Shadowfax returns to the herds of Rohan. It was 155 days ago that Théoden commanded Gandalf to ‘Take any horse, only be gone!’ and 138 days ago that Gandalf sent Shadowfax back south from the Ettenmoors. Théoden is furious: Shadowfax is now wild and cannot be handled.

The country along either bank of the Anduin has become rocky, steep, and choked with thorns and brambles. Flocks of birds are wheeling to and fro as the Company lie quietly in camp for the day—not wanting to return to the Anduin’s open water until darkness falls.

As evening falls, the overcast skies of the past few days start to clear at the western edge of the horizon. Sam can see the thin crescent of the New Moon setting.

[Editor’s note: February has 30 days in the Shire Calendar. To avoid skipping the important events on February 29 and 30, we shorten the river trip and place the events of February 22–30 S.R. on February 20–28 instead. The calendars will match again starting March 1.]

Frodo, on watch while the rest of the Company are asleep, sees shining eyes only a few feet away in the dark. He draws Sting. With a hiss and a splash the intruder is gone. Strider wakes and sends Frodo back to sleep. He keeps watch himself for the rest of the night.

The forests along each bank of the Anduin become sparse and then disappear as the Company float south in their Elven-boats. To the west they can now see the plains of Rohan. To the east lie brown and desolate lands.

The great eagle Gwaihir finds Gandalf stranded but alive on the burned and broken summit of Zirak-zigil. He carries the wizard southeast to Lórien where he can recover.

The Company embark upon the Anduin. They float south into lands still grey with late winter as the colours of Lórien recede into the distance. They hear Galadriel far behind, singing in the ancient Elven-tongue. ’Ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen, Yéni únótimë ve rámar aldaron!…’

After a feast on the grass, Galadriel gives gifts to the Company. Aragorn—a sheath for Andúril, and a green Elf-stone. Boromir—a belt of gold. Merry and Pippin—silver belts. Legolas—a bow. Sam—a box. Frodo—a phial of light. Gimli names a strand of her hair. He receives three.

‘…O Lórien! Too long I have dwelt Upon this Hither Shore And in a fading crown have twined The golden elanor. But if of ships I now should sing, What ship would come to me, What ship would bear me ever back Across so wide a Sea?’

A swan-boat approaches bearing Galadriel. ‘I sang of leaves, of leaves of gold And leaves of gold there grew Of wind I sang, a wind there came And in the branches blew Beyond the Sun beyond the Moon The foam was on the Sea And by the strand of Ilmarin There grew a golden Tree…’

Having loaded their three Elven boats and received instruction in their use, the Company set out on the water for the first time. They slowly paddle upstream on the Silverlode as practice.

As the Company are packing, the Elves bring them not only lembas but also grey elven-cloaks—woven by the Lady and her maidens. They are the first garments of Lórien ever given to strangers. The Company start walking the ten miles south to where their new boats are waiting.

The Company are called before the Lady Galadriel and the Lord Celeborn. Will they now travel the west bank of Anduin to Minas Tirith, or the east bank toward Mordor? Seeing their doubt, Celeborn offers Elven-boats. The Company look more hopeful (except Sam) and offer thanks.

Sam still thinks Galadriel should take the Ring. ‘You’d stop them digging up the gaffer and turning him adrift. You’d make some folk pay for their dirty work.’ ‘I would. That is how it would begin. But it would not stop with that, alas!’ She leads them away from the garden.

Galadriel laughs. ‘Gently are you revenged for my testing of your heart at our first meeting.’ Her ring blazes with light. ‘In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen.’ She drops her hand. ‘I pass the test. I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.’

Sam looks in the Mirror: Frodo lying pale and still; trees being felled in the Shire. Frodo sees a wizard in white; Bilbo pacing; Númenor; then a great Eye searching for him. He looks up and sees that Galadriel wears Nenya, the Ring of Adamant. He offers her the Ruling Ring.

Sam and Frodo see Galadriel walking tall and fair beneath the mallorn-trees. She leads them to a garden that’s open to the twilight sky, and pours water from a stream into a basin. ‘Here is the Mirror of Galadriel. I have brought you here so that you may look in it, if you will.’

Nineteen days after destroying the Balrog, Gandalf returns to life. ‘Naked I lay upon the mountain-top…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 overburdened stone.’

For two days and two nights fire and lightning have scorched the peak of Zirak-zigil. Now, Gandalf finally casts the Balrog from the peak. The mountainside collapses where its body strikes. Gandalf himself passes away. His body lies without sheet or shroud upon the peak.

For eight days the Balrog has climbed secret tunnels with Gandalf in pursuit. Finally they reach the Endless Stair of many thousand steps, which brings them to Durin’s Tower and a narrow ledge atop Zirak-zigil. The Balrog bursts again into flame. The Battle of the Peak begins.

Frodo laments: ‘When evening in the Shire was grey his footsteps on the Hill were heard before the dawn he went away on journey long without a word … He stood upon the bridge alone and Fire and Shadow both defied his staff was broken on the stone in Khazad-dûm his wisdom died.’

Over the past several days Legolas has been spending time wandering through Lórien and amongst its Elves—especially at night while the Company is asleep. Now he has started taking Gimli with him as he explores.

Pippin: ‘What did you blush for, Sam? Anyone would have thought you had a guilty conscience.’ Sam: ‘I felt as if I hadn’t got nothing on. She seemed to be looking inside me and asking what I would do if she gave me the chance of flying back home—with a bit of garden of my own.’

After the Lord Celeborn invites the Company to remain in Lórien and rest, they return to the ground to sleep, where the Elves have set up a pavilion. As the night deepens, they discuss their journey—and the long searching look that the Lady Galadriel gave each of them.

Galadriel turns to Gimli, and uses Dwarvish names. ‘Dark is the water of Kheled-zâram, and cold are the springs of Kibil-nâla, and fair were the many-pillared halls of Khazad-dûm.’ Gimli bows. ‘Yet more fair is the living land of Lórien, and the Lady Galadriel…’

Celeborn: ‘If it were possible, one would say that at the last Gandalf fell from wisdom into folly, going needlessly into the net of Moria.’ Galadriel: ‘He would be rash indeed that said that thing. Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life.’

The Company of the Ring are brought before the Lord Celeborn and the Lady Galadriel, who are dismayed to hear of Gandalf’s fall. Celeborn is angry at Balin’s Dwarves for rousing the Balrog and, for a moment, wishes he had welcomed neither Gimli nor the Company into Lórien.

Haldir leads Frodo and Sam up the highest tree of Cerin Amroth. To the south they see the Elven city, Caras Galadhon; far to the east, the shadows of its rival, Dol Guldur. When they return to the ground they overhear Aragorn, who is standing alone: ‘Arwen vanimelda, namárië!’

While the others rest on the grass, Sam stands gazing in wonder. ‘It’s sunlight and bright day, right enough. I thought that Elves were all for moon and stars: but this is more elvish than anything I ever heard tell of. I feel as if I was _inside_ a song, if you take my meaning.’

Messages from the Lord and Lady reach the Company’s escort: the blindfolds can be removed. Haldir removes Gimli’s first. ‘Your pardon! Look on us now with friendly eyes! Look and be glad, for you are the first dwarf to behold the trees of the Naith of Lórien since Durin’s Day!’

‘I do not doubt you, yet this is our law. I am not the master of the law and cannot set it aside. I have done much in letting you set foot over Celebrant.’ Aragorn orders that they all be blindfolded—‘It is hard upon the Dwarf to be thus singled out.’ The Elves lead them south.

Now that the Company have reached the Naith, the Elves are ready to blindfold Gimli. ‘The agreement was made without my consent. I will not walk blindfold, like a beggar or a prisoner. And I am no spy. My folk have never had dealings with any of the servants of the Enemy.’

The Elves lead the Company east off the road and tie a simple bridge of three ropes across the Silverlode. One at a time, the members of the Company cross the swirling water. This puts them safely on the opposite side of the river from the Orcs.

In the small hours, Orcs from Moria reach the Falls of Nimrodel where the Company are asleep on flets. The Elves are able to lure the Orcs deeper into the wood. Gollum finds Frodo’s tree and starts climbing toward the Ring-bearer, but flees when one of the Elven guards returns.

The Balrog’s fire was extinguished when it fell finally into deep water, but it writhed and grappled as Gandalf struck again and again with Glamdring. Now the Balrog is fleeing. Gandalf, lest he be lost forever underground, clutches its heel as it climbs secret tunnels.

The Company move off the trail to find a tree in which to sleep, but are stopped by Elves who have been on guard since Orcs were seen marching north to Moria. The Elves welcome Frodo, thanks to messages from Elrond, and allow the Company to sleep on high flets for the night.

The Company reach the edge of Lórien. Weariness washes away as they wade across the Nimrodel. They stop to eat by its waterfall. Legolas talks and sings. ‘An Elven-maid there was of old, A shining star by day: Her mantle white was hemmed with gold, Her shoes of silver-grey…’

Legolas looks back and sees Frodo and Sam falling behind, so Aragorn and Boromir carry the two wounded Hobbits. Once the trail reaches level ground, Aragorn puts leaves of athelas in hot water and tends them both. The Company discovers that Frodo is wearing Bilbo’s mithril-shirt!

As the Company passes Durin’s Stone, Gimli leads Frodo off the trail to see the Mirrormere. Though the early afternoon sky is blue, the pool is dark and reflects the stars. Wheeling above the reflected mountain peaks are the seven stars of the Crown of Durin.

After racing though the First Hall and routing the orcs on guard, the Company escape into Dimrill Dale. Aragorn turns and lifts his sword. ‘Farewell, Gandalf! Did I not say to you: if you pass the doors of Moria, beware? Alas that I spoke true! What hope have we without you?’

After a clash of swords, Gandalf strikes the bridge, breaking his staff but shattering the stone beneath the Balrog’s feet. As the Balrog falls it catches Gandalf’s legs with its whip. Gandalf offers the Company one final command—‘Fly, you fools!’—and falls into the darkness.

‘You cannot pass. I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass.’

Orc-arrows fall among the Company as they cross Durin’s Bridge single file. A dark figure with whip and sword stalks behind them—of which even the Orcs are afraid. It leaps the fire, its mane bursting into flame: a Balrog. Gandalf stands on the bridge alone. ‘You cannot pass.’

The Company reaches the Second Hall of Old Moria. Fire is burning in a fissure across the centre of the room, but they have come out on the same side of the fire as the exit. ‘Now for the last race!’ says Gandalf. ‘If the sun is shining outside we may still escape. After me!’

With the light of his staff for the moment extinguished, Gandalf leads the Company along the passage in the dark. He taps with his staff and warns them each time they reach stairs. The passage leads down and to the south—hopefully, towards the Great Gates.

Gandalf stays behind to lock the chamber door with a spell. He is nearly broken when a Balrog of Morgoth opposes him from the other side of the door. Gandalf speaks a word of Command. The door shatters, the wall collapses, and the chamber ceiling buries his opponent in rubble.

The chamber door is breached and the Company fights two short battles before they can flee. Orcs are felled by Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, and even Sam—but an orc-chieftain drives through them and pins Frodo with a spear. Frodo survives thanks to his secret mithril-coat.

Moria begins to echo with a series of rolling booms, like a vast drum. The Company hears Orcs running towards the chamber. They draw their weapons. Aragorn wants to bar both doors but Gandalf insists they leave the east door open, in case they can escape that way.

A search has turned up the remains of a book. Gandalf reads aloud. They learn this is the Chamber of Mazarbul, where Balin’s dwarves made their last stand. It ends: ‘The Watcher in the Water took Óin. We cannot get out. The end comes. Drums, drums in the deep. THEY ARE COMING.’