The Ring Moves

For the first time in Tolkien's writing the Ring begins to move beyond Rivendell. It's taken several drafts to get it to Rivendell and finally the adventure continues. As the story continues the fellowship consists of: Gandalf, Boromir, and the hobbits (Frodo, Sam, Fararmond, Merry, and Trotter). Generally speaking the Ring is moving South but the names of lands and rivers are not in the finished form as of yet. But you get the sense it will be an ominous journey even while Tolkien makes efforts to tie it to the whimsical Hobbit adventure: "Many others of Elrond's household stood in the shadows and watched them go' bidding them farewell with soft voices. There was no laughter, and no songs or music. Then with one last look down at the lights of the Last Homely House below they strode on, far into the night" (p. 417, The Return of the Shadow).

The bones of the story are there: traveling by night, through Hollin, spying birds, the precarious passage over the mountains, etc. The snowstorm is just as tense and seems to be driven by something other than natural weather patterns. Gandalf, out of sheer desperation, starts a fire by magic knowing it will give his presence away to any unseen spies.

Boromir being the only large statured man among the group does much to dig out the company and clear a path down the snowy mountain. There is some sarcastic banter between Gandalf and Boromir (given in part to Legolas in the published book). When disclosing he could not melt snow without kindling wood to fire Gandalf suggest what Boromir needed was a dragon. "'Indeed I think a tame dragon would actually be more useful at the moment than a wild wizard,' said Boromir - with a laugh that did not in any way appease Gandalf" (p. 426-27, The Return of the Shadow). Once down and rested the company decides, with much foreboding, to try the Mines of Moria.