The Giant Eagles are an ancient and proud race, and their services are not commandeered easily, so it is doubtful that they would have flown the company all the way to Mordor, especially with the Ring of Power in Frodo’s possession, which would have been evil and tempting even to them, after spending too much time in close proximity to it. However, in dire need, the Eagles have been known to help, despite not generally wishing to be involved in the affairs of Men, and even when they have agreed to bear riders, it has only been as a favor of great significance to Gandalf.

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The first time is when Bilbo protects Thorin in the Hobbit, and the group of dwarves are rescued from the trees and flown towards Erebor and the Lonely Mountain, their lost homeland. The second is when Gwahir, the leader of the Eagles, rescues Gandalf from the Tower of Orthanc in Isengard, which Saruman has corrupted with his greed and his malice. Thanks to this captivity, the ring almost falls into the hands of the Ringwraiths, because Gandalf is unable to warn the hobbits of their coming, and without Gwahir’s help getting down from the inescapable tower, the quest may have ended before it started. And the third time is after the Ring has been destroyed, and Gandalf calls a final time upon his friends to rush him into the fires, where he fears that Frodo and Sam may be in grave peril.

Many fans of both books and films have noticed that this rescue mission involves 3 eagles. In the books, these birds are named as Gwahir himself, the windlord, and his brothers Landroval and Meneldor, young and swift. As Sam and Frodo make up only 2 people, there is a theory that the third Eagle was sent to rescue Gollum. The creature, who guides the Ringbearers through Gondor, Cirith Ungol, and Mordor itself, was not always so evil, or so devious, and it was clear to Gandalf that “He has some part yet to play in all of this.” Perhaps the wizard believed that Gollum might be with them at the end, and that he too would need some rescuing from the lava surrounding the heroes.

Sadly this is not the case, as in order for this to happen, Gollum would have had to have overcome the evil allure of the dark object that called to him, and found some sort of redemption which took him back to the peaceful being he once was, before the Ring twisted him up and made him cruel. In many ways though, it’s a good thing that this didn’t occur, and that he was beyond salvation, because that is what resulted in the Ring finally being tossed into the flames, Sauron being stripped of his power, and ultimately Middle Earth being saved.

When it came down to the final moment, Frodo was unable to let the Ring go after all, and it was only thanks to Gollum biting the third finger off his left hand, and then falling into the flames with the cruel thing, that it was actually destroyed at all. There are many times in which, without Gollum and his trickery, the quest would have been lost.

As the eagles approach, Gwahir with his keen eyes spots amidst the flames ‘two small dark figures, forlorn, hand in hand upon the hill, while the world shook under them, and gasped, and rivers of fire drew near.’ It is a testament to the Eagle’s friendship and loyalty to Gandalf, that they were willing to fly so close to danger for him, and also to Gandalf’s belief and faith in the goodness of people winning out over the evil, that he took with him 3 Eagles, in the hopes that Gollum might still be able to be saved, both from the fires, and from himself.

Frodo and Sam are scooped up gently in the claws of the majestic birds and spirited away back to Ithillien, not far from where they met Faramir and his Rangers just a few weeks before. From there they journey to Rivendell once they are healed, and then back on home to The Shire, where they are reunited with Sam’s noble steed Bill The Pony, and are able to live out the rest of their days, however short (In Frodo’s case) or long (in Sam’s case) they may be.

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