"Do we then fight things of air and ether?" said Barathor. "will our weapons even bite upon them?"
"They are living men yet," said Isildur, "though long past the age granted to even the greatest of the Men of Númenor. Your weapons should slay them. But when they launched their surprise attack upon Minas Ithil the guards on the walls were struck by a terrible unreasoning fear. They called it the Shadow of the Nine. Some brave men threw down their weapons and fell on their faces, rather than resist the coming of the Nine. Others stood firm, but told me they trembled in every limb and could barely raise their weapons, such is the fear that goes before them."
Many more voices were raised in concern. They were ready to assail any army, but how could they hope to fight the undead?
"If their powers be so great," said Ingold of Calembel, "how can we hope to defeat them?"
Galadriel glanced at Isildur, and he nodded. Cirdan and Elrond, on either side of the Lady, rose to their feet. Then all three drew forth the chains around their necks and all could see the jewelled things shining there.
"Behold the Three," said Galadriel.
An awed hush fell over the hall, for all knew they were in the presence of power beyond all understanding.
"Long have the Three been hidden," said Galadriel, "and never since their making have they been together in the same land, lest Sauron take them. Now all hiding is at an end, and the Three shall go to war."
"But is it not dangerous in the extreme to bring them here?" said Meneldil, the Lord of Osgiliath. "Will they not draw Sauron here to Osgiliath?"
"It is our belief that Sauron cannot perceive them until we put on the rings and wield their powers," said Galadriel. "Nevertheless, it is as you say dangerous in the extreme. Celebrimbor gave Vilya, the greatest of the Three, to Gil-galad, and it has been in his keeping ever since. But when the king went to war in Mordor, he deemed it unsafe to take Vilya with him and he left it in Lindon. Now at his bidding Elrond has fetched it here."
"It is the hope of the Lords of the West," said Isildur, "that the Three will give us the strength to defeat the Úlairi at Minas Ithil."
"But surely," said Ingold, "you are proposing to follow in the footsteps of them that became the Úlairi. Might not our Ringbearers become ensnared as were they? If Sauron's purpose is to draw the Three to himself, surely it is folly to bear them willingly to his doorstep."
"It is a perilous chance indeed," Galadriel replied. "And we take this desperate step only because all others have failed."
"We hope to use them only against Minas Ithil," said Celeborn. "We hope the Nine will not have power over the Three, which were never sullied by Sauron's evil. If we succeed there, it is our hope that the Army of the Alliance will destroy Sauron before he can come near the Three."
"But think not," said Galadriel, "that the Three will make their bearers invincible warriors. They are not weapons and cannot be used to do harm, nor will they protect us from the blows of our enemies. But it is hoped that they will at least dispel the shadow of fear that surrounds the Nine. The Úlairi will be seen as they really are, stripped of all spells and illusion. Then it will be the task of edge and shaft to destroy them, not the Three."
"But won't Sauron perceive the Three if we use them against the Úlairi?" asked Meneldil. "Is that not taking a chance of giving Sauron exactly what he has sought for so long?"
"Yes, it is," admitted Isildur. "And that is the other part of Gil-galad's plan. Only the lure of the Three could draw Sauron out of Barad-dûr. If he knows the Three are close at hand in Mordor, it is hoped he will not be able to resist attempting to take them."
"Then we — all of us — are to be used as bait, to draw all of Sauron's forces against us?"
"Yes," said Galadriel quietly. "That is why we thought you must know of the Three, though we feared to reveal them openly."
There was another silence. "And what if Sauron does sally forth and the kings cannot stop him? asked Turgon. "What if he comes against us? Will the Three avail us against him? If he is a Maia, can he even be slain?"
"In truth," said Isildur, "we do not know. Perhaps the Three together will have the strength to dispel the aura of despair that seems to fall on any who come near him. And we have other weapons of great power. My father's blade Narsil was wrought in the Elder Days by Telchar of Nogrod, greatest of the smiths of the Dwarves, and it has been borne by all our fathers since. Gil-galad's spear, Aeglos Snowpoint, was forged in Eldamar to be the weapon to slay Morgoth himself. Both are now charmed to be Sauron's bane, and no evil things can withstand their coming. These weapons should have the strength to pierce even the unholy flesh of Sauron, if only they can be brought to bear against him."
"Then you believe the Three can overmaster the Nine?" asked Barathor.
"It is our hope, but we cannot be certain until we make the attempt. The Nine are but slaves of the One. Their power is by terror, not by great magical strength."
"Their Shadow is great for all that," said Elrond. "I fought against them at the Black Gate, and I felt the fear myself. In the midst of our charge, our boldest warriors suddenly quailed. Elf and Man wandered in confusion and horses went mad. Seeing our disorder, the Úlairi led their forces out in a powerful sortie against us. But Gil-galad led a column in a swift flanking attack around behind them and burst through the open sally port and so took the Gate. Even in their defeat, the Shadow of the Nine went before them, and we could not prevent their retreat across Udûn and so back to Minas Ithil.
"I fear they have learned the folly of the extended sortie at Dagorlad. Had they remained on the walls they would be there yet. They will not repeat that error at Minas Ithil."
"No," agreed Isildur. "We must assail the city, break the gate, and destroy the Úlairi, all in one sweeping rush. We cannot hope to besiege them, not while they bear the Nine. There must be no delay, or Sauron will be able to move other forces against us. The stroke must be swift and complete. Half a victory means defeat."
"Yes," said Cirdan. "We Ringbearers will each lead a column. When we perceive the Shadow we shall place the Three on our hands and contend against it. We hope to dispel it or at least diminish it and force it back. Then you must do the rest."
"You say you will contend against the Nine," said Barathor, "but how will such a struggle appear to us mortals?"
"The Rings will change us as we wield them," said Cirdan. "We will enter into that Twilight that is not of this world. Elves will perceive us but dimly, as shapes in a mist, and Men not at all. We know not of the Úlairi, but we believe that to them we will suddenly become more clear, for they dwell always in the Twilight. If so, we shall be clearly visible targets to them, and in a world unfamiliar to us but home to them. It will be a most dangerous time."
"Even so," said Galadriel. "Do not be dismayed at our disappearance, but press forward with all speed, for we may be unable to fight while we are wielding the Rings."
"And what if you should fall while in that Twilight?" asked Súrion.
"If we fall you will not see it, save that the protection of the Three will be lost. You must fight on."
"But what would happen to you?" he persisted.
"As you may know," said Galadriel quietly, "when an Elf dies or is slain on this side of the sea, he will yet rejoin his friends beyond the Veil at the end of this world. But it is said that an Elf who dies in the Twilight may not pass through the Veil, but will be lost forever."
"Then you risk more, perhaps, even than we mortals." Súrion looked sadly at Galadriel with her golden hair and her face and form of surpassing loveliness. Young and beautiful she seemed, more than any other woman who had ever lived.