The Lord of the Rings Nazgûl, to seize it. The story begins in the Shire, where the hobbit Frodo Baggins inherits the Ring from Bilbo Baggins, his cousin and guardian. Neither hobbit is aware of the Ring's nature, but Gandalf the Grey, a wizard and an old friend of Bilbo, suspects it to be Sauron's Ring. Seventeen years later, after Gandalf confirms his guess, he tells Frodo the history of the Ring and counsels him to take it away from the Shire. Frodo sets out, accompanied by his gardener, servant and friend, Samwise "Sam" Gamgee, and two cousins, Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck and Peregrin "Pippin" Took.
Minor places in Middle-earth on its way through the forest. Treebeard and the Ents, together with Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took, traversed the southern spur of Methedras, a high ridge, on their march from Fangorn to Isengard. Mindolluin (S. 'towering head blue') was the easternmost peak of the White Mountains. The city of Minas Tirith stood upon the Hill of Guard, the eastern shoulder of the mountain. In "The Return of the King", shortly after Aragorn's coronation as King Elessar, Gandalf took him by an ancient path that led up Mindolluin to a high hallow that overlooked the city far below. There he discovered,