Let's Read Tolkien 65: The Muster of Rohan

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

With everyone else gone, Merry is left hanging out with Théoden King and the Riders of Rohan. They make their way through picturesque mountain valleys to Dunharrow, where the army of Rohan is mustering. Éowyn reports that Aragorn has come and gone, and everyone is sad because they figure he's been eaten by ghosts. Merry waits on Théoden at dinner and gets to ask about the Paths of the Dead, and is told an old story about how they're haunted. Then a herald arrives from Gondor with the Red Arrow, officially requesting help from Rohan as soon as possible.

So the army of Rohan is mustered, but Merry is told he can't go to war with them, since he can't actually ride a horse. However, he's accosted by a young Rider of Rohan who introduces themself as Dernhelm, and offers to give Merry a ride in secret. So they set off for Gondor.

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This is actually something of a rarity in the Lord of the Rings: a solo chapter. Merry is the only member of the Fellowship present during the action. I think the Choices of Master Samwise is the only other one, unless I'm forgetting something.

It's also a surprisingly melancholy little chapter. Merry is sad that he's on his own; everyone is gloomy about Aragorn going on his big adventure, and nobody's exactly excited about going to war either. There's some pretty geography and some old lore, but mostly everything is just sad. A far cry from orc-killing contests! War comes across as very somber and depressing here.

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Next time: Pippin gets into a fight.