Ithilien

• Sam awakens to find Gollum gone. Sam is relieved but Frodo reminds him of the help Gollum has given them.
• The daylight becomes darker. Gollum returns and leads them east.

• They come to the Cross-Roads. They see a headless statue of a King. The head lies nearby, crowned with flowers.
• Gollum pushes them onwards down the Southward road.

Morgul Vale

• The air becomes filled with a foul stench. Frodo begs for rest but Gollum and Sam push him to keep going.
• The Tower of the Moon rises in the distance.

• They move past the north gate of Minas Morgul. As they do so, the tower erupts in thunder and the gates open.
• The Witch-King leads a great host out of the tower. Frodo and Sam hide, yet the Witch-King halts near them. Frodo reaches for the Ring, but the Witch-King keeps moving.

• They start to climb the Straight Stair

Fangorn

• The ents reach the edge of Fangorn. Treebeard commands them to destroy Isengard.

Isengard

• The ents break down the walls of Isengard despite being shot at with arrows.

• Treebeard breaks the gate. Bregalad sees Saruman inside and rushes at him, but Saruman reaches Orthanc safely.
• Saruman activates vents all over Isengard, sending fiery blasts into the air. Beechbone is caught in a blast, burning to death.
• Treebeard goes berserk. His roars crack stone and the ents destroy Saruman’s machinery.

Straight Stair

• Frodo and Sam struggle up the stair, forced to climb with hands and feet.
• Frodo becomes distraught, fearing he is too late in destroying the Ring.
• They reach the end of the Straight Stair, but Gollum says the Winding Stair is still to come.
• Gollum scampers off. Frodo and Sam talk of old songs and stories and whether they will ever be characters in them.
• Gollum talks to himself about Frodo and his plan. He comes to a passage and talks with something inside.
• Gollum returns to find Frodo asleep. He feels guilty, even feeling true affection for Frodo. Sam wakes up and accuses Gollum of sneaking.

• Frodo frees Gollum from his bond, but Gollum says he must lead them to the end. They continue on.

Isengard

• The ents have dug great trenches. Bregalad destroys the dam of Isen, flooding Isengard.

• The remaining orcs try and escape, but are caught by the forest of Huorns surrounding Isengard.
• Wormtongue arrives on horseback. Treebeard captures him.
• Saruman berates Wormtongue for losing control of Theoden.
• Treebeard thanks Merry and Pippin. The hobbits find pipe-weed in a storeroom.

Death – Beechbone

Adapted from chapters ‘Journey to the Cross-Roads’, ‘The Stairs of Cirith Ungol’ and ‘Flotsam and Jetsam’ of The Lord of the Rings.

Pictures

• Minas Morgul – Matthew Burton
• The Day Without Dawn – Anke Eissmann
• At the Cross-Roads – Ted Nasmith
• The Tower of the Moon – Ted Nasmith
• Minas Morgul – John Howe
• The Wrath of the Ents – Ted Nasmith
• Gollum’s Debate – Ted Nasmith
• The Ents Destroy Isengard – John Howe