Don Marshall

You have to wonder if the sorrow and the guilt of this moment would lead him to be able to surrender it.

Because his pride has broken, right?

My pride has fallen.

It must go back to the keepers of the three.

Yep.

But then what happens when he actually gets to that moment?

I don't know.

It's amazing stuff.

So he does get eventually to the bottom of the valley.

He'll soon find the river, but he stops for a second to check for any following orcs because he knows they don't have to see him to follow him.

They track by scent.

The ring is not going to help him shake a tail.

No, not at all.

And then down here in the valley floor, it's more dangerous.

There's wide flats and traps for wandering feet.

And we end this section.

with his arrival on the banks of the river in the middle of the night, utterly exhausted after having been on the run for hours.

And also recall that the attack took place right as the sun was going down, so it's already been several hours that he's been racing along.

Which is also several hours after having marched all day.

He marches with his men all day long, and then he has to run again, and this time a lot further.