Sorry so late with my chiming in and it will be brief. I have enjoyed reading all your thoughts of the last three chapters.
I am going to actually do this as a whole. We learn so much in these three chapters that we really never get to see in the movies....it is wonderful that the Professor wrote all the songs that teach others many many eons later. We read of the writing of Aragorn....all that is gold does not glitter......when even by his own reckoning, he just profess' that it goes with his name. But means so much more. The ending "the crownless again shall be king"....one of those foreshadowing things that I wrote of when we first began. We learn of Weathertop, Amon Sul. Elendil waited for Gil-galad at the Last Alliance and then SAM relates the story of Gil-Galad. Just before Weathertop, Strider relates the story of Tinuviel and Beren. The song is beautiful. The story so sad.
While I did love the movies....the flight to the ford was one of the biggest disappointments. Back to book we again learn so much more of what Strider is really made of and what he knows of lore and loam. We learn of Athelas....which really did help to save Frodo's life until Glorfindel arrives. Also again SAM amazes with a tale about trolls that he made up on his own.....for me, with elements of what happened to Bilbo and the dwarves.
Witchie.....what a horse, Asfaloth!!!! I appreciate what you do now even more.
Those are my thoughts and I will read the next three on Friday when I am off.
Hail...and see you soon, friends.