Whitelighter
The Shire
Oct 22 2014, 9:26pm
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The Mystery of the Eagles
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note: since the Eagles issue isn’t addressed in the books, I don’t claim to know the “answer”. This is just my guess. Some of the credit goes to a couple people I discussed it with at imdb.
Based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring. I attempt to tackle an age-old question.
setting: after the Council of Elrond, the hobbits hold a council of their own in Bilbo's room. It's anyone's guess what they discussed...
bold = borrowed from book
Chapter 1
Bilbo sat at his desk, looking thoughtfully out his bedroom window. It was a cool, clear autumn evening. Perfect weather to go exploring, he thought. He wished that he was the one going on the adventure, and that Frodo could stay right here in the House of Elrond, where it was nice and safe. But the Council had decided otherwise. "Books ought to have good endings," he said. "How would this do: and they all settled down and lived together happily ever after'?
'It will do well, if it ever comes to that,' said Frodo.
'Ah!' said Sam. 'And where will they live? That's what I often wonder.' He was quiet for a moment. “Mr. Frodo,” he said presently, "there’s somethin’ that’s been puzzlin’ me. Ever since the Council. Wish I’d thought to ask old Gandalf just now.”
“What is it, Sam?” asked Frodo.
“Well, in the Council, Mr. Gandalf was telling us--I mean you--about how the Eagle rescued him and all. Well, I've been thinking. Why couldn’t this lord of the Eagles - Gwahir, isn't that his name?"
"Yes, Gwahir the Windlord, " answered Frodo.
"Well, why couldn't Gwahir, or one of his Eagle warriors, just fly you to Mt. Doom? Seems like it'd save us quite a step.”
The others looked at Sam. The thought hadn’t occurred to any of them. For a moment, Frodo’s heart leapt at the thought that the journey that lay ahead might not be so dismal. But only for a moment.
“Sam,” he said, his voice sinking back to reality, “give the Wise a little credit. I am sure they thought of that. If it were possible, don’t you think they would’ve discussed it in the Council?
”Well, I reckon’ so,” said Sam. “But it’s gonna to keep buggin' me till I figure it out.” There was another short silence. Then Sam slapped his forehead. “Samwise, you fool!” he said. “The orcs would shoot the Eagle down in a minute. That’d leave us in a pickle, to say the least.”
“Sam, my lad,” said Bilbo. “Don’t you remember the tale I told you about me and the Dwarves being saved from the Wargs by the Eagles? Surely you remember how high Eagles can fly?” He cringed at the memory of clinging to the Eagle’s back watching the land pass by him far below. “No goblin – or orc – as you call them, can shoot that high.”
“Oh, right," laughed Sam, feeling foolish. "I ought to have remembered that. Begging your pardon, Mr. Bilbo."
“But in any event, Eagles don’t like to be told what to do,” Bilbo continued. “I remember all too well. They only help when they see fit.”
“Eagles don’t take sides unless they choose to,” Pippin added, taking a sudden interest in the topic. “They care little about what goes on down here with us land dwellers.”
“But if they were willing to do as Radagast asked,” said Merry, chiming in for the first time, “and do Gandalf a favor every now and then, it seems they would be glad to help us with this one task if Gandalf deemed it so important, regardless of whose side they were on. It wouldn't hurt to ask.”
”And how do you propose to do that?” asked Pippin. “Their eyries are high up on the other side of the mountains and they seldom come down except for food. If one should happen to fly above us are we to just hail it down somehow?"
“Well..." said Merry. “I hadn't thought of that." Now Merry was the one who felt foolish. "Maybe Gandalf could shoot up some flares with his wand. One of the Eagles is certain to notice."
"Merry, my dear lad," said Bilbo, "You're forgetting what Pippin just said. We're on the wrong side of the mountains. The Eagles’ eyries are on the east side. The Dwarves and I were just lucky that the glade where we got chased into the trees by the Wargs happened to be right below one." Bilbo shook his head and sighed. "You two really should listen more closely next time I tell a tale," he said, frowning at Sam and Merry. "You might learn a thing or two."
TO BE CONTINUED...
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