The Fellowship of the Ring thereupon murdered by his friend Sméagol, who wanted the Ring for himself. Sméagol took the Ring and kept it for hundreds of years, and under its influence he became a wretched creature named Gollum. The Ring was found by Bilbo Baggins, as told in "The Hobbit", and Bilbo left it behind for Frodo. Frodo wonders why Bilbo did not kill the creature when he had the chance, but Gandalf reminds him that Bilbo's pity saved him in the end and did not make him like Gollum. Gandalf tells how Sauron has risen again and has returned to his stronghold in
The Fellowship of the Ring the decision to publish "The Lord of the Rings" in three volumes was made, Tolkien had hoped to publish the novel in one volume, possibly also combined with "The Silmarillion". However, he had proposed titles for the individual six sections. Of the two books that comprise what became "The Fellowship of the Ring" the first was to be called "The First Journey" or "The Ring Sets Out". The name of the second was "The Journey of the Nine Companions" or "The Ring Goes South". The titles "The Ring Sets Out" and "The Ring Goes South" were used in the "Millennium