Summary

Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas follow the trail of the Orcs into Rohan. They discover five dead Orcs along the trail. They are Northern Orcs and Aragorn believes there was a quarrel about where to take the hobbits so these Orcs were killed. Aragorn finds hobbit prints off the main trail and the brooch of an elven cloak. The company was given elven cloaks when they left Lorien. The three are happy to see evidence that their friends are alive. Riders of Rohan come upon the three. Their leader, Eomer, informs them that he and his riders killed a group of Orcs crossing their land. They burned the bodies of all the Orcs and saw no hobbits. Eomer says that Saruman has declared lordship over all the land and Rohan has been at war with him for many months. Eomer lends them horses since they are...