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the battle of the pelennor fields 1105
of the men of the City, he spurred headlong back to the front
of the great host, and blew a horn, and cried aloud for the
onset. Over the field rang his clear voice calling: ‘Death! Ride,
ride to ruin and the world’s ending!’
And with that the host began to move. But the Rohirrim
sang no more. Death they cried with one voice loud and
terrible, and gathering speed like a great tide their battle swept
about their fallen king and passed, roaring away southwards.
And still Meriadoc the hobbit stood there blinking through
his tears, and no one spoke to him, indeed none seemed to
heed him. He brushed away the tears, and stooped to pick
up the green shield that Éowyn had given him, and he slung
it at his back. Then he looked for his sword that he had let
fall; for even as he struck his blow his arm was numbed, and
now he could only use his left hand. And behold! there lay
his weapon, but the blade was smoking like a dry branch that
has been thrust in a fire; and as he watched it, it writhed and
withered and was consumed.
So passed the sword of the Barrow-downs, work of Westernesse.
But glad would he have been to know its fate who
wrought it slowly long ago in the North-kingdom when the
Dúnedain were young, and chief among their foes was the
dread realm of Angmar and its sorcerer king. No other blade,
not though mightier hands had wielded it, would have dealt
that foe a wound so bitter, cleaving the undead flesh, breaking
the spell that knit his unseen sinews to his will.
Men now raised the king, and laying cloaks upon speartruncheons
they made shift to bear him away towards the
City; and others lifted Éowyn gently up and bore her after
him. But the men of the king’s household they could not yet
bring from the field; for seven of the king’s knights had fallen
there, and Déorwine their chief was among them. So they
laid them apart from their foes and the fell beast and set
spears about them. And afterwards when all was over men
returned and made a fire there and burned the carcase of the