The eagles were Tolkien's favorite go-to when his plot ran into trouble. He just never got enough of them delivering a deus ex machina.
Consider:
- Bilbo and friends are stuck in trees which goblins have lit on fire. (The Hobbit.)
- Everyone is fighting everyone and the goblins have come with the greatest army. (The Hobbit.)
- Gandalf is stuck in a tower and Saruman has been revealed to be a meglomaniac. (The Fellowship of the Ring)
- Gandalf is stuck on top of a mountain after being sent back as Gandalf the White and beating a balrog. (The Two Towers)
- Frodo and Samwise are stuck on an exploding volcano after destroying the Ring. (The Return of the King)
(If you read his other works, like _The Silmarillion_, you'll find more examples.)
The eagles were Tolkien's favorite go-to when his plot ran into trouble. He just never got enough of them delivering a deus ex machina.
Consider:
- Bilbo and friends are stuck in trees which goblins have lit on fire. (The Hobbit.)
- Everyone is fighting everyone and the goblins have come with the greatest army. (The Hobbit.)
- Gandalf is stuck in a tower and Saruman has been revealed to be a meglomaniac. (The Fellowship of the Ring)
- Gandalf is stuck on top of a mountain after being sent back as Gandalf the White and beating a balrog. (The Two Towers)
- Frodo and Samwise are stuck on an exploding volcano after destroying the Ring. (The Return of the King)
(If you read his other works, like _The Silmarillion_, you'll find more examples.)