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.I will send outmessages, such as I can contrive, to those whom I know in the wide world;but so perilous are the lands now become that some may well miscarry, orcome no quicker than you yourself.`And I will choose you companions to go with you, as far as they will or fortune allows.The number must be few, since your hope is in speed andsecrecy.Had I a host of Elves in armour of the Elder Days, it would availlittle, save to arouse the power of Mordor.`The Company of the Ring shall be Nine; and the Nine Walkers shall beset against the Nine Riders that are evil.With you and your faithfulservant, Gandalf will go; for this shall be his great task, and maybe theend of his labours.`For the rest, they shall represent the other Free Peoples of theWorld: Elves, Dwarves, and Men.Legolas shall be for the Elves; and Gimlison of Gluin for the Dwarves.They are willing to go at least to the passesof the Mountains, and maybe beyond.For men you shall have Aragorn son ofArathorn, for the Ring of Isildur concerns him closely.'`Strider!' said Frodo.'Yes,' he said with a smile.`I ask leave once again to be yourcompanion, Frodo.'`I would have begged you to come,' said Frodo, 'only I thought you weregoing to Minas Tirith with Boromir.'`I am,' said Aragorn.`And the Sword-that-was-Broken shall be reforgedere I set out to war.But your road and our road lie together for manyhundreds of miles.Therefore Boromir will also be in the Company.He is avaliant man.''There remain two more to be found,' said Elrond."These I willconsider.Of my household I may find some that it seems good to me to send.'`But that will leave no place for us!' cried Pippin in dismay.`Wedon't want to be left behind.We want to go with Frodo.'`That is because you do not understand and cannot imagine what liesahead,' said Elrond.`Neither does Frodo,' said Gandalf, unexpectedly supporting Pippin.'Nor do any of us see clearly.It is true that if these hobbits understoodthe danger, they would not dare to go.But they would still wish to go, orwish that they dared, and be shamed and unhappy.I think, Elrond, that inthis matter it would be well to trust rather to their friendship than togreat wisdom.Even if you chose for us an elf-lord, such as Glorfindel, hecould not storm the Dark Tower, nor open the road to the Fire by the powerthat is in him.'`You speak gravely,' said Elrond, `but I am in doubt.The Shire, Iforebode, is not free now from peril; and these two I had thought to send back there as messengers, to do what they could, according to the fashion oftheir country, to warn the people of their danger.In any case, I judge thatthe younger of these two, Peregrin Took, should remain.My heart is againsthis going.'`Then, Master Elrond, you will have to lock me in prison, or send mehome tied in a sack,' said Pippin.`For otherwise I shall follow theCompany.'`Let it be so then.You shall go,' said Elrond, and he sighed.'Now thetale of Nine is filled.In seven days the Company must depart.'The Sword of Elendil was forged anew by Elvish smiths, and on its bladewas traced a device of seven stars set between the crescent Moon and therayed Sun, and about them was written many runes; for Aragorn son ofArathorn was going to war upon the marches of Mordor.Very bright was thatsword when it was made whole again; the light of the sun shone redly in it,and the light of the moon shone cold, and its edge was hard and keen.AndAragorn gave it a new name and called it And®ril, Flame of the West.Aragorn and Gandalf walked together or sat speaking of their road andthe perils they would meet; and they pondered the storied and figured mapsand books of lore that were in the house of Elrond.Sometimes Frodo was withthem; but he was content to lean on their guidance, and he spent as muchtime as he could with Bilbo.In those last days the hobbits sat together in the evening in the Hallof Fire, and there among many tales they heard told in full the lay of Berenand L®thien and the winning of the Great Jewel; but in the day, while Merryand Pippin were out and about, Frodo and Sam were to be found with Bilbo inhis own small room.Then Bilbo would read passages from his book (whichstill seemed very incomplete).or scraps of his verses, or would take notesof Frodo's adventures.On the morning of the last day Frodo was alone with Bilbo, and the oldhobbit pulled out from under his bed a wooden box.He lifted the lid andfumbled inside.'Here is your sword,' he said.'But it was broken, you know.I took itto keep it safe but I've forgotten to ask if the smiths could mend it.Notime now.So I thought, perhaps, you would care to have this, don't youknow?'He took from the box a small sword in an old shabby leathern scabbard.Then he drew it, and its polished and well-tended blade glittered suddenly, cold and bright.'This is Sting,' he said, and thrust it with little effortdeep into a wooden beam.`Take it, if you like.I shan't want it again, Iexpect.'Frodo accepted it gratefully.'Also there is this!' said Bilbo, bringing out a parcel which seemed tobe rather heavy for its size.He unwound several folds of old cloth, andheld up a small shirt of mail.It was close-woven of many rings, as supplealmost as linen, cold as ice, and harder than steel.It shone like moonlitsilver, and was studded with white gems.With it was a belt of pearl andcrystal.'It's a pretty thing, isn't it?' said Bilbo, moving it in the light.`And useful.It is my dwarf-mail that Thorin gave me.I got it back fromMichel Delving before I started, and packed it with my luggage: I broughtall the mementoes of my Journey away with me, except the Ring.But I did notexpect to use this, and I don't need it now, except to look at sometimes.You hardly feel any weight when you put it on.'`I should look -- well, I don't think I should look right in it,' saidFrodo.`Just what I said myself,' said Bilbo.'But never mind about looks.Youcan wear it under your outer clothes.Come on! You must share this secretwith me.Don't tell anybody else! But I should feel happier if I knew youwere wearing it.I have a fancy it would turn even the knives of the BlackRiders,' he ended in a low voice.`Very well, I will take it,' said Frodo.Bilbo put it on him, andfastened Sting upon the glittering belt; and then Frodo put over the top hisold weather-stained breeches, tunic, and jacket.'Just a plain hobbit you look,' said Bilbo.'But there is more aboutyou now than appears on the surface.Good luck to you!' He turned away andlooked out of the window, trying to hum a tune.'I cannot thank you as I should, Bilbo, for this, and for all our pastkindnesses,' said Frodo.'Don't try!' said the old hobbit, turning round and slapping him on theback.`Ow!' he cried.`You are too hard now to slap! But there you are:Hobbits must stick together, and especially Bagginses.All I ask in returnis: take as much care of yourself as you can.and bring back all the newsyou can, and any old songs and tales you can come by.I'll do my best tofinish my book before you return.I should like to write the second book, if I am spared.' He broke off and turned to the window again, singing softly
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