The Riding Forth

Why Beyond Order? It is simple, in some regard. 

Order is explored territory. 

We are in order when the actions we deem appropriate produce the results we aim at. 

We regard such outcomes positively, indicating as they do, first, that we have moved closer to what we desire, and second, that our theory about how the world works remains acceptably accurate. 

Nonetheless, all states of order, no matter how secure and comfortable, have their flaws. 

Our knowledge of how to act in the world remains eternally incomplete—partly because of our profound ignorance of the vast unknown, partly because of our willful blindness, and partly because The World continues, in its entropic manner, to transform itself unexpectedly. 

Furthermore, the order we strive to impose on The World can rigidify as a consequence of ill-advised attempts to eradicate from consideration all that is unknown. 

When such attempts go too far, totalitarianism threatens, driven by the desire to exercise full control where such control is not possible, even in principle. 

This means risking a dangerous restriction of all the psychological and social changes necessary to maintain adaptation to the ever-changing world. 

And so we find ourselves inescapably faced with the need to move beyond order, into its opposite: CHAOS. 

If order is where what we want makes itself known — when we act in accordance with our hard-won wisdom — chaos is where what we do not expect or have remained blind to leaps forward from the potential that surrounds us. 

The fact that something has occurred many times in the past is no guarantee that it will continue to occur in the same manner.

There exists, eternally, a domain beyond what we know and can predict. 

Chaos is anomaly, novelty, unpredictability, transformation, disruption, and all too often, descent, as what we have come to take for granted reveals itself as unreliable. 

Sometimes it manifests itself gently, revealing its mysteries in experience that makes us curious, compelled, and interested. 

This is particularly likely, although not inevitable, when we approach what we do not understand voluntarily, with careful preparation and discipline. 

Other times the unexpected makes itself known terribly, suddenly, accidentally, so we are undone, and fall apart, and can only put ourselves back together with great difficulty — if at all.

 The fortress is taken. 

It is over. 

You said this fortress would never fall while your men defend it. 

They still defend it. 

They have died defending it. 

They're breaking in! 

They're past the door! 

Is there no other way for the women and children to get out of the caves? 

Is there no other way? 

There is one passage. 

It leads into the mountains. 

But they will not get far. 

The Uruk-hai are too many. 

Tell the women and children to make for the mountain pass. 

And barricade the entrance!

So Much Death. 

What can Men do against such reckless hate? 

Ride out with me. 

Ride out and meet Them. 

For Death and Glory. 

For Rohan. 

For Your People. 

The Sun is Rising. 

Look to my coming 

at first light on The Fifth Day. 

At Dawn... 

...look to The East. 

Yes. 

Yes. 

The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in The Deep one last time. 

Yes! 

Let this be the hour when we draw swords together. 

Fell deeds, awake. 

Now for wrath now for ruin and a red dawn. 

Forth Eorlingas! 

Gandalf. 

Theoden King stands alone. 

Not alone. 

Rohirrim! 

Eomer. 

To The King!