Meetings

All was quiet on the ford near Rivendell. It had been more than a week since Frodo had crossed into the land with Lady Arwen and the land felt apprehensive. Suddenly the tense silence was broken by a harsh piercing scream sending even the most stalwart of predators scurrying into the shadows, hoping that the creature would simply pass them by. The frantic pounding of hooves followed the scream and a woman desperately trying to keep a large man from falling off her horse nearly flew out of the trees.

"Noro lim, Tavi, noro lim!" She screamed as one shadow reached a gauntleted hand towards her. Her horse, Tavi, had one last spurt of energy in him and managed to pull away just long enough to cross the ford into the realm of Imladaris. The shadows reigned in their mounts sharply with a hiss, watching as the women reined in and turned. The three shadows let out a frustrated scream. She watched them grimly for a moment before smiling and racing off once again.

"By the blood of my people are your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy! Let us use it against him!" Boromir said a look of triumph in his eyes as though he could already see victory.

"You cannot wield it! None of us can." Aragorn said looking at him in disbelief.

"The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master." A woman declared in a firm voice as she strode into the council room. She stood tall and proud, nearly as tall as Aragorn, who had stood once she had made her appearance. Her face was grim and drawn as she made her way towards Elrond who looked relived as she bowed.

"I apologize, my Lord Elrond, for my tardiness. I was delayed." She said before turning back to Boromir. "As for our lands being kept safe…Here is what your blood has paid for…"

She untied her cloak letting it fall to her feet. Deep gashes, glistening sickly in its partial healing, were revealed through holes in her dark shirt reaching across her shoulders and throat. She slowly turned, showing the ragged edges of wound reaching around and down her back. A collective gasp went around the circle. Elrond made to stand but sat back as her eyes came to his.

"My men and I have been chased by these ring wraiths from the Sarn Ford to Dol Gudar and back. I have lost a few of my friends and one now lies wounded not far from this room. Only by the goodwill of Lord Elrond will he live." She spat out to Boromir. "And who allowed them to ride from Minas Morgul? Who let orcs infest the mountains and left us to our own devices?" No one said a word as she looked at each in turn before turning back to Boromir. "Our lands are just as threatened as yours, our blood just as well spent. There are few safe havens left in the world. Those that remain are carefully defended."

"And what would rangers know of this matter? And as for that, who are you to barge in here on this council meeting?" Boromir said derision in his voice as the woman lifted her chin and took a deep breath.

"These are no mere rangers. Their names are Aragorn and Elenna, children of Arathorn and Gilraen; you owe them your allegiance." Legolas declared standing up to confront him. Elenna looked at the elf startled. Boromir looked from one to the other in shock.

"They are Isildur's heirs?" he said in surprise.

"And heirs to the throne of Gondor."

Frodo wasn't the only one who looked shocked as Aragorn told Legolas to sit down. Boromir looked at them both scornfully before moving to sit again.

"Gondor has no King." He said looking at Aragorn before flicking his eyes to Elenna. "Gondor needs no Queen."

"Aragorn and Elenna are both right. We cannot use it." Gandalf said continuing the meeting as Elrond offered his seat to Elenna. The council eventually erupted into chaos with arguing on all sides. The Aragorn tried to reason with a few people while Elenna and Boromir began a heated argument. Legolas and Gimli nearly started a war of their own right in the council chambers.

"I will take it! I will take it!" Frodo suddenly said loudly. The whole council stopped and looked at the small hobbit.

"I will take the ring to Mordor…though…I do not know the way."

Gandalf looked pained as he turned to offer his guidance. Aragorn moved to offer his help, and then Legolas, a dwarf named Gimli, and finally even Boromir. A hobbit, no three hobbits suddenly ran out of the shadows and firmly planted themselves with the group. Declaring that they would go with Frodo no matter what happened.

"Nine Companions…" Elrond began.

"Ten." Elén said firmly moving to take her place with the company. Boromir huffed in frustration as she smiled coolly, lifting a challenging look to any who try to tell her she couldn't go. Elrond looked at her with sadness in his eyes as he inclined his head in acceptance.

"Ten companions… So be it! You shall be known as the Fellowship of the Ring." He said proudly.

"Great! Where are we going?" asked the smallest hobbit. Elenna laughed.

Later that night Elenna was leaving her friends chamber after making sure he was going to live through his terrible injuries when she noticed Legolas walking through the halls. She was considering whether or not to call out to him when she sensed a presence behind her. She whipped around to see Boromir leaning against the wall.

"Well met again, my lady." He said with a smile as he looked her up and down. She had abandoned her travel worn clothes for simple pants and a shirt made of a dark material, her hair unbound and rippling down her back in a long dark mass.

"If it wasn't for your eyes and fair skin you would blend in with the shadows." Boromir said after a moment. When she made no reply he straightened up to move to her side.

"I had heard of you in passing, many of my people believe you to be a legend, but I have to admit…the tales of your beauty do you no just-…"

Elenna grabbed the hand he had raised to brush her hair in a firm grip. He looked shocked at her strength as she stared at him with cold eyes.

"Do not touch me." She said with enough frost in her words to cover the ground.

"I meant no disrespect." He said carefully trying to remove her grip on his arm.

"Whether you meant it or not is irrelevant. Your presence offends me as you offended me in council today." She said evenly.

"Is there a problem?" Legolas asked coming up to them. Boromir's eyes hardened as she threw his arm away from her.

"No…no problem." He said before hurrying away. Elenna turned to look at the tall elf with a sigh.

"Mae govannen, Lady Elenna." He said with a small bow. (Well met, Lady Elenna)

"Mae govannen…I'm sorry I don't remember your name." She said looking at him questioningly.

"I am Legolas of the Woodland Realm." He replied as they began walking.

"Of Mirkwood? I have heard stories of that forest, none to be taken lightly."

"Yes, my father sent me here to hear what was going on. The rumblings from the world have grown too loud even for him to ignore."

"Your father?"

"Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm."

"A pointy eared prince-ling of an elf I might have expected as much." A gruff voice said interrupting their conversation. They turned to see the red haired dwarf Gimli standing in a doorway.

"Do you have a problem with princes?" Legolas said stiffly.

"Only when they throw around their titles like a fool to get a woman's attention."

"Sir, I…"Elenna began as she struggled to hide a smile.

"Call me Gimli, lass."

"Gimli…" she said warmly. "I was the one who asked about his parentage. There is no need to show off to one another. We are all part of the same fellowship."

"Mmmmm…" Gimli growled as they both looked at each other with scorn. Elenna laughed, startling them both.

"Perhaps I should escort you to your room." Legolas said after she was finished.

"No laddie I think I should escort the lass." Gimli retorted stepping between them. They faced off in the middle of the hallway, the tension rising between them until you could almost cut it with a knife.

"Or the two of you will remember that I am a warrior and can escort myself." She called from the opposite end of the hall breaking the hostility. She smiled and waved to them before walking away towards her room.

"I have never met a human woman like her before." Gimli said finally a look of pensiveness on his face.

"Because you've met so many human women, dwarf." Legolas said as they exchanged one more look of derision before parting ways.