← September 23 • Home • September 25 →
The Tale of Years says for this date only that ‘Gandalf crosses the Isen.’ The rest of the day’s events must be learned from the main narrative of The Lord of the Rings in the chapter ‘Three is Company’.
Frodo wakes up, sore from sleeping against tree-roots. ‘And all my beautiful feather beds are sold to the Sackville-Bagginses! These tree-roots would do them good.’
The three hobbits start preparing their first breakfast on the road.
Shadowfax carries Gandalf across the Fords of the Isen and into southern Eriador. The Nazgûl crossed the same ford six days ago.
Their Hobbit breakfast has gone rather long, so Frodo, Sam, and Pippin are only now shouldering their packs to leave the fir-wood and continue along the narrow forest road toward Woodhall.
‘I can hear a pony or a horse coming along the road behind,’ Sam says. All three hobbits hide. Frodo sees a stooped figure riding a black horse, wearing a black cloak—who stops to sniff the air before continuing his ride east along the road.
With the stars bright above them, Frodo, Sam, and Pippin sing one of Bilbo’s walking-songs.
‘Upon the hearth the fire is red
Beneath the roof there is a bed
But not yet weary are our feet…’
Just as they finish, they hear hoofbeats approaching from behind. They hide.
Frodo sees the Rider approach him in the dark and almost puts on the Ring—but the Rider flees. Frodo listens. There are High Elves nearby!
’Snow-white! Snow-white! O Lady clear!
O Queen beyond the Western Seas!
O Light to us that wander here
Amid the world of woven trees!’
The High-elves greet the three hobbits. ‘I am Gildor Inglorion of the House of Finrod.’
Pippin asks the Elves about Black Riders. Gildor doesn’t answer—but makes an exception to the usual Elven custom and lets the hobbits join his company. They walk east together along the road.
← September 23 • Home • September 25 →
©2002–2022 Brandon Rhodes • brandon@rhodesmill.org