"The world has changed." "I feel it in the water." "I feel it in the earth." "I smell it in the air." "Much that once was is lost, for none now live... who remember it." "It began with the forging of the Great Rings." "Three were given to the Elves, immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings." "Seven to the Dwarf Lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls." "And nine, nine Rings were gifted to the race of Men, who above all else desire power." "For within these Rings was bound the strength and will to govern each race." "But they were all of them deceived, for another Ring was made." "In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged in secret a master Ring to control all others." "And into this Ring he poured his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate all life." "One Ring to rule them all." "One by one, the free lands of Middle Earth fell to the power of the Ring, but there were some who resisted." "A last alliance of men and elves marched against the armies of Mordor," "and on the slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle Earth." "Victory was near," "but the power of the Ring could not be undone." "It was in this moment, when all hope had faded, that Isildur, son of the king, took up his father's sword." "Sauron, enemy of the free peoples of Middle Earth, was defeated." "The Ring passed to Isildur, who had this one chance to destroy evil forever, but the hearts of men are easily corrupted." "And the Ring of Power has a will of its own." "It betrayed Isildur, to his death." "And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost." "History became legend." "Legend became myth." "And for two and a half thousand years, the Ring passed out of all knowledge." "Until, when chance came, it ensnared a new bearer." "My Precious." "The Ring came to the creature Gollum, who took it deep into the tunnels of the Misty Mountains, and there it consumed him." "It came to me, my own, my love, my Precious." "The Ring brought to Gollum unnatural long life." "For five hundred years it poisoned his mind, and in the gloom of Gollum's cave it waited." "Darkness crept back into the forests of the world." "Rumor grew of a shadow in the East, whispers of a nameless fear, and the Ring of Power perceived its time had now come." "It abandoned Gollum, but something happened then the Ring did not intend." "It was picked up by the most unlikely creature imaginable." "A hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, of the Shire." "A Ring!" "Lost!" "My Precious is lost!" "For the time will soon come when hobbits will shape the fortunes of all." "You're late." "A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins, nor is he early." "He arrives precisely when he means to." "It's wonderful to see you, Gandalf." "You didn't think I'd miss your Uncle Bilbo's birthday." "What news of the outside world?" "Tell me everything." "Everything?" "Far too eager and curious for a hobbit!" "Most unnatural." "Well, what can I tell you?" "Life in the wide world goes on, much as it has this past age, full of its own comings and goings," "scarcely aware of the existence of hobbits." "For which I am very thankful." "Oh, the long-expected party." "Well, how is the old rascal?" "I hear it's going to be a party of special magnificence." "You know Bilbo." "He's got the whole place in an uproar." "Well, that should please him." "Half the Shire's been invited." "He's up to something." "All right, then, keep your secrets." "Before you came along, we Bagginses were very well thought of." "Indeed?" "Never had any adventures or did anything unexpected." "If you're referring to the incident with the dragon, I was barely involved." "All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out of the door." "Whatever you did, you have been officially labeled a disturber of the peace." "Gandalf, Gandalf!" "Fireworks, Gandalf!" "Gandalf, I'm glad you're back." "So am I, dear boy," "so am I." "No thank you!" "We don't want any more visitors, well-wishers, or distant relations!" "And what about very old friends?" "Gandalf?" "Bilbo Baggins!" "My dear Gandalf!" "Good to see you!" "One hundred and eleven years old!" "Who would believe it?" "You haven't aged a day." "Come on, come in." "Welcome, welcome." "Tea?" "Or maybe something a little stronger." "I've got a few bottles of the Old Winyards left." "1296, a very good year!" "Almost as old as I am!" "It was laid down by my Father." "What say we open one, eh?" "Just tea, thank you." "I was expecting you sometime last week, but you come and go as you please..." "I can make you some eggs if you like..." "Just tea, thank you." "All right, you don't mind if I do?" "Oh, no, not at all." "I'm not at home!" "I've got to get away from these confounded relatives, hanging on the bell all day, never giving me a moment's peace." "I want to see mountains again, mountains, Gandalf!" "And then find someplace quiet where I can finish my book." "Oh, tea." "So you mean to go through with your plan, then?" "Yes, yes, it's all in hand." "All the arrangements are made." "Frodo suspects something." "Of course he does, he's a Baggins, not some blockheaded Bracegirdle from Hardbottle!" "You will tell him, won't you?" "Yes, yes." "He's very fond of you, you know." "I know." "He'd probably come with me if I asked him... but I think in his heart Frodo is still in love with the Shire." "The woods, the fields, little rivers." "I'm old, Gandalf." "I know I don't look it, but I'm beginning to feel it in my heart." "I feel thin, a sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread." "I need a holiday, a very long holiday, and I don't expect I shall return." "In fact, I mean not to!" "Old Toby!" "The finest weed in the Southfarthing." "Gandalf, my old friend, this will be a night to remember!" "Go on, Sam, ask Rosie for a dance!" "I think I'll just have another ale." "Oh, no you don't!" "Go on." "So there I was, at the mercy of three monstrous trolls, and they were all arguing amongst themselves about how they were going to cook us!" "Whether it be turned on a spit, or whether they should sit on us one by one and squash us into jelly!" "They spent so much time arguing the whithertos and the whyfors that the sun's first light crept up over the tops of the trees and turned them all to stone!" "No, no!" "The big one, the big one!" "You're supposed to stick it in the ground first!" "It is in the ground!" "Outside!" "This was your idea!" "Bilbo, watch out for the dragon!" "Dragon?" "Nonsense, there hasn't been a dragon in these parts for a thousand years!" "That was good!" "Let's get another one!" "Meriadoc Brandybuck, and Peregrin Took." "I might have known." "Speech, Bilbo!" "Speech!" "My dear Bagginses and Boffins," "Tooks and Brandybucks, Grubbs, Chubbs, Hornblowers," "Bolgers, Bracegirdles and Proudfoots!" "Proudfeet!" "Today is my one hundred and eleventh birthday!" "Alas, eleventy one years is far too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits!" "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve!" "I have things to do." "I've put this off for far too long." "I regret to announce this is the end!" "I'm going now." "I bid you all a very fond farewell!" "Goodbye." "I suppose you think that was terribly clever." "Come on, Gandalf!" "Did you see their faces?" "There are a good many magic rings in the world, Bilbo Baggings, and none of them should be used lightly!" "It was just a bit of fun." "Oh, you're probably right, as usual." "You will keep an eye on Frodo, won't you?" "Two eyes, as often as I can spare them." "I'm leaving everything to him." "What about this Ring of yours, is that staying, too?" "Yes, it's in an envelope, over there on the mantelpiece." "Wait." "It's..." "here in my pocket." "Isn't that... isn't that odd, now?" "Yet, after all, why not?" "Why shouldn't I keep it?" "I think you should leave the Ring behind." "Is that so hard?" "Well, no, and yes." "Now it comes to it." "I don't feel like parting with it!" "It's mine!" "I found it!" "It came to me!" "There's no need to get angry." "And what if I'm angry!" "It's your fault!" "It's mine." "My own, my precious..." "Precious?" "It's been called that before, but not by you." "So, what business is it of yours what I do with my own things?" "I think you've had that Ring quite long enough." "You want it for yourself!" "Bilbo Baggins!" "Do not take me for some conjuror of cheap tricks!" "I am not trying to rob you!" "I'm trying to help you." "All your long years, we have been friends." "Trust me now as you once did." "Let it go." "You're right, Gandalf." "The Ring must go to Frodo." "It's late, and the road is long." "Yes, it is time." "Bilbo, the Ring is still in your pocket." "Oh, yes." "I've thought of an ending for my book." "'And he lived happily ever after, to the end of his days.'" "And I'm sure you will, my dear friend." "Goodbye, Gandalf." "Goodbye, dear Bilbo." "Until our next meeting." "It's mine, my own, my precious." "Riddles in the dark..." "Bilbo!" "Bilbo!" "My Precious..." "He's gone, hasn't he?" "He talked for so long about leaving, I didn't think he'd really do it." "Gandalf?" "Bilbo's Ring." "He's gone to stay with the elves." "He's left you Bag End, along with all his possessions." "The Ring is yours now." "Put it somewhere out of sight." "Where are you going?" "There are some things that I must see to." "What things?" "Questions, questions that need answering." "You've only just arrived!" "I don't understand." "Neither do I." "Keep it secret." "Keep it safe." "'Shire!" "Baggins!" "'" "The year 3434 of the Second Age." "Here follows the account of Isildur, High King of Gondor, and the finding of the Ring Of Power." "It has come to me." "The One Ring!" "It shall be an heirloom of my kingdom." "All those who follow in my bloodline shall be bound to its fate, therefore I will risk no hurt to the Ring." "It is precious to me, though I buy it with a great pain." "The markings upon the band begin to fade." "The writing that at first was as clear as red flame has all but disappeared, a secret now that only fire can tell." "Ssssshire." "Bagginsssss." "No Bagginses here." "They're all up in Hobbitton." "That way." "Is it secret?" "Is it safe?" "What are you doing?" "Hold out your hand, Frodo." "It's quite cool." "What can you see?" "Can you see anything?" "Nothing." "There's nothing." "Wait." "There are markings." "It's some form of Elvish, but I can't read it." "There are few who can." "The language is that of Mordor, which I will not utter here." "Mordor?" "In the common tongue, it says," "'One Ring to rule them all, one Ring to find them...'" "'One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.'" "This is the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron in the fires of Mount Doom." "Taken by Isildur from the hand of Sauron himself." "Bilbo found it, in Gollum's cave." "Yes." "For sixty years, the Ring lay quiet in Bilbo's keeping, prolonging his life, delaying old age." "But no longer, Frodo." "Evil is stirring in Mordor." "The Ring has awoken." "It's heard its master's call." "But he was destroyed." "Sauron was destroyed." "No, Frodo." "The spirit of Sauron endured." "His life-force is bound to the Ring, and the Ring survived." "Sauron has returned." "His orcs have multiplied." "His fortress of Barad-Dur is rebuilt in the land of Mordor." "Sauron needs only this Ring to cover all the lands in a second darkness." "He is seeking it, seeking it, all his thought is bent on it." "The Ring yearns above all else to return to the hand of its master." "They are one, the Ring and the Dark Lord, Frodo." "He must never find it." "All right." "We put it away, we keep it hidden, we never speak of it again." "No one knows it's here, do they?" "Do they, Gandalf?" "There is one other who knew that Bilbo had the Ring." "I looked everywhere for the creature Gollum, but the Enemy found him first." "I don't know how long they tortured him, but amidst the endless screams and the inane babble, they discerned two words." "Shire." "Baggins." "Shire." "Baggins." "But that will lead them here!" "Who goes there?" "Take it, Gandalf, take it!" "You must take it!" "You cannot offer me this Ring!" "I am giving it to you!" "Don't tempt me, Frodo!" "I dare not take it, not even to keep it safe!" "Understand, Frodo." "I would use this Ring from a desire to do good." "But through me, it would yield a power too great and terrible to imagine." "But it cannot stay in the Shire!" "No." "No, it can't." "What must I do?" "You must leave, and leave quickly." "Where?" "Where do I go?" "Get out of the Shire." "Make for the village of Bree." "Bree." "What about you?" "I'll be waiting for you, at the Inn of the Prancing Pony." "And the Ring will be safe there?" "I don't know, Frodo." "I don't have any answers." "I must see the head of my order." "He is both wise and powerful." "Trust me, Frodo, he will know what to do." "You'll have to leave the name of Baggins behind you, for that name is not safe outside the Shire." "Travel only by day, and stay off the road." "I can cut across country easily enough." "My dear Frodo." "Hobbits really are amazing creatures." "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!" "Get down!" "Confound it all, Samwise Gamgee, have you been eavesdropping?" "I ain't been dropping no eaves, sir, honest," "I was just cutting the grass out of the window there, if you follow me." "A bit late for trimming the verge, don't you think." "I heard raised voices." "What did you hear?" "Speak!" "Nothing important." "That is, I heard a good deal about a Ring, and a dark lord, and something about the end of the world." "Please Mr. Gandalf sir, don't hurt me, don't turn me into anything unnatural." "No?" "Perhaps not." "I've thought of a better use for you." "Come along, Samwise, keep up!" "Be careful, both of you." "The enemy has many spies in his service." "Birds, beasts." "Is it safe?" "Never put it on, for the agents of the Dark Lord will be drawn to its power." "Always remember, Frodo." "The Ring is trying to get back to its master." "It wants to be found." "This is it." "This is what?" "If I take one more step, it will be the farthest away from home I've ever been." "Come on, Sam." "Remember what Bilbo used to say." "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door." "You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." "Smoke rises from the mountain of Doom." "The hour grows late, and Gandalf the Grey rides to Isengard seeking my council." "For that is why you have come, is it not, my old friend?" "Saruman." "You are sure of this?" "Beyond any doubt." "So the Ring Of Power has been found." "All these long years it was in the Shire, under my very nose." "And you had not the wit to see it." "Your love of the Halflings' leaf has clearly slowed your mind." "We still have time, time enough to counter Sauron, if we act quickly." "Time?" "What time do you think we have?" "Sauron has regained much of his former strength." "He cannot yet take physical form, but his spirit has lost none of its potency." "Concealed within his fortress, the Lord of Mordor sees all." "His gaze pierces cloud, shadow, earth and flesh." "You know of what I speak, Gandalf." "A great eye, lidless, wreathed in flame." "The Eye of Sauron." "He is gathering all evil to him." "Very soon he will have summoned an army great enough to launch an assault upon Middle Earth." "You know this?" "How?" "I have seen it." "A Palantir is a dangerous tool, Saruman." "Why?" "Why should we fear to use it?" "They are not all accounted for, the lost seeing stones." "You do not know who else may be watching." "The hour is later than you think." "Sauron's forces are already moving." "The Nine have left Minas Mordor." "The Nine?" "They crossed the river Isen on midsummer's eve, disguised as riders in black." "They've reached the Shire?" "They will find the Ring, and kill the one who carries it." "Frodo!" "You did not seriously think that a hobbit could contend with the will of Sauron?" "There are none who can." "Against the power of Mordor, there can be no victory." "We must join with him, Gandalf." "We must join with Sauron." "It would be wise, my friend." "Tell me, friend, when did Saruman the Wise abandon reason for madness?" "I gave you the chance of aiding me willingly, but you have elected the way of pain!" "Mister Frodo?" "Frodo!" "Frodo!" "I thought I'd lost you." "What are you talking about?" "It's just something Gandalf said." "What did he say?" "Don't you lose him, Samwise Gamgee." "And I don't mean to." "Sam, we're still in the Shire, Sam, what could possibly happen?" "Frodo!" "Merry, it's Frodo Baggins!" "Hello, Frodo!" "Get off him!" "What's the meaning of this?" "Hold these." "You've been into Farmer Maggott's crop!" "I don't know why he's so upset, it's only a couple of carrots." "And some cabbages." "And those three bags of potatoes we lifted last week." "And then, the mushrooms the week before." "Yes, Pippin!" "My point is, he's clearly overreacting!" "Ooh!" "That was close." "I think I've broken something." "Trust a Brandybuck and a Took!" "Nonsense!" "That was just a detour!" "A shortcut!" "Shortcut to what?" "Mushrooms!" "I think we should get off the road." "Get off the road, quick!" "What was that?" "Anything?" "Nothing." "What is going on?" "That Black Rider was looking for something, or someone." "Frodo?" "Get down!" "I have to leave the Shire." "Sam and I must get to Bree." "Right." "Bucklebury ferry." "Follow me." "Get the ropes, Sam!" "Frodo!" "Run, Frodo!" "Go!" "How far to the nearest crossing?" "Brandywine bridge." "Twenty miles." "Come on!" "What do you want?" "We're heading for the Prancing Pony." "Hobbits." "Four hobbits!" "What business brings you to Bree?" "We wish to stay at the inn." "Our business is our own." "All right, young sir, I meant no offence." "It's my job to ask questions after nightfall." "There's talk of some strange folk abroad." "Can't be too careful." "Excuse me?" "Good evening, little Masters." "If you're seeking accommodation, we got some nice cozy hobbit-sized rooms available, Mr...?" "Underhill." "My name's Underhill." "We're friends of Gandalf the Grey." "Can you tell him we've arrived?" "Gandalf?" "Oh yes, I remember... elderly chap, big grey beard, pointy hat." "Not seen him for six months." "What do we do now?" "Sam." "He'll be here." "He'll come." "What's that?" "This, my friend, is a pint." "It comes in pints?" "I'm getting one." "You've got a whole half already." "That fellow's done nothing but stare at you since we arrived." "Excuse me." "That man in the corner, who is he?" "He's one of them Rangers." "Dangerous folk, they are, wandering the wilds." "What his right name is I've never heard, but round here he's known as Strider." "Strider." "Baggins." "Baggins?" "Sure I know a Baggins." "He's over there." "Frodo Baggins." "He's my second cousin, once removed on his Mother's side." "Pippin!" "Steady on!" "You cannot hide..." "I see you." "You draw far too much attention to yourself, Mr. Underhill." "What do you want?" "A little more caution from you, that is no trinket you carry." "I carry nothing." "Indeed?" "I can avoid being seen if I wish, but to disappear entirely... that is a rare gift." "Who are you?" "Are you frightened?" " Yes." " Not nearly frightened enough." "I know what hunts you." "Let him go, or I'll have you..." "You have a stout heart, little hobbit, but that will not save you." "You can no longer wait for the wizard, Frodo." "They're coming." "What are they?" "They were once men." "Great Kings of men, then Sauron the Deceiver gave them nine Rings of Power, and, blinded by their greed... they took them without question, one by one falling into darkness." "Now they are slaves to his will." "They are the Nazgul, Ringwraiths, neither living nor dead." "At all times they feel the presence of the Ring, drawn to the power of the One." "They will never stop hunting you." "Where are you taking us?" "Into the wild." "How do we know this Strider is a friend of Gandalf?" "We have no choice but to trust him." "Where is he leading us?" "To Rivendell, Master Gamgee, the house of Elrond." "Did you hear that?" "Rivendell!" "We're going to see the elves!" "Gentlemen, we do not stop till nightfall." " What about breakfast?" " You have had it." "We've had one, yes, what about second breakfast?" "I don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pip." "What about elevenses?" "Luncheon?" "Afternoon tea?" "Dinner?" "Supper?" "Do you think he knows about them?" "I wouldn't count on it." "The power of Isengard is at your command, Sauron, Lord of the Earth." "Build me an army worthy of Mordor." "What orders from Mordor, my lord?" "What does the High command?" "We have work to do." "The trees are strong, my lord." "Their roots go deep." "Rip them all down." "This was the great watchtower of Amon Sul." "We shall rest here tonight." "These are for you." "Keep them close." "I'm going to have a look around." "Stay here." "What are you doing?" "Tomatoes, sausages, nice crispy bacon!" "We saved some for you, Mr. Frodo!" "Put it out, you fools, put it out!" "That's nice, ash on my tomatoes." "Go!" "Back, you devils!" "Frodo!" "Oh, Sam!" "Strider!" "Help him, Strider!" "He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade." "This is beyond my skill to heal, he needs elvish medicine." "Hurry." "We're six days to Rivendell!" "He'll never make it!" "Gandalf!" "Mr. Frodo?" "He's going cold!" "Is he going to die?" "He is passing into the shadow world." "He will soon become a Wraith like them." "They're close!" " Sam, do you know the Athelas plant?" " Athelas?" " Kingsfoil." " Kingsfoil?" "Aye, it's a weed." "It may help to slow the poison." "Hurry!" "What's this?" "A Ranger caught off his guard?" "Frodo!" "Who is she?" "She's an elf!" "He's fading." "He's not going to last." "We must get him to my father." " I've been looking for you for two days." " Where are you taking him?" "There are five wraiths behind you." "Where the other four are I do not know." "What are they saying?" "I do not fear them." "Arwen, ride hard and don't look back." "What are you doing?" "Those wraiths are still out there!" "Give up the halfling, she-elf!" "If you want him, come and claim him!" "Frodo, no!" "Frodo, don't give in!" "Not now!" "What grace is given me let it pass to him." "Let him be spared." "Save him." "Where am I?" "You are in the House of Elrond, and it is ten o'clock in the morning, on October the 24th, if you want to know." "Gandalf?" "Yes, I'm here." "And you're lucky to be here, too." "A few more hours and you would have been beyond our aid, but you have some strength in you, dear hobbit." "What happened, Gandalf?" "Why didn't you meet us?" "Oh, I am sorry, Frodo." "I was delayed." "The friendship of Saruman is not lightly thrown aside." "One ill turn deserves another." "It is over." "Embrace the power of the Ring or embrace your own destruction." "There is only one Lord of the Ring." "Only one may bend it to his will, and he does not share power." "So you have chosen death." "Gandalf, what is it?" "Nothing." "Frodo!" " Frodo!" " Sam!" " Bless you!" "You're awake!" "Sam has hardly left your side." "We were that worried about you, weren't we, Mr. Gandalf?" "By the skills of Lord Elrond, you're beginning to mend." "Welcome to Rivendell, Frodo Baggins." " Bilbo!" " Hello, Frodo, my lad!" " Bilbo!" "'There and back again..." "a hobbit's tale, by Bilbo Baggins.'" "This is wonderful!" "I meant to go back, wander the paths of the Mirkwood, visit Laketown, see the Lonely Mountain again," "but age, it seems, has finally caught up with me." "I miss the Shire." "I spent all my childhood pretending I was off somewhere else, off with you on one of your adventures," "but my own adventure turned out to be quite different." "I'm not like you, Bilbo." "My dear boy." "Now what have I forgotten?" "Packed already?" "No harm in being prepared." "I thought you wanted to see the elves, Sam." " I do." " More than anything." "I did, it's just..." "We did what Gandalf wanted, didn't we?" "We got the Ring this far, to Rivendell, and I thought, seeing as how you're on the mend, we'd be off soon." "Off home." "You're right, Sam." "We did what we set off to do." "The Ring will be safe in Rivendell." "I am ready to go home." "His strength returns." "That wound will never fully heal." "He will carry it for the rest of his life." "Yet to have come so far still bearing the Ring, the hobbit has shown extraordinary resilience to its evil." "It is a burden he should never have had to bear." "We can ask no more of Frodo." "Gandalf, the Enemy is moving." "Sauron's forces are massing in the East." "His Eye is fixed on Rivendell." "And Saruman, you tell me, has betrayed us." "Our list of allies grows thin." "His treachery runs deeper than you know." "At Falcraft, Saruman has crossed orcs with goblin men." "He is breeding an army in the caverns of Isengard." "An army that can move in sunlight, and cover great distance at speed." "Saruman is coming for the Ring." "This evil cannot be concealed by the power of the elves." "We do not have the strength to fight both Mordor and Isengard." "Gandalf!" "The Ring cannot stay here." "This peril belongs to all Middle Earth, and they must decide now how to end it." "The time of elves is over." "My people are leaving these shores." "Who will you look to when we've gone?" "The dwarves?" "They hide in their mountains seeking riches and care nothing for the troubles of others." "It is in men that we must place our hope." "Men!" "Men are weak." "The race of men is failing." "The blood of Numenor is all but spent, its pride and dignity forgotten." "It is because of men the Ring survives." "I was there, Gandalf." "I was there three thousand years ago." "When Isildur took the Ring, I was there the day the strength of men failed." "Isildur, hurry!" "Follow me!" "I led Isildur into the heart of Mount Doom, where the Ring was forged, the one place it could be destroyed." "Cast it into the fire!" "Destroy it!" "No." "Isildur!" "It should have ended that day, but evil was allowed to endure." "Isildur kept the Ring." "The line of Kings is broken." "There's no strength left in the world of men." "They're scattered, divided, leaderless." "There is one who could unite them, one who could reclaim the throne of Gondor." "He turned from that path a long time ago." "He's chosen exile." "The shards of Narsil." "The blade that cut the Ring from Sauron's hand." "Still sharp." "But no more than a broken hilt." "Why do you fear the past?" "You are Isildur's heir, not Isildur himself." "You are not bound to his fate." "The same blood flows in my veins," "the same weakness." "Your time will come." "You will face the same evil, and you will defeat it." "You said you would bind yourself to me, forsaking the immortal life of your people." "And to that I hold." "I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone." "I choose a mortal life." "You cannot give me this." "It is mine to give to whom I will." "Like my heart." "Strangers from distant lands, friends of old." "You've been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor." "Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction." "None can escape it." "You will unite or you will fall." "Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom." "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." "So it is true." "It is a gift, a gift to the foes of Mordor." "Why not use this Ring?" "Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay." "By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe." "Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy." "Let us use it against him." "You cannot wield it." "None of us can." "The One Ring answers to Sauron alone." "It has no other master." "What would a Ranger know of this matter?" "This is no mere Ranger." "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn." "You owe him your allegiance." "Aragorn?" "This is Isildur's heir." "And heir to the throne of Gondor." "Gondor has no King." "Gondor needs no King." "Aragorn is right." "We cannot use it." "You have only one choice." "The Ring must be destroyed." "What are we waiting for?" "The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess." "The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom." "Only there it can be unmade." "It must be taken deep into Mordor, and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came." "One of you must do this." "One does not simply walk into Mordor." "Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs." "There is evil there that does not sleep, and the great eye is ever watchful." "T'is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire, ash and dust." "The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume." "Not with ten thousand men could you do this." "It is folly." "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" "The Ring must be destroyed!" "I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" "And what if we fail?" "What then?" "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!" "Never trust an elf!" "I will take it." "I will take it!" "I will take the Ring to Mordor." "Though..." "I do not know the way." "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, for as long as it is yours to bear." "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will." "You have my sword." "And you have my bow." "And my axe." "You carry the fates of us all, little one." "If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done." "Here!" "Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me." "Indeed, it is hardly possible to separate the two of you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." "Hei!" "We're coming, too!" "You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us." "Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission." "Quest." "Thing." "Well, that rules you out, Pip." "Nine companions." "So be it." "You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring." "Great." "Where are we going?" "My old sword, Sting." "Here, take it, take it!" "It's so light!" "Yes." "Made by the elves, you know." "The blade glows blue when orcs are close." "And it's times like that, my lad, when you have to be extra careful." "Here's a pretty thing." "Mithril." "As light as a feather, and as hard as dragon scales." "Let me see you put it on." "Oh, my old Ring." "I should very much like to hold it again, one last time." "I'm sorry I brought this upon you, my boy." "I'm sorry you must carry this burden." "I'm sorry for everything!" "We must hold to this course west of the Misty Mountains for forty days." "If our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us, and from there our road turns east to Mordor." "Good, very good." "Move your feet!" "If anyone were to ask my for opinion, which I note they have not," "I'd say we were taking the long way around!" "Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria." "My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome!" "No, Gimli, I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice." " Sorry!" "Whats is that?" "It's nothing, just a wisp of cloud." "It's moving fast, against the wind." " Crebain from Dunland!" " Hide!" "Hurry!" "Spies of Saruman." "The passage south is being watched." "We must take the pass of Caradhras." "Boromir." "It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing." "Such a little thing." "Boromir!" "Give the Ring to Frodo." "As you wish." "I care not." "So, Gandalf." "You tried to lead them over Caradhras." "And if that fails?" "Where then will you go?" "If the mountain defeats you, will you risk a more dangerous road?" "There is a fell voice on the air!" "It's Saruman!" "He's trying to bring down the mountain!" "Gandalf!" "We must turn back!" "No!" "We must get off the mountain!" "Make for the Gap of Rohan, or take the west road to my city!" "Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" "If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it!" "Let us go through the mines of Moria." "Moria." "You fear to go into those mines." "The dwarves delved too greedily and too deep." "You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-Dum." "Shadow and flame." "Let the Ringbearer decide!" "Frodo." "We will go through the mines!" "So be it." "The walls of Moria." "Ithildin." "It mirrors only starlight and moonlight." "It reads," "'The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria." "Speak Friend and enter.'" "What do you suppose that means?" "Oh, it's quite simple." "If you are a friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open." "The mines are no place for a pony, even one so brave as Bill." "Bye bye, Bill." "Go on." "Don't worry, Sam, he knows the way home." "Do not disturb the water!" "Oh, this is useless!" "It's a riddle." "'Speak Friend and enter'." "What's the Elvish word for 'Friend'?" "'Mellhonar'." "Soon, mister elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves!" "Roaring fires, malt beer, red meat off the bone!" "This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin..." "And they call it a mine." "A mine!" "This is no mine, it's a tomb." "No!" "Goblins!" "We make for the Gap of Rohan!" "We should never have come here!" "Now get out!" "Get out!" " Frodo!" " Strider!" "Into the mines!" "We now have but one choice." "We must face the long dark of Moria." "Be on your guard!" "There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world." "It's a four day journey to the other side." "Let us hope our presence may go unnoticed." "Pippin!" "I have no memory of this place." "There's something down there." "It's Gollum." "He's been following us for three days." "He escaped the dungeons of Barad-dur!" "Escaped, or was set loose." "He hates and loves the Ring, as he hates and loves himself." "He will never be rid of his need for it." "Pity Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance." "Pity?" "It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand." "Many who live deserve death, and some who die deserve life." "Can you give it to them, Frodo?" "Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment." "Even the very wise cannot see all ends." "My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play, for good or ill." "Before this is over, the pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many." "I wish the Ring had never come to me." "I wish none of this had ever happened." "So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide." "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." "There are other forces at work in this world besides the will of evil." "Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you also were meant to have it." "And that is an encouraging thought." "Ah!" "It's that way." "He's remembered!" "No, but the air smells less foul down here." "If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose." "Let me risk a little more light." "Behold!" "The great realm of the Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf." "Well, there's an eye-opener and no mistake!" "Gimli!" "'Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria.'" "He is dead then." "It's as I feared." "We must move on." "We cannot linger." "'They have taken the bridge, and the second hall." "We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long." "The ground shakes." "Drums, drums in the deep." "We cannot get out." "A shadow moves in the dark." "We cannot get out." "They are coming.'" "Fool of a Took!" "Throw yourself in next time, and rid us of your stupidity!" "Orcs!" "Get back, stay close to Gandalf!" "They have a cave troll." "Let them come!" "There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!" "I think I'm getting the hang of this!" "Aragorn!" "Help!" "Aragorn!" "Frodo!" "Oh, no." "He's alive!" "I'm all right, I'm not hurt." "You should be dead!" "That spear would have skewered a wild boar!" "I think there is more to this hobbit than meets the eye." "Mithril!" "You are full of surprises, Mr. Baggins!" "To the bridge of Khazad-Dum!" "What is this new devilry?" "A Balrog." "A demon of the ancient world." "This foe is beyond any of you." "Run!" "Lead them on, Aragorn!" "The bridge is near." "Do as I say!" "Swords are no more use here!" "Gandalf!" "Hurry!" "Pippin!" "Sam!" "Nobody tosses a dwarf!" "Not the beard!" "Lean forward!" "Come on!" "Hurry to the bridge!" "You cannot pass." "Gandalf!" "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, Wielder of the Flame of Arnor!" "Dark fire shall not avail you, Flame of Udun!" "Go back to the shadow!" "You shall not pass!" "Gandalf!" "Fly, you fools!" "Noooooo!" "Legolas, get them up!" "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" "By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs!" "We must reach the woods of Lothlorien." "Boromir, Legolas, Gimli!" "Get them up!" "On your feet, Sam." "Frodo?" "Stay close, young hobbits." "They say a great sorceress lives in these woods, an elf-witch of terrible power." "All who look upon her fall under her spell," "Frodo!" "and are never seen again." "Your coming is as the footsteps of doom." "You bring great evil here, Ringbearer." "Frodo?" "Well, here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily!" "I have the eyes of a hawk, and the ears of a fox!" "The dwarf breathes so loudly we could have shot him in the dark." "Aragorn!" "These woods are perilous!" "We should go back!" "You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood." "You cannot go back." "Come." "She is waiting." "Eight there are here, but nine there were set out from Rivendell." "Tell me where is Gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him." "He is fallen into shadow." "The quest stands upon the edge of a knife, stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all." "Yet hope remains while the company is true." "Do not let your hearts be troubled." "Go now, and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil." "Tonight you shall sleep in peace." "Welcome, Frodo of the Shire, one who has seen the Eye." "A lament for Gandalf." "What do they say about him?" "I have not the heart to tell you." "For me the grief is still too near." "Take some rest." "These borders are well protected." "I will find no rest here." "I heard a voice inside my head." "She spoke of my father and the fall of Gondor." "She said to me, even now, there is hope left, but I cannot see it." "It is long since we had any hope." "My father is a noble man, but his rule is failing, and our people lose faith." "He looks to me to make things right, and I would do it," "I would see the glory of Gondor restored." "Have you ever seen it, Aragorn?" "The white tower of Ecthelion glimmering like a spike of pearl and silver, its banners caught high in the morning breeze." "Have you ever been called home by the clear ringing of silver trumpets?" "I have seen the White City, long ago." "One day, our paths will lead us there, and the tower guard shall take up the call," "'The lords of Gondor have returned!" "'" "Will you look into the mirror?" "What will I see?" "Even the wisest cannot tell, for the mirror shows many things." "Things that were, things that are," "and some things that have not yet come to pass." "I know what it is you saw, for it is also in my mind." "It is what will come to pass if you should fail." "The Fellowship is breaking." "It has already begun." "He will try to take the Ring." "You know of whom I speak." "One by one, it will destroy them all." "If you ask it of me, I will give you the One Ring." "You offer it to me freely." "I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired this." "In place of a Dark Lord, you would have a queen, not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn!" "Tempestuous as the sea, and stronger than the foundations of the earth!" "All shall love me and despair!" "I passed the test." "I will diminish, and go into the west, and remain Galadriel." "I cannot do this alone." "You are a Ringbearer, Frodo." "To bear a Ring of Power is to be alone." "This task was appointed to you, and if you do not find a way," "no one will." "Then, I know what I must do." "It's just..." "I am afraid to do it." "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." "Do you know how the orcs first came into being?" "They were elves once, taken by the dark powers," "tortured and mutilated." "A ruined and terrible fall of life." "And now perfected, my fighting Uruk-Hai." "Whom do you serve?" "Saruman." "Hunt them down." "Do not stop until they are found." "You do not know pain, you do not know fear, you will taste man-flesh!" "One of the halflings carries something of great value." "Bring them to me alive, and unspoiled!" "Kill the others." "Farewell, Frodo Baggins." "I give you the light of Eärendil, our most beloved star." "May it be a light for you in dark places, when all other lights go out." "Frodo." "The Aragornath." "Long have I desired to look upon the Kings of old, my kin." "We cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats and continue on foot." "We approach Mordor from the north." "Oh, yes?" "Just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil, an impassable labyrinth of razor-sharp rocks!" "And after then it gets even better!" "Festering, stinking marshlands as far as the eye can see!" "That is our road." "I suggest you to take some rest, and recover your strength, Master Dwarf." "Recover my...!" "We should leave now." "No." "Orcs patrol the eastern shore." "We must wait for cover of darkness." "It is not the eastern shore that worries me." "A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind." "Something draws near, I can feel it." "Recover my strength!" "Pay no heed to that, young hobbits." "Where's Frodo?" "None of us should wander alone, you least of all." "So much depends on you." "Frodo?" "I know why you seek solitude." "You suffer, I see it day by day." "Be sure you do not suffer needlessly." "There are other ways, Frodo, other paths that we might take." "I know what you would say, and it would seem like wisdom, but for the warning in my heart." "Warning?" "Against what?" "They are all afraid, Frodo." "But to let that fear drive us to destroy what hope we have..." "Don't you see?" "It's madness." "There is no other way." "I ask only for the strength to defend my people!" " If you would but lend me the Ring." " No!" "Why do you recoil?" "I am no thief." "You are not yourself!" "What chance do you think you have?" "They will find you, they will take the Ring, and you will beg for death before the end!" "It is not yours save by a happenstance." "It could have been mine." "It should be mine!" "Give it to me!" "No!" "I see your mind!" "You would take the Ring to Sauron!" "You will betray us!" "You go to your death, and the death of us all!" "Curse you!" "Curse you!" "And all the halflings!" "Frodo?" "Frodo?" "Frodo, I'm sorry." "Frodo?" "It has taken Boromir." "Where is the Ring?" "Stay away!" "Frodo?" "I swore to protect you." "Can you protect me from yourself?" "Would you destroy it?" "I would have gone with you to the end, into the very fires of Mordor." "I know." "Look after the others." "Especially Sam, he will not understand." "Go, Frodo!" "Run!" "Run!" "Mr. Frodo!" "Find the Halflings!" "Find the Halflings!" "Frodo!" "Hide here, quick!" "Come on." "What's he doing?" "He's leaving." "No!" "Run, Frodo." "Go." "Hey!" "Hey you!" "Over here!" "Hey!" "Over here!" "This way!" " It's working!" " I know it's working, run!" "The Horn of Gondor." "Boromir." "Run!" "Run!" " They took the little ones." " Be still." "Frodo." "Where is Frodo?" "I let Frodo go." "Then you did what I could not." "I tried to take the Ring from him." "The Ring is beyond our reach now." "Forgive me." "I did not see it." "I have failed you all." "No, Boromir." "You fought bravely." "You have kept your honor." "Leave it." "It is over." "The world of men will fall." "All will come to darkness, and my city to ruin." "I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you I will not let the White City fall," "nor our people fail." "Our people." "Our people." "I would have followed you, my brother, my captain," "my King." "Be at peace, son of Gondor." "Frodo!" "I wish the Ring had never come to me." "I wish none of this had happened." "So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide." "All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you." "Frodo!" "No!" "Frodo!" "No, Sam." "Go back, Sam." "I'm going to Mordor alone!" "Of course you are, and I'm coming with you!" "You can't swim!" "Sam!" "Sam!" "I made a promise, Mr. Frodo." "A promise." "'Don't you leave him, Samwise Gamgee'," "and I don't mean to." "I don't mean to." "Oh, Sam." "Come on." "Hurry!" "Frodo and Sam have reached the eastern shore!" "You mean not to follow them." "Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands." "Then it has all been in vain." "The Fellowship has failed." "Not if we hold true to each other." "We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death." "Not while we have strength left." "Leave all that can be spared behind." "We travel light." "Let's hunt some orc." "Mordor." "I hope the others find a safer road." "Strider will look after them." "I don't suppose we'll ever see them again." "We may yet, Mr. Frodo." "We may." "Sam," "I'm glad you're with me." "zax77@rol.ro"