"We have come at last to a hard choice," he said. "Shal we rest by night, or shal 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 folow 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 shal we end this debate?"
"You are our guide," said Gimli,"and you are skiled in the chase. You shal choose."
"My heart bids me go on," said Legolas. "But we must hold together. I will folow 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. Wel, I have chosen. So let us use the time as best we may!"
He cast himself on the ground and fell at once into sleep, for he had not slept since their night under the shadow of Toll Brandir. Before dawn was in the sky he woke and rose. Gimli was still deep in slumber, but Legolas was standing, gazing northwards into the darkness, thoughtful and silent as a young tree in a windless night.
"They are far far away," he said sadly, turning to Aragorn. "I know in my heart that they have not rested this night. Only an eagle could overtake them now."
"Nonetheless we will still folow as we may," said Aragorn. Stooping he roused the Dwarf.
"Come! We must go," he said. "The scent is growing cold."
"But it is still dark," said Gimli. "Even Legolas on a hil-top could not see them till the Sun is up."
"I fear they have passed beyond my sight from hill or plain, under moon or sun," said Legolas.
"Where sight fails the earth may bring us rumour," said Aragorn. "The land must groan under their hated feet." He stretched himself upon the ground with his ear pressed against the turf. He lay there motionless, for so long a time that Gimli wondered if he had swooned or falen asleep again. Dawn came glimmering, and slowly a grey light grew about them. At last he rose, and now his friends could see his face: it was pale and drawn, and his look was troubled.
"The rumour of the earth is dim and confused," he said. "Nothing walks upon it for many miles about us. Faint and far are the feet of our enemies. But loud are the hoofs of the horses.
It comes to my mind that I heard them, even as I lay on the ground in sleep, and they troubled my dreams: horses galoping, passing in the West. But now they are drawing ever further from us, riding northward. I wonder what is happening in this land!"
"Let us go!" said Legolas.
So the third day of their pursuit began. During all its long hours of cloud and fitful sun they hardly paused, now striding, now running, as if no weariness could quench the fire that burned them. They seldom spoke. Over the wide solitude they passed and their elven-cloaks faded against the background of the grey-green fields; even in the cool sunlight of mid-day few but elvish eyes would have marked them, until they were close at hand. Often in their hearts they thanked the Lady of llórien for the gift of lembas, for they could eat of it and find new strength even as they ran.
All day the track of their enemies led straight on, going north-west without a break or turn.
As once again the day wore to its end they came to long treeless slopes, where the land rose, sweling up towards a line of low humpbacked downs ahead. The orc-trail grew fainter as it bent north towards them, for the ground became harder and the grass shorter. Far away to the left the river Entwash wound, a silver thread in a green floor. No moving thing could be seen.