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The Battle of the Pelennor Fields is won; Faramir, Eowyn, and Merry rest in the Houses of Healing after Aragorn's ministrations, and Theoden lies in state in Minas Tirith, his death making Eomer King of Rohan. All this, and the reunion of Pippin, Gimli, and Legolas with their fellows, save Sam and Frodo, is cause for celebration, yet the War is not over. Aragorn, refusing to enter his city until Sauron is defeated, has convened a Council of War in his tent on the outskirts of Minas Tirith. All the commanders are there--foremost among them besides Aragorn himself being Gandalf, Eomer, and Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth. The Council first agrees to be led by Gandalf, who proposes the strategem that what troops can be spared march on the Black Gate itself in Mordor, not with the hope of winning, but in an effort to draw Sauron's eye away from Frodo. He reminds the men that Sauron cannot conceive that anyone might want to destroy the Ring, and since they cannot win by force of arms, subterfuge of this nature is their only recourse. Aragorn supports Gandalf's plan, and Eomer and Imrahil support Aragorn. Among their slim advantages--Sauron's fear of Aragorn, who has shown himself to the Dark Lord in the palantir.

And so begins the last desperate gamble in the War of the Ring--the effort of a mere seven thousand soldiers to march on Mordor and hold on long enough to give the Ringbearer his slender chance for success. Imrahil laughs bitterly, calling their endeavor the greatest jest in the history of Gondor, and wondering that Sauron will not laugh aloud at them. Gandalf tells him Sauron will not smile, and Aragorn adds "Neither shall we. If this be jest it is too bitter for laughter. Nay, it is the last move in a great jeopardy, and for one side or the other, it will bring the end of the game. Then he drew Anduril and held it up glittering in the sun. You shall not be sheathed again until the last battle is fought."

You can almost feel, almost smell, the mixture of courage, hope, stark fear, and determination.

Far away in Mordor itself, Frodo and Sam, having escaped from Cirith Ungol, are looking from the Morgai across to Mt. Doom, surveying Sauron's massive encampments and wondering how they will ever get to the Cracks of Doom. It will be at least a week's march, and Frodo knows the burden of the Ring will become heavier and harder to resist the closer he gets. Their food is running low as well. They must travel on the same road the orcs use, although it is exceedingly dangerous for them, and as if that is not bad enough, when Sam makes a trek to find water, he sees that Gollum is tracking them again. He sums up their dire predicament well when he says, "Isn't enough to have orcs by the thousand without that stinking villain coming nosing around.?"

Yet the overriding theme for both the hobbits and the Captains of the West is grim determination to give their all to the end, and overlaying that, an almost desperate trust in hope. It is all any of them have left, besides their own honor and belief in that which is good.