The Cross-roads

The Cross-roads lie in the middle of Ithilien, east of Osgiliath and west of Minas Morgul, at the point where the highway running north toward Cair Andros and south toward the Harad road is cut by the east road climbing to the pass. A ring of dark trees surrounds the junction.

A seated statue of a king of Gondor stands there, thrown down and defaced by orcs. Its head had been knocked off and replaced with a rough painted stone. As the hobbits passed, the setting sun came out under the clouds and Frodo saw that the real head lay by the roadside, with white and yellow stonecrop growing on its brow like a crown. He said aloud that they could not conquer forever.

Gollum hurried them on east and then north off the road toward the stair. Later the same month Aragorn's host came through the Cross-roads on its way north, set the king's head back in place, and cut down the orc images before moving on to the Morannon.

Events at this place

1. TA 3019, March 9 · The Lord of the Rings

   The crowned king's head

   Passing the Cross-roads at sunset, Frodo saw the fallen head of the old statue wearing a crown of flowers and took heart from it.

2. TA 3019, March 19 · The Lord of the Rings

   The host of the West passes

   Aragorn's army marched through the junction on the way to the Black Gate and restored the broken statue as it went.

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