October 6th
The camp under Weathertop attacked at night. Frodo wounded.
They cross the Ford of Bruinen; Frodo feels the first return of pain.
Two big events are being discussed today, all featuring a harrowing moment for the company. Last night Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, and Strider were attacked at their camp at Weathertop. As we’ve said in a previous post, Weathertop was a great area for surveying the surround lands, and since the Black Riders attacked Gandalf here they made sure they kept an eye on this area.
A huge difference from the movies, the books depict everyone standing guard against the attack and Frodo feels overcome with a strong urge to put on the Ring. When he does so, the Ringwraiths are shown before him white and clear in the darkness. They began to advance, in response Frodo can only draw his dagger which, to him, glowed like a fire in the darkness. Two Ringwraiths halt at this action, but a third, the Witch-King, advanced against Frodo, in desperation Frodo dove and slashed the Ringwraith’s feet. A shrill cry broke through the air and Frodo was pierced through his left shoulder.
As he was losing consciousness, Frodo saw Strider leap through the darkness with torches in each hand. As Strider fends off the Ringwraiths, Frodo takes the Ring off his finger and collapses on the ground.
Now the company is in a race against time. Strider knows that Frodo was pierced by a cursed blade beyond his capacity for healing. So, they move as fast as they can through the Wild, but with three Hobbits traveling by foot and Frodo riding on Bill the Pony, the going was slow.
Shifting timelines to the end of The Lord of the Rings, as Frodo and the Hobbits return to the Shire in The Return of the King, Frodo feels a sharp pain on the anniversary of this attack. He will probably feel this for the rest of his life, sadly, for Frodo, the memories of his quest are not the only things that will linger.
Thank you for your time and remember, from the ashes a fire shall be woken.
– The Wandering One
Of Blades and Kings 