I really don't like his appearance. He looked disappointed when I told him Mr. Baggins had moved away. He hissed at me. This made me shiver. What kind of guy is he? I said to Dad. I don't know,'he said,' but he's definitely not a Hobbit. He was tall and dark, looking down at me. I think he might be a big guy from afar, because he has a strange accent.'”
"Milord, I couldn't ask any more questions because you were all waiting for me. I also felt that this was a trivial matter. The old man was old enough, and his eyes were blurry. When the man in black came to find him, he must have been taking a walk outside. The sky was quite dark at that time. I hope my dad and I didn't do anything wrong.”
"It's not the old man's fault," said Frodo. "In fact, I just happened to hear him talking to a stranger. I almost went out to greet him. I wish I'd known who he was, or at least you'd told me about it. This way, I'll be much more careful on the road.”
"This knight may have nothing to do with the stranger the old man met," said Pippin. "We've been discreet enough, I don't think he'll be able to follow us.”
"My lord, what do you mean by 'sniff'?”said Sam. "The old man also mentioned that the man was very dark.”
"I wish I could wait for Gandalf," muttered Frodo. "However, this might only make things worse.”
"Do you know anything about this knight?”Pippin could not help but ask when he heard Frodo's muttering.
"I'm not sure, and I don't want to guess," said Frodo.
"Well, dear Frodo! If you want to remain mysterious, then keep your mouth shut. However, what should we do now? I really wanted to rest and eat, but I also felt that it was best to continue on our way and not waste time. Your description of the knight sniffing with his invisible nose just now gave me the creeps.”
"Yes, I think we'd better keep going," said Frodo."But you can't walk on the main road, or you might run into a knight or his accomplices. We'll have to walk a bit more today, Buckland's still far.”
※※※
When they set off again, the long shade of the trees dragged across the grass. They were now walking on the grass some distance to the left of the road. After the bend, the road stretched straight for several miles. At the next turn to the left, the path continued into the border lowlands, which was near Stark. However, there was another fork to the right, which meandered into an ancient oak forest and led to the Great Wood Hall.
"We'll go this way," said Frodo.
Not far from the fork in the road, they walked to the huge branch of a big tree. Although most of the tree had been broken, the branches and green leaves around it showed that it was still full of vitality. However, the trunk itself was already empty, and he could enter through the cracks on both sides of the road. The hobbit crawled inside and sat down on the thick carpet of rotten wood and leaves. They rested for a while and ate a simple meal. They chatted in low voices while listening to the conversation.
When they got out of the tree trunk and returned to the road, the sky had already become very dark. The west wind began to move through the treetops, and the leaves rustled. The entire road was slowly shrouded in dusk. A star rose from the darkening east, shining in the treetops. They walked side by side in an attempt to raise their spirits. Not long after, the sky was filled with brilliant stars. The feeling of unease began to leave them, and they no longer had to worry about the sound of horse hooves. The three of them finally resumed the habit of returning home from their travels and began to hum. Most hobbits would hum a dinner song or a bedtime song, but these three were humming a walking song (though, of course, there was no lack of descriptions of dinner and bedtime). The words were written by Bilbo Baggins, and the tune was a folk song that had been passed down here for a long time; Frodo had learned the song as they strolled along the valley path, talking about each other's adventures.
The red flame shines on my furnace,
There's a bed under the eaves
My feet are not tired.
Who could have guessed that the mountains would turn and the road would turn? -
Tall trees and boulders jut out,
Only the two of us can see.
Trees and flowers, green leaves and grass,
Don't let go of it! Don't let him go!
Under the clear sky, mountains and rivers are good,
I've been strolling all the way here! He retracted his gaze!
Who could have guessed that the mountains would turn and the road would turn? -
I don't know if it's a small path or a secret door,
Although I have not been able to explore it today,
Tomorrow I may have the opportunity to visit,
I set foot on the path without turning back,
I rush to the moon and pick the sun, who says no.
Apples and thorns, nuts and wild berries,
Don't let go of it! Don't let him go!
Sandstone pools and valleys present a beautiful scene,
A smooth journey without hesitation! He didn't hesitate!
The old home is behind, the world is ahead,
Countless roads are open to me,
the stars and the moon pass by, my face hastened.
The world is behind, home is ahead,
It's good to sleep when you're home.
Mist and dawn, clouds and shadows,
In the end, he would be hidden! Not allowed to see!
Fires and lamps, sweet meat and bread,
After eating, she immediately pounced on the bed! Pounce on the bed!
Once the song was over, he said," It's time to go to bed immediately! It's time to go to bed!" Pippin sang loudly.
"Shh!" said Frodo. "I think I hear hooves again.”
They suddenly stopped, not making a sound, as if they had melted into the shadows. There was indeed the sound of horse hooves coming from the road behind them. The gentle breeze carried the faint but clear sound wave by wave. Silently, they darted into the shadows of the oak trees by the road.
"Be careful!" said Frodo. "I don't want to be discovered, but I want to see if this is another Dark Knight.”
No problem!" said Pippin. "Don't forget that the other party can sniff around!”
The sound of hooves was getting closer. They had no time to find another place to hide. Pippin and Sam were crouching by the tree, and Frodo was crouching a few yards from the path. There were many stars in the sky, but there was no moonlight.
The sound of hooves stopped. Frodo noticed what seemed to be a shadow passing through the brighter part of the trees, and then stopping. It looked like a short black shadow was leading a black horse. The black shadow stopped at the place where they left the path and kept looking around. Frodo thought he heard sniffing again. The black shadow bent down on the ground and began to crawl toward him.
Frodo's desire to put on the Ring rose again; This time, it was even stronger than the last time. His strong desire made him reach out and pinch his pocket without realizing it. However, at that critical moment, a vague song and laughter suddenly sounded. A loud voice came from the forest under the starlight. The black shadow stood up and retreated. The black shadow climbed onto the black horse and disappeared into the darkness on the other side of the road. Frodo breathed a sigh of relief.
"Elf!" said Sam hoarsely. "Sir, it's an elf!" If the other two didn't pull him back, this overly excited guy might have already rushed to the road.
"Yes, they are elves," said Frodo. "It is indeed possible to meet them at the end of the forest. They don't live in the Shire, but in spring and winter they leave their territory outside the Tower Hill and wander to our side. Fortunately, they came close to us! You didn't see it just now, but before the song started, the Dark Knight was standing here, ready to crawl towards me. As soon as he heard the elf's voice, he immediately slipped away.”
"What about these elves?" The excited Sam couldn't care less about the Dark Knight! "Can we go and see them?”
"Listen! They went this way,"said Frodo. "We'll just wait here."
The song was getting closer and closer. A clear voice drowned out the other voices. He spoke in a beautiful Elvish language that even Frodo could barely understand. The other two did not understand at all. However, this beautiful song and tune seemed to have its own thoughts, transforming into a language that the three of them could not fully understand in their minds. The song Frodo heard went like this:
White Snow! White Snow! Heh, holy lady!
Heh, the queen of the western elves!
Oh, the light shines upon us who roam the forest!
Gilsonnel! Oh, Ilverine Silk!
Your eyes are clear, your breath is bright,
White Snow! White Snow! Allow us to present a song to the queen of the gods of the fairyland overseas.
Oh, there are stars in the year without a sun
I rely on the Empress's hand to light the dawn,
On the plains the wind blows, light shines,
Your silver flowers hang on the horizon!
Oh, Ilverine Silk! Gilsonnel!
Even if I live in the distant forest,
None of us have forgotten,
Your starlight shines on the western sea.
The song ended. "These are High Elves! Because they had mentioned the Ilverine Silk! said Frodo in great surprise. "In the Shire, we rarely have the chance to meet the noblest race among the nobles. There were only a handful of High Elves left in Middle-earth to the west of the sea. This is really a coincidence for us to meet!”
And so the hobbit hid in the shadows by the roadside. Not long after, the elves walked on the path and began to advance toward the valley. They walked on, perfectly unperturbed, and the hobbits could see the starlight glistening in their hair and eyes. They did not emit light, but they emitted a kind of dazzling and hazy temperament, as if the gentle light reflected by the mountain edge before the moon rose fell at their feet. The elves fell silent. When the last elf walked past them, he suddenly turned his head and looked in the direction of the Hobbits, laughing cheerfully.
"Hello, Frodo!" he shouted. "It's so late and you're still hanging out outside. Are you lost?" Then he called for the others, all of whom had now stopped and gathered around the hobbit.
"This is really interesting!" They said. "Three Hobbits hiding in the forest at night! We haven't seen this since Birbo left. What does this mean?"
"Noble ones," said Frodo,"what this means is that we happen to be heading in the same direction as you. I like to walk under the stars. But I welcome your company even more."
"But we don't need company, Hobbits are so boring," they said, laughing. "You don't know where we're going, so how can you say that we're going the same way as you?”
"How did you know my name?”asked Frodo.
"We know a lot," they said. "We used to see you walking with Bilbo, but you probably didn't notice us.”
"Who are you? Who is your king?" asked Frodo.
" I am Gildor," said the leading elf who greeted Frodo first." Gildor Inglorian of House Fenro. We are wanderers, and most of our compatriots have already left. We are just enjoying the natural beauty before heading to the overseas wonderland. Still, some of our brethren live in the peaceful Rivendell. Frodo, don't stand on ceremony. Tell us what you're doing. Because we can see that you have the aura of fear on you.”
"Oh, wise man!" Pippin interrupted nervously. "Can you tell us about the Dark Knight?”
"Dark Knight?" they whispered. "Why are you asking about the Dark Knight?”
" Because two Black Knights caught up with us today, or one Black Knight came twice," Pippin said." Not long ago, he heard your voices and slipped away.”
The elves didn't answer immediately. Instead, they conversed gently in their own language for a while. Finally, Gildor turned to the hobbit."Not here," he said. "We think you'd better come with us now. This is not our style, but we will take you with us this time. If you are willing, it is best that you spend the night with us.”
"Oh, noble people! It's a great honor,"said Pippin. Sam was too happy to speak. " Thank you for your generosity, Gildor Inglorian," Frodo bowed. " Elenslalmennomentilmo, the lucky star blesses the moment we meet," he said in the High Elves language.
"Be careful, friends!" Gildor said with a smile. "Don't reveal any secrets in front of him! We've met a scholar who's proficient in the ancient language. Birbo was indeed a good elder. My elven friend, I salute you!" he said, bowing to Frodo. "Join us with your friends! You'd better walk in the middle so as not to fall behind. You may feel a little tired before we stop.”
"Why? Where are you going?" asked Frodo.
"Tonight, we will go to the forest on the hill beside the Great Wood Hall. It's a little far, but you should be able to have a good rest when you get there. This will also make the road you have to walk tomorrow shorter.”
In the end, the group of people began to trek in silence again, like shadows in the dark night. Elves (even better than Hobbits in this respect) could walk silently if they wanted to. Pippin soon began to feel drowsy and staggered a couple of times. However, the tall elf beside him would always reach out and help him up. Sam walked beside Frodo, feeling as if he were in a dream, his face half frightened and half surprised. The forest on both sides of the road became denser, the trees became younger and denser; The path was getting lower and lower, and it began to enter the lowlands between the valleys. There were more and more hazel trees on the hills on both sides. Finally, the elves left the path. A green ridge appeared in the dense forest on the right. It was almost impossible to find it in the dark night. The elves climbed up the winding mountain ridge to the hill that stood out in the valley. Everyone suddenly left the shade of the trees and came to a large patch of gray grass under the night sky. The grassland was surrounded by trees on three sides, but the terrain in the east suddenly dropped, and the tall trees below fell under everyone's feet. As far as the eye could see, this lowland appeared very wide and flat under the illumination of the stars. There were also a few flashing lights in the wooden hall.
The elves sat down on the grass and chatted in low voices. They no longer seemed to notice the presence of the Hobbits. Frodo and his companions pulled their blankets and cloaks over themselves, and let the drowsiness come. As the night deepened, the flames in the valley extinguished. Pippin fell asleep on a pile of leaves.
High in the east was the planet Remilas, also known as the Heavenly Net. The red star of Borgil slowly rose, like a jewel forged from flames. There was a wave in the night sky, and all the fog was lifted like a veil, clearing a path for the sky swordsman with a shiny belt to climb to the sky of Mannevago. The elves then sang songs to praise this beautiful scenery. Red flames suddenly burst out from under the tree.
"Come on!" The elves called out to the hobbits. "Come quickly! Now it was time to sing and enjoy!”
Pippin sat up and rubbed his eyes. He shuddered. " There's a fire in the hall, and there's food for the hungry guests," an elf standing next to him said.
There was an open space to the south of this green space. The green space extended into the forest, forming a terrain that looked like a hall. The roof was made of the branches of old trees, and the huge tree trunks were like majestic pillars on both sides. In the middle was a warm campfire, and on the tree trunks on both sides were torches that emitted golden and silver light. The elves sat on the ground around the campfire, while some sat against the tree trunk. Some elves were even busy setting up wine glasses and pouring drinks into them. There were also some elves who arranged the dishes and spread the food on them.
"It's very shabby," they said to the Hobbits,"because we live in the Greenwood far from home. If you can come to our house one day to receive our hospitality, we will treat you with more thoughtful courtesy.”
" In my opinion, this is good enough for a birthday party," said Frodo in surprise.
After a while, Pippin found that he could hardly remember anything about what he had eaten that day. His eyes were filled with the beautiful scenery of the light shining on the delicate faces of the elves, as well as countless melodious music. All of this made him feel as if he was in a dream. But he still remembered that there was bread in front of him that was even more delicious and thick than the white bread he saw when he was hungry. They were as sweet as wild berries and were fatter than the fruits in the garden. He still remembered that he had drunk a cup of sweet liquid in one go. It was cold and clear like a mountain spring, golden and tempting like a summer afternoon.
When Sam tried to recall that night, he could neither describe it in words nor picture it clearly in his mind. But he only knew that this was the most important moment of his life. All he could say was,"Wow, my lord, if I can grow this kind of apple, I dare call myself a gardener." However, for me, what really made me happy was their beautiful singing.”
Frodo sat on the ground, eating and drinking happily, and talking to the elves. However, his full attention was focused on the content of the other party's conversation. He knew some elven language, so he listened attentively. Occasionally, he would also thank the elves who gave him food and drinks in elven language. They would laugh and reply,"This is the treasure of the hobbits!"”
After a while, Pippin fell asleep after eating his fill. The elves kindly carried him away and placed him on a bed made of thick leaves under the tree. He spent the rest of the night in a deep sleep. Sam refused to leave his master's side. When Pippin had been taken away, he sat down beside Frodo, closed his eyes at last, and dozed off. Frodo and Gildor talked late into the night. They discussed many things, including what had just happened and what had already happened. Frodo asked Gildor many questions about what was happening in the vast world beyond the Shire. The world was very unstable, with dark forces gathering, humans fighting each other, and elves flying to Middle-earth. At last, Frodo asked the question he had been holding back for a long time:
"Tell me, Gildor, have you seen Birbo since he left?”
Gildor laughed. " Yes," he replied. "Twice. Once, he said goodbye to us here. But I chanced upon him again, far from here.”As he did not wish to discuss Bilbo's whereabouts any further, Frodo fell silent.
"You've got a lot on your mind, Frodo," said Gildor. "However, I already know a little from your face and the questions you asked. You are ready to leave the Shire, but you are not sure if you can find what you are looking for, complete what you have been entrusted with, or even return to this place. Am I right?"
"Yes," said Frodo,"but I thought my journey was known only to Gandalf and my faithful Sam.”He looked down at Sam, who was snoring softly.
" The Demon King will not learn this secret from me," Gildor said.
"Demon King?" Frodo started. "Then do you know why I left Ciarlo?”
" I don't know why the demon king is tracking you," Gildor replied." Even if I think it's unusual, his target is really you. I must warn you that your path ahead and your path back will be extremely dangerous.”
"You mean those knights? I'm worried that they're the Demon King's subordinates. What exactly were these Black Knights?”
"Didn't Gandalf tell you?”
"He never mentioned such a creature."
"Then I don't think I should say anything more. Otherwise, you might be so afraid that you don't dare to move forward. Because in my opinion, if there was still time, you would have left at a critical moment. You have to hurry on your journey now. You can't stop or turn back. Because the Shire is no longer your sanctuary.”
" I really can't imagine any news more frightening than your hints and warnings," said Frodo anxiously. "Of course I knew that there was a crisis lurking ahead, but I didn't expect to encounter such terrifying things even in our Shire. Could it be that the hobbits could no longer walk from the waterside to the river in peace?”
" This is not the Shire that belongs to you," Gildor said. "There were others who lived here before the Hobbits settled. When the Hobbits became a thing of the past, other people would come to settle here. The world changed, and times changed. You could lock yourself in a small circle, but you couldn't stop them from entering forever.”
"I understand, but I still think that this place is safe and warm. What should I do now? My plan was to secretly leave the Shire and head to Rivendell. However, before I reached Buckland, the pursuers were already in hot pursuit.”
" I think you should stick to your original plan," Gildor said. "I don't think the dangers ahead can stop your courage. However, if you want a more in-depth analysis, you should go to Gandalf. I don't know why you're fleeing, so I don't know how your enemies will pursue you. Gandalf must know all about these things. I guess you'll go find him before you leave the Shire?”
"I hope to find him. But there was something else that made me restless. I've been waiting for Gandalf for days. He should have arrived at Hobbiton two days ago, but he never showed up. I'm starting to worry if something happened to him. Should I continue to wait for him?"
Gildor was silent for a moment. "It worries me," he said at last. "It's not a good sign that Gandalf hasn't appeared. However, there was a saying: do not interfere in the affairs of wizards, they are too busy and easily angered. Whether you want to wait or leave, it's all up to you.”
"I remember another proverb," replied Frodo."Don't ask the elves, because they won't say anything.”
"Really?" Gildor laughed. "Elves rarely give straightforward advice. Good advice is a dangerous gift. Even the advice given by a wise man to a wise man will be derailed by fate. But aren't you the same? You didn't tell me the truth, so how could I make a better decision than you? If you really insist on my advice, I'm willing to give you a hint for the sake of our friendship. I think you ought to go at once. If Gandalf still doesn't appear before you leave, I must advise you not to act alone. Bringing along trustworthy and willing friends. You should be very grateful to me because I didn't willingly interfere in your matters. Elves have their own goals and burdens, and we are seldom concerned with the fate of hobbits or other creatures in the world. Whether by coincidence or design, our fates rarely meet with those of others. Our meeting might not be a coincidence, but I still don't quite understand the meaning behind it. I'm afraid I've said too much already."
"I'm very grateful to you," said Frodo. "But I hope you can tell me the identity of these Black Knights directly. If I accept your suggestion, I won't be able to see Gandalf for a long time. At least I should know who these pursuers are.”
"Isn't it enough to know that they are the Demon King's minions?”Gildor replied. "Dodge them! Don't talk to them. They were deadly enemies. Stop asking! Frodo, son of Drogo, may you know no more about these fallen than Gildor Inglorian before it is all over! May the Ilverine Silk bless you!"
"How can I muster my courage?" said Frodo. "This is what I need the most."
" Courage is often hidden in places you don't notice," Gildor said. "You have to have hope! Sleep! We'll leave in the morning; but we'll spread the word. The wanderers will know your whereabouts, and those who stand on the side of justice will always watch over you. I give thee the title of Elven Friend; May the stars shine on your journey! It was rare for us to get so much happiness from strangers, and it was even more fortunate to hear the ancient language from other travelers.”
As Gildor finished speaking, Frodo felt drowsiness creeping over him. "I'm going to bed now," he said. The elves led him to the shade beside Pippin, and he lay down; He immediately entered a peaceful dream.
※※※
[Note 1: Because Hobbits are much shorter than humans, they generally call humans big guys and elves noble races.]
[Note 2: After the Lord Gods, Vala, defeated the Lord God of Darkness, Marko, who wanted to enslave the elves, the Lord Gods summoned the elves and invited them to live in the overseas paradise.] During this long and arduous migration, the elves developed many branches and divergences. The High Elves were the most powerful and elegant of the Elves, and they were also the first batch of Elves to set foot on the overseas wonderland.
[Note 3: Kirsonir, White Snow, and Ilverines are all names for one of the main gods of this world, the Queen of Stars, Valda.] She was the most beautiful goddess among all the main gods of Vala. She was also known as the " Queen of Light " because it was said that she created and lit up the stars, placing the moon and the sun in the sky, and the elves entered this world under the summoning of the stars. As such, she was the most beloved of the 15 Main Gods. Kirsonir meant " the one who lit up the stars " in the elven language, while the Ilverine silk meant " the queen of the stars " in the elven language.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。