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Théoden and his cavalry ride east along the road for a second day. They meet fugitives reporting that Orcs have invaded the Wold, but instead of splitting his forces, Théoden leaves Rohan open to invasion behind him so that he can bring as many spears as possible to Minas Tirith.
There is again no dawn in Minas Tirith. Denethor summons his council. He insists that both Osgiliath and the Rammas be defended, despite how dangerous the retreat will be from those positions. When Osgiliath was attacked last June, Boromir led the defence; now Faramir is sent.
As they rest partway up the path, Frodo and Sam see a red flash in the east, lightning from Minas Morgul below, then an army marching out behind the Lord of Morgul—who unexpectedly pauses at the bridge and looks about. Frodo grasps Galadriel’s phial, and the Wraith-king rides on.
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As the road climbs into the deadly valley of Minas Morgul, glowing in the darkness, Frodo suddenly runs straight toward the haunted city. Gollum and Sam have to tackle him. Gollum leads them off the road to the left, where a narrow path scales the northern wall of the valley.
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Faramir reports the Southron ambush to his father Denethor, then looks at Pippin. ‘This is not the first halfling that I have seen walking out of northern legends.’
He says that Frodo was heading for ‘Cirith Ungol’. Gandalf is suddenly afraid—has the Ring already been captured?
Faramir reassures Gandalf ‘the darkness is not due to their venture’—it started before Frodo reached the cross-roads. Denethor is aghast: ‘To send It in the hands of a witless halfling into the land of the Enemy himself, as you have done, and this son of mine, that is madness.’
After more than an hour walking east, Gollum brings Frodo and Sam to the Southward road and then the Cross-roads with its huge stone statue. A few beams of sunlight from the setting sun fall on their faces and on the kingly head of the statue. They walk east towards Minas Morgul.
From the walls of Minas Tirith, Pippin and Beregond watch Faramir and three other men race desperately towards the city under the shadow of five Nazgûl. What looks like a bright star on the fields is Gandalf riding south. Light flashes from his hand. The Nazgûl retreat.
After eating briefly at Edoras, Théoden now turns east and leads his riders at speed along the road to Minas Tirith.
Théoden decided to leave Merry behind—he was asked to protect the hobbit, not take him to war—but a rider named Dernhelm carries Merry, hidden under his cloak.
In the gloom of a day without dawn, Théoden on his horse Snowmane rides out from Dunharrow leading six thousand spears to war. They take paths leading downhill towards Edoras on the plain. Merry rides behind Éomer and the king, on his pony Stybba.
No dawn comes in Gondor—a dark pall flows west from Mordor in the upper air. Pippin is wakened by Gandalf, gets only a small loaf as breakfast, and must serve Denethor today as esquire. The armoury provides halfling-sized armour in the black & silver of the Guards of the Citadel.
KENNEDY: You said, 'Republicans think can troll their way to ethnic cleansing.' Did I read that correctly?
BIER: DHS tweeted for 100m deportations. That would be ethnic cleansing!
K: You don't think it's hyperbolic?
B: I think advocating 100m deportations is ethnic cleansing. Yes. Your time is up
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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.
