Chapter 6: Turning Point For Everybody

Robert, now garbed in clean clothing, was sleeping soundly under a warm white blanket on a comfortable bed as Sam, Frodo, Strider and Gandalf took turns watching him. It had been six days since the group arrived at Rivendell and Elrond spent most of his time treating the spy with his healing techniques.

It was noon when a man, an Elf and a dwarf arrived at Rivendell to attend the Council. Elrond welcomed them himself before tending to Robert's wound again. He wanted to make sure that there was no trace of the poison left within him. The young man finally awoke just before dusk, much to his friends' relief.

"I'm glad to see you awake. You have frightened us to no end," said Strider as he glanced at the secret agent.

"Where am I, Strider?" asked Robert.

"You are in Elrond's home, which means that we have successfully reached Rivendell," replied the Ranger with a smile. "You fell unconscious just as we were about to cross the river."

"I heard Sauron calling you Aragorn. Is that your real name?" asked the ex-CIA agent.

"He knows me well because he has been hunting me for many long years. I'm Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and heir to the throne of Gondor, but long ago I chose to live in the wilderness," explained the man.

"I didn't know that you were royalty!" exclaimed a surprised Robert.

"You would have learned that if you were not unconscious. Regardless, you know who I am now. Tell me Robert, did you hear Sauron while you were sleeping?" asked the Ranger.

"I heard him only once… and it was in a dream. I was in a vast reception room, the like I have never seen before, and on a throne sat a man clad in dark armor. He removed a mask from his face and… Oh my god! I will never forget it… his face was burnt and mutilated! It was Sauron. It's hard to describe him other than being both ugly and terrible. He fixed his gaze on me and when he spoke he told me that I was going to do whatever he wanted me to do. I refused, but he only laughed. The dream ended with him still laughing but I noticed something that I have not seen before: he was not alone. There was a man at his side with dark brown eyes and black hair that fell to his shoulders. His hands were dark as if they had been consumed by an intense fire," explained the ex-CIA agent.

"I don't think I ever encountered that man before. Did he seem to have some authority over the Dark Lord?" questioned Strider.

"Yes. Sauron was constantly watching him and waited for permission to talk," replied Robert.

"I think that the enemy has let you see another part of his plan," commented the Ranger.

"Do you have any idea who this man could be?" asked the young man.

"No, I have none," responded Aragorn.

"I think that it was Morgoth," said the spy.

Aragorn looked at Robert with shocked disbelief. "That is impossible," he said. "Morgoth was cast out into the Void many millennia ago by the Valar." He then fell silent. When he spoke again his tone was sombre. "Many strange things have been happening of late. Perhaps I should not disregard your suggestion so hastily. Elrond has requested that both of us attend the Council, we may learn more at that time."

"When is it?" asked Robert.

"It will begin tomorrow. Tonight we will have a feast to celebrate your heroic actions at Weathertop against the Witch-King and our escape from the clutches of our foes at the Ford," replied Estel.

"Thanks for the information," said the young man.

Robert then saw that there was a pile of clothes lying on the bed. He changed into the clean garments and then followed his friend. The Ranger led him to the room where the banquet would be held and they took their seats. The ex-CIA agent saw several new faces.

"I must introduce you to Lord Elrond," declared Aragorn as a tall dark haired Elf approached Robert.

"Welcome to Imladris, Robert Fraser. I'm glad to see that you have recovered enough strength to be present at the feast," said the Lord of Imladris in a solemn tone.

"Thanks to you, Lord Elrond. I'm pleased to finally meet you," responded the ex-CIA agent in a courteous tone.

"I think that there's some other introductions that need to be done," said an old man with a long grey beard. He paused for a moment before saying, "I will start with myself. I'm Gandalf the Grey. A wizard."

"Who is the old little man I have seen in the halls?" questioned the young man.

"You have seen Bilbo Baggins, my uncle," responded Frodo in a light tone. "He lives in this valley now."

"He's not at the feast," Robert said when he noticed that the Hobbit was not present.

"He prefers quiet places. Oh! I almost forgot to tell you something: thanks for saving me from the Black Chieftain," said a grateful Frodo.

"It was nothing," said the secret agent with a grin.

A man with long blonde hair and pointy ears was listening to their conversation.

"I'm Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil and Prince of Mirkwood," declared the man.

"I'm honoured to meet you, Prince Legolas," replied Robert in a polite tone.

"You can just call me Legolas," corrected the Elf.

"You can call me Robert," said the ex-CIA agent.

His gaze stopped on a tall man with shoulder length dark hair.

"I don't think that we have been introduced," commented the young man as Robert took a sip from his goblet. "I'm Boromir, son of Denethor, Steward of Gondor. I've journey far from my home in Minas Tirith," he announced.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Boromir," replied Robert. He then noticed a small bearded man and remarked, "That short man with the beard could be mistaken for a Hobbit."

"He isn't. He's a Dwarf who traveled from the Lonely Mountain with his family. His name is Glóin and he will represent his people at the Council tomorrow," replied the Gondorian warrior.

"Oh! I am sorry. I not accustomed with all the races that dwell in Middle-earth. You see I'm not from here." The secret agent paused. "I'm from New York City, on Earth." Robert saw no harm in revealing where he came from

"Lord Elrond has told us that you were not from our world," commented the Elf.

"He's right," said Robert.

One of the dwarves approached their table and sat with them.

"I'm Gimli, son of Glóin," he announced as he took a seat.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I suppose you will be with us at the meeting tomorrow?" asked the fascinated American.

"Yes, I'll be present," respond the dwarf.

They ate, drank and spoke together. They had a very good time, and when dinner was finished the Elves retreated into another room where a fire was burning in the fireplace to sing songs. Their voices were beautiful to Robert.

Robert then asked Legolas, who sat beside him, a question. "Do you know anything about a man with shoulder length brown hair with dark eyes and jet-black hands?"

"Where have you seen him?" asked Legolas in a grave tone.

"He was in my last dream," responded Robert.

"He is evil! Sauron is nothing compare to him!" exclaimed the Prince of Mirkwood.

"You mean that I had seen Morgoth?" asked the secret agent.

"You describe him down to his blackened hands. So I will venture a guess and say yes. How is it that you saw him?" asked Legolas.

"You will learn more about that tomorrow. But I will tell you that I appear to be Sauron's new target," responded Robert.

The Elf did not speak of it any more. The young man wished everybody a good night and then left the room. He returned to his bedchamber, undressed, crawled under the blankets and went to sleep.

When the secret agent woke the following morning, he changed into the clothing left at the foot of his bed. He then ate a breakfast consisting of cheese, fruit, bread and honey. Once he finished, Robert followed Legolas to the Council chamber and sat next to Frodo as the assembly gathered. When everybody was seated Elrond began to speak.

"We are all here to respond to the menace of Mordor and to discuss the evil plot that Sauron is attempting to unleash upon Middle-earth," declared the Elf Lord in a grave tone.

"My father has said that he feels that something huge is about to happen. Something… ancient about which we have no knowledge," said Boromir.

"Indeed. I fear to discuss whom you are referring to at this moment because it has no link with the One Ring," commented Elrond.

"He's right because it concerns me. I'm Sauron's new interest. He thinks I'm some warrior but he's completely wrong. I'm only a man who's willing to protect his friends from imminent danger," said Robert.

"Tell them about your connection," suggested Frodo as he glanced at the young man.

"I'm able to read the Dark Lord's thoughts and he can do the same with me. Sometimes he has conversations with me… when he dares to do it; he reveals bits of information to me. I don't know how or why but it's as if our minds are somehow connected together in some manner," explained the secret agent.

''When did you discover that you and he were connected?" asked Elrond.

"When I was staying at the Prancing Pony Inn. I was trying to penetrate his mind for the second time when I noticed this peculiar connection between us," responded the ex-CIA agent.

"I have never heard of such a thing before. It could be very dangerous to connect your mind with Sauron's. I will have Erestor do some research in the library to try to find an explanation for this strange connection," declared the Elf Lord.

He then called for the librarian and asked him to investigate this matter. Upon hearing his lord's request, Erestor immediately went to the library to begin his research.

"What could Denethor have felt in Gondor?" questioned Gimli.

"I don't know. My father requested that I attend this Council in order to learn more," responded Boromir.

"It is for the same reason that I journeyed from Tom Bombadil's home to Bree. I have learned some information about Sauron from a couple of villagers and Sauron himself. I want to learn everything I can about this enemy and that's why I have joined all of you," declared Robert.

"Trying to pierce Sauron's mind is a dangerous thing," cautioned Elrond. "I have to warn you that none before you have ever tried to do such a thing on a Maia spirit. Despite my gift of foresight, I have never attempted to follow the path that you have chosen for yourself. You must be extremely careful because it can drive you to an instant death."

"The Lord of Mordor doesn't want to kill me. I've heard it from his own mouth," revealed the young man.

"You mean that you have already seen him?" asked Boromir.

"Yes. He came while the Nazgûls at Weathertop attacked us and he had saved my life with his own blade," responded Robert.

"You have never told us that you were saved by the Dark Lord!" exclaimed a surprised Legolas.

"I have now. I have been in Middle-earth long enough. You need to tell me everything you know if you want to count on my help in rescuing this world from this new threat," said the secret agent.

"Gandalf and I will enlighten you as to what we know," replied Elrond.

Both the Elf Lord and the Wizard told Robert and the others the One Ring's long tale. It's history dated back to time immeasurable. The young man listened intently, absorbing all this new information. He wasn't willing to interrupt the telling of this story even though he had some questions. It helped both Robert and Frodo to understand the true menace that the Ring represented. Erestor chose this moment to reappear. He carried three heavy books with him and wore a grave expression on his face.

"It took me several hours but I have finally found what you requested, my lord," declared the Elf.

He placed books on a table that sat in the middle of the assembly before opening the first book to a page that was marked with a red ribbon.

"I have discovered that this connection that you have described can only be created by accident." Erestor then opened another book to the page where it was marked with a band. "I have searched many books and I have found that it had happened once before… between two lovers, about a century ago. It concerns evil." He then opened the third book to its marked page. "Can you explain to us how it happened the first time?" Erestor asked Robert.

"It happened right after Tom Bombadil told me a bit about the enemy. I was trying to penetrate Sauron's mind in order to make a fresh profile on him. A few minutes later, I heard him for the first time in my head. I thought that it was an accident. But now I have my doubts because I did not have complete control. I realized that something or someone had invaded my mind," explained the secret agent.

"Your description corresponds to the last item that I have unearthed in my books. This connection was made by the Dark Lord's will. In this book," he held it in his hands, "it says that this is a powerful spell that only a powerful wizard or a great sorcerer may cast upon someone else." He paused as he closed the book. "And I must also tell you that this enchantment is done to fulfil a certain purpose."

"Thank you Erestor. That information is most helpful. Now I think we can deduce what Sauron is up to. It appears that Sauron connected himself with you by combining his magic with your burning desire to try to discover his new scheme. This mental bond cannot be undone and you will remain eternally connected together," declared Elrond in a grave tone.

"Why would he do that to me?" asked Robert, who was stunned by what he had just learned.

"He wants to keep in touch with you because you are of great importance to him," answered the Elf Lord.

"Why?" queried the young man.

"I will tell you, in time. But now, you need to rest and we will continue our deliberations tomorrow," informed Elrond.

Once he made that pronouncement, the Elf Lord invited everybody to share the evening meal and to take some respite. Robert accepted with pleasure and when he finished eating, he returned to his room. He sat on the bed amid the darkness and he thought about all he heard at the Council.

'Sauron had said that his plan had no flaws… I don't believe it. There has to be one because there is no way he can concoct the perfect plan. Once I find it, I will bring about his downfall.' Thought the ex-CIA agent.

'No, you will not bring me to ruin, Robert. I know what you are thinking… always! I must warn you: you'll never be victorious against me!' shouted the Dark Lord's voice in a harsh tone.

'You're wrong!' exclaimed the New Yorker as he silently debated with his enemy.

'You don't know what I'm going to unleash upon the world,' retorted the evil Maia.

'I know perfectly well you son of a bitch!' yelled the ex-CIA agent angrily.

'No. You think that you know, but in the end, you're completely ignorant of my great new scheme,' replied the Dark Lord.

'Well then stop playing games with me and tell me what you're going to do!' shouted Robert.

Robert could hear the horrific laughter of the evil Maia. "I'm not going to do that! You will run to the Elves and tell them everything and I have put too much effort into this project to have them spoil it. I will let you know this: you're never going to get rid of me," retorted Sauron.

'Let me guess: we're connected forever?' suggested Mr. Fraser. He was growing tired of this conversation.

'You have a wonderful and unique manner of speaking when you want to; straight to the point. I like it!' commented the Dark Lord.

'Have a nightmarish night,' remarked Robert.

'Don't worry, it's what you are going to have,' replied the evil Maia with a laugh.

The young man broke the connection with the Enemy, who was still laughing. He fell asleep without undressing. The New Yorker had a fitful slumber that was filled with horrible nightmares and it was with great relief when he was able to welcome the dawn of a new day. Robert crawled out of bed and went to breakfast. Aragorn was already seated at the table.

"You look horrible," remarked the Ranger.

"I didn't sleep well last night. I was plagued with nightmares sent by Sauron," revealed the young man.

"Decisions shall be made today. I hope that we finally learn about this new plan of the enemy," declared Strider as they began eating.

Once they finished, the two men joined the others. The only one that was missing was Frodo because he had not finished his meal. When he finally arrived and took a seat, the Council started where it had left off the previous day.

"The Dark Lord wants Robert as much as he desires the return of his Ring. He will offer this young man to Him," declared Elrond.

"Who is 'Him'?" asked Frodo, who had no idea of whom the Elf Lord was talking about.

"It is Morgoth. Sauron wants to bring him back from Void," responded the secret agent.

There were gasps of shock from the members of the assembly and everyone wore a frown on their face upon hearing those words.

"He can't do it without Robert?" asked Gimli.

"No Gimli," replied Gandalf. "Robert is an integral part of Sauron's plan."

"I think that our friend has discovered the Enemy's plan," commented Legolas.

"I have already said that the evil Vala will gain his freedom because of Sauron. I am merely the icing on the cake. A gift that Sauron will present to his Master," announced the young man.

"He has guessed well. The Dark Lord will give Robert to his god with no hesitation," added Gandalf.

"What are we going to do? Sauron will never stop to hunting me," asked Robert.

"You will have to fight him," proclaimed Aragorn.

"Are you crazy or what?!" exclaimed the secret agent.

"He can be defeated in a fight," stated the Ranger.

"Very funny, Strider!" shouted Robert in a sarcastic tone. "How do you expect me to defeat Sauron? He's like a giant! And I have no experience in sword play."

"Then it is time for you to learn. I have asked to smiths to forge a sword for you," said Elrond.

"What are we going to do with the Ring?" asked Legolas.

"There is only one thing that needs to be done. It must be destroyed," answered Frodo to everyone's surprise.

"I agree with Frodo. How are we supposed to do it?" asked the ex-CIA agent.

"The only way to destroy the Ring is to throw it into the fire of Mount Doom in Mordor where it was wrought," responded Elrond in a grave tone.

"Do you think that you can accomplish this mission?" queried Robert as he locked eyes with the Halfling.

"Yes, I think I can," answered Frodo in a firm voice.

"In that case, you have my support one hundred percent and you can count on me to help you. My guns are yours," declared the secret agent.

"You have my bow and my daggers too because I am not going to let Robert going anywhere alone," said Legolas promptly.

"I will go with you, my friend. I'm offering you my services as well," chimed in Gimli, who was more than willing to fight beside the New Yorker and the Elf.

"I, too, will help both of you as long as it's possible for me to," declared Gandalf.

"You can count on me as well," replied Glorfindel to everybody's surprise.

''If I can protect you in any manner, I will. I offer you my sword," declared Aragorn.

"Pippin, Merry and I won't let Mr. Frodo go anywhere without us!" exclaimed Sam, who appeared out of nowhere with the other two Hobbits.

"Indeed," replied Elrond. "I think it's a good idea that your kindred should stick together instead of going back home to the Shire."

"I will accompany you too. You will need my assistance with this foolishness. It is no easy task to penetrate the Black Gates of Mordor; the evil creatures of Sauron guard them day and night," said Boromir.

"Be extremely careful. The Nazgûls will be hunting you and we can no longer trust Saruman as he has allied himself with Melkor," warned Elrond.

"Who is this Saruman and the other guy whom you spoke about?" asked Robert in a puzzled tone.

"He is a very powerful wizard and was once the Chief of the White Council. Now… he only desires the Ring for himself. Melkor is well-known by the name the Black Hand," explained Gandalf.

"Thanks for the information. It helps me to understand things better," said the secret agent.

Everybody left the Council chamber once the pronouncements were made, much to the American's relief. He decided to go for walk in the valley instead of joining the others for the afternoon meal. He enjoyed walking through the gardens with their colourful flowers and listening to the rushing sound of the numerous waterfalls. Robert leaned against a tree trunk, closed his eyes and listened to the sweet songs of the birds. The environment was quite relaxing. A wide smile appeared on the young man's face, which indicated that he was pleased to have learned so much more about the enemy.

While the ex-CIA agent was savouring the peace of Rivendell, far away to the southeast, Sauron and the Nazgûls had reached Minas Morgul. After traveling restlessly day and night they had passed through the gates to that land. When they reached the front of tower, the Dark Lord stopped. The Witch-King glanced at him and knew something was wrong with his Master.

"Lead me to your study. The time has come for me to talk with the Vala," ordered the evil Maia. His voice clearly showed how exhausted he was.

"You need to rest, Master," suggested the wraith.

"Nobody tells me what I should or should not do! Don't ask questions! You do as I tell you!" fumed Sauron in a wrathful tone.

The Witch-King made no more suggestions after witnessing his Master's reaction. He led Sauron to his apartments at the summit and unlocked the door so that the Lord of Mordor could enter his private chambers. Sauron was so tired that he nearly collapsed to the floor but the wraith caught him and helped him inside.

"Forgive me Master, but I must insist, you need to rest. You cannot proceed with the next step of your plan in this condition," replied the Nazgûl Lord with concern.

"Morgul, don't try to argue. I'm in no mood for debating this issue with you. I want to do this now," said Sauron in a weak voice. He took another step and then collapsed once again. The Witch-King caught him. The Dark Lord had fallen asleep. Morgul carried his Master over to his bed and laid him gently on it before leaving the chamber.

The Dark Lord slept for several hours and when he woke, he was ready to move on to the next stage of his plot. He crawled out of bed, cursing himself under his breath. He went to join the wraith in his study. When he entered the room his Master already stood there waiting for Sauron's arrival.

"I had prepared everything while you were sleeping. Someone is waiting for you," announced the powerful wraith.

The Lord of Mordor frowned upon hearing those words. His deadly servant pointed to a large hole in the wall big enough for him to go through. Sauron climbed through and was caught off guard. He stepped into another place that was not of this physical world. The evil Maia stood in nothingness… and before him was a man much taller than a giant.

"Melkor," said Sauron respectively as he bowed down.

"Who else did you expect to meet in the Void?" asked the Vala in a harsh tone.

"I'm sorry. Forgive me, Master. It has been such a long time and I was not positively sure that it was really you," grovelled the Maia.

"Now tell me, what are you planning to do?" asked the Dark Enemy.

"You will know freedom soon, Master. I have concluded that it is time for you to get what you deserve and I will be offering you a new servant. I have been keeping a close eye on him since we have already established a mental connection between us. He will be my gift to honour your return on Arda," declared Sauron.

"You bring me new hope. If all goes well, I will reward you greatly for your actions," commented Melkor.

"Master, I would like to ask your permission to revive your Balrogs," announced Sauron.

Melkor didn't know how to react to this request. He was surprised and considered it for several minutes before speaking again.

"What do you want to do with them?" he asked.

"I would like their aid in building additional fortifications in Mordor to prepare for your return." His mouth curled into a wicked grin. "And I wish to unleash them on Gondor! I want to see that city fall just like Gondolin! Let those mortals get a taste of the Eldar Days that they talk about with such affection," added Melkor's servant.

The evil Vala laughed maliciously when he heard the words of Sauron. The memory of the fall of Gondolin was one of Melkor's greatest achievements.

"It is with great pleasure that I grant you permission to resurrect my Balrogs. I have no doubt that you will take good care of them as you did in the ancient days before I was thrown into the Void," replied the King of the Night.

"Thank you, Master," said Sauron.

"Now is the time for you to begin your labours," ordered Melkor.

"I will do as you wish," replied the evil Maia. He bowed down before his Lord before returning to this plane where he re-joined the wraith once again.

The hole vanished and the Witch-King glanced at Sauron.

"What are the orders from the Lord of the World, Master?" asked the Nazgûl.

"We have lots of work to do. Soon we will introduce chaos to Minas Tirith," replied the Dark Lord.

Both Sauron and the Witch-King began to chant in the Black Speech; they were casting an extremely powerful spell. Gradually, mammoth beings of fire began emerging from the ground, one after the other. When the new army had arisen, the Balrogs gathered around the tower of Minas Morgul as the Nazgûl Lord led his Master to the topmost balcony where he glanced down upon the city.

"Our spell has worked better than expected, Master," declared the wraith.

"Excellent. You have done a good job for once, Morgul. How many are there?" asked Sauron.

"The Witch-King counted them all and then replied, "There are four hundred."

"Perfect!" exclaimed Sauron with a twinge of excitement in his voice. "The second step in now completed. Now the time has come for the third one." The evil Maia paused before turning his attention to the fire demons.

"You have been brought back to remind these people of the might of Melkor. These men of the west have forgotten long ago about our Lord and King! The time has come for two hundred of you to take up your weapons once again. You will march to Minas Tirith and set their homes ablaze! Brandish both your whips of flame and your swords! It is time for us to take our vengeance out on mankind and annihilate that race once and for all."

The creatures roared with satisfaction as they heard his words.

"Our Master will soon return to us! The remaining Balrogs are to build fortifications worthy of Him in Mordor. That place should invoke the glory of Angband from the ancient days," ordered the Dark Lord as he concluded his speech.

Two hundred of the Balrogs then prepared to leave the Dead City. Soon they began their march towards the Gondorian capital while the rest headed to the other side of Ephel Duath. Sauron then turned to face his deadly servant once again.

"Gather the eight others and return to Rivendell. Do not enter the valley! Wait for their departure and follow the travelers until you are able to catch both Robert Fraser and the Ring. Do not return until you have one or both in your possession! Bring them to me unspoiled! The Ring-bearer I will torture myself. If you disappoint me Morgul, I'll be waiting for you with my sword and I will send you into the Shadow World," commanded the evil Maia in a menacing tone.

"I will inform the others of your new instructions, Master," answered the Nazgûl Lord as he bowed before his lord.

Sauron laughed wickedly as he returned to Mordor in order to instruct the Balrogs with their new endeavour. Morgul then reunited with his brethren and gave them the orders of their Master. They soon left their lair and headed in the direction of Imladris while the Dark Lord busied himself by instructing the monsters on the new construction.

The evil Maia continued laughing, everything was going as planned. He longed to see the reactions of both Denethor and the Gondorian soldiers when they first encounter the ancient enemy. He was pleased to no end. Nothing would bring him greater satisfaction then watching the White City, all seven levels, burn in Hell.