Sabrina sprinted through Elrond's gardens as fast as she could, her lungs felt like they were going to burst. The trees around her were blurs of green, she kicked up dried gold and red leaves.
Oh no, please don't let me be late, please, please, please, please don't let me be late. She begged fiercely as she sprinted. Finally the garden where the council was being held came into view. The trees stood exceptionally tall here and every now and then a gold leaf would flutter down from the surrounding trees. The council members were situated in a circle, they were sitting in beautiful stone chairs with Elrond at the front with an elaborately decorated throne and there was what seemed to be a stone pedestal in the middle.
Sabrina slowed down to a walk they were just about to start. Sabrina quietly took her spot next to Legolas.
"Strangers from distant lands. Friends of old," Elrond began. "You have been summoned here for one purpose, to answer the threat of Mordor. Present the ring, Frodo." Elrond gestured to the stone pedestal.
Frodo, a hobbit with curly brown hair and big blue eyes, approached the pedestal looking timid. When there he placed a plain gold ring on the stone.
Immediately Sabrina had the urge to run up an snatch the ring and run away with it. She fought the urge with some difficulty. Silence followed, then a man in grand clothes and a fur cloak broke the silence.
"It is a gift," he said, "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 your lands are kept safe! Let Gondor have the ring. Let us use it against the enemy!"
He seemed elated at the idea, but another man, this one dressed more humbly with tattered black clothes, ruined his excitement.
"How would you use such a weapon?" Sabrina asked, "as bribery? I think it will bring Gondor destruction by just being there. Sauron will take it by force, bribery is useless."
"you cannot wield it, none of us can! The one ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master!"
The man who spoke first seemed angered by this.
"And what would a ranger and a woman know of this?" He asked scornfully.
The ranger in question just stared back coldly. Sabrina on the other hand was on the verge of losing her temper completely.
Sabrina was started to get annoyed by the man. He seemed self absorbed and arrogant. Apparently Legolas was thinking something along the same lines because he stood up angrily.
"This is no mere ranger," he snarled, "this is Aragorn son of Arathorn, you owe him your allegiance."
Sabrina was a bit hurt that no one stood up for her, but she pushed it aside.
The man looked at Aragorn again.
"Aragorn?" He asked incredulous, "this is Isildur's heir?"
"An heir to the throne of Gondor," Legolas said fiercely.
"Havow dow, Legolas," Aragorn said. sit down, Legolas.
Legolas sat down with one last glare at the man.
The man was not to thrilled, "Gondor has no king, Gondor needs no king," he said before sitting back down himself.
Gandalf now spoke, "Aragorn is right we cannot use it."
Elrond stood from his throne like chair, "you have only one choice, the ring must be destroyed."
The man looked distraught, and there was silence until a dwarf with light brown hair and a large brown beard that covered half his face stood up.
"Then what are we waiting for?" He picked up his axe and lifted it above his head. He swung down and hit the ring with all his might, but upon contact his axe shattered. The force threw him back. His comrades got up immediately to help him up. He looked a bit dazed.
"The ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any weapon we here posses," Elrond informed the dazed dwarf, "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. One of you must do this."
Stunned silence followed, but the man once again broke the silence.
"One cannot simply walk into Mordor, it's black gates are guarded by more than just orcs, there is evil there that does not sleep. The great eye is ever watchful. Tis a barren waste land riddled with fire and ash, the very air you breath is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this."
Legolas stood up for a second time.
"Have you heard nothing that Lord Elrond has said? The ring must be destroyed!"
Gimli also stood.
"Oh, and I supposed you think you're the one to do it!"
The man joined the other two.
"What happens if we should fail? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"
"I would die before I see the rings in the hands of an elf!" Gimli declared.
This enraged the elves, including Sabrina, they all stood and started arguing with the dwarves how dare they insult the elves? They are better suited to bare the ring! For numbers of reasons!
The men soon joined along with Gandalf, Elrond just sat on his throne with his hand over his eyes. It when on like this for awhile until a voice shouted above the other's.
"I will take it!" It was Frodo, " I will take the ring to Mordor, though I do not know the way."
Gandalf looked at the hobbit admiringly.
"I will help you bare this burden Frodo, as long as it is yours to bare," he said, walking over to Frodo and placing a hand on his shoulder.
Aragorn, who had remained seated, now stood and knelt before the hobbit.
"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."
"And you have my bow," added Legolas.
"And my axe!" piped up Gimli.
Sabrina made a split decision.
"And my magic," if it works. She added silently, half praying. This started another uproar. Sabrina heard many shouts like, "A woman? Fighting?!" or "Send her back to the kitchen where she belongs!" But again no one stood up for her.
Why are women treated so poorly? She thought, deeply hurt. The shouting continued for a couple more minutes until Elrond had had enough.
"SILENCE!" He shouted over the voices. every one shushed immediately, "If Sabrina wishes to go then that is her choice."
Sabrina was still to hurt to say anything.
The man walked slowly towards the group that had started to gather.
"You carry the fate of us all little one," he said, "if this is indeed the rule of the council, then Gondor shall see it done."
"There!" Another hobbit came dashing out of the bushes, he was quit fat and had blond curls, "Mr. Frodo not going any where without me!"
No indeed, for it is quit difficult to separate you two even when he is summoned to a secret council, and you are not." Elrond said with a smile.
"oy, we're coming too!" Two more hobbits came running out of hiding, they reminded Sabrina of Fred and George, except they weren't twins, and about half their size but they had the same mischievous look on their faces, "you'll have to send us away tied up in sacks to stop us!" said the taller one.
"besides, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission…quest…thing!" the other added.
"Well that rules you out Pip," the tall one said.
"Ten companions, very well then you shall be the fellow ship of the ring!" Elrond declared.
"Great," said Pip, "so where are we going?"
