Chapter 17 Section 4: Journey in the dark

In the evening, the gray afterglow of the setting sun faded quickly, and the group stopped temporarily, waiting for the night to fall.They were exhausted physically and mentally, the mountains were covered in the falling twilight, and the wind was strong and cold.Gandalf made everyone drink another sip of Rivendell's Mirujo. "It seems that we will not be able to continue our journey tonight," he said. "The attack on the Red Horn Pass has exhausted most of our strength. We must rest here." "And where shall we go?" asked Frodo. "We still have quests and work to do before us," answered Gandalf; "we have no choice but to go back to Rivendell if we don't go on with the quest."

Pippin's face lit up when he heard Rivendell.Merry and Sam looked up hopefully.But Aragorn and Boromir said nothing, and Frodo looked worried. "I wish I had gone back there, too," he said, "but how can I have the face to go back to Rivendell unless there is really no way out?" "You are right, Frodo," said Gandalf. "To go back is to admit defeat, and to face a more terrible defeat in the future. If we go back now, the Lord of the Rings must remain in Rivendell. We It is impossible to leave there with the Ring. Sooner or later, Rivendell will be attacked, and before long, it will be destroyed. The Ringwraiths are deadly enemies, but if their masters hold the power of the Ring of Domination They pale in comparison."

"Then we must go on, so long as there is a way," sighed Frodo.Sam lay back moaning again. "There is another way we could try," said Gandalf. "I have thought of this way from the beginning of planning this journey, and wondered whether we should try it. But it is not an easy one. and I did not mention it to you before. Aragorn objected to mentioning it to you until we had tried the passes." "If this road is worse than Redhorn Pass, it must be an extremely dangerous place!" said Merry. "In any case, I suggest that you better tell us quickly, so that we can know the worst situation immediately."

"The road I speak of leads to the mines of Moria," said Gandalf.Only Jin Li suddenly raised his head, with suppressed flames flashing in his eyes.For the others, a chill suddenly overwhelmed the biting wind from the returning snowstorm, and even hobbits had heard of this dreadful place. "The road you speak of may lead to Moria, but how shall we know whether it will leave Moria?" said Aragorn gloomily. "It's an ominous name," said Boromir, "and I don't approve of going there either. If we can't pass the mountains, we can go on south, as far as our friendly lands, as far as Rohan. The Pass. That is the way I came. Or we may go by the sea road along the Eshin to Gondor."

"Borromir, the situation is not the same as it was when you went north," replied Gandalf. There is a bill to be settled. Even so, as long as we have other methods, we must never let the Lord of the Rings get close to Isengard. As long as we walk with the holder of the Lord of the Rings, we cannot pass through the pass of Rohan." "As for the longer distance, we have no time to waste. If we go that way, it may take us a year, and we may have to pass through many uninhabited wilderness. It is not safe there. Saruman, The devil's eyes and ears are there. Boromir, when you went north, you were just a lonely traveler in the eyes of the devil. But when you come back now, you have become a member of the Lord of the Rings. We are together, and you are in great danger. The closer we get to the South, the greater our danger will be."

"Especially since our challenge to the Red Horn Pass failed, this danger has become even more apparent. If we don't quickly and quietly disappear from the enemy's eyes, I will be very worried about the future situation. Therefore, I suggest that we not be able to take the mountain road , you can’t go around, but you have to go down the mountain, this is the road that the Demon King least expects.” "We don't know what roads he expects," said Boromir. "He may watch all roads, big and small. Either way, walking into the mines of Moria is like walking into a trap, and Not much better than walking to the door of the devil's house, Moria represents evil." "When you compare Moria with Sauron's stronghold, it is not appropriate to do it, you don't know enough about either, Gandalf replied: "Among you, I am the only one who has entered the Dark King's dungeon, and only his residence in Cal Gorgot. Those who entered the stronghold of Barad-dur never returned.

If there is no hope of coming out, I will not rashly lead you into Moria.It would be bad if there were still Orcs living there, but most of the Orcs in the Misty Mountains were killed or driven out in the Battle of Five Armies.The Eagle's information is that the orcs are gathering in the distance again, but I still think that Moria should not be polluted. "Even, the dwarves may still stay there, maybe we can find the whereabouts of Balin in the deep tunnels. In any case, we must make a choice quickly!" "Gandalf, I am willing to go with you "Gimli said loudly: "I want to see the underground city of Turin. As long as you can find the sealed gate, I am willing to go no matter whether it is a sword or a sea." "Very well, Gimli!" I am such an encouragement, let's find the secret door together, we will succeed! In the ruins of the dwarves, the dwarves will be calmer than the elves, humans or hobbits. But this is not the first time I have entered Moria , when Thorn, the son of Thor, disappeared, I searched deeply for his traces. It is indeed unblocked, and I am a living example!" "I also stepped into the gate of Dimril," said Aragorn Said quietly, "Although I came out too, I really don't want to think about that experience. I don't want to go into Moria again at all." "I don't want to go in even once," said Pippin.

"Me neither," Sam mumbled. "Of course no one wants to!" said Gandalf. "Who would want to? But my question is, if I lead you there, who will go with me?" "I will!" said Gimli impatiently. "So do I," said Aragorn reluctantly. "You led me into the snowy mountains without complaint, without reproaching me for my mistakes afterwards. I would follow your lead, but I There is one last thing I must warn you about. It is not the Ring, nor the rest of the party, that I fear, but only you, Gandalf. I must say to you, once you step into Moria, take care!" "I don't want to go," said Boromir, "unless the party votes to go. What are Legolas and the lad thinking? We must listen to the Ring-bearer." "I don't want to. To Moria," said Legolas.

The hobbit said nothing.Sam looked at Frodo.At last he spoke: "I don't want to go either," he said, "but I don't want to refuse Gandalf's offer either. I hope you don't rush to vote before bedtime. It's better to vote tomorrow morning than to vote here in the dark." It’s much better to vote in the dark place. Look at how terrifying the sound of the wind is howling!” After hearing these words, everyone fell into silence.They could hear the wind rushing through the rocks and woods, making piercing and shrill sounds in the night. Suddenly Aragorn sprang to his feet. "It is not the howling of the wind!" he cried. "It is the howling of the wolf! The Wargs have come to the west of the Misty Mountains!" "Then shall we wait until tomorrow morning?" demanded Gandalf Everyone: "As I said, the hunt has already begun! Even if we can live to see the dawn, who wants to be hunted by wild wolves at night?" "How far is Moria?" asked Boromir road.

"There is an entrance on the southwest side of Mount Calahusla. The straight-line distance is about fifteen miles, and if people walk, it is about twenty miles," Gandalf replied solemnly. "Then we set out at daybreak," said Boromir, "there are wolves to fear more than the Orcs in the cave." "I wish I had taken Elrond's advice," grumbled Pippin to Sam. "I'm such a good-for-nothing. I don't have any heroic blood in me. I've never felt so unlucky in all my life." "My heart just dropped to the bottom of my feet Go, Mr. Pippin," said Sam, "but we're not finished yet, and we've got heroes around us. Whatever future old Gandalf has in store for us, I bet he won't let the wolf eat us. ’ In order to save their lives at night, the group climbed to the top of a hill.There is a circle of protection of old trees around, and there are scattered rocks.In the middle of the circle, they lit a campfire.Because neither darkness nor silence can protect the prey in the eyes of wolves.

They sat round the campfire, and those who were not on sentry dozed restlessly.Poor pony Bill was sweating and shaking.Now the howling of wolves could be heard from all sides, sometimes near and far.In the middle of the night, they could also see many malicious eyes shining under the hill, and some even walked into the stone circle.At the gap in the stone circle, a huge black wolf appeared.It stared at everyone, as if it was sizing up a delicious prey.Then, it let out a heart-piercing howl, calling all the wolves under it to attack. Gandalf stood up, and stepped forward with his staff raised flat. "Listen, Sauron's lackey!" he cried: "Gandalf is here, if you value the dog's life, get out! If you dare to walk in, I will burn you to ashes!" The black wolf grinned and rushed forward.At that moment, there was a crisp sound, and Legolas shot an arrow.After a wailing cry, the great black figure fell to the ground; an elf's arrow pierced its throat.The malicious wolf eyes suddenly disappeared one by one.Gandalf and Aragorn went forward, but found that there was no trace of wild beasts in the four fields, and the pack of wolves had fled completely.They stood in the dark silence, no sound of biological activity on the wind. The sky is getting brighter, and the moon is slowly sinking, and the remaining light shines through the broken clouds.Frodo awoke suddenly from his deep sleep.Without warning, a large pack of wargs appeared, attacking their camp from all directions. "Keep up the fire!" cried Gandalf to the hobbit, "draw your swords, back to back!" In the light of the leaping fire Frodo saw many gray shapes leaping across the circle of stones, more and more The wolves followed suit.Aragorn thrust his sword through the throat of one of the Chief Wargs, and Boromir turned and beheaded the other.Gimli stood steady beside him, swinging the dwarven battle-axe, and Legolas' bowstring strummed the music of death. In the flickering firelight, Gandalf's figure suddenly began to grow.He grew taller and taller, and seemed to stand on the hillside like a monument to an ancient king.He picked up a burning firewood and waved it slowly, and the ferocious wolves gave way before his firelight.He threw it hard, throwing the flame into the sky. Chai Xin suddenly burst into incandescent light like lightning, and his voice instantly became as shocking as thunder. Naur an edraith ammen! Naur dan Ingaurhoth" he shouted. In a roar and crack, the old tree above him exploded into a blinding flame.Flames leaped from tree to tree, and the whole hill was enveloped in a storm of flames.The expeditionary team's swords were stained with fiery red flames.Legolas' flying arrow ignited in mid-air, piercing the heart of the mighty wolf king with raging flames, and the other wolves fled away again. Slowly, the flames died down, until everything was burned to nothing but soot and sparks flying in the air.Helpless black smoke from the charred trunks drifted across the hill in the first rays of morning light. The enemies who attacked in the dark are gone forever. "I told you, Mr. Pippin!" Sam put away his dagger, "the wolf can't get near him. This is really spectacular!Nearly burned my hair off! "After full light, there was no evidence of any wolf invasion around, and even the corpses were all gone.Only Legolas' scattered arrows and blackened tree trunks were evidence of last night's fierce battle.Every arrow was unscathed, except one: it was nothing but the arrowhead. The weather changed again that day, which almost made them feel that it was because of some mysterious force that there was no need to use wind and snow to stop them.Under the clear sky, they could see quite far away.The clouds disappeared in the south, and the sky turned blue.As they stood on the hill to set off, a pale ray of sunlight fell. "We must be at the gate before dark," said Gandalf, "or we may never have the chance to reach it. It is not far, but our way may be a little tortuous. For, Aragorn Rarely here, he can't guide us from here, and I've only been in Moria once a long time ago." "It's over there," he pointed to the far southeast corner mountains, several Cliffs covered by their own shadows.They could barely see a gray wall far higher than the rest of the cliffs. "If you noticed, the last time I took you from the wolves, I went straight south instead of back to where I started. You should be grateful for my foresight, because this way we can save Miles and miles to go. Let's go!" "I don't know what to expect," said Boromir sullenly, "whether Gandalf will find his purpose, or will we emerge to find that the gate is gone forever. Both options seem to be very bad, I think the most likely one is to be caught between the cliff and the wolf. Alas, it’s useless to talk, let’s go!” Jin Li took the lead to walk beside the wizard, because he was the most Anxious to see members of Moria.Together the two led the expedition towards the mountains.The road to Moria from the west should be by the side of a small river, Siwanan, which flows from the edge of the cliff all the way to the gate.But if Gandalf had not lost his way, the terrain had changed over the years; for he did not find the river when he expected to cross it a few miles away. The time is almost at Zhongshi, and the members of the expedition team are still trekking on the desolate land full of red rocks.They could see no current and hear no sign of a river.Everything seemed extremely dry, and their hearts sank to the bottom of the valley.They saw no living things, nor were there any birds in the sky.No one wanted to think about what would happen if they were stranded at night in this untouched wilderness. Suddenly, Jin Li, who was leading the way, turned around and shouted at them.He is now standing on a rock, pointing to the right.A group of people hurried to catch up and found that there was a deep and narrow river valley underneath.The valley was very empty and quiet, only a trickle flowing on the brown river bed.Nearby, however, is a broken trail that winds its way along the remains of an ancient road. "Ah! We finally found it!" Gandalf said excitedly, "This is where the Siranan River used to flow. They used to call it the Gate River. However, I don't know what happened to the water in the river. The last time I came here, it was quite a raging river. Come on! We have to hurry, and time is running out." The group felt sore from the day-to-day journey, but they resigned themselves to continue walking along the broken path For many miles, the sun had begun to gradually set in the west.After a short rest and a quick meal, they continued on their way.The mountain peaks slowly unfolded in front of them, but for a while they were walking in the deep valley, and they could only see a few relatively high peaks in the east. Soon after, they came to a sharp turn.Here the trail, which had been heading south along steep slopes and valleys, suddenly turned west to east.As soon as they turned around this turn, they saw a low cliff appearing in front of them, about tens of feet high, with broken and uneven tops.Occasionally, some very rare running water dripped from it; judging from the scene in front of me, this place used to be a rather magnificent waterfall, which is why it portrays such a magnificent terrain. "A great deal has changed here!" said Gandalf, "but I must have misunderstood the place. This is what remains of the Stairway Falls. If I remember correctly, there should be a staircase next to the waterfall, but the main road will follow the slope." In ancient times, there used to be a valley next to the entrance of Moria, and the Siwanan River flowed all the way down along the path. Let's go up and see the current situation!" They easily found the place. Gimli took the lead on the stone steps, followed by Gandalf and Frodo.When they came to the top of the mountain, they found that there was no way to go any further.The reason is obvious, and it also solves the mystery of the drying up of Gate Creek.Behind them, the setting sun turned the western sky golden.In front of them was a deep, still lake, whose dark surface could not reflect any scenery.The Sivanan River was blocked and filled the entire valley with small lakes.Beside this strange lake, there is a very steep cliff overlooking it.There are almost four words engraved on the pale rock: impassable.There was no passage or entrance of any kind, and Frodo could not see a crack. After the sky was fully lit, there was no evidence of any wolf invasion around, and even the corpses were all gone.Only Legolas' scattered arrows and blackened tree trunks were evidence of last night's fierce battle.Every arrow was unscathed, except one: it was nothing but the arrowhead. The weather changed again that day, which almost made them feel that it was because of some mysterious force that there was no need to use wind and snow to stop them.Under the clear sky, they could see quite far away.The clouds disappeared in the south, and the sky turned blue.As they stood on the hill to set off, a pale ray of sunlight fell. "We must be at the gate before dark," said Gandalf, "or we may never have the chance to reach it. It is not far, but our way may be a little tortuous. For, Aragorn Rarely here, he can't guide us from here, and I've only been in Moria once a long time ago." "It's over there," he pointed to the far southeast corner mountains, several Cliffs covered by their own shadows.They could barely see a gray wall far higher than the rest of the cliffs. "If you noticed, the last time I took you from the wolves, I went straight south instead of back to where I started. You should be grateful for my foresight, because this way we can save Miles and miles to go. Let's go!" "I don't know what to expect," said Boromir sullenly, "whether Gandalf will find his purpose, or will we emerge to find that the gate is gone forever. Both options seem to be very bad, I think the most likely one is to be caught between the cliff and the wolf. Alas, it’s useless to talk, let’s go!” Jin Li took the lead to walk beside the wizard, because he was the most Anxious to see members of Moria.Together the two led the expedition towards the mountains.The road to Moria from the west should be by the side of a small river, Siwanan, which flows from the edge of the cliff all the way to the gate.But if Gandalf had not lost his way, the terrain had changed over the years; for he did not find the river when he expected to cross it a few miles away. The time is almost at Zhongshi, and the members of the expedition team are still trekking on the desolate land full of red rocks.They could see no current and hear no sign of a river.Everything seemed extremely dry, and their hearts sank to the bottom of the valley.They saw no living things, nor were there any birds in the sky.No one wanted to think about what would happen if they were stranded at night in this untouched wilderness. Suddenly, Jin Li, who was leading the way, turned around and shouted at them.He is now standing on a rock, pointing to the right.A group of people hurried to catch up and found that there was a deep and narrow river valley underneath.The valley was very empty and quiet, only a trickle flowing on the brown river bed.Nearby, however, is a broken trail that winds its way along the remains of an ancient road. "Ah! We finally found it!" Gandalf said excitedly, "This is where the Siranan River used to flow. They used to call it the Gate River. However, I don't know what happened to the water in the river. The last time I came here, it was quite a raging river. Come on! We have to hurry, and time is running out." The group felt sore from the day-to-day journey, but they resigned themselves to continue walking along the broken path For many miles, the sun had begun to gradually set in the west.After a short rest and a quick meal, they continued on their way.The mountain peaks slowly unfolded in front of them, but for a while they were walking in the deep valley, and they could only see a few relatively high peaks in the east. Soon after, they came to a sharp turn.Here the trail, which had been heading south along steep slopes and valleys, suddenly turned west to east.As soon as they turned around this turn, they saw a low cliff appearing in front of them, about tens of feet high, with broken and uneven tops.Occasionally, some very rare running water dripped from it; judging from the scene in front of me, this place used to be a rather magnificent waterfall, which is why it portrays such a magnificent terrain. "A great deal has changed here!" said Gandalf, "but I must have misunderstood the place. This is what remains of the Stairway Falls. If I remember correctly, there should be a staircase next to the waterfall, but the main road will follow the slope." In ancient times, there used to be a valley next to the entrance of Moria, and the Siwanan River flowed all the way down along the path. Let's go up and see the current situation!" They easily found the place. Gimli took the lead on the stone steps, followed by Gandalf and Frodo.When they came to the top of the mountain, they found that there was no way to go any further.The reason is obvious, and it also solves the mystery of the drying up of Gate Creek.Behind them, the setting sun turned the western sky golden.In front of them was a deep, still lake, whose dark surface could not reflect any scenery.The Sivanan River was blocked and filled the entire valley with small lakes.Beside this strange lake, there is a very steep cliff overlooking it.There are almost four words engraved on the pale rock: impassable.There was no passage or entrance of any kind, and Frodo could not see a crack. "This is the outer wall of Moria," said Gandalf, pointing across the lake; "there was once an entrance there. That's the entrance to the elves from Helin along the path.This road is now impassable.I don't think any of us would want to swim at this time!The lake looks a little weird. "We have to find a way around the northern barrier," Kim Li said. "Our first priority is to climb up along the main road and see where this road leads. Even if there is no barrier from the lake, Our pack ponies could not climb up." "At any rate, we were not going to take our horses into the hollow," said Gandalf. Nor will it pass." "Poor Bill!" said Frodo, "I did not think of it. Sam will die of grief!" I don't know what he will say? "I'm sorry," said Gandalf apologetically, "poor Bill was a very useful companion, and I'm sorry to have to get rid of him now. If I'd done as I planned from the start, I wouldn't have done it at all." Need to bring a pony that Sam loves so much, and don't need to carry so much luggage. I felt from the beginning that I might have to go this way in the end." It was getting late, and the cold stars began to shine on the fading sun flashing.A group of people rushed to the other side of the lake as quickly as possible on the main road.It seemed that the lake was no more than thirty or forty feet at its widest point, but in the fading sky they could not tell how far the lake extended to the south; the only certainty was that the northern end was about Not more than half a mile or so.There are two rocky plateaus at the lake's outlet and an open field by the water's edge.They hastened on, for they were now a mile or two from Gandalf's destination, and it was impossible to go fast enough.Moreover, they will have to find the entrance at that time. When they came to the northernmost corner of the lake, they found a narrow stream blocking their way.The stream was green and motionless, like the sticky arm of the hill.Jinli stepped forward without hesitation, and found that the shallowest part of the creek was only ankle deep.A group of people picked their way carefully and followed behind him.There are many deep gaps in the creek, and the rocks that can be stepped on are covered with moss, and great care must be taken not to slip.Frodo shuddered as soon as he stepped on the foul water. When Sam, the last of the party, led Bill to the other side of the creek, they heard a low crackling sound, as if a large fish had jumped out of the lake and disturbed the stagnant water.They turned their heads suddenly, and saw ripples spreading out in the distance of the lake.Then a few bubbles came to the surface, and then everything was calm.The sky was getting darker and darker, and the last ray of sunlight was also covered by clouds. Gandalf walked more quickly now, and the others followed as far as they could.At last they came to the dry flat between the lake and the cliffs.The area was very narrow, probably no more than a few yards long and wide, and the ground was covered with many fallen rocks.However, they still found a way, leaning as far as possible in front of the cliff, as far away from the lake as possible.They could not go a mile south along the shore before they came upon several holly trees.Leaving aside the rotting, stinking waterlogged trunks, there appears to have been a dense forest here once planted along the valley path.The only suspicious sight was that close to the edge of the cliff, two holly trees, the tallest that Frodo had ever seen, were still growing vigorously.Their huge roots stretched from the cliff to the lake, and from a distant ladder, they looked like low bushes compared with the high cliffs; but on closer inspection, they were tall and huge, Like two strong and fearless guards on both sides of the road. "Huh, we have come at last," said Gandalf, "and this is the end of the Elves' way from Horin. The holly tree is a symbol of the local people. They planted these two holly trees here to symbolize the end of the territory. The main purpose of this Simon is to facilitate their communication with the king of Moria.In calmer times, when the various races were still closely related, dwarves and elves were once quite close friends. "The dwarves were not to blame for the end of this friendship," Gimli said. "Nor have I heard that it has anything to do with elves," said Legolas. "I have heard it all," said Gandalf, "and I will not judge you now. But I beseech you two, Gimli and Legolas, at least join hands to help us through this, and I need the strength of both of you . This hidden door hasn't been opened yet, the sooner we open it the better, it's getting dark! "When I'm looking for the secret door, please prepare to enter the mine, I'm afraid we have to say goodbye to the cute camel beast here. You can throw away all the clothes you have to keep out of the cold, because you won't need these things at the bottom of the mine ; and when we leave the mines and reach the South, I hope that we will not need to put on these heavy clothes. Therefore, we must share the burden of the pony, especially the water-skin and food." "Mr. Gandalf! But you can't leave poor Bill in this damn place!" Angry and sad, Sam said, "I don't agree, it's been with us so far, so long!" "I'm sorry, Sam," said the wizard : "When the gate opens, I don't think Bill will be willing to enter the dark Moria. You have to choose between Bill and your master." "If I lead it, he will be willing." into the Dragon's Den after Mr. Frodo," protested Sam. "It's murder for you to leave it in this place full of wolves!" "I hope it won't come to this," said Gandalf.He put his hand on the pony's head, and said in a low voice, "May you be blessed and protected!" He said, "You are a smart pony, and you have learned a lot in Rivendell. Please find someone who can Grazing, and back in time to Elrond's house, or wherever you want to go." "Come on, Sam, he has as much chance of getting home safely as we do!" Sam stood gloomily in the small Beside the horse, there was no reply.Bill seemed to know what was going on, putting his nose to Sam's ear.Sam wept, playing with the reins; as gently as he could, he unloaded all the knapsacks and luggage and threw them all on the floor.Others are in charge of sorting these things away, segregated the things that can be discarded, and the rest are divided into another pile. When all was done, they turned to look at Gandalf.He didn't look like he was doing anything. He stood between the two trees blankly, looking at the empty mountain wall, as if he wanted to drill a hole in it with his eyes.Jinli was looking around, beating everywhere with an axe.Legolas was sticking to the rock wall, as if listening to something. "We're all ready," Merry said, "but where's the door? I can't find any clues." "The dwarves make doors that leave no trace when they're closed," said Gimli." If its secrets are forgotten, even the original owner will not be able to open them." "But the secrets of this door are not only known to the dwarves," Gandalf suddenly came back to his senses, turning his head to look at everyone: "Unless there are too many Too many things have changed, otherwise someone in the know could still find something to see." He walked toward the wall, where there was a smooth space between the shadows of two trees.He reached out and touched it, muttering something.Finally, he took a step back. "Look!" he said, "is there anything different now?" The moonlight shone on the ash-filled plane, but they couldn't see anything for a while.Then, where the wizard's hands touched, a faint light began to appear, and silver lines appeared on the rock.At first it was just a thin, cobweb-like mark, on which the moonlight reflected only occasionally; but after a while the lines gradually widened outwards and began to become very distinct. At a height where Gandalf's hand could barely reach, was an arc of elven writing.And at the bottom, although the text in some places has missing corners and is blurred, the general graphics can still be seen.On the top are seven stars, accompanied by a crown, below that are hammers and anvils, below that are two big trees with branches like crescent moons, and the most clear one is the one in the middle. A star with many stars. "That's the emblem of Turin!" Gimli shouted. "This is the sacred tree of the High Elves!" exclaimed Legolas. "And the stars of the House of Fëanor," said Gandalf. Languages ​​do not wake until they touch them. I have not heard such a language for a long time, and I have just been thinking about it." "What is written in it?" Frodo could not help asking curiously. Trying to decipher the writing on the arc: "I thought I could read Elvish script, but what is written on it I don't understand at all." "These are written in the language of the West Elves in ancient times," said Gandalf.说：「但这些内容与我们并没有太重要的关系。上面只是写着：[HTPH]这是通往摩瑞亚之王都灵宝座的大门，朋友，开口就可以进入。下面一行比较模糊的字则是写着在下，那维制作，徽记是由和林的赛勒布理鹏绘制。 「朋友，开口就可以进入是什么意思？」梅里问道。 「这很简单，」金雳说：「如果你是朋友，就请说出通行密语，大门就会打开，你就可以进去了。」「是的，」甘道夫说，「这些大门应该是由密语所控制的。有些矮人的大门只会在特定的时候，或是为特定的人而开启；有些门则是在符合所有条件之后，还需要钥匙才能打开。在都灵的年代里，这些密语并不是秘密。通常门都是大开的，旁边还有守门人看守着。但如果门关上了，任何知道密语的人就可以走进去。至少根据记载是这样的，对吧，金雳？」「没错，」矮人说：「但现在没人记得这密语了。那维和他的技术以及族人，早就从这个世界上消失了。」「可是，甘道夫，难道你也不知道密语吗？」波罗莫惊讶的问。 「当然不知道！」巫师理所当然的回答。 其他人看起来都不太高兴。只有认识甘道夫已久的亚拉冈，脸色没有任何变化。 「那么你把我们带到这个该死的地方有什么用？」波罗莫大喊着，他回头看了看黑色的湖水，不禁打了个寒颤：「你说你曾经进入过矿坑，如果你不知道密语，又是怎么进去的？」「波罗莫，你第一个问题的答案，」巫师慢条斯理地说：「是我现在还不知道密语是什么，但我们很快就会知道了，而且……」他的眼中隐隐闪动着光芒： 「下次最好在我的行为证明毫无理由之后再责怪我。至于你的另一个问题，难道你已经急疯了吗？难道你没办法清楚思考了吗？我不是从这条路进去的，我是从东方来的。」「如果你想要知道，我还可以告诉你，这些门可以从里面轻易地打开。在里面，只要手一推就可以开门。要从外面进去，就只有密语才能够派上用场，你没办法硬把门往内开。」（给编者，图上的文字我把能翻的部分翻成中文：中文最好用古印体，英文则用花体字比较有感觉。 （上面是依照贝尔兰惯例所撰写的费诺文字：Ennyn Durin Aran Moria:ped mellon a minno． Im Narvi heinechant: Celebrimboro Eregion teithantithiwhin．） 「那你要怎么办？」皮聘丝毫不畏惧巫师颤抖的眉毛。 「我要用你的脑袋去敲门，」甘道夫说：「如果没用的话，我至少可以暂时不用回答这些愚蠢的问题。那还用说，我当然会负责找到进入的密语！」「我曾经有一度知道所有精灵、人类或是半兽人所使用的这类法术，我现在不需要多加思考还是可以背诵出其中十分之一来，不过，我想应该只需要尝试几次就够了。我应该也不需要询问金雳他们向不外传的矮人密言。就我推断，开启大门的应该和那拱形上的文字一样是精灵语。」他再度靠近岩石，轻轻的用手杖碰触着中央的银色星辰记号。 Annon edhellen， edro hi amme! Fennas nogothirim， lasto beth lammen! 他用命令的口气说道。银色的线条开始消失，但灰色的石头却一点也没有改变。 他用许多不同的顺序重复了这句话许多遍，或是改变语调。然后他一个接一个的尝试其他的魔法，有些较快、较大声，有些则是较慢、较轻柔，然后他又念诵很多个精灵单字，什么事都没发生。天空中开始出现众多的星辰，峭壁依旧动也不动，晚风继续吹拂，但大门依旧深锁。 甘道夫再度走到门口，举起手臂，愤怒地大喊，Edro， edro!他用手杖猛力的敲击岩壁。开门，开门！他大喊着，接着他又使用所有中土世界西方曾经说过的语言大声叫喊。最后，他气得将手杖丢到地上，沈默不语坐着。 就在那时候，他们开始听见远方传来野狼的嗥叫声。小马比尔吃了一惊，山姆立刻跳到它身边，低声地安慰它。 「不要让它跑开了！」波罗莫说：「看来，如果野狼没有再度包围我们，我们可能还会需要它的帮助。我实在很讨厌这个该死的湖！」他捡起一块石头，忿忿地丢进湖中。 石头就这样落进湖中，但就在同一时间，湖中传来了呼噜和冒泡的声音。 岩石落下的地方冒出了巨大的涟漪，开始缓缓地朝向峭壁涌来。 「波罗莫，你为什么要这样做？」佛罗多说：「我也讨厌这个地方。我不知道是为什么，但这不是因为野狼，也不是因为黑暗的矿坑，而是有什么别的东西。我害怕这个黑湖，最好不要打搅它！」「我希望我们能够赶快离开这里！」梅里说。 「为什么甘道夫不赶快想点办法？」皮聘说。 甘道夫根本没有注意到他们的情况。他低着头，如果不是因为绝望，就是因为正在努力的思考。野狼的嗥叫声又再度传来，水上的涟漪继续扩散，有些已经拍打到岸边来。 突然间，巫师跳了起来，把大家吓了一跳。他竟然在哈哈大笑！「我想到了！」他大喊着！「没错，没错！这么简单，就像大多数的谜题一样，答案就在问题中！」他拾起手杖，站在岩石边，大喊着Mellon! 星芒闪耀了一下，接着又黯淡下去。接着，虽然之前没有任何蛛丝马迹，一个巨大的门廊开始缓缓浮现；它慢慢从中央分开，往外打开，直到两扇门都完全张开为止。他们可以看见门内有一座往上攀升的楼梯，但再远的地方就因为太过黑暗而看不清楚了。远征队的成员纷纷呆看着眼前的景象。 「我一开始就错了，」甘道夫说：「金雳也错了。所有的人之中只有梅里猜对了。从头到尾密语就刻在门上，我应该把那些文字翻译成开口说出朋友，就可以进入。我只需要说出精灵语的朋友，门就打开了。真简单！对于一个生在多疑时代的老家伙来说，这实在简单过了头。当年果然是个比较平淡祥和的年代。快进去吧！」他一脚踏上了门内的阶梯。但是，就在同一瞬间，有许多事情发生了。佛罗多觉得有什么东西攫住他的脚踝，他惨叫着跌倒在地上，小马比尔嘶叫一声，沿着湖边跑进黑暗之中。山姆一开始准备跟着它跑，接着又听见佛罗多的声音，最后只好啜泣、诅咒着跑回来。其他的人转过头，只见到湖水如同沸腾一般，似乎有许多小蛇准备爬上岸边。 从湖边有很多细长的触手伸出，那是淡紫色、发着亮光、黏答答的触手。 其中一只抓住了佛罗多的脚，正准备将他拖进水中。山姆跪在地上，挥舞着短剑砍打触手。 那只触手松开了佛罗多。山姆将他拉开，开始大声呼救。另外二十只触手又窜了出来，黑暗的湖水沸腾得更厉害了，一股恶臭跟着冒出。 「快进来！快点往楼梯上爬！快点！」甘道夫跳回来大喊。他从地上挖起彷佛被恐惧吓得生了根的山姆和佛罗多，把他们推向门口。 他们在千钧一发之际，刚好躲过怪物的攻击。山姆和佛罗多正好走了几阶，甘道夫刚走进门内，一大堆的触手就从湖内涌出，爬向门内。有一只触手在星光下反射着恶心的光芒，挤进了门内。甘道夫转过身，停下脚步。如果他此时正在思考要如何关上门，那对方正好替他省了这个麻烦。许多触手抓住了两边的大门，用极度巨大的力量将它们一推，就这么关了起来。轰然一声巨响，大门就这么关起来，厚重的石门则开始承受触手怪力的重击，一切的光芒也跟着消失。 山姆紧抓着佛罗多的手臂，在黑暗之中滑了一跤。「可怜的比尔！」他哽咽着说：「可怜的比尔，又是恶狼又是水蛇！这水蛇实在太恐怖了。可是，佛罗多先生，我别无选择，我得和你一起走。」他们听见甘道夫走回去，伸手推动那扇门。阶梯摇晃了一阵子，但大门还是没有打开。 「好吧，好吧！」巫师说。「现在我们已经没有退路了，要出去只有一条路，就是从山的另外一边出去。从这些声音听起来，这些落石已经堆积了起来，两棵大树也倒下挡住了大门。我很遗憾，那些树那么漂亮，生长了那么久，竟然就这么毁于一旦。」「我脚一踏上那水面，就知道有什么恐怖的东西在附近，」佛罗多问道：「那到底是什么东西？或者那边有很多这种怪物？」「我也不知道，」甘道夫回答：「但那些触手似乎都只有一个目的，有某种东西从山底下的黑水中窜了出来。这些比隐藏在黑暗地穴中的半兽人还要古老，」他并没有把心中的念头说出来，在远征队这么多成员当中，为什么它第一个抓住的是佛罗多？ 波罗莫压低声音嘀咕着，但这里岩石的回音让他的抱怨变得清晰无比：「黑暗地穴中的生物！结果我们最后还是到了这个地方，在这一片漆黑中，到底谁要带路？」「交给我，」甘道夫说：「金雳会和我一起走的。跟着我的手杖走！」巫师走在最前方，他一边将手杖高举，让其上所散发出来的微弱光芒照亮众人，宽广的阶梯看来似乎没有受到岁月的催折。他们大概走了两百阶楼梯，这才来到顶端。阶梯的尽头是另外一座拱门，以及一道通往黑暗中的长廊。 「由于找不到什么用餐的地方，就让我们在这边坐下来。先找个地方吃吃便餐吧！」佛罗多刚摆脱那些触手所带来的恐惧气息，突然觉得肚子饿了起来。 所有的人都很赞成这个提议：他们都在楼梯和走廊上坐了下来。在一行人吃过饭之后，甘道夫又让大家喝了第三口瑞文戴尔的米卢活。 「这恐怕撑不了多久，」他说：「但我想我们在经历过门口的危机之后，必须要喝上一口才行。除非我们运气太好，否则剩下的米卢活，应该刚好够我们活着走到另一边去！大家也要珍惜饮用水！矿坑里面有许多的地下水和水井，但都是不能饮用的。我们在抵达丁瑞尔河谷之前，可能再也没机会装满手中的容器了。」「大概得要花多少时间？」佛罗多问道。 「我也不太确定，」甘道夫回答道：「关键在于中间有许多随机的可能性。 如果没有迷路，直直的朝向目标走，我想大概会花上三到四天。从西门到东门绝对不可能超过四十哩路，只不过路上可能会很曲折就是了。」在休息了片刻之后，他们又再度开始前进。所有人都迫切地想要赶快完成这段路程；即使已经精疲力尽，他们都还愿意继续再走上好几个小时。甘道夫像以前一样在最前面领队。他的左手拿着发出闪光的手杖，这光芒刚好只够照亮他脚前的地面，他的右手则拿着敌击剑格兰瑞。他的身后则是金雳，矮人的双眼在黑暗中闪动着特殊的光芒，在矮人之后则是拿着宝剑刺针的佛罗多。 敌击剑或是刺针都没有发出光芒，这让人安心多了。因为这两把武器都是精灵工匠在远古打造的；如果有半兽人靠近，这些武器都会发出冷光来。在佛罗多之后则是山姆，在之后则是勒苟拉斯和年轻的哈比人们。波罗莫走在亚拉冈的前面，如同以往一样沈默、神情凝重，负责押阵的是亚拉冈。 走廊转了几个弯，接着开始往下降。它下倾了很长的一段时间，最后才又恢复平坦。空气开始变得又热又闷，幸好，并没有奇怪的恶臭参杂在其中。有些时候他们还可以感觉到有新鲜的空气从墙壁上的空隙吹出来，四下的墙壁都有很多类似的空隙。在巫师手杖的微光中，佛罗多可以依稀看见阶梯和拱门，以及其他往上、往下或只是单纯左右转的通道。他实在无法完全记住这么复杂的隧道地形。 除了毫不退缩的勇气之外，金雳其实没有帮上甘道夫多少忙，但至少他不像其他队员一样，因为黑暗而感到不安。巫师经常在道路的分岔点有所疑问时询问他的意见，但做出最后决定的永远都是甘道夫。摩瑞亚矿坑的复杂程度，远远超过了金雳这名矮人的想像。对甘道夫来说，过去在这里冒险的记忆，这次也没有多少帮助。但是，不论通道多么复杂曲折，只要能够通往他的目的地，他就绝不会退缩。 「别害怕！」亚拉冈说。这次的暂停比以往要久，甘道夫和金雳交头接耳了好一阵子，其他人则是紧张地在后面等待着。「别害怕！我曾经和他一起经历了许多冒险。虽然都没有这么黑暗，但是如果你去瑞文戴尔打听一下，你会听到许多他冒险犯难的英勇事迹。只要有路，他就不会迷失。他不顾我们的恐惧，强行带我们进入这里，但以他的个性，他也会负责的带我们离开这里，不管这会让他付出多少代价。他比精灵女皇的爱猫，还更能够在黑暗中找到出路。」幸好远征队拥有这样的向导。因为他们在匆忙逃进洞穴内的时候，并没有携带任何燃料或是可以制造火把的道具。如果没有任何的光源，他们可能很快的就会遇上悲剧。因为此地不只有许多岔路必须做出选择，更有很多的地洞和陷坑，甚至还有脚步声会跟着回响的深井。墙壁上和地板上都有很深的裂隙，他们脚下也时常出现各式各样的深沟。有些深沟甚至宽达七尺，皮聘好不容易才鼓足勇气奋力跳过这深沟。底下还传来汨汨的水声，彷佛有某种巨大的水车正在黑暗中运作。 「绳子！」山姆嘀咕着。「我就知道如果忘记带这样东西，就一定会用到它！」由于这些随处可见的危险不停的出现，他们行进的速度也变得越来越慢。 他们已经开始觉得自己是在山底下永无止尽的原地踏步。他们已经非常疲倦了，却又不敢随便找地方休息。佛罗多在逃过一劫之后心情变好许多，用餐和瑞文戴尔的秘传饮料，更是让他神清气爽。但是，现在，一种深沈的不安和恐惧，开始再度袭向他。虽然他被毒刃刺伤的伤口，已经在瑞文戴尔被治好了，但是那伤口还是在他的心上留下了痕迹。他的感觉变得更为敏锐，可以感受到许多之前浑然不觉的迹象；另一个徵兆，是他黑暗中视物的能力变得更强了，队伍中除了甘道夫之外，可能没人看得比他更清楚。而且，他还是魔戒的持有者；魔戒挂在他胸前的项练上，有时会变得十分沈重。他可以确切的感觉到前方有邪恶的气息，而后方也有邪恶紧紧相逼；但他没有告诉任何人。他只是将剑柄握得更紧，继续不动声色地往前走。 他身后的队员极少开口，即使偶尔有也只是交头接耳的低语。除了他们自己的脚步声之外，几乎没有任何其他的声音：金雳矮人靴子的闷响、波罗莫沈重的脚步、勒苟拉斯轻盈的步履声、哈比人低微不可闻的声音，以及亚拉冈缓慢、坚定，大步跨出的声音。当他们停下脚步时，除了偶尔传来的滴水声之外，四下一点声音都没有。但佛罗多开始听到，或者是开始想像出一种诡异的声音： 有点像是赤脚走路的微弱声响。它一直不够近、不够大声，让他无法确定是否真有其事；但只要远征队开始移动，那脚步声就不会停止。但这绝对不是回音；因为当队伍停下来的时候，这脚步声往往会继续一段时间，最后才跟着停下来。 他们是在日落之后进入矿坑的。这段时间以来，除了几次暂停之外，他们已经毫无休息的走了好几个小时。甘道夫此时突然停下来认真地开始检查方向。 他面前是一个宽大的拱门，通往三条通道，所有的方向都是往东；但最左边的道路往下，最右边的道路则是往上，中间的道路持续往前，平坦、却非常狭窄。 「我根本不记得有这个地方！」甘道夫站在拱门之下，不知如何是好地说着。 他高举手杖，希望能够找到任何足以协助他决定道路的蛛丝马迹，但一点痕迹都找不到。「我已经累到没办法清楚思考了，」他摇着头说：「我想你们至少跟我一样累，或者更疲倦。我们今晚最好就留在这边休息了。你们知道我的意思吧！虽然这里面是永恒的黑夜，但外面的时间应该早就过什夜了。」「可怜的比尔！」山姆长吁短叹的说：「不知道它怎么样了，希望那些恶狼没有抓到它才好。」他们在拱门的左方发现了一个半掩着的石门，不过，手一推就打开了，里面看起来是沿着石壁开凿出来的一个大房间。 「别急！别急！」」皮聘和梅里一看见有地方可以休息，立刻兴高采烈地冲向前；甘道夫连忙大喊：「稳住！你们还不知道里面有些什么，让我先进去吧。」他小心翼翼地走进去，其他人则是跟在后面。「你看！」他用手杖指着地板正中央。一行人这才看见有一座深井的洞口。附近有许多断裂的生锈铁练，有些还伸入那个深井的洞口中，附近则都是岩石的碎片。 「你们刚才可能会不小心跌进去，现在搞不好还在猜测到底什么时候会摔到地面，」亚拉冈对梅里说：「在你们还有向导的时候，最好请他带路。」「这里似乎是个守卫营房，是用来看守外面的三座通道的，」金雳说：「这个洞很明显的给守卫用的，上面原先还有一个石盖。可是，现在那个石盖因为不明原因而破掉了，我们最好小心一点。」皮聘的好奇心让他忍不住要往井内看。当其他人正在整理毯子，准备靠墙铺床的时候，他悄悄地溜到井边，往内打量着。一阵冷风从底下不可见的深渊扑面而来。在该死的好奇心怂恿下，他捡起一颗石头，把它丢下去。在底下传来任何声响之前他觉得心跳了好几次。然后，从很远的地方，彷佛传来石头落进深水里面的声音。[HTPH]噗通[HT]！但是在许多隧道的放大和回响之下，这声音很快的传了出去。 「那是什么声音？」甘道夫低呼道。当皮聘承认他的所作所为之后，甘道夫松了一口气，但他还是很生气：「你这个图克家的笨人！」他低声怒骂道：「这可是次严肃的任务，不是哈比人的散步郊游。下次你最好把自己丢进去，就省了我们很多麻烦。不要再搞鬼了！」过了几分钟，四下还是一片寂静。不过，从遥远的地深处传来了微弱的敲打声：咚当、当咚。他们纷纷停下手边的事情，侧耳倾听着。当回音消失之后，他们又继续听到咚当、咚当、当当、咚。这听起来像是某种让人不安的讯号，但是，不久之后这敲打声也跟着消失，不再出现。 「除非我耳朵坏了，不然这一定是锤子的声音，」金雳说。 「没错，」甘道夫说：「我不喜欢这种感觉。这或许和皮聘那颗愚蠢的石头没有关系；但它很有可能吵醒了某个不该醒来的力量。你们最好不要再做这类的傻事！希望我们这次可以不受打搅地好好休息。皮聘，你，就是第一班值夜的人，这算是对你英勇行为的奖赏，」他伸着懒腰缩进毯子内。 皮聘一脸无辜样地在黑暗中坐在门边，但他依旧不安的频频回首，担心会有什么恐怖的怪物从井里面爬出来。即使只用张毯子，他也想要把井口盖起来；但就算甘道夫看来已经睡着了，他也不敢再靠近井边。 事实上，甘道夫只是躺着不动，不出声而已。他正在努力思考着之前进入矿坑的一点一滴，试图决定下一步该怎么做。只要转错一个弯，可能就会铸成大错。一个小时之后，他爬了起来，走到皮聘身边。 「去找个地方睡觉吧，小子，」他温柔地说：「我想你应该很想睡觉的。 我睡不着，所以就由我来值夜吧。」甘道夫在门边坐了下来：「我知道这是怎么一回事，」他嘀咕着：「我想抽烟！从大风雪那天早晨之后，我就没有尝过烟草的滋味了。」皮聘睡着前最后看见的景象，是老巫师蹲在地上，用满布老茧的手护住火焰。那阵火光照亮了巫师的尖鼻子和他吐出的烟圈。 叫醒所有人的是甘道夫。他自己一个人整整守了六个小时的夜，让其他人好好休息了一晚。「我在守夜的时候下定了决心，」他说：「我不喜欢中间那条路给我的感觉，我也不喜欢左边那条路的味道：底下有什么恶臭的东西在作怪，这是我的向导本能告诉我的。我决定走右边，我们又该继续往上爬了。」他们持续不停的走了整整八个小时，中间只有两次短暂的休息。一路上没有遇到任何危险，也没听到任何异响，眼前只有甘道夫手杖的光芒，像是鬼火一般在前面领路。他们所选择的道路继续往上攀升，他们似乎走在一段一段的斜坡上，越往上走，斜坡就越宽广、越平缓。走道两边完全没有任何的分岔或是房间，地板则是平坦无缺陷，没有陷坑或是深沟。很明显的，他们所踏上的地方以前曾是条很重要的大道，也让他们行进的速度比昨天快上许多。 他们就这样走了大约二十哩，直直的朝着东方前进。不过，如果以直线距离来看，多半只有十五哩左右。随着一行人越走越高，佛罗多的精神越来越好，但他依旧有种受到压抑的感觉；有时他依旧听见，或是觉得自己听见队伍后面传来那持续的、不属于回音的脚步声。 这是哈比人在不休息的状况下所能够走的最长距离，他们一路上都想要找到一个可以休息的地方；突然间，左右两方的墙壁消失了。他们似乎穿过了某种的拱门，进入了一个空旷、广大的地方。他们身后是热烘烘的暖空气，眼前则是扑面冰凉的冷风。众人不约而同地停下脚步，在门口张望着。 甘道夫似乎很高兴：「我选择的道路是正确的！」他说： 「我们终于来到可以住人的地方了！我猜我们已经离东边不远了。如果我没猜错，我们的地势很高，比丁瑞尔出口还要高得多了。从空气流动的感觉看来，我们应该是在一个宽广的大厅中，现在可以冒险弄点真正的照明了。」他举起手杖，瞬间四下闪起一阵如同闪电的亮光。巨大的阴影立刻往四面投射，他们这才头一次看见顶上高远的天花板，还有许多雄伟的石柱支撑着它。 四面则是一座宽广的大厅，黑色的墙壁经过打磨，如同玻璃一样闪亮。他们还看见另外三个拥有同样黑色拱门的入口，一个就在他们正对面，另外两方则各有一个。接着，光芒就消失了。 「我们现在先这样做就够了，」甘道夫说：「过去山边曾经开凿了很大的窗户，可以将阳光引进矿坑中位处上方的洞穴。我想我们现在就在这个地方，不过外面天还是黑的，所以我们现在看不出来。如果我没猜错，明早就可以看见阳光照进这里。现在我们最好先不要乱跑，把握机会休息。截至目前为止一切都很顺利，黑暗的道路已经快要结束了。不过，我们还是不要掉以轻心，要走出地底还有很长的一段道路。」一行人当晚就在这巨大的洞穴大厅中过夜。他们挤在一起躲避外面冷风所带来的酷寒，外面的冷风似乎找到地方直接钻进这里。他们觉得自己被无边无际的黑暗、空旷所包围，又在永无止尽的阶梯和隧道之间感到无比的压力。 哈比人曾经听过最异想天开的谣言，也比不上这里的恐怖和壮丽的景象。 「这里一定有过非常非常多的矮人，」山姆说，「每个人都比地鼠还要忙碌五百年，才能够挖出这么大的洞穴！他们为什么要这样做呢？他们平常应该不会居住在这些黑漆漆的洞穴里面吧？」「这些才不是什么洞穴，」金雳说：「这是个伟大的地底国度，是矮人故乡之城。在古代的时候，这里并非是黑漆漆的死域，而是充满了光明和美丽的都市，至今依旧在我们的歌曲中流传。」他站了起来，在黑暗中开始用低沈的声音吟颂，众人聆听着这曲调在空旷的大厅中回响。 世界初开，山脉翠绿， 月亮皎洁无痕， 岩石小溪未有痕迹， ]孤身的都灵方才爬起， 他命名了原先无名的山丘和谷地， 尝试了未有人品尝过的井溪； 他停下脚步，看著镜影湖， 看见如冠般的星辰现出， 如银线上的宝石， 在他头上飞逝。 世界美丽，山脉高耸， 在远古时代， 那格斯隆德的伟大国王堕落之前， 美丽的贡多林已败亡， 就在那海外以西， 都灵的世界依旧美丽。 雕刻出来的王座让他称王， 众多的石柱排列成行， 金色的屋顶银色的地砖， 门上还有神秘的符文钻。 阳光星辰和月亮， 照耀在闪光的水晶灯旁， 不受黑夜云朵遮掩， 永世美丽耀眼。 铁锤击打铁砧， 凿刀工匠的工艺真； 炉火中铸刀，铁铺中打剑 矿工挖坑，石匠兴建。 绿宝石、珍珠和蛋白石， 金刚打造成鱼鳞时， 盾牌与头盔，斧头与宝刀， 还有那成千上百的长矛。 都灵的子民不担忧， 在那山下养尊处优： 竖琴飘仙乐，诗人颂诗歌， 大门号角响起不为动干戈。 世界灰白，山脉苍老， 炉火也已不再烧； 没有竖琴弹奏，没有仙乐传听， 只有黑暗飘扬在都灵的大厅。 黑影出没他的古墓， 在摩瑞亚，在凯萨督姆， 星辰依旧出现， 在黑暗，无风的镜影湖间： 皇冠长埋在黑暗的水深， 直到都灵从长眠中再生。 「我喜欢这首诗歌！」山姆说：「我到时候一定要学起来。在摩瑞亚，在凯萨督姆！但是，让我们想起那美丽的水晶灯，只是让眼前的景象变得更沈重。那些珠宝和黄金还在这里吗？」金雳沈默不语，在唱完了他的歌谣之后，他不愿意再多说一个字。 「珠宝和黄金？」甘道夫说：「已经不在了。半兽人无时无刻不打着摩瑞亚的主意，上半部的矿坑已经什么都不剩了。由于矮人们都已逃窜，现在也没有任何势力，胆敢探勘地底深处的宝藏。它们可能被水淹没，可能被未知的恐怖守护着。」「那么那些矮人又为什么冒险回来呢？」山姆问。 「是为了秘银，」甘道夫回答：「摩瑞亚的宝藏不是矮人的玩具：黄金和珠宝；也不是他们的仆人：铁矿。这些东西的确在这里找的到，特别是铁矿的产量十分丰富。但这几样都可以透过贸易而得来。这里唯一的特产是摩瑞亚银，有些人称呼它为真银，精灵语则称呼它为秘银。矮人们对它的称呼不与外人分享。等量的秘银价值是黄金的十倍，现在则变成了无价之宝；因为只有极少数的秘银留在地面，而连半兽人都不敢在此开采秘银。整个矿坑直探地深，一直挖向卡拉霍拉斯底下的黑暗。矮人十分的务实，但也败在太过务实上。秘银虽然是他们财富的基础，却也带来了他们的末日：他们挖的太深、挖的太急，惊醒了邪恶的魔物：都灵克星。而他们辛辛苦苦挖出来的秘银则全被半兽人献给了索伦。」「秘银！世界上所有的人都会为了它抢破头。它的延展性如同青铜一样大，又可以像是玻璃一样磨光。矮人可以将它打造成坚胜钢铁、却又轻如鹅毛的金属。它的美丽如同一般的白银，但秘银的光泽不会随着时光而衰退。精灵们酷爱这种金属，将它做成星月金，也就是你们在门上看到的伊希尔丁金属。 比尔博拥有一件秘银打造的锁子甲，是索林送给它的。不知道它的下落如何？ 我猜多半还是在米丘窟博物馆积灰吧。 」「什么？」金雳忍不住打破了沈默。 「摩瑞亚银打造的锁子甲？这是价值连城的礼物！」「是的，」甘道夫说，「我从来没有告诉过他，但它的价值足以买下夏尔和其上的所有财富。」佛罗多没有表示意见，但还是忍不住将手伸进外套内摸索