Sam was amazed to see how far up the mountain he had carried Frodo. As he surveyed the land hope rose in him again. He spied a rode below that wound around the mountain and he guessed that just a bit higher from where they lay they would strike the path. "He did not know it, but he was looking at Sauron's Road from Barad-dur to the Sammath Naur, the Chambers of Fire" (p. 219, The Return of the King). He rested a bit more with Frodo by his side. Suddenly as the light of day grew Sam felt he must move. "It was almost as if he had been called: 'Now, now, or it will be too late!'" (p. 219, The Return of the King). He sprang up and it seemed Frodo felt the summons as well for he got up. (Perhap's some message from Manwë or Eru upon the hearts of the hobbits?) They struggled to the path as the clouds parted unveiling Barad-dur. Though the Eye was fixated on the Captains of the West the sight of the tower almost unravelled Frodo as his hand reached for the Ring. "'Help, me Sam! Hold my hand! I can't stop it.' Sam took his master's hands and laid them together, palm to palm, and kissed them; and then he held them gently between his own" (p. 220, The Return of the King). As the clouds returned Frodo was able to move again and he and Sam started on the Road. It was broken in many places as Mount Doom's fires often poured onto it but Sauron always kept it in repair.
The Captains of the West stood in long silence before the Black Gate as they began to turn around drums pounded and the Gate was open. Out came a wretched man, legend said he was of the Black Númenoreans who worshipped Sauron, the Mouth of Sauron. He asked who among the Captains was worthy to parley with him in clear mockery of Aragorn. "Aragorn said naught in answer, but he took the other's eye and held it, and for a moment they strove thus; but soon, though, Aragorn did not stir or move hand to weapon, the other quailed and gave back as if menaced with a blow. 'I am herald and ambassador, and may not be assailed!' he cried" (p. 165, The Return of the King). Gandalf then began to speak to Sauron's messenger. The Mouth of Sauron told Gandalf he was bidden to bring him tokens and revealed Sam's sword, Frodo's Lorien cloak and mithril mail. Pippin gave a cry and Gandalf commanded silence. This pleased the messenger seeing the concern on his enemies faces and guessing that the owners of the artifacts was dear to them. The Mouth of Sauron then began to name terms for their surrender in return for the prisoner. After listening Gandalf felt the terms were steep (giving up all weapons and land to Sauron among other requests) for one prisoner. "'And if indeed we rated this prisoner so high, what surety have we that Sauron, the Base Master of Treachery, will keep his part? Where is this prisoner?'" (p. 166, The Return of the King).
Sauron's messenger balked at the request. Gandalf revealed his power taking the tokens from the messenger and causing him to flee and utterly rejecting the treaty terms. It was then that Sauron unleashed his waiting forces upon the Men of the West. Very soon they were surrounded and Aragorn did his best to arrange the battle. He and Gandalf were upon one hill while Eomer steadied his men on the other each creating a ring around the the top for the foes on every side. "But in the front towards Mordor where the bitter assault would come there stood the sons of Elrond on the left with the Dúnedain about them, and on the right the Prince Imrahil with the men of Dol Amroth tall and fair, and picked men of the Tower Guard" (p. 168, The Return of the King). With the Nazgul above and foes charging toward him Pippin, sword drawn and standing beside Beregond, found himself thinking of Merry and the Shire. He was pleased to be in the front to find his end quickly but he wished his friend was with him. "Then even as he thought these things the first assault crashed into them" (p. 168, The Return of the King).
Hill-trolls crashed into the line pummeling men. Beregond fell and as a troll reached forward to bite his neck Pippin stabbed up into his organs and the beast crashed down on him. Darkness was coming on Pippin and he almost laughed to himself but even so he heard someone shouting about Eagles. "For one moment more Pippin's thoughts hovered. 'Bilbo!' it said. 'But no! That came in his tale, long long ago. This is my tale, and it is ended now. Good-bye!' And his thought fled far away and his eyes saw no more" (p. 169, The Return of the King). The battle raged with men of the West dangerously close to being swept away in a tide of death and destruction. Wind was coming from the North and Gandalf looking that way spied the Eagles and called to all that they were coming. Pippin's mind had not been playing tricks. "There came Gwaihir the Windlord, and Landroval his brother, greatest of all the Eagles of the North, mightiest of the descendents of old Thorondor, who built his eyries in the inaccessible peaks of the Encircling Mountains when Middle-earth was young" (p. 169, The Return of the King). Indeed, the Valar have not been tangibly present in Middle-earth for years. But as this battle draws to a close it's clear they are very active. Manwë, Lord of winds and birds, has clearly been at work. Who else would have broken the reek that Sauron put forth to cause the dawnless days? The winds changed and swept the darkness away. Now the winds change, coming from the North, bearing the already fast Eagles with increased speed to the aid of the desperate Captains of the West. The Nazgul fled as the Eagles approached but it seemed to be by command and not necessarily a new foe.
As the hobbits stammered along Sam caught something out of the corner of his eye and a rock crashed into him and something passed his crumpled body by for Frodo. "'Wicked masster!' it hissed. 'Wicked masster cheats us; cheats Smeagol, gollum. He musstn't go that way. He musstn't hurt Preciouss. Give it to Smeagol, yess give it to us! Give it to uss!'" (p. 220, The Return of the King). Gollum attacked Frodo as Sam drew out Sting unable to strike for the two were wrestling together. "This was probably the only thing that could have roused the dying embers of Frodo's heart and will: an attack, an attempt to wrest his treasure from him by force" (p. 220, The Return of the King). He fought back and threw Gollum down and in a strong voice he commanded Gollum to be gone promising him death in the Fire of Doom if he ever touched Frodo again. Sam quickly set himself between Frodo and Gollum urging Frodo to go while he kept the creature at bay. Frodo went, slowly, but with more energy then he had for days. Sam turned his attention on Gollum raising his sword to strike him dead. Gollum wept and groveled for his life and Sam felt pity. Seeing the pathetic creature at his feet he could not strike him down though he deserved it. Bearing the Ring for only a few short hours Sam now had some inkling of why Gollum was driven so mad by it.
Sam sent Gollum off with some biting words and turned to follow Frodo. He did not see Gollum turn to follow him. Sam followed the path as it cut into the Mountain's side; it was utterly dark and Sam was afraid. He tried the light of Galadriel but it would not shine. "He was come to the heart of the realm of Sauron and the forges of his ancient might, greatest in Middle-earth; all other powers were here subdued" (p. 222, The Return of the King). Sam went on until he saw Frodo in the midst of darkness with the red light of the fires of Mount Doom. Frodo called out in a clear voice: "'I have come,' he said. 'But I do not choose now to do what I came to do. I will not do this deed. The Ring is mine!' And suddenly, as he set it on his finger, he vanished from Sam's sight. Sam gasped, but he had no chance to cry out, for at that moment many things happened" (p. 223, The Return of the King). Gollum, who had followed Sam, struck the hobbit on the head with a rock and attacked Frodo. Sauron became instantly aware of Frodo when he put on the Ring and realized how close his doom was. He called the Nazgul from battle and they flew with all haste to Mount Doom. His armies began to falter without his will driving them.
With blood flowing down his face Sam watched as Gollum fought some unseen thing. The mountain began to tremble and belch flame. He watched as Gollum seemed to bite with his teeth until a snap was heard and Frodo became visible again falling on his knees. Gollum began dancing and Sam saw the Ring in his grasp with a finger still in it. "'Precious, precious, precious!' Gollum cried. "My Precious! O my Precious!' And with that, even as his eyes were lifted up to gloat on his prize, he stepped too far, toppled, wavered for a moment on the brink, and then with a shriek he fell. Out of the depths came his last wail Precious, and he was gone' (p. 224, The Return of the King). As the Mountain began to erupt Sam rushed to Frodo finding him weary and hurt but himself again. Sam was sorry Gollum did not take his hand instead and was glad he was gone. "'Yes,' said Frodo. 'But do you remember Gandalf's words: Even Gollum may have something yet to do? But for him, Sam, I could not have destroyed the Ring. The Quest would have been in vain, even at the bitter end. So let us forgive him! For the Quest is achieved and now all is over. I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam'" (p. 225, The Return of the King). I love Frodo's humility and wisdom. To own that he would not have completed the Quest and to forgive Gollum for all his treachery because of the good that came out of it.
The ground all around the battle at the Gate shook bringing down towers and the Gate itself. "'The realm of Sauron is ended!' said Gandalf. 'The Ring-bearer has fulfilled his Quest'" (p. 227, The Return of the King). As Mordor crashed into ruins a menacing black shadow rose only to be carried away by the wind. The armies of Sauron ran hither and thither. Orcs killing one another or running into tunnels in the ground. Men under the dominion of Sauron fleeing, surrendering, or making a desperate last stand. Gandalf called for Gwaihir asking the Eagle to bear him a third time. Gwaihir agreed and he bore the Wizard away with several other Eagles. "'I am glad you are here with me,' said Frodo. 'Here at the end of all things, Sam.' 'Yes, I am with you, Master,' said Sam, laying Frodo's wounded hand gently to his breast. 'And you're with me. And the journey's finished. But after coming all that way I don't want to give up yet. It's not like me, somehow, if you understand'" (p. 228, The Return of the King). Frodo did understand and let Sam lead him out of the Crack of Doom. They found a small rock island that would not last long in the eruption of the Mountain. Sam turned to Frodo: "'What a tale we have been in, Mr. Frodo, haven't we?' he said. 'I wish I could hear it told! Do you think they'll say: Now comes the story of Nine-fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom? And then everyone will hush, like we did, when in Rivendell they told the tale of Beren One-hand and the Great Jewel? I wish I could hear it! And I wonder how it will go on after our part'" (p. 228-229, The Return of the King). There on the rock Gwaihir spotted the two hobbits and they were swept up out of the fire and destruction.
Faramir and Eowyn had spent the morning in each others company. A dread had hung over the City as it had been seven days since the Captains left. They looked East and spoke words of ill-omen. Faramir said to her: "'Eowyn, I would not have this world end now, and lose so soon what I have found'" (p. 240, The Return of the King). Though confused by what he meant she latched on to his ominous words and discovered that he too had visions of an all consuming darkness overtaking the land. She leaned in close to him. But he was clear to her that his hope had not died: "'Eowyn, Eowyn, White Lady of Rohan, in this hour I do not believe that any darkness will endure!' And he stooped and kissed her brow" (p. 241, The Return of the King). As they waited on the walls the North wind began to blow and the Sun shone bright to the joy of many hearts. A great Eagle flew forth as a herald of what had befallen. His message struck me as Biblical and epic and I will quote it in its entirety:
"'Sing now, ye people of the Tower of Anor, for the Realm of Sauron is ended forever, and the Dark Tower is thrown down. Sing and rejoice, ye people of the Tower of the Guard, for your watch hath not been in vain, and the Black Gate is broken, and your King hath passed through, and he is victorious. Sing and be glad, all ye children of the West, for your King shall come again, and he shall dwell among you all the days of your life. And the Tree that was withered shall be renewed, and he shall plant it in the high places, and the City shall be blessed. Sing all ye people!'"
Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 3019, March 25th
Today's reading comes from: The Return of the King, pages 217-218; 163-164; 218-220; 164-169; 220-225; 227-229
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