The Lord of the Rings: Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit (Part Three)

The Tale

The hobbits tie up their packs and put them on. They hide deep in the ferns, ready to flee, and there they crouch listening. The voices are low but getting nearer, and suddenly they are close at hand.

It is clear to Frodo and Sam from what they say that they saw the smoke from their fire and have come to see what is going on. Four figures suddenly converge on them, and seeing that hiding is no longer possible, the hobbits leap to their feet, back to back, swords drawn.

There are four tall Men there, looking at them with astonishment. Two have spears and two have bows, and all have swords, and they are dressed in green, gauntleted and with masks of green. Their speech and bearing remind Frodo of Boromir. They had thought to have found Orc spies, but what have they found? Elves?

“Nay! Not Elves,’ said the fourth, the tallest, and as it appeared the chief among them. ‘Elves do not walk in Ithilien in these days. And Elves are wondrous fair to look on, or so ‘tis said.’

‘Meaning we’re not, I take you,’ said Sam.’ When they are done talking about them, perhaps they’ll more politely introduce themselves and say why they can’t leave two travelers alone. The chief one laughs. He introduces himself as Faramir, Captain of Gondor. There are no travelers in Ithilien anymore, just soldiers of Gondor … or the Dark Tower.

Frodo insists that they are travelers, anyway, and Faramir says then they’d better explain themselves, and quickly. His Men are on a mission and have no time to waste parleying. And where’s their third companion, the ugly one, who looks like some spying breed of Orc? They saw him at the pool, but he gave them the slip.

A chance companion on the road, Frodo insists, and they can’t control everything he does. But if they find him, spare him, and bring him to the Hobbits. ‘He is only a wretched gangrel creature, but I have him under my care for a while.’ He introduces himself and Sam, though, Hobbits of the Shire, who have come from Rivendell, or Imladris as some call it. Faramir starts at the name and looks at them closely. They were a company of nine, but one was lost in Moria. They parted from the others at Parth Galen: two more hobbits, an elf, a dwarf, and two men, Aragorn and Boromir, who said he had come from Minas Tirith.

‘Boromir!’ all the four men exclaimed.’ Boromir son of Denethor was the High Warden of the White Tower and Captain General, and is sorely missed. Faramir asks if they have any other proof, and Frodo mentions the riddling words of Boromir’s dream. Aragorn, their companion, bore the Sword that was Broken, and they are the Halflings. And what is Isildur’s Bane? That’s hidden for now, Frodo cautiously replies.

Faramir would like to know more, but they haven’t got time. ‘We have business in hand.’ They couldn’t have gotten far today without peril, anyway. He will leave two of his men to guard them. ‘Wise man trusts not to chance-meeting on the road in this land.’ They’ll talk more if he makes it back.

Frodo bows low and bids him farewell, they’d help Faramir and his men if they could, but they are small, and their errand does not allow them the danger. ‘May the light shine on your swords!’

‘The Halflings are courteous folk, whatever else they be,’ said Faramir. ‘Farewell!’

Notes

And that seems like the place to leave it today. There are only about four more pages of the chapter left, but I think I’ll try to finish them later today or tomorrow. Since it’s been a while, I think I’ll give the words of the Dream again:

 In Ithilien we’re starting to be introduced to Gondor, its people, and its position in the War of the Ring. By the time we actually get to the city, we’ll have a pretty good idea of what’s going on.

The word ‘gangrel’ is from Scottish dialect and means ‘a lanky loose-jointed awkward fellow; a vagrant, tramp, beggar, drifter.’ I remember the first time I ever saw it outside of LOTR was in Stephen R. Donaldson's Lord Foul's Bane, the start of another 'fantasy trilogy'. 

I remember the first time I saw that Hildebrandt picture it was in Mr. Fleming's calendar and I was in middle school. I wasn't sure which Hobbit was supposed to be Frodo and which was Sam.