Finally finished Fellowship and witnessed one of the best scenes in the books...Sam refusing to let Frodo go alone. What staunch friendship...literally risking your life and all you hold dear to help a friend. Through the long dark journey to Mordor that follows, we never see Sam regretting his choice, either...he's there to serve Frodo, to help him in any way possible. It's quite possible, though Frodo almost resents Sam coming at first, that he never would have made it to Mordor without Sam. This friendship strikes a chord with just about every reader of these books...who among us can't think of a huge debt we owe to a friend?

Speaking of which, I just began a book about the friendship between Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and apparently the author's main thrust is that neither of these men would have made it without the other. He says that their friendship was vital to each of their lives and their major works. We'll see how true that holds as I go through it. I will write next time either from the road to Minas Tirith via Rohan or the road to Mordor via the Emyn Muil...farewell for now!