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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 3, 1:41pm
Post #1 of 36
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It's time for some BS!
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Here's the 1st of a 7-part journey with Frodo and Sam on the cliffs of Emyn Muil… for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
The Taming of Sméagol: The Two Towers ... "The hobbits stood now on the brink of a tall cliff, bare and bleak, its feet wrapped in mist... ...behind them rose the broken highlands crowned with drifting cloud. A chill wind blew from the East. Night was gathering over the shapeless lands before them...
......South and east they stared to where, at the edge of the oncoming night, a dark line hung, like distant mountains of motionless smoke. Every now and again a tiny red gleam far away flickered upwards on the rim of earth and sky.
...'What a fix!' said Sam. 'That's the one place in all the lands we've ever heard of that we don't want to see any closer; and that's the one place we're trying to get to! And that's just where we can't get, nohow. We've come the wrong way altogether... ...We can't get down; and if we did get down, we'd find all that green land a nasty bog, I'll warrant. Phew! Can you smell it?' He sniffed...
...'...Yes, I can smell it,' said Frodo, but he did not move... ...his eyes remained fixed, staring out towards the dark line and the flickering flame. 'Mordor!' he muttered under his breath. 'If I must go there, I wish I could come there quickly and make an end!' He shuddered. The wind was chilly... ...heavy with an odour of cold decay. 'Well,' he said, at last withdrawing his eyes, 'we cannot stay here at night, fix or no fix. We must find a more sheltered spot and camp once more; and perhaps another day will show us a path.'
...'Or another and another and another,' muttered Sam. 'Or maybe no day. We've come the wrong way.'
...'I wonder,' said Frodo. 'It's my doom... ...to go to that Shadow yonder, so that a way will be found. But will good or evil show it to me? What hope we had was in speed. Delay plays into the Enemy's hands... ...here I am: delayed. Is it the will of the Dark Tower that steers us? All my choices have proved ill. I should have left the Company long before... ...down from the North, east of the River and of the Emyn Muil, and so over the hard of Battle Plain to the passes of Mordor. But now it isn't possible for you and me alone to find a way back, and the Orcs are prowling on the east bank. Every day that passes is a precious day lost. I am tired, Sam. I don't know what is to be done...
......I wish we could get away from these hills! I hate them. I feel all naked on the east side, stuck up here with nothing but the dead flats between me and that Shadow yonder. There's an Eye in it. Come on! We've got to get down today somehow.'
...But that day wore on, and when afternoon faded towards evening they were still scrambling along the ridge and had found no way of escape."
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 4, 2:29pm
Post #2 of 36
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Here's the 2nd of a 7-part journey with Frodo and Sam on the cliffs of Emyn Muil… for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
The Taming of Sméagol: The Two Towers ..."The bottom of the gully... ...was rough with broken stone and slanted steeply down.... ...Frodo stooped and leaned out.
...'Look!' he said... '...It's much lower here than it was, and it looks easier too.'
...Sam knelt beside him and peered reluctantly over the edge... '...Easier!' he grunted. 'Well, I suppose it's always easier getting down than up. Those as can't fly can jump... ...Ugh! How I do hate looking down from a height! But looking's better than climbing.'
...'All the same,' said Frodo... '...we had better try at once. It's getting dark early. I think there's a storm coming....'
......Frodo sniffed the air and looked up doubtfully at the sky. He strapped his belt outside his cloak and tightened it, and settled his light pack on his back; then he stepped towards the edge. 'I'm' going to try it,' he said.
...'Very good!' said Sam gloomily. 'But I'm going first.'
...'You?' said Frodo. 'What's made you change your mind about climbing?'
...'I haven't changed my mind. But it's only sense: put the one lowest as is most likely to slip. I don't want to come down atop of you and knock you off... ...no sense in killing two with one fall.'
...Before Frodo could stop him, he sat down, swung his legs over the brink, and twisted round scrabbling with his toes for a foothold. It is doubtful if he ever did anything braver in cold blood, or more unwise.
...'No, no! Sam, you old ass! ...You'll kill yourself for certain, going over like that without even a look to see what to make for. Come back!' He took Sam under the armpits and hauled him up again. 'Now, wait a bit and be patient!' he said. Then he lay on the ground, leaning out and looking down... ...light seemed to be fading quickly, although the sun had not yet set. 'I think we could manage this... ...I could at any rate; and you could too, if you kept your head and followed me carefully.'
...'I don't know how you can be so sure,' said Sam. 'Why! You can't see to the bottom in this light. What if you come to a place where there's nowhere to put your feet or your hands?'
...'Climb back, I suppose,' said Frodo.
...'Easy said,' objected Sam. 'Better wait till morning and more light.'
...'No! Not if I can help it,' said Frodo with a sudden strange vehemence. 'I grudge every hour, every minute. I'm going down to try it out...'
......Gripping the stony lip of the fall with his fingers he let himself gently down, until when his arms were almost at full stretch, his toes found a ledge. 'One step down!' he said. 'And this ledge broadens out to the right. I could stand there without a hold. I'll---' his words were cut short."
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 5, 2:58pm
Post #3 of 36
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Here's the 3rd of a 7-part journey with Frodo and Sam on the cliffs of Emyn Muil… for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
The Taming of Sméagol: The Two Towers ..."The hurrying darkness, now gathering great speed, rushed up from the East... ...Then came a blast of savage wind... ...mingling with its roar, there came a high shrill shriek. The hobbits had heard just such a cry far away in the Marish as they fled from Hobbiton, and even there in the woods of the Shire it had frozen their blood. Out here in the waste its terror was far greater: it pierced them with cold blades of horror and despair, stopping heart and breath. Sam fell flat on his face... ...Frodo loosed his hold and put his hands over his head and ears. He swayed, slipped, and slithered downwards with a wailing cry.
...Sam heard him and crawled with an effort to the edge. 'Master, master!' he called. 'Master!' He heard no answer... ...he was shaking all over, but he gathered his breath, and once again he shouted: 'Master!' The wind seemed to blow his voice back into his throat, but as it passed... ...a faint answering cry came to his ears:
...'All right, all right! I'm here. But I can't see.'
...Frodo was calling with a weak voice... ...not actually very far away. He had slid and not fallen, and had come up with a jolt to his feet on a wider ledge not many yards lower down. Fortunately the rock-face at this point leaned well back and the wind had pressed him against the cliff... ...He steadied himself... ...laying his face against the cold stone, feeling his heart pounding. But either the darkness had grown complete, or else his eyes had lost their sight. All was black about him. He wondered if he had been struck blind. He took a deep breath.
...'Come back! Come back!' he heard Sam's voice out of the blackness above....
...' ...I can't see. I can't find any hold. I can't move yet.'
...'What can I do, Mr. Frodo?' shouted Sam, leaning out dangerously far. Why could not his master see? It was dim... ...He could see Frodo below him, a grey forlorn figure splayed against the cliff....
...'...I'm coming down to you,' shouted Sam, though how he hoped to help in that way he could not have said.
...'No, no! Wait!' Frodo called back, more strongly now... '...I feel better already. Wait! You can't do anything without a rope.'
...'Rope!' cried Sam... '...Well, if I don't deserve to be hung on the end of one as a warning to numbskulls…! You're nowt but a ninnyhammer, Sam Gamgee: that's what the Gaffer said to me often enough, it being a word of his. Rope!'
...'Stop chattering!' cried Frodo, now recovered enough to feel both amused and annoyed.... '...[Have you] got some rope in your pocket...?!'
...'...Yes, Mr. Frodo, in my pack and all. Carried it hundreds of miles, and I'd clean forgotten it!'"
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 6, 1:52pm
Post #4 of 36
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Here's the 4th of a 7-part journey with Frodo and Sam on the cliffs of Emyn Muil… for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
The Taming of Sméagol: The Two Towers [Sam remembers his elven rope as Frodo clings to the side of the cliff]
... "'Then get busy and let an end down!' [Frodo cried out]
... Quickly Sam unslung his pack and rummaged in it. There indeed at the bottom was a coil of the silken-grey rope made by the folk of Lórien. He cast an end to his master. The darkness seemed to lift from Frodo's eyes... ...He could see the grey line as it came dangling down, and he thought it had a faint silver sheen. Now that he had some point in the darkness to fix his eyes on, he felt less giddy. Leaning his weight forward, he made the end fast round his waist, and then he grasped the line with both hands.
...Sam stepped back and braced his feet against a stump a yard or two from the edge. Half hauled, half scrambling, Frodo came up and threw himself on the ground.
... The hobbits crawled away back into the gully; but they did not find much shelter there. Rills of water began to run down… …splashed and fumed on the stones, and sprouted out over the cliff like the gutters of a vast roof.
... 'I should have been half drowned down there, or washed clean off,' said Frodo. 'What a piece of luck you had that rope!'
... 'Better luck if I'd thought of it sooner,' said Sam… '…you remember them putting the ropes in the boats, as we started off; in the elvish country. I took a fancy to it, and I stowed a coil in my pack. Years ago, it seems. "It may be a help in many needs," he said: Haldir, or one of those folk. And he spoke right.'
... 'A pity I didn't think of bringing another length,' said Frodo; 'but I left the Company in such a hurry… …If only we had enough we could use it to get down. How long is your rope, I wonder?'
... Sam paid it out slowly, measuring it with his arms: 'Five, ten, twenty, thirty ells, more or less,' he said.
... 'Who'd have thought it!' Frodo exclaimed.
... 'Ah! Who would…? …Elves are wonderful folk. It looks a bit thin but it's tough; and soft as milk to the hand. Packs close too, and as light as light. Wonderful folk to be sure!'"
We have been there and back again.
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(This post was edited by grammaboodawg on Feb 6, 1:53pm)
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 7, 2:11pm
Post #5 of 36
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Here's the 5th of a 7-part journey with Frodo and Sam on the cliffs of Emyn Muil… for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
The Taming of Sméagol: The Two Towers ... "'Thirty ells!' said Frodo considering. 'I believe it would be enough. If the storm passes before nightfall, I'm going to try it.'
... 'The rain's nearly given over already,' said Sam; 'but don't you go doing anything risky in the dim again, Mr. Frodo! And I haven't got over that shriek on the wind yet… …Like a Black Rider it sounded--but one up in the air, if they can fly. I'm thinking we'd best lay up in this crack till night's over.'
... 'And I'm thinking that I won't spend a moment longer… …stuck up on this edge with the eyes of the Dark Country looking over the marshes,' said Frodo.
... With that he stood up and went down to the bottom of the gully again. He looked out. Clear sky was growing in the East once more. The skirts of the storm were lifting ragged and wet… …over the desert and the reeking marshes the deep blue sky of evening opened once more, and few pallid stars appeared, like small white holes in the canopy above the crescent moon.
... 'It's good to be able to see again' said Frodo, breathing deep. 'Do you know, I thought for a bit that I had lost my sight? From the lightning or something else worse. I could see nothing, nothing at all, until the grey rope came down. It seemed to shimmer somehow.'
... 'It does look sort of silver in the dark,' and Sam. 'Never noticed it before, though I can't remember as I've ever had it out since I first stowed it. But if you're so set on climbing… …how are you going to use it? Thirty ells, or say, about eighteen fathoms: that's no more than your guess at the height of the cliff.'
... Frodo thought for a while. 'Make it fast to that stump, Sam… …Then I think you shall have your wish this time and go first. I'll lower you, and you need do no more than use your feet and hands to fend yourself off the rock. Though, if you put your weight on some of the ledges and give me a rest, it will help. When you're down, I'll follow. I feel quite myself again now.'
... 'Very well,' said Sam heavily. 'If it must be, let's get it over!' He took up the rope and made it fast over the stump nearest to the brink; then the other end he tied about his own waist. Reluctantly he turned and prepared to go over the edge a second time."
[NOTE: Commonly used as nautical measurement, 18 fathoms = 108 feet / 36 yards / 33 meters or 3 standard school buses end-to-end. Convert fathoms to feet by multiplying the length value by 6.]
What is a fathom? The longest of many units derived from an anatomical measurement, the fathom originated as the distance from the middle fingertip of one hand to the middle fingertip of the other hand of a large man holding his arms fully extended [in front of himself]. The name comes from the Old English faedm or faethm, meaning outstretched arms. [Britannica online]
1 fathom = 6 ft
108 ft = approximately 33 meters or 36 yards
36 yards long = 3 Yellow School Buses (36 feet ea)
We have been there and back again.
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(This post was edited by grammaboodawg on Feb 7, 2:13pm)
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 8, 1:18pm
Post #6 of 36
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Here's the 6th of a 7-part journey with Frodo and Sam relying on the elven rope on the cliffs of Emyn Muil… for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
The Taming of Sméagol: The Two Towers [Sam slowly slides down the cliff while Frodo holds the rope above]
... "It did not… …turn out half as bad as he had expected. The rope seemed to give him confidence, though he shut his eyes more than once when he looked down between his feet. There was one awkward spot, where there was no ledge and the wall was sheer and even undercut… …there he slipped and swung out on the silver line. But Frodo lowered him slowly and steadily and it was over at last. His chief fear had been that the rope-length would give out while he was still high up, but there was still a good bight in Frodo's hands, when Sam came to the bottom and called up: 'I'm down!' His voice came up clearly from below, but Frodo could not see him; his grey elven-cloak had melted into the twilight.
... Frodo took rather more time to follow him. He had the rope about his waist and it was fast above, and he had shortened it so that it would pull him up before he reached the ground; still he did not want to risk a fall, and he had not quite Sam's faith in this slender grey line. He found two places… …where he had to trust wholly to it: smooth surfaces where there was no hold even for his strong hobbit fingers… …But at last he too was down.
... 'Well!' he cried. 'We've done it! We've escaped from the Emyn Muil! And now what next, I wonder? Maybe we shall soon be sighing for good hard rock under foot again.'
... But Sam did not answer: he was staring back up the cliff.
... 'Ninnyhammers!' [Sam] said. 'Noodles! My beautiful rope! There it is tied to a stump, and we're at the bottom. Just as nice a little stair for that slinking Gollum as we could leave. Better put up a signpost to say which way we've gone! I thought it seemed a bit too easy.'
... 'If you can think of any way we could have both used the rope and yet brought it down with us, then you can pass on to me ninnyhammer…'"
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 9, 2:15pm
Post #7 of 36
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Here is the last installment of a set of Book Spoilers lovingly packed away where Frodo and Sam trust the elven rope on the cliffs of Emyn Muil… for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
The Taming of Sméagol: The Two Towers ... "'If you can think of any way we could have both used the rope and yet brought it down with us, then you can pass on to me ninnyhammer, or any other name your Gaffer gave you,' said Frodo. 'Climb up and untie it and let yourself down, if you want to!'
... Sam scratched his head. 'No, I can't think how, begging your pardon… …But I don't like leaving it, and that's a fact.' He stroked the rope's end and shook it gently. 'It goes hard parting with anything I brought out of the elf-country. Made by Galadriel herself… …maybe. Galadriel,' he murmured, nodding his head mournfully. He looked up and gave one last pull to the rope as if in farewell.
... To the complete surprise of both the hobbits it came loose. Sam fell over, and the long grey coils slithered silently down on top of him. Frodo laughed. 'Who tied the rope..? …A good thing it held as long as it did! To think that I trusted all my weight to your knot!'
... Sam did not laugh. 'I may not be much good at climbing, Mr. Frodo,' he said in injured tones, 'but I do know something about rope and about knots. It's in the family, as you might say. Why, my grand-dad, and my uncle Andy after him, him that was the Gaffer's eldest brother, he had a rope-walk over by Tighfield… …And I put as fast a hitch over the stump as any one could have done, in the Shire or out of it.'
... 'Then the rope must have broken—frayed on the rock-edge…' …said Frodo.
... 'I bet it didn't!' said Sam in an even more injured voice. He stooped and examined the ends. 'Nor it hasn't neither. Not a strand!'
... 'Then I'm afraid it must have been the knot…'
... Sam shook his head and did not answer. He was passing the rope through his fingers thoughtfully. 'Have it your own way, Mr. Frodo,' he said at last, 'but I think the rope came off itself—when I called.' He coiled it up and stowed it lovingly in his pack."
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 10, 2:14pm
Post #8 of 36
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This is the 1st of 4 Book Spoilers to put us back where we last left the Fellowship in Lothlórien. The survivors have been resting since their arrival on January 17th, but let's revisit their first encounter with Celeborn and Galadriel... for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
From The Mirror of Galadriel: The Fellowship of the Ring ..."'Your quest is known to us,' said Galadriel, looking at Frodo. 'But we will not here speak of it more openly. Yet not in vain will it prove... ...that you came to this land seeking aid, as Gandalf himself plainly purposed. For the Lord of the Galadrim is accounted the wisest of the Elves of Middle-earth, and a giver of gifts beyond the power of kings. He has dwelt in the West since the days of dawn, and I have dwelt with him years uncounted... ...together through ages of the world we have fought the long defeat.
...'I it was who first summoned the White Council. And if my designs had not gone amiss, it would have been governed by Gandalf the Grey, and then mayhap things would be gone otherwise. But even now there is hope left. I will not give you counsel... ...For not in doing or contriving, nor in choosing between this course and another, can I avail; but only in knowing what was and is, and in part also what shall be. But this I will say to you: your 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 all the Company is true.
...And with that word she held them with her eyes, and in silence looked searchingly at each of them in turn. None save Legolas and Aragorn could long endure her glance. Sam quickly blushed and hung his head...
......the Lady Galadriel released them from her eyes, and she smiled. 'Do not let your hearts be troubled... ...Tonight you shall sleep in peace.' Then they sighed and felt suddenly weary, as those who have been questioned long and deeply, though no words had been spoken openly.
...'Go now!' said Celeborn. 'You are worn with sorrow and much toil. Even if your Quest did not concern us closely, you should have refuge in this City, until you were healed and refreshed.'"
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 11, 2:00pm
Post #9 of 36
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This is 2nd of 4 Book Spoilers to prep and not short-change this very important TIME for the Fellowship... for our moment of Tolkien-zen.
From the Mirror of Galadriel: The Fellowship of the Ring ..."One evening Frodo and Sam were walking together in the cool twilight. Both of them felt restless again. On Frodo suddenly the shadow of parting had fallen: he knew somehow that the time was very near when he must leave Lothlórien.
...'What do you think of Elves now, Sam..? ...I asked you the same question once before—it seems a very long while ago; but you have seen more of them since then.'
...'I have indeed!' said Sam. 'And I reckon there's Elves and Elves. They're all elvish enough, but they're not all the same. Now these folk aren't wanderers or homeless, and seem a bit nearer to the likes of us: they seem to belong here, more even than Hobbits do in the Shire. Whether they've made the land, or the land's made them, it's hard to say, if you take my meaning. It's wonderfully quiet here. Nothing seems to be going on, and nobody seems to want it to. If there's any magic about, it's right down deep, where I can't lay my hands on it, in a manner of speaking.'
...'You can see and feel it everywhere,' said Frodo.
...'Well... ...you can't see nobody working it. No fireworks like poor old Gandalf used to show. I wonder we don't see nothing of the Lord and Lady in all these days. I fancy now that she could do some wonderful things, if she had a mind. I'd dearly love to see some Elf-magic, Mr. Frodo!'
...'I wouldn't... ...I am content. And I don't miss Gandalf's fireworks, but his bushy eyebrows, and his quick temper, and his voice.'
...'You're right,' said Sam. 'And don't think I'm finding fault. I've often wanted to see a bit of magic like what it tells of in old tales, but I've never heard of a better land than this. It's like being at home and on a holiday at the same time, if you understand me. I don't want to leave. All the same, I'm beginning to feel that if we've got to go on, then we'd best get it over.'
...'"It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish," as my old gaffer used to say. And I don't reckon that these folk can do much more to help us, magic or no. It's when we leave this land that we shall miss Gandalf worse, I'm thinking.'
...'I am afraid that's only too true, Sam... ...Yet I hope very much that before we leave we shall see the Lady of the Elves again.'"
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 12, 2:30pm
Post #10 of 36
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Here's the 3rd of 4 Book Spoilers that leads us to an important day coming up on the 14th... for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
From the Mirror of Galadriel: The Fellowship of the Ring ..."Even as he spoke, they saw, as if she came in answer to their words, the Lady Galadriel approaching. Tall and white and fair she walked beneath the trees. She spoke no word, but beckoned to them....
......she led them toward the southern slopes of the hill of Caras Galadon, and passing through a high green hedge they came into an enclosed garden.... ...Down a long flight of steps the Lady went into a deep green hollow, through which ran murmuring the silver stream that issued from the fountain on the hill. At the bottom, upon a low pedestal carved like a branching tree, stood a basin of silver, wide and shallow, and beside it stood a silver ewer.
...With water from the stream Galadriel filled the basin to the brim, and breathed on it, and when the water was still again she spoke. 'Here is the Mirror of Galadriel... ...I have brought you here so that you may look in it, if you will.'
...The air was very still, and the dell was dark, and the Elf-lady beside him was tall and pale. 'What shall we look for, and what shall we see?' asked Frodo, filled with awe.
...'Many things I can command the Mirror to reveal... ...and to some I can show what they desire to see. But the Mirror will also show things unbidden, and those are often stranger and more profitable than things which we wish to behold. What you will see, if you leave the Mirror free to work, I cannot tell. For it shows things that were, and things that are, and things that yet may be. But which it is that he sees, even the wisest cannot always tell. Do you wish to look?'
...Frodo did not answer.
...'And you?' she said, turning to Sam. 'For this is what your folk would call magic... ...though I do not understand clearly what they mean; and they seem also to use the same word of the deceits of the Enemy. But this... ...is the magic of Galadriel. Did you not say that you wished to see Elf-magic?'
...'I did,' said Sam, trembling a little between fear and curiosity. 'I'll have a peep, Lady, if you're willing.
...'And I'd not mind a glimpse of what's going on at home,' he said in an aside to Frodo. 'It seems a terrible long time that I've been away... ...like as not I'll only see the stars, or something that I won't understand.'
...'Like as not,' said the Lady with a gentle laugh. 'But come, you shall look and see what you may.'"
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 13, 1:41pm
Post #11 of 36
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Here's the 4th Book Spoiler that brings us back to what is going on with Frodo and Sam in Lothlorien as we return there ourselves tomorrow... for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
From the Mirror of Galadriel: The Fellowship of the Ring ..."Sam climbed up on the foot of the pedestal and leaned over the basin. The water looked hard and dark. Stars were reflected in it.
...'There's only stars, as I thought.' ...Then he gave a low gasp, for the stars went out. As if a dark veil had been withdrawn, the Mirror grew grey, and then clear. There was sun shining, and the branches of trees were waving and tossing in the wind. But before Sam could make up his mind what it was that he saw, the light faded; and now he thought he saw Frodo with a pale face lying fast asleep under a great dark cliff. Then he seemed to see himself going along a dim passage, and climbing an endless winding stair... ...he was looking urgently for something, but what it was he did not know. Like a dream the vision shifted and went back, and he saw the trees again. But this time they were not so close, and he could see what was going on: they were not waving in the wind, they were falling, crashing to the ground.
...'Hi!' cried Sam in an outraged voice. 'There's that Ted Sandyman a-cutting down trees as he shouldn't. They didn't ought to be felled: it's that avenue beyond the Mill that shades the road to Bywater. I wish I could get at Ted, and I'd fell him!'
...But now Sam noticed that the Old Mill had vanished, and a large red-brick building was being put up where it had stood... ...There was a tall red chimney nearby. Black smoke seemed to cloud the surface of the Mirror.
...'There's some devilry at work in the Shire... ...Elrond knew what he was about when he wanted to send Mr. Merry back.' Then suddenly Sam gave a cry and sprang away. 'I can't stay here,' he said wildly. 'I must go home. They've dug up Bagshot Row, and there's the poor old gaffer going down the Hill with his bits of things on a barrow. I must go home!'
...'You cannot go home alone,' said the Lady. 'You did not wish to go home without your master before you looked in the Mirror, and yet you knew that evil things might well be happening in the Shire... ...the Mirror shows many things, and not all have yet come to pass. Some never come to be, unless those that behold the visions turn aside from their path to prevent them. The Mirror is dangerous as a guide of deeds.'
...Sam sat on the ground and put his head in his hands. 'I wish I had never come here, and I don't want to see no more magic,' he said and fell silent. After a moment he spoke again thickly, as if struggling with tears. 'No, I'll go home by the long road with Mr. Frodo, or not at all,' he said. 'But I hope I do get back some day. If what I've seen turns out true, somebody's going to catch it hot!'"
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 14, 2:23pm
Post #12 of 36
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Today in Middle-earth
February 14, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. The Mirror of Galadriel.
(from the appendices)
..."'Do you now wish to look, Frodo?' said the Lady Galadriel. 'You did not wish to see Elf-magic and were content.'
...'Do you advise me to look?' asked Frodo.
...'No... ...I do not counsel you one way or the other. I am not a counsellor. You may learn something, and whether what you see be fair or evil, that may be profitable, and yet it may not. Seeing is both good and perilous. Yet I think, Frodo, that you have courage and wisdom enough for the venture, or I would not have brought you here. Do as you will!'
...'I will look,' said Frodo, and he climbed on the pedestal and bent over the dark water. At once the Mirror cleared and he saw a twilit land. Mountains loomed dark in the distance against a pale sky. A long grey road wound back out of sight. Far away a figure came slowly down the road, faint and small at first, but growing larger and clearer as it approached. Suddenly Frodo realized that it reminded him of Gandalf. He almost called aloud the wizard's name, and then he saw that the figure was clothed not in grey but... ...in a white that shone faintly in the dusk; and in its hand there was a white staff. The head was so bowed that he could see no face... ...Doubt came into Frodo's mind: was this a vision of Gandalf on one of his many lonely journeys long ago, or was it Saruman?
...The vision now changed. Brief and small but very vivid he caught a glimpse of Bilbo walking restlessly about his room....
...Then there was a pause, and after it many swift scenes followed that Frodo in some way knew to be parts of a great history in which he had become involved. The mist cleared and he saw a sight which he had never seen before but knew at once: the Sea... ...Then he saw... ...the black outline of a tall ship with torn sails riding up out of the West. Then a wide river flowing through a populous city. Then a white fortress with seven towers. And then again a ship with black sails, but now it was morning again, and the water rippled with light, and a banner bearing the emblem of a white tree shone in the sun. A smoke as of fire and battle arose, and again the sun went down in a burning red that faded into a grey mist; and into the mist a small ship passed away, twinkling with lights. It vanished, and Frodo sighed and prepared to draw away.
...But suddenly the Mirror went altogether dark... ...In the black abyss there appeared a single Eye that slowly grew, until it filled nearly all the Mirror. So terrible was it that Frodo stood rooted, unable to cry out or to withdraw his gaze. The Eye was rimmed with fire, but was itself glazed, yellow as a cat's, watchful and intent, and the black slit of its pupil opened on a pit, a window into nothing.
...Then the Eye began to rove, searching this way and that; and Frodo knew with certainty and horror that among the many things that it sought he himself was one. But he also knew that it could not see him—not yet, not unless he willed it. The Ring that hung upon its chain about his neck grew heavy... ...and his head was dragged downwards. The Mirror seemed to be growing hot and curls of steam were rising from the water. He was slipping forward.
...'Do not touch the water!' said the Lady Galadriel softly. The vision faded, and Frodo found that he was looking at the cool stars twinkling in the silver basin. He stepped back shaking all over and looked at the Lady.
...'I know what it was that you last saw,' she said; 'for that is also in my mind... ...I say to you, Frodo, that even as I speak to you, I perceive the Dark Lord and know his mind, or all of his mind that concerns the Elves. And he gropes ever to see me and my thought. But still the door is closed!'
...She lifted up her white arms, and spread out her hands towards the East in a gesture of rejection and denial. Eärendil, the Evening Star, most beloved of the Elves, shone clear above... ...Its rays glanced upon a ring about her finger; it glittered like polished gold overlaid with silver light, and a white stone in it twinkled as if the Even-star had come down to rest upon her hand. Frodo gazed at the ring with awe; for suddenly it seemed to him that he understood.
...'Yes,' she said, divining his thought, 'it is not permitted to speak of it, and Elrond could not do so. But it cannot be hidden from the Ring-bearer, and one who has seen the Eye... ...in the land of Lórien upon the finger of Galadriel that one of the Three remains. This is Nenya, the Ring of Adamant, and I am its keeper.
...'He suspects, but he does not know—not yet. Do you not see now wherefore your coming is to us the footstep of Doom? For if you fail, then we are laid bare to the Enemy. Yet if you succeed, then our power is diminished, and Lothlórien will fade, and the tides of Time will sweep it away. We must depart into the West, or dwindle to a rustic folk of dell and caves, slowly to forget and to be forgotten...
...'...And what do you want?' he said at last.
...'That what should be shall be,' she answered. 'The love of the Elves for their land and their works is deeper than the deeps of the Sea, and their regret is undying and cannot ever wholly be assuaged. Yet they will cast all away rather than submit to Sauron: for they know him now. For the fate of Lothlórien you are not answerable, but only for the doing of your own task. Yet I could wish, were it of any avail, that the One Ring had never been wrought, or had remained for ever lost.'
...'You are wise and fearless and fair, Lady Galadriel,' said Frodo. 'I will give you the One Ring, if you ask for it. It is too great a matter for me.'
...Galadriel laughed with a sudden clear laugh. 'Wise the Lady Galadriel may be... ...yet here she has met her match in courtesy. Gently are you revenged for my testing of your heart at our first meeting. You begin to see with a keen eye. I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired to ask what you offer...
...'...You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountains! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!'
...She lifted up her hand and from the ring that she wore there issued a great light that illumined her alone and left all else dark...
...'I pass the test,' she said. 'I will diminish, and go into the West and remain Galadriel.'"
2. Gandalf returns to life, and lies in a trance.
(from the appendices)
..."'Naked I was sent back—for a brief time, until my task was done. And naked I lay upon the mountain-top. The tower behind was crumbled into dust, the window gone; the ruined stair was choked with burned and broken stone. I was alone, forgotten, without escape upon the hard horn of the world... ...I lay staring upward, while the stars wheeled over, and each day was as long as a life-age of the earth. Faint to my ears came the gathered rumour of all lands: the springing and the dying, the song and the weeping, and the slow everlasting groan of over-burdened stone....'"
We have been there and back again.
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(This post was edited by grammaboodawg on Feb 14, 2:36pm)
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 15, 2:37pm
Post #13 of 36
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Today in Middle-earth
February 15, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. The Fellowship's stay in Lothlórien ends.
(not from the appendices)
..."In the morning, as they were beginning to pack their slender goods, Elves that could speak their tongue came to them and brought them many gifts of food and clothing for the journey. The food was mostly in the form of very thin cakes, made of a meal that was baked a light brown on the outside, and inside was the colour of cream. Gimli took up one of the cakes and looked at it with a doubtful eye.
...'Cram,' he said under his breath, as he broke off a crisp corner and nibbled at it. His expression quickly changed, and he ate all the rest of the cake with relish.
...'No more, no more!' cried the Elves laughing. 'You have eaten enough already for a long day's march.'
...'I thought it was only a kind of cram, such as the Dale-men make for journeys in the wild...'
...'...So it is,' they answered. 'But we call it lembas or waybread, and it is more strengthening than any food made by Men, and it is more pleasant that cram....'
...'Indeed it is,' said Gimli. 'Why, it is better that the honey-cakes of the Beornings, and that is great praise... ...You are kindly hosts!'
...'All the same, we bid you spare the food,' they said. 'Eat a little at a time, and only at need. For these things are given to serve you when all else fails. The cakes will keep sweet for many many days, if they are unbroken and left in their leaf-wrappings... ...One will keep a traveller on his feet for a day of long labour, even if he be one of the tall Men of Minas Tirith.'
...The Elves next unwrapped and gave to each of the Company... ...a hood and cloak, made according to his size, of the light but warm silken stuff that the Galadrim wove. It was hard to say of what colour they were: grey with the hue of twilight under the trees they seemed to be; and yet if they were moved, or set in another light, they were green as shadowed leaves, or brown as fallow fields by night, dusk-silver as water under the stars. Each cloak was fastened about the neck with a brooch like green leaf veined with silver.
...'Are these magic cloaks?' asked Pippin, looking at them with wonder.
...'I do not know what you mean by that,' answered the leader of the elves. 'They are fair garments, and the web is good, for it was made in this land... ...Leaf and branch, water and stone: they have the hue and beauty of all these things under the twilight of Lórien that we love; for we put the thought of all that we love into all that we make... ...they should serve you well: they are light to wear, and warm enough or cool enough at need. And you will find them a great aid in keeping out of the sight of unfriendly eyes, whether you walk among the stones or the trees. You are indeed high in the favour of the Lady! For she herself and her maidens wove this stuff; and never before have we clad strangers in the garb of our own people....'
......Three small grey boats had been made ready for the travellers... ...they added also coils of rope, three to each boat. Slender they looked, but strong, silken to the touch, grey of hue like the elven-cloaks.
...'What are these?' asked Sam, handling one that lay on the green-sward.
...'Ropes indeed!' answered an Elf from the boats. 'Never travel far without a rope! And one that is long and strong and light. Such are these. They may be a help in many needs.'
...'You don't need to tell me that!' said Sam. 'I came without any, and I've been worried ever since. But I was wondering what these were made of, knowing a bit about rope-making: it's in the family as you might say.'
...'They are made of hithlain... ...but there is no time now to instruct you in the art of their making. Had we known that this craft delighted you, we could have taught you much. But now alas! unless you should at some time return hither, you must be content with our gift. May it serve you well!'"
[continued tomorrow]
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 16, 3:32pm
Post #14 of 36
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This is more Elf-giving on such a meaningful TIME that I'm drawing out to a second day :)
Continuing February 15, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. Farewell to Lórien.
(from the appendices)
..."'We have drunk the cup of parting,' [Galadriel] said, 'and the shadows fall between us. But before you go, I have brought in my ship gifts which the Lord and Lady of the Galadrim now offer you in memory of Lothlórien.' Then she called to each in turn.
...'Here is the gift of Celeborn and Galadriel to the leader of your Company,' she said to Aragorn, and she gave him a sheath that had been made to fit his sword... ...overlaid with a tracery of flowers and leaves wrought of silver and gold, and on it were set in elven-runes formed of many gems the name Andúril and the lineage of the sword.
...'The blade that is drawn from this sheath shall not be stained or broken even in defeat... ...Then she lifted from her lap a great stone of a clear green, set in a silver brooch that was wrought in the likeness of an eagle with outspread wings... '...This stone I gave to Celebrían my daughter, and she to hers; and now it comes to you as a token of hope. In this hour take the name that was foretold for you, Elessar, the Elfstone of the house of Elendil!'
...Then Aragorn took the stone and pinned the brooch upon his breast, and those who saw him wondered; for they had not marked before how tall and kingly he stood... ...it seemed to them that many years of toil had fallen from his shoulders....
......she turned then to Boromir, and to him she gave a belt of gold; and to Merry and Pippin she gave small silver belts, each with a clasp wrought like a golden flower. To Legolas she gave a bow such as the Galadrim used... ...strung with a string of elf-hair. With it went a quiver of arrows.
...'For you little gardener and lover of trees,' she said to Sam, 'I have only a small gift.' She put into his hand a little box of plain grey wood, unadorned save for a single silver rune upon the lid. 'Here is set G for Galadriel... ...but also it may stand for garden in your tongue. In this box there is earth from my orchard, and such blessing as Galadriel has still to bestow is upon it... ...if you keep it and see your home again at last... ...perhaps it may reward you. Though you should find all barren and laid waste, there will be few gardens in Middle-earth that will bloom like your garden, if you sprinkle this earth there. Then you may remember Galadriel, and catch a glimpse far off of Lórien....'
......Sam went red to the ears and muttered something inaudible, and he clutched the box and bowed as well as he could.
...'And what gift would a Dwarf ask of the Elves?' said Galadriel, turning to Gimli.
...'None, Lady... ...It is enough for me to have seen the Lady of the Galadrim, and to have heard her gentle words.'
...'Hear all ye Elves!' she cried to those about her. 'Let none say again that Dwarves are grasping and ungracious... ...you desire something that I could give? Name it, I bid you! You shall not be the only guest without a gift.'
...'There is nothing, Lady Galadriel,' said Gimli, bowing low and stammering. 'Nothing, unless it might be—unless it is permitted to ask, nay, to name a single strand of your hair, which surpasses the gold of the earth as the stars surpass the gems of the mine....'
...The Elves stirred and murmured with astonishment, and Celeborn gazed at the Dwarf in wonder, but the Lady smiled. 'It is said that the skill of the Dwarves is in their hands rather than in their tongues... ...yet that is not true of Gimli. For none have ever made to me a request so bold and yet so courteous. And how shall I refuse, since I commanded him to speak? But tell me, what would you do with such a gift?'
...'Treasure it, Lady... ...in memory of your words to me at our first meeting, and if ever I return to the smithies of my home, it shall be set in imperishable crystal to be an heirloom of my house... ...a pledge of good will between the Mountain and the Wood until the end of days.'
...Then the Lady unbraided one of her long tresses, and cut off three golden hairs, and laid them in Gimli's hand. 'These words shall go with the gift... ...Gimli son of Glóin, that your hands shall flow with gold, and yet over you gold shall have no dominion.
...'And you, Ring-bearer,' she said, turning to Frodo. 'I come to you last who are not last in my thoughts. For you have prepared this.' She held up a small crystal phial; it glittered as she moved it... ...rays of white light sprang from her hand. 'In this phial... ...is caught the light of Eärendil's star, set amid the waters of my fountain. It will shine still brighter when night is about you. May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out....'
...Frodo took the phial, and for a moment as it shone between them, he saw her again standing like a queen, great and beautiful, but no longer terrible. He bowed, but found no words to say."
2. Gollum in hiding on the west bank observes the departure.
(from the appendices-no text)
...As the grey boats slipped away from shore, Aragorn suddenly turned and looked back at the bank, scanning the shoreline. He knew their departure had not gone unnoticed. As he returned to his paddle, he saw that Frodo was also looking back at the shore.
We have been there and back again.
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
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Feb 16, 10:26pm
Post #15 of 36
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Gimli's gift was shown in the movie, as a flashback in the boat with Legolas, the way in which Gimli spoke it: "I asked her for one of her golden hairs...she gave me three." 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 17, 4:38am
Post #16 of 36
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He was so sweet when he said it... and I love the look Legolas gave him.
Thinking about it... Legolas and Gimli came away from Lorien the least stressed and most rested of the Fellowship and became good friends... which makes that exchange in the boat so special.
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 17, 1:04pm
Post #17 of 36
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Today in Middle-earth
February 17, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. Gwaihir bears Gandalf to Lórien.
(from the appendices)
..."'And so at the last Gwaihir the Windlord found me again, and he took me up and bore me away.
...'"Ever am I fated to be your burden, friend at need," I said.
...'"A burden you have been... ...but not so now. Light as a swan's feather in my claw you are. The Sun shines through you. Indeed I do not think you need me any more: were I to let you fall, you would float upon the wind."
...'"Do not let me fall!" I gasped, for I felt life in me again. "Bear me to Lothlórien!"'
...'"That indeed is the command of the Lady Galadriel who sent me to look for you..."
...'Thus it was that I came to Caras Galadon and found you but lately gone. I tarried there in the ageless time of that land where days bring healing not decay. Healing I found, and I was clothed in white....'"
2. The Fellowship faces the Great River.
(not from the appendices)
..."They started again before the day was broad... ...and they let the River bear them on at its own pace, having no desire to hasten towards the perils that lay beyond, whichever course they took in the end. Aragorn let them drift with the stream as they wished, husbanding their strength against weariness to come. But he insisted that at least they should start early each day and journey on far into the evening; for he felt in his heart that time was pressing, and he feared that the Dark Lord had not been idle while they lingered in Lórien."
February 17, 3020 (S.R. 1420)
1. The Shire continues to recover from its hurts.
(not in the appendices-no text)
...Though the work of tearing down the brooding, dark buildings that had infested Hobbiton was complete, the frigid months of winter forced them to turn their attention to other needs. There was much to keep the hobbits busy while waiting out the cold season as they restored the interiors of homes and businesses marred by Sharkey's ruffians. Their work was certainly the most rewarding at the Green Dragon Inn. It took several weeks of finishing and polishing to undo the damage; but it wasn't until after testing the kegs of ale recovered from the tunnels of Michel Delving when it was unanimously agreed that The Dragon had been restored to its proper standard.
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 18, 2:56pm
Post #18 of 36
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Today in Middle-earth
February 18, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
The Fellowship travel the Great River.
(not from the appendices)
..."So the Company went on their long way, down the wide hurrying waters, borne ever southwards. Bare woods stalked along either bank, and they could not see any glimpse of the lands behind... ...the River flowed without a sound. No voice of bird broke the silence. The sun grew misty as the day grew old, until it gleamed in a pale sky like a high white pearl. Then it faded into the West, and dusk came early, followed by a grey and starless night. Far into the dark quiet hours they floated on... ...Great trees passed by like ghosts, thrusting their twisted thirsty roots through the mist down into the water. It was dreary and cold."
We have been there and back again.
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cats16
Half-elven
Feb 19, 7:14am
Post #19 of 36
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...this part of the journey might have been had they been lucky enough to do so in the warmer summer months! Warmer weather of course, but also full trees to hide them from unkind eyes. Although, I suppose denser foliage lets those unkind eyes watch with more cover, too. Not an ideal situation, no matter how you slice it!
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 19, 1:56pm
Post #20 of 36
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Today in Middle-earth
February 19, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. The Company makes its way down the River.
(not from the appendices)
..."The dull grey hours passed without event. As the third day of their voyage wore on the lands changed slowly: the trees thinned and then failed altogether. On the eastern bank to their left they saw long formless slopes stretching up and away toward the sky; brown and withered they looked, as if fire had passed over them, leaving no living blade of green: an unfriendly waste... ...They had come to the Brown Lands that lay, vast and desolate, between Southern Mirkwood and the hills of the Emyn Muil. What pestilence or war or evil deed of the Enemy hand so blasted all that region even Aragorn could not tell....
...'How wide and empty and mournful all this country looks!' said Frodo. 'I always imagined that as one journeyed south it got warmer and merrier, until winter was left behind for ever.'
...'But we have not journeyed far south yet,' answered Aragorn. 'It is still winter, and we are far from the sea. Here the world is cold until the sudden spring, and we may yet have snow again. Far away down in the Bay of Belfalas, to which Anduin runs, it is warm and merry, maybe, or would be but for the Enemy....'
... ...Sam looked from bank to bank uneasily. The trees had seemed hostile before, as if they harbored secret eyes and lurking dangers; now he wished that the trees were still there. He felt that the Company was too naked, afloat in little open boats in the midst of shelterless lands, and on a river that was the frontier of war."
2. Gandalf recovers in Lothlórien.
(from the appendices-no text)
... Severely weakened, Gandalf still reached out with his thoughts for Frodo and the Fellowship.
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 19, 2:24pm
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They are on the edge of a knife. So many little things affected the outcome... even the weather.
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 20, 3:01pm
Post #22 of 36
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Today in Middle-earth
February 20, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. The days on the River pass slowly.
(not from the appendices)
..."There was little speech and no laughter in any of the boats. Each member of the Company was busy with his own thoughts.
...The heart of Legolas was running under the stars of a summer night in some northern glade amid the beechwoods; Gimli was fingering gold in his mind, and wondering if it were fit to be wrought into the housing of the Lady's gift. Merry and Pippin in the middle boat were ill at ease, for Boromir sat muttering to himself... ...as if some restlessness or doubt consumed him, sometimes seizing a paddle and driving the boat close behind Aragorn's. Then Pippin... ...caught a queer gleam in his eye, as he peered forward gazing at Frodo. Sam had long ago made up his mind that, though boats were maybe not as dangerous as he had been brought up to believe, they were far more uncomfortable than even he had imagined. He was cramped and miserable, having nothing to do but stare at the winter-lands crawling by and the grey water on either side of him. Even when the paddles were in use they did not trust Sam with one."
February 20, 3020 (S.R. 1420)
1. The Shire rebuilds.
(not from the appendices)
..."The trees were the worst loss and damage, for at Sharkey's bidding they had been cut down recklessly far and wide over the Shire; and Sam grieved over this more than anything else... ...this hurt would take long to heal, and only his great-grandchildren, he thought, would see the Shire as it ought to be."
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 21, 12:59pm
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Today in Middle-earth
February 21, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. A clever waterman; slyer than a fox and slippery as a fissssshhhh.
(not from the appendices)
..."As dusk drew down on the fourth day, [Sam] was looking back over the bowed heads of Frodo and Aragorn and the following boats; he was drowsy and longed for camp and the feel of earth under his toes. Suddenly something caught his sight... ...he sat up and rubbed his eyes; but when he looked again he could not see it anymore.
...That night they camped on a small eyot close to the western bank. Sam lay rolled in blankets beside Frodo. 'I had a funny dream an hour or two before we stopped, Mr. Frodo,' he said. 'Or maybe it wasn't a dream. Funny it was anyway.'
...'Well, what was it?' said Frodo, knowing that Sam would not settle down until he had told his tale, whatever it was. 'I haven't seen or thought of anything to make me smile since we left Lothlórien.'
...'It wasn't funny that way, Mr. Frodo. It was queer. All wrong, if it wasn't a dream... ...It was like this: I saw a log with eyes!'
...'The log's all right,' said Frodo. 'There are many in the River. But leave out the eyes!'
...'That I won't,' said Sam. 'Twas the eyes as made me sit up so to speak. I saw what I took to be a log floating along in the half-light behind Gimli's boat; but I didn't give much heed to it. Then it seemed as if the log was slowly catching us up. And that was peculiar... ...seeing as we were all floating on the stream together. Just then I saw the eyes: two pale sort of points, shiny-like, on a hump at the near end of the log. What's more, it wasn't a log, for it had paddle-feet, like a swan's almost, only they seemed bigger, and kept dipping in and out of the water.
...'That's when I sat right up and rubbed my eyes, meaning to give a shout, if it was still there when I had rubbed the drowse out of my head. For the whatever-it-was was coming along fast now and getting close behind Gimli. But whether those two lamps spotted me moving and staring, or whether I came to my senses, I don't know. When I looked again, it wasn't there. Yet I think I caught a glimpse, with the tail of my eye... ...of something dark shooting under the shadow of the bank. I couldn't see no more eyes, though.
...I said to myself: "Dreaming again, Sam Gamgee," I said... ...and now I'm not so sure. What do you make of it, Mr. Frodo?'
...I should make nothing of it but a log and the dusk and sleep in your eyes, Sam... ...if this was the first time that those eyes had been seen. But it isn't. I saw them away back north before we reached Lórien. And I saw a strange creature with eyes climbing to the flet that night. Haldir saw it too. And do you remember the report of the Elves that went after the orc-band?'
...'Ah,' said Sam, 'I do; and I remember more too. I don't like my thoughts; but thinking of one thing and another and Mr. Bilbo's stories and all, I fancy I could put a name on the creature, at a guess. A nasty name. Gollum, maybe?'
...'Yes, that is what I have feared for some time... ...Ever since the night on the flet. I suppose he was lurking in Moria, and picked up our trail then; but I hoped that our stay in Lórien would throw him off the scent again. The miserable creature must have been hiding in the woods by the Silverlode, watching us start off!'
...'...And we'd better be a bit more watchful ourselves, or we'll feel some nasty fingers round our necks one of these nights, if we ever wake up to feel anything. And that's what I was leading up to. No need to trouble Strider or the others tonight. I'll keep watch. I can sleep tomorrow, being no more than luggage in a boat, as you might say.'
...'I might,' said Frodo, 'and I might say "luggage with eyes". You shall watch; but only if you promise to wake me half-way towards morning, if nothing happens before then.'"
We have been there and back again.
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dernwyn
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Feb 21, 9:34pm
Post #24 of 36
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I'll just leave this here...an oldie of mine. 
"Good morning, Mr. Gamgee. Ah, yes, a little fidgety today are we? Nervous, a bit? That's quite understandable. Please, have seat on the couch over here. Now, just relax a bit, take a deep breath - that's it - and tell me what has been troubling you."
"Well, ma'm, I'm seeing eyes..."
"Eyes. Ah. Friendly eyes? Sinister eyes? Eyes glowing in the dark?"
"Well, no, it weren't quite dark, 'twas near dusk. I was in a boat..."
"Ah, Samwise, now we've discussed before this little problem you have with boats, haven't we? Anxiety attacks and hypertension - I believe we agreed, it would be best if you did not participate in water-related activities?"
"We did, ma'm but there weren't no getting around this. You see, our Fellowship, we had a bad setback, and them as was in charge said we'd best continue by river for a bit."
"An unfortunate situation, Samwise. I hope you have complained to your travel agent regarding this, and please scrutinize your touring company for dependability before making future arrangements. Do, continue."
"Well, I was sitting in the bow of the boat, looking back over everyone, just sort of gazing at the water..."
"Uh huh - not looking forward - obviously in denial of your situation, your unwillingness to face what lay ahead..."
"Um, no, ma'm, just a bit of queasiness from the motion, it was less if I didn't watch the coming swells. Anyway, I saw something, and at first I thought that I was dreaming, sort of drifting off, you know when you're half-asleep how your eyes can play tricks on you. But then I realized I was really was awake, and it weren't no trick of the eyes. I really was seeing it!"
"Seeing - 'it'? Seeing what, Samwise?"
"A log with eyes! They were two pale sort of points, shiny-like, on a hump at the near end of it. And this here log had feet, too, paddle-feet, like a swan's almost, only they seemed bigger, and kept dipping in and out of the water. And it was travelling down the river faster that the boats - it seemed as if it was slowly catching us up!"
"Hmm...and then?"
"Well, then, I sat up and rubbed my eyes, but by then I couldn't catch sight of it no more."
*writes in notebook: Hydrophobia causing paranoia and delusional reactions* "Now, now, Samwise, we both know that a log cannot have eyes or appendages, don't we?"
"But...but these were..."
"You've worked with logs all your life, you know that they are not smooth objects, they show all manner of imperfections. Could it not be, that the 'eyes' you saw were boles or branch-stumps?"
"Well..."
"And these 'feet' were produced by the motion of the current against branches at the lower end, causing them to dip in the water?"
"But..."
"And, Samwise, you know you are unfamiliar with the flow mechanisms of large bodies of water. Rivers contain eddies, and the shape of the river bottom produces changes in current. Your log could simply have been caught in a faster current."
"Well, maybe..."
"Now, now, what you saw was a log."
"But - but I still think I ought to keep a watch out for..."
*writes down prescription on pad* "Samwise, I do think we're dealing with an old problem here. Since you must travel further down this river, I'm giving you a mild sedative, and recommending that you take a sleep-inducing medication before bedtime. You do want to reach your journey's end well-rested, don't you?"
"Well, I do have to look after Mr. Frodo..."
"There, see, you need to concentrate on your duties. Fears and imaginings will draw your attention away from these, and cause you to be less effective. Try to enjoy the rest of your journey. Once you are away from the river, I'm sure everything will go much better."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 22, 1:39pm
Post #25 of 36
(1307 views)
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*smile spreads, giggle starts*
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Don't let 'er do it to you, Sam! You're the Fellowship's secret weapon... and she's an agent of Mordor!!!!
Oh Sam.... :D
*applause* THANK YOU!
We have been there and back again.
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