Editing The Two Towers (section)

==Contents==

Some editions of the volume contain a Synopsis for readers who have not read [[The Fellowship of the Ring|the earlier volume]]. The body of the volume consists of Book Three: The Treason of Isengard, and Book Four: The Ring Goes East.

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=== Book III: The Treason of Isengard ===

A party of large [[Orc]]s, [[Uruk-hai]], sent by [[Saruman]], and other Orcs sent by [[Sauron]] and led by Grishnákh, attack the Fellowship. [[Boromir]] tries to protect [[Merry Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Pippin Took|Pippin]] from the Orcs, but they kill him and capture the two hobbits. [[Aragorn]], [[Gimli (Middle-earth)|Gimli]] and [[Legolas]] decide to pursue the Orcs taking Merry and Pippin to Saruman. In the kingdom of [[Rohan (Middle-earth)|Rohan]], the Orcs are killed by [[Rohan (Middle-earth)#People|Riders of Rohan]], led by [[Éomer]]. Merry and Pippin escape into [[Fangorn]] Forest, where they are befriended by [[Treebeard]], the oldest of the tree-like [[Ent]]s. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas track the hobbits to Fangorn. There they unexpectedly meet [[Gandalf]], resurrected from the dead.

Gandalf explains that he killed the [[Balrog]]. He was also killed in the fight, but was sent back to [[Middle-earth]] to complete his mission. He is clothed in white and is now Gandalf the White, for he has taken Saruman's place as the chief of the wizards. Gandalf assures his friends that Merry and Pippin are safe. Together they ride to [[Edoras]], capital of Rohan. Gandalf frees [[Théoden]], King of Rohan, from the influence of Saruman's spy [[Gríma Wormtongue]]. Théoden musters his fighting strength and rides with his men to the ancient fortress of [[Helm's Deep]], while Gandalf departs to seek help from Treebeard.

Meanwhile, the Ents, roused by Merry and Pippin from their peaceful ways, attack and destroy [[Isengard]], Saruman's stronghold, and flood it, trapping the wizard in the tower of [[Orthanc]]. Gandalf convinces Treebeard to send an army of [[Huorn]]s to Théoden's aid. He brings an army of [[Rohirrim]] to [[Helm's Deep]], and they defeat the Orcs, who flee into the forest of Huorns, never to be seen again. Gandalf, Théoden, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli ride to Isengard, and are surprised to find Merry and Pippin relaxing amidst the ruins. Gandalf offers Saruman a chance to turn away from evil. When Saruman refuses to listen, Gandalf strips him of his rank and most of his powers. After Saruman leaves, Wormtongue throws down a hard round object to try to kill Gandalf. It misses and Pippin picks it up; Gandalf swiftly takes it, but Pippin steals it in the night. It is revealed to be a ''[[palantír]]'', a seeing-stone that Saruman used to speak with Sauron, and that Sauron used to ensnare him. Pippin begins to be entranced by its power. While Gandalf sleeps, Pippin examines the ''palantír'', inadvertently causing Sauron to see him; as Pippin is a hobbit, Sauron believes Pippin has the [[One Ring]]. Gandalf is awoken by the commotion and is able to save the incapacitated Pippin. Gandalf immediately rides for [[Minas Tirith]], the chief city of [[Gondor]], taking Pippin with him.<!--This plot summary is shared with ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' (where it is one of three summaries).-->

=== Book IV: The Ring Goes East ===

Frodo and Sam, heading for [[Mordor]] to destroy the One Ring, struggle through the barren hills and cliffs of the [[Emyn Muil]]. They become aware they are being watched and tracked; on a moonlit night they capture [[Gollum]], who has followed them from [[Moria, Middle-earth|Moria]]. Frodo makes Gollum swear to serve him, as Ringbearer, and asks him to guide them to Mordor. Gollum leads them across the [[Dead Marshes]]. Sam overhears Gollum debating with his alter ego, [[Sméagol]], whether to break his promise and steal the Ring.

They find that the [[Black Gate (Middle-earth)|Black Gate]] of Mordor is too well guarded to pass through, so instead they travel south through the land of [[Ithilien]] to a secret pass that Gollum knows. On the way, they are captured by rangers led by [[Faramir]], Boromir's younger brother, and brought to the secret fastness of [[Henneth Annûn]]. Unlike his brother, Faramir resists the temptation to seize the Ring and, disobeying standing orders to arrest strangers found in Ithilien, releases them.

Gollum – who is torn between his loyalty to Frodo and his desire for the Ring – guides the hobbits to the pass of [[Cirith Ungol]], but leads them into the lair of the great spider [[Shelob]] in the tunnels there. Frodo holds up the gift given to him in [[Lothlórien]]: the [[Phial of Galadriel]], which holds the [[Christianity in Middle-earth#Light|light]] of [[Eärendil]]'s star. The light drives Shelob away, and Frodo and Sam are able to get through the pass safely. However, after they leave the pass, Shelob appears and attacks Frodo; before he can help his master, Sam is attacked by Gollum. After fighting off Gollum, Sam picks up Frodo's sword, [[Sting (sword)|Sting]]; and the Phial. He seriously wounds and drives off Shelob, but after the fight, he finds Frodo unresponsive. Believing him to be dead, Sam takes the Ring to continue the quest alone. Before Sam gets far, however, Orcs find Frodo; Sam overhears them and learns that Frodo is still alive.