Chapter 13 Session 1: Multiple Meetings

When Frodo awoke, he found himself lying in bed, and at first he thought he had had a long nightmare, and that he was up late.Or is it sick?But this room looks so strange, everything here is square, and the black beams have the spirit of carved beams and painted buildings.He continued to lie on the bed, looking at the dappled sunlight on the ground and listening to the sound of the waterfall. "Where is this and what time is it?" he called out to the ceiling. "You are in Elrond's house, and it is ten o'clock in the morning," said a voice. "If you want to know better, it is ten o'clock in the morning on the twenty-fourth of October."

"Gandalf!" Frodo sat up, and the old wizard sat in a chair by the window. "That's right," he said, "that's me. You're lucky to be here after all the stupid things you've done away from home." Frodo lay down again.He was too comfortable to argue with others, and he really didn't think he could win this time.He is fully awake now, and images of his adventures from the past period all come back to his mind: the fatal "shortcut" in the old woods, the "accident" at the Prancing Horse Inn, his crazy behavior of wearing the Lord of the Rings in Weathertop .As he pondered all this, and tried in vain to remember how he had arrived in Rivendell, the only sound that accompanied him was the sound of Gandalf puffing smoke rings out the window.

"And Sam?" asked Frodo at last. "Is everyone else all right?" "Yes, everyone is safe and well," answered Gandalf; "Sam has just been staying here, and I sent him to rest just half an hour ago." "What happened at the Ferry?" asked Frodo. "All is dim, and I am still in the dark." "Of course you will feel vaguely. You were beginning to fade away then," replied Gandalf, "your wounds have overwhelmed you at last. Had it been a few hours too late we could have been of no help! But , dear hobbit, your resistance is really strong! Just like your performance in the tomb. It was a close call, probably the most dangerous moment of this journey. I really hope you can hold out in Weathertop Hold on, don't waver."

"You seem to know a great deal already," said Frodo. "I've never told the tale of the Tombs to anyone else. I thought it was too horrible at first, but then I was too busy to tell. How did you knew?" "Frodo, you slept with your mouth open," said Gandalf softly. "I have no trouble reading your memories and thoughts. Don't worry! Though I have just said that what you are doing is the most foolish." Fact, but I was only joking, I think you and the others are very good. It is a great feat that you have survived all these dangers and traversed such a long distance without letting the Lord of the Rings leave you."

"It cannot be done without the Strider," said Frodo, "but we need you, and we do not know what to do without you." "I'm delayed," said Gandalf, "and it nearly brings them all to the wrong end. But, I cannot say, it may be better that way." "Tell me what happened!" "Ah, don't worry, you will know when the time comes! This is Elrond's order, you should not know or worry about anything today." "But talk keeps my thoughts from wandering, and it is very tiring," said Frodo. "I am awake, and there are many things to be explained to me. Why did you delay? At least you should Tell me this."

"You will know all this in due time," said Gandalf; "as soon as you are better we shall meet, and for the present I can only tell you that I was imprisoned." "Prisoning you?" Frodo wondered. "Yes, I, Gandalf the Grey," said the wizard solemnly, "There are many good and evil forces in this world, some are stronger than me, and some have never confronted me head-on, but the time is coming. We have arrived. The Lord of the Morgul and his black knights are dispatched, and the battle is imminent!" "So you knew about these black knights before I met them?"

"Yes, I do know them, and I have mentioned them to you. The Black Riders are the Ringwraiths, the nine servants of the Lord of the Rings. But I did not know that they had been reincarnated, otherwise I would have chosen to be with you immediately. You ran away from the Shire. I only learned of this after I left you in June, and I will not rush to tell you about this experience. At least, fortunately, this time we have Aragorn, so that we will not lose everything." "Yes," said Frodo, "it was the Strider who saved us. But I was afraid of him at first, and Sam never trusted him very much, and I think it was not until Glorfindel that he had doubts." Get rid of it."

Gandalf smiled. "I've heard a lot about Sam," he said. "He has no doubts now." "I'm glad of that," said Frodo, "for I'm beginning to like the strider. Well, liking isn't quite the right adjective, I mean he's very important to me, very dear, though Sometimes he looks sneaky, and likes to keep a straight face. In fact, he often reminds me of you. I didn’t know there were such people among human beings. I always thought they were just big and very big. Stupid, a bad guy like Buttercup, or stupid and bad like Bill. But who am I to criticize humans? The Shire has no humans at all, and only Bree barely has half of its human inhabitants."

"If you think old Barriman stupid, you don't even know the people of Bree enough," said Gandalf. "He is wise in his own peculiar way. He talks a lot and thinks a little. Wait a minute; but if you give him time, he can see through a brick wall (that's Bree's proverb). I must admit, though, that there aren't many men in Middle-earth like Aragorn son of Arathorn. Across the Sea The bloodline of the Western royal family is coming to an end, and this War of the Ring may be their last adventure.” "Do you mean that the Strider is really of the blood of the ancient royal family?" said Frodo incredulously:

"I thought they all disappeared a long time ago. I thought he was just a ranger." "Just a ranger!" said Gandalf. "My dear Frodo, this is what rangers really are: they are the remnants of the northern kingdoms; without their help I might not be able to speak to you here long ago. Even Going back in time, I may still need their help to fight against evil. We have reached Rivendell, and they should also appear. The Lord of the Rings has not been so easily tamed." "I suppose so," said Frodo, "but so far all I can think of is how to get here, and I hope I don't have to go farther. Enjoy your life here and rest well It is good; I have been in exile for a month, and I have found that one month of adventure has given me enough."

He fell silent and closed his eyes.Not long after, he spoke again. "I was just counting the time," he said, "it can't be the 24th. Today should be the 21st. We arrived at the ferry on the 20th." "You think too much, and use your brain too much," said Gandalf. "How does your shoulder and side feel?" "I'm not sure," replied Frodo, "they don't feel anything—it's better than ever, though," he struggled, "I can move my arms a little more. Yes, it I can move again. I won't feel cold all the time," he said, touching his left with his right hand. "Wonderful!" said Gandalf, "you are getting well very quickly, and should soon be fully recovered. Elrond has healed you, and he has worked sleeplessly on your wounds since you were sent in." "Never sleep?" asked Frodo incredulously. "Strictly speaking, it should be four days and three nights. The elves rescued you from the ferry on the night of the twentieth, and you lost consciousness there. We have been very nervous. Except for running errands for us, Sam has been around day and night. Ken leaves your side. Elrond is a healer with great skills, but the devil's weapon is not something that can be handled by ordinary people. To be honest, I almost gave up hope, because I doubt that there is a blade in your healing wound A piece of it was in there. Elrond didn't find it until last night, and didn't dig it out. It's very deep, and it keeps digging in." Frodo shuddered as he remembered that there was a chip in the blade that the Strider had picked up. "Don't worry!" said Gandalf, "we've cleaned the infection away, and the fragments have been melted away. It seems that hobbits are very resistant to evil forces, and even the human warriors I know Could have easily died under that fragment, and you endured its torment for seventeen days." "What were they going to do to me?" asked Frodo. "What were the knights going to do?" "They intended to pierce your heart with the weapons of the Morgul, and the weapons would remain in the wound. If they succeeded, you would become like them, but lowly, to do their bidding. You Will become a wraith at the bidding of the Dark Lord; he will make you suffer for keeping the ring, but to return the ring to his hand is the most terrible torture to all living beings. " "It's a good thing I don't know how dangerous it is!" said Frodo weakly. "I'm frightened indeed, but if I knew more, I might be too frightened to move. It's true that I escaped their clutches." lucky!" "Yes, fate is indeed on your side," said Gandalf. "Courage is also your weapon. The reason why you only wounded your shoulder but not your heart is because you refused to give up resistance until the last moment. But it is really a critical moment, when you wear the Lord of the Rings, it is actually the most dangerous; because at that time you are like half a person entering the world of the dead, and they can even capture you on the spot." "I know," said Frodo, "they look hideous! But why do we see their horses so often?" "Because they are real horses, just like their black robes are real black robes, and the purpose is to make him The nothingness within us can communicate with the living through this form. " "How could the horses put up with such riders? When they came near, all creatures panicked, even Glorfindel's elf steed. Dogs howled at them, and gooses croaked and ran." "Because these horses were bred from birth to serve the Dark Lord of Mordor. He has many servants of flesh and blood under his banner! There are Orcs, Trolls, Wargs, and Werewolves in his camp; besides, There are many human warriors, nobles. These are living creatures that walk under the sun, but are willing to obey him, and their number is still increasing." "Where's Rivendell and the elves? Is Rivendell safe?" "It is safe for now, and it will last until the whole world is conquered. The elves may fear the Dark Lord, and they will hide from his clutches, but they will never listen to him or serve him. Rivendell still stands Enemies he fears most: the Elven Wise Men, the nobles of the Elven descended from the most ancient seas. They are not afraid of the Nazgul; Invisible creatures." "I thought I saw a glowing white figure, and that he wouldn't fade like the others. Could that be Glorfindel?" "That's right, what you saw was his form in the Netherworld: the true form of the Son of All. He is an elf nobleman in a noble family. Rivendell does have enough power to stand against Mordor, at least for the time being. In other places, there are other powers guarding them, and Shire also has such power. But soon, if the world continues to follow this trend, these places will become isolated islands in the dark ocean. The Demon Lord is sure to win this time." "But," he stood up suddenly, the beard on his chin became messy, and he refused to bend down: "We must face all of this bravely. If you don't talk until your whole body collapses, you should be fine soon. You are in Rivendell, at least for the time being, you don't need to worry about too many things." "I don't have much courage left to face all this," said Frodo, "but I don't worry about it just now. Just let me know the news of my friends, tell me the end of the Ferry incident, and I will keep silent about it for a while. Everything. I want to sleep again after that, and I cannot close my eyes in peace until you have finished your story." Gandalf moved the chair to the side of the bed, and studied Frodo carefully.His face has returned to blood, his eyes are clear, he is very awake, and there is a smile on his face. It seems that there is nothing serious about him, but in the eyes of the wizard, he seems to have become thinner, especially the one on the quilt. outside the left hand. "I think it is understandable," said Gandalf to himself, "his journey is not yet over, What will happen in the end, even Elrond can't predict.I think, at least he will not bow to evil, he may It will become a container full of light, so that everyone around will be illuminated. " "You look wonderful," he said aloud, "then I'll tell you all about it without Elrond's consent." A story is ready.It's a short story, though, and you'll have to sleep after it's over.This is true as far as I know Everything that happened, as soon as you ran away, the knights came after you.They need no horses to guide them, Because you are right in front of them, and half of your foot has stepped into the Netherworld.In addition, the Lord of the Rings is constantly calling them.Your friends ducked to the side of the road from the galloping black knight, they knew that if the elf If Shenju cannot save you, there is no other way to save you.The black knights are too fast for them to catch up; The number of knights was too great for them to resist.No mounts, even with Aragorn and Glorfindel , and couldn't beat the nine ring spirits. " "As the Nazgul passed them by, your friends followed. Near the ferry there is a On the side, a small open space blocked by a few trees.They built a fire very quickly there.For Glorfindel knew, If the black knights try to cross the river, the water will rise; and they must deal with those who have not yet stepped into the river. knight.When the flood came, he rushed out, followed by Aragorn and the others with torches.exist Under the situation of fire and water, some elves and nobles showed their real bodies, and their momentum was frustrated; and their seats Riding is crazy.Three riders were swept away by the first flood while others were thrown into the river by runaway horses inside, submerged in flood waters. " "Is this the end of the Black Knight?" asked Frodo. "No," said Gandalf, "their mounts must be ruined, without which the knights would be Movement will be greatly restricted, but the Ringwraith cannot be destroyed so easily.However, at present we do not need to worry about Beware of them, your friends, coming across the river after the flood had receded, found you lying on the bank with the bottom of your body Pressing down on the broken sword, the divine horse stands by your side to protect you.You are pale and cold, and everyone Fear that you are dead, or even turned into a necromancer.Elrond's brethren joined them and hastened you to Switzerland Wendell. " "Who caused the Flood?" asked Frodo. "It is Elrond's order," answered Gandalf; "the waters of this valley are controlled by his will. Under the circumstances, when he needs to hold the ferry, the flood will be caused by it.When the head of the Nazgul stepped into the river, He unleashed the flood.I must admit, there are some ideas of mine mixed in: you may also notice There, some of the waves turned into mighty white horses carrying knights in shining white armor, and there were many more rolling in the water. moving boulder.At that time, I was also worried that the power of the flood we unleashed might be too great, and it might kill all of you All washed away.This is snow water that melts and flows from the misty mountains, and its momentum is extraordinary. " "Yes, I remember now," said Frodo, "the deafening noise. I thought We'll drown ourselves in the water with friends and foes alike, but we'll end up unscathed! " Gandalf glanced at Frodo, but his eyes were closed. "You're all fine now. Soon, we will celebrate the victory at Brunan's Ferry with banquets and dances, and you will be blessed One of the invited protagonists. " "Wonderful!" said Frodo, "great men like Elrond and Glorfindel, not to mention It's such an honor to have a pilgrim who is willing to go to such lengths for such an insignificant fellow as me up. " "There are good reasons," said Gandalf, laughing. "I am one, and the Ring is another." A: You are the bearer of the ring.And you are also the heir to Bilbo, the finder of the ring. " "Whoa! Bilbo!" said Frodo in a daze, "don't know where he is. I wish he The full story can be heard here.I will definitely make him laugh out loud.The cow flew to the moon! And that poor troll! ’ He fell asleep as soon as he finished speaking. Frodo is now safe in his last refuge in the East of the Sea.Here, as Bilbo said many years ago, "Whether you like food, sleeping, singing, telling stories, sitting in a daze or all of the above, this is the perfect place to live." Because staying here can heal People's tiredness, fear and sorrow. As night fell, Frodo awoke again.Instead of feeling tired or drowsy, he found himself hungry and needing plenty of food and drink to replenish his strength; after that, it would be nice to have some singing and story-telling sideshows, too.He got out of bed, stretched his body, and found that his arm was almost completely intact.He found some green clothes that fit perfectly, and changed into them immediately.Frodo went to the looking-glass, and found a much leaner hobbit looking at him: he looked like the young hobbit who used to walk about with Bilbo; Thoughtful, full of melancholy. "Yes, you have more experience than the frog in the well before," he said to his reflection in the mirror, "now it's time to have fun!" minor. At that moment, after a knock at the door, Sam came running in.He ran to Frodo's side in three steps at a time, and with an expression of surprise and joy, he took his left hand.Sam touched the hand tenderly, then blushed with excitement and looked away in embarrassment. "Hi, Sam!" said Frodo. "It's warm!" said Sam. "I mean your left hand, Mr. Frodo. It has been cold and cold for several nights. We ought to cheer!" he cried Turning his head, with excitement in his eyes, he began to dance and said, "My lord! I am glad to see you are safe and sound! I thought he was joking when Gandalf asked me to come over to see if you were ready to get out of bed." "I am ready," said Frodo, "let us go and see the other Companions!" "I can take you to them, my lord," said Sam. "This room is big and strange. You'll always come across new rooms, and you never know when a corner will appear before you, and there are elves." Yay! There are elves here and there! Some elves are royal and regal like kings, some are innocent like children, and there's a lot of music and songs—not many since I've been here, though. Opportunities to enjoy these things, but I'm starting to get to know the style of the place." "Sam, I know what you've been up to," said Frodo, throwing his arms around his shoulders. "You ought to relax and enjoy yourself to-night. Come, show me round!" Sam led him through long corridors and up many stairs to a high garden on a steep slope by the river.He saw his friends sitting on the porch on the east side of the house and chatting.A shadow had cast over the valley below, but the sun was still shining on the edge of the mountains.It was quite warm, and the sound of the rushing brook and waterfall was loud, and the evening air was filled with the scents of trees and flowers, as if Elrond's garden were still lingering in the splendor of midsummer. "Long live!" jumped Pippin. "This is our noble friend! Make way for Frodo, Lord of the Ring!" "Hush!" said Gandalf from the shadows behind the porch. "Evil things cannot invade this valley, but we cannot easily mention him. The Lord of the Rings is not Frodo, but the master of the evil black tower of Mordor. His evil spirit has once again extended to this world! We are trapped In the bunker, the outside world is already at dusk." "Gandalf's been saying that to encourage us a lot these days," shrugged Pippin. "He's always thought I should be kept in good hands. But, I don't know why, but I just can't help feeling morose and doomed here. , if I knew what to sing now, I would have sung it out loud." "I feel like singing, too," said Frodo, laughing, "only now I want to eat and drink!" "We shall soon cure you," said Pippin; "you are indeed a ghost, and you will appear just as we are about to eat!" "It's not just a meal, it's a feast!" said Merry. "As soon as Gandalf informed us that you were well, we began to prepare." He was interrupted by the ringing of many bells. It was; it was the bell calling them into the hall. The great hall of Elrond's House was packed, mostly elves, though there were a few guests of other races.Elrond looked down upon them from his throne at the end of the long table as usual, with Glorfindel on one side of him and Gandalf on the other. Frodo looked at them in amazement; for he had never before seen Elrond in so many legends; Come dignified. Gandalf was shorter than the other two, but his long white hair, flowing beard and broad shoulders made him look like a king who came out of ancient legends.On his weather-beaten face, under bushy brows were hidden charcoal eyes, like coals that burst into flame when the time was right. Glorfindel was tall and strong, with blond hair and handsome features full of fearlessness and joy.His eyes are dazzling, and his voice is as sweet as music; others can see that he has wisdom and authority, and he is by no means a person who can be underestimated. Elrond's face seemed untouched by age, neither old nor young, yet bore many marks of joy and sorrow.His hair was as dark as the shadows before the dawn, and over it was a small silver crown.His eyes were as gray as the clear evening, with a faint star-like light shining through them.On the outside, he seems to be a wise king who has experienced the baptism of countless years, but the courage he exudes is like a mature warrior who has experienced many battles.He is the master of Rivendell, the most outstanding figure among elves and humans. In the center of the long table, there is a chair with a canopy leaning against a wall tapestry.Sitting on the chair was a peerless beauty with amazing beauty. She had the same temperament as Elrond. Frodo speculated that she was probably one of Elrond's relatives.She looks young on the outside, but she is not so innocent.There is no wind and frost on her hair, and her white jade arms and face are even more white and flawless, which can be broken by blows.There are also dazzling starlight in her eyes, and they are also as clear as a cloudless night.But she exudes a queen-like noble temperament, her beautiful eyes are full of wisdom and deep meaning, as if a wise man who sees through the world occupies her young and beautiful body.Her head was covered with a silver net adorned with precious stones, shining white.Her white robe has no decorations, except for a belt made of silver leaves around her waist. The woman Frodo was looking at was one of the Elves seldom seen by mortals: Arwen, daughter of Elrond.It is said that she inherited Lucian's all-powerful beauty, and she was called Andormir by her compatriots because she was the Evening Star in the eyes of the elves.She had spent most of her time among her mother's kin, that is, Lorien beyond the mountains, and had only recently returned to where her father lived.And her brothers Elaidan and Irojo are outside carrying out the tasks entrusted by their father.They rode side by side with the Rangers of the North, hunting evil, never daring to forget what their mother had suffered at the hands of the Orcs. (Annotation 1) Frodo had never seen or imagined such beautiful beings in the world; and, when he saw I should have a place at Elrond's table, among so many beautiful and noble people Even more, he was flattered.Although he sat in a moderately sized chair with many cushions, But he still felt that he was very small and a little out of place.However, that feeling passed quickly. The guests and hosts of this banquet had a good time, and the food and delicacies did not distract the guests in the slightest. It took a long time before he raised his head and had the opportunity to look at the neighbors. On Frodo's right sat a dwarf who seemed to be of rather high status. His beard was white and long, almost It seemed to be as white as the snow-white coat he was wearing, and he wore a silver belt, and around his neck was decorated with a Silver trainer with diamonds.Frodo stopped chewing and looked at him in a daze. "Welcome, welcome! Nice to meet you!" said the dwarf, turning to him.He even stood up from his seat, He bowed to him: "Ge Luoyin is at your service." He bowed even deeper this time. "Frodo Baggins at your lord's and your family's service," said Frodo, rising abruptly, and The cushion was overturned, but he answered correctly according to the etiquette: "Are you the great Thorin? Where is Lord Groin, one of Oak Shield's twelve companions? " "You are right," said the dwarf, picking up the cushion, and kindly helping Frodo back into his seat. "so I There is no need to ask you any further questions; for I already know that you are the kinsman and heir of our famous friend Bilbo Man, allow me to congratulate you on your recovery. " "Thank you for your concern," said Frodo. "I heard that you have experienced a lot of adventures," Groin said, "I don't know why the four ha Biren traveled all the way to come here?I haven't heard of it since Bilbo traveled with us Such a thing.However, since Gandalf and Elrond don't seem to want to say much about it, maybe I shouldn't either. Ask more? " "I think we'd better not talk about it now, at least for the time being." Frodoley said. To put it bluntly.He guessed that even in Elrond's abode, the Lord of the Rings was not an easy topic to talk about.opposite Right now, he also wants to temporarily forget these troubles. "However, I'm also curious," he added, "to What on earth has brought you, a noble dwarf, to come here from the Lonely Mountain. " Gloria looked at him. "If you don't already know, I don't think we'll talk about it just yet. I'm sure Lord Elrond will summon all of us soon after the letter, and we will hear a lot of relevant information at that time.No However, in addition to these troubles, we have many things to talk about! " For the rest of the meal, the two talked incessantly.But Frodo heard more than he spoke, For, here it feels, the Shire's news seems trivial; and the Ring is a chance he cannot reveal. dense.Gloin, by contrast, had a lot to tell him about the north of the Badlands.Groin Knowing by mouth: now Ubion the elder, son of Ubion, is now the leader of many men; they Its territory is between the Misty Forest and the Mountains, and no Orc or wolf dares to enter it. "Yes," said Groin, "if it weren't for the Bion's, there would be no land between the Vale and Rivendell. The territory has long been annexed by evil forces.They keep the Alpine Pass and Carlock's Ferry open And they fought desperately, but they also paid a very high price," he shook his head and said, "like the Beorn family in the past Same, they still don't like dwarves, but they are still very reliable, in such troubled times, this is A very important thing.The humans of the Vale are the friendliest race to us.The Bud family really Good man, the grandson of Bard the sharpshooter is still their leader, Brand is the son of Barn, the son of Bard, He is a king who is good at leading and ruling, and their borders are now as far south and east as Esgar. " "And your own people?" said Frodo. "There's a lot to say, good news and bad news," Groin said, "However, most of the Numbers or good news: So far, we've been lucky; it's just that we still can't escape the shadow.If you really want to know how we are doing, I'd love to share it with you.However, once you feel If you are bored, tell me immediately!As the saying goes: When a dwarf talks about craft, he can't stop talking. " Thus, Groyin began to describe the customs and customs of the entire dwarf kingdom in detail.He is happy to meet a Such a courteous listener; for even Frodo was soon lost in the multitude of foreign places and names During this time, he did not show fatigue or change the subject.In fact, for Dain or the kingdom of dwarves below the mountain The news of the king interested him very much.Dan's getting old now (he's just turned 250 birthday), unimaginably rich.A team of ten who narrowly survived the brutal Battle of the Five Armies In the team, there are still seven players still standing: Dwalin, Groin, Duoli, Nuoli, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Bombur is so fat now that he can't walk from the living room to the dining room, and it takes six to lift him up. It took a young dwarf as hard as he could. "What about Balin and Ori and Orin?" asked Frodo. A shadow flickered across Groin's face. "We're not sure," he replied, "I'll come here to find Ask for the assistance of the residents of Rivendell because of what happened to Bahrain, let's not talk about it tonight Bar! " Gloin went on to describe the great deeds of his brethren, and let Frodo know that they were in the valley and in the mountains What painstaking work has been done in it. "We're doing really well," he said, spitting. "but In metallurgy, we cannot match the achievements of our ancestors, and many secrets have been lost.we can fight Forge strong armor and sharp swords; but we can no longer forge weapons of that quality before the dragon came and armor too.We can only surpass the achievements of our predecessors in mining and building.you should see the valley floor and the mountains The channels in it, and those cisterns!You should see those avenues paved with colorful cobblestones!and land There are many deep cities with carved beams and painted buildings under the table, and those towering spiral pagodas on the side of the mountain!seen these After the gorgeous building, you will know that we are not sitting and eating. " "I'd see it if I could," said Frodo, startled; "if Bilbo could see You'll be amazed to see how the dragon Smaug thrives after destroying everything! " Gloin looked at Frodo and smiled. "You really like Bilbo, don't you?" "Yes," answered Frodo, "I would rather give up the chance to see all the splendid palaces in the world, If only I could see Bilbo again. " After a long time, the banquet finally came to an end.Elrond and Arwen rose and left the hall, their Everyone followed in an orderly manner.The door opened, and everyone followed through the wide corridor to another larger hall. There were no tables here, only a fireplace with a raging fire between the pillars on both sides. Frodo found Gandalf beside him. "This is the Hall of Fire," said the wizard. "If you cheer up, you should be able to hear many songs and stories. Unless it is a special festival, this place is always empty and quiet. On weekdays it is a place for people looking for a place to contemplate and meditate. The fire is kept burning here all year round, but there is no other lighting." As Elrond went to the seat prepared for him in the great hall, the elf musicians began to play sweet music.The crowd entered the hall slowly, and Frodo gazed with delight at the many beautiful faces; the golden firelight gleamed a little in their faces and hair.突然间，他注意到在对面壁炉边不远的地方，有个小小的黑色身影靠著柱子坐在矮凳上。他脚边摆著一个水杯和一些面包。佛罗多一开始以为他生病了（瑞文戴尔的人不知道会不会生病），所以才没有参加宴会。他的头似乎紧靠著胸口，正陷入沈睡的状态中，他的面孔则是被斗篷的阴影所遮挡住。 爱隆走向前，站在那沈默的身影旁。「醒来啦，小贵宾！」他露出笑容说。 接著，他转过身对著佛罗多比了个手势。「佛罗多，现在是你美梦成真的时候了，」 他说：「这就是你想念不已的那名朋友。」 那身影抬起头，拨开兜帽。 「比尔博！」佛罗多一认出对方，立刻冲向前。 「好久不见，佛罗多小朋友！」比尔博说：「你终于还是赶到这里来了。 我之前希望你能够安然无恙地到这里来。好啦，好啦！原来这场盛大的宴会都是为了庆祝你的康复啊，你玩得还愉快吧？」 「你为什么没出席呢？」佛罗多大喊道：「为什么我之前都没办法见到你？」 「都是因为你睡著了，我可是探望过你好多次了哪！我每天都会和山姆一起坐在你身边看著你。至于这个宴会，我现在已经不那么热衷这类的事情了， 而且，我也有别的事情要忙。」 「你在忙什么？」 「你看不出来吗？我坐在这里思考呀！这些天我常常这样做，而这里又是最适合这样做的地方。怎么会有人会叫我醒过来哩！」他斜眼瞄著爱隆。佛罗多看见他的双眼精光闪烁，没有一丝睡意。「醒过来？爱隆大人，我可没有睡著。 事实上，诸位的宴会结束得太快，正好打断了我做诗歌的灵感。我刚好有一两句歌词想不出来，正在反覆琢磨，被你们一搅和，我看是永远也做不出来了。 接下来应该会有一大堆歌唱节目，会把我的灵感彻底打乱；我该去找我朋友登纳丹帮忙才是。他到哪去了？」 爱隆哈哈大笑。「我马上把他找来，」他说：「等下你们两个就去找个安静的角落继续工作，在我们饮酒作乐结束之前，我们希望能够评断你两人的心血结晶。」很快地，爱隆就支使信差去找寻比尔博的朋友。不过，现场没人知道他在哪里，也不知道为何他没有出席宴会。 在同一时刻，比尔博坐在佛罗多身边，山姆很快地也到他们附近坐了下来。 他们在大厅中美妙的乐音环绕之下低声交谈。比尔博没有提到多少自己的事情， 他当年离开哈比屯的时候，起初是漫无目的地四处游走，沿著大道到处乱看， 但是冥冥中却一直朝著瑞文戴尔的方向前进。 「我来这边可没有像你们那么惊险，」他笑著说：「我休息了一阵子之后， 就和矮人们一起前往谷地，这是我最后一次远行。我不会再出远门了。巴林这 老家伙离开了谷地。然后我又回到这边来，就这样落脚下来。我做了一些杂事， 把我的书内容又增加了许多。当然，我也写了几首新歌。精灵们偶尔会吟唱这 些歌曲；我想多半都是为了讨我欢心。因为，我的这些差劲作品在这边还上不 了台面哪。我在这边静思、倾听，时间似乎静止在这里，这真是个美妙的地方。 " 「我听说了许多的消息，有些是，有些是从孤山山脉，但几乎没有 任何消息是从夏尔来的，当然，我听说了魔戒的消息。甘道夫经常来这边，他 并没有告诉我很多内幕，他这几年口风越来越紧了，几乎可说滴水不漏。登纳 丹告诉我的还比较多。没想到我的那枚小戒指竟然可以撼动世界！早知道我就 自己轻轻松松的把魔戒带到这里来了，才不会像你们一样那么大费周章呢！I 曾经想过是否该回到哈比屯去收回那枚戒指，但是我已经年纪大了，他们又不 让我离开这里。喔，我说的他们，是指甘道夫和爱隆啦。他们似乎觉得魔王正上 山下海寻找我的踪迹，如果抓到我在野外乱晃，可能会把我打成肉酱。 " 「而且甘道夫还说：□比尔博，魔戒已经选择了新主人。如果你试著重新 干涉它，这对你和其他人都会有不好的结果。□怪里怪气的，就像我们家甘道 夫会说的话，但他说他会照顾你，所以我也就不坚持了，看到你安然无恙我真 高兴。」他停下来，用著怀疑的眼光看著佛罗多。 「你有把它带在身上吗？」他压低声音说：「你知道吗，在我听说了那么 多传闻之后，我实在很好奇，我想要再看看它。 " 「没错，我带在身上，」佛罗多觉得有种不寻常地不情愿感觉笼罩著自己。 「看起来跟以前一样。」 「还是让我看看吧。」比尔博说。 佛罗多之前在梳妆盥洗的时候，注意到魔戒依旧挂在他胸前，只是换了个 更轻、更坚硬的新练子。他慢慢地拉出魔戒，比尔博伸出手，但佛罗多飞快地 抽回魔戒。他惊讶地发现，他似乎不再敢正视比尔博，两人之间似乎落下了道 阴影；透过那道阴影，他看见眼前是一个矮小的苍老生物，伸出骨瘦如柴的手， 饥渴地向他乞讨宝贵的魔戒，他想要痛殴眼前这个怪物。 他们四周的乐音和歌声似乎都静止下来，比尔博很快地瞥了佛罗多一眼， 用手揉揉眼睛。「我这才明白，」他说：「快拿开，我很抱歉。我很抱歉把这样 沈重的负担交给你，我很抱歉替你带来的一切。难道冒险永远都不会有结束的 时刻吗？或许是吧，总有人必须要接续这个故事。好吧，我也无能为力。don't know 道如果把我的书写完会不会改变这个状况？唉，现在先别担心这个了！Let's 听听真正的新闻吧！告诉我夏尔到底怎么样了！ " 佛罗多收起魔戒，之前的那道阴影也跟著化作无形，瑞文戴尔的音乐和歌 声又再度响起。比尔博开怀大笑，他所能记起的一切有关夏尔的消息（中间还包括了山姆的补充和说明），对比尔博来说都是最珍贵的听闻；从河边倒下的树木到哈比屯的新生儿，每项消息都让他目不转睛，脸带笑容地仔细倾听。他们正在专心地讨论夏尔四区的情形，并没有注意到身边出现一名穿著深绿色衣服的男子，他微笑著静候了很长的一段时间。 突然间，比尔博抬起头。「啊，登纳丹，你终于出现了啊！」他大喊著。 「神行客！」佛罗多说：「你的名字还真多哪！」 「呃？我还真的没听过「神行客」这个名字，」比尔博说。「你为什么会这样叫他？」 「布理的居民都这样叫我，」神行客笑著说，「我也是这样对他们自我介绍的。」 「你们为什么又叫他登纳丹呢？」佛罗多问道。 「那位登纳丹，」比尔博说：「这边的人通常都这么叫他。我还以为你至少听的懂精灵语中的登--纳丹呢：西方皇族、通用语中的登丹人、努曼诺尔的后裔。啊，现在不是上课的时候！」他转身看著神行客。「老友，你到哪里去了？为什么没有参加宴会？亚玟小姐有到呢。」 神行客面色凝重地看著比尔博。「我知道，」他说：「但是我必须把自己的利益摆在一旁，伊莱丹和伊罗何出乎意料之外地从荒野之中回来了，他们知道一些我必须立刻处理的消息。」 「好吧！亲爱的朋友，」比尔博说：「既然你已经都听过相关的消息了， 可以借我几分钟吗？我这边有些紧急的事情需要帮助。爱隆说我的这首歌得在今晚完成，而我的文思偏偏正巧在刚刚枯竭了，我们找个安静的角落来讨论一下吧！」 神行客微笑著说。「来吧！」他说：「让我听听看！」 暂时，没有人理会佛罗多；因为连山姆都睡著了。他孤单一人，觉得有些无聊，四周又全都是瑞文戴尔的人，但靠近他的人都沈默不语，专注地听著乐器流泄出的乐音和歌声，对于外界的一切都不理不睬，于是，佛罗多也开始留意这歌声。 从一开始，这精彩的旋律和精灵悦耳的语言，让只懂皮毛的佛罗多也为之著迷。不久之后，远方的景物彷佛在他面前渐渐成形，美丽的幻想风景铺陈而出； 原先被火光照亮的大厅成了飘浮在壮阔海面上的一片金色迷雾。接著歌声变得越来越梦幻，直到最后他开始感觉有一条流著黄金与白银的大河环绕著他，千丝万缕的歌声让他根本不及分辨其中的意义；歌声成为他四周空气的一部分， 让他贪婪地不停吸取，几乎溺毙在歌声中。缓缓地，他沈浸入一个无边无际的美梦，让无重量的身躯慢慢地漂浮。 接著，他在这音乐的梦境中漫游，看著它缓缓地化成奔流的江水，最后又突然间转化成歌声。那似乎是比尔博朗诵的声音，一开始十分微弱，但声音变得越来越清晰。 水手埃兰迪尔要出航 耽搁在那亚玟尼安的故乡； 他造了一艘巨木船， 巨木来自于那宁伯希尔岗， 她的主帆用那银线织， 灯号更以纯银铸， 船首如同洁白的天鹅样， 光芒照在她的船旗上。 如同即将出征的古国王， 他套上金钢难透的锁子甲， 闪亮的盾牌刻画著符文标， 阻隔一切伤害和痛苦不能近； 巨弓采自神龙角， 锐箭削自黑檀木， 练甲铸自坚钢银， 剑鞘采自绿玉髓， 宝剑取自百炼钢， 高盔炼自精金矿， 徽记之上鹰展翅， 胸膛之上翡翠耀。 在星月交辉下， 他沿著北方支流远颺， 在魔幻般的大地上飘游 超越人迹罕至的荒野。 踏上坚冰封冻的彼方， 暗影笼罩全山岗， 热气野火不能近。 他急忙转身，继续划桨 在无光的水面上启航 最终来到万夜之夜， 他继续航行，目标并非闪亮的星光， 亦非光明的泊港。 强风参杂著怒气蜂拥而来， 他盲目地奔逃， 躲过一朝又一朝， 从西航向东成为他的方向， 不由自主地航向久别的家乡。 逃命的爱尔温来到他身旁， 黑暗之中瞬间有了火光； 压过了钻石的精光。 火焰照在她的项圈上， 精灵宝钻赋予他， 以此活物之光加冕他， 双眉怒展无畏转身航， 海外世界又再起波浪， 新的风暴又猛又强， 塔曼奈尔吹起了力量之风， 行过的路径无人曾踏上， 船舰航行于雨打和风狂， 如同死神一般急奔， 越过那灰光泛滥的海面， 他从东方急急地赶向西方。 穿越无数的永夜不停航， 骑乘黑色的波浪上， 越过无数的黑暗港湾， 远在万物创生时就已淹没水下， 他看见珍珠飘汤， 乐音止息 炽烈的鼓风炉永不停， 黄澄澄的金子与珠宝不停产。 他看见山脉缓缓升起， 曙光照在瓦林诺、艾达马的膝下， 那远离海洋的地方。 流浪者逃离夜光 终于来到白色的天堂， 美绿的精灵故乡， 空气新，绿草青 如同伊尔马林的山丘上， 光芒照耀在无边的山谷中， 提理安灯火闪耀的高塔， 也反射在暗影城的余光。 他停留在该处， 学到了新的歌谣， 从贤者口中知道新的传说， 同伴给他带来的黄金的竖琴， 让他穿著精灵的白衣， 七盏光明设在他的面前， 如同卡拉西理安一般， 他前往了隐匿的大地。 来到时光拒绝流逝的大厅 无尽的岁月也被禁锢于此， 古王的统治无穷无止休， 在那伊尔马林的陡峭山脉中； 未曾听过的言语描述 人类和精灵的生态， 超越俗世之间的事物， 尘俗之人不得而见。 人们又为他打造了一艘新船， 以秘银铸之，精璃造之， 精光闪耀的船首，不再需要船桨， 银桅上没有船帆， 精灵宝钻是唯一的指引， 活物之光是船上最亮的旗帜， 伊尔碧绿丝赐与的光芒， 她亲自现身， 赐与永生不死的翅翼， 让他注定永恒在天空飞翔， 航行在无边的天际， 隐匿于太阳和月光之后。 自永暮的山脉之后， 银色的喷泉落下， 他背负著翅翼，成为漫游的星光， 穿越高山之墙的阻隔， 来到世界的尽头， 不停折返，却又期待 航过阴影的彼端， 能够找到久违的故乡， 如同岛屿一般的星光闪耀， 越过迷雾的围绕， 成为阳光前渺小的火焰， 只能存在于曙光前的奇迹， 诺兰灰色的河水荡漾。 他航过中土世界 听见最后时光中 精灵和女子们的哭泣声， 在过往的时光中，在远古的年代里。 但他必须背负无尽的厄运， 直到月光消失，直到星光 转移，再也无法踏上 凡人的世间， 永远必须执行无尽的任务， 永无休息之日， 背负著闪亮的钻光， 就是西方皇族的焰火光。 朗诵结束了。佛罗多张开眼，看见比尔博坐在凳子上，身边许多人正微笑 applaud. 「可以让我们再听一遍吗？」一名精灵说。 比尔博起身鞠躬道，「您让我受宠若惊了，林德，」他说：「但我实在没力 气从头再朗诵一次。 " 「我才不相信呢，」精灵们笑著回答：「你也知道你自己每次怎么念都念 不倦的。不过，我们只听一次，怎么可能回答你的问题！ " 「什么！」比尔博大惊失色：「你们分辨不出来哪段是我写的，哪段是登 纳丹写的？ " 「对我们来说，实在很难分辨两名凡人之间的差异。」那名精灵说。 「胡说八道，林德，」比尔博哼了哼：「如果你说你无法分辨哈比人和人 类，那你的判断力比我想像的还要糟糕，他们之间的差别就像豆子和苹果一样 Big. " 「或许吧。对于绵羊来说，另一只羊绝对是不同的，」林德嘻笑地说：「或 许对牧羊人来说也是一样。但我们的注意力并非放在凡人身上，我们有别的事 情可以研究。 " 「我不跟你吵了，」比尔博说：「听了这么多音乐之后，我觉得昏昏欲睡。 如果你有空的话，就慢慢猜吧。 " 他站起身，走到佛罗多面前。「好啦，结束了，」他压低声音说：「效果比 我想的要好，很少有人会要我吟颂第二次。what do you think? " 「我可不敢乱猜，」佛罗多微笑著说。 「你不需要，」比尔博说：「事实上，这全都是我写的。亚拉冈只是坚持 我一定要加入绿玉髓。他似乎觉得这很重要，我不知道为什么，反正他觉得这 件事情有点超乎我的能力。他说如果我有脸在爱隆的居所中吟颂有关埃兰迪尔 的诗歌，那是我家的事，我想他说的没错。 " 「我不明白耶，」佛罗多说：「我没办法解释，但我觉得这配合得相当好。 当你开始的时候，我正在打盹，这首诗却正好接续了我的梦境，一直到最后我 才发现原来是你在吟诗。 " 「在你习惯之前，在这边不打盹很困难，」比尔博说：「哈比人可能永远 都无法像精灵一样那么喜欢诗歌和故事，他们喜爱这些东西的程度甚至超越了 食物，这还会持续很长的一段时间哪。你觉得我们偷溜出去聊聊怎么样？ " 「可以吗？」佛罗多说。 「当然没问题。这可是饮酒作乐的时候，不是谈公事的时间。只要不吵到 别人，爱去哪里都可以。 " 他们站起身，悄悄地躲到阴影中，准备走向门边。他们把脸上挂著微笑的 山姆留在原地，让他继续好好地睡觉。虽然佛罗多很高兴有比尔博可以陪伴， 但他内心觉得有些遗憾，不想离开烈火之厅。正当他们要走出门外时，一个清 澈的声音开始唱起歌曲。 Ah!伊尔碧绿丝，姬尔松耐尔， silvren penna miriel o menel aglar elenath! Na-chaered palan-diriel O galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos， le linnathon Nef aear， si nef aearon! 佛罗多停下脚步，回头看著。爱隆坐在座位上，火光照在他脸上，就如同阳光照在绿树上一样自然，他的身边坐著亚玟小姐。佛罗多惊讶地发现亚拉冈站在他身边，暗色的斗篷掀了开来，里面似乎是精灵打造的锁子甲，胸前闪耀著星辰般的光芒。两人低头密谈，突然间佛罗多发现亚玟的目光投射向他， 刺入了他的心坎。 他无法动弹地站著，耳边流泄著甜美如同珠宝一样的精灵歌谣。「这是首献给伊尔碧绿丝的歌曲，」比尔博说：「他们今晚会献唱许多有关海外仙境的歌曲。走吧！」 他领著佛罗多回到自己的小房间，那房间面对著花园，俯瞰南方布鲁南渡口的小径。他们坐在那边，看著窗外明亮的星辰和幽深的森林，柔声地交谈著。 这次，他们不再讨论遥远夏尔的消息，也忘记了身后紧紧逼迫的邪恶，只专注在他们曾经一起见识过的美好事物：精灵、星辰、翠绿的树木、每次季节转变时给森林所带来的美景。 最后，门上传来轻小的的敲门声。「抱歉打搅，」山姆把头伸进来：「我在想你们会不会需要任何东西。」 「也向你抱歉了，山姆?詹吉，」比尔博回答：「我想这意思是说你的主人该上床了。」 「是啊，大人。我听说明天一早有一场会议，而主人今天才第一次下床。」 「没错，山姆，」比尔博笑道：「你可以回去告诉甘道夫，他已经上床了。 晚安，佛罗多！我运气真好，看见你真高兴！只有哈比人才懂得聊天的精髓啊。 我已经老了，开始怀疑到底看不看得到你的故事写进我的书中。晚安！我想我应该会先散散步，在花园里面看看伊尔碧绿丝的星辰。好好睡吧！」 译注一：三人的母亲是精灵皇凯勒鹏和精灵女王凯兰崔尔的唯一子嗣：赛勒布理安。她在太阳纪元第三纪的时候下嫁精灵王爱隆，他们生了三个小孩。在第三纪二五零九年时，她和同行者一起从瑞文戴尔前往罗斯洛立安，途中却遭到半兽人部队的攻击。虽然最后她被两名勇敢的儿子所救，但也从此受到了无法医治的毒创。她忍受这痛苦折磨一年有余，最后不得已航往海外仙境，让主神医治她的伤患。