Fellowship of the Ring

(C) The Lord of the rings   #middleearthinspired #tolkieninspired

    

  

 

  

Next morning after a late breakfast, the wizard was sitting with Frodo by the open window of the study. 'the time has come to speak. 

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,

      Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,

Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,

      One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne

In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

      One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,

One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

      In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.’

He paused, and then said slowly in a deep voice: ‘This is the Master-ring, the One Ring to rule 
them all. This is the One Ring that he lost many ages ago, to the great weakening of his power. 
He greatly desires it — but he must not  get it.’
Frodo sat silent and motionless. 
I told you of Sauron the Great, the Dark Lord. The rumours that you have heard are true: he has 
indeed arisen again and left his hold in Mirkwood and returned to his ancient fastness in the 
Dark Tower of Mordor.

alas! through Gollum the Enemy has learned that the One has been found again. And he has at last heard, I think, of hobbits  and the Shire .‘The Shire — he may be seeking for it now, if he has not already found out where it lies. Indeed, Frodo, I fear that he may even think that the 
long-unnoticed name of Baggins  has become important.’

‘There is only one way: to find the Cracks of Doom in the depths of Orodruin, the Fire-mountain, and cast the Ring in there, if you really wish to destroy it, to put it beyond the grasp of the Enemy for ever.’

 ‘And now,’ said the wizard, turning back to Frodo, ‘the decision lies with you. But I will always help you.’ He laid his hand on Frodo’s shoulder. ‘I will help you bear this burden, as long as it is yours to bear. 

it seems that I am a danger, a danger to all that live near me. I cannot keep the Ring and stay here. I ought to leave Bag End, leave the Shire, leave everything and go away.’ He sighed.
But I feel very small, and very uprooted, and well — desperate. The Enemy is so strong and 
terrible.’

‘My dear Frodo!’ exclaimed Gandalf. ‘Hobbits really are amazing creatures, as I have said before. You can learn all that there is to know about their ways in a month, and yet after a hundred years they can still surprise you at a pinch. I hardly expected to get such an answer, not even from you. But Bilbo made no mistake in choosing his heir, though he little thought how important it would prove. I am afraid you are right. The Ring will not be able to stay hidden in the Shire much longer; and for your own sake, as well as for others, you will have to go, and leave the name of Baggins behind you. That name will not be safe to have, outside the Shire or in the Wild. I will give you a travelling name now. When you go, go as Mr. Underhill.

Suddenly he stopped as if listening. Gandalf crept to one side of the window. Then with a dart he sprang to the sill, and thrust a long arm out and downwards. There was a squawk, and up came Sam Gamgee’s curly head hauled by one ear.
‘Well, well, bless my beard!’ said Gandalf. ‘Sam Gamgee is it? Now what may you be doing?How long have you been eavesdropping?’
Mr. Frodo, sir!’ cried Sam quaking. ‘Don’t let him hurt me, sir! Don’t let him turn me into 
anything unnatural! I meant no harm, on my honour, sir!’
‘He won’t hurt you,’ said Frodo, hardly able to keep from laughing.
‘Well, sir,’ said Sam dithering a little. ‘I heard a deal that I didn’t rightly understand, about 
an enemy, and rings, and Mr. Bilbo, sir, and dragons, and a fiery mountain, and — and Elves, sir. I listened because I couldn’t help myself, if you know what I mean. Lor bless me, sir, but I do love tales of that sort. And I believe them too, whatever Ted may say. Elves, sir! I would dearly love to see them.  Couldn’t you take me to see Elves, sir, when you go?’
Suddenly Gandalf laughed. 
‘I have thought of something to shut your mouth, and punish you properly for listening. You shall go away with Mr. Frodo!’

Wizard went off at dawn. ‘I may be back any day,’ he said.' stick to your plan; but let me 
impress on you once more: don’t use the ring! At the very latest I shall come back for the 
farewell party. ’ But Frodo’s party was over, and Gandalf had not come. 

Merry drove off with Fatty (that is Fredegar Bolger) on a cart with the remainder of Frodo's luggage.  ‘Well, see you later — the day after tomorrow, if you don’t go to sleep on the way!’

Frodo decided to wait until nightfall. His plan — for pleasure and a last look at the Shire as much as any other reason — was to walk from Hobbiton to Bucklebury Ferry. The sky was clear and the stars were growing bright. ‘It’s going to be a fine night,’ Frodo said aloud. ‘That’s good for a beginning. I feel like walking. I can’t bear any more hanging about. 

Pippin was sitting on his pack in the porch. Sam appeared, trotting quickly and breathing hard; his heavy pack was hoisted high on his shoulders, and he had put on his head a tall shapeless felt bag, which he called a hat. In the gloom he looked very much like a dwarf.

‘well, let’s put some miles behind us before bed.’

In their dark cloaks they were as invisible as if they all had magic rings. Even the wild things 
in the fields and woods hardly noticed their passing.

Pippin looked away east into the haze, beyond which lay the River, and the end of the Shire in which he had spent all his life. Sam stood by him. His round eyes were wide open — for he was looking across lands he had never seen to a new horizon.
‘Do Elves live in those woods?’ he asked.
‘Not that I ever heard,’ said Pippin. Frodo was silent. He too was gazing eastward along the road, as if he had never seen it before.

Suddenly Frodo spoke, aloud but as if to himself, saying slowly:

The Road goes ever on and on

      Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

      And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with weary feet,

      Until it joins some larger way,

Where many paths and errands meet.

      And whither then? I cannot say.

‘That sounds like a bit of old Bilbo’s rhyming,’ said Pippin. ‘Or is it one of your imitations? It does not sound altogether encouraging.’

Bilbo went to find a treasure, there and back again; but I go to lose one, and not return, as far as I can see.’

said Merry quietly, - my dear old Frodo: you are miserable, because you don’t know how to say good-bye. You meant to leave the Shire, of course. But danger has come on you sooner than you expected, and now you are making up your mind to go at once. And you don’t want to. We are very sorry for you.’

Frodo opened his mouth and shut it again. His look of surprise was so comical that they laughed.

‘Dear old Frodo!’ said Pippin. ‘Did you really think you had thrown dust in all our eyes? You have obviously been planning to go and saying farewell to all your haunts all this year since April. And all those close talks with Gandalf.’

‘Good heavens!’ said Frodo. Is all the Shire discussing my departure then?’

‘Oh no!’ said Merry. ‘Don’t worry about that! The secret won’t keep for long, of course; but at present it is, I think, only known to us conspirators. We know the Ring is no laughing-matter; but we are going to do our best to help you against the Enemy.’

said Pippin. ‘You must go — and therefore we must, too. Merry and I are coming with you. 

said Sam. ‘Begging your pardon, sir! But I meant no wrong to you, Mr. Frodo, nor to Mr. Gandalf for that matter. He  has some sense, mind you; and when you said go alone , he said no! take someone as you can trust .’

‘Good! That’s settled. Three cheers for Captain Frodo and company!’ they shouted; and they danced round him. Merry and Pippin began a song, which they had apparently got ready for the occasion. It was made on the model of the dwarf-song that started Bilbo on his adventure long ago, and went to the same tune:

Farewell we call to hearth and hall!

Though wind may blow and rain may fall,

We must away ere break of day

Far over wood and mountain tall.

With foes ahead, behind us dread,

Beneath the sky shall be our bed,

Until at last our toil be passed,

Our journey done, our errand sped.

We must away! We must away!

We ride before the break of day!

Frodo woke suddenly. It was still dark in the room. Merry was standing there with a candle in one hand, and banging on the door with the other. ‘All right! What is it?’ said Frodo, still shaken and bewildered.
‘What is it!’ cried Merry. ‘It is time to get up. It is half past four. Come on! Sam is already getting breakfast ready. Even Pippin is up.

(C) The Lord of the rings

#middleearthinspired #tolkieninspired