Chapter 3: This Should Be Interesting
"Naomi?" the deep voice of the elven master called out to Naomi, who sat in the library, surrounded by books of all sizes and colors.
"Yes, Lord Elrond?" Closing the book in front of her gently, she stood, the green dress she was wearing floated gently around her legs, the gold trim sparkling in the early morning light.
"You have surly noticed the manner of races that have been gathering here?" Naomi nodded her head. Along with Boromir and Legolas, were other humans, elves and a few dwarfs that she had seen walking through the front gate.
"They are here to decide the fate of Middle Earth, and I ask for you to join the secret council this morning," Elrond's seriousness startled her, but Naomi nodded never-the-less.
"If you think I should go, I'll do it," Lord Elrond smiled gently at her before placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I hope you will be able to find your place here, for I do not think you shall ever return to your old home," Naomi's breath hitched in her throat and her eyes grew wide as her head snapped up to meet his gaze.
"Ever?" A small whisper left Naomi's lips as she sat back down on the bench, her eyes seeing nothing but past images. Her home, her friends, her family, Tess...
"Naomi, I realize that this will be a difficult task, but I think that finding a life of your own here would be for the best," Elrond said softly as he kneeled and grasped her limp hands.
"That is why I ask you to the meeting, for a great journey shall be held, and you apart of it,"
Something flashed across Elrond's eyes, some unknown emotion, some secret thought. He didn't look unhappy about it though, so Naomi nodded her head and decided to trust the wise man's words.
"Will you accompany me to the meeting destination, Milady?" Elrond asked standing and holding his arm out for Naomi. She smiled and stood slowly, slipping her arm around his elbow. The two walked in comfortable silence for most of the way, Naomi taking in the beautiful atmosphere of Rivendell.
"So tell me child, how goes your archery lessons?" Elrond asked out of the blue, Naomi chuckled nervously.
"Aragorn still doesn't like teaching me without a tree in front of him, but Legolas has been a large help," Naomi beamed at the thought of the handsome young elf, his blue eyes surfacing in her mind and making her heart beat fast. The feeling bubbled over and she broke into a large and cheesy grin, making Elrond chortle. Naomi's bottom lip raised to a pout and she frowned as a red blush spread across her cheeks. Before she could say anything though they turned and walked through a set of four pillars before coming upon a platform of stone, a pedestal in the middle with a semi-circle of chairs around it. Nearly all of these chairs were filled with men, elves and dwarves and when Lord Elrond and Naomi appeared everyone stood respectfully. Gandalf, Boromir and Legolas all smiled to her and Naomi flushed slightly at the attention, before she turned to Elrond and bowed, taking a seat next to Aragorn, who nodded to her. Taking a quick glance around Naomi sighed, she was the only woman. Moving her mind away from the matter she studied her surroundings. A large tree stood tall and powerful stood behind Elrond, and other vegetation was strewn about the place. The beauty of the area was as breath-taking as the rest of Rivendell. Suddenly what little murmurs there had been between people ceased and with silence pulled over the crowd Elrond began.
"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 fall." He announced gravely, looking at everyone in turn.
"Each race is bound to this fate — this one doom…Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." Elrond instructed to a small man on the opposite side of the circle to Naomi, gesturing to the pedestal in the middle of the circle. The small man, Naomi realized, was a hobbit. He had shining blue eyes that were hesitant and black curls that framed his face. He took hesitant steps forward before finally reaching out and placing a small gold ring in the center of the pedestal. Gasps and murmurs broke into the silence, but Naomi couldn't understand why.
Wasn't it just a ring?
The hobbit Frodo returned to his seat, and seemed to sigh out with something like relief, a tiny smile gracing his lips. Naomi watched everyone's reactions to the ring, they were all staring at the metal band, either with astonishment and anger, or confusion, disgust and slight fear. Boromir obviously felt nothing like that, as he regarded the ring carefully before standing.
"In a dream, I saw the eastern sky grow dark, but in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying: 'Your doom is near at hand', Isildur's bane in found...," Boromir was slowly moving forward to the pedestal. Something was wrong with this situation and Naomi glanced at Elrond, who had looked over to Gandalf, whom was watching Boromir with concern. The man's hand was slowly reaching out, and when Naomi thought her heart could bear no more Elrond stood and called out, as did Gandalf.
"Boromir!" Elrond called, but what Gandalf was saying Naomi had no idea. Darkness rolled over the sun as Gandalf's words echoed around her head. Naomi's breathing sped up and she bent forward, gripping her head tightly between her hands. Pressure built up behind her eyes and Naomi thought she was going to cry, her head pounding harder and harder with each syllable Gandalf pronounced.
"Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul!" A crack across the sky was the end to Gandalf's words. Naomi missed whatever was next said as her head was still ponding as heavily as her heart as she tried to regain her breath. She was vaguely aware that many eyes were on her, and that Aragorn was talking to her, gripping her shoulder gently. Finally the pounding stopped and Naomi raised herself from her position of hunched over her knees and looked to the ring, glaring hostilely at it. Everyone seemed to know she was going to be alright and continued on. Naomi almost let out an exasperated yell when Boromir stood again (as he had retreated to his seat during Gandalf's words).
"It is a gift, a gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use the ring?" He started pacing slightly, looking at everyone, except Naomi, whom was rather frightened that Gandalf would have to speak out again. She stored a note in the back of her mind to ask Gandalf about the dark words and why they affected her so, for later.
"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!" Aragorn picked up on Naomi's slight shaking and spoke out for the first time.
"You cannot wield it! None of us can, the One Ring answers to Sauron alone, it has no other master," Boromir then turned to the dark haired man.
"And what, would a ranger know of this matter?" He asked with narrowed eyes. Before Naomi could slap him across the face Legolas jumped up.
"This is no mere ranger! He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, you owe him your allegiance," Whatever Legolas had said was obviously a big thing, for everyone released gasps and murmurs.
"Aragorn? This....is Isildur's heir?" Boromir asked in disbelief with wide eyes.
"And heir to the throne of Gondor," Legolas said, his brows furrowed over dark blue eyes. Naomi didn't know who Isildur or Arathorn were, but being an heir to anything usually meant business. Turning her head Naomi looked at the man beside her, who wearily raised a hand to the Elf man.
"Havo dad, Legolas," (Sit down) Aragorn said in a language Naomi didn't understand, Legolas nodded to Aragorn and sat down after one final glare at Boromir.
"Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king," Boromir said sternly as he returned to his seat. A brief silence descended upon the council before Gandalf spoke again.
"Aragorn is right, we cannot use it," Wondering what was going to happen Naomi looked about, only for her gaze to be drawn to Elrond as he stood once again.
"You have only one choice, the Ring must be destroyed," As murmurs broke into the collection of men again Naomi wondered it they were all just secretly women, taking any opportunity to gossip about life.
"Then what are we waiting for?" A burly dwarf cried, picking up his axe and marching towards the pedestal. Swinging his axe down harshly, one would have expected the ring to crack into pieces.
But it didn't.
Instead the dwarf bounced back, his axe splintered into chunks, the ring unchanged in every aspect. Naomi blinked in surprise, hardly believing that such a force would not even MOVE the ring slightly.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Glóin, by any craft that we here possess," Elrond said swiftly, Naomi resisted the temptation to roll her eyes.
'Could have told him that before,' She thought as the dwarf Gimli was helped up by his comrades.
"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," Elrond paused for a moment and in the unsteady silence Naomi realized what he was going to say next.
"One of you, must do this," The old elf's eyes roamed over the death silent council.
"One does not simply walk into Mordor," Naomi did roll her eyes when she heard the voice of Boromir, she'd had enough of his voice for one day.
"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. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust, the very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this, it is folly," Boromir ended sounding a little desperate, as if he really didn't want anyone to go. Naomi silently wondered if this was the rings doing.
"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" Legolas exclaimed, getting to his feet and glaring harshly at Boromir yet again.
"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it!" Gimli raised himself to his feet with his protest.
"And if we fail? What then!? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his!?" Boromir rose also, his temper rising.
"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf !" Gimli's words, of course, set everyone into an uproar. Naomi groaned and rested her forehead into her hand, sighing deeply when even Gandalf joined the argument. When she looked up again she found that Elrond, Aragorn and herself were the only seated and quite ones. She looked over to Frodo who was rising to his feet.
"I will take it!" Nobody heard him, so he tried calling out again. "I will take it!" Slowly the arguments died down and everyone looked down to Frodo.
"I will take the Ring to Mordor, though, I do not know the way," Frodo said hesitantly, nobody moved for a moment, but then Gandalf spoke out.
"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear," The old man walked steadily over to stand behind the hobbit, and placed a large hand on the little man's shoulder. Naomi couldn't help but smile at how much Frodo's face relaxed. Aragorn abruptly stood from his place seated next to her.
"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will," Striding over to Frodo before kneeling in front of him.
"You have my sword," Naomi saw Gandalf wink to Elrond as Legolas smiled proudly.
"And you have my bow," He walked briskly to stand next to Gandalf. Gimli, hardly wanting to be out done by an Elf smiled as well.
"And my axe," He calmly thumped over to stand beside Legolas, the two shared a look of distaste before looking away.
"You carry the fate of us all little one," Boromir said walking slowly to stand beside Gimli.
"If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done," Naomi watched them all and something in her heart pulled her to her feet and she slowly walked towards the group of males, silently kneeling before Frodo.
"If you would allow it, I should very much like to accompany you, my skills are not as great as any who stand beside you already but I can hold my own and your foes would have yet another to try and get through, will you accept me?" Naomi's voice was quiet as she spoke to Frodo, and she could almost see the probabilities swirling through the hobbit's mind.
"I do not know you, and you will have to earn my trust, but for now I accept your offer," Frodo stated calmly. Naomi smiled joyfully before rising to stand behind him, only to be nearly bowled over by Samwise Gamgee who was running from his hiding place in the bushes behind them all.
"Hey now! Mr. Frodo isn't going anywhere without me," Sam said crossing his arms over his chest as he stood beside Frodo.
"No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not," Elrond's face was more amused than annoyed…until another two voices cried out.
"We're coming too! You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" Two more hobbits ran out from behind the entry way and Naomi's grin grew.
"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on th's sort of mission….quest…..thing," everyone looked down to the hobbit with mirth.
"Well that rules you out, Pip," His companion stated watching him; the Pip fellow did a double take to his friend, having only just realized the insult.
"Ten companions…so be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!" Lord Elrond exclaimed, the dim light of hope shining in the back of his eyes.
"Great," The Pip hobbit mused happily.
"So…where are we goin'?"
Naomi promptly brought her palm to her forehead.
Author's note:
Cheers for all the fave's, sorry about some mistakes in the first few chapters, i hope to get better as the story goes on and i hope all you watching will continue to read XD
AxM
p.s. if you have any ideas or comments or anything at all you wanna say, send me a comments or mail or whatever, i'm here to help and take criticism (and compliments XD)