Weathertop: Reply to Aaron & John
Paul B.

I'd like to make two points about the attack on Weathertop.

1. The Nazgul do not press the attack on because as Strider points out to Sam 'they believe that your master [Frodo] has a deadly wound that will subdue him to their will.' Therefore they can simply bide their time and wait for Frodo to come to them.

2. Frodo does not actually manage to wound the Witch-King. He merely cuts the robe (a piece is found by Strider the next morning). The shriek that Frodo hears is not caused by the edge of his blade, but his utterance of the name 'Elbereth' - The Star Queen. Again the proof comes from Strider who observes that 'all blades perish that pierce that dreadful King. More deadly to him was the name of Elbereth.' Frodo's sword, unlike those belonging to Merry and Eowyn later, does not melt away.