 | |
| Chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring | |
| Three is Company | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Number | 3 |
| Synopsis | |
| Event | Frodo, Samwise, and Pippin journey through the Shire, encounter Black Riders and meet Gildor. |
| Date | 23-24 September 3018 |
| Location | The Shire |
| Navigation | |
| Preceded by | The Shadow of the Past |
| Followed by | A Short Cut to Mushrooms |
You ought to go quietly, and you ought to go soon.
Three is Company is the third chapter of the first book in The Fellowship of the Ring. Key characters include Frodo Baggins, Gandalf, Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin "Pippin" Took, Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck and Gildor Inglorion. The Black Riders are introduced.
The chapter tells of the beginning of Frodo's journey from Hobbiton to Rivendell with the One Ring, and describes first encounters with a Black Rider and Elves, through which Frodo becomes an Elf-friend. The chapter introduces themes important to later parts of the story: secrecy and deception; friendship and loyalty; the burden on Ring-bearers; and the courage and heroism that are needed on the epic journey ahead.
The chapter references the bemusement of a fox at the sight of hobbits out of doors, which contributes to the Hobbit-like tone to the early chapters of the story.
Overview
Preparations to Leave the Shire
Frodo and Gandalf concluded their conversation about The One Ring. Frodo decided he would leave The Shire immediately following his upcoming fiftieth birthday (22 September, T.A. 3018). Gandalf advised Frodo to journey to Rivendell and to devise a credible pretext for his departure that would conceal the true direction of his travel and mislead potential pursuers.
With the help of his cousin Merry, Frodo purchased a small house in Crickhollow, publicly pretending that he planned to settle there permanently. He then sold Bag End to Lobelia Sackville-Baggins. Rumours circulated in Hobbiton that Frodo had run out of money and had to go live with his relatives. Some others insisted that Frodo's departure was orchestrated by Gandalf as part of some sinister plot.
Gandalf remained at Bag End for two months during Frodo's preparations. In late June, he abruptly declared his intention to investigate matters beyond the southern borders of the Shire, without divulging specifics. He assured Frodo of his return by 22 September, but had not reappeared within days of the date's approach. Frodo received assistance from Fredegar "Fatty" Bolger, Folco Boffin, Pippin and Merry in packing up his belongings, and on 22 September held a small birthday party with them at Bag End.
The following morning, with no sign of Gandalf, Frodo decided to wait until nightfall before departing. Meanwhile, Merry and Fatty rode out to Buckland with the last of the packs, to prepare the house for Frodo’s arrival. Lobelia Sackville-Baggins and her son Lotho came to Bag End, even though it would not be theirs until midnight. They received Frodo’s spare key and left in a huff. Frodo shared a final meal at Bag End with Pippin and Sam before sundown. Sam had arranged to go with Frodo to Crickhollow under the guise of assisting with Frodo's new garden.
Leaving Hobbiton
On the eve of his departure, Frodo took one last stroll outside, hoping that Gandalf might suddenly appear. During his stroll he overheard Gaffer Gamgee speaking with some unknown, shrill-voiced individual. The Gaffer told the unseen stranger that Frodo had already sold Bag End and gone off to Bucklebury.
Frodo, Sam and Pippin left Bag End after dark, through the fields instead of the main road. The party headed out of Hobbiton, climbing a hill overlooking the town, where Frodo gave it a final farewell. The party continued in the direction of the Bucklebury Ferry, until at Pippin’s insistence they finally stopped to sleep in the roots of a large fir tree.
Encounter with Black Riders
The next morning, the Hobbits continued onward along a narrow road. At lunch, Frodo spontaneously began to sing “The Road Goes Ever On”, though he didn’t know how or why he remembered the words.
By the afternoon, the three Hobbits reached Woody End. Behind them on the road, Sam heard an approaching horse or pony. Not wanting to be seen by strangers, Frodo resolved to hide from sight; reasoning that if it happened to be Gandalf coming, they could surprise him. The three Hobbits hid on the sides of the road - though for a moment Frodo felt some unexplained reluctance to do so. A large black horse appeared on the road, ridden by a large man wrapped in black cloaks, his face shrouded in deep shadow under a black hood. The horse stopped very near to Frodo, and the man appeared to sniff the air as if searching for a scent. Frodo was tempted to use the Ring to disappear from sight, but before he could do so the rider hurried his horse up the road and disappeared.
Frodo and Pippin wondered where the rider had come from and what he was looking for. Sam piped up, saying that he’d talked with his Gaffer the previous night, and was told that a man had come around to ask questions about “Baggins”. Sam said that the man described by the Gaffer seemed to match the description of this rider. Frodo lamented not waiting for Gandalf, but then realised that waiting any longer might have put him in even more danger.
The Hobbits continued along the road, but kept their distance from it. After nightfall their fears began to wane, and they sang a walking song that Bilbo had once written. Suddenly, they once again heard hooves, and again dived for cover. A shadowy figure on a horse appeared on the road, sniffing the air. It seemed to fall off its horse to sniff the ground where the Hobbits had stood moments before, and then started crawling directly towards Frodo’s hiding place. Frodo felt an even stronger urge to put on the Ring, groping at it in his pocket. At that very moment they all heard the sounds of song and laughter. The dark figure quickly withdrew to its horse and disappeared into the trees.
Encounter with the Elves
Sam exclaimed that these were the voices of Elves, and nearly went running towards them before being stopped by the other two Hobbits. The voices approached, with one voice being heard more clearly above the others as it sang the Elven Hymn to Elbereth. Frodo recognised the name of Elbereth and concluded that these were High Elves.
The Hobbits remained hidden and let the Elves pass, seeing them as though bathed in mysterious moonlight on a moonless night. The Elf bringing up the rear then stopped and addressed Frodo by name, wondering what Hobbits might be doing along the road at this time of the night. Frodo asked the Elf how he knew his name. The Elf introduced himself as Gildor Inglorion of the House of Finrod, and said that his party were some of the last Exiles remaining in Middle-earth, wandering the land, destined to some day leave across the Great Sea. He told Frodo that the Elves had observed him with Bilbo on occasion, though he never noticed their presence.
Frodo asked whether the Hobbits could walk with the Elves for company. The Elves laughed at this proposal, calling Hobbits “dull”. Pippin suddenly interjected and asked the Elves to tell them about the Black Riders. The Elves turned serious as they heard the account of the Hobbits’ encounters with two such riders. They told the Hobbits to accompany them to a hill overlooking Woodhall, where they could sleep safely through the night. Gildor beseeched the Hobbits not to speak any secrets. Frodo thanked Gildor and uttered a blessing in Quenya that he had learned from Bilbo:
Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo, a star shines on the hour of our meeting.
The party proceeded in complete silence towards the hill Gildor spoke of, Sam overtaken with joy at finally meeting Elves. Having reached the hill and made camp, the Hobbits quickly fell asleep, while the Elves conversed among themselves in hushed voices. Suddenly, the Elves burst into song and the trees glowed with the light of a fire. The Hobbits were awoken and taken to a clearing in the wood, resembling a great hall of trees. The Elves danced and sang around a fire, providing the Hobbits with exquisite foods and a clear and golden draught. Frodo continued to impress the Elves by speaking what few words he knew in Quenya. Pippin quickly fell asleep again, and was placed by the Elves in a soft bed. Sam refused to leave Frodo, falling asleep at his feet.
Conversation with Gildor
Frodo had a long conversation with Gildor. They spoke of current events and history, and Gildor even mentioned that he’d seen Bilbo twice since he left the Shire, though he did not elaborate. Gildor seemed to have a general sense of Frodo’s mission, though he didn’t know any of the details. He refused to explain the Black Riders, arguing that if Gandalf hadn’t told Frodo about them, he might be better off not knowing just yet. Frodo complained about the sudden danger that had overcome his homelands, but Gildor reminded him that he shared his land with creatures who had been there much longer than Hobbits.
The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourself in, but you cannot for ever fence it out.
Frodo told Gildor that Gandalf had missed the rendezvous and had not been seen for quite some time, asking Gildor for advice on how to proceed. Gildor became quite worried at this news, but told Frodo that it is his decision whether to wait or continue on. Frodo retorted with an old saying:
Go not to the Elves for counsel, for they will say both no and yes.
This amused Gildor, who finally relented and told Frodo that he should probably continue on his way as soon as possible. He urged Frodo not to go on alone. He still refused to explain the Black Riders, but stressed the danger that they posed as "servants of the Enemy". When Frodo asked Gildor for reassurance, Gildor replies:
Courage is found in unlikely places.
Gildor dubbed Frodo an "Elf-friend", and promised that any passing Wandering Company of Elves would watch over him and render assistance if they could. Frodo became sleepy, was guided to a soft bed next to Pippin's, where he fell soundly asleep.