Although they are not featured in Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of the famous trilogy, there are many Downs in the books. The two most famous of which are the North-Downs, where it was recorded that the wolves used to come ravening into The Shire in bitter winters, and the Barrow-Downs, where the four hobbits are captured by the evil creatures who dwell there called Barrow-wights and would have lost their lives had it not been for their kinship with the age-old Tom Bombadil, who comes to their rescue.
But there is another place in the Two Towers that is known to all Men of the Reunited Kingdom of the Fourth age, because of the strange events that transpired there. After the fierce battle at Helm’s Deep, a band of Rohirrim soldiers, led by their king Theoden, Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn, travel to Isengard to seek answers as to why Saruman the White started a war with his foul orcs. In order to reach the Tower of Orthanc where the white wizard resides, the company of riders must pass through the Wizards Vale, a valley that was once green and beautiful in the days of old, before Saruman corrupted it. They set up camp in the valley at night, ready to accost the wizard the following morning.
However, during the night, a series of unusual moments occur. First, a dark mist settles over the place, mingling with black smoke that blocks out the stars above. Then, a group of uncanny shadows can be seen moving on both edges of the dried-up river, large silhouettes that look like great pillars. Throughout the night, it is described that ‘Voices they heard, whisperings and groanings and an endless rustling sigh, the earth shook under them.’ The men are weary from battle and fearful, but Gandalf assures them that if they remain still, they will not be harmed. When they awake in the morning, they continue down into the Vale to find that ‘A huge pit had been delved in the earth, and over it, stones were piled into a hill. Men believed that the orcs whom they had slain were buried there.’ and from then ‘The Death Down it was afterward called, and no grass would grow there.’
So what were these bizarre shapes moving in the twilight? The answer is Huorns. These ancient trees, something akin to the Ents of Fangorn Forest, are old tree-herders whose hearts have been blackened by all of the malice and hate that was done to the forests. The Huorns are deadly, they can move almost undetected, and can wreak havoc to any who stand in their way, as is known to the hobbits, who are fearful of the creatures who live in the Old Forest for this exact reason. Unbeknownst to the travelers on their way to see Saruman, Treebeard and his people have just seized Isengard, and Bregalad the Ent has trapped the wizard up in his tower. All of the orcs that tried to escape the ruin in the night were trampled and buried up in the Death Down by the Huorns, who despise orcs and their axes above all else.
The trees pass into the night, having completed their violence, and are not seen by men again. They are among many of the strange flora of Middle Earth that help the fellowship in their quest to destroy the One Ring. The taking back of Isengard is one of the key moments in the War of the Ring because it wipes out one of the two biggest threats to the Ringbearer. Frodo and Sam are traveling across the Dead Marshes with Gollum whilst the attack on Isengard takes place, so they are unaware of the triumph that has happened on their behalf. However, the company at Isengard is also blindsided, because although they have won a great victory, there is still a host of orcs behind the black gates of Mordor, being fed by slaves, ready to strike in defense of Sauron.
Ultimately, it takes the combination of lots of small victories, including the siege of Isengard, the fight to keep Minas Tirith against the trolls and orcs who try to seize it, and the Battle at the Black Gate, to win the overall war. Although Tolkien himself disagrees with war and portrays it as futile within his books, he does aim to show that some things are worth fighting for, and that the quest is only achieved, and the ring is only destroyed because of the honor and the loyalty of all involved. Despite their hatred and hostility, the Huorns are essential in paving the future for all peoples of the world.
