all trees and light undergrowth mark the bounds of the Forest of Ithilien. The shaded glade through which the roadway passes could almost be planted by hand, as it is so like a garden in beauty. The sound of birds is a cheerful defiance of the Black Land across the mountains to the east, and a sign that North Ithilien is not completely abandoned to the Dark Enemy. Divided by the banks of the Anduin River, the Ithilien Forest stretches parallel to the dangerous mountains of Ephel Duath, presenting a beautiful contrast to the ruined lands of Mordor. To the west, the treacherous White Mountains thrust into the sky, their peaks seemingly touching the heavens. The southern portion of the forest follows the Anduin into the Blood Sea.