Breaking of the Fellowship

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The Breaking of the Fellowship was an event that occurred on 26 February T.A. 3019. It involved the death of Boromir at the hands of the Uruk-hai and the splitting of the Fellowship of the Ring. Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took, two hobbits, were taken prisoner by the Uruks. Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee, the other two hobbits, set out on the last and most dangerous part of the Quest of the Ring through the Emyn Muil. The remaining members, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, set out to try and rescue the two captured hobbits, Merry and Pippin.

While the Fellowship camped on the western side of the Anduin near the Falls of Rauros, they realised that they must choose whether to go to Mordor and destroy the Ring or to Minas Tirith in Gondor so that the fellowship could aid the defence of the city. Frodo began to feel overwhelmed by the decision and asked to leave in order to think more on the choice. While he was thinking, Boromir came to him, unseen by the Fellowship, and talked of great battles and victories, to which Frodo did not listen much. Then, Boromir asked Frodo to lend him the Ring. When Frodo refused, Boromir attacked Frodo, who fled to take one of the boats across the Anduin to the eastern shore, in order to start his journey alone. Back in the camp, the other members of the Fellowship had realised Frodo was missing, not knowing that he had fled from Boromir. Merry and Pippin went running off in one direction, Legolas and Gimli in another, and Samwise in another. But Samwise understood his master's plan and ran to the shore to follow Frodo. Boromir fell, pierced by many arrows, defending Merry and Pippin against many Uruk-hai. Merry and Pippin were taken, because it was believed that one of them had the Ring, and should thus be taken to Isengard to be questioned and tortured by Saruman, who wanted the Ring for himself. Aragorn heard Boromir tell that he had attacked Frodo, but Aragorn kept this secret for a long while before revealing it to anyone. Boromir was placed in a boat and sent off the Falls of Rauros.