cried. 'When you know more you will understand why you have angered my
companions. We intend no evil to Rohan, nor to any of its folk,
neither to man nor to horse. Will you not hear our tale before you
strike?'
     'I will,' said ?omer lowering his blade. 'But wanderers in the
Riddermark would be wise to be less haughty in these days of doubt.
First tell me your right name.'
     'First tell me whom you serve,' said Aragorn. 'Are you friend or foe
of Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor?'
     'I serve only the Lord of the Mark, Th?oden King son of Thengel,'
answered ?omer. 'We do not serve the Power of the Black Land far away,
but neither are we yet at open war with him; and if you are fleeing
from him, then you had best leave this land. There is trouble now on
all our borders, and we are threatened; but we desire only to be free,
and to live as we have lived, keeping our own, and serving no foreign
lord, good or evil. We welcomed guests kindly in the better days, but
in these times the unbidden stranger finds us swift and hard. Come!
Who are you? Whom do you serve? At whose command do you hunt Orcs in
our land?'
     'I serve no man,' said Aragorn; 'but the servants of Sauron I pursue