Voice Post - Book 3 Chapter 2
Here is my reading from Chapter 2 of Book 3, 'The Riders of Rohan'. Transcript under the cut.
"We have come at last to a hard choice," he said. "Shall we rest by night, or shall we go on while our will and strength hold?"
"Unless our enemies rest also, they will leave us far behind, if we stay to sleep," said Legolas.
"Surely even Orcs must pause on the march?" said Gimli.
"Seldom will Orcs journey in the open under the sun. yet these have done so," said Legolas. "Certainly they will not rest by night."
"But if we walk by night, we cannot follow their trail," said Gimli.
"The trail is straight, and turns neither right nor left, as far as my eyes can see," said Legolas.
"Maybe, I could lead you at guess in the darkness and hold to the line," said Aragorn; "but if we strayed, or they turned aside, then when light came there might be long delay before the trail was found again."
"And there is this also," said Gimli: "only by day can we see if any tracks lead away. If a prisoner should escape, or if one should be carried off, eastward, say, to the Great River, towards Mordor, we might pass the signs and never know it."
"That is true," said Aragorn. "But if I read the signs back yonder rightly, the Orcs of the White Hand prevailed, and the whole company is now bound for Isengard. Their present course bears me out."
"Yet it would be rash to be sure of their counsels," said Gimli. "And what of escape? In the dark we should have passed the signs that led you to the brooch."
"The Orcs will be doubly on their guard since then, and the prisoners even wearier," said Legolas. "There will be no escape again, if we do not contrive it. How that is to be done cannot be guessed, but first we must overtake them."
"And yet even I, Dwarf of many journeys, and not the least hardy of my folk, cannot run all the way to Isengard without any pause," said Gimli. "My heart burns me too, and I would have started sooner but now I must rest a little to run the better. And if we rest, then the blind night is the time to do so."
"I said that it was a hard choice," said Aragorn. "How shall we end this debate?"
"You are our guide," said Gimli, "and you are skilled in the chase. You shall choose."
"My heart bids me go on," said Legolas. "But we must hold together. I will follow your counsel."
"You give the choice to an ill chooser," said Aragorn. "Since we passed through the Argonath my choices have gone amiss." He fell silent gazing north and west into the gathering night for a long while.
"We will not walk in the dark," he said at length. "The peril of missing the trail or signs of other coming and going seems to me the greater. If the Moon gave enough light, we would use it, but alas! he sets early and is yet young and pale."
"And tonight he is shrouded anyway," Gimli murmured. "Would that the Lady had given us a light, such a gift as she gave to Frodo!"
"It will be more needed where it is bestowed," said Aragorn. "With him lies the true Quest. Ours is but a small matter in the great deeds of this time. A vain pursuit from its beginning, maybe, which no choice of mine can mar or mend. Well, I have chosen. So let us use the time as best we may!"
"We have come at last to a hard choice," he said. "Shall we rest by night, or shall we go on while our will and strength hold?"
"Unless our enemies rest also, they will leave us far behind, if we stay to sleep," said Legolas.
"Surely even Orcs must pause on the march?" said Gimli.
"Seldom will Orcs journey in the open under the sun. yet these have done so," said Legolas. "Certainly they will not rest by night."
"But if we walk by night, we cannot follow their trail," said Gimli.
"The trail is straight, and turns neither right nor left, as far as my eyes can see," said Legolas.
"Maybe, I could lead you at guess in the darkness and hold to the line," said Aragorn; "but if we strayed, or they turned aside, then when light came there might be long delay before the trail was found again."
"And there is this also," said Gimli: "only by day can we see if any tracks lead away. If a prisoner should escape, or if one should be carried off, eastward, say, to the Great River, towards Mordor, we might pass the signs and never know it."
"That is true," said Aragorn. "But if I read the signs back yonder rightly, the Orcs of the White Hand prevailed, and the whole company is now bound for Isengard. Their present course bears me out."
"Yet it would be rash to be sure of their counsels," said Gimli. "And what of escape? In the dark we should have passed the signs that led you to the brooch."
"The Orcs will be doubly on their guard since then, and the prisoners even wearier," said Legolas. "There will be no escape again, if we do not contrive it. How that is to be done cannot be guessed, but first we must overtake them."
"And yet even I, Dwarf of many journeys, and not the least hardy of my folk, cannot run all the way to Isengard without any pause," said Gimli. "My heart burns me too, and I would have started sooner but now I must rest a little to run the better. And if we rest, then the blind night is the time to do so."
"I said that it was a hard choice," said Aragorn. "How shall we end this debate?"
"You are our guide," said Gimli, "and you are skilled in the chase. You shall choose."
"My heart bids me go on," said Legolas. "But we must hold together. I will follow your counsel."
"You give the choice to an ill chooser," said Aragorn. "Since we passed through the Argonath my choices have gone amiss." He fell silent gazing north and west into the gathering night for a long while.
"We will not walk in the dark," he said at length. "The peril of missing the trail or signs of other coming and going seems to me the greater. If the Moon gave enough light, we would use it, but alas! he sets early and is yet young and pale."
"And tonight he is shrouded anyway," Gimli murmured. "Would that the Lady had given us a light, such a gift as she gave to Frodo!"
"It will be more needed where it is bestowed," said Aragorn. "With him lies the true Quest. Ours is but a small matter in the great deeds of this time. A vain pursuit from its beginning, maybe, which no choice of mine can mar or mend. Well, I have chosen. So let us use the time as best we may!"