"This I will say: your Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hop remains while all the Company is true."
Her eyes traveled across our number, holding each of ours in turn. Her piercing blue eyes bore into mine, and I heard a whispering in the back of my mind. Her low voice spoke over the whispering.
"You want it. Gondor could use it. Yet you have not touched it." I could almost hear the accusation in her voice, and lowered my eyes in shame. I could feel her in my head, feel her searching through me. I could still hear the whispering, a strange tongue I did not know. I was very aware of the Halfling so close by. He had the one thing I knew was truly evil...the one thing I wanted most. "Take it," she said. I shook my head once without raising my gaze.
I knew it was wrong. It was evil to want something this bad, especially if that something could be the end of the world. I could not possess such power. Yet...what if I was strong enough? What if I had the strength to turn the power to good? I could save Middle Earth. I could save so many lives, Gondor could win this war...and I could be the savior. Fame, glory...
NO! I yelled at myself. I couldn't take such power. It was a blow on my pride that a Halfling, a child, could resist the evil better than I. How could I admit that I was not strong enough to command a simple trinket? How could I admit I was weak? It would cripple my pride...
I was jealous of the Halfling. How could he know his path so surely? He seemed so unafraid since the wizard fell. My path was lost, and if I turned either way I would betray the other. If I stole the power, I would betray the Halfling, myself, and even the world. Yet it felt as though I could use the power to better the world, and not taking it was a betrayal to my conscience, my good will.
I could not turn either way. But oh! How I wanted to! But I knew it was wrong. The question was which path would be better, in the end. I knew the answer, and I knew I would disregard it. I would. I would fight, but the battle was already lost. I knew, deep down in my heart of hearts, that I would.
I would give into temptation.
