Wormtongue began to speak and was struck down by a flash. There was even thunder and the room darkened so that only Gandalf was visible. After a soft song, the white wizard revealed himself to the hall. But when he talked shit about Galadriel, calling her “the Sorceress of the Golden Wood,” all bets were off.Īnd so was Gandalf’s old gray cloak. Wormtongue even threw in a few barbs of his own. Théoden, due to Wormtongue’s influence, was incredibly unhappy to see Gandalf – “when I heard that Shadowfax had come back riderless, I rejoiced at the return of the horse, but still more at the lack of the rider.” That’s just cold. Théoden allowed them to enter, but unarmed.

Gandalf was open and tells the guards their true identities. When they arrive at the gates, the guards were suspicious, and questioned whether Gandalf, still dressed in gray, was a spy from Saruman. According to Tolkien’s notes, they arrived “about 8.30” in the morning. On three horses (Gimli was riding two-up on Legolas’), the made their way from their camp due south towards Edoras, home of King Théoden. Though the day was uneventful for the Hobbits and Gollum, the same could not be said for Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, and Gandalf. Slowly in the East the dark faded to a cold grey.” (Book Three, Chapter 6 – The King of the Golden Hall) In his notes, Tolkien wrote that the trio “begin journey in moors of Nomen’s Land.” He subsequently changed the name to Noman-lands between the first and second printings of Two Towers. We’re told that the air was colder, the sky was gray, and the land was “a dismal waste.” Traveling only at night, they hid most of the day under a black rock.

Tolkien dedicates two paragraphs to the next few days of their travels from the Dead Marshes southeast towards the Morannon, the Black Gate.

“When day came at last.” (Book Four, Chapter 2 – The Passage of the Marshes) As for Sam and Frodo, however, it’s just more of the same.

On this day, the Ents came to a decision, and Gandalf made a breakthrough. Each day going forward is going to be fairly important.

The ents are going to war