We should not forget that Gandalf left Edoras early one morning. The Swift Shadow he rides on is a real precious horse, and it is no joke to travel thousands of miles in a day. Even the elf horse is not as good as it. In the entire Middle-earth world, apart from the Holy Spirit Nahal, it is the fastest among the creatures on land.
Rumor has it that it is a descendant of Felarov, a wild horse tamed by the founding king of Rohan. He is the leader of the Myalas horse group. It is said that the ancestors of Mearathma were brought to Middle-earth from the Blessed Land by Valaulomi. Before the advent of Gandalf, no one had been able to tame the Swift Shadow, so it had never been ridden by anyone.
In fact, if the wizard was not essentially a noble Maia, Jet Shadow would not have been able to be tamed so easily.
King Théoden gave this divine horse to the wizard not only to express his gratitude, but also because no one among the Rohirrim could tame it.
One person and one horse were galloping along the North-South Avenue, the dark world passing by quickly, and the wind howling loudly in their ears. To the right, there is a vast shadow against the sky in the distance, which is the southern mountain range that is gradually retreating.
look.
They passed through Anorion and along the Drua'adan Forest at an astonishing speed.
The guards of Caer Andros only saw a cluster of gray shadows galloping from the west, and the rumble of horse hooves was fleeting.
In the sky, stars are moving; wizards and shadow stars are traveling through the night.
They never rested.
Finally, the sky gradually became brighter.
Now to Gandalf's left a sea of mist spread, rising into the dim shadows in the east; to his right stood the majestic mountains with their towering peaks, extending from the west, but ending abruptly, as if formed in the earth. At that time, the river broke through a huge barrier and carved out a huge valley.
Moreover, the huge black shadow of Mount Mindoruin at the end of the White Mountains Ered Nimraith, the narrow valleys high up showed dark purple shadows, and the towering mountains became whiter and whiter in the light of dawn.
Minas Tirith, the city of kings and viziers, stands impressively on the protruding knees of Mount Mindoruin. Its seven stone walls have endured the cold and heat, and are so strong that they are not built by human beings, but by giants. Carved out of the skeleton of the earth.
The city walls gradually turned from hazy gray to white, and were slightly reddish in the morning light.
Looking at the long-lost holy white city, even Gandalf couldn't help but feel slightly lost. He stopped Jieying and stopped on a slope by the roadside.
Jiying stood dripping with sweat and steaming all over, but it held its head proudly and showed no signs of fatigue.
The magnificent city not far away is one of the most magnificent creations built by Western humans. It is the crystallization of the wisdom of elves and the strength of humans.
But he saw the sun climbing above the shadow in the east, sending out a beam of light that illuminated Baicheng's face.
Behind the long wall of Ramath Ahor, the Tower of Ecthelion, which stands within the highest level of the city wall of Minas Tirith, shines brightly against the sky, glittering and translucent, like a long rope made of pearls and silver. The needle is tall, beautiful, and well-proportioned, and its dazzling spire seems to be made of crystal. The snow-white flag flutters on the battlements in the morning breeze, and a clear silver trumpet sound comes from a high place and echoes in his ears.
Gondor, Gondor! Starting from the mountains in the east and reaching the sea in the west!
The west wind blows, the ancient imperial garden,
There was a time when the light of the silver tree fell like rain.
Towering city walls and white towers!
The crown is decorated with wings, the throne is made of gold!
Gondor, Gondor! But I don’t know when I will see the silver tree again,
In the corner of the mountain and sea, is the west wind coming again?
Gandalf couldn't help but read an ancient poem loudly. It was a section of a magnificent poem circulated in Gondor when humans had not yet fallen and heroes were born in large numbers. It elaborated on the glory and decline of the Holy White City.
The sound alarmed the humans in Ramas Ehor, and the vague light of torches and fires could be seen everywhere in the morning fog. The guards looked northward one after another, showing vigilance.
So, Gandalf once again took a look at the holy white city shrouded in shadow. In order not to alert the enemy, he could only drive the swift shadow and ran straight past the east side of Lamas Ehor.
As the wizard wore a heavy cloak that shrouded his body in shadow, his staff was also hidden. Therefore, the humans behind Ramas Ehor did not realize his true identity. They only saw a gray figure galloping past from the north, heading towards the southern coast without stopping for a moment.
The gray-robed wizard rode the Shadow and ran sleeplessly for three days and three nights. He crossed the Erui River, crossed the Sirith River, and almost crossed half of the Lebenning Plain, arriving at The mouth of the sea after the confluence of the Serni and Gilrain rivers - Linhir
These rivers all originate from the southern foothills of the White Mountains and are the main rivers in the Kingdom of Gondor. The town of Linhir is located between the borders of Belfalas and Lebennen. To the northwest is Dor-en-Elnir and Dor-Amroth, and to the east is the Anduin River after it flows through most of Middle-Continent. , the delta washed out by the sea, and up along the Anduin River mouth, is the Port of Pelagir.
In addition, Linhir is the place where in the original history, Aragorn led the army of the dead to defeat the pirates and Haradurs of Umbar who occupied this place.
Looking at the ruined human town in the sea breeze and dusk, Gandalf did not enter this desolate human gathering place. There is a river beach to the west of Linhill Town and a pontoon bridge across the river. One person and one horse walked along the pontoon and turned towards a lonely hut about half a league away from the town.
The hut has no fence. There are two rows of beech trees in front of the house, and a long wooden bench for resting is placed at the door. Not flashy, but solid. Like the door to the cabin. There is a stable behind the house with a big chestnut horse in it.
The sound of horse hooves alarmed the people in the room. Gandalf could see the figures flashing under the orange light. The people inside seemed to be watching the coming people through the window vigilantly.
"Hello, I am a traveler from afar. I originally wanted to go to Etillonde, but since the journey, it has been getting late. If possible, I would like to ask the owner here for a glass of water." The wizard said loudly.
There was silence in the room.
Suddenly, the door was opened.
A tall, muscular, handsome man came out. He was wearing a gray shirt, brown trousers, and a pair of comfortable boots. His hair is black and he has very piercing gray eyes.
"Etillond has been abandoned for a long time. Isn't it a lie to say that we are going there? As a traveler who came to seek help, this makes me have to doubt the motives of those who call themselves travelers."
They stared at each other quietly for a moment, then laughed together.
The wizard lifted the cloak on his head and jumped down from the Swift Shadow nimbly, "Adrasil." Gandalf stepped forward and warmly hugged the former Prince Doamroth.
He once participated in the First War of Light with the fallen Ecthelion, and also witnessed the old prince’s corruption, and because he spoke out for justice, Ecthelion eventually led an army to destroy the leader of his family—— Adrasil of Etillond showed a long-lost smile.
"Mithrandil." He said: "What wind brought you to this remote seaside town? I haven't seen my old friends for many days, and your arrival makes me happy."
They walked into this small but warm hut and sat down at a table made of thick oak. Jieying automatically stayed outside, gnawing the grass in front of the house leisurely.
Gandalf discovered that Adrasil was more resistant to the erosion of time than ordinary humans. It was as if the decades had not left any traces on him. His eyes were still sharp and his appearance was the same as it had been many years ago. no big difference.
But at the same time, the wizard also noticed the sadness and hatred buried deep in his heart. The old wizard said meaningfully: "My old friend, your appearance has not changed much. It seems that the elven blood is still flowing in the master of Doamroth Territory."
Adrasil looked at him, with a strange expression on his still young face, as if he was remembering, but also angry. Scenes of stories from many years ago appeared in his mind. At that time, he was still so young and full of vigor. He was a brave and handsome swan knight in people's mouth.
Flowers and compliments are what he should have.
But everything changed after his old partner, later the Fallen Ecthelion, captured the Demon King's ring on the Evil Black Tower.
Thinking that his home, relatives, friends, parents, and people in the territory were all reduced to ashes under the iron heel of his fallen companions, and that he was the only one left alive in Doamroth, Adrasil couldn't help but say: "The people here are terrible. No matter whether they are noble or not, what the fishermen of Linhir care more about is how to catch enough fish for food and clothing before sunset. They don’t care much about elves, nobles, and citizens! If not, I wouldn’t hide here. Stay for years without being discovered by the shadow of Minas Tirith!"
"A wizard would not look for a poor man who has to work for three meals a day for no reason. At least, that's not all I heard." Gandalf's dark eyes flashed, "My friend, the story of reminiscing about the past is indeed true. It doesn’t mean much, but what I’m going to say next is not just about your personal grievances. Didn’t you hear that majestic horn? That was the cry of the Silver King to declare war on the darkness. It told us all that the darkness is about to come. In the past, the light of hope will once again shine in that sacred city of kings and prime ministers.”
Adrasil said: "I heard it. Turka Aracano is willing to go out of his royal city, no longer ignore the sorrow and longing of the people on this land, and save it. This is indeed an extremely exciting story. News. But what does all this have to do with me? My sorrow is irreversible, my hope is extinct, my hand has no longer even held the sword for many years, I am anonymous, just to not witness the recurrence of the sorrow of the past. .”
"I hear your resentment, my friend." Gandalf sighed: "But I can't help but say that your accusation is too harsh. Aren't we all witnesses to everything that happened that day? Picture Lord Erka has done what he should do as much as possible, but the enemy is obviously deeper than we expected. At that time, we did not know the true face of the enemy. Moreover, you did not tell us the truth. .”
There was silence in the room. Only the fireplace was crackling with sparks. Adrasil sat there for a long time, feeling guilty and sad in silence.
"Indeed," he said, "It all stems from my own cowardice. It was I who allowed Ecthelion to fall into darkness and confusion, but failed to save him."
But Gandalf knew that he was only bound by the oath and could not betray his old partners, so he said: "The past is gone, Adrasil. If someone needs to pay a price for this, it can only be Sauron hiding behind. Yes, Boromir and Faramir have told Elrond and Lord Turka the whole truth, and I was also present."
"Moreover, didn't you suggest that they go to the North and seek help from Lord Turka?" Gandalf said: "It can be seen that your heart is still bright, and Ecthelion was also killed in the Battle of Collapse. Exiled back to the void, it is impossible to see the light of day again in a short time."
But Adrasil keenly heard a hint of sadness in the wizard's tone, and he couldn't help asking: "Mithrandil, I have also heard about the rushing horn many days ago. Please tell me, I Did the advice that day create a new tragedy?”
Gandalf's originally bright eyes dimmed slightly. He thought of the heroes who died in battle and the blood shed outside Rivendell and on the plains of West Fold. But he couldn't bear to deceive Adrasil, so he sighed and said: "Boromir bravely slashed the Witch King of Angmar, but the hammer of the King of the Nazgul shattered his breastplate. He died in battle!" A descendant of Isildur, son of Arathorn, avenged Sauron by killing his chief thug with the reforged sword of Narsil."
It is said that at that moment even the warmth of the fireplace could not warm Adrasil's heart, and a shadow fell over him, making him look old and sad.
"What about the other one? Faramir?" he said.
The wizard is extraordinary, but he does possess some noble qualities. He couldn't bear to say another word: "Faramir was in great mourning because of this. He challenged his grandfather alone, and his heroic fighting posture moved hundreds of thousands of soldiers."
"But he failed, didn't he?" Adrasil covered her face, tears streaming from her eyes.
It is difficult for us to know the mood of the Swan Knight when he rescued the two brothers at the beach that day, but one thing is certain, Adrasil must have some kind of feelings for the descendants of his old partners, maybe There is also a trace of nostalgia for old friends.
After all, Minas Tirith never revoked the title of Prince Do Amroth.
In addition, during the Battle of Collapse, Ecthelion strangely did not kill his descendants with his own hands. It is difficult for us to say whether he was completely corrupted.
Thinking of her once close companions and everything that happened to them, Adrasil couldn't help crying. "Ecthelion, Ecthelion, when can you and I step out of the shadows. The fate that the gods have imposed on us is too cruel."
"We shouldn't judge too much about fate." Gandalf sighed: "But I think we shouldn't despair prematurely. If you really listened to my entire narrative, know that another hope is coming. Rise up, my friend.”
"And Faramir is not dead, that's all I can say."
Adrasil calmed down.
That night, they talked for a long time and talked about a lot. Finally, they left the seaside hut, mounted their fast horses, and galloped northward in the night.
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