Frodo grew worried; it was now September and he had not seen or heard from Gandalf since June. Preparations were made for moving out of Bag End and Frodo hoped to see the Wizard by his birthday when the wizard promised to return at the latest. Frodo's friends Folco, Fredagar, Pippin, and Merry helped him pack his belonging's not staying at Bag End and sent off the contents to his new home at Crickhollow on September 20th, two days before the birthday. On the next day Frodo watched constantly for the wizard but still no news. He was anxious and whether he knew it or not had good reason to be.
The Ringwraiths had given up their search for Gollum and the Shire by September and received urgent bone-chilling messages from their master Sauron. "For Sauron had now learned of the words of prophecy heard in Gondor, and the going forth of Boromir, of Saruman's deeds, and the capture of Gandalf. From these things he concluded indeed that neither Saruman nor any other of the Wise had possession yet of the Ring, but that Saruman at least knew where it might be hidden" (p. 339, Unfinished Tales). So the Ringwraiths were ordered to go to Isengard with all speed. "They rode through Rohan in haste, and the terror of their passing was so great that many folk fled from the land, and went wildly away north and west, believing that war out of the East was coming on the heels of the black horses" (p. 339, Unfinished Tales).
They reached Isengard on September 20th, two days after Gandalf escaped. "Then Saruman, already filled with wrath and fear by the escape of Gandalf, perceived the peril of standing between enemies, a known traitor to both" (p. 339, Unfinished Tales). For his deception against Sauron's spies was known and with his imprisonment of Gandalf he had betrayed the Wise. But he was prepared against Sauron's stroke and the Nazgul could not enter Isengard. Saruman's main power was in his voice and he was able to deceive the Witch-king when answering his threats. Saying he did not possess the Ring nor knowing where to find it. But: "'There is only one whom I guess to have this knowledge: Mithrandir, enemy of Sauron. And since it is but two days since he departed from Isengard, seek him nearby'" (p. 340, Unfinished Tales). As they left Saruman knew he must find the Ring or be destroyed.
Without question the Ringwraiths rode back into Rohan in search of Gandalf. The next day, September 21st, they ran into Grima Wormtongue who was on an errand to tell Saruman Gandalf had visited Edoras and revealed Saruman's evil intentions. In complete terror of the Witch-king Grima told all that he knew (interestingly it is noted Grima would have told all he knew under less threat). Grima revealed the location of the Shire, Gandalf's intentions to go there, and that Saruman also knew where the Shire was located. He begged and pleaded for his life promising to not say a word of their encounter to anyone. The Witch-king obliged, not out of pity, but because he could see how evil Grima was and deemed him more likely to do harm to Saruman than good. Plus he was in need of haste so he did not lead his fellow Nazgul back to Isengard. "Sauron's vengeance could wait" (p. 340, Unfinished Tales).
The Witch-king divided the Nazgul into four pairs taking the two swiftest with him. Along the road they met a spy of Saruman who often did business in the Shire for his master buying pipe-weed. Overtaking him he also told everything he knew and gave them detailed maps of the Shire that Saruman had prepared. "These the Nazgul took, and then sent him on to Bree to continue spying; but warned him that he was now in the service of Mordor, and that if he ever tried to return to Isengard they would slay him with torture" (p. 341, Unfinished Tales). The man was of Dunlending descent and did as he was told. "The Witch-king had now a clearer understanding of the matter. He had known something of the country long ago, in his wars with the Dunedain, and especially of the Tyrn Gorthad of Cardolan, now the Barrow-downs, whose evil wights had been sent there by himself" (p. 348, Unfinished Tales). Knowing the land from ages before he knew that Bree was an important information gathering place in that area. This was another bad omen for Saruman and almost proved deadly perilous to Frodo.
Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 3018, September 20th-23rd
Today's reading comes from: The Fellowship of the Ring, page 76; Unfinished Tales, pages 339-341; 346-347; and 348
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