 The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien read by Rob Inglis The Return of the King part one chapter one Minas Tirith Pippin looked out from the shelter of Gandalf's cloak He wondered if he was awake or still sleeping Still in the swift moving dream in which he had been wrapped so long since the great ride began The dark world was rushing by and the wind sang loudly in his ears He could see nothing but the wheeling stars and a way to his right to vast shadows against the sky where the mountains of the south marched past Sleepily he tried to reckon the times and stages of their journey, but his memory was drowsy and uncertain There had been the first ride at terrible speed without a halt and then in the dawn he had seen a pale gleam of gold and they had come to the silent town and the great empty house on the hill and hardly had they reached its shelter when the winged shadow had passed over once again and men wilted with fear But Gandalf had spoken soft words to him and he had slept in a corner, tired but uneasy dimly aware of comings and goings and of men talking and Gandalf giving orders and then again riding, riding in the night This was the second, know the third night since he had looked in the stone and with that hideous memory he woke fully and shivered and the noise of the wind became filled with menacing voices A light kindled in the sky, a blaze of yellow fire behind dark barriers Pipin cowered back, afraid for a moment, wondering into what dreadful country Gandalf was bearing him He rubbed his eyes and then he saw that it was the moon rising above the eastern shadows, now almost at the full So the night was not yet old and for hours the dark journey would go on He stirred and spoke Where are we Gandalf? he asked In the realm of Gondor the wizard answered The land of Anorian is still passing by There was a silence again for a while then What is that? cried Pipin, suddenly clutching at Gandalf's cloak Look, fire, red fire, are there dragons in this land? Look, there is another For Anse Gandalf cried aloud to his horse On Shadowfax, we must hasten, time is short See, the beacons of Gondor are alight, calling for aid War is kindled, see, there is the fire on Armondine and flame on Aelenach And there they go, speeding west, Nardal, Erelas, Minrimon, Kalinhad and the Halepherian on the borders of Rohan But Shadowfax paused at his stride, slowing to a walk And then he lifted up his head and nade And out of the darkness the answering ney of other horses came And presently the thudding of hooves was heard And three riders swept up and passed like flying ghosts in the moon And vanished into the west Then Shadowfax gathered himself together and sprang away And the night flowed over him like a roaring wind Pippin became drowsy again and paid little attention to Gandalf telling him of the customs of Gondor And how the lord of the city had beacons built on the tops of outlying hills along both borders of the great range And maintained posts at these points where fresh horses were always in readiness To bear his errand riders to Rohan in the north or to Belfarlas in the south It is long since the beacons of the north were lit, he said And in the ancient days of Gondor they were not needed, for they had the seven stones Pippin stirred uneasily Sleep again and do not be afraid, said Gandalf For you're not going like Frodo to Mordor, but to Minas Tirith And there you'll be as safe as you can be anywhere in these days If Gondor falls or the ring is taken, then the Shire will be no refuge You don't comfort me, said Pippin, but nonetheless sleep crept over him The last thing that he remembered before he fell into deep dream was a glimpse of high white peaks Glimmering like floating aisles above the clouds as they caught the light of the Western moon Sample complete. Ready to continue?