smoke rises once more from the mountain of doom. the shadow takes shape in the darkness of mordor; the hour grows late. and gandalf the grey rides to isengard seeking my counsel. for that is why you have come, is it not, my old friend? are you sure of this? so the ring of power has been found? and yet you did not have the wit to see it! your love of the halfling's leaf has clearly slowed your mind. time? what time do you think we have? sauron has regained much of his former strength. he cannot yet take physical form. but his spirit has lost none of its potency. concealed within his fortress, the lord of mordor sees all. his gaze pierces cloud, shadow, earth, and flesh. you know of what i speak, gandalf. a great eye, lidless, wreathed in flame. he is gathering all evil to him. very soon he will have summoned an army great enough to launch an assault upon middle earth. i have seen it. why? why should we fear to use it? the hour is later than you think. sauron's forces are already moving. the nine have left minas morgul. they crossed the river isen in midsummer's eve, disguised as riders in black. they will find the ring. and kill the one who carries it. you did not seriously think a hobbit could contend with the will of sauron? there are none who can. against the power of mordor, there can be no victory. we must join with him, gandalf. we must join with sauron. it would be wise, my friend. i gave you the chance of aiding me willingly, but you have elected the way of pain. the power of isengard is at your command, sauron, lord of the earth. build me an army worth of mordor. we have work to do. rip them all down. this was once the great watchtower of amon sul. we shall rest here tonight. there are for you. keep them close. i'm going to have a look around. stay here. get up! so much for the power of the ring or embrace your own destruction! so you have chosen death! so, gandalf. you try to lead them over caradhras. and if that fails. where then will you go? the fellowship struggles through the snow. if the mountain defeats you, will you risk a more dangerous road? moria. you fear to go into those mines, don't you? the dwarves delved too greedily and too deep. you know what they awoke in, the darkness of khazad-dum. shadow and flame. they were elves once. taken by the dark powers . tortured and mutilated. a ruined and terrible form of life. and now. perfected. my fighting uruk-hai. whom do you serve? hunt them down. do not stop until they are found. you do not know pain. you do not know fear. you will taste man-flesh. saruman turns to lurtz. one of the halflings carries something of great value. bring him to me. alive and unspoiled. kill the others.