The Hunt for the Ring Intensifies

In the chaos of battle between Sauron's Orcs and Thranduil's Elves Gollum escaped. "It seems clear that pursued both by Elves and Orcs Gollum crossed the Anduin, probably by swimming, and so eluded the hunt of Sauron; but being still hunted by Elves, and not yet daring to pass near Lorien (only the Ring itself made him dare to do this afterwords), he hid himself in Moria" (p. 345, Unfinished Tales). There all traces of Gollum vanished until the Nine Walkers proceeded through the mines.

Meanwhile back in the Shire Gandalf announced he was leaving to gather news after staying with Frodo for two months. This was the end of June not long after Sauron's attack on Gondor and Thranduil. Frodo sensed the wizard was worried. "'...I have heard something that has made me anxious and needs looking into'" (p. 76, The Fellowship of the Ring). No doubt Gandalf caught wind of the attacks. He told Frodo to stick to the plan unless word was sent to leave sooner and to never use the Ring. Gandalf feared he had been idle too long and left the very next morning. Frodo was concerned at first but soon the comforts of the Shire put him at ease. "The Shire had seldom see so fair a summer, or so rich an autumn: the trees were laden with apples, honey was dripping in the combs, and the corn was tall and full" (p. 76, The Fellowship of the Ring).

With the attacks on Gondor and Mirkwood serving their purpose the Witch-king led the Ringwraiths, invisible, onward in their mission. Invisible terror went with them wherever they journeyed and they crossed the Anduin around July 1st. Once across the River they received horses and raiment and now could be seen as Black Riders and began their search for the Shire around July 17th. "About the twenty-second of July they met their companions, the Nazgul of Dol Guldur, in the Field of Celebrant. There they learned that Gollum had eluded both the Orcs that recaptured him, and the Elves that pursued them, and had vanished" (p. 339, Unfinished Tales). Interesting side note: the Nazgul commander at Dol Gulder was Khamûl. He informed the newcomers that no signs of the Halfings had been found in the Vales of Anduin--where Gollum indicated they would be. The Witch-king made the decision to search North hoping to find the Shire or Gollum; as it was they were still not searching in the right direction.

But the Witch-king had a guess about the Shire. "That this would prove to be not far from the hated land of Lorien seemed to him not unlikely, if it was not indeed within the fences of Galadriel. But the power of the White Ring he would not defy, nor enter yet into Lorien" (p. 339, Unfinished Tales). On the Ringwraith's searched in vain. I like the suspense of reading this account along with what's revealed in the Fellowship of the Ring. Frodo had no idea how close and intense was the danger coming after him. 

Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 3018, July

Today's reading comes from: Unfinished Tales, page 345; The Fellowship of the Ring, pages 76; and Unfinished Tales, page 339