Another LOTR Read-Along: The Muster of Rohan (ROTK 5, 3)

Isn't Merry great in this chapter? He starts out feeling oppressed by all the mountains and "long[ing] to shut out the immensity in a quiet room by a fire" (p. 774). He's sad because his friends "have all gone to some doom" (p. 779), and I get kind of melancholy myself over the course of this chapter. But he doesn't let that sadness get him down -- he refuses to be left behind, and when Theoden says he can't ride to war with the Rohirrim, he says, "It is a long way to run; but run I shall, if I cannot ride, even if I wear my feet off and arrive weeks too late" (p. 784). Sad and lonely, but undaunted. Dear, wonderful Merry.

Favorite Lines:

Now all roads were running together to the East to meet the coming of war and the onset of the Shadow (p. 774).

Discussion Questions:

Dernhelm tells Merry, "Where will wants not, a way opens" (p. 787). (In this case "wants not" means "is not lacking.") Can you think of other instances in this story so far where that's been true?

Housekeeping Note:  I probably won't post another chapter until next Monday.  Going to be pretty busy this weekend with Easter stuff.