~Prologue~
Third Person POV
The night was cool and the moon shone through the gap between the curtains. Cassie lied on the bed as she laughed at the joke her best, and only, friend Jessie had told. They spoke of life and other things sixteen year olds would. Cass and Jess had met in middle school but hadn't actually become friends until the beginning of high school when both had become outcasts because of their families history. Cassie's dad was convicted of larceny and manslaughter. Jessie's father was found to be a serial killer. The events and convictions had happened all at once and their lives had been changed forever; but one good thing had come out of it - they became inseparable.
Jessie looked out the window and sighed, "I wish we could go somewhere together, somewhere fun."
"Me too, Jess." Cassie replied as she followed Jessie's line of sight. The moon in its full lustrous glory gleamed bright next to a star so majestic her eyes teared.
"Perhaps if we're lucky we will end up in Middle Earth." Jessie said half jokingly, half seriously.
"If only," they clutched each others hands . "I wish" they pleaded in unison as they stared longingly at the star which seemed to have entranced them.
The two fell asleep soon after.
~Chapter 1~
Jessie POV
The sun is harsh against my closed eyelids. That's the only reason why I start to wake up. How annoying, I think. Why can't the night last forever?
I hear whispering in the background, something about girls and them magically appearing. I can't help but smile at how incredibly ridiculous that sounds. Girls magically appearing, yeah right.
"They are stirring!" A deep voice whispers gruffly.
I shift around slowly, whoever it is sure makes it sound like a pair of girls could be as terrifying as a wild beast. The bed seems a lot rougher than it had last night, it almost feels like stone. The longer I lie here the more aware I become of the discomforting feeling of being watched. I slowly open my eyes and the sight before me leaves me paralyzed for a brief moment before I realize that Cass is still fast asleep.
"Cass" I whisper.
No reply
"Cass" I try again.
"What?" her voice is slurred with sleep.
"You need to open your eyes." I make sure to put urgency in my voice hoping she will sober up enough to open her eyes and see exactly where we are.
My words have the desired effect. In a flurry of limbs she flings herself into a sitting position as panic spreads across her face.
We are in the middle of a meeting - the meeting in which the fellowship of the ring is created. In front, in his regal throne sits Elrond, his gaze shifting from Cass to me. Though he keeps his face composed his eyes betray him. It's obvious he doesn't know what to think of us. I turn to look at Cass, her eyes filled with disbelief.
"We are…" she trails off.
"-in the Lord of the Rings." I state with the amazement we both feel.
"Enough of your whispering!" declares the dwarf I know to be Gimli. "Tell us what business the both of you have appearing in such a important meeting." His hostility visible, "Why I might even slay the you both of you. Who is not to say that you are not two of Sauron's spies?" Gimli hefts his axe into the air ready to strike us.
I feel my own anger flood through my veins, "Come at me little man!" Sure, he's a powerful dwarf but I can't let him hurt Cass or me.
My comment fuels him even more and he charges at us. I feel a hand grab and yank me out of the furious dwarf's way.
"Jess, I swear you are going to get us killed." Cassie looks at me a bit of irritated.
Gimli stops in his tracks and turns around to face us again, his intention clear. He wants us dead. Perhaps our heads on a silver platter. "You will pay wench. No one insults, Gimli, son of Gloin!"
"Enough of this!" Lord Elrond stands immediately causing Gimli to freeze and lower his axe. Elrond looks to me. "You should not insult such an important member of this meeting." His eyes close in a slightly menacing manner. "Now, tell me your names and how you came to appear in the middle of my court."
"I am Cassie, my lord" Cass bows low to show her respect.
I follow suit. "I, my lord, am called Jessie. As for how we got here neither of us knows." I respond trying my best to portray my respect to the elf.
"They spout lies." Gimli looks to Lord Elrond as if daring him to believe us.
"Nay, they speak only the truth." This voice sounds wise, even to my ears. It, of course, belongs to Gandalf. I turn to look at him and in his eyes I find kindness and understanding. "They are obviously as confused as we are, even more I dare say. Come." He finishes and beckons us to his side.
Both Cassie and I instantly follow his order. "Now," he begins "have you no knowledge at all how you came here? I must say it is quite obvious that you are not from here by your attire." Cass and I looked at each other and raise our eyebrows in question.
"What do you mean?" We asked in unison.
Cassie and I are both in our pajamas. Mine consist of a tank top with shorts I made from cutting long pajamas bottoms. Cassie's pajamas are similar to mine with the exception that she wears jean shorts. We look at each other in confusion. They're just pajamas.
"They are just pajamas." voices Cassie.
"Maybe where you are from, but here what you wear would be the equivalent of wearing nothing at all."
I feel the weight of his words. A blush begins to bleed on my cheeks. " Well…," I can't meet anyone's eye so I decide to stare at one of the many trees that surround the open courtroom, "this is rather embarrassing." I turn my head to see Cassie staring intently at a crack in the stone, her own face tinged a deep red.
"Now tell me, from where do you hail?" Gandalf moves to stand before us, forcing me to crane my neck to look him in the eye.
"California, we are not of this world but another." Cass is the one to speak, she meets Gandalf's stare head on.
"Hm. . . I have an idea from where you come. Much has changed since last I was there." He moves on to look at the rest of those in the meeting. "They are not spies. They have no knowledge of how their arrival came to be. One thing is certain, they were brought here for a reason. Let us move on with the meeting. The day grows long and decisions must be made."
Silence dominates for a moment but it is brought to an end when Elrond beckons the hobbit Frodo to put the golden ring on a stone platform located in the middle of the room. He takes hesitant steps forward, placing the ring on the stone. All those present hold their breath studying the golden object; the ring that will cause so much death is able to seduce anyone to its will. There is no doubt it is beautiful but one thing immediately goes off in my mind - I don't have the urge to claim it as my own. The ring doesn't lure me with its low velvety voice but I can hear it whispering, causing the others to lean forward to harken its words.
I look to Cass and we immediately understand that the ring doesn't have any effect on either of us. Our attention turns to Boromir of Gondor as he draws closer and closer to the ring alarming all in the counsel. He reaches for it slowly.
"Boromir!" Elrond shouts as he stands in haste.
There is a loud crack of thunder as dark clouds roll in. Gandalf begins chanting in the Black Tongue. As he finishes the clouds clear up to reveal the sun. Lord Elrond looks to Gandalf sternly. "Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris."
Gandalf makes no attempt at an apology and returns to his seat.
Boromir continues to appeal his case to the council. "It is a gift. . . a gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. . . let us use it against him!"
The strider, Aragorn, answers, "You cannot wield it. None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. . . it has no other master."
Boromir looks to Aragorn coolly, "And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" His voice reeks of distaste. That is when I remember how much I disliked Boromir in the beginning of the movie, he had been too ready to look down on others.
Cassie's and my favorite character speaks up: "This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." His voice rings with strong determination. It is clear no one can be rude to his friend while in his presence. Cass swivels toward me and we share the same dreamy expression. Legolas is just as loyal and beautiful in real life as he is in the movies.
Boromir's face contorts in disbelief, " Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?"
"And the heir to the throne of Gondor." Legolas emphasizes.
"Havo dad, Legolas…" Aragorn speaks in the elven tongue in order to calm Legolas.
Boromir's eyes ice over as he turns away from Aragorn. "Gondor has no king."
My eyes fall upon Gandalf who shifts the conversation back to the topic of the ring. "Aragorn is right...we cannot use it."
"You only have one choice. . . the Ring must be destroyed." Elrond stares intently at the ring. The sound of the ring's voice grows louder in defiance.
Gimli, obviously glad after hearing the word destroy, stands and raises his axe. "Then...what are we waiting for?" Swinging his axe down Cass and I wince in anticipation. We know what is going to happen.
The axe shatters with a deafening crack. The strength he used causes Gimli to fall back, and yet the ring lies intact. From the corner of my eye I see both Cass and Frodo wince in pain. Cass looks at me and simply shakes her head.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. . . only there can it be unmade." Elrond's annoyance at Gimli is clear. "It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this."
Silence descends once again upon the group. None want to accept the challenge but no one wants the other to take it on either.
Boromir is quieter when he speaks, his uncertainty showing. He preaches of the great evils that surround Mordor. "Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly."
"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond had said? The Ring must be destroyed." Legolas is quick to counter.
Gimli is next to speak, "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" His distaste for the elf is plain for all to see.
"And what if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" Boromir shakes his head.
"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" Gimli barks.
The council breaks out in argument. Everyone wags accusatory fingers and shakes angry fists. I turn to see panic plastered on Frodo's face, he looks frightened.
Gandalf's authoritative voice is filled with frustration as he bellows at the others to end their petty bickering. Frodo appears to be in the middle of a vision of some sort because his eyes are far off but focused as if straining to see something in the distance and his chest rises and falls at an alarming rate. He tears his gaze from the ring.
He stands straight and tall. "I will take it...I will take it...I will take it Mordor." His voice rings clear above the racket forcing all the company to freeze. I can't help the smile that makes its way onto my face. He is stocked with courage, of that I am sure.
