The world has changed. I feel it in the years, it poisoned his mind. And in the gloom “ water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the of Gollum's cave, it waited. air. Much that once was is lost. For none now Darkness crept back into the forests of the live who remember it. It began with the world. Rumor grew of a shadow in the East, forging of the great rings. Three were given whispers of a nameless fear and the ring of to the elves, immortal, wisest and fairest of all power perceived its time had now come. It beings. Seven to the Dwarf Lords, great abandoned Gollum. But something miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. happened then the ring did not intend. It was And nine, nine rings were gifted to the race picked up by the most unlikely creature of men, who above all else desired power. For imaginable: a Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins of the within these rings was bound the strength and Shire. For the times will soon come when will to govern each race. Hobbits will shape the fortunes of all... But they were all of them deceived for The twenty-second day of September in the another ring was made. In the land of year 1400 by Shire reckoning. Bag End, Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Bagshot Row, Hobbiton, West Farthing, The dark Lord Sauron forged in secret a master Shire, Middle Earth. The Third Age of this ring, to control all others and into this ring, world. ``There and back again, A Hobbit’s he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will tale, by Bilbo Baggins''. Now, where to begin? to dominate all life. One ring to rule them all. Ah, yes. ``Concerning Hobbits''. Hobbits One by one the free lands of Middle-earth fell have been living and farming in the four to the power of the ring. But there were some Farthings of the Shire for many hundreds of who resisted. A last alliance of men and elves years. Quite content to ignore and be ignored marched against the armies of Mordor and on by the world of the Big Folk. Middle Earth the slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for being, after all, full of strange creatures the freedom of Middle-earth. Victory was beyond count. Hobbits must seem of little near but the power of the ring could not be importance, being neither renowned as great undone. It was in this moment when all hope warriors, nor counted amongst the very wise. had faded that Isildur, son of the King, took In fact, it has been remarked by some that up his father's sword... Sauron, the enemy of Hobbits only real passion is for food. A rather the free peoples of Middle-earth was unfair observation as we have also developed defeated. a keen interest in the brewing of ales and the smoking of pipe weed. But where our hearts The ring passed to Isildur, who had this one truly lie is in peace and quiet and good tilled chance to destroy Evil forever. But the hearts earth. For all Hobbits share a love of all things of men are easily corrupted. And the ring of that grow. And yes, no doubt to others, our power has a will of its own. It betrayed Isildur ways seem quaint. But today of all days, it is to his death. And some things that should not brought home to me it is no bad thing to have been forgotten were lost. History celebrate a simple life. became legend, legend became myth and for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed And so life in the Shire goes on, very much as out of all knowledge until, when chance it has this past age. Full of its own comings came, it ensnared a new bearer. The ring came and goings with change coming slowly, if it to the creature Gollum who took it deep into comes at all. For things are made to endure in the tunnels of the misty mountains and there the Shire, passing from one generation to the it consumed him. The ring brought to next. There’s always been a Baggins living Gollum unnatural long life. For five hundred here under the Hill, in Bag End. And there always will be.” There were once three brothers who were they had had, and admiring Death’s gifts. In “ traveling along a lonely, winding road at due course the brothers separated, each for twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river his own destination. too deep to wade through and too dangerous The first brother traveled on for a week or to swim across. However, these brothers more, and reaching a distant village, sought were learned in the magical arts, and so they out a fellow wizard with whom he had a simply waved their wands and made a bridge quarrel. Naturally with the Elder Wand as his appear across the treacherous water. They weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that were halfway across it when they found their followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the path blocked by a hooded figure. floor, the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, And Death spoke to them. He was angry that where he boasted loudly of the powerful he had been cheated out of three new victims, wand he had snatched from Death himself, for travelers usually drowned in the river. But and of how it made him invincible. Death was cunning. He pretended to That very night, another wizard crept upon congratulate the three brothers upon their the oldest brother as he lay, wine-sodden, magic and said that each had earned a prize upon his bed. The thief took the wand and, for having been clever enough to evade him. for good measure, slit the oldest brother’s So the oldest brother, who was a combative throat. man, asked for a wand more powerful than And so Death took the first brother for his any in existence: a wand that must always win own. duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death! So Death crossed Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to to an elder tree on the banks of the river, his own home, where he lived alone. Here he fashioned a wand from a branch that hung took out the stone that had the power to there, and gave it to the oldest brother. recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the Then the second brother, who was an figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, arrogant man, decided that he wanted to before her untimely death, appeared at once humiliate Death still further, and asked for before him. the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him and gave it to the second brother, and told as by a veil. Though she had returned to the him that the stone would have the power to mortal world, she did not truly belong there bring back the dead. and suffered. Finally, the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed And then Death asked the third and youngest himself so as truly to join her. brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest And so Death took the second brother for his of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. own. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being But though Death searched for the third followed by Death. And death, most brother for many years, he was never able to unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of find him. It was only when he had attained a Invisibility. great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it Then Death stood aside and allowed the three to his son. And then he greeted Death as an brothers to continue on their way, and they old friend, and went with him gladly, and, did so, talking with wonder of the adventure equals, they departed this life.” Dacey Mormont, who seemed to be the drums or lutes. She ran toward her son, until “ only woman left in the hall besides something punched in the small of the back Catelyn, stepped up behind Edwyn Frey, and and the hard stone floor came up to slap her. touched him lightly on the arm as she said “Robb!” she screamed. She saw Smalljon something in his ear. Edwyn wrenched Umber wrestle a table off its trestles. himself away from her with unseemly Crossbow bolts thudded into the wood, one violence. “No,” he said, too loudly. “I’m done two three, as he flung it down on top of his with dancing for the nonce.” Dacey paled and king. Robin Flint was ringed by Freys, their turned away. Catelyn got slowly to her feet. daggers rising and falling. Ser Wendel What just happened there? Doubt gripped Manderly rose ponderously to his feet, her heart, where an instant before had been holding his leg of lamb. A quarrel went in his only weariness. It is nothing, she tried to tell open mouth and came out the back of his herself, you are seeing grumkins in the neck. Ser Wendel crashed forward, knocking woodpile, you are become an old silly woman the table off its trestles and sending cups, sick with grief and fear. But something must flagons, trenchers, platters, turnips, beets, and have shown on her face. Even Ser Wendel wine bouncing, spilling, and sliding across the Manderly took note. “Is something amiss?” floor. he asked, the leg of lamb in his hands. Catelyn’s back was on fire. I have to reach She did not answer him. Instead she went him. The Smalljon bludgeoned Ser Raymund after Edwyn Frey. The players in the gallery Frey across the face with a leg of mutton. But had finally gotten both king and queen down when he reached for his swordbelt a to their name-day suits. With scarcely a crossbow bolt drove him to his knees. In a moment’s respite, they began to play a very coat of gold or a coat of red, a lion still has different sort of song. No one sang the claws. She saw Lucas Blackwood cut down by words, but Catelyn knew “The Rains of Ser Hosteen Frey. One of the Vances was Castamere” when she heard it. Edwyn was hamstrung by Black Walder as he was hurrying toward a door. She hurried faster, wrestling with Ser Harys Haigh. And mine are driven by the music. Six quick strides and she long and sharp, my lord, as long and sharp as caught him. And who are you, the proud lord yours. The crossbows took Donnel Locke, said, that I must bow so low? She grabbed Owen Norrey, and half a dozen more. Young Edwyn by the arm to turn him and went cold Ser Benfrey had seized Dacey Mormont by all over when she felt the iron rings beneath the arm, but Catelyn saw her grab up a flagon his silken sleeve. of wine with her other hand, smash it full in his face, and run for the door. It flew open Catelyn slapped him so hard she broke his lip. before she reached it. Ser Ryman Frey pushed Olyvar, she thought, and Perwyn, Alesander, into the hall, clad in steel from helm to heel. all absent. And Roslin wept... Edwyn Frey A dozen Frey men-atarms packed the door shoved her aside. The music drowned all behind him. They were armed with heavy other sound, echoing off the walls as if the longaxes. stones themselves were playing. Robb gave Edwyn an angry look and moved to block his “Mercy!” Catelyn cried, but horns and drums way… and staggered suddenly as a quarrel and the clash of steel smothered her plea. Ser sprouted from his side, just beneath the Ryman buried the head of his axe in Dacey’s shoulder. If he screamed then, the sound was stomach. By then men were pouring in the swallowed by the pipes and horns and fiddles. other doors as well, mailed men in shaggy fur Catelyn saw a second bolt pierce his leg, saw cloaks with steel in their hands. Northmen! him fall. Up in the gallery, half the musicians She took them for rescue for half a heartbeat, had crossbows in their hands instead of till one of them struck the Smalljon head off.