Out of Fangorn, she finally walked and the land past the forest was not nearly so beautiful. Here, the shadow from the East was strongest and much of it was bleak and dreary. The trees hurt; Ithildin could feel it when she touched them. The birds did not sing, for nowhere was there to be seen any birds though off in the distance, there was always the sound of wolves. Night was not pleasant, but frightening and Ithildin often found herself resting amidst brushes, for fields seemed far too dangerous. There was no road and the ground was littered with dead leaves and jagged stones.
She passed Helm's Deep on the first of November, though of course, she did not know it was called Helm's Deep. It was a deep alcove of land, surrounded by caverns and caves of stone. Perhaps once, it had flourished with vibrant life, but now it lay desolate and ruined. A great tower lay at its end and a fortress and wall surrounded it. It seemed, to Ithildin, that this might once have been a battleground where great warriors of old fought against ancient terrors.
In mid-November, she reached the northern borders of Edoras, the capital of Rohan, a great city of Men. It was a beautiful city, surrounded by lush green hills. Houses stood like small white blocks of stone upon the hills and they looked so warm and cozy and so like her own home of Herth-Milui that Ithildin felt a stirring in her heart such as she had never felt before. The guards of the borders let her in without much questioning, for she did not seem dangerous to them and she walked with an air of grace and beauty.
Inside, the city was alive with activity and the people were harried, but friendly. Ithildin walked about the streets a bit, admiring the buildings about her. After a few hours, she came across a pleasant-looking inn called the Golden Horse and in it she walked. It was not very crowded though the evening drew nigh and Ithildin was given a very cozy room. When she had settled and packed away her few possessions in a storage cupboard by the bed, she walked downstairs into the Common room, where she dined for the evening.
Seldom did people who were not Men reside in the Golden Horse and Ithildin soon drew a circle of questioners. She did not mind for the people were pleasant. One, in particular, a man who introduced himself as Grima, expressed great interest in her life. When the others had departed, he stayed behind and they talked of many delightful things. He told her many things about Edoras, for he was the King of the Mark, Théoden's faithful advisor, returning home from an errand outside the City who had stopped at the inn for a bite to eat and a bit of rest before returning to the king.
"Though I am much put off being away from my King for so long," he concluded with a sad smile. "Our people love him so, for he is a good King, and a wise and noble man, learned of much lore and history. The shadow grows in the East, but our people look to the West, to his golden hall and are much comforted."
"How I wish I could meet him," said Ithildin, wistfully, for she had seen Elves and sensed Ents, but had never met Men.
"Then I shall take you to see him tomorrow," Grima promised.
And with that, they bade farewell and Ithildin returned to her room, fed and content. She slept easily and dreamed pleasant dreams. In the midst of one, she was awoken roughly by a hand on her shoulder. It was Grima. "Fair lady," he whispered, "I do not mean to disturb your sleep. Indeed, I regret having to and apologize deeply. But strange, tall creatures who were not Men or Elves, arrived at the northern borders of our city some hours ago and they asked for you. The guards knew not what to do, for they sensed a dark presence in these visitors and did not wish to allow them to pass. They turned the visitors away saying they had not seen you. But the creatures were not fooled and not an hour passed when they stormed the gates. One guard was slain and the others fled, but along the way, they met messengers returning to Edoras and sent them over quickly to warn me.
"'Awake, awake!' they said to me, 'Strange visitors drew nigh the northern border of Edoras, seeking for a lady of an Elvish name. They were turned away, but later, they returned with force. One guard is slain and the rest are hiding in the safety of the hills. They seek the one called Ithildin. You must find her for we fear the Silver Lady is in danger!' Quickly, I saddled my horse and rode over to the inn. You must leave, I fear, for something tells me these creatures will never stop hunting you."
Cold were her hands when Ithildin packed up her belongings. Grima went away downstairs to ready a horse for her escape. Before she left, she took out her mithril necklace and put it around her neck. The stone was heavy and cold against her skin, yet its touch was calming. Quickly, Ithildin left the room and silent were her footsteps when she arrived at the stable.