At first they marched only over wide, rolling, grassy plains; there were no roads save for an overgrown, forgotten one here and there, with grass and moss and all sorts of small plants growing through cracks in the long-forgotten stone. Here and there a bird twittered softly, or the soft footsteps of a deer passed them by, but other than that there was no sign of life on the lonely plains.
�Aldamir,� said Lindir in a low voice, as they walked beside each other.
�Yes.�
�I...do you think there�s any chance of our surviving this?�
Aldamir did not look up, but he slid his hand inside his tunic and touched the leaf hidden there. �I don�t know,� he said softly. �I don�t think anyone knows. We can only hope.�
�But if we do not,� went on Lindir, �and all comes to naught; if the battle is lost, it will all have been in vain. We will have died for nothing.�
�No.� Aldamir stopped and looked at his friend. �Even if the battle is lost, it may not mean that the war as a whole is lost. We are doing this for Frodo�s sake; for Middle-earth. We must keep the Enemy�s attention away from Frodo at all costs, even if it means losing our lives. As long as he is waging war on us, he will not look for Frodo; he will be concentrating on defeating us. And that is what is vital. He must not know where Frodo is, or what he is doing! That is why we are going; we must hold his attention for as long as possible. Even if we all die, it will not have been in vain if Frodo succeeds!�
Lindir gazed far away into the darkness. �Thank you, Aldamir,� he said at last, very quietly.
Aldamir smiled and placed his hand on Lindir�s shoulder. �Be of stout heart, my friend,� he whispered. �All is not lost yet!�
As they moved farther southwards, the moon rose in the sky, shedding a bright silver light, and the terrain became more rocky. At first there was more grass than stone, but slowly it leaned the other way. Every so often, the ground would drop away beneath them in small cliffs; sometimes they would have to climb down a steep incline in order to go further.
But at last they came to the edge of Fangorn; a long, ominous, thick line on the dark horizon, slowly growing larger as they drew nearer, eerie in the moonlight.
Aldamir, walking in front of the column beside Haldir, shivered slightly as the moonlit woods loomed up before them. Orcs and such he did not fear, but the thought of the unknown, shadow-shrouded, tangled depths of this ancient forest gave him an unpleasant feeling.
�I do not like the look of that place,� said Haldir in a low voice as the dark line grew into a thick border of trees.
�We�ll have to watch our step in there,� muttered Aldamir.
They did not speak as they approached Fangorn�s border, and just as the solid line of trees rose up before them, Haldir halted and held up his hand. For a moment there was silence as the Elves contemplated the next step in their path.
Aldamir gazed at the forest closely. The border was very dense; there seemed hardly to be any openings for them to pass through; only here and there did the trees part a little. Outwardly, and at first, the trees appeared to be like normal trees, but Aldamir sensed something strange, something different about them. A sullen, almost dulled life throbbed through their veins; even as he stood there he felt as if a powerful stream of tingling life ran through the air, and a shiver ran down his back. It was not open, vibrant life like the mallorns of L�rien possessed, but rather a suppressed, brooding life; powerful but subdued.
�These are no ordinary trees,� he murmured aside to Haldir. Haldir nodded, scanning the border of the forest and trying to catch a glimpse of the moonlit depths. It was difficult.
He turned to face the Elves gathered behind him. �I cannot say what will happen in Fangorn,� he told them, �but we must be careful; step warily. None know what may be found in the depths of Fangorn in these days; we must be careful. Walk quietly, and be on your guard. But do not lose heart! We will conquer this wood yet.�
A murmur of assent ran through the Galadhrim, and Haldir turned and led the way into the dark depths. Slowly they went in, stepping softly, trying to find a way through the tangled border. At last they were all through, and gathered together behind Haldir. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.
The shadowy depths seemed to swallow them up immediately, and Aldamir shivered.