The DemoCraftHTX - Judy Kay Craft

Frodo and Sam hide under some bushes as night wanes, but dawn never comes; only a red glow behind the mountains, rumblings in the earth, and a dark roof of cloud overhead. They take turns sleeping while Gollum disappears for the day. ‘Off hunting,’ Sam supposes.

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The messengers from Minas Tirith bearing the Red Arrow arrive in Dunharrow and present it to King Théoden. He answers: ‘Say to Denethor that in this hour the King of the Mark himself will come down to the land of Gondor, though maybe he will not ride back.’

Frodo, Sam, and Gollum reach a ridge above the valley of the Morgulduin. The road below them runs west to Osgiliath and east to Minas Morgul. The Hobbits are tired. Gollum refuses to sleep on the ground so near the road, so they rest for a few hours in the branches of a holm-oak.

Hurrying back to Minas Tirith to report the successful ambush to his father Denethor, Faramir reaches the Anduin and the island of Cair Andros. He sends the rest of his company south to reinforce the west shore of Osgiliath while he himself rides with three men for Minas Tirith.

The day is ending as Aragorn, his companions, and the host of the Dead reach the town of Calembel on the river Ciril. They continue riding southeast in the dusk.

After a three-day ride from Helm’s Deep, Théoden reaches Dunharrow, with Merry jogging alongside on his hill-pony. Théoden is surprised to find the Rohirrim already assembled for war, thanks to the orders Gandalf gave at Edoras. Twilight falls early in the steep mountain valley.

While Gandalf attends councils of war, Pippin has befriended Beregond, a guard of Minas Tirith. Now he meets Beregond’s son Bergil. They walk down to the Gate to watch men from the south march into Minas Tirith—only three thousand, because of the corsairs that threaten the coast.

Denethor has finished questioning Pippin. The hobbit is alone with Gandalf.

‘Are you angry with me, Gandalf? I did the best I could.’

‘Indeed you did your best! I hope that it may be long before you find yourself in such a tight corner again between two such terrible old men.’

Pippin sees the shards of Boromir’s horn in Denethor’s lap. ‘Yes, I stood beside him, as he blew the horn. But no help came. Only more orcs.’ Since Boromir defended him, Pippin offers his sword—and takes the oath of a knight of the City. Denethor has Pippin sit and tell his tale.

Gandalf warns Pippin to mention neither the Ring nor Aragorn’s lineage. They enter the Citadel atop Minas Tirith and come before the Lord Denethor.

His first questions are edged with suspicion: how did a Hobbit survive the Orcs, when his mighty son Boromir was killed?

Gandalf and Pippin reach Minas Tirith. ‘I must come to your Lord Denethor, while his stewardship lasts. Whatever betide, you have come to the end of the Gondor that you have known. Let me pass!’ The guards admit them. They ride Shadowfax up the streets towards the Citadel.

In the morning twilight Gandalf and Pippin reach the Rammas Echor. The guards recognize Gandalf but not Pippin: ‘We wish for no strangers in the land.’ When they learn Pippin is a ‘halfling’ and that Gandalf promises to answer for him in front of Denethor, they let them pass.

As soon as dawn brings light to the sky, Aragorn mounts and leads his Rangers, Legolas, Gimli, and the sons of Elrond on a furious ride southeast toward the coast—still four days away. The ghosts of the Oathbreakers follow close behind.

At midnight Aragorn stands at the Stone of Erech. ‘Oathbreakers, why have ye come?’

A distant voice cries, ‘To fulfil our oath and have peace.’

‘When all this land is clean of the servants of Sauron, I will hold the oath fulfilled, and ye shall have peace and depart for ever.’

Riding southeast across Anórien, Gandalf and Pippin watch as the war-beacons of Gondor are lighted, from east to west, on outlying hills of the White Mountains to their right. Shadowfax pauses as three riders pass, carrying the Red Arrow to Théoden, then returns to a gallop.

Aragorn and his friends emerge alive from the Paths of the Dead. A couple of hours remain until sunset. Mounting their horses again, they ride south toward the Stone of Erech. Mountain people flee their villages and fields ahead of them—‘The King of the Dead is come upon us!’

Frodo and Sam wake. Faramir returns their packs, which he has had filled with provisions, and gives each hobbit a staff of polished wood. They are blindfolded with Gollum, lead out of Henneth Annûn, and released into the forest. They start walking south.

Aragorn, his Rangers, Legolas, Gimli, and the sons of Elrond pass the standing stone of Dimholt and reach the tunnel that leads into the mountain. They dismount. Leading their reluctant horses, they enter the Paths of the Dead.

At daybreak, Éowyn—now dressed for battle—again asks to ride with Aragorn. He again refuses: ‘that I could not grant without leave of the king and of your brother; and they will not return until tomorrow. But I count now every hour, indeed every minute.’ He and his men ride away.

Faramir wakes Frodo and leads him outside. In the moonlight, Rangers are watching Gollum fish in the forbidden pool of Henneth Annûn and are ready to shoot. Frodo saves Gollum by tricking him into being captured instead. Faramir distrusts Gollum, but releases him to Frodo’s care.

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‘Fear not!’ says Faramir. ‘I do not wish to see it, or touch it.’ The hobbits sit back down. Frodo reveals his quest: ‘I must find the Mountain of Fire and cast the thing in…Gandalf said so. I do not think I shall ever get there.’

Faramir promises his help. The hobbits sleep.

After dinner Faramir asks more about the hobbits’ journey, about Lórien, and about his brother Boromir—leading Sam to exclaim, ‘He wanted the Enemy’s Ring!’

Faramir smiles.

‘And here in the wild I have you: two halflings, and a host of men at my call, and the Ring of Rings.’

Aragorn and his Grey Company reach Dunharrow at dusk. When Éowyn can’t dissuade him from his plan to take the Paths of the Dead, she asks instead if she can join him. Aragorn refuses—reminding her that she promised King Théoden to serve as the people’s leader until his return.

Faramir has two of his Rangers stand guard over Frodo and Sam while the rest ambush a regiment of Southrons moving north along the road to the Black Gate. The remnants of the regiment are pursued and destroyed, but not before Sam gets to see a mighty Oliphant as it careers past.