Scene: The caves of Henneth Annûn. Gollum, now captured, cowers in a corner.

Faramir: Where are you leading them? Answer me!

Gollum: Smea…gol... Why do you cry, Smeagol?

Smeagol: Cruel men hurts us. Master trickst us.

Gollum: Of course he did. I told you he was tricksy. I told you he was false.

Smeagol: Master is our friend... our friend.

Gollum: Master betrayed us.

Smeagol: No, not it’s business. Leave us alone!

Gollum: Filthy little hobbites. They stole it from us.

Smeagol: No... No!

Faramir: What did they steal?

Gollum: Myyy… PRECIOUSSS!! Aaaarrrggghhh!!!

Scene: The caves of Henneth Annûn. Faramir enters on Frodo and Sam.

Faramir: [unsheathing his sword] So... this is the answer to all the riddles. Here in the wild I have you. Two halfings and a host of men at my call. The Ring of power within my grasp.

[Faramir lifts the Ring from Frodo's neck with the tip of his sword.]

Faramir: A chance for Faramir, captain of Gondor, to show his quality.

[Frodo backs up against the wall. He grabs the ring and pulls away]

Frodo: No!

Sam: Stop it! Leave him alone! Don’t you understand? He’s got to destroy it. That’s where we’re going. To Mordor. To the mountain of fire.

[Faramir stares at Frodo. Madril the ranger enters]

Madril: Osgiliath is under attack. They call for reinforcements.

Sam: Please. It’s such a burden. Will you not help him?

Madril: Captain?

Faramir: Prepare to leave. The Ring will go to Gondor.

Scene: Open Ithilien. Faramir and company are making their way to Osgiliath.

Madril: Look! Osgiliath burns!

Ranger: Mordor has come.

Frodo: The Ring will not save Gondor. It has only the power to destroy. Please, let me go.

Faramir: [hesitates] Hurry.

[The rangers continue on]

Frodo: Faramir, you must let me go!

Scene: Osgiliath under siege. Faramir and company have just arrived.

Gondorian Ranger: Faramir, orcs have taken the eastern shore. Their numbers are too great. By nightfall we’ll be overrun.

Sam: Frodo!

Frodo: It’s calling to him, Sam. His eye is almost on me.

Sam: Hold on, Mr. Frodo… We'll be alright...

Faramir: Take them to my father. Tell him Faramir sends a mighty gift. A weapon that will change our fortunes in this war.

Sam: You want to know what happened to Boromir? You want to know why your brother died? He tried to take the Ring from Frodo! After swearing an oath to protect him, he tried to kill him! The Ring drove your brother mad!

Ranger: Watch out!

[A boulder crashes overhead. Frodo has taken a strange mood]

Sam: Mr Frodo?

Frodo: They’re here. They’ve come.

Faramir: NAZGUL! 

[Faramir grabs the hobbits and thrusts them into a corner]

Faramir: Stay here. Keep out of sight. Take cover!

Scene: Osgiliath. Frodo on a bridge holds up the ring to the Nazgul. Faramir watches from below. As Frodo moves to put the Ring on his finger and the Nazgul flies closer. Sam runs up and knocks Frodo over. Faramir aims, and shoots an arrow directly at the Nazgul. It hits, and the Nazgul retreats.

Scene: Osgiliath. Sam and Frodo are talking.

Frodo: I can’t do this, Sam.

Sam: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: What are we holding on to, Sam?

Sam: There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.

[Faramir, overhearing, walks over and kneels in front of Frodo]

Faramir: I think at last we understand one another, Frodo Baggins.

Gondorian Ranger: You know the laws of our country, the laws of your father. If you let them go, your life will be forfeit.

Faramir: Then it is forfeit. Release them.

[Frodo looks at Faramir gladly]

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