Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is the property of its author, J.R.R. Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings Movies are the property of their authorised owners. This alternate version of the first book and movie of the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, is created by the author. All original settings, characters, etc. remain the property of the author.
Author's Note: There will be elven phrases in the upcoming chapters and since I am not an expert on it, I will be using the list of elven phrases found in the internet, there may be mistakes so if you notice one, please inform me. The same warning is valid for the history of the Middle Earth.
Sweet Dreams
A Lord of the Rings fanfic
by Galliechan
© Copyright 2007
Prologue
The bell referring the end of council ringed. Master Elrond nodded to himself satisfactorily. The story of One Ring was discussed, its future determined and as the biggest accomplishment of this council, the ringbearer who will carry it to Mordor was chosen. Also a loyal companion to him represented himself – albeit unintentionally - as well. A beneficial council indeed.
He stood up, meaning council ended literally and they can go to dining room for much awaited and wanted lunch. Suddenly someone cleared his throat loudly near him and upon looking, he saw Bilbo looking at him shyly, not a characteristic behaviour for the hobbit.
"How can I help you, Bilbo?" He asked. Some of the people inclined to leave the council area turned back and was looking at the hobbit curiously.
"I wouldn't want to keep each person from lunch. Just a few of you. I have a favour to ask, for I am afraid I can never again find a group consisting this many kinds at once and" he said, looking at his nephew Frodo, he continued "his visit here may be my last time seeing him, by my age adding up or his dangerous duty he took upon himself."
"Bilbo! What – " began Frodo with a panicked voice but cut by his uncle raising his hand strictly.
"Now, I can only hope that results of my journeys after unheard and unknown spells were really worth it." Bilbo muttered while taking envelopes and little papers full of drawings and words on them.
Frodo looked at his uncle, his father figure with confusion then ever-so-slowly understanding dawned. All council members, elves, dwarves, man and others looked at him while his eyes widened considerably and his mouth moved silently, forming no words.
Master Elrond felt his eyebrows rose, he would have thought how ridiculous he must have looked with eyebrows lost beneath his tiara if he wasn't as shocked and lost to the hobbit's words as now. He looked around to confirm whether it was only him and noticed even Gandalf was scrutinizing the old hobbit with a raised eyebrow. All council members had returned to their seats, their empty stomachs forgotten in the face of curiosity for weird words and behaviours of the hobbits. More precisely, two of them. Samwise looked like he didn't understand a word of Bilbo and restraining himself hardly from checking whether these two are the hobbits he knew since he remembered himself.
A few moments later found them still bewildered to what was going on but nonetheless waiting silently for Bilbo to explain since he started to murmur more meaningful words. However as if to add more to their confusion, four of them now had sealed envelopes in their hands. Elrond read the only thing written on the yellowish paper, Seal of Body, and idly wondered if Bilbo was enjoying this.
"Will you explain what is going on dear Bilbo?" asked Gandalf, 'dear' emphasized to mean the not-so-hidden message of 'explain now or you'll turn into something definitely not hobbit'. He was one of the four with a sealed envelope in hand and it was making him more anxious with each passing second. Seal of Magic was written on it and he could feel the movements of energy, magical energy, in it. They was swirling, waving, spinning and mixing into each other and even though his eyes can not see them, from little sensations on his hands and the prickle of hair on his arms, he was undeniably certain that this envelope contains strong magic.
Actually the word 'magic' was enough to disturb him. The word was used to describe his and his four fellow Ishtar's not-found-in-nature actions. After Saruman's betrayal, contains of this envelope was making his mind run like Shadowfax on an errand with questions. What if it contains magic from Saruman, dangerous and probably harmful magic? What if it did something to Bilbo? What if someone was listening to the council via that letter? What if...Gandalf stopped himself. I am only panicking, he thought, there was no way for Saruman, who despises hobbits, to send a letter to them unnoticed by me. Although, he added, hobbits proved their success at finding things without my notice, looking at the Ring. Only to relieve himself, he thought of other usages of word 'magic'. Elves had magic, but they didn't use the word for their actions. Their preferences were words like 'light', 'energy' and so on, not the exact word 'magic'. But still, he thought, there was a group of them using it. However he dismissed the thought quickly, they are all gone away, and nothing left of them but the rings. Yes, rings were another place the word is used yet this thought was disturbing him instead of relieving, against his first intention.
"Bilbo!" he tried again but the hobbit was now talking to his nephew, or trying to talk considering the fact that Frodo was still in the same position and his moving mouth didn't make any noise, and didn't hear him. Gandalf looked at the sealed letter again. Whatever this was, was about Frodo. An eyebrow rose, yes, he thought more than once occasion whether Frodo has some elven blood in him but it was because of his appearance – he was taller and fair faced than most of the hobbits – or his nature love not because he sensed some magic in him.
Suddenly he noticed that Aragorn was looking at him with a disturbed expression and with dread become aware that this impatient behaviour was so uncharacteristic for him. He gave a reassuring smile to the man and retuned back to his silence, all the while trying not to mutter audibly something that would not be suitable to be heard from a man like him. Couldn't the hobbit be a bit quicker? This 'magic' envelope was troubling him more and more.
"Yeah, yeah. Sorry to make you wait Gandalf." At last, the hobbit acknowledged him. "Although only four of you that I gave sealed envelopes must be present, I would recommend others to stay as well for this will be a once in a lifetime experience – yes, even for elves – since I believe none of you saw breaking of a curse placed upon one's own self."
"Bilbo, you didn't – " began Frodo but again silenced by his uncle.
Bilbo put his hands to his nephew's shoulders and looked at him with a gentle yet sad expression.
"I know I have put you into great danger, my dear son, this old hobbit's treasured ring turned into something far more dangerous than I can imagine. You are, starting from today, destined to go the heart of the evil. I am sorry that you had to go to this journey to cover up my mistake." the hobbit said sorrowful and raised his hand to stop a mouthful of objection from Frodo who looked like found his voice finally. "I was never involved in magic more than befriending Gandalf so I can only hope all these" he made a movement with his hand as if to show envelopes "works."
"Bilbo" started Frodo, at last talking without his uncle silencing him "that was a story about me only told to make you understand me better, I never intended or expected you to search anything to break this so-called-curse. Still I can't put into words how grateful I am to you. It is not important for me whether it works or not, merely the fact that you took that story serious and tried to help me is what makes me happy." he smiled to the old hobbit and continued "As for the ring, if this journey was made to 'cover up a mistake' as you put it, that mistake would never be yours, in its place be somebody else's that again is a close person to me, don't you think?" he winked. By now Bilbo's lips started curling upwards, definitely a better expression than the one he wore earlier. "Yet, this journey's purpose is not something complex like coverage, mistakes and whose-mistake-is-it instead something totally simple like for the bigger good of everybody, destroy the dark lord." he stopped when he heard some chuckles from people around them that couldn't help but find the young hobbit's definition funny. Most of the silent ones had smiles upon their lips. They was all impressed by the hobbit's speech, none of them – even Gandalf, Elrond and Sam – expected Frodo to talk like this. Giving good speeches is not a hobbit speciality, noted Gandalf surprised. And Frodo talking as if he is wiser than Bilbo is definitely not heard before.
Said hobbit looked around and first time noticed how crowded it was, everyone from the council is here, then smiled to himself "Your love for making shows Bilbo." he said shaking his head. "Let's not make them wait more with empty stomachs and, even more disturbing one, unsatisfied curiosity. Still before all, thank you Bilbo, even if this doesn't work, thank you for your efforts." he gave a big smile to his uncle and stood aside for him to explain what is going on.
"I know I made you all wait without explaining anything" the hobbit coughed "but I hope you'll all forgive me if I explain everything after the work with these envelopes finishes." He looked at the holders of sealed envelopes. Then from his bag he took out another envelope, this time not a sealed one. "As you noticed, five envelopes are all in hands of five different kinds." he continued and a murmur rose from the ones that didn't notice before. He had to cough to gain everyone's attention again. "There are different writings on each of these envelopes. For the curse to be broken, each of these writings should be read aloud, yet each holder should read it in a different language than the others used. Then the letters should be ripped into two." He waited a bit to think if he had forgotten anything. "That should be all." added and waited uncertainly as if he was not sure everyone understood his explanation.
"Okay, then what will happen?" asked Aragorn looking at the letter in his hand.
"Hopefully the curse will be broken and you'll all be shocked."
"What if we don't want to rip the letter?" asked Gandalf, still eying the letter in his hand suspiciously. "I definitely don't like the feeling this letter gives to me and I am pretty hesitant to rip it to let it spread around."
Bilbo turned to the wizard, obvious from his expression that he never gave a thought that someone wouldn't want to rip the letter. "Umm...the magic in it should have no effect if the curse is not broken." said uncertainly.
"Hah! And I should be the naive one to believe that!" the wizard snapped.
Upon seeing Bilbo's troubled expression, Gloin interfered grumpily "Then we should trust you to protect us from said magic." He was holding a sealed envelope in his hand as well and Seal of Spirit was written on it. What spirit and what seal?, he thought again, annoyed. "Just do it if not because you like it but to fulfil a good friend's wish." That was why he did it. The old hobbit smiled thankfully to his friend.
"If you have a bunch of energy in your hand, think good of it for then it turns out to be good." said Frodo dreamy, looking directly to Gandalf while he was positioning himself to sit comfortably to the ground. That is an old elven saying, the wizard thought surprised, one that the elves living on Middle Earth these days don't know the real meaning. Not that there was a hidden meaning to the sentence, actually it was quite open for anyone to see but nobody could see it because the saying belonged to a group of elves that none remained on Middle Earth. He glanced to the hobbit, now sitting on the ground, still wondering how the young hobbit heard the saying, and sighed.
"Whatever this curse is, hopefully it will be broken so we will get an explanation." the Ishtar said glaring to the old hobbit. The easiest kind to understand in Middle Earth, he thought again, yet one can't help but be surprised now and then, these hobbits.
Smiling to the wizard's response, Bilbo nodded to himself. Everything should be ready. But he was nervous. Hopefully, the result of all his journeys, searches and chases after spells will be found in a few moments. He thought of what Frodo said a moment ago; think good then it turns out to be good. It will be ok, it will be good, he started repeating inaudibly, it will be ok, the curse will be broken...
Everybody waited for the hobbit to be ready despite of their increasing anticipation. Everybody was curious and mystified to what is going on. Still they understood that this was a special moment for the two hobbits so none of them said a word to quicken the process, only hoping after that letters are ripped, one of the hobbits will explain.
Bilbo opened his eyes, now got over most of his nervousness – although not the excitement – and began the process he waited since his nephew told him his story.
"The letters should be ripped with an order. First of is Dunadan's one." he turned to Aragorn and added "since you're the first, you can say its name in whatever language you want."
Aragorn looked at the letter in his hand. Seal of Life. He looked at the holders of the letters; Gloin would surely say in his own language, Gandalf can find some language surely since the man was sure the Ishtar knew pretty much, for the hobbit he would leave the common language. That left him and Master Elrond, leaving Quenya to the wise elf, he chose Sindarin to say the name.
Saying the name, the man ripped the sealed envelope into two. He was surprised, however, when two pieces of the letter disappeared suddenly in his hand.
"This is how it should be?" he asked slightly alarmed, looking at Bilbo.
"Yeah, the letters should disappear when ripped into two." answered the hobbit. "Next, Master Elrond, please."
This time the elf ripped his letter into two, saying its name in Quenya, as guessed by Aragorn. Then the process continued by Gloin the dwarf and Gandalf the Ishtar. All sealed letters disappeared when ripped as Bilbo said they should be, and lastly he sealed the letter that was in front of him with a grin he can not keep from his face from the moment first letter was ripped.
"Sealing of the Curse" he said in common language. "Now the curse is sealed." He walked to the young hobbit sitting on ground and gave the sealed letter to him, smiling.
Frodo took the letter and stood up albeit a bit shakily and with a fast movement cut his middle finger with his nail enough to make it bleed.
"Let the curse started by blood, end with blood." After a drop of blood touch the letter, it began to dissolve into nothingness slowly. Yet nobody was looking at the letter by now for the young hobbit's body began to dissolve as well. It was like his skin was melting, similar to a burning candle, and alarmed they noticed that the melted pieces was moving in their accord and was forming a new body. In a few seconds, hobbit's body was no more than moving colourful shapes. Sam, who was closest to him, took back a few steps in shock attempting not to touch the shapes.
The view was disgusting yet fascinating and no one could take their eyes from it, frozen in their places. Astounded, everyone watched as the shapes were forming a new body, nevertheless the body was not of a hobbit's. It was taller, from what they could tell, and slender.
This is the seen part, Gandalf realised. He could feel magical energy forming as well, focusing on the figure in front of them and thickening, growing stronger than it was in the sealed envelope. Seal of Body and Magic these are, he noted. Whatever the curse was, it sealed Frodo's – or what really Frodo is – body, magic, spirit and life. Now that they are released, they are returning back to what they were. What they supposed to be. A curse put upon yourself with blood, Gandalf mused, and the pieces were not lost in time, they are now returning back. That was indeed strong magic, albeit different from an Ishtar's.
Gandalf thought absent-mindedly of what happened in this last hour and suddenly he connected the pieces of information; the magic, Frodo's uncharacteristic behaviour after he noticed Bilbo's intention and the old saying the hobbit used. The Ishtar came to a conclusion, one that how hard he found to believe, less he doubted its truth. He looked to his right, for a moment withdrawing his eyes from the figure in front to him, and saw that Elrond, Elestar and Glorfindel was looking troubled as well, probably came to the same conclusion. He didn't know what it will bring, what changes it will do to the history but someone was coming with a speciality that was long forgotten on Middle Earth since the Second Age. An Elven Magician has returned to Middle Earth at the end of the Third Age.