return

1158 the return of the king
had been heard, no shaft had sped from rock or thicket by
the way, yet ever as they went forward they felt the watchfulness
of the land increase. Tree and stone, blade and leaf were
listening. The darkness had been dispelled, and far away
westward sunset was on the Vale of Anduin, and the white
peaks of the mountains blushed in the blue air; but a shadow
and a gloom brooded upon the Ephel Dúath.
Then Aragorn set trumpeters at each of the four roads that
ran into the ring of trees, and they blew a great fanfare, and
the heralds cried aloud: ‘The Lords of Gondor have returned
and all this land that is theirs they take back.’ The hideous
orc-head that was set upon the carven figure was cast down
and broken in pieces, and the old king’s head was raised and
set in its place once more, still crowned with white and golden
flowers; and men laboured to wash and pare away all the foul
scrawls that orcs had put upon the stone.
Now in their debate some had counselled that Minas
Morgul should first be assailed, and if they might take it, it
should be utterly destroyed. ‘And, maybe,’ said Imrahil, ‘the
road that leads thence to the pass above will prove an easier
way of assault upon the Dark Lord than his northern gate.’
But against this Gandalf had spoken urgently, because of
the evil that dwelt in the valley, where the minds of living
men would turn to madness and horror, and because also of
the news that Faramir had brought. For if the Ring-bearer
had indeed attempted that way, then above all they should
not draw the Eye of Mordor thither. So the next day when
the main host came up, they set a strong guard upon the
Cross-roads to make some defence, if Mordor should send a
force over the Morgul Pass, or should bring more men up
from the South. For that guard they chose mostly archers
who knew the ways of Ithilien and would lie hid in the woods
and slopes about the meeting of the ways. But Gandalf and
Aragorn rode with the vanguard to the entrance of Morgul
Vale and looked on the evil city.
It was dark and lifeless; for the Orcs and lesser creatures
of Mordor that had dwelt there had been destroyed in battle,