I felt incredibly uncomfortable being the only female at the Council of Elrond. I felt like all eyes were on me. I heard an impressive amount of whispers, much to the affect of "What she doing here?" I rolled my eyes. There were also many whispers of another attendee who was quite unexpected. A Halfling. He was only about three and a half feet tall with large hairy feet.
I heard another hushed voice, and saw a red haired Dwarf with an extremely long beard leaning to another with a white beard. "I cannot believe they let in a woman and a Halfling! Next there will be she-Halflings!"
I shot the Dwarf a look, my eyes narrowed. He did the same to me.
I heard the quiet voice a tall crooked man who I knew to be called Mithrandir whispering to the Halfling of people's origins and backgrounds.
"And the woman? Who is she?" the Halfling asked.
"Ah! That, Frodo my lad, is Corrinne. Her father was the one who won one of the greatest battles of all time. Three thousand years ago. He was captured by the Enemy, after performing a spell to win, and killed. She, now, is a princess in the Grey Havens." Mithrandir said, still whispering.
"Why has she come?"
"She has been summoned. Elrond is her uncle."
It was very odd to hear the Istari tell my story. My father's story. I was young even by Men's standards then. Not out of my second year. My mother remarried thousands of years later. But to a Man who was not of the highest standards. I do not speak of Nobility, for he was a prince. But, personality-wise he is not very kind. He is sick again. He grows old, nearing seventy. He is not of the Dunedain, so he will only live to be about 110. He is not the most pleasant person to be around, so I will not despair when he falls, but he is the only thing that keeps my mother at all happy, so I will not wish him ill.
Finally, my uncle, Lord Elrond, walked into the room and took his seat at the head of the circle of people.
"Well, we are all here for a common purpose, so let us get straight to it." he said, "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."
The Halfling stepped forward, reached into his pocket, and placed a golden ring on a pedestal. Again, the whispers started.
"The Doom of Men." one said.
"The death of us all." said another.
"One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all, and in the Darkness, bind them." Elrond recited.
"It is a gift." said a Man with red hair, "A gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this Ring?! Long has my father, steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay! By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe! Now we have the weapon of the Enemy! Let us use it against him!"
"You cannot wield it. None of us can." said a scruffy man with dark hair and grey eyes.
"And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" the first Man said.
"This is no mere Ranger!" an Elf who was very fair of face, with long blonde hair, said, standing, "This is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. And you owe him your allegiance."
"Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?"
"And heir to the throne of Gondor." the Elf said.
"Havelda, Legolas." Aragorn said. Roughly translated, this meant "Sit down, green leaf." So, I am assuming that Legolas was the Elf's name.
"Boromir, please take your seat." Elrond said.
Boromir sat, defeated. Legolas sat as well.
"We have but one choice," Elrond went on, "the Ring must be destroyed."
"What are we waiting for?" asked the Dwarf who had made the comment. He drew his ax and walked over to the pedestal the Ring sat on. He raised the ax and hit. The ax broke into pieces without even touching the Ring. He fell back.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Gloin, but any craft we here possess." Lord Elrond said. "The Ring was made in the Fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade." He paused. "One of you must do this."
"One does not simply walk into Mordor." Boromir said, "There is Evil there that does not sleep. 'Tis a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash. Not with a thousand Men could you do this. It is folly."
"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?! The Ring must be destroyed!" I said, standing.
"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it! I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of and Elf, let alone a she- Elf!" said Gimli.
All the Elves, with the exception of Lord Elrond, stood, all of them trying to get just close enough to Gimli to wring his neck. Legolas and I held them back. The Dwarves soon stood, as well.
"Never trust an Elf!" Gimli yelled over the other yelling. Now, the Elves fought harder to get towards the Dwarf.
Mithrandir stood. "While you stand here bickering amongst yourselves, Sauron's power grows! This is useless, you'll all be destroyed!"
Finally, the Halfling stood. He said something, but his quiet voice was lost among the greater ones. Then, he repeated what it was he said, and we all heard him. "I will take it!" he said clearly. We all stood in shock for a second. "I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though, I do not know the way."
Mithrandir stood by his side. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." he said.
"And by whatever power is within me, I too will help you on your Quest." I said, already next to Mithrandir.
"And if by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword." Aragorn said, kneeling next to the Halfling, the standing next to Mithrandir.
"And you have my bow." Legolas said, standing next to me.
"And my ax." Gimli said, standing in front of Aragorn. I struggled not to roll my eyes, but out of the corner of them, I saw Legolas roll his.
"If this is truly the will of the Council, then Gondor shall see it done." Boromir said.
"Ha!" I heard someone say. Another Halfling jumped onto the platform. "Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me!" he said.
"No indeed!" my uncle said, "It's hardly possible to separate you two even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not!"
"Oh, Sam." Frodo said. Sam blushed.
"Wait! We're coming too!" another Halfling said as he and fourth one ran out onto the platform.
"Merry! Pippin!" Frodo said.
"Besides, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission... Quest... Thing!" one of them said.
"That rules you out, Pip." the other one said. Pippin nodded, realized he was nodding to an insult and looked to Frodo, who rolled his big blue eyes. Merry laughed.
"Ten companions! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring." Lord Elrond said.
"Great!" Pippin said. "Where are we going?"