One Geek to Rule Them All

Assault on the Hill

It  was evening, and the grey light was waning fast, when they halted for  the night. They were very weary. The mountains were veiled in deepening  dusk, and the wind was cold. Gandalf spared them one more mouthful each  of the miruvor of Rivendell. When they had eaten some food he called a council.

"We  cannot, of course, go on again tonight," he said. "The attack of the  Redhorn Gate has tired us out, and we must rest here for a while."

"And then where are we to go?" asked Frodo.

"We  still have our journey and our errand before us," answered Gandalf. "We  have no choice but to go on, or to return to Rivendell." Pippin's face  brightened visibly at the mere mention of return to Rivendell; Merry and  Sam looked up hopefully. But Aragorn and Boromir made no sign. The  girls and Frodo looked troubled.

"I wish I was back there," Frodo  said. "But how can I return without shame—unless there is no other way,  and we are already defeated?"

"You are right, Frodo," said  Gandalf: "to go back is to admit defeat, and face worse defeat to come.  If we go back now, then the Ring must remain there: we shall not be able  to set out again. Then sooner or later Rivendell will be besieged, and  after a brief and bitter time it will be destroyed. The Ringwraiths are  deadly enemies, but they are only shadows yet of the power and terror  they would possess if the Ring was on their master's hand again."

"Then we must go on, if there is a way," said Frodo with a sigh. Sam sank back into gloom.

"There  is a way that we may attempt," said Gandalf. "I thought from the  beginning, when I first considered this journey that we should try it.  But it is not a pleasant way, and I have not spoken of it to the Company  before. Aragorn and Devin were against it, until the pass over the  mountains had at least been tried." At this Devin found the  eyes of several members of the Company on herself. However, Kitty was  not one of them. It came as no surprise to her that Devin had caved and  tried to forewarn Gandalf despite all her talk of not interfering; she  was too nice.

"If it is a worse road than the Redhorn Gate, then  it must be evil indeed," said Merry. "But you had better tell us about  it, and let us know the worst at once."

"The road that I speak of  leads to the Mines of Moria," said Gandalf. Only Gimli lifted up his  head; a smoldering fire was in his eyes. On all the others a dread fell  at the mention of that name. Even to the Hobbits it was as a legend of  vague fear.

"The road may lead to Moria, but how can we hope that it will lead through Moria?" said Aragorn darkly.

"It  is a name of ill omen," said Boromir. "Nor do I see need to go there.  If we cannot cross the mountains, let us journey southwards, until we  come to the Gap of Rohan, where men are friendly to my people, taking  the road that I followed on my way hither. Or we might pass by and cross  the Isen into Langstrand and Lebennin, and so come to Gondor from  regions nigh to the sea."

"Things have changed since you came  north, Boromir," answered Gandalf. "Did you not hear what I told you of  Saruman? With him I may have business of my own ere all is over. But the  Ring must not come near Isengard, if that can by any means be  prevented. The Gap of Rohan is closed to us while we go with the Bearer.

"As  for the longer road: we cannot afford the time. We might spend a year  in such a journey, and we should pass through many lands that are empty  and haborless. Yet they would not be safe. The watchful eyes both of  Saruman and of the Enemy, are on them. When you came north, Boromir, you  were in the Enemy's eyes only one stray wanderer from the South and  matter of small concern to him: his mind was busy with the pursuit of  the Ring. But you return now as a member of the Ring's Company, and you  are in peril as long as you remain with us. The danger will increase  with every league that we go south under the naked sky.