Gandalf rides to the White city, sees fire over the mountains. Barad-Dur rebuilt,

a voice screams 'Shire! Baggins!' The Nine ride out the gate.

Gandalf looks through the library in the White City, finds the manuscript of Isildur's tale.

'The year 3434 of the Second Age. Here follows the account of Isildur, High King of Gondor, and the finding of the Ring. The Ring of power has come to me. It will become an heirloom of my kingdom. All those who follow in my bloodline will be bound to its fate, for I will risk no hurt to the Ring. It is precious to me, though I buy it with a great pain. The markings on the band fade, the writing that was once as bright as red flame has all but disappeared, a secret now only fire can tell.'

A hobbit cutting wood is startled by a Dark Rider. His dog sensibly retreats into the house.
Nazgul : "Shire. Baggins."

Hobbit: "No Bagginses here. They're all up in Hobbitton. That way."
He follows his dog as the Rider turns toward Hobbitton.

Frodo returns home from the inn, the window is open and all is dark. Gandalf grabs his shoulder from behind.

Gandalf : "Is it secret? Is it safe?"

Frodo gets out the envelope, Gandalf throws it in the fire.
Frodo : "What are you doing?"
Envelope burns away, revealing the Ring. Gandalf retrieves it from the fire with tongs.

Gandalf : "Hold out your hand, Frodo. It's quite cool. What can you see? Can you see anything?"

Frodo : "Nothing. There's nothing. Wait. There are markings. It's some form of Elvish, but I can't read it."

Gandalf : "There are few who can. The language is that of Mordor, which I shall not utter here."
Frodo : "Mordor?"
Gandalf : "In the common tongue, it reads, One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them. One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them."
Gandalf : "This is the One Ring, forged by Sauron in the fires of Mount Doom. Isildur took it from the hand of Sauron himself."

Frodo : "Bilbo found it, in Gollum's cave."
Gandalf : "For sixty years, it lay quiet in Bilbo's keeping, prolonging his life, delaying old age. But no longer. There is evil stirring in Mordor. The Ring has awoken. It's heard its master's call."

Frodo : "But he was destroyed. Sauron was destroyed."
The Ring whispers denial.
Gandalf : "No, Frodo. His spirit endured. Sauron's life-force was bound to the Ring, and the Ring survived. Sauron has returned. His orcs have multiplied. His fortress of Barad-Dur is rebuilt in Mordor. He needs only this Ring to cover all the lands in a second darkness. He is seeking it, seeking it, all his thought is bent on it. The Ring yearns above all else to return to the hand of its master. They are one, the Ring and the Dark Lord. He must never find it."

Frodo grabs the Ring.
Frodo : "All right, we keep it hidden. We put it away, we never speak of it again. Nobody knows its here, do they?"
Gandalf is silent.
Frodo : "Do they, Gandalf?"

Gandalf : "There was one other who knew that Bilbo had the ring. I looked everywhere for the creature Gollum, but the Enemy found him first."

Gandalf : "I don't know how long they tortured him, but amid the endless screams and inane babble, they heard two words. Shire. Baggins."

Frodo : "Shire. Baggins. But that would lead them here!"

The Riders kill a night watchman. Frodo holds out the Ring to Gandalf.
Frodo : "Take it, Gandalf, you must take it!"

Gandalf : "You cannot offer me this Ring!"
Frodo : "I am giving it to you!"
Gandalf : "Don't tempt me! I dare not take this Ring, not even to keep it safe! Understand, I would use this Ring out of a desire to do good, but through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine."
Frodo : "But it cannot stay in the Shire!"
Gandalf : "No. No, it can't."
Frodo accepts his duty.
Frodo : "What must I do?"

Gandalf : "You must go, and go quickly."
Frodo : "Where?"
Gandalf : "Get out of the Shire. Make for the village of Bree."
Frodo : "What about you?"
Gandalf : "I will wait for you at the Inn of the Prancing Pony."
Frodo : "And the Ring will be safe there?"
Gandalf : "I don't know, Frodo. I don't have any answers. I must see the head of my order. He is both powerful and wise. Trust me, he will know what to do. You must leave the name of Baggins behind you, for that name is not safe outside the Shire. Travel only by day, and stay off the road."

Frodo : "I can cut across country easily enough."
Gandalf stops, looking at Frodo, who is within minutes packed, cloaked, and ready for a long and dangerous journey.
Gandalf : "Dear Frodo. Hobbits are the most amazing creatures. You can learn everything there is to know about their ways in a month, and after a

hundred years they can still surprise you!"

Noise outside the window.
Gandalf : "Get down!"

Frodo drops to the floor, Gandalf reaches out the window with his staff, hits something.

Hauls Sam in by the scruff of his neck.
Gandalf : "Confound it all, Samwise Gamgee, have you been eavesdropping?"

Sam : "I ain't been dropping no eaves, sir, honest, I was just cutting the grass outside the window, if you follow me."
Gandalf : "A bit late for trimming the verge."
Sam : "I heard raised voices."
Gandalf : "What did you hear? Speak!"
Sam : "Nothing important. That is, I heard a good deal about a ring, and a dark lord, and something about the end of the world. Please don't hurt me, sir, don't turn me into anything unnatural."

Gandalf : "No? Perhaps not. I've thought of a better use for you."

Gandalf and Frodo walking, Gandalf leading his horse.
Gandalf : "Come along, Samwise, keep up!"
Sam runs to catch up.

The three stop under the trees.

Gandalf : "Be careful, both of you. The enemy has many spies in his service. Birds, beasts. Is it safe?"
Frodo pats his pocket, where the Ring is hidden.
Gandalf : "Never put it on! The servants of the Dark Lord will be drawn to its power. Remember, the Ring is trying to get back to its master. It wants to be found."...Gandalf leaves.

Frodo and Sam cross fields, going towards Bree. Sam stops on the edge of a field of wheat.

Sam : "This is it."
Frodo : "This is what?"

Sam : "If I take one more step, it will be the farthest from home I've ever been."
Frodo : "Come on, Sam. Remember what Bilbo used to say. It's a dangerous thing, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you'll be swept off to."

Sam emerges from a corn patch, alone.
Sam : "Mister Frodo? Frodo!"
Frodo reappears from the path ahead.

Sam : "I thought I'd lost you."
Frodo :"What are you talking about, Sam?"
Sam : "It's just something Gandalf said."
Frodo : "What did he say?"
Sam :"Don't you lose him, Samwise Gamgee. And I don't mean to."
Frodo : "We're still in the Shire, Sam, what could possibly happen?"

They get knocked over by Merry and Pippin.
Pippin : "Frodo! Look, Merry, it's Frodo!"
Sam : "You get off him!"
Sam shakes off Merry, picks Pippin off Frodo by the scruff of his neck.
Merry hands Sam an armful of vegetables.
Merry : "Hold these."
Pippin : "What's the meaning of this?"
Sam : "You've been into Farmer Maggott's crop!"

The hear shouts of anger and barking dogs close by, they start running through a cornfield.
Merry : "I don't know what he's so upset about, it's only a few carrots."
Pippin : "And some cabbages. And the three bags of potatoes we lifted last week. And the mushrooms the week before that."
Merry : "Yes, Pippin! My point is, he's obviously overreacting!"

They all fall over a cliff, land in a heap.
Pippin lands inches away from a pile of manure.
Pippin : "Ooh! That was a close one."
Merry : "I think I've broken something."
Merry pulls out a broken carrot.

Sam : "Trust a Brandybuck and a Took!"

Merry : "Nonsense! That was just a detour! A shortcut!"
Sam : "Shortcut to what?"
Pippin : "Mushrooms!"
Three start gathering mushrooms into a bag.
Frodo looks down the road.
Frodo : "I think we should get off the road."
Something dark approaches.
Frodo : "Get off the road, quick!"

They hide under the roots of a tree. The Ringwraith comes, on his horse.

Gets off the horse, sniffing as though he can smell that the Ring is close

A spider crawls out, and a centipede, and a lot of worms. For the first time, the Ring tries to impose its will on Frodo, pushing him to put it on so they will be found.

Sam distracts him. Merry throws something to distract the wraith, and they run away.

Pippin : "What was that?"
It is dark, they have been running for some time, watching for the Rider.
"Anything?"
Frodo : "Nothing."
Merry :"That dark rider was looking for something, or someone. Frodo?"

Rider appears, in the distance.
"Get down!"

They hide again.
Frodo : "I have to leave the Shire. Sam and I have to get to Bree."
Merry : "Bucklebury ferry. Follow me."

They run, but the horse is right behind them. Frodo gets separated from the rest, who get to the ferry ahead of him.
Merry : "Sam, get the ropes!"
They untie the raft.
"Run, Frodo!"

The Rider is right behind Frodo.
Frodo : "Go!"
Frodo jumps off the dock, and just makes it onto the ferry. The Rider stops at the water's edge.
Frodo : "Where is the nearest crossing?"
Merry : "Brandywine bridge. Twenty miles."
They look back to see three Riders now, heading for the bridge.

 

.....

 

 

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