GREEN HILLS COUNTRY

1. When you enter this area you hear a bird call 'Gandalf'.
2. You find a cave by falling into it. There is a trapped bird to the southeast. Walk up to it and kill the spider that appears. The bird gives you some information and vanishes. Climb back to the surface.
3. Nazgul attack.
   If you are heading west, Gildor's elves arrive just in time to scare the Black Rider off. They take you to their camp by the standing stones.
   If you run into the encounter on your way east, you are on your own: you have to fight the Rider.
4. Gildor's elves take you here. The leader of the Fellowship gets the !Elbereth word of power from Gildor, who stays around for a while and departs in the morning.
5. When you enter this area you are told that you are feeling watched. If you keep going, a Ranger called Hawkeye soon appears. Press Yes to accept him into the Fellowship. Keep walking around in the area and you will be attacked by an orc. When it is dead, Hawkeye takes you to his secret cave (6).
6. Hawkeye's cave.
   Climb into the cave. If he is present, Hawkeye tells you that the Black Riders are coming and orders you to run. Taking his bow and sword, head north. The ranger's death cry is heard behind you. Picklock the chest (a) and get the bladepart, signet ring, rations (× 4) and silver pennies. The exit is to the east (b). You surface in the ruins, the tunnel caving in behind you.
7. At this spot you hear hoofbeats (at night only), but nothing else happens. In the enhanced cinematic version of the game you are treated to a short animated cut scene instead. (It happens once only: either here or in the Bag End area.)

Questions Gildor Black Rider, Gandalf, Ring, News, Elbereth, Advice

Silver pennies Hawkeye's cave 30

• You can leave the Green Hills with Hawkeye. This is intentional. Here is an easy way: When you have walked east from the standing stones, and the message about feeling watched has stopped you, immediately back out west. Then step east once more. This time, Hawkeye appears. Accept his company as above. Immediately back out west again. Now, as long as you do not enter the shaded area on the map above, the orc won't appear, and you can leave the Green Hills without losing Hawkeye. One way out would be to head north to the water and then walk east on the river bank until you are safe.
• If you like to do things the hard way, do not move when Hawkeye tells you to run in the cave. Wait until two Black Riders appear. Be warned that they will get one attack in before you can do anything! !Elbereth one of them and hack away at the other. With a strong party (as strong as it gets at this stage – Hawkeye, Druin, possibly Athelwyn, the hobbits, and the pony as cannon fodder) you can defeat the rider, but be prepared to lose a character or two. If you win you get the black rider's sword (it is an ordinary sword).
  Note that it is often the leader who receives the first blow. For this reason, you may want to move whoever received the !Elbereth word of power to the rear before the Nazgûl attack. Put the pony in the lead instead.
• Several brown birds are scattered across Middle-earth. Three of them are trapped in Moria and the Lorien caves, one is in the Old Forest, and one is here in the Shire. (See also note on the Staddle area.) You have to go all the way to Rhosgobel for an explanation.