The lack of lackeys at the Ford

I4detail

Member
Way back when the party was crossing the road beneath Weathertop (I know, I know), I was one of the people who said it wasn't inconceivable that the Nazgul had human helpers about who could spot for them. "Oi, there they are," said the Squint Eyed Southerner. "And blast it, they're running across the road, not along it."

Corey said at the time the idea didn't sit right with him, but he wasn't really able to place a finger on why.

I think the section here is why. There is no sign of lackeys here. The lack of lackeys is telling. While there is a chance they just abandoned the hired help after Weathertop ("Fat lot of good you guys did."), more likely, the nazgul are operating alone.

But this brings us back to the question of how did they spot the party on the road, and even here, as it still mostly light out (Late afternoon). The nazgul would have had to be well off the road for them not to have been spotted. (Remember, while there were some Pine trees, they have been passing through an area with "much grass at either side"), and they've got ranger and freaking Glorfindel with them. If the Nazgul were just off the road, I'm pretty sure they would have been spotted. So most likely well off the road in the pine trees.

So, how do these creatures, mostly blinded in the day, spot the party? Some people like the horse explanation, but I say neigh.

I was thinking about this issue while taking the dog for a walk after dark in the forest near my house, and I had a flash of inspiration. It says that, when Frodo puts on the ring, the Nazgul become "terribly clear."

While we were walking, my flashlight reflected off a hiking sign. As I kept walked, a tree went between me and the sign, and the sign winked out of view, then came into view again.

What if, I thought—and this is all just speculation—what if the Nazgul use their sight as a sort of visual trip wire? One of those infrared door alarms? Set up so you have line of sight of another Nazgul. The world is grey, but I can see the other Nazgul clearly. If something passes between me and ... him? it? I can't see what came between the two of us, but I will know something has passed. And, while it could just be a party of passing dwarves, there's a good chance it will be the ringbearer.

Anyway. Just a thought.
 
Very interesting and very cool! I would just say that, in regards to the ring-bearer or the ring in particular, is that they are spiritually drawn to the ring, so, part or possibly a majority of their detection mechanics with the ring is not with vision.
 
they've got ranger and freaking Glorfindel with them. If the Nazgul were just off the road, I'm pretty sure they would have been spotted. So most likely well off the road in the pine trees.
I don't think so; not here. At the approach to the ford, five Nazgul are behind the company, back up the road. Somehow they have detected the company on the road ahead of them, and they gallop towards the ford to catch them. (Four more are waiting near the ford, but there's no big question about how they detect the approaching horse and rider!)

There is no evidence that the company passed any Nazgul hiding anywhere after returning to the road: Aragorn brought the hobbits back to the road at a closer point to the ford than where the Nazgul were waiting. Or at least that's how I read it.
 
I don't think so; not here. At the approach to the ford, five Nazgul are behind the company, back up the road. Somehow they have detected the company on the road ahead of them, and they gallop towards the ford to catch them. (Four more are waiting near the ford, but there's no big question about how they detect the approaching horse and rider!)

There is no evidence that the company passed any Nazgul hiding anywhere after returning to the road: Aragorn brought the hobbits back to the road at a closer point to the ford than where the Nazgul were waiting. Or at least that's how I read it.

Aragorn and the Hobbits have been on the road with Glorfindel for six days; to have the Nazgul chasing the party and just happen to catch up with them right at the place where the rest of the Nazgul are laying in wait for what seems to be an almost perfectly executed pincher maneuver is stretching the bounds of coincidence. Luck, if luck it be, is not on the side of the Nazgul; they have to rely on guile and skill.

As for evidence, Tolkien rather pointedly points out that the road is passing through open country; if they were being pursued by Nazgul close enough to come upon them after passing through the cut, they most certainly would have been close enough behind to be spotted by a ranger, an elf lord or a sharp eyed hobbit. Or someone would have heard the not-at-all-clippity sounds of approaching hoofbeats. Having pointed all this out, Tolkien then casually mentions "and over here we have a stand of shadowy trees...."

While it is true that our elf-lord says he believes the pursuit is closing in from behind, it is also possible that he mistook the direction the danger was coming from.

The Nazgul laying in wait detect Frodo and Asfaloth because the Nazgul behind shout out "now! spring the trap now!" This is the third time they've tried this (once under Weathertop, once at the bridge, and once here), and the only time it's worked.
 
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Aragorn and the Hobbits have been on the road with Glorfindel for six days; to have the Nazgul chasing the party and just happen to catch up with them right at the place where the rest of the Nazgul are laying in wait for what seems to be an almost perfectly executed pincher maneuver is stretching the bounds of coincidence. Luck, if luck it be, is not on the side of the Nazgul; they have to rely on guile and skill.
Six days? That's not the way I remember it. Glorfindel caught up with them and they pushed on until the Hobbits had to rest. Rested a while, and went on again till dark. Next day they get to the ambush before dusk. Less than three full days.

I'd guess the company walked no more than forty miles or so after Glorfindel found them. In that time, the Riders could have gone further, but not a whole lot further: horses are good sprinters but don't have the endurance of humans, who can actually beat a horse-and-rider in a 100-mile race (suitably young and athletic humans can, anyway!).

I still think the five Riders behind were already behind them when the company returned to the road. But it's less of a certain point for me than it was before your post. The four ahead of them at the Ford would have to have passed the place where they returned to the road before they got there. The timing's a bit tricky.

But your alternative -- that the Riders were waiting off the road, and then kept pace with them far enough behind to remain undetected -- is tricky, too. Good strategy, but hard to remain concealed, especially from Glorfindel and Aragorn!
 
Six days? That's not the way I remember it. Glorfindel caught up with them and they pushed on until the Hobbits had to rest. Rested a while, and went on again till dark. Next day they get to the ambush before dusk. Less than three full days.

My bad; I meant to say that it's been six days since they crossed the bridge, which is where the Nazgul last laid in ambush, and they would have had them too, if it weren't for that Elf Lord and his meddling horse. I had written a different answer entirely, then accidentally hit reload, so I was building on an argument that I had already made (that the Nazgul had tried this ambush twice before: once below Weathertop, once at the Last Bridge), then forgot to actually make the argument in the new response. Both times the Nazgul try and get ahead of the party, then spring a trap them; once the action is foiled by the party not following the road at all, once at the Last Bridge. This time, the trap goes without a hitch.
 
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