"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 fail. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom." His eyes went from all of us before settling on the hobbit and gestured him forward. I frowned, why would Elrond single out this one hobbit?
"Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." Elrond said gently and motioned to the plinth in the middle of the circle. I tensed back up and leaned forward. This halfling had carried the Ring all the way here and yet not been taken by it? That was something unheard of. The halfling placed the Ring on the stone and the whole room erupted into whispers. The Gondorian man I had seen last night had his eyes fixed on the Ring and he brought his hand to his mouth.
"So it is true." He said and stood. I could see a few people looking at the Ring with suspicion, as well they should. There was no other object in all of Arda so wholly evil as the ring resting on the plinth in front of us.
"In a dream..." The Gondorian man started but paused to eye the ring again. "I saw the Eastern sky grow dark." He started to walk toward the Ring as though he might take it from the stone it sat upon. "In the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying, your doom is near at hand. Isildur's bane is found." I saw Elrond exchange a concerned glance with Gandalf as he actually reached out for the Ring. "Isildur's bane." He all but breathed the last bit as Elrond jumped to his feet and shouted the mans name.
"Boromir!" The man jumped back, startled and around us the sky darkened as Gandalf began to speak.
"Ash nazg durbatul'k, ash nazg gimbatul." One of the Dwarfs shouted as Gandalf stood and Boromir staggered back to his seat in fear. Elrond was holding his head in pain and one of the Mirkwood Elves was grimacing as though he was trying not to show his his pain. I hissed as I clenched my broken hand into a fist and I had to struggle not to allow the cold inside me seep out into the gathering. It was my mother's blood reacting to the darkness of the language Gandalf was speaking. "Ash nazg thrakatu'l agh burzum-ishi krimpatul." Black Speech was quite possibly the darkest language here in Middle Earth and it did not take very long to see why. Just hearing a few words spoken in that language was enough to make you feel empty and hopeless inside. Once Gandalf was done speaking the sky cleared and a shocked Boromir sat back down in his seat. Elrond got to his feet with a look that was a mixture of horrified and angry and for once I could not fault him in the slightest.
"Never before has anyone uttered words of that tongue here in Imladris." Gandalf turned to look at Elrond with a look that was told that he anything but sorry for what he had just done.
"I do not ask your pardon Master Elrond for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West." He paused to look at everyone who was here before continuing. "The Ring is altogether evil." With that Gandalf returned to his seat and placed his hand on my arm again, though this time it was in comfort. Out of everyone here I had been the most effected by his usage of the Black Speech and Gandalf had noticed. Boromir shook his head before speaking once again.
"It is a gift!" He announced and stood once again. "A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring?" He asked and then addressed all of us at once. "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!" He pleaded. Given Boromir's reaction to the Ring he was the last person I would hand the One Ring to. While his ideals might be good and pure of heart, already I could see that the Ring was corrupting him.
"You cannot wield it. None of us can." The dark haired man said. In an instant the hand on my arm went from comforting to warning. "The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master." I clenched my jaw to keep from shouting curses at him and the hand on my arm tightened to near pain.
"And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" Boromir asked in a scathing tone. One of the blonde Mirkwood Elves jumped to his feet and glared at Boromir.
"This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." Boromir looked at Aragorn with shocked disbelief written across his face. I visibly flinched at the mention of Arathorn and I was not so foolish as to not think no one had noticed. I glanced over at the halfling to see that he was looking at Aragorn with awe and I gathered that the two had spent time with each other and Aragorn had not shared this information with the halfling.
"Aragorn! This...is Isildur's heir?" Boromir managed to get out.
"And heir to the throne of Gondor." The blonde Elf added. Aragorn held a hand up to stop the Elf
"Havo dad, Legolas." He said in Sindarin. My mind easily translated the words. (sit down, Legolas) at least I now knew the blonde Elf's name. Interesting that Mirkwood would send their only Prince to such a meeting and not someone of lower status. Boromir turned to Legolas and spoke.
"Gondor has no King." He walked back to his seat and stared at Aragorn. "Gondor needs no King." He added with a disdainful tone.
"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it." Gandalf said and moved the meeting back on the track it should be on. Elrond stood and spoke to the group.
"You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed." He announced. One of the Dwarves stood and hefted his ax.
"Then what are we waiting for?" He said as he brought his ax down on the Ring only to have the weapon shatter and himself blown backwards. There was a silent shockwave that was only felt by few people, me, Frodo, Gandalf, Elrond and maybe Legolas. The Mirkwood Prince certainly flinched like he had felt it.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, 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. One of you...must do this." The silence that followed Elrond's declaration was deafening. It was as though the entire group was looking at Elrond in disbelief. Boromir was the first to speak.
"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. 'Tis a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand could you do this. It is folly." Boromir must be great fun at feasts with an attitude like that. Once again Legolas was on his feet and glaring at Boromir. It would appear that there was no love lost between Mirkwood and Gondor, it might also just be due to the fact that Boromir seemed to bring out that reaction from everyone he met.
"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed."
"And I suppose you think you are the one to do it?" The Dwarf called Gimli demanded as he stood from his seat.
"And if we fail what then?" Boromir demanded as he too stood from his seat. "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"
"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" Gimli shouted. The rest of the Mirkwood party were on their feet yelling and the Men joined in the yelling.
"Never trust an Elf!" Gimli yelled over the roar of the fighting. Me, Frodo, Aragorn and Gandalf were the only people still seated, though that changed when Gandalf stood and waded into the fray of arguing people.
"Do you not understand that while we bicker amongst ourselves, Sauron's power grows? None can escape it! You'll all be destroyed!" The wizard yelled. I looked over at Frodo who was slouched in his chair with his hand on his head like he was in pain, and then I saw it. The spark of determination in his eyes as he looked at the Ring. I honestly did not believe he would do it until he stood and yelled above the babble of arguments.
"I will take it! I will take it!" I heard Gandalf's voice stop as well as a few others. "I will take the Ring to Mordor!" all conversation stopped and the entire circle of people stared at Frodo in awe. "Though I do not know the way." Frodo added in a softer voice.
"I will help you bear this burden Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." Gandalf said and stood behind Frodo. At this Aragorn stood and walked over to kneel in front of Frodo.
"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword." He pledged and also went to stand behind Frodo and next to Gandalf. Just sitting this close to Aragorn made me tremble with the force of holding back from slamming my fist into his face. I moved away from the group so that I was out of arms reach of the man. There was no possible way for me to join this quest. I would end up killing Aragorn before the week was out.
"And you have my bow." Legolas said and joined the rest of the group behind Frodo.
"And my ax." Gimli announced much to my surprise. Legolas made a face of disgust but said nothing as Gimli joined them.
"You carry the fate of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done." Boromir said as he too joined the group. I could see Elrond looking around for me along with Gandalf, but I just could not do it. It would be asking for a fight, not only because of my severe dislike for the Ranger, but because having one heir to Gondor was bad enough. Having both was like lighting a fire in the pitch black and hoping it would not be seen.
I am afraid, my Little Frost, that you must. This is the path that your life must take, even if you find it distasteful. The voice of Galadriel rang in my head. I swallowed hard and clenched my broken hand before stepping forward and kneeling before the halfling. I willed the frost to coat my vocal cords in order to make my voice sound deeper and more masculine.
"I give you my protection, knowledge and sword to do with as you will." I said and stood before standing next to Gandalf. No sooner had I taken my spot than another hobbit rushed forward and stood next to Frodo.
"Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me." He said. He was a little rounder looking than Frodo, but looked very kind and admittedly adorable with his floppy blonde hair.
"No indeed it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." Elrond said with a trace of amusement in his voice. Almost before he finished speaking two more hobbits rushed forward to stand with Frodo.
"Wait! We are coming too!" A blonde curly haired hobbit announced. He was followed by a brown curly haired hobbit who looked a little like the blonde hobbit.
"You would have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us." The blonde hobbit finished.
"Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission...quest...thing." The brown haired hobbit said and I couldn't help the smile that graced my face.
"Well that rules you out Pip." The blonde one teased.
"Ten companions...so be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring.!" Elrond announced.
"Great! Where are we going?" Pip asked. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. After that we moved off in different directions. Before I could go far Gandalf caught me and motioned for me to follow him. Once again I found myself in Elrond's study with both Elrond and Gandalf.
"Cainmar this journey will be more difficult than anything you have ever faced before. And I do not mean traveling with your father. Sauron will seek to break you down in whatever way possible. You must not let him get to you. Your bloodline is the single most dangerous thing to him. With the nature of your mother so strong in you and as an heir to the throne of Gondor you must be prepared to step into that role if it should be needed." Elrond said. I could do nothing but stare at him as though he had lost his mind.
"Me? Sit upon the throne of Man? It would be impossible. I am not human!" I said.
"It matters not. By blood you have as much right to the throne as Aragorn. If he should fall in this quest, you must be ready to step into that position. You are as much a natural leader as Aragorn and he will need you before the end of this." Gandalf said.
"You are asking me to step into the role of Queen to people I care not for! By blood or nothing that throne does not belong to me!"
"Yes it does. You persist in running from your destiny at every turn, but you will have to stop running some time. The very world may depend on it and especially the race of Men!" Gandalf snapped. I scoffed at that.
"Ha. The race of Man. The race of Man is weak. I know that you share my feelings on this Elrond, we both know how easily corrupted the race of Men are. Look at Boromir, already the Ring has corrupted him and he did naught but lay eyes on it! He and his people will be no different than the Nine. How could you possibly expect me to lead such weakness? I walked away from both Crowns many years ago and I have no intention to change that." I snapped and left the study. I made my way to the clearing I was residing in and let out a scream of frustration. How could they ask me to become Queen to a people I was not even part of? They were not my people. I no longer had a people.
The Fellowship was to leave in one week and as the days passed those who would not be part of the quest left to return to their homes and I avoided everyone, especially Gandalf and Elrond. I knew that they would not say anything to Aragorn about who I was, they would leave that to me, not that I had any intention of telling him who I was. The small clearing I was in remained frozen and frost covered in response to my frustration. I had no idea how I was going to make it through this quest without my anger getting the better of me. Finally the day arrived for us to leave and I carefully packed my pack with the things I was going to need for a journey this long and checked all my weapons before plaiting my blue-white hair into a long braid and pulling the hood of my cloak up as well as my mask. I made my way to where the Fellowship was meeting and stood a corner where I wouldn't be as noticed. I could see the others shooting wary glances at me and I could not fault them for it, since I had avoided all of them for the past week. We stood outside the gates of Rivendell and waited for Elrond to say his farewell, only he was not alone. His daughter Arwen stood next to him and was looking at Aragorn with longing and once again I had to fight to keep the frost inside me from leaking out.
"The Ringbearer is setting out on the quest for Mount Doom and you who travel with him, no oath nor bond is laid to go further than you will." I saw Aragorn smile at Arwen who dropped her head. "Farewell. Hold to your purpose and may the blessings of Elves, and men, and all free folk go with you." He raised his hand and gestured for us to depart. I took up a place directly behind Frodo and Gandalf because it was as far from Aragorn as possible.
"The Fellowship awaits the Ringbearer." Gandalf said. I had to admire the courage that Frodo was displaying. I could see that he was beyond frightened at the idea of this quest, and yet he was going through with it.
"Mordor, Gandalf, is it left or right?" He asked quietly and I could not help but smile.
"Left." He replied with a gentle hand on Frodo's shoulder. And then we were off and Rivendell soon became nothing but a spot in the distance.