DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely nothing!!!! . . . . damn.
NOTE: it's me! Kitkat!!
: : In the Beginning: :
It began with the forging of the great rings Three rings were given to the elves; Immortal, wisest, and fairest of all beings, Seven to the dwarf lords; Great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls And nine, nine rings were gifted to the race of men, Who above all else . . . desired power For within these rings was given the strength and will to govern each race But they were all of them deceived, For another ring was made . . . In the fires of Mordor, the Dark Lord, Sauron forged a master ring. And into this ring, he poured his cruelty, and his malice One by one, the free peoples of Middle Earth fell to the power of the Ring But there were some, who resisted. A last alliance of men and elves banded together, And on the slopes of Mt. Doom, they fought for the free peoples of Middle Earth. It was in this moment that all hope had faded And Isildur, son of the king, took up his father's sword Sauron, dark ruler of the world, was defeated. But the hearts of men are easily corrupted. The Ring betrayed Isildur, to his death History became legend, Legend became myth, And for two and a half thousand years, the Ring passed out of all knowledge Until, when chance came, the ring ensnared a new bearer It came to the creature Gollum, who took it deep within the Misty Mts. And there, it consumed him . . . There came a time, when the Ring abandoned Gollum But something happened then, the Ring did not intend: It was picked up, by the most unlikely creature imaginable: A hobbit; Bilbo Baggins of the Shire For a time would come, when hobbits would shake the fortunes of all . . .
"The Ring has been found."
A murmur swept through the tiny council of elves. Some had even begun to forget what the Ring was. Others, however, darkened their expressions and waited for the elf lord to continue.
"By who?" someone asked.
"We do not know exactly who has it, but we have reason to believe that Saruman knows of its whereabouts," a dark gloom filled in the elf lord's eyes, "But there is more . . . the Dark Lord has started to rise from the ashes; it is calling to the Ring of Power."
An elf stood, "What are we going to do? Should we find it before Sauron resurfaces?"
"And what about Saruman?!" another elf cried, "What are we to think of him now?
The elf lord held up his hands for silence and shook his head, "The Ring is beyond any of us . . . no . . . there is nothing we can do now. If we try to claim the Ring, we will also fall to Sauron's power. As for Saruman . . . I do not know; we must keep a wary eye out for him, though. For now, we cannot trust the White Wizard."
There was another murmur of voices and others shook their heads sadly. Were they just supposed to wait around until the Dark Lord returned? Something had to be done, though, Middle Earth depended on the information they had.
"We have to do something!"
"The Dark Lord must not be allowed to rise again!"
"No one will survive!"
The head elf, held up his hands for silence, but the arguments continued.
"Why don't we fight fire with fire?" someone suggested, "Why don't we make a new ring? One strong enough to fight Sauron?"
Others looked at him oddly, as if he were insane.
"Sauron created the One Ring from his pure malice and because he thirsted for power. And when he created the One Ring, he created the ability to control all of the great rings. If we were to copy his tactics, all of Middle Earth would perish!"
An elf shook his head, "No, we cannot copy the Dark Lord's tactics, and we cannot create a strong enough ring to destroy him once and for all . . . but we can sure enough try create a strong enough ring to resist his power; one strong enough to keep the world from falling into the hands of darkness!"
"But who will bear this ring?"
A whisper ran up and along the table. Some feared that this ring would also become one of power; one that would too, fall in the hands of darkness; others believed it to be a too great of task for them alone. Others still argued with those around them their right to bear this new ring.
"It should be mine!" an elf cried, "My family has done nothing but help Middle Earth since the very beginning!"
"This ring deserves better than any mere elf! It should belong to royalty!"
Angry outbursts erupted through the room. The elf lord fruitlessly tried to calm the council, but no one could hear him.
Suddenly, the room grew quiet as a single pair of footsteps echoed eerily against the threshold. A she-elf, fair and graceful as the morning itself, glided across the floor. A hand was placed on her enlarged abdomen and the other on the smalls of her back. Her auburn hair tumbled in curls along her shoulders; and her skin shone as if caressed by the moon. Her midnight blue orbs reflected back on the pains of the world
She bowed gracefully, considering her difficulties, and turned towards the lord at the front of the table.
"My Lord, Elrond," she murmured, "My time grows short on this land of Middle Earth, but my child's life is just beginning . . . I have heard your quarrels and I wish to help in settling them . . ."
The council sat down silently and waited for her to continue. At this point in time, it would not matter what suggestions they received, so they allowed her to speak.
She nodded in appreciation and stepped up to the opposite end of the table, "You know already, that my husband has long passed on without me . . ." a tear filled in her deep blue eyes, "but his legacy lives on in our child. Their blood runs through mine, and they feel what I feel; their emotions are tied to mine . . . Elrond, this child is beyond anything you or I have seen . . . this child has as pure of soul as the rain that falls in the spring; as the snow that coats the mountains. . . This unborn child of mine holds all the hope in the world; the one thing that the Dark Lord succumbs to—all save for the destroying of his ring—this child, Elrond, was made for this purpose in life; this new ring of light."
"And what makes you so sure about this?" an elf from Mirkwood asked.
The elf turned to him, "My senses do not lie to me. Even as I stand before you now, their blood pumps through mine, as well as their soul; their hope beats within mine. Do not tell me that this child is not worthy of this ring."
Elrond now confronted the woman, "Taelin, I do not doubt your gifts, but this is a great decision . . . we cannot trust this ring to a child, not even if . . ."
He stopped as the elf pulled his hand onto her abdomen. He froze for a moment before his eyes grew wide with utter surprise.
Taelin smiled sadly, "Elrond, you are one of my dearest friends . . . would I lie to you?"
The elfin lord sighed heavily and patted her shoulder, "No, but I do not doubt my own gifts . . . Taelin, there will be much evil in your child's future; and much suffering, are you willing to take the risk of giving this ring to them?"
"I don't care, Elrond," she said firmly, "as long as the ring is given to its rightful owner."
He nodded, "So be it," he turned to the council, "We will build this ring, and as I have felt with my own flesh this child's purity, it shall be bestowed upon Taelin's child when the foreseen day arrives."
There was a group of sullen expressions as the elves stood. But they nodded and held their hands in the center of the table.
"So be it," they chorused.
NOTE: it's me! Kitkat!!
: : In the Beginning: :
It began with the forging of the great rings Three rings were given to the elves; Immortal, wisest, and fairest of all beings, Seven to the dwarf lords; Great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls And nine, nine rings were gifted to the race of men, Who above all else . . . desired power For within these rings was given the strength and will to govern each race But they were all of them deceived, For another ring was made . . . In the fires of Mordor, the Dark Lord, Sauron forged a master ring. And into this ring, he poured his cruelty, and his malice One by one, the free peoples of Middle Earth fell to the power of the Ring But there were some, who resisted. A last alliance of men and elves banded together, And on the slopes of Mt. Doom, they fought for the free peoples of Middle Earth. It was in this moment that all hope had faded And Isildur, son of the king, took up his father's sword Sauron, dark ruler of the world, was defeated. But the hearts of men are easily corrupted. The Ring betrayed Isildur, to his death History became legend, Legend became myth, And for two and a half thousand years, the Ring passed out of all knowledge Until, when chance came, the ring ensnared a new bearer It came to the creature Gollum, who took it deep within the Misty Mts. And there, it consumed him . . . There came a time, when the Ring abandoned Gollum But something happened then, the Ring did not intend: It was picked up, by the most unlikely creature imaginable: A hobbit; Bilbo Baggins of the Shire For a time would come, when hobbits would shake the fortunes of all . . .
"The Ring has been found."
A murmur swept through the tiny council of elves. Some had even begun to forget what the Ring was. Others, however, darkened their expressions and waited for the elf lord to continue.
"By who?" someone asked.
"We do not know exactly who has it, but we have reason to believe that Saruman knows of its whereabouts," a dark gloom filled in the elf lord's eyes, "But there is more . . . the Dark Lord has started to rise from the ashes; it is calling to the Ring of Power."
An elf stood, "What are we going to do? Should we find it before Sauron resurfaces?"
"And what about Saruman?!" another elf cried, "What are we to think of him now?
The elf lord held up his hands for silence and shook his head, "The Ring is beyond any of us . . . no . . . there is nothing we can do now. If we try to claim the Ring, we will also fall to Sauron's power. As for Saruman . . . I do not know; we must keep a wary eye out for him, though. For now, we cannot trust the White Wizard."
There was another murmur of voices and others shook their heads sadly. Were they just supposed to wait around until the Dark Lord returned? Something had to be done, though, Middle Earth depended on the information they had.
"We have to do something!"
"The Dark Lord must not be allowed to rise again!"
"No one will survive!"
The head elf, held up his hands for silence, but the arguments continued.
"Why don't we fight fire with fire?" someone suggested, "Why don't we make a new ring? One strong enough to fight Sauron?"
Others looked at him oddly, as if he were insane.
"Sauron created the One Ring from his pure malice and because he thirsted for power. And when he created the One Ring, he created the ability to control all of the great rings. If we were to copy his tactics, all of Middle Earth would perish!"
An elf shook his head, "No, we cannot copy the Dark Lord's tactics, and we cannot create a strong enough ring to destroy him once and for all . . . but we can sure enough try create a strong enough ring to resist his power; one strong enough to keep the world from falling into the hands of darkness!"
"But who will bear this ring?"
A whisper ran up and along the table. Some feared that this ring would also become one of power; one that would too, fall in the hands of darkness; others believed it to be a too great of task for them alone. Others still argued with those around them their right to bear this new ring.
"It should be mine!" an elf cried, "My family has done nothing but help Middle Earth since the very beginning!"
"This ring deserves better than any mere elf! It should belong to royalty!"
Angry outbursts erupted through the room. The elf lord fruitlessly tried to calm the council, but no one could hear him.
Suddenly, the room grew quiet as a single pair of footsteps echoed eerily against the threshold. A she-elf, fair and graceful as the morning itself, glided across the floor. A hand was placed on her enlarged abdomen and the other on the smalls of her back. Her auburn hair tumbled in curls along her shoulders; and her skin shone as if caressed by the moon. Her midnight blue orbs reflected back on the pains of the world
She bowed gracefully, considering her difficulties, and turned towards the lord at the front of the table.
"My Lord, Elrond," she murmured, "My time grows short on this land of Middle Earth, but my child's life is just beginning . . . I have heard your quarrels and I wish to help in settling them . . ."
The council sat down silently and waited for her to continue. At this point in time, it would not matter what suggestions they received, so they allowed her to speak.
She nodded in appreciation and stepped up to the opposite end of the table, "You know already, that my husband has long passed on without me . . ." a tear filled in her deep blue eyes, "but his legacy lives on in our child. Their blood runs through mine, and they feel what I feel; their emotions are tied to mine . . . Elrond, this child is beyond anything you or I have seen . . . this child has as pure of soul as the rain that falls in the spring; as the snow that coats the mountains. . . This unborn child of mine holds all the hope in the world; the one thing that the Dark Lord succumbs to—all save for the destroying of his ring—this child, Elrond, was made for this purpose in life; this new ring of light."
"And what makes you so sure about this?" an elf from Mirkwood asked.
The elf turned to him, "My senses do not lie to me. Even as I stand before you now, their blood pumps through mine, as well as their soul; their hope beats within mine. Do not tell me that this child is not worthy of this ring."
Elrond now confronted the woman, "Taelin, I do not doubt your gifts, but this is a great decision . . . we cannot trust this ring to a child, not even if . . ."
He stopped as the elf pulled his hand onto her abdomen. He froze for a moment before his eyes grew wide with utter surprise.
Taelin smiled sadly, "Elrond, you are one of my dearest friends . . . would I lie to you?"
The elfin lord sighed heavily and patted her shoulder, "No, but I do not doubt my own gifts . . . Taelin, there will be much evil in your child's future; and much suffering, are you willing to take the risk of giving this ring to them?"
"I don't care, Elrond," she said firmly, "as long as the ring is given to its rightful owner."
He nodded, "So be it," he turned to the council, "We will build this ring, and as I have felt with my own flesh this child's purity, it shall be bestowed upon Taelin's child when the foreseen day arrives."
There was a group of sullen expressions as the elves stood. But they nodded and held their hands in the center of the table.
"So be it," they chorused.