Dark grey was the valley everywhere, save that by the
side of the water was a space of bright green-sward hedged about
toward the mountain by a wall of rocks tossed up into wild shapes of
spires and jagged points. The river itself was spread out wide and
shallow, and went rattling about great grey rocks scattered here and
there amidst it, till it gathered itself together to tumble headlong
over three slant steps into the mighty gap below.
From the height in the pass those grey slopes seemed easy to
traverse; but the warriors of the Wolf knew that it was far
otherwise, for they were but the molten rock-sea that in time long
past had flowed forth from Shield-broad and filled up the whole
valley endlong and overthwart, cooling as it flowed, and the tumbled
hedge of rock round about the green plain by the river was where the
said rock-sea had been stayed by meeting with soft ground, and had
heaped itself up round about the green-sward. And that great rock-
flood as it cooled split in divers fashions; and the rain and weather
had been busy on it for ages, so that it was worn into a maze of
narrow paths, most of which, after a little, brought the wayfarer to
a dead stop, or else led him back again to the place whence he had
started; so that only those who knew the passes throughly could
thread that maze without immeasurable labour.
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