Frodo wakes up and finds himself clutching the ring. When he disappeared, the rest of the company panicked, and found him later, some distance away. Strider is concerned about Frodo's wound. He tells Merry to keep him warm. Frodo was wounded with a dark sword of Mordor. His wound is magically cursed. Strider finds the knife he was wounded with and keeps it. He selects some forest herb and boils it. It relieves a little of Frodo's great pain. They pack the pony's burden into their bags and put Frodo on the back of the beast. They begin to travel again, as quickly as possible. Frodo's pain slowly increases. They all worry about the return of the black riders. On the sixth day, they come back to the road and cross over a bridge They are still a great distance from Rivendell. When they come to the river, Strider finds an Elf-enchanted stone:
"'I found it in the mud in the middle of the Bridge. ...It is a beryl, an elf-stone. Whether it was set there or let fall by chance, I cannot say; but it brings hope to me. I will take it as a sing that we may pass the bridge; but beyond that I dare not keep to the road without some clearer token.'" Book 1, Chapter 12, pg. 247
They move off the road and into a dark forest. The land is uninhabited and Strider has passed through it on his way to Rivendell on many occasions. The hills close around them and it begins to rain. The provisions run low and Frodo's pain increases. After a day or two, Strider realizes that they have gone too far north. They have to go south by climbing over a steep ridge. Sam worries about Frodo's wound. The next day, they get over the mountain and begin to pick their way back to the road. In front of them, Merry and Pippin see three trolls sitting. They are made of stone. These are the trolls that Bilbo encountered in his journey. They break to eat and Merry sings a song about Trolls. When they get back to the road, they search for a place to rest for the night. The sound of horses' hooves echoes through the dusk and they panic. The rider is an elf who knows Strider. His name is Glorfindel and he has been looking for them. Elrond sent many warrior-elves out to search for Frodo and help him with his journey to Rivendell. He tells them that they cannot rest and must leave for Rivendell immediately; five of the riders are behind them. Glorfindel puts Frodo on his horse and they begin to move into the night. After a long march, Glorfindel lets them rest and when it is time to leave, he gives them an elfish liquor that reinvigorates them. They leave early the next day and come over the ridge they have been seeking. There is a ford over a river. Glorfindel hears the enemy coming and tells everyone to go forward. Frodo hesitates, but Glorfindel commands his horse and he runs into the river. The riders appear in the river. They cannot cross. Glorfindel tells the Riders to return to Mordor. Water rushes from upstream. Frodo panics and passes out.
