And what may be the answer to your riddle? said Thjoden

Then let all who are to ride with me rest now, said Gandalf We will journey under the shadow of evening It is as well for it is my counsel that all our comings and goings should be as secret as may be, henceforth But do not command many men to go with you, Thjoden We go to a parley not to a fight

In the afternoon the Kings company prepared to depart The work of burial was then but beginning and Thjoden mourned for the loss of Hbma, his captain, and cast the first earth upon his grave Great injury indeed has Saruman done to me and all this land, he said and I will remember it, when we meet

Then let all who are to ride with me rest now, said Gandalf We will journey under the shadow of evening It is as well for it is my counsel that all our comings and goings should be as secret as may be, henceforth But do not command many men to go with you, Thjoden We go to a parley not to a fight

The Orcs were piled in great heaps, away from the mounds of Men, not far from the eaves of the forest And the people were troubled in their minds for the heaps of carrion were too great for burial or for burning They had little wood for firing, and none would have dared to take an axe to the strange trees, even if Gandalf had not warned them to hurt neither bark nor bough at their great peril

But there are not men enough in the Mark, not if they were all gathered together and healed of wounds and weariness, to assault the stronghold of Saruman, said Thjoden

The Men of the Mark took their weapons from them, and set them to work

The Orcs were piled in great heaps, away from the mounds of Men, not far from the eaves of the forest And the people were troubled in their minds for the heaps of carrion were too great for burial or for burning They had little wood for firing, and none would have dared to take an axe to the strange trees, even if Gandalf had not warned them to hurt neither bark nor bough at their great peril

The men of Dunland were amazed, for Saruman had told them that the men of Rohan were cruel and burned their captives alive

The men of Dunland were amazed, for Saruman had told them that the men of Rohan were cruel and burned their captives alive

My men are weary with battle, said the King and I am weary also For I have ridden far and slept little Alas My old age is not feigned nor due only to the whisperings of Wormtongue It is an ill that no leech can wholly cure, not even Gandalf

Nay said Thjoden In the dark hour before dawn I doubted, but we will not part now I will come with you, if that is your counsel

In the midst of the field before the Hornburg two mounds were raised, and beneath them were laid all the Riders of the Mark who fell in the defence, those of the East Dales upon one side, and those of Westfold upon the other In a_ grave alone under the shadow of the Hornburg lay Hbma, captain of the Kings guard He fell before the Gate

Legolas and Gimli were now riding together upon one horse and they kept close beside Gandalf, for Gimli was afraid of the wood

Help now to repair the evil in which you have joined, said Erkenbrand and afterwards you shall take an oath never again to pass the Fords of Isen in arms, nor to march with the enemies of Men and then you shall go free back to your land For you have been deluded by Saruman Many of you have got death as the reward of your trust in him but had you conquered, little better would your wages have been

The men of Dunland were amazed, for Saruman had told them that the men of Rohan were cruel and burned their captives alive

The sun was already drawing near the hills upon the west of the Coomb, when at last Thjoden and Gandalf and their companions rode down from the Dike Behind them were gathered a great host, both of the Riders and of the people of Westfold, old and young, women and children, who had come out from the caves A song of victory they sang with clear voices and then they fell silent, wondering what would chance, for their eyes were on the trees and they feared them

In the afternoon the Kings company prepared to depart The work of burial was then but beginning and Thjoden mourned for the loss of Hbma, his captain, and cast the first earth upon his grave Great injury indeed has Saruman done to me and all this land, he said and I will remember it, when we meet

Nevertheless to Isengard I go, said Gandalf I shall not stay there long My way lies now eastward Look for me in Edoras, ere the waning of the moon

Then let all who are to ride with me rest now, said Gandalf We will journey under the shadow of evening It is as well for it is my counsel that all our comings and goings should be as secret as may be, henceforth But do not command many men to go with you, Thjoden We go to a parley not to a fight

But there are not men enough in the Mark, not if they were all gathered together and healed of wounds and weariness, to assault the stronghold of Saruman, said Thjoden

It was only a feeble blow and the cap turned it he said It would take more than such an orc scratch to keep me back

I will tend it, while you rest, said Aragorn

Nay said Thjoden In the dark hour before dawn I doubted, but we will not part now I will come with you, if that is your counsel

Then let all who are to ride with me rest now, said Gandalf We will journey under the shadow of evening It is as well for it is my counsel that all our comings and goings should be as secret as may be, henceforth But do not command many men to go with you, Thjoden We go to a parley not to a fight

The Men of the Mark took their weapons from them, and set them to work

When young was mountain under moon

It walked the forests long ago

But there are not men enough in the Mark, not if they were all gathered together and healed of wounds and weariness, to assault the stronghold of Saruman, said Thjoden