Entwade

Entwade, a ford across the Entwash river in the eastern plains of Rohan, marks a critical juncture in the pursuit of the Uruk-hai who had captured Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took. It is here that Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, after three days of relentless tracking from the Emyn Muil, finally lost the clear trail of their enemies and encountered the Riders of Rohan under Éomer, the Third Marshal of the Mark.

Geography and Strategic Significance

Entwade lies in the Eastemnet, the eastern region of Rohan, where the Entwash river flows out of the eaves of Fangorn Forest. The ford is a shallow crossing point on the river, which at this point is swift and narrow, with deep-cloven banks. The surrounding landscape is a vast, treeless plain of grass, with the downs rising to the east and the dark eaves of Fangorn visible to the northwest. The location is strategically important as it commands the route from the eastern borders of Rohan towards the forest and the Gap of Rohan, making it a natural point for patrols and military movements.

The Meeting with Éomer

It was at Entwade that the three hunters, having followed the orc-trail north along the skirts of the downs, were intercepted by Éomer and his éored of one hundred and five Riders. The Riders, returning from a battle where they had destroyed the orc-host, surrounded the companions on a green hill. Éomer, initially suspicious, demanded their names and purpose. Aragorn revealed himself as the heir of Isildur, displaying the reforged sword Andúril. This revelation, coupled with the news of Gandalf's fall in Moria and the death of Boromir, led Éomer to offer his aid. He lent them horses, Hasufel and Arod, and directed them towards the forest, believing the hobbits might have been carried there before the battle.

The Orc-Trail and the Battle

The orc-trail that Aragorn and his companions had followed from the Emyn Muil led directly to Entwade. The trail, a broad swath of trampled and blackened grass, turned from the downs towards the river. It was here that the Riders of Rohan, under Éomer's command, had overtaken the orc-host at nightfall two days prior, surrounding them near the borders of the Entwood. The battle that ensued at dawn destroyed the orcs, but no trace of Merry or Pippin was found among the slain. Éomer reported that the orcs had been joined by others from the East and from the forest itself, including the larger, more fell Uruk-hai bearing the White Hand of Isengard. The Riders burned the orc-carcasses, and the smoke from that pyre was still visible when Aragorn arrived.

Narrative Role

Entwade serves as a pivotal location where the fate of the captured hobbits is momentarily obscured and where the alliance between Aragorn and the Rohirrim is forged. The loss of the trail here forces the hunters to rely on the intelligence of the Riders, leading them to the eaves of Fangorn Forest. It is also the place where Éomer, defying the law of the Mark that forbids strangers to wander freely, makes the crucial decision to trust Aragorn and lend him horses, a choice that ultimately binds the fate of Rohan to the quest of the Ring-bearer. The ford itself, a simple crossing on a swift river, becomes a threshold between the open plains of Rohan and the mysterious, perilous forest of Fangorn, where the next stage of the story unfolds.