Books

Book V
     Chapter 1 Minas Tirith
     Pippin looked out from the shelter of Gandalf’s cloak. He wondered if
he was awake or still sleeping, still in the swift- moving dream in
which he had been wrapped so long since the great ride began. The dark
world was rushing by and the wind sang loudly in his ears. He could
see nothing but the wheeling stars, and away to his right vast shadows
against the sky where the mountains of the South marched past.
Sleepily he tried to reckon the times and stages of their journey, but
his memory was drowsy and uncertain.
     There had been the first ride at terrible speed without a halt, and
then in the dawn he had seen a pale gleam of gold, and they had come
to the silent town and the great empty house on the hill. And hardly
had they reached its shelter when the winged shadow had passed over
once again, and men wilted with fear. But Gandalf had spoken soft
words to him, and he had slept in a corner, tired but uneasy, dimly
aware of comings and goings and of men talking and Gandalf giving
orders. And then again riding, riding in the night. This was the
second, no, the third night since he had looked in the Stone. And with
that hideous memory he woke fully, and shivered, and the noise of the
wind became filled with menacing voices.
     A light kindled in the sky, a blaze of yellow fire behind dark
barriers Pippin cowered back, afraid for a moment, wondering into what
dreadful country Gandalf was bearing him. He rubbed his eyes, and then
he saw that it was the moon rising above the eastern shadows, now
almost at the full. So the night was not yet old and for hours the
dark journey would go on. He stirred and spoke.
     ‘Where are we, Gandalf?’ he asked.
     ‘In the realm of Gondor,’ the wizard answered. ‘The land of An?rien is
still passing by.’
     There was a silence again for a while. Then, ‘What is that?’ cried
Pippin suddenly, clutching at Gandalf’s cloak. ‘Look! Fire, red fire!
Are there dragons in this land? Look, there is another!’
     For answer Gandalf cried aloud to his horse. ‘On, Shadowfax! We must
hasten. Time is short. See! The beacons of Gondor are alight, calling
for aid. War is kindled. See, there is the fire on Amon D?n, and flame
on Eilenach; and there they go speeding west: Nardol, Erelas,
Min-Rimmon, Calenhad, and the Halifirien on the borders of Rohan.’
     But Shadowfax paused in his stride, slowing to a walk, and then he
lifted up his head and neighed. And out of the darkness the answering
neigh of other horses came; and presently the thudding of hoofs was
heard, and three riders swept up and passed like flying ghosts in the
moon and vanished into the West. Then Shadowfax gathered himself
together and sprang away, and the night flowed over him like a roaring
wind.
     Pippin became drowsy again and paid little attention to Gandalf
telling him of the customs of Gondor, and how the Lord of the City had
beacons built on the tops of outlying hills along both borders of the
great range, and maintained posts at these points where fresh horses
were always in readiness to bear his errand-riders to Rohan in the