Return of the King

Pippin awakens and sees that it is still dark outside. Gandalf informs him that this is not a natural weather condition, but that the storm is part of Sauron’s plan. Pippin goes to meet with Denethor again. Denethor asks Pippin to sing for him, but Pippin does not want to sing one of his traditional Hobbit songs to such a great lord. Denethor instead interrogates Gandalf about Rohan, indicating that he knows a lot about foreign lands and politics.

Faramir returns from Ithilien, pursued by Nazgûl on flying steeds. Gandalf goes out to banish them with a light and rescues Faramir. When Faramir comes to inform Denethor of the battle, he reacts with amazement when seeing Pippin, telling them that he met another halfling very recently. Pippin notices that Gandalf seems afraid for the first time. Faramir mentions that Frodo and Sam went to Cirith Ungol with Gollum. Denethor is furious with his son, having guessed that Frodo was carrying Isildur’s Bane, the Ring. He accuses Faramir of disloyalty, saying that Boromir would have brought him the Enemy’s weapon rather than seeking to please a wizard. Denethor tells Gandalf that he would not be foolish enough to try to use Sauron’s weapon against him, but he would have hidden it so that it could never fall into Sauron’s hands again.