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Part 2
They had left Doro Lanthron at sunrise and taken the Newhome
road, picking their way slowly along the muddy, deeply-rutted
track, walking the horses through the narrow, stony passes,
and crossing the rotting, wooden bridges carefully, one at a
time.
“This is ‘no man’s land’,” said Arador,
following Legolas through the treacherous maze of rock and mire.
“My father maintains the road as far as the Tavor River,
which is where his authority ends, but he is always getting
complaints from travellers whose horses have fallen, and,”—he
gestured towards the blackened skeleton of a handcart, which
someone had dragged aside and burned—“from carriers
who have had to abandon their merchandise on this stretch.”
“I shall talk to Aragorn,” said Legolas. “Improving
the entire road is beyond the Colony’s resources, but something
must be done. Perhaps jointly...” And after several more
miles of frustratingly slow going, impatient to know the worst,
he decided to ride ahead.
...
Legolas returned with good news.
“In less than a quarter of a mile,” he said, wheeling
Arod around, and falling in beside Eowyn, “the road leaves
the hills and crosses the plain on a raised causeway—the
surface is still metalled, so we should be able to make up some
time. And I saw Eryn Hollen, to the north—it is about five
miles as the corch flies...”
...
As they left the shelter of the Hills it began to drizzle,
and by the time they were half way across the plain, the sky
had opened, and the rain was pounding down upon them.
“Under here,” cried Legolas, dismounting and leading
Arod down the side of the causeway. Eowyn and Arador followed.
There was a low bridge, where the road crossed a shallow depression
on wooden piles and, setting the horses loose, they crawled
underneath it, and huddled together, making themselves as comfortable
as they could.
“Time for something to eat,” said Eowyn, lowering
the hood of her Elven cloak and opening her backpack. “We
have some bread and cheese, somewhere...” She grinned,
clearly enjoying the adventure, and Arador thought that he had
never seen her look lovelier.
He wrestled his own pack onto his lap and, rummaging inside,
pulled out a leather satchel. It was crammed with small glass
bottles, some empty, others filled with powder or with coloured
liquid, and Arador checked each one carefully.
“What are those?” asked Legolas, leaning closer.
“Master Eldacar gave them to me,” replied Arador.
“so that I can take samples from the trees and the soil,
and assay them for impurities.”
...
corch ... crow
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