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Tolkien's interlacing becomes ever more complicated as events move toward resolution; only two weeks remain before the Defeat of Sauron. Four separate story lines are part of this day's events--two offer hope, one reminds us of the price our characters will pay in the Battle for Middle Earth, and the last lets us again glimpse the terrifying and unbelievably hard road Frodo and Sam have taken.

Aragorn, having won the allegiance of the Army of the Dead, continues to lead them toward Pelargir, clearing the servants of the Enemy from his lands as he goes. So eager are the Dead to find peace in his service, he must hold them from running ahead of him by his will alone. Despite their defense of Gondor and the fact they are routing Sauron's forces, the people fear the Dead and hide from them--only Angbor of Lamedon rides with his liege toward the harbor.

Theoden, preparing to ride to Minas Tirith, discovers that orc-hosts are marching against the eastern borders of Rohan--but as Eomer tells him, it is too late to turn aside from their course. However, the Rohirrim have allies in the Ents, and their implacable hatred of all things orc bring them to fight the orcs on the Wold of Rohan. They protect Theoden's back while he rides to the aid of Gondor.

In Osgiliath, Faramir continues to fight in the doomed effort his father Denethor has ordered to retake the overrun city. He has not a chance, and by now has retreated to the causeways. Beyond doubt he will prove to Denethor that he has courage to match his brother's, but the price will high, so high. . .

And in Mordor, Frodo and Sam enter the lair of Shelob and discover the treachery of Gollum, who has lead them there with the intention of having Shelob kill Frodo while he dispatches Sam and takes the Ring from Frodo after Shelob is done. Things don't quite work out as he had planned, for the hobbits have much more fight in them than either he or Shelob had dreamed--the encounter ends with Shelob badly wounded by Sam, who has fought her for the life of his master. But Sam believes that Shelob has stung Frodo to death, and after a period of soul-killing grief, decides he must continue the Quest. He arranges his master lovingly and takes leave of him, bearing away the Ring, thus for a short time becoming himself a Ringbearer.

I don't know about any of you, but when Frodo is captured by the Orcs near Cirith Ungol, I could not possibly imagine how he would ever get out of that pickle, even with the help of Sam. And Tolkien builds the anxiety superbly with comments from Shagrat that hint at the Orcs being on the watch for Hobbits and all other type of intruder into Mordor, and the fear of Sauron if they are not brought to him immediately upon capture. "He's going out of harms way, I tell you" Shagrat says of Frodo, "See? He's precious."

This is most certainly also a time of dread and panic for those seeking to defend Gondor and stop the black tide flowing from the Land of Shadow. Many of us who have by now been captivated by the nobility and honor of the young Faramir are disheartened when he appears to be mortally wounded. Would he become another Théodred, cut down in his prime? Yet we know more about and care more for the Captain of Gondor. It hurts to see him fall.

The broad fertile plain of the Pelennor is now overwhelmed by the forces of Sauron. One can virtually feel the fear as it mounts in the city of Minas Tirith. Tolkien's graphic description of this dark time is incredibly vivid. "...though the darkness had reached its full and grew no deeper, it weighed heavier on men's hearts, and a great dread was on them."



To the North, Théoden and Éomer know full well that "Mundburg is on fire!", and they meet with Ghân-buri-Ghân in the Drúadan to assess that, even with all haste, they may arrive at Minas Tirith too late to save the city and its people.

To the South, Aragorn has summoned the Dead and in the attack on Pelargir the Haradrim are defeated and the fleet is taken. Legolas spoke of the battle and Aragorn.

"In that hour I looked on Aragorn and thought how great and terrible a Lord he might have become in the strength of his will, had he taken the Ring to himself. Not for naught does Mordor fear him. But nobler is his spirit than the understanding of Sauron; for is he not of the children of Lúthien? Never shall that line fail, though the years may lengthen beyond count."

And Gimli gives us a picture of the night...

"When night came it did but deepen the darkness, and our hearts were hot, for away in the North we saw a red glow under the cloud, and Aragorn said: 'Minas Tirith is burning.'"

It is said the adversity creates strange bedfellows and it certainly does in Lord of the Rings. The need to fight a single powerful enemy unites the Rohirrim and the Wildmen who have long been adversaries. Now under the cover of the false night, the Pukelmen lead the Rohirrim along a road was built in the early days of Gondor. Initially the way to the road is through the tangled thickets but once they are on it, the riders are able to ride 4 abreast. Here Dernhelm leaves his wing and moves up to ride just behind the king's guard never leaving him out his sight. The Wildmen guide the Riders well and insure that any orcs who note their passing do not live to tell the tale.



Denethor has spent the night previous closeted with the Palantir and during this day he grows increasingly hopeless. He despairs that the Rohirrim will come. Abdicating both his authority and his responsibility, he sits at Faramir's side bemoaning the collapse of his house. Meanwhile, his people watch helplessly as the forces from Mordor build trenches and fortifications just out of arrow range. To further the despair the orcs lob both fireballs and the heads of any that they passed as the marched to Gondor. The despair of Gondor is palpable. Gandalf steps into the gap but not all of the men will follow him. Even the pleas of his men do not budge Denethor. He tells them all to prepare for their deaths as he sets about to create his.



For a time, Sam is Ringbearer. It is because of what Sam does her that I have always had a soft spot for him. I love Sam's down to earth pragmatism even though it was that very quality, his inability to see past the surface of Gollum to find any hope of good in him, that very likely landed him in this situation. He knows that Frodo is alive and that it is up to him to find him. As ringbearer, he has cause to use the Ring and he feels its call to him. In the end, it is Sam, the humble Gardener, who goes to look for Frodo. Mustering all his courage and his wits seemingly aided by the thoughts of others more powerful, Sam makes it past the watchers goes looking for Frodo. He has exhausted all options without finding him. In a moment of despair he sits down in the tower and finds Frodo with a song.


In western lands beneath the Sun
the flowers may rise in Spring,
the trees may bud, the waters run,
the merry finches sing.
Or there maybe 'tis cloudless night
and swaying beeches bear
the Elven-stars as jewels white
amid their branching hair.

Though here at journey's end I lie
in darkness buried deep,
beyond all towers strong and high,
beyond all mountains steep,
above all shadows rides the Sun
and Stars for ever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done,
nor bid the Stars farewell.

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.