"A Knife in the Dark" (V)

I love the sound of the verb "plod". It's almost onomatopoeic. I reads the words "All the day they plodded along" and I can not only see the heavy gait of the walkers, but almost hear the sound of their weary feet on the ground: plod, plod, plod. Nothing much has happened apart from that "plodding along", but Strider's words as he points at Weathertop for their immediate destination are not very comforting; he fears what they may find there, being exposed to whoever might be following them. The hobbits hope that they can meet Gandalf there, but Strider is not so sure. The chances are slim; it's more likely that they miss one another. There are unfriendly creatures in the air, and the ranger once again, does not seem to sleep.