Sam Leaves Frodo

As morning broke on Minis Tirith the watchmen could see fire springing up in the distance. It seemed the enemy was taking the outer defenses. Gandalf returned to the City mid-morning accompanying the evacuated wounded. He brought news to Denethor: the defenses were being overrun and Faramir would not leave the rearguard defending the retreating men. Their talk turned to King of the Ring-wraiths and Pippin was afraid. Denethor remained unbowed and implied that Gandalf had returned in fear for he had met his match. "'It might be so,' Gandalf answered softly. 'But our trial of strength is not yet come. And if words spoken of old be true, not by the hand of man shall he fall, and hidden from the Wise is the doom that awaits him'" (p. 92, The Return of the King). Gandalf urged Denethor to prepare a sortie to aid the retreat across Pelennor for fugitives from Cair Andros had come and the enemy was attacking from more than one direction. Denethor seemed to know all this and was prepared. He called Gandalf to come and see.

Meanwhile Sam had stayed by Frodo's body for hours uncounted. At long last he began to wonder what he should do. A small voice inside encouraged him to go on and the thought of leaving behind Frodo caused Sam to weep. He began to prepare, however, leaving his sword by Frodo's side while taking Sting and the phial of Galadriel. He left the mithril coat on Frodo. All the while he spoke to Frodo explaining why he had to take this or leave that. He was ready to depart. "But he could not go, not yet. He knelt and held Frodo's hand and could not release it. And time went by and still he knelt, holding his master's hand, and in his heart keeping a debate" (p. 341, The Two Towers). Sam's first impulse was to find and kill Gollum but he knew that would not bring Frodo back. The voice in his heart urged him to take up the Quest. Sam was befuddled; sure that whatever decision he made would not be correct. He realized that should he leave the Ring with Frodo the Enemy would find it; his only option was to take It and go.

Sam kissed Frodo's head and removed the chain that clasped the Ring around Frodo's neck. Frodo did not move and this was Sam's final confirmation that his beloved master was gone. He asked for Frodo's forgiveness and promised to come back to be with him. He departed with a final wish: "'And if the Lady could hear me, and give me one wish, I would wish to come back and find you again'" (p. 342, The Two Towers). Sam put the Ring around his neck, he found it to be a great weight, and left. Sam tried to convince himself he was making the right decision but doubt gnawed him. He looked back one last time and hoped for his wish to come true and again moved forward with great effort. In a few steps he would have begun the descent down but he was stopped cold. He could hear the harsh voices of Orcs and soon saw torch-light fast approaching--from ahead and behind. Sam saw no way to save the Ring; in the instant that thought crossed his mind he pulled the Ring out and put it on his finger.

Immediately the world around him changed; his sight was lessoned but his hearing sharpened. "He did not feel invisible at all, but horribly and uniquely visible; and he knew that somewhere an Eye was searching for him" (p. 343, The Two Towers). The Orcs passed right by him for he was invisible to their eyes. Sam found that he could understand the Orcs while wearing the Ring and listened in to the conversation of Shagrat and Gorbag the leaders of the search parties. They had found Frodo's body. Sam acted quickly. "He knew now where his place was and had been: at his master's side, though what he could do there was not clear" (p. 344, The Two Towers). He ran back toward Frodo wondering how he might fend off the Orcs. He thought of Elrond and the Council; how he would be ruining their plans as the Ring would be found but Sam was resolved: his place was beside the Ring-bearer not to be the Ring-bearer.

Still the Orcs were farther off then Sam anticipated and he watched them pick up Frodo's body and head back into Shelob's lair. Sam followed them and could still decipher Gorbag and Shagrat's conversation. Gorbag it seemed was from Minas Morgul that overlooked the stairs of Cirith Ungol while Shagrat was stationed in Barad-dur (Lugburz as the Orcs called it)--the tower of Sauron himself. It was clear that Frodo was to be taken to Barad-dur. Shagrat revealed to Gorbag that something was amiss and they would talk more with less ears around. Sam saw the torches disappear and found himself against a door that blocked one of the passages in the tunnel. It must have led to Minas Morgul and the door placed their to keep Shelob away. Sam was dismayed until he could once again hear the two Orcs speaking; apparently they let the large group go ahead while they discussed matters.

Shagrat revealed he had been ordered to investigate the high pass about an hour earlier: "'Nazgul uneasy. Spies feared on Stairs. Double vigilance. Patrol to head of Stairs'" (p. 348, The Two Towers). Gorbag said they had been uneasy the day before but Barad-dur would not listen to their pleas; Sauron was preoccupied with the first strikes of war. The lights and shouting had especially got Shagrat's attention but he had not come straight away: "'Shelob was on the go. My lads saw her and her Sneak'" (p. 348, The Two Towers). He went on to explain: "'You must have seen him: little thin black fellow; like a spider himself, or perhaps more like a starved frog. He's been here before. Came out of Lugburz the first time, years ago, and we had word from High Up to let him pass. He's been up the Stairs once or twice since then, but we've left him alone: seems to have some understanding with Her Ladyship'" (p. 348, The Two Towers). Shagrat assumed Her Sneak had brought her a toy and was unconcerned about the commotion until his orders came. Shagrat was sure Shelob always made good on Her hunts.

Gorbag was uneasy for the signs pointed to the fact that someone got away: cords were cut and Shelob wounded. He felt a large Elf-warrior bearing sword and ax was loose somewhere (this made Sam smile). The two Orcs decided to have a look at their prisoner; Gorbag was anxious to have some fun with him (I can only imagine what that would entail) but Shagrat said he was under strict orders not to do so: "'Prisoner is to be stripped. Full description of every article, garment, weapon, letter, ring, or trinket is to be sent to Lugburz at once, and to Lugburz only. And the prisoner is to be kept sage and intact, under pain of death for every member of the guard, until He sends or comes Himself'" (p. 349, The Two Towers). Gorbag thought that useless for a dead prisoner but Shagrat informed him that he wasn't dead; Shelob had poisoned to sedate not kill. For she like fresh meat and warm blood to feast on.

Sam was taken aback when he heard this. Berating himself for leaving Frodo (There was providence in that; for otherwise the Ring would be in the hands of the Orcs for sure). The two Orcs left and Sam was in a rage. He withdrew Sting and beat upon the door to no avail. The blade still blazed brightly giving him light to see and he noticed two things: the door was not tall and there was a small opening at the top. He scrambled up and over the door and began the chase again. Soon he could hear Shagrat and Gorbag speaking again; with Shagrat saying he would keep Frodo locked at the top of the Tower out of harm's way which did not please Gorbag. He still seemed bent on torturing the prisoner. Sam burst around the corner with his sword and a fierce cry but perhaps by some trick of the Ring he found that the Orcs were much further away than they had sounded. He was just in time to see great doors closing shut with no way in this time. "Sam hurled himself against the bolted brazen plates and fell senseless to the ground. He was out in the darkness. Frodo was alive but taken by the Enemy" (p. 352, The Two Towers).

In Minis Tirith as the day passed watchmen could see many of the outer defense troops in retreat. Wounded, weary, and frightened they came. Houses and barns across the Pelennor were alight with flame. As evening drew nigh the sortie still waited in the shadows as a great mass of men marched toward the City walls. Almost to the walls the retreating soldiers were overrun by enemy horseman and winged Nazgul. At that moment Denethor gave the signal the the sortie charged forward led by Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth. One rider was in the lead: Gandalf the White bore by Shadowfax. His great light dismayed and turned back the Nazgul. Finding hope in the help the retreating men turned and began to attack their pursuers. "The field was strewn with stricken orcs and men, and a reek arose of torches cast away, sputtering out in swirling smoke" (p. 94, The Return of the King). Even though the enemy was turned back the sortie and men returned to the City.

Nearly a third of the defenders were killed; Faramir himself had been wounded in the retreat. Prince Imrahil carried Faramir's body and reported what he saw to Denethor: "Even as the Nazgul had swerved aside from the onset of the White Rider, there came flying a deadly dart, and Faramir, as he held at bay a mounted champion of the Harad, had fallen to the earth. Only the charge of Dol Amroth had saved him from the red southland swords that would have hewed him as he lay" (p. 94, The Two Towers). Denethor had a bed prepared for Faramir and retreated to the tallest Tower of the City. For a while many could see a pale light in the window. When the Steward returned he looked more deathly than Faramir and he would not speak as he sat by his son. "So now at last the City was besieged, enclosed by a ring of foes. The Rammas was broken, and all the Pelennor abandoned to the Enemy. The last word to come from outside the walls was brought by men flying down the northward road ere the Gate was shut" (p. 95, The Return of the King). Ingold reported that more forces of Sauron were coming: many Orcs and men bearded and stout like Dwarves, who had never been seen before, cut off the North. Rohan would not be able to aid Gondor.

Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 3019, March 13th
Today's reading comes from: The Return of the King, pages 91-93; The Two Towers, pages 340-352; The Return of the King, pages 93-95