The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien Page B

King of the Dead! The King of the Dead is come
upon us!’
    Bells were ringing far below, and all men fled before the face of Aragorn; but the Grey Company in their haste rode like hunters,
until their horses were stumbling with weariness. And thus, just ere midnight, and in a darkness as black as the caverns in
the mountains, they came at last to the Hill of Erech.
    Long had the terror of the Dead lain upon that hill and upon the empty fields about it. For upon the top stood a black stone,
round as a great globe, the height of a man, though its half was buried in the ground. Unearthly it looked, as though it had
fallen from the sky, as some believed; but those who remembered still the lore of Westernesse told that it had been brought
out of the ruin of Númenor and there set by Isildur at his landing. None of the people of the valley dared to approach it,
nor would they dwell near; for they said that it was a trysting-place of the Shadow-men and there they would gather in times
of fear, thronging round the Stone and whispering.
    To that Stone the Company came and halted in the dead of night. Then Elrohir gave to Aragorn a silver horn, and he blew upon
it; and it seemed to those that stood near that they heard a sound of answering horns, as if it was an echo in deep caves
far away. No other sound they heard, and yet they were aware of a great host gathered all about the hill on which they stood;
and a chill wind like the breath of ghosts came down from the mountains. But Aragorn dismounted, and standing by the Stone
he cried in a great voice:
    ‘Oathbreakers, why have ye come?’
    And a voice was heard out of the night that answered him, as if from far away:
    ‘To fulfil our oath and have peace.’
    Then Aragorn said: ‘The hour is come at last. Now I go to Pelargir upon Anduin, and ye shall come after me. And when all this
land is clean of the servants of Sauron, I will hold the oath fulfilled, and ye shall have peace and depart for ever. For
I am Elessar, Isildur’s heir of Gondor.’
    And with that he bade Halbarad unfurl the great standard which he had brought; and behold! it was black, and if there was
any device upon it, it was hidden in the darkness. Then there was silence, and not a whisper nor a sigh was heard again all
the long night. The Company camped beside the Stone, but they slept little, because of the dread of the Shadows that hedged
them round.
    But when the dawn came, cold and pale, Aragorn rose at once, and he led the Company forth upon the journey of greatest haste
and weariness that any among them had known, save he alone, and only his will held them to go on. No other mortal Men could
have endured it, none but the Dúnedain of the North, and with them Gimli the Dwarf and Legolas of the Elves.
    They passed Tarlang’s Neck and came into Lamedon; and the Shadow Host pressed behind and fear went on before them, until they
came to Calembel upon Ciril, and the sun went down like blood behind Pinnath Gelin away in the West behind them. The township
and the fords of Ciril they found deserted, for many men had gone away to war, and all that were left fled to the hills at
the rumour of the coming of the King of the Dead. But the next day there came no dawn, and the Grey Company passed on into
the darkness of the Storm of Mordor and were lost to mortal sight; but the Dead followed them.

Chapter
3
THE MUSTER OF ROHAN
    Now all roads were running together to the East to meet the coming of war and the onset of the Shadow. And even as Pippin
stood at the Great Gate of the City and saw the Prince of Dol Amroth ride in with his banners, the King of Rohan came down
out of the hills.
    Day was waning. In the last rays of the sun the Riders cast long pointed shadows that went on before them. Darkness had already
crept beneath the murmuring fir-woods that clothed the steep mountain-sides. The king rode now slowly at the end of the day.
Presently the path turned round a huge bare shoulder of