Like many others, she had come to Rivendell to answer Elrond's summoning.
A council was to be held to determine the fate of Middle-Earth. Members from each race would be there, which, again, is why she had come.
Ora was the last of her kin, the Wolf Walkers. Creatures that resembled both man and beast.
It was Aragorn who greeted her when she arrived in the last homely house, east of the sea.
"Long has it been, since I laid eyes upon you. You've grown." She gave Aragorn a smile and he pulled her into a hug.
"Of course I've grown. I was but a child, last we met." He replied.
Aragorn had spent many years of his early childhood in Rivendell. And Ora had been around for them.
For some reason unbeknown to her, Aragorn had quickly taken to her when he was very small. He could oft be found, his little hands around her furry, wolf tail as he trailed behind her through the halls as she went about her days.
And even now, Aragorn was quite fond of the She-Wolf, whom he considered a motherly figure.
"I believe we have a council meeting to attend?" She raised her brows and flattened her canine like ears against her head.
Aragorn chuckled and pulled that tail of hers, before taking her hand and leading her towards the secret council.
She nodded at Elrond, a wordless greeting as she took a seat next to Aragorn.
"Why is there a woman at the council?" Someone whispered from her right.
"What race is she?" Came another whisper.
Most of the males seemed to be content with murmurs and whispers of disagreement to her attendance, except one man. This man obviously felt the need to rise, and confront her business there.
"The councils of men are no place for a woman. Why not go giggle over dresses and fashion with the other females?" He suggested as he made a shooing motion with his hands.
Ora let out a sigh at his ignorance. "I have seen and participated in battles and wars that you can not fathom. I am older than every being here. You would do well to show respect." She replied with narrowed eyes.
He grumbled out something about being the son of the Steward of Gondor as he settled himself back into his seat.
Finally Elrond stood and cleared his throat. "Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate-this one doom." He gestured towards a young hobbit. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."
She watched as the halfling, Frodo stood up and placed a ring on a pedestal, in the middle of the council. He sat back down, his eyes not leaving the accursed thing, even though his eyes shone with relief at no longer having to carry its burden.
"So it is true.. ." The man who had earlier tried to get rid of her, looks entranced. "In a dream, I saw the eastern sky grow dark. But in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying: Your doom is near at hand. Isildur's Bane is found." He stood and moved towards the ring. With fingers outstretched, he made as if he would take it.
Elrond leapt up. "Boromir!" He cried loudly.
As if sensing the rising and beginnings of conflict, the ring began emitting a harsh chant in the black language. Upon hearing it, Gandalf, an old wizard, lept from his seat.
"Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them." Gandalf chants.
Ora watches with dark amusement as the council members share looks of terror. It's then that a slight breeze blows their way and on it, she catches the scents of three other hobbits, who seemed to be eavesdropping.
"Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris!" Elrond rebukes, angered by the turn the council meeting was taking.
"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether Evil!" Gandalf replies.
Boromir looks around, as if to implore the council to see his cause. "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. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!" She could hear the pride in his voice as he pleaded to take the ring and use it as a weapon. But she knew that would be a wrong decision.
"You cannot wield it." She speaks softly, staring straight into Boromir's eyes with her bright, red ones.
"None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master." She allows herself a small, proud smile as Aragorn also begins speaking against Boromir's desires.
Boromir tensed, obviously not liking the way things weren't going his way. Her tail twitched as he again spoke. "And what would a ranger know of this matter?" He spat. She could hear in his voice, the pride and egotism he had, along with his growing anger that things weren't going his way.
At his words, an elf jumps up, enraged by Boromir's words. She tilts her head, he was known to her, for she recognized the scent of his bloodline. The son of Thranduil. "This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." The elf, Legolas, she briefly recalled his name, spoke up.
Boromir looked at Legolas, his eyes widening slightly with disbelief. "Aragorn? This... is Isildur's heir?" He seemed surprised, and not in a good way and almost scoffing as if it couldn't be true.
Legolas stepped forward, towards Boromir. He seemed appalled by the way Boromir acted. "And heir to the throne of Gondor." He said, as if it would greatly and drastically change Boromir's mind and actions.
Aragorn looked at Legolas, having been quiet up to this point. He lifts his hand, as if to gesture the elf to calm himself. "Havo dad, Legolas." He speaks in the elvish tongue, attempting to bring peace.
Legolas sat back down and his eyes met hers for a moment. She saw the blue of the ocean in a calm, summer day, in them. Her lips curled into a slight smile.
Boromir looked between Legolas and Aragorn, scowling. "Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king." He practically growled.
Gandalf, ignoring the last half of the argument, speaks up. "Aragorn is right. We cannot use it."
Elrond looks around the council. "You have but one choice. The Ring must be destroyed." He tells them all, quite dramatically.
'Age has not diminished your ability to always seem overly dramatized.' She thought to herself.
A dwarf jumps out of his seat. "Then what are we waiting for?" He shouts. giving a war cry, he runs at the pedestal and swings an axe down on the ring. Ora shakes her head as the axe breaks with such force on impact, that the dwarf is pushed backwards. The one ring remains unscathed.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glóin, by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came." Elrond explained.
Ora frowned, looking about the council she felt as if she were surrounded by stupid. "We're doomed." She muttered to softly for anyone to hear.
"One of you must do this." Elrond spoke again.
She twitches her left ear, watching as a silence falls over everyone. The members of the council looked nervously among each other, none wanting to volunteer for this task.
"One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland. Riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly!" Boromir, ever so helpful, piped up.
Legolas, once again, jumps to his feet and glares at Boromir. "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" It seemed Legolas was also becoming fed up with the seemingly growing amount of stupid.
Gimli points at Legolas, his hatred for elves overcoming him. "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?!""
Boromir continues speaking, ignoring Gimli. "And if we fail, what then?! What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?!"
Ora closed her eyes, an annoyed sigh escaping her lips at the growing conflict, as things were quickly becoming out of hand.
"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf! Never trust an efl!" Gimli shouts, angering most of the elves at the council.
Soon it seemed everyone was standing and arguing. Ora remained seated, not feeling a need to join the conflict. She glared at the ring, knowing full well that this was what it wanted.
Her eyes shifted over to Frodo, who slowly stood from his seat. "I will take it." He spoke quietly at first. "I will take it!" He cries, louder this time. Silence befalls the council as all turn to the smallest member, disbelief in their eyes at his courage to volunteer. "I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though- I do not know the way."
Gandalf sighed, as if he had feared Frodo would be the one to take on this task. He walks over and places his hands on the hobbit's shoulders. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear."
Aragorn moves to kneel before the hobbit. "If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."
Legolas walks over, joining them. "And you have my bow."
"And my axe!" Gimli shouts, giving Legolas a mistrusting look as he joins, he looks at Legolas as if he can't bear to be shown up by an elf.
Boromir walks over and looks to Frodo. "You carry the fate of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done." He too, offers his service to the destruction of the ring.
"Hey!" Everyone looks to the bushes, where the shout had come from. A chubby hobbit runs out. Ora had wondered when he'd show himself. "Mr. Frodo is not goin' anywhere without me!"
Elrond gave Ora a pointed look, knowing full well she had known the hobbit was there, eavesdropping. "No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." His tone his lighthearted, almost joking.
The other two hobbits quickly emerge, running over to join. "Wait! We are coming too!"
"You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" Says the first.
His friend grins like a fool. "Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest... thing."
She allows a slight chuckle as the first speaks up again, replying to his grinning friend. "Well that rules you out Pip."
Finally, Ora stands. "The last of the Wolf Walkers shall see your safe passage. After all, from what I've seen here, at this council meeting, you'll need someone to keep the peace." Frodo gave her a humoured smile as she spoke.
Elrond looks at each of them in turn, amusement on his face. "Ten companions... So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!"
"Great! Where are we going?" Pip asks, earning eyerolls and chuckles from the fellowship.