Saxo Runesinger
Member
I want to challenge some comments in made in the last discussion (episode 91). There was some discussion of the 'desperation' of the Lord of the Nazgul as he and his comrades attempted to grab Frodo before he crossed the 'border' into Rivendell.
I know that the Ford of Bruinen is also known as the Ford of Rivendell, and that Elrond controls the river, but keep in mind that there is still more than 20 miles* between the liminal zone of the Ford and the valley of Imladris. So, I might argue that saying that Frodo will be safe from pursuit once he crosses the river might reflect more about the barrier of the flowing river than it does of the Boundary of Rivendell/Faerie.
Also, as I mentioned in a previous post about the strategy of the Witch King, even the safe arrival of the Ring at Rivendell is not necessarily disaster for Sauron and his forces. Yes, of course they would like to get the Ring sooner vs later, but they can afford to wait a day, a year, or an age to get it back in their possession. Even if a powerful claimant of the Ring can be found in Rivendell, the Forces necessary to win the physical war against Morder are not available, and (in the absence of the watery elimination of the Nazgul threat) the 9 still have the option of hemming in and posting a watch on the Ring and it's progress once it arrives in Imladris.
Keep in mind, we are < 100 miles from the orc holds in the Misty Mountains, probably a similar distance from Mount Gundabad, and there may be some isolated orc holds in the ruins of Angmar. All of these resources would be available to the Witch King if he's remains in surveillance mode.
So, in my mind, it's s stretch to say that he is desperate to stop Frodo at the Ford. Highly motivated? Certainly, but he is by no means out-of-options....or, so it would seem.
*see this handy link for distances in Middle Earth: http://users.abo.fi/jolin/tolkien/middle-earth_distances_table.pdf
I know that the Ford of Bruinen is also known as the Ford of Rivendell, and that Elrond controls the river, but keep in mind that there is still more than 20 miles* between the liminal zone of the Ford and the valley of Imladris. So, I might argue that saying that Frodo will be safe from pursuit once he crosses the river might reflect more about the barrier of the flowing river than it does of the Boundary of Rivendell/Faerie.
Also, as I mentioned in a previous post about the strategy of the Witch King, even the safe arrival of the Ring at Rivendell is not necessarily disaster for Sauron and his forces. Yes, of course they would like to get the Ring sooner vs later, but they can afford to wait a day, a year, or an age to get it back in their possession. Even if a powerful claimant of the Ring can be found in Rivendell, the Forces necessary to win the physical war against Morder are not available, and (in the absence of the watery elimination of the Nazgul threat) the 9 still have the option of hemming in and posting a watch on the Ring and it's progress once it arrives in Imladris.
Keep in mind, we are < 100 miles from the orc holds in the Misty Mountains, probably a similar distance from Mount Gundabad, and there may be some isolated orc holds in the ruins of Angmar. All of these resources would be available to the Witch King if he's remains in surveillance mode.
So, in my mind, it's s stretch to say that he is desperate to stop Frodo at the Ford. Highly motivated? Certainly, but he is by no means out-of-options....or, so it would seem.
*see this handy link for distances in Middle Earth: http://users.abo.fi/jolin/tolkien/middle-earth_distances_table.pdf