This is the disclaimer. I do not own anything from Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, they are the property of JRR Tolkien and J K Rowling, this writing is purely for pleasure and I get no money out of this whatsoever, now that is out of the way on with the story!
Chapter 8
Aragorn couldn't help the smile the rose on his face as he walked through the halls of Rivendell, Elion holding tightly to his hand. While the boy was still a little shaky when he was walking, something the ranger put down to the period he had been unable to walk, and potentially the absence of a burden such as chains, Elion was gradually regaining his sense of balance and his footsteps were becoming stronger with each step the child took.
The wonder on the child's face was also a joy to behold. Aragorn had seen too much pain and fear on the child's features and it reassured him to see some more childish emotions shine through. Some of the child's observations, especially about war had shocked him to the core. It was knowledge that a child should not have possessed and he had thought that Elion's innocence had been completely destroyed, for it was obvious he had experienced war, but the laughter he had seen when Elion was playing with the hobbits and the wonder on his face now showed him that the child still had some of his innocence intact.
"Where are we going?" Elion asked timidly a few minutes later, emerald eyes peeking up to meet his. Curiosity shone brightly from them but Aragorn could also detect fear lurking their depths and he could tell that Elion was tense.
"We're going to the Hall of the Second Age."
Elion nodded at the answer although Aragorn could see that the child was confused. It didn't surprise him, a lot of the history of Middle Earth had been forgotten by the ordinary people, and while there were many suspicions surrounding the child's origins it was reasonably certain that he had never received a proper education, not that many outside the major cities of men and the elven settlements were educated properly in the first place.
Normally Elion would have been taught what he needed to know by Gandalf seeing as the Istar had taken him as an apprentice however the council was tomorrow and while Gandalf would explain the situation to the child and find him a focus beforehand Aragorn had been adamant that Elion could not go into such a council, even as an apprentice without at least a basic knowledge of the pertinent history of Middle Earth and the evil that they were facing.
As much as he detested the idea that a child should end up in a war, he would have vastly preferred for Elion to remain safe in Rivendell he had been forced to admit that it was actually safer for the child to be with Gandalf. However with the knowledge that Elion was going to be with Gandalf, he knew the child needed to know at least the basics of what was happening.
Aragorn knew that ignorance could kill and he would do everything in his power to ensure the child remained safe, for none deserved the rangers' protection more than those unable to defend themselves. But more than that, he wanted to see Elion safe not merely because it was his duty. He couldn't explain it, not even to himself but the small child he had found alone and hurt in the wilds had somehow evoked a fierce protectiveness within him and although he had not know the child long he found that he cared deeply for the boy.
It had been for those reasons that he had agreed to teach the child about the previous war with Sauron, although he admitted that agreed to teach might not have been the most accurate summary. Truth be told he had informed Gandalf that the child needed to know and the wizard had agreed, albeit with the caveat that Aragorn did not tell the child of all the horrors that war had brought. It was an amendment Aragorn had no trouble agreeing to.
While he knew the child needed to know the basics, to not know them would be dangerous, he had no intention of marring the innocence the child had left with an account of the full horrors of the war. No, all Elion needed was to know the basics, to be able to identify what would be dangerous and to understand, if he was going to be brought to a secret council – a decision he was not happy about – why such things were secret and must remain so.
They reached the Hall and Aragorn was not surprised to see that they were alone. He had come here often in his youth, and apart from rare occasions he had always been the only one there. It had been after he had been informed of his place in this history and as it had done then, the Hall evoked emotions of guilt, regret and fear within him. He was Isildur's heir and prey to the same weakness that he corrupted his forefather and he knew such a weakness now could see the war and Middle Earth lost.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by a soft gasp of surprise. He glanced down and he saw Elion gazing around the room in wonder as the child took in all the tapestries and paintings that depicted the war against Sauron and then watched as the boy's mouth fell open as he took in the sight of the shards of Narsil and the painting hanging opposite it.
Aragorn watched as Elion stared at the sword for a moment, the child tilting his head in thought, a frown tugging at the corner of his lips. The ranger had to suppress a smile at the look on the child's face. "Why is the sword broken?" Elion asked, confusing coating his voice as emerald eyes looked up at Aragorn, waiting for the answer.
Aragorn didn't answer the question immediately, instead he led the child to the farthest painting which depicted the start of the Second Age. "It is a long story little one," he said quietly, "And a sad one but it starts nearly 6000 years ago..."
Elion listened, spellbound, as Aragorn patiently taught and explained the basic history of the second age, from the rise of Sauron and the forging of the rings of power to his eventual defeat. He could tell that the ranger was not going into detail of the battles and that he was dulling the details somewhat however Elion didn't mind. He had more than enough experience of a war to fill in what Aragorn was not telling him and he couldn't help but feel grateful that the ranger cared enough to try not to frighten him while still explaining the seriousness of the situation. He wasn't used to people trying to protect him, and it was far easier to accept the protection now. He knew he was only six physically and he could admit that though he was eighteen, he was behaving more and more like a child the longer he stayed in Middle Earth.
However, no matter how calmly Aragorn explained the history Elion couldn't prevent the dread that rose in him. It was obvious that Sauron was a terrible enemy, worse than Voldemort in many ways and he had put the pieces together. The ring Frodo had was the same ring that Sauron had had, and it was Sauron who the war was going to be fought against and he knew that Aragorn and the hobbits were going to be in the thick of the fighting and he had enough experience with battle to know that the chances of them all surviving were slight.
He was almost relieved when a second man entered the hall for it distracted him from the direction his thoughts were taking although fear and wariness sprung up within him instantly. Aragorn stopped talking and Elion felt the ranger's hand come down to rest on his shoulder before he was drawn back to Aragorn's side, his back pressing against the ranger's legs and the hand on his shoulder holding him close, protectively.
Elion glanced up, taking in the slightly darker tint in the ranger's eyes and the almost challenging look that was in them as he gazed at the newcomer. There was a subtle undercurrent as the ranger watched the other man, his clothing proclaiming him to be of high status, and although his face was blank Elion could easily see it and he felt the slight tightening of Aragorn's hand on his shoulder when the man turned and saw them.
"You are no elf." The words were incredulous and slightly wary and although Elion was pleased he understood the Common, he couldn't help but press a little closer to the ranger.
He only caught snatches of the next couple of sentences, and despite the fact Aragorn's voice was completely level Elion could detect the tenseness in the ranger's movements through the hand that was still resting on his shoulder.
"Friend," The word was said slowly, and wariness was still clearly present in the stranger's voice and Elion kept his eyes fixed on the man as he walked towards the broken sword, Narsil Aragorn had called it, and lifted the largest shard. He winced slightly when he saw the blood bead on the man's finger but that was forgotten as the stranger looked at them once more, his eyes travelling across Aragorn's face, down to Elion and back to Aragorn once more as they widened slightly.
He said something harshly in Common and the sword clattered to the ground, the sound loud in the otherwise silent hall as the man turned and stalked out. Aragorn waited for a moment, not relinquishing his grip on Elion's shoulder until the man had left the hall completely. Then the ranger glanced down at him and it was easy for the child to read the message there, wait here.
Elion watched as Aragorn crossed the hall in a few swift steps, picking up the sword hilt almost reverently and laying it back on its pedestal before he stepped back, his eyes lingering on the sword.
"Why do you fear the past?"
It was all Elion could do to prevent himself from jumping into the air and snapping off a spell. He hadn't heard the elf approach and her voice had caught him completely by surprise and he had reacted in the same way he would back in his old world. There any potential sound could be the next threat, however he was glad he had prevented himself from casting when he realised the elf was the same elf that had brought Frodo to Rivendell and from the way Aragorn was acting she wasn't a threat.
"You are Isildur's heir, not Isildur himself. You are not bound to his fate."
Elion didn't register Aragorn's reply, his mind stuck on what the elf had just revealed. Aragorn had taught him enough history for him to know that Isildur had been the King of Gondor after Sauron's initial defeat, and for Aragorn to be his heir meant that he was a prince at least, if not a king. Elion couldn't quite wrap his mind around it, Aragorn, who had to be important in this world had been looking after him. He couldn't work out why, he was just a child, nobody special but Aragorn had treated him with kindness and never pushed him away. But why would a prince or a king bother with an annoyance and burden like him?
He broke out of his thoughts when he heard Aragorn say, "The shadows grow darker and the way is hidden from me. I see little hope."
Elion didn't know what impulse drove him but before he had fully registered what he was doing he had crossed the room and he hugged the ranger. He knew exactly how it felt to go into a war feeling lost and hopeless but knowing still that you had to fight and he wouldn't have wished that on anyone. He couldn't take the burden away from Aragorn but he knew how heavy a burden it was and how much it hurt. Aragorn had been so kind to him and he wanted to be able to repay him in the only way he could, with the simple acceptance and affection of a child.
Above him Aragorn exchanged a glance with Arwen, who was looking down at the child who had attached himself to the ranger's waist with a soft smile on her face. A smile rose on Aragorn's lips as he returned the hug, feeling a little of his fear disappear in the face of Elion's innocence and simple kindness. His heart lightened further as Arwen placed a light hand on his arm and her eyes conveyed without words her love and support for him.
Elion looked at the wizard, his brow furrowed as he stared at him, before looking down to the orb he held in his hand. After breakfast that morning Aragorn had brought him to come and see Gandalf and between them they had explained that he needed to be taught how to control his powers through a focus and why his magic would make him a target for the Enemy. They had also explained that he would be Gandalf's apprentice although they had not answered when he asked where he was going to live, their only answer "It depends on the Council."
He wasn't sure how he felt about that. On one hand he didn't mind being the wizard's apprentice, Gandalf certainly seemed kind and he hadn't tried to hurt him and Elion knew he needed to be taught how to use a focus but the more childish part of him rebelled. They hadn't specified precisely what would happen after the council and he got the sense they didn't know but Elion realised it was likely he would soon be parting from Aragorn and he didn't want that to happen. Intellectually he knew it was inevitable but that didn't mean he had to like it. He wanted to stay with the ranger. Aragorn was the only person who he trusted and he knew the ranger was kind to him, even though he was a king and Elion was just a child.
A gasp slipped through his lips as the orb in his hand suddenly glowed. Currently Gandalf was helping him to find and make a preliminary focus. It wouldn't be his final focus the old Istar had explained, he would have to craft other focuses as he grew and a staff when he reached maturity but he needed one now to start getting him accustomed to wielding focussed magic.
He took a step forward, following the glowing orb until he reached a tree with beautiful white blossoms. Gandalf had followed him and when Elion paused the wizard leaned forward, "A Lairelossë branch," he said, "Run your magic through the tree until you find a branch that resonates with magic," Gandalf instructed, "An once you've found it, use your magic to break the branch off."
Elion frowned at the instruction, how on earth did he run his magic through the tree? Gandalf saw the confusion on his face, "Place your hand on the bark," he told him quietly, "And then call your magic up through your hand and let it run through the tree, you will know when a branch resonates."
Elion was still confused but he placed his free hand on the bark nevertheless and closed his eyes as he tried to work out how to call the magic to his hand. He bit his lip as he concentrated, he didn't really know where to start and although he was trying everything he could think of nothing worked and it was getting frustrating. He had never been the most patient of people and he was discovering that his impatience, along with his curiosity had only been magnified when he had become a child.
He opened his eyes and glared at the tree in front of him. Why wasn't anything working? He glared more fiercely, a hint of a pout forming on his face when suddenly he felt a tug deep inside him and a rush of energy sped down his arm and out of his palm. His magic sang as it flowed into the tree, twisting and searching and Elion laughed with the sheer joy and thrill the magic inspired in him.
His breath caught in his throat and he realised what Gandalf had meant about knowing. A peculiar jolt ran through his body as his magic touched one of the outstretched boughs, he could feel the branch, it pulsed in time with his heartbeat and his magic raced along it, covering the bough in golden and emerald sparks. With a muttered, "Diffindo," the branch came away cleanly from the tree and dropped into his outstretched hand.
Elion ran his fingers along it, the branch was smooth and about the length of his arm and he could feel his magic reacting to it but there was an incompleteness to it, a slight sense that there was something wrong. He turned to look at the old wizard, a question in his eyes but Gandalf merely gestured to the orb. Quickly Elion picked it up and this time there was scarcely a wait before it glowed once more and led him to a tree that he actually recognised.
He placed his hand on the trunk of the yew tree, being careful to avoid the poisonous berries and let his magic flow into the tree, laughing once more as his magic danced in his veins. Another cutting spell later and a long thin branch lay in his palm. He didn't have to ask Gandalf for the next step, his magic was humming in the wood and his instincts were guiding him.
Carefully he stripped the leaves from both branches and then he carefully twisted the thin springy yew branch around the thicker stem of pale white Lairelossë. His magic flowed through the woods continuously and once the yew had been completely twisted the branched glowed golden and when the light dissipated the two woods had fused together leaving a single staff the length of his arm with the darker wood twisted along its length.
Elion grasped it firmly and the breath left his lungs as his magic surged through it and a bright light burst from the tip and he had to close his eyes against the brightness. A few seconds later the light faded and Elion blinked, trying to remove the after image of the brightness from his eyes. He glanced behind him and he saw that both Gandalf and Aragorn who had been watching him were shielding their eyes with their hands and blinking.
"Sorry," he murmured self consciously, twisting the staff nervously between his fingers but Gandalf merely chuckled.
"I should have warned you, such a reaction is to be expected when bonding with a new staff."
Elion couldn't think of a response to that so he just nodded before turning his attention back to the staff in his hands. It was very different to his old wand and it felt different in his hands too but he had no doubt that it was just as powerful a tool and it would be just as loyal.
Elion had to force himself to stop fidgeting as the members of the council gathered. He was seated between Gandalf and Frodo and he felt extremely out of place. He knew everyone else here was extremely important in some way to Middle Earth and he was just a child. He wasn't supposed to be here and the chair beneath him was made of stone and really quite uncomfortable.
There were only two things preventing him from getting up and running back to hide in his room, or maybe play with Merry and Pippin if he could find them. Firstly was his curiosity, he knew this meeting was important and while he didn't want to fight he didn't want to be out of the loop either and secondly he knew that if he did leave Aragorn would be disappointed in him. Gandalf would too he supposed, but while he didn't want to disobey Gandalf because he wasn't yet sure that the man wasn't going to hurt him if he disobeyed, he didn't want to disappoint Aragorn because he wanted the ranger to see that he wasn't a burden and that he was worth looking after. And for some reason, that he couldn't explain even to himself he wanted the ranger to be proud of him.
A sigh threatened to escape when Lord Elrond spoke and he realised that the council was going to be conducted in the common tongue. While he was getting better thanks to the hobbits' lessons and the occasional input from Aragorn and Gandalf he didn't understand nearly enough to be able to follow the conversation. He was mentally trying to set him up for several hours of boredom when an idea came to him.
One of the OWL charms had been a translation charm. It wasn't really used much outside of the Auror corps because it only worked for a couple of hours before it needed to be recast and it only allowed someone to understand what was being spoken rather than allowing them to speak the language. However it would work very well for this council although Elion knew he would have to learn Common properly but he enjoyed the hobbits' lessons so it wouldn't be a chore.
"Agnosco," he murmured under his breath, being careful to ensure he wasn't holding the staff. The reaction that the staff had whenever he tried to use magic through it was almost always more than he wanted and he didn't want people to know he was using magic however that was lost when Gandalf looked down sternly at him. Elion shifted in his seat, a guilty expression crossing his face even as he tensed but Gandalf merely shook his head slightly, the corners of his lips twitching before turning back to the council.
Warily Elion watched the Istar for several minutes before he was convinced the man was not about to hurt him before turning his attention back to the council.
"Bring forth the ring Frodo,"
Elion's eyes were wide as he took in the simple ring. It seemed so simple, so plain but even from here he could feel its presence, the pulsing whispering voice that urged nothing but evil. He flinched, his mind travelling back to the horcruxes and the horcrux he had carried within him, for just like those horcruxes the Ring had a mind of its own, a searching evil that attempted to possess you and corrupt you. The memories swirled in his head, pain, darkness, the anger of the locket and above all the creeping insidious voice that slipped into your consciousness and destroyed everything you held dear.
He was pulled out of his memories by the voice of the tall man he had seen in the Hall of the Second Age, "Let us use this gift," he was saying passionately, "Let us turn Sauron's weapon against him."
"No!" He had cried out before he could think about what he was doing and instantly every eye in the council turned to him. Elion flushed under the scrutiny, fidgeting in his seat but he plucked up the courage to keep speaking.
"It can't be used," he explained haltingly, and he heard Gandalf translate his words into Common, "They can't be fought. It gets inside you and it whispers and twists and corrupts until you don't exist anymore. It destroys you and uses you and casts you aside and it hurts." Tears welled in his eyes as he thought of Ginny possessed by the diary and later in the war, discovering Ron had found the final horcrux but they were too late. It had already taken over Ron completely, there was nothing left of his friend and he had been forced to kill his own friend, no, his brother.
The tears threatened to fall and angrily he swiped them away. "It can't do anything but destroy and it will use you until there is nothing left and you can't trust anyone and your own brother doesn't recognise you." His voice cracked on the last sentence and he sat down with one final whisper, "Don't use it, you can't."
There was a long silence. Elion wiped his eyes on his sleeves, refusing to look at anyone in the council. He hadn't meant to speak but even though he didn't know the people sitting on the council he didn't want them to go through what he and his friends had been forced to and he couldn't let them sit there and talk about using it when he knew it would only lead to pain and death.
"Elion is right," Aragorn said eventually, "It cannot be used."
"And what," sneered the man although Elion could see the shock in his face, "Would a ranger or a child know of this matter?"
Elion heard an elf rise and defend both Aragorn and himself but his mind was back in the past and it was only when Elrond spoke that he came back to the present. "The Ring must be destroyed," he told them, "Taken into the very heart of Mordor and cast into Mount Doom."
Elion couldn't follow the argument that followed, the translation spell unable to keep up with the multitude of voices that were all arguing and shouting but he saw when the resolve flashed in Frodo's eyes and he heard the hobbit's quiet voice rise above the din, slowly silencing the crowd.
"I will take it. I will take the ring."
For a sudden brief moment Elion saw himself in Frodo and continuing in that moment of clarity he realised that it was on Frodo's shoulders the largest burden of this war would fall and pity welled up in him that was only intensified as he continued.
"Though, I do not know the way."
"I will help you bear this burden," Gandalf said softly, "As long as it is yours to bear." Elion watched as Gandalf placed a hand on the hobbit's shoulder and knowing he was supposed to be going with Gandalf Elion slipped off his seat and took a couple of steps to the hobbit. He smiled at him and slipped his small hand into Frodo's, letting the hobbit know without words that he would help as much as he could.
Aragorn came next, kneeling and offering his sword to Frodo, and Elion couldn't help the joy that rose up in him as he realised that he wasn't going to be parted with Aragorn yet. Soon an elf and a dwarf joined them only to be followed by the man that had been talking about using it. Unconsciously Elion shifted until he was standing between them. He was wary of the man, more so than he was of the elf and dwarf and he was not going to let him get close to the Ring, he did not trust him with the temptation and he wanted to protect Frodo.
Elion had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing when first Sam then Merry and Pippin appeared and joined them. The action was just so familiar, and so much what he would have expected that he couldn't help the giggles that tried to force themselves out.
"So be it," said Elrond, and for the first time in the council his voice held some hope. "You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring." However his eyes darkened when he looked down at Elion and a glance was shared between Elrond and Gandalf and suddenly Elion knew that what would happen to him now had just become a subject of contention.
AN: And here is the next one, hope you all enjoy it, and yes, the translation spell is my own invention but you probably won't see it used again, or at least not often, and yes the latin does mean something to do with understanding but I can't remember the exact translation.
Thanks for all the support, reviews, favs, follows etc and please continue to review and support this fic.
Now for a certain cheeky reviewer who knows precisely who she is, I was rather amused and flattered by your review, although if you do made any similar requests in the future you will need to include your timezone in said review else how on earth can I know when your 8am falls in relation to the Greenwich Meridian? Though I do hope I made it :)!
