# A Quick Question For Everyone



## Aisteru (Sep 21, 2008)

Today my friend asked me a question to which my answers were not satisfactory so I told him I would consult with some people and get back to him.


Question: The eagles fly Gandalf in and Frodo and Sam out of Mordor. How come they couldn't have done that in the first place? 

Answer: ......


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## YayGollum (Sep 21, 2008)

Well, which answers did you already give the person? Here are some ---> 

It was very dangerous, and the giant eagles aren't especially large fans of jumping into wars that have little to do with them. Sure, while they're a popularly seen as good group of sentients (starts thinking up ideas for an evil giant eagle character), they were still pretty neutral, and Mordor would have most likely spotted them coming and done something about them. When they showed up the way it was written, Mordor had already been softened up and wasn't paying as much attention to the sky. 

Giant eagles fall very easily under the One Ring thing's influence. If any were assigned to such a task, it'd try to kill its passenger and steal the thing. If they were fed some lie about their visit to Mount Doom, they would still be pretty capable of figuring things out and snatching the thing just before it fell. Of course Sauron built in some extra protection in the way of giant eagles! He knew how troublesome and deus ex machinesque they were. 

The giant eagles weren't really advertising themselves. They hid in the Misty Mountains and kept inactive, for some reason (thinks up stories about secrets being guarded or something). They weren't really considered by the so-called wise types. Mayhaps they were considered semi-sentient? Mayhaps their numbers seemed too low to be important? Or mayhaps they just weren't as well known, or they were known to be too busy guarding their way more important secrets? 

Also, it would be boring, of course. The hero Gollum still would have saved the day, somehow, I am certain.


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## Alcuin (Sep 22, 2008)

But what would happen to the rest of the story? That wouldn’t be any fun!

Besides, the “Mordor Special Mission Flying Corps” would have gotten them!


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## Aisteru (Sep 22, 2008)

I used the first argument you presented, Yay. But the other ones are just as good, and you're right, I'm sure Golllum would have a had an important part in any tale Tolkien cared to weave.


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