Chapter 8 Chapter 8: Mist of Tomb Hill

That night, they never heard any strange sounds again.But there was a sweet song that kept ringing in Frodo's ears, and he could not tell whether it was dream or real.This song seems to be the gray light behind the rain curtain. The tune becomes stronger and stronger, turning the water curtain into a illusory crystal glass; The verdant earth. When he woke up, the scene merged with the image outside the window, Tom whistled vigorously, the sound was like a yellow warbler in the tree; the sun had already climbed the slope, and slanted its light into the house through the window.The emerald green of the mountains outside the house is bathed in golden sunlight.

After breakfast individually, they were ready to say goodbye to their hosts.In the morning when everything was thriving and the sky was as blue as if it had been washed by water, their hearts were heavy.A fresh cool breeze blows from the northwest.Their mounts swayed as if they couldn't wait to gallop across the open fields.Tom went out, and waving his hat, and dancing on the porch, signaled to the hobbit that they should set off without further delay. A group of horses rode along the path behind the house to the north ridge of the hill.Just as they were leading their horses to cross the last slope, Frodo stopped suddenly.

"Miss Goldberry!" he yelled. "That beautiful woman in silver and green, we haven't seen her since last night, and we even forgot to say goodbye to her!" He was about to turn his head back in frustration, and at that moment, he called out from the mountain like a silver bell. uploaded it.She was standing on the ridge waving to them: her hair was flying and glistening in the sun.As she moved, the grass seemed to glisten with clean dew. Everyone hurried up the last slope and stood beside her panting.They bowed farewell to their mistress, who waved her hands to signify them to look at the scene in the morning light.The forest, previously shrouded in veils of thick fog, has now shed its disguise, revealing its true colors.The land to the west is covered with all kinds of trees, which are flourishing under the sun, and the valley of the Spirit River is hidden behind the dense forest.Looking to the south, after crossing the Wicker River, the Brandywine River made a wide bend, skirted a lowland, and flowed out of the hobbit's territory.In the north, there are endless rolling hills, mixed with green and brown blocks, stretching to the horizon as far as the eye can see.To the east are continuous ancient tombs, blocking all sight.Everyone tried their best to look, but they could only see a vast expanse of white images flowing in the sky, and ancient legends told them about the high mountains on the far side.

They took a deep breath, and had the illusion that they could go anywhere as if flying through the clouds.Even jogging along the ancient tombs all the way to the Eastern Avenue seemed extremely relaxed, and they even thought that they should imitate Tom and hop all the way to the distant mountains. Goldberry spoke to call their attention back. "Come on, dear guest!" she said. "Go to your goal. Go north, and let the wind blow in your left eye, and you will be well on your way! Make haste while it is still light!" Then she said to Frodo, "Farewell, Friends of the elves, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

Frodo was speechless, tongue-tied.He bowed deeply, got on the pony, and rode down the gentle slope in front of him with his friends.Slowly Tom's house, the valley, and the whole forest disappeared from sight.Between the high walls formed by the green hills on both sides, the air gradually became warmer, and the pleasant smell of green grass floated in the wind without hesitation.When they got to the bottom of the valley, they looked back and saw the figure of Goldberry.Her small figure looked like a little white flower in the sun.She held out her hands to them.Then, her final farewell sound came along with the autumn wind, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, Jinberry turned and disappeared behind the hill.

They kept going along the winding road at the bottom of the valley, bypassing a steep hill and entering another wider valley.Then they crossed the further hills, climbed the slopes, and ran up and down between valleys and hills.There were no trees or streams in sight: it was grassy country, the only sounds coming from the breeze and the chirping of solitary birds.As the sun rose higher and higher, the temperature also began to climb.With each hill they climbed, the cool breeze seemed to grow less and less.The forest in the distance was steaming at this time, as if it was spitting the heavy rain back into the sky.The sky as far as the eye can see is clear, with only a few clouds in the distance.

Shortly after noon they came to a hill with a flat top.The crests of the mounds resembled somewhat green-rimmed shallow saucers.There is no wind at all in the shallow dish, and the venomous sun shines directly into it.They were forced to stand on the edge of the saucer, looking northwards for distance.Only then did they find that the trek was much smoother than expected; although the distant scenery seemed a little blurred under the hot sun, they still saw that the rolling hills were coming to an end.At their feet was a narrow valley, which crossed two steep hills and came at last to a broad plain.There is no relief of any kind beyond the plain.Looking farther north, they could just make out a long black line. "That should be a row of trees," Merry said. "It must be the Eastern Avenue. Walking east from the Bridge of Spirits, there are dozens of miles of trees along the road. Some people say that it was left by ancient people. under the trace."

"Excellent!" said Frodo. "If our progress in the afternoon can be as smooth as in the morning, then we can leave this hilly area before dark and start looking for a suitable place for camping." Having said that, he still couldn't help but look towards the east.The hills over there are much higher than here, looking down on them with a hostile attitude.The hills had green domes on top, and some had bristling rocks like jagged teeth sticking out of green gums. The sight was somehow unsettling, and they avoided it, walking back to the center of the depression.There stood a towering rock that cast no shadow in the direct sun.While that rock isn't particularly shaped, its location makes it hard to ignore it.It's like a landmark, or a guard, more like a warning finger.However, everyone was hungry, and it was still the middle of the day, so there should be nothing to be afraid of.So the group unloaded their backpacks and put them away against the east side of the rock.The surface of the rock was a little cold, as if the sun were powerless to warm it; and at this moment it was considered a good fortune.They took out food and water, ate and drank in the hot sun, and enjoyed the lunch they brought down the mountain.Tom generously gave them a lot of food, so that they can fill their stomachs today without any worries.The pony, unburdened, was gnawing on the grass leisurely on the grass.

After trekking among the hills for a whole morning, with a full meal, coupled with the warm sunshine and the fragrance of green grass, everyone relaxed, stretched out their little feet, and looked at the blue sky.What happened next seemed natural: they fell asleep. The four of them woke up uneasy from this unexpected nap at the same time.The rock was still cold and cast a languid shadow toward the east.The sun, which was about to sink to the edge of the saucer, looked weak in the rising fog.The cold, thick white mist surrounded the entire mountaintop, and the surrounding area was filled with a heavy atmosphere. The silent wilderness made people feel uneasy.The formerly vigorous ponies are now all gathered together, their heads lowered, not daring to move.

The hobbits jumped up alertly and ran to the west to check the situation.Only then did everyone realize that they seemed to be trapped on an isolated island in the sea of ​​mist.Not knowing what to do, the hobbit watched helplessly as the sun fell into the sea of ​​mist, and strange gray shadows sprang out from the east.Thick fog overflowed the side of the saucer and rolled over their heads, enveloping them in a closed realm topped by stone pillars. They felt as if a trap was closing, but the sight was not enough to discourage them.They still remember the road conditions they saw before, and they still know which direction to go.In fact, the place is starting to make them feel creepy and they don't want to stay any longer.Everyone quickly packed their luggage with their fingers that were about to freeze, ready to leave.

Soon they were leading the ponies one by one over the edge of the saucer and down the slope north into the sea of ​​mist.The fog around them grew wetter and colder as they went deeper.Everyone's hair was sticking to their foreheads, dripping water constantly.When they finally reached the bottom, it was so cold that they had to pull out their hooded capes and put them on.Before long, even the cloak started dripping from inhaling too much mist.Finally, they mounted their horses, judged their direction by the ups and downs of the terrain, and began to move forward slowly.They tried to feel their way to the pass to the plain they had seen before.Once they had passed the pass, they had only to go straight north, which would eventually lead to the Eastern Road.They didn't dare to think about the journey ahead, and they could only secretly pray that there would be no more dense fog outside the hilly area with their meager hopes. They were moving extremely slowly.In order not to get lost in the fog, Frodo led a group of people to go forward in a procession.Sam walked behind him, and after that came Pippin, and then Merry.The valley seems to stretch forward endlessly, and it will never end.Suddenly Frodo saw a glimmer of hope.The mountains on both sides of the road began to break through the thick fog and rise slowly.He guessed that this should be the pass that he had been looking forward to before, that is, the northern exit of the ancient tomb hill.As long as they walk out of this pass, they can rest in peace. "Quick! Come with me!" he yelled over his shoulder, galloping forward.However, his full of hope disappeared in an instant.The black shadow in front of him gradually became clear, but it was not the exit he had imagined.Two tall, slightly curved stone columns formed a dark doorway without a porch.He could not recall ever seeing anything like it from a height.Before he had time to think carefully, he had passed these two stone pillars, and the boundless darkness began to engulf him.His mount couldn't help backing away, hissing in panic.Frodo staggered and fell from his horse.He then looked around, but couldn't find anyone else. "Sam!" he yelled. "Pippin! Merry! Come here! Why didn't you follow?" There was no echo around.He began to feel frightened, and ran among the huge rocks, yelling frantically, "Sam! Sam! Merry! Pippin!" The pony galloped off into the mist and disappeared.It seemed to him at some distance that a cry of "Hey! Frodo! Hello!"The voice came from the east, and he stood anxiously among the rocks, trying to figure out his direction.Once he was sure that the sound was from the left, he immediately ran up a very steep hill. He ran and shouted at the top of his voice.There was no response for a long time, and when the faint echo reappeared, it seemed to come from a higher and farther place. "Frodo! Hello!" came the faint voice through the mist.Suddenly, *help!Help! A cry of * replaced the previous words, and finally a drawn-out *Help! *It came to an abrupt end very sadly.Frodo immediately ran to the source of the scream with all his strength; however, the original faint light had disappeared, and the black night surrounded him so closely that he could not tell the direction at all.All he knew was that he kept climbing. At last the ground changed, and Frodo knew he was on some ridge or summit.He was so tired that he was sweating all over, but he felt a chill in his heart.It was pitch black all around. "Where have you been?" he yelled helplessly. No response.He listened for every slight sound.Only then did Frodo realize that the weather had become very cold, and a biting wind began to blow around him.The weather changed.The original dense fog was blown to pieces by the strong wind.The hot air exhaled from his mouth turned into white steam, and the surroundings were no longer so dark.Frodo looked up, and was surprised to see sparse stars appearing among the billowing mists and clouds.The strong wind blows across the grass and starts whistling. He thought he heard a vague cry, and hurried in that direction.Following his footsteps, the fog began to gradually dissipate, and the stars all over the sky showed their faces.From the alignment of the constellations he judged that he was heading south; since he was now on top of a hummock he must have just climbed up from the north.The cold wind blew mercilessly from the east, and a huge black shadow suddenly appeared under the starry sky in the west. It was a huge tomb. "Where are you?" he yelled in anger and fear. "Here!" A deep, cold voice answered, as if from underground. "I'm waiting for you!" "No!" answered Frodo, but he did not run away.His knees gave way and he knelt down.The surroundings are completely silent, and all sounds seem to be covered by some kind of power.Trembling all over, he raised his head, just in time to see a tall black figure quietly appearing against the starlight.The dark figure looked down at him.He thought he saw a pair of eyes with a faint light that seemed to come from afar in those cold eyes.Then, a pair of hands that were harder than steel and colder than frost grabbed him.A chill pierced his bones, and he lost consciousness. When he woke up again, his mind went blank for a moment, and he only remembered the boundless fear that filled his heart.Then he remembered that he was in a prison from which he could not escape: he was caught in the ancient tomb. He was captured by the Tomb Wight and brought here.Frodo thought that he was probably already under the magical control of the legendary corpse monster, so he dared not move.Although he had come to his senses, he was still lying on the cold floor with his hands folded in front of his chest. His fear was as lingering as the surrounding darkness, embracing him tightly.But that didn't stop him from thinking about Bilbo and his adventures, and recalling the two walking in the Shire, talking about their adventures and their travels. According to legend, even the fattest, cowardly hobbit has a seed of courage buried deep in it, waiting to germinate in a critical moment of desperation.Frodo was neither fat nor cowardly.What he didn't know was that Bilbo (and Gandalf) thought him the best hobbit in the Shire.All he thought was that he had come to the end of his journey and was about to face a terrible end.But this thought made him stronger, his muscles tensed up, ready for the last fight, and he no longer slumped on the floor resigned to fate like before. When he was trying to maintain himself and regain his composure, he noticed a strange green light slowly lighting up around him.At first, he couldn't see his surroundings clearly through this faint light.The light seemed to overflow from the floor in and around him, and the light hadn't yet reached the ceiling.Turning his head, he saw Sam, Pippin, and Merry lying beside him in the cold light.Their faces were deathly pale, and they wore white mourning clothes.There are countless gold, silver and jewels around the three of them, but under the illumination of this evil light, all the beauty loses its charm.They had crowns on their heads, chains of gold around their waists, and many rings on their hands.They had swords in their hands and shields at their feet.On the necks of the three of them was a sharp sword drawn from its sheath. A cold tune suddenly started.The voice seemed far away and near, extremely erratic; sometimes it was sharp as if floating in the clouds, and sometimes it was low as if it came from the ground.There is a sad and terrifying connotation in this series of intermittent tones.These words directly convey the singer's feelings: harsh, cold, ruthless, tragic.Under this howling, the night rippled like water waves, and the cold life cursed the warmth that would never have a chance to be obtained.Frodo felt a chill go to his bones.It was not long before the song grew clear, and at last Frodo, who was terrified, could hear the curse word for word: Heart, hands and bones are all cold, The wind sleeps miserably: Lying on a stone bed and not waking up, It needs to wait until the sun dies and the moon dies. The stars are obliterated and the black wind rises, In the treasure mountain where the soul flies away, Waiting for the dark king to lead me, Palm the top of the Dead Sea Jedi. * Then he heard scratching on the floor.He propped himself up with one hand, and in the pale light, he could clearly see that everyone was in a long corridor, and there was a corner not far away.A slender arm moved on fingers, crawling all the way to Sam, who was closest to him, about to grab the sharp sword around his neck. At first Frodo felt that he was turned to stone by the cursed voice, unable to move.Then, a thought suddenly appeared in his mind.If he wears the Ring, will the Tomb Wight find him and let him escape?He pictured himself running across the plains, mourning Merry and Sam and Pippin; but at least he had saved his own life!Even Gandalf must admit that this is the only option. However, the courage that had awakened in his heart before was too strong to resist: he couldn't just abandon his friends like this!His resolve began to waver, his hands struggling out of his pockets.At the same time, that arm was still approaching mercilessly.Finally, he finally made up his mind, turned over and threw himself on the body of his companion.Then he mustered up his courage, cut off the arm at the wrist with a sword, and the sharp sword was also broken in half from the hilt.A scream came from the tomb, and the strange light disappeared immediately.There was an angry growl in the darkness. Frodo lay on top of Merry, feeling cold all over him.Suddenly he recalled images that had faded from his mind after the fog began: the hut down the hill, Tom's cheerful singing.He remembered the song Tom had taught them.He sang in a low trembling voice: *Ah!Tom? Bombardier! ＊The name seemed to make his voice more powerful: a spirit poured into the song, and the dark tomb seemed to echo horns and muffled drums. Ah!Tom Bombardier, Tom Bombardier! By the water, in the woods, on the hills, by the grass and under the willows, Like flames, like the scorching sun, like the moon, listen to our call! Come on, Tom Bombardier, we need your help! * All was silent, and Frodo could only hear the beating of his own heart.After what seemed like hours of silence, an incomparably clear voice from afar, through layers of barriers, answered his call: Old Tom Bombardier was a jolly fellow; He was wearing a light blue coat and warm yellow boots. No one can resist his will, for Tom is master of all; His tune is strong and powerful, and his feet are as fast as gods. * There was a huge rumbling sound not far away, as if a large amount of earth and rocks had collapsed; a dazzling white light penetrated in, driving away the previous gloomy green light.Just before Frodo's feet there appeared a circular opening like a gate, and a rising sun shone on Tom at the gate.The warm sunlight fell on the floor and illuminated the faces of the three hobbits beside Frodo.They still didn't move, but the sickness on their faces had faded.The trio now looked as if they were just falling asleep. Tom bent down, took off his hat, and entered the dark stone room, singing: Get out of here, old wight!Disappear in that sunlight! Dissipating like mist, like frost with the wind, Go to the desolate land behind the mountain! Never go back here!Never go back to the grave again! Disappeared in people's memory, hidden in the boundless darkness. The gate is closed and never opened, until the sea is dry and the rocks are rotten. * As soon as the song was sung, there was a wailing sound not far from the tomb, and the whole rock collapsed.A shrill scream dragged further and further away, and gradually disappeared into the distance.In the end there was only silence. "Come, my friend Frodo!" said Tom. "Let's go outside on the clean grass! You have to help me get them out." Together they carried Merry, Pippin, and Sam out.As Frodo left the tomb, he looked back one last time and saw that there was still a severed arm crawling on the ground like a spider.Tom went back again, and then there was a deafening stomping and banging from inside the hole.When he walked out of the ancient tomb again, he was holding a lot of jewels in his hands, including crafts of gold, silver, brass and bronze.There are also many decorations such as jewelry and necklaces.He climbed up the green hill and threw all these things into the sun. He stood there, hat in hand, letting the morning wind ruffle his hair.He looked down at the three hobbits lying in the sun, raised his right hand, and ordered in a clear voice; Wake up, happy little one!Wake up at my command! Limbs and bones warm up!The cold boulder has crumbled; The gates of darkness are thrown open, and the hands of the dead are broken. The night in the night has fled, and the obstacles in the way are uprooted! * Frodo was surprised to see his friends move, rubbing their eyes and jumping up.They looked around in amazement, first at Frodo, then at Tom standing on the top of the hill.Finally, they looked at their bodies in white shrouds and many pure gold jewels with suspicion. "What the hell is this?" The crown on Meili's head tilted down, covering his eyes.Then he stopped his movements, his expression froze, and he closed his eyes and said. "Ah, I remember!" he said. "Kandu's enemies came to attack us, and we were caught off guard. Ah! The spear pierced my heart!" He said, holding his chest. "Don't! Don't!" Then he opened his eyes again, and said with a confused face. "What did I just say? Was it a dream? Where have you been, Frodo?" "I thought I was lost," said Frodo, "I don't want to talk about it now. Let's think about what's next! The future is more important than the past!" "My lord, are you saying we're going to think about the future in clothes like this?" Sam asked. "Where are my clothes?" He threw all his belongings on the ground and looked around with a displeased expression, as if he wanted to find the clothes and trousers that hobbits used to wear nearby. "You can't find the original clothes," said Tom, jumping down from the top of the hill, hopping around them in the sun.Uninformed bystanders simply cannot imagine the moment when their lives were at stake.Looking at the joyful light in his eyes and his carefree actions, all the remaining fears did disappear without a trace. "What do you mean?" Pippin asked curiously, looking at him. "Why can't I find it?" Tom just shook his head and said, "You have escaped a disaster. Clothes are but an insignificant loss compared with the disaster. Be merry, merry friends, and let the sun warm your bodies and minds! Clothes away! You can run around naked while Tom goes hunting!" He whistled and slid down the hill, yelling.Frodo watched him whistle happily as he skipped south down the valley.His voice is still blowing back with the wind: Hey!That's right now!come quickly!Where are you going? Up and down, far and near, where is your target? A sharp ear, a tail-wagging country bumpkin, Old fat guy in white socks running around! * He sang as he ran, throwing his hat and catching it with his hands.In the end he was hidden by the hills, but *hey!That's right now! *'s singing still echoed in the wilderness, following his footsteps to the south.The temperature has risen again.The hobbits ran naked on the grass for a while as Tom said.Then, they enjoyed the warm sunshine as if the rain was coming after a long drought.It is also full of joy as if a patient who has been bedridden for a long time suddenly gets rid of the entanglement of the disease. By the time Tom came back, all four felt refreshed (and hungry too).His hat came out first from the foot of the hill, followed by six obedient ponies; and an extra one added to their original five.That was obviously the old fat country bumpkin in the song; it was stronger, fatter, and older than their original horse.In fact, Merry was the owner of five other horses, and he never gave them any names.And they were obediently listening to Tom's random names and lined up in a row.Finally Tom bowed to everyone and said: "Here's your horse!" he said. "From a certain point of view, they are much smarter than you hobbits who love to run around. At least they have good noses and know where not to go. Even if they turn around and run away, the direction is very correct. Although they are very Loyal, but the tomb wight threat is not something they can handle; you should forgive them. Look, they're back with all their luggage!" Merry, Sam, and Pippin took extra clothes from their packs, and soon began to sweat.Because they are forced to wear thicker winter clothes prepared in advance. "Where did that old horse fat redneck come from?" "It's my horse," said Tom. "It's my four-legged friend, but I seldom ride it, let it run wild in the mountains. When your ponies live in my stable, they must have remembered the smell of fat country bumpkins; Running towards that smell in the middle of the night, and finally met my redneck. I think he should use his wisdom to calm these poor ponies, so that they are no longer afraid. Oh, yes, free redneck, Tom this It's time to ride you. Hey! I'm going to give you a ride, so I need a mount. It's hard to talk to a hobbit on a horse if I'm going to go loping!" Everyone felt very happy after knowing this, and thanked Tom in a hurry.However, he answered the crowd with a smile: This is because they are so good at getting lost, and if he doesn't send everyone to the border of his jurisdiction, he may be worried. "I still have a lot to do," he said. "I have to sing and dance and talk and walk and tend the moor. Tom can't be near the tomb gate or the willow-crack all the time. Tom has a home to look after, and the goldberries are waiting for me." Judging from the angle of the sun, it is still early, probably between nine o'clock and ten o'clock.The hobbit, who had just survived the adventure, turned his mind to food again.It had been a long time since their last meal had been lunch by the cold stone pillar.The four gobbled up the dry food that Tom gave them for dinner, and at the same time swept away the extra food that Tom had just brought.It wasn't a huge meal (the hobbits eat surprisingly much and hadn't eaten several meals), but at least it made them feel better.While they were eating Tom ran up the hill to examine carefully the jewels that had been brought out.He piled most of the jewels and let them glisten on the grass.He declared that these treasures "belonged to the next creature to find them," be they birds, beasts, elves, or humans.Because only in this way, the curse of this tomb will be broken, and no corpse will return to this place.He picked out a brooch inlaid with sapphires. The gems had a variety of beautiful blue shadows, which made people dazzled for a while.He looked at the brooch carefully for a long time, as if recalling some memories from the past.Finally, he shook his head and said: "This is a beautiful little toy for Tom and his wife! The brooch was worn by a beautiful woman in ancient times. Goldberry will inherit this gem and will not forget its past owner!" He picked out a long, broad dagger for each hobbit.These weapons are very sharp and extremely finely crafted, with red and gold giant snake patterns engraved on them.When Tom drew these weapons from their black scabbards, the blades of strange metals gleamed faintly.These daggers are hard and light, and they are inlaid with many shining gems.I don't know whether it is because of the protection of these scabbards or the curse of the ancient tomb, each dagger is sharp and shining as before, and it has not been eroded by time at all. "Ancient knives were the perfect length for a hobbit to use as a sword," he said. "If these guests from the Shire are to venture into the dark realms of the southeast, it is important to carry sharp swords with them." Then he told them that these blades were forged by the royal family of the West many years ago.They were the enemies of the Dark Lord, but they were finally defeated by the evil king of Kadun in the land of Angmar. "Not many people remember this history anymore," Tom murmured. "However, there are still some forgotten heirs of the royal family who wander alone, protecting innocent people from evil forces." The hobbits didn't understand what he said, but an image from the distant future suddenly appeared in their minds: there were many humans walking on a vast plain, each of them was very tall and serious, holding a sharp sword, walking At the end is a man with a star on his eyebrow.Then, the image disappeared, and they returned to the real world under the sun.It's time to go.They packed everything up, packed their bags and tied them to the horses.Their new weapons hung awkwardly from the belts under their coats, and they wondered if such a thing would be useful at all.It had never occurred to them that this escape would involve any fighting.Finally, they finally walked away.The party led the pony down the hill, and rode on as soon as they reached the valley.The gold on the hills behind seemed to ignite a yellow flame under the sunlight, and finally, the flame disappeared under the obstruction of other hills. No matter how carefully Frodo searched, he could not find the huge stone pillar and the gate it had formed before.Not long after, they passed through the pass and left this gloomy place.It was quite a ride with Tom Bombardier in company.However, the redneck's feet were much faster than the other horses, just enough for Tom to circle around them as usual.Tom spent most of the time singing some random ditty, and the hobbit couldn't understand a word of it.It is also possible that this is not Tom's nonsense language, but an ancient and strange language suitable only for describing happiness and beauty. They rushed on without stopping, only to find that the Eastern Avenue was much farther than they had imagined.Even without the fog blocking them, they would not be able to find time to take a nap; for then they would definitely not be able to make it to Eastern Avenue before dark.The black line they saw before was not a big tree, but a series of bushes growing beside the deep ditch, and on the other side of the deep ditch was a high wall.Tom said it used to be the border of some kingdom, but that was a long time ago.He seemed to remember some tragedies about them, but was reluctant to talk about them. They jumped over the ditch and through the gap in the high wall.Tom led the group north, for most of them had been heading west.The terrain has become quite flat now, so everyone has moved faster.When everyone saw a neat row of big trees in front of them, the sun was about to set.After a series of unexpected adventures, they finally returned to the Eastern Avenue.A group of people happily rode their horses and galloped, and finally stopped under the shade of a tree by the roadside.They were at the top of a slope, and when night fell, the somewhat misty avenue meandered under their feet.From here, the direction of the avenue becomes from southwest to northeast, and soon enters a wide river valley.There are many small puddles and potholes on the road, and there are still traces of previous heavy rains. They rode down the slope, looking around.There is nothing special here. "Wow! We are at last on the right track again!" said Frodo. "I guess the time wasted in taking the trail and walking through the forest this time should not exceed two days! However, if we can trick the pursuers away from our route, it will be worth it." Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay, and the terrifying figure of the black knight appeared in everyone's minds again.Ever since they entered the forest, they had only thought of escaping from the grasp of the forest; when the road finally appeared in front of them, they thought of the original pursuer and the terrible fact that the other party might be ambushing on the road.A group of people looked at the west nervously, but there was no sign of anyone passing by on the road. "What do you think??" Pippin asked hesitantly. "Do you think we'll be caught up again tonight?" "Probably not, I hope at least not tonight," Tom Bombardier replied, "probably not tomorrow. But don't take my guesses too seriously, because I can't be 100% sure. Not too sure. Those black knights from the dark places are not under Tom's jurisdiction." In any case, the hobbits still hope that he can travel with him.They felt that Tom might be the only creature who knew how to deal with the Black Knight.Soon, they were going to be in a land completely unknown; the Shire was almost completely unrecorded here.Under the shining of the setting sun, they couldn't help feeling homesick.Shrouded in a deep sense of loneliness and loss, they stood quietly, unwilling to leave just like that.After a while, they found that Tom was saying goodbye to them, and urged them to hurry on before dark. 「汤姆给你一个忠告，这忠告至少到天黑之前都有效；在那之后，你们就得靠自己了。如果你们沿著大道往前走四哩，就会遇到一个村庄。那是在布理山下的布理村，村庄的入口面向西边。你们会在那边找到一个叫作＊跃马＊的老旅店。老板叫作巴力曼?奶油伯，你们可以在那边过夜。第二天一起就立刻启程。要勇敢，但也必须谨慎！保持一颗乐观的心，勇敢面对你们的未来！」 他们又再一次的恳求他至少和他们一起到旅店内喝杯酒；但汤姆笑著拒绝了： 汤姆的疆域到此为止：他不会越过边界。 汤姆还有房子要照顾，金莓还在家守候！ * 话一说完，他就将帽子一丢，跳上乡巴佬；一路哼著荒腔走板的小调消失在暮色中。 哈比人们爬上斜坡，目送著他离开。 「真遗憾必须让庞巴迪大人离开，」山姆说。「他真是个奇人。就算我们再走很远，可能都不会遇到比他心肠更好、行径更怪异的人了。对啦，如果能够马上看到他说的＊跃马＊旅店就好了。我希望它会像是我们老家的＊绿龙＊旅店一样舒适！布理住的都是些什么样的人啊？」 「布理有住哈比人，」梅里说，「还有不少的大家伙。我打赌那边一定很像我们的老家。＊跃马＊旅店的风评很不错，我们家经常有人骑马两地跑呢。」 「就算那里真有这么好又如何？」佛罗多说，「毕竟我们已经身处在夏尔之外。随时提高警觉！各位千万不要忘记，＊绝对＊不可以提到巴金斯这个姓氏。如果你们要称呼我的话，就叫我山下先生。」 一行人随即上马，在暮色中沈默的赶路。夜色很快降临；他们又越过了几座小丘之后，终于看见不远处有灯火闪烁。 漆黑的布理山在满天星光下无声的出现；在山的西边有一座不小的村庄。他们一心只想要找到一个可以烤火、住宿的地方，忍不住加快了脚步。