Timeline Event
Fatty Bolger raises Crickhollow against the Nazgûl
Event Type: Military/Strategic
Age: 3rd Age - Ring War
Date: September 30, 3018
Description:
An event in Frodo's Departure from the Shire; see that entry for an overview:
[Among] the trees nearby, a horn rang out....
AWAKE! FEAR! FIRE! FOES! AWAKE!
Fatty Bolger had not been idle. As soon as he saw the dark shapes creep from the garden, he knew that he must run for it, or perish. And run he did, out of the back door, through the garden, and over the fields. When he reached the nearest house, more than a mile away, he collapsed on the doorstep. 'No, no, no!' he was crying. 'No, not me! I haven't got it!' It was some time before anyone could make out what he was babbling about. At last they got the idea that enemies were in Buckland, some strange invasion from the Old Forest. And then they lost no more time.
FEAR! FIRE! FOES!
The Brandybucks were blowing the Horn-call of Buckland, that had not been sounded for a hundred years, not since the white wolves came in the Fell Winter, when the Brandywine was frozen over.
AWAKE! AWAKE!
Far-away answering horns were heard.... The black figures fled from the house. One of them let fall a hobbit-cloak on the step, as he ran. In the lane the noise of hoofs broke out, and... went hammering away into the darkness. All about Crickhollow there was the sound of horns blowing, and voices crying.... But the Black Riders rode like a gale to the North-gate. Let the little people blow! Sauron would deal with them later. Meanwhile they had another errand: they knew now that the house was empty and the Ring had gone. They rode down the guards at the gate and vanished from the Shire.
The Fellowship of the Ring, LoTR Book 1, Ch 11, A Knife in the Dark
Contributors:
Elena Tiriel 14Mar08