The Siege of Gondor
The Siege of Gondor is the fourth chapter of the fifth book in The Return of the King.
Summary
Back in Minas Tirith, Pippin receives his new uniform and gear as a member of the Tower Guard. He spends a long day serving Lord Denethor, Gandalf, and the Captains of the West. Pippin chats with Beregond at the outer wall of the Citadel amid heavy darkness and a stagnant air. Suddenly, they hear the terrifying shriek of a Black Rider. Beyond the outermost gate, they can see five dark Nazgûl swooping over a small, rapidly approaching group of Men on horseback. The leader of the horsemen sounds his horn; Beregond recognizes the trumpet call of Faramir, Denethor’s son.
The men, thrown from their terrified horses, run for the city gate on foot. Just as a Nazgûl descends on Faramir, Pippin sees what appears to be a brilliant white star in the north—it is Gandalf on his horse, Shadowfax. Gandalf raises his hand and sends a shaft of light shooting upward into one of the Nazgûl. The Nazgûl cries and circles away, the other Ringwraiths following. Gandalf returns to the city with Faramir slumped in the saddle.
Faramir is escorted into Denethor’s chambers, where he is shocked to see Pippin (Faramir has already had a strange encounter with two other Hobbits—Frodo and Sam—in The Two Towers). Gandalf erupts when he learns from Faramir that Frodo and Sam are heading to Mordor by way of Cirith Ungol. Faramir notes that he bid farewell to the Hobbits only two days ago; they could not have reached Cirith Ungol yet. The men surmise that Sauron’s new movement on Gondor is not related to Frodo’s approach to Mordor.
Denethor upbraids Faramir for showing cowardice in defending the outposts. The Steward bitterly remarks that Boromir, his other son, would have brought him a “mighty gift”—meaning the Ring. Gandalf points out that Boromir would have kept the “gift” for himself. The two men argue, and Pippin again senses the strain between them. Denethor opposes sending the Ring with a Hobbit into the hands of Sauron, believing that he himself should have been given the Ring for safekeeping. The gathering disperses. Pippin asks Gandalf why, as Faramir has indicated, Frodo and Sam are traveling with Gollum. Gandalf fears Gollum’s treachery, but notes that perhaps some good may yet come of Gollum’s actions.
