Gandalf Attacked at Night on Weathertop by the Nine Nazgûl

The shadows of dusk began to fall across the lone lands east of Bree all along this deserted stretch of road. A single rider cloaked in grey comes upon the ancient tower of Amon Sûl as evening begins to fall

The day grows old and the shadows of night cover the land

Gandalf the Grey rides hard to Weathertop and reaches it just before sundown. The Black Riders are there before him, waiting in the shadow of the hill.

The Riders draw back before the wrath of Gandalf’s coming. He leaves the road and enters the small dell along the hill’s eastern side and shelters his horse there. Gandalf then climbs to the top of the tall conical hill and stands upon it’s crest in the broken ring of the old tower. From this high place he is able to see all along the great Road east to west, but sees no movement at all. Even as he stands there in this high place, the last rays of the sun sink down into the West and darkness falls.

Gandalf waits upon the top of the hill as night turns all things to shadow around him.

He felt the presence of the Nine when he came upon Amon Sûl. He knows that when darkness falls, they will come for him. Gandalf stands in the very center within ring of old stone that circles the top of Amon Sûl. It sits upon the head of the old hill like a broken crown. Gandalf makes a fire from the wood he brought up from the dell below. With a word of command, the dry wood bursts into flame. At that very moment he hears his horse below neighing in fear, followed by the sound of it bolting from the small vale at the base of the hill. They are coming…

The Nine Riders in black, emerge from the gloom beneath the trees surrounding the great hill. At a signal from their leader, they surround the bottom of the hill forming a near circle at it’s base. The riders dismount from their steeds and began to climb the hill from all sides in silent unison.

The dark figures climb,they become a deeper shade of blackness against the hill. As they reach the top, they came upon the wizard who stands waiting. The Lord of the Nazgûl comes forth and confronts Gandalf the Grey.

“You wander where you should not, old fool!”

Gandalf stands silent, looking upon the leader of these servants of despair. He gathers himself raising his staff in the air. It shines with a flashing brilliance as he speaks in a commanding voice…

“Go back to the Shadow, Servants of Mordor… there is no place for you here!”

The Lord of the Nazgûl laughs without mirth as he lifts his pale sword to the sky and begins to move in upon the meddling Ishtari. They come at him from all sides, swords drawn, their screams of despair breaking the silence like glass. Such a show of fire and light has not been seen upon this hill since the breaking of it’s watch tower so many years before. The Witch-king of Angmar now stood once more upon it’s summit, as he had in the wars of old, wielding powerful Morgul Spells that had shaken the once mighty tower to it’s very foundation.

However, on this night the Lord of the Nazgûl has met his match. This grey Wizard is more than he appears to be, he wields the secret fire of Arnor and holds a hidden power that he keeps concealed. The Nine are unable to subdue him.

The battle rages on between them as the night sky flashes with lighting and fire. Gandalf raises his staff for one final blow, he is nearing exhaustion, but as he lifts his arm to strike at the Morgul Lord, Gandalf realizes suddenly that he is once more alone atop the Hill. The Nine have vanished once more into the shadows. Dawn breaks over the Misty Mountains and Gandalf the Grey looks out to see that he is alone on the hill, surrounded in a sea of mist.

Before leaving the hilltop, Gandalf pauses a moment to leave a secret sign upon the rocks. As he does so, the last words of the Morgul Lord ring in his ears…

“We shall meet again… you and I!”

Gandalf looks out upon the wild lands around him. They stretch as far as the eye can see in all directions. The empty road travels away east and west, like a winding ribbon. He realizes there is nothing more he can do for the Ringbearer, he must put his trust in Aragorn.

The grey wizard descends to the base of the hill and calls for his horse, which had fled into the brush along the side of Weathertop. He takes to the road and so makes his way to Rivendell, hopefully drawing off some the riders along the way.

Lay your staff on the link below to follow the Time-line of the War of the Ring from the Eye of Mordor.

The Mordor Appendices ~ The Time Line of the Year 3018 ~ 3019