The Breaking of the Fellowship

The day the Fellowship had been dreading came. It was time to decide if they should journey toward Mordor or make for Minis Tirith. Aragorn called the Company together and explained the situation adding that they did not have long to wait for he feared Orcs were on their side of the river. All were silent. Eventually they turned to the Ring-bearer since it was really his journey. Frodo was not ready to decide and asked to be alone for an hour before making any decisions. Aragorn, in pity, allowed an hour and asked Frodo not to wander too far from the camp. Frodo went up a hill trying to recall every word of Gandalf but coming no closer to a decision.

"Suddenly he awoke from his thoughts: a strange feeling had came to him that something was behind him, that unfriendly eyes were upon him. He sprang up and turned; but all that he saw to his surprise was Boromir, and his face was smiling and kind" (p. 413, The Fellowship of the Ring). Boromir said he was worried about Frodo, wanted to make sure he was safe, and perhaps take counsel with him. Frodo thanked him but said his mind was made up only he was too scared to act. Boromir persisted trying to persuade Frodo that the road to Minis Tirith was the only reasonable choice. Frodo was reluctant to choose the easier path and being honest told Boromir he did not trust in the strength of Men. Boromir assured him the Men of Gondor were strong. But Frodo felt there was no hope while the Ring existed.

"'Ah! The Ring!' said Boromir, his eyes lighting. "The Ring! Is it not a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt for so small a thing? So small a thing! And I have seen it only for an instant in the House of Elrond. Could I not have sight of it again?'" (p. 414, The Fellowship of the Ring). Frodo's heart went cold; he understood. He reminded Boromir of the Council of Elrond. Boromir paid no attention going on and on, louder and louder, about what he would do with the Ring: the armies he would gather and the victories he would achieve. He then began to speak against the council's decision to destroy the Ring. He suddenly turned to Frodo and asked if he now understood. Frodo replied that he saw things much clearer now. Boromir understood that to mean he had persuaded the Ring-bearer but it was not so.

Frodo startled and moved back when Boromir laid his hand on him. Boromir declared he would not steal it, rather he just wanted to borrow it. Frodo stoutly refused for the Council had charged him to bear it. This angered Boromir. "'Fool! Obstinate fool! Running willfully to death and ruining our cause. If any mortals have claim to the Ring, it is the men of Númenor, and not Halflings. It is not yours save by unhappy chance. It might have been mine. It should be mine. Give it to me!'" (p. 415, The Fellowship of the Ring). Frodo moved so that a stone stood between them but Boromir, with rage in his eyes, quickly leaped the stone toward the hobbit. Frodo was able to dodge him and was left with only one choice, to slip on the Ring to escape.

He could hear Boromir's curses as he ran up the hill. He did not see Boromir slip and fall on the ground which snapped him out of his rage. He was overcome with guilt calling for Frodo to come back. Frodo found himself upon the High Seat of Amon Hen overlooking the lands all around. Everywhere he looked he saw war being prepared. Horseman, wolves, Orcs, ships, Elves, fell beasts, Men. His gaze was drawn toward Barad-dur the fortress of Sauron. And then he felt the Eye; it was aware of him and desperately searching to find him. He hid but all the while his mind was at war: a part of him sought to remove the Ring while another part raged to reveal himself to the Eye.

In the nick of time he gained some clarity. "Suddenly he was aware of himself again. Frodo, neither the Voice nor the Eye: free to choose, and with one remaining instant in which to do so. He took the Ring off his finger. He was kneeling in the clear sunlight before the high seat. A black shadow seemed to pass like an arm above him; it missed Amon Hen and groped out west, and faded" (p. 417, The Fellowship of the Ring). Ah, good for Frodo. Too many times in my life, as I battle in my mind about making a choice between sin and righteousness, what ought to be done verses what should not be done, I forget--perhaps on purpose and perhaps not, that I have a choice. When Frodo recovered he was resolved to make for Mordor alone before the Ring infected anymore members of the Fellowship. Once more he slipped on the Ring, this time to pass the Company unseen on his ways to the boats.

The others, meanwhile, had tried to make small talk to pass the time but always their conversation returned to Frodo. Both Legolas and Gimli wanted to go to Minis Tirith if the choice was theirs but they knew it was not. Gimli declared: "'...now we have reached the last choice, it is clear to me that I cannot leave Frodo'" (p. 419, The Fellowship of the Ring). "'And I too will go with him,' said Legolas. 'It would be faithless now to say farewell'" (p. 419, The Fellowship of the Ring). Aragorn felt that Sam, Gimli, and himself should accompany Frodo (perhaps Legolas too) and the others should go to Minis Tirith. Merry and Pippin did not like that idea at all. They began to try to figure out exactly what Frodo might be thinking.

Sam finally spoke up saying that Frodo wasn't unsure of the path to take, rather, he was trying to gain the courage to take it. It was while he spoke that they realized Boromir was no longer with them. Sam continued on saying what made the decision so hard for Frodo was that he did not mean to take the Fellowship with him. Aragorn saw much wisdom in Sam's words and was resolved to abide by the Ring-bearer's decision though Merry and Pippin were not pleased. It was then that Boromir returned looking grim. Aragorn asked if he had seen Frodo and he gave a vague answer saying he saw him, grew angry, and then Frodo disappeared.

Aragorn was ill-pleased with Boromir and Sam quickly declared Frodo would never put on the Ring unless driven to need. Before Aragorn could arrange search groups Merry and Pippin rushed into the woods; then went Sam. Legolas and Gimli then bounded off in another direction. Aragorn ordered Boromir after Merry and Pippin and he went after Sam. Soon he overtook Sam making his way toward Amon Hen. Sam, stopped, racking his brain of where Frodo might be, and realized that his master meant to leave even without him. This sent Sam to tears: "Not without Sam? Yes, without even his Sam. That's hard, cruel hard'" (p. 421, The Fellowship of the Ring). Sam raced back down the hill towards the boats by himself.

He was just in time as he saw one boat being pulled from the shore by itself. With a shout Sam threw himself into the River and began to sink. The boat wheeled around and an invisible hand grabbed Sam and pulled him into the boat. Frodo was frustrated with the delay but Sam would not let his master go alone. Frodo explained he was going to Mordor "'I know that well enough, Mr. Frodo. Of course you are. And I'm coming with you'" (p. 422, The Fellowship of the Ring). I must admit that reading this earlier I was tearing up. The complete devotion of Sam to his friend Frodo is absolutely beautiful and moving. They made a brief stop so Sam could grab his gear and together they crossed the Anduin to being the last leg of the Quest.

Meanwhile Aragorn had found Frodo's tracks and followed them to Amon Hen. Distressed he looked around and heard Boromir's great horn sounding. He bounded down the hill realizing Boromir was in need and hearing Orc cries in the distance. He found Boromir sitting against a tree pierced with many arrows. Boromir grasped his broken sword, his horn cloven in two, with some 20 dead Orcs laying about him. He looked up at Aragorn saying: "'I tried to take the Ring from Frodo,' he said. "I am sorry. I have paid'" (p. 16, The Two Towers). He told Aragorn that the Orcs took the Halflings and with his dying breath exhorted Aragorn to save Minis Tirith. Aragorn wept over Boromir's body as Gimli and Legoas crept up silently, weapons in hand, Legolas' arrows spent. They thought Aragorn was wounded and lamented hunting the Orcs rather than staying close. Aragorn explained that he was unhurt, Boromir dead, and the hobbits captured.

The three companions were at a loss. Boromir died before revealing which hobbits were taken. Aragorn was especially distraught. "All that I have done today has gone amiss'" (p. 17, The Two Towers). Legolas insisted they must first care for the body of Boromir before any decision of what should come next. It was decided to let Anduin bear Boromir's body away over the Falls of Rauros. They decided to pile the weapons of his enemies at his feet. As they gathered these Aragorn found the hobbits' daggers and hoped against hope he would one day give them back. Legolas scoured the area for arrows and found not a few. As they took in the scene they noticed several types of Orcs: some from Mordor, some from the Misty Mountains, and some they did not recognize. These were greater in size bearing a white hand with an S rune. Gimli thought it meant Sauron but Aragorn and Legolas disagreed. They knew Sauron did not use Elvish runes and his symbol was a Red Eye. Aragorn thought: "'S is for Saruman, I guess,' he said at length (p. 18, The Two Towers).

As they prepared Boromir for burial at sea they noticed a boat was missing. First, however, they towed his body into the River and released it. Aragorn and Legolas sang a lament for Boromir and they headed back to investigate the camp. Aragorn could make out hobbit tracks and no sign of Orcs. Their gear was undisturbed accept two packs missing; one was clearly Sam's. Arargorn deduced that the two hobbits set out for Mordor together. Which relieved him greatly.

Gimli and Legolas wondered why they would leave without the Fellowship; thinking perhaps Orcs had driven them away. Aragorn decided not to reveal that Boromir had tried to take the Ring. I like that, Aragorn is preserving the memory of their friend, no need to discuss his darkest moment. So now the choice was to follow Sam and Frodo or Pippin and Merry. Aragorn now thought clearly again seeing the Ring-bearer was no longer his responsibility and refusing to leave his friends to certain torture and death at the hands of the Orcs. He was confident in his decision making again. "'We will make such a chase as shall be accounted a marvel among the Three Kindreds: Elves, Dwarves, and Men. Forth the Three Hunters!'" (p. 22, The Two Towers).

Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 3019, February 26th
Today's reading comes from: The Fellowship of the Ring, pages 410-423 and The Two Towers, pages 15-22