[The Fellowship sail towards a great, roaring waterfall.]

[As they disembark on a gravel beach, Boromir looks troubled and appears to be fighting a conflict within him, and Frodo glances at him, looking afraid.]

[The Fellowship starts to make camp.]

Aragorn: "We cross the lake at nightfall. Hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the north."

Gimli: "Oh, yes?! It's just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil? An impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks! And after that, it gets even better!"

[Pippin looks up, alarmed.]

Gimli: "Festering, stinking marshlands, far as the eye can see!"

Aragorn: "That is our road. I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf."

Gimli: "Recover my…?! Phrrr…"

Legolas: "We should leave now."

Aragorn: "No. Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness."

Legolas: "It is not the eastern shore that worries me. A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near… I can feel it."

[Legolas's gaze wanders over the dark pine woods, with a dark, brooding statue nestled amongst their needles.]

Gimli: "No dwarf need recover strength! Pay no heed to that, young Hobbit."

[Merry, returning with some wood for the campfire, looks around.]

Merry: "Where's Frodo?"

[Sam, who was half-dozing, rouses with a start.]

[Aragorn looks over the camp. His gaze stops on Boromir's shield, lying with his baggage.]

[Frodo wanders into the forest. He stands by an immense stone head, long aged and lost from its body, lying with its side in the ground. Boromir, gathering wood, sees Frodo and approaches him across the leaf-littered earth.]

Boromir: "None of us should wander alone, you least of all. So much depends on you. Frodo?"

Boromir: "I know why you seek solitude. You suffer. I see it day by day. You sure you do not suffer needlessly? There are other ways, Frodo, other paths that we might take."

Frodo: "I know what you would say. And it would seem like wisdom but for the warning in my heart."

Boromir: "Warning? Against what? We're all afraid, Frodo. But to let that fear drive us to destroy what hope we have… don't you see, that is madness?"

Frodo: "There is no other way!"

Boromir: "I ask only for the strength to defend my people!" [throws the wood to the ground] "If you would but lend me the Ring…"

Frodo: "No." [steps back]

Boromir: "Why do you recoil? I am no thief."

Frodo: "You are not yourself!"

Boromir: "What chance do you think you have? They will find you! They will take the Ring and you will beg for death before the end!"

[Frodo begins to walk away from Boromir.]

Boromir: "You Fool!"

[Boromir starts after him. They begin to run, Boromir closing in on the Hobbit.]

Boromir: "It is not yours, save by unhappy chance. It could have been mine!" [tackles Frodo] "It should be mine! Give it to me!"

[The two struggle, Frodo wrestles the Ring into his hand, clutching it.]

Boromir: "Give it to me!"

Frodo: "No!"

Boromir: "Give me… Give me the Ring!"

Frodo: "Nurgh… ugh!"

[Frodo slips the Ring on and disappears. He kicks Boromir and runs away.]

Boromir: [looks around desperately] "I see your mind. You will take the Ring to Sauron! You will betray us! You'll go to your death and the death of us all! Curse you! Curse you! And all the halflings!"

[Boromir slips and falls to the ground. The madness of the Ring leaves him and he comes to his senses.]

Boromir: "Frodo?… Frodo?… what have I done?… please… Frodo!"

[Frodo dashes up a set of dark steps, the world of the Ring blurring away around the Hobbit.]

Boromir: [far away] "Frodo, I'm sorry! Frodo!"

[Frodo, in the shadow world, climbs up onto a stone platform framed by two stone eagles. A great shape looms before him from afar. The image rushes towards him and his vision rise to a pinnacle — the dark tower of Barad-dûr, where the burning Eye of Sauron stares back.]

[Frodo, rushing to remove the Ring, falls off of the platform and lands on his back.]

[He sits up, trying to catch his breath. Before him is a high structure on the cliff edge, surrounded by the pines. A stairway runs up through its center, to a seat dwarfed by stone eagles on top.]

[Aragorn approaches.]

Aragorn: "Frodo?"

Frodo: [startled] "Huh?! It has taken Boromir."

Aragorn: [intensely] "Where is the Ring?"

Frodo: "Stay away!" [scrambles up and retreats from Aragorn. Aragorn comes after him.]

Aragorn: "Frodo!"

[Frodo stops.]

Aragorn: "I swore to protect you!"

Frodo: "Can you protect me from yourself?!"

[He holds the Ring upon his palm.]

Frodo: "Would you destroy it?"

[Aragorn, looking at the Ring, slowly approaches Frodo. The Ring begins to whisper.]

The Ring: "Aragorn… Aragorn… Elessar…"

[He reaches out, towards the Ring.]

[With both hands, Aragorn closes Frodo's hand over the Ring and pushes it to the Hobbit's chest.]

Aragorn: "I would have gone with you to the end, into the very fires of Mordor."

Frodo: "I know. Look after the others, especially Sam. He will not understand."

[Aragorn nods.]

[Aragorn stands and draws his sword. Sting glows.]

Aragorn: "Go, Frodo. Run. Run!"

[Frodo runs from the hilltop.]