A/N: At first I thought that this chapter would be very short since it's a relatively short scene in the movie. But as I was reading the book version, I realized that it wouldn't be so short. So what I thought would only take four pages, ended up taking twelve.

This chapter has many references to the events in The Hobbit, and the first part of the movie of Fellowship of the Ring, which I only skimmed over. Hopefully you guys are familiar with them, or else you might have some trouble understanding certain parts of this chapter.

Enjoy.


Rivendell, Eriador
October 25, 3018 T.A.

Iri sat down in between Frodo and Sirius. There were a lot of people at this meeting; all those originally from Earth (except for Fred and George), Lord Elrond, his chief advisor Erestor, Glorfindel, Bilbo, Frodo, Glóin, Gimli, Gandalf, Aragorn and many others that were at last night's feast who Iri didn't know by name.

The council began with news from other lands. Iri had heard rumours and murmurings of the rise of the Enemy, of orc attacks and darkness spreading. It was disturbing to hear the rumours confirmed by people from all over Arda.

Just then Glóin began to speak of the happenings at the Lonely Mountain.

"Even though we make much progress at Dale, our hearts are troubled. Long ago we dwarfs had a magnificent kingdom deep within the Misty Mountains, Khazad-dûm, which you might recognize by its name in the common tongue as Moria.

Moria! Too deep did we delve there, and woke the nameless fear! Long has its mansions lain empty since the children of Durin fled. But recently dwarfs began to once again speak of the forbidden place. Whispers of the riches we once ago mined for, the splendor of the old kingdom. Finally they declared that we have the numbers and the power to return.

My dear friend Balin resolved to go, and though Dáin, our king, was loathe to let him leave, he was still given permission. Balin left with Óin and Ori and many of our finest folk for the south to the mysterious caverns of Moria.

That was nigh on thirty years ago. At first we heard back from them quite often. It sounded as though Balin and the others were making good progress and we dared hope that we could reclaim Moria as a mighty kingdom. But then, the messages stopped coming.

Then not long ago, we received a message. But not from Moria; it was from Mordor. Lord Sauron the Great, so said the black robed messenger, wished for our friendship and alliance. He would give us the Rings of Power which he had made for the dwarves in the second age. In exchange, he asked us about hobbits, and where the land called the Shire was. For, the messenger explained, that Sauron knew that a hobbit was once known to us.

We were greatly troubled and gave no answer. Then the messenger continued 'As a small token for the Great Sauron's friendship, he asks only this; that you retrieve a small trinket that had been stolen from him as an earnest of your good will. It is only a trifle thing which Sauron fancies, a small gold ring. Find the thief and take it from him, willing or no. It's but a little ring, the least of all rings, and if you should retrieve it you shall receive the Dwarf rings of old and the realm of Moria shall be forever yours. Find only the thief and news as to whether he lives or not and where he dwells. Do you agree?'

Well Dáin answered 'I say neither yea nor nay, I shall need time to consider the offer.' The messenger warned us about taking too long in considering, and left.

Our hearts have been troubled and heavy since; we remembered Sauron's treachery from days of old, with the very same rings no less, and were won't to trust him. And we knew that the thief the messenger spoke of had to be our dear friend Bilbo!

So we were sent here in order to warn Bilbo that he is sought by the Enemy and to learn why Sauron is after this ring, least of all rings."

"It is good that you have come" Elrond responded "for here many questions shall be answered and the fate of the Free Peoples of Middle Earth will be decided.

First I shall speak of Sauron and the One Ring."

Elrond then described the happenings of the Second Age; the treachery of Sauron, the forging of the Rings of Power, the founding of Gondor and Arnor, and the final battle in the heart of Mordor.

He told of how Isildur refused to destroy the ring and how the ring betrayed Isildur to his death.

"Though the Ring is a powerful weapon to be sure," Galdor, an elf from the Grey Havens who had come for an errand from Cídan the Shipwright, interrupted. "what of Sauron himself? We have seen neither hide nor hair of him since the Ring was cut from his hand."

Gandalf stood up then. "I'm sure you all know the story of those among us from another realm. Over 400 years ago, five humans had somehow found themselves in Arda. For those of you who did not know, recently a sixth dimension traveler entered Arda and his story I think you'd like to hear."

So Iri was forced to tell the council of the happenings on Earth, and especially of Voldemort's 'advisor'.

"But that doesn't make sense; why would the strong and mighty Sauron obey the word of a lesser being? This Voldemort character is probably weaker than Saruman, so Sauron could have easily overthrown him." Erestor asked.

"Unless Sauron was not as powerful on Earth as he is here in Arda. Like the dimension travelers with us today, Sauron may have been altered in the other world. I draw my magic from Arda itself, so Earth may not have had the proper environment for Sauron to become a strong force. Or maybe he wasn't powerful enough without the Ring, which holds the majority of his ancient power. It could be any reason, but it would explain where the Dark Lord has been hiding all these years." Gandalf responded.

Glorfindel then inserted himself into the conversation. "But if Sauron only re-entered Arda 2 years ago, how had he been controlling his army? The Witchking had started building Barad-dûr long before Sauron reappeared, and I doubt that he would have acted without his master's orders."

It was Iri who answered. "I can't tell you much about Sauron; I avoided him as much as possible and he avoided everyone else as well. I didn't even learn his name until I entered Arda. Of what I know, he spent his time experimenting with magic, and with a sort of crystal ball."

"Crystal ball?" Gimli asked.

"Yes. In Earth, we have crystal balls that some people can use to see future events. Sauron's ball was similar but different. It was completely black; obsidian or marble or something similar. He seemed to use it much as you would a crystal ball; he hovered over it for hours seeming to look at something which only he could see, and would never let anyone else near it, not even Voldemort." Iri explained.

"A palantír."

Everyone except Gandalf, Aragorn and the elves at the council gave Elrond a questioning look.

"A palantír is an elvish seeing stone. Many were lost and unaccounted for. If Sauron managed to bring one with him, depending on who else had one, Sauron could have began rebuilding his armies and gathering his forces without actually being in Arda."

Everyone paused in thought about the raminafications of Sauron being able to operate for so long without anyone realizing it.

A tall broad shouldered, noble looking man then stood to say his piece.

"It is true that the Enemies forces are rebuilt. I am Boromir son of Denethor of the kingdom of Gondor. Few seem to know of our deeds in Gondor, and therefore know little of their peril should Gondor fall at last.

Long have our people fought the darkness of Mordor and kept your lands safe by the blood of our people. Long have we kept the wild folk of the east at bay and restrained the terror of Morgul by our valour.

And the hour of our doom may not be so far away. Little over 2 years ago black smoke rose once again from Orodruin, that which we call Mount Doom. The power of the Black Land grows and we are hard pressed to restrain it. This very year, in the days of June, sudden war came upon us out of Mordor and we were swept away. We were outnumbered, for Mordor has allied itself with the Easterlings and the cruel Haradrim; but it was not by numbers that we were defeated. A power was there that we have not felt before. It caused the greatest of men to flee in terror; the most experienced soldiers' blood to run ice cold.

Alas! Though we lost the eastern half of Osgiliath, the western shore was able to stay in Gondor's control by destroying the last stone bridge. Even now, the Enemy tries to advance further into our kingdom.

In this evil hour I have come on an errand over many dangerous leagues to Elrond: a hundred and ten days I have journeyed all alone. But I do not seek allies in war. The might of Elrond is in wisdom not in weapons, it is said. I come to ask for counsel and the unraveling of hard words. For on the eve of the sudden assault, a dream came to my brother in a troubled sleep. The next night the dream came to him again, and once to me.

In the dream I thought the eastern sky grew dark and there was a growing thunder, but in the west a pale light lingered, and out of it I heard a voice, remote but clear, crying:

Seek for the Sword that was broken:
In Imladris it dwells;
There shall be counsels taken
Stronger than Morgul-spells.
There shall be shown a token
That Doom is near at hand,
For Isildur's Bane shall waken,
And the Halfling forth shall stand.

Though my brother was eager to heed the dream and seek for Imladris, I took the journey upon myself since the way was full of doubt and danger."

"And here in the House of Elrond more shall be made clear to you." said Aragorn, rising to his feet. He cast his sword upon the table in the middle of the council, and the blade was broken in two pieces. "Here is the Sword that was Broken! The shards of Narsil which cut the Ring from Sauron's hand."

"And who are you, and what have you to do with Minas Tirith that you bear the remains of Narsil?" Boromir asked, staring at Aragorn and his weather-stained Ranger cloak in curiosity.

"He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. He is chief of the Dúnedain and Isildur's heir. You owe him your allegiance." The blond elf that had sat next to Aragorn during last night's feast exclaimed in Aragorn's defense.

"Havo dad, Legolas" Aragorn said, gesturing the elf to sit down.

"This is Isildur's heir?" Boromir asked in stunned disbelief.

"And heir to the throne of Gondor." Legolas responded.

Boromir sat back down muttering. "Gondor has no king…Gondor needs no king."

Gandalf then bade Frodo to come forward. "Bring out the Ring Frodo!" Gandalf said solemnly. "Then Boromir will understand the remainder of his riddle."

Frodo hesitantly walked forward and placed the ring on the stone table admits the sudden hush of those present. He felt a great reluctance to part with it, and had the sudden urge to snatch it back and hide it away from the prying eyes. Frodo squashed the impulse and walked back to his seat.

"Behold, Isildur's Bane!" Elrond proclaimed.

Iri looked at the ring with narrowed eyes; he didn't like it. It had a darker aura than even Sauron himself; but then again Elrond had just finished explaining that it was made from Sauron pouring all his cruelty, malice and his will to dominate all life into it. All Iri knew was that he wouldn't touch it even if he were paid. Looking over at Sirius, he noticed his godfather's eyes fixed on the ring. Iri glared harder at the ring; he wouldn't let it hurt his loved ones, if it was the last thing he did.

Boromir's eyes glinted as he gazed at the Ring. "The Halfling," he muttered. "Isildur's Bane, you say? Indeed the halfling brought forth a bright ring, but Isildur perished at the dawn of this age. How do the Wise know that this ring is his? And how has it passed down the years, until it is brought hither by so strange a messenger?"

"That shall be told." said Elrond.

"But not yet, I beg Master Elrond!" exclaimed Bilbo. "Already the Sun is climbing to noon, and I feel the need of something to strengthen me."

"I have not named you," responded Elrond smiling. "But I do so now. Come! Tell us your tale. The briefer, the sooner shall you be refreshed."

So Bilbo told of his finding of the Ring deep within the dark tunnels of the Misty Mountains, of his encounter with Gollum (including each riddle) and the abilities of the ring. Bilbo would have told of his party and disappearance from the Shire, but Elrond raised his hand.

"Well told my friend," he said, "but that is enough at this time. For the moment it suffices to know that the Ring passed to Frodo, your heir. Let him now speak!"

Then, less willingly than Bilbo, Frodo told of all his dealings with the Ring from the day it passed into his keeping. Every step of his journey from Hobbiton to the Ford of Bruinen was questioned and considered, and everything that he could recall concerning the Black Riders was examined. At last he sat down again.

"Not bad," Iri overheard Bilbo, who was sitting on Frodo's other side, mutter to Frodo. "You would have made a good story of it, if they hadn't kept interrupting. I tried to make a few notes, but we shall have to go over it all again together some time, if I am to write it up. There are whole chapters of stuff before you ever got here!"

"Yes, it made quite a long tale," answered Frodo. "But the story still does not seem complete to me. I still want to know a good deal, especially about Gandalf."

Galdor of the Havens, with his keen elvish hearing, overheard him. "You speak for me also," he cried, and turning to Elrond he said "The Wise may have good reason to believe that the halfling's trove is indeed the Great Ring of long debate, unlikely though it may seem to those who know less. But may we not hear the proofs? And I would ask this also, what of Saruman? He is learned in the lore of the Rings, yet he is not among us. What is his counsel – if he knows the things that we have heard?"

"The questions that you ask, Galdor, are bound together." Elrond said, standing to address the council. "I have not overlooked them and they shall be answered. So now I finally call upon Gandalf to make these things clear."

"Some, Galdor," said Gandalf, "would think the tidings of Glóin, and the pursuit of Frodo, proof enough that the halfling's trove is a thing of great worth to the Enemy. Yet it is a ring. What then? The Nine the Nazgûl keep. The Seven are taken." At this Glóin stirred, but did not speak. "The Three we know of. What then is this one that he desires so much?

There is indeed a wide waste of time between the loss of the Ring by Isildur in the River, and the Mountain where Gollum kept it as his own. But the gap in the knowledge between the loss and the finding, the Wise have finally filled at last. Yet too slowly; for the Enemy had learned this same truth this past year, this very summer.

I had always had doubts about the hobbit's ring. Over time my doubt grew to fear. Whence came the hobbit's ring? What, if my fear was true, should be done with it?

Soon I became aware that spies of many sorts, even beasts and birds, were gathered round the Shire, and my fear grew. I called for the help of the Dúnedain, and their watch was doubled; and I opened my heart to Aragorn, the heir of Isildur."

"And I," said Aragorn, "counseled that we should hunt for Gollum, too late though it may seem. And since it seemed fit that Isildur's heir should labour to repair Isildur's fault, I went with Sirius on the long and hopeless search. After many months I had began to doubt ever finding any signs of the creature. Finally we came upon what we had sought; the marks of soft feet beside a muddy pool. We followed the trail which grew increasingly fresh until we had him."

"And the little bugger bit me!" Sirius interrupted, obviously reliving the unpleasant memory.

"Well, you were hardly gentle." Aragorn admonished.

"No matter, Gollum will never love me, and I sure as hell won't ever like him. I never got anything from his mouth other than the bite marks of his teeth. We had to watch him day and night, making him walk before us with a halter on his neck, gagged, until he was tamed by lack of drink and food, driving him towards Mirkwood. We brought him there at last and gave him to the Elves; something which we had agreed was to be done. I was glad to be rid of his company, since he stank. For my part I hope never to see him again: but Gandalf came and endured Gollum long enough to speak with him." Sirius continued.

"Yes, a long and weary conversation it was." Gandalf admitted. "But not without profit. For one thing, the tale he told of his loss agreed with Bilbo's tale. I also learned that Gollum's ring came out from the Great River nigh to the Gladden Fields. And I learned also that he had possessed it long. The power of the ring had lengthened his years far beyond their span; but that power only the Great Rings wield.

And if that is not proof enough, there is another test which I conducted. While Aragorn hunted down Gollum, I went to Gondor to find any records Isildur may have left about the Ring. I finally found what I had sought; a scroll written by Isildur describing the One Ring such as he found it:

It was hot when I first took it, hot as a glede, and my hand was scorched, so that I doubt if ever again I shall be free of the pain of it. Yet even as I write it is cooled, and it seemeth to shrink, though it loseth neither its beauty nor its shape. Already the writing upon it, which at first was as clear as red flame, fadeth and is now only barely to be read. A secret now that only fire can tell.

When I read these words, my quest was ended. At once I took my leave of Denethor, but even as I went northwards, messages came to me out of Lórien that Aragorn had found the creature Gollum. Therefore I went first to meet the creature Gollum and hear his tale, before returning to the Shire and see if the hobbit's ring was indeed the One.

Once in the Shire, I found the truth. For upon this very ring which you see, round and unadorned, the letters that Isildur reported may still be read, if one has the strength and will to set the golden thing in the fire a while. That I have done, and this I have read:

Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.
"

The change in the wizard's voice was astounding. It had suddenly become menacing, powerful and harsh as stone. A shadow seemed to pass over the high sun, and for a moment all grew dark. Iri shivered, feeling as though the evil in those words (even if he did not understand them) was something tangible, reaching out and spreading darkness.

"Never before has any voice dared to utter words of that tongue in Imladris, Gandalf the Grey." Said Elrond once the shadow passed and everyone was able to breath once more.

"And let us hope that none will ever speak it here again." answered Gandalf "Nonetheless I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond. For the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the west!"

All sat silent for a while, until at length Boromir spoke. "He is a small thing you say, this Gollum? Small, but great in mischief. What became of him? To what doom did you put him?"

"He is in prison, but no worse." answered Aragorn "He had suffered much. There is no doubt that he was tormented, he longs for the Ring but the fear of Sauron lies black on his heart. Still I for one am glad that he is safely kept by the watchful Elves of Mirkwood. His malice is great and gives him a strength hardly to be believed in one so lean and withered. He could work much mischief still if he were free."

"Alas! Alas!" cried Legolas, and in his fair face there was great distress. "The tidings that I was sent to bring must now be told. They are not good, but only here have I learned how evil they may seem to this company. Sméogol, who is now called Gollum, has escaped."

"Escaped?" cried Sirius. "That's not good. He's a nasty little menace, and could cause a lot of problems."

"He escaped not through lack of watchfulness," explained Legolas, "but perhaps through over-kindliness. And we fear that the prisoner had aid from others, and more is known of our doings than we would wish. We guarded this creature day and night, at Gandalf's bidding, much though we wearied of the task. But Gandalf bade us hope still for his cure, and we had not the heart to keep him ever in dungeons under the earth, where he would fall back into his old black thoughts."

"You were less tender to me." Said Glóin, with a flash of his eyes, as old memories were stirred of his imprisonment in the deep places of the Elven-king's halls.

"Now come!" said Gandalf. "Pray do not interrupt, my good Glóin. That was a regrettable misunderstanding, long set right. If all the grievances that stand between Elves and Dwarves are to be brought up here, we may as well abandon this Council."

Glóin rose and bowed, and Legolas continued. "In the days of fair weather, we led Gollum through the woods; and there was a high tree standing alone far from the others which he liked to climb. Often we let him mount up to the highest branches, until he felt the free wind; but we set a guard at the tree's foot. One day he refused to come down, and the guards had no mind to climb after him: he had learned the trick of clinging to boughs with his feet as well with his hands; so they sat by the tree far into the night.

It was that moonless and starless night in spring that Orcs came on us at unawares. We drove them off after some time; they were many and fierce, but they came from over the mountains, and were unused to the woods. When the battle was over, we found that Gollum was gone and his guards were slain or taken. It then seemed plain to us that the attack had been made for his rescue, and that he knew of it beforehand. How that was contrived we cannot guess; but Gollum is cunning, and the spies of the Enemy are many. Though we have tried to recapture him, he escaped our skill. We came upon his trail among those of the Orcs, and it plunged deep into the Forest going south. As it led towards Dol Guldur, we dared not continue the hunt, for that is still a very evil place even if the Witchking no longer rules from it."

"It was the Enemy who had taken Gollum," Gandalf said "and from him, Sauron learned the whereabouts of his Ring, sending the Black Riders to the Shire. But how did I know this? And what of Saruman? I shall now endeavor to answer both questions, for they are both related.

After I had learned that Frodo's ring was indeed the One, I headed to Isengard to hear any advice Saruman was able to give. Unfortunately, it was advice I was unwilling to heed. He bid me to join with the Enemy. When I refused he imprisoned me at the top of Orthanc, with no hope of escape.

However, I was able to learn some of Saruman's treacheries; he was in contact with Sauron using a palantír. Considering Iri's tale, Saruman may have been a servant of Sauron for a great many years before today.

Saruman was also building an army. He has crossed Orcs with Men, creating a new race that is immune to sunlight and can travel great distances with speed. And Isengard, which was once green and fair, is now filled with pits and forges.

I was able to send a message to Gwaihir the Windlord, swiftest of the Great Eagles, who bore me away from that accursed place. I asked him to bear me to Rohan, where I could find a worthy steed to bring forth to Rivendell in all haste.

But I soon found out that evil was already at work in Rohan."

Remus then stood to speak. "If I may speak of the dealings of Rohan, since it was from there I that I had come for counsel."

Remus then explained the sudden illness of the king, the king's distrust towards everyone but Gríma, his advisor, and how orcs ran unchallenged across the plains.

When he was done, Gandalf spoke once again. "Well, the Tale is now told, from first to last. Here we all are, and here is the Ring. But we have not yet come any nearer to our purpose. What shall we do with it?"

Boromir spoke first. "It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this Ring? Give Gondor the weapon of the Enemy; let us use it against him!"

"We can not wield it!" Aragorn protested. "None of us can. The one ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

Galdor then spoke up. "We must keep it away from the Enemy. The places of greatest power are here in Imladris, with Círdan at the Havens, or in Lórien. But have they the strength, have we here the strength, to with-stand the Enemy, the coming of Sauron at last, when all else is overthrown?"

"I have not the strength," said Elrond, "neither have they."

Glóin spoke. "What of the Elves' Three Rings? Can they not be used against the Enemy in our time of need?"

"The Three were not made, nor were they tainted by the touch of Sauron." Elrond explained. "They however, are not idle. They were not made as weapons of war or conquest; that is not their power. Those who made them did not desire strength or domination or hoarded wealth, but understanding, making, and healing, to preserve all things unstained. The Three help keep the Enemy from Rivendell's and Lórien's borders, but they can be of no use against the One."

"Then if the Ring cannot be kept from him forever by strength," said Glorfindel, "then there is only one remaining choice for us to attempt: we must to destroy it."

"But what then would happen, if the Ruling Ring were destroyed, as you counsel?" asked Glóin.

"As you know, most of Sauron's power is contained within the Ring." Gandalf said. "With the Ring destroyed, not only would Sauron be extremely disadvantaged, but many of the things under Sauron's command would be destroyed, such as the Nazgûl. The foundation of the tower Barad-dûr also was made with the Ring's power – if the Ring was destroyed Barad-dûr would fall. And many of Sauron's allies may desert him without the chance of Sauron obtaining the added strength and power that the Ring would provide."

"But what of Sauron himself? You have said that without the Ring he would be severely disadvantaged – but wouldn't he be defeated?" Sirius asked.

"Before hearing Iri's tale, I would have answered yes. Sauron is an immortal, and though the destruction of the Ring wouldn't have killed him, it would have ensured that he would no longer be a threat to the Free People's of middle earth, so limited would his power become. But now that he has gained a body, without needing the power of the ring to sustain it, I do not know for sure. It is probable that even after destroying the Ring, that Sauron's physical form must also be destroyed. Either way, the Ring must be destroyed if we have any hope to defeat the Enemy."

After a long pause, Gimli stood. "Well, what are we waiting for?" And with those words he ran forward and swung his mighty axe down upon the Ring. But the axe shattered with a deafening crack, making Gimli fall back from the force. The Ring however, remained unharmed.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Glóin, by any craft that we here possess." Elrond explained. "The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom, and 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."

A great silence followed that announcement, everyone overcome with a feeling of dread.

Boromir then spoke. "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. 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."

Annoyed with Boromir's attitude (especially concerning his 'nephew'), Sirius intervened. "Didn't you hear anything Lord Elrond said? The Ring must be destroyed!"

"And do you suppose you're the one to do it? Men's hearts are easily corrupted and bent to the will of the Ring!" an elf whom Iri did not know the name of spoke.

"Better a man than an elf!" Gimli retorted.

"And if we fail? What then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" Boromir interjected.

"Do you not understand? While we bicker among ourselves, Sauron's power grows! No one will escape it. You will all be destroyed, your homes burnt and your families put to the sword!" Gandalf yelled, trying to end the arguments.

It seemed that the whole Council was on its feet, yelling at the top of their voices. Iri looked around in bemusement. Not two minutes ago, he was surrounded by wise and noble beings, now he felt as though he was surrounded by children. What could have caused such a dramatic change?

And then he realized. The Ring. Iri glared at it some more, trying to figure out how it could be affecting those around it. Sure enough, what felt like subtle legilimency was affecting the others, who seemed oblivious to it. After over 400 years in Voldemort's clutches, Iri had managed to constantly have his occlumency barriers up 24/7, even when he was at his weakest.

Iri then noticed that he wasn't the only one still in his seat; Frodo was as well, and seemed to be staring at the Ring intently. Frodo suddenly stood. "I will take it! I will take it!"

Iri watched in stunned silence as Frodo's announcement seemed to break up the arguments among the others.

"I will take the Ring to Mordor…but I do not know the way."

Gandalf made his way over to the young hobbit. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear."

"If, by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." Aragorn spoke, coming forward to kneel before Frodo. "You have my sword."

"And my bow." Legolas stated.

"And my axe." Gimli added.

Boromir then came forward, looking around at the faces of the council, and then turned back towards Frodo. "You carry the fate of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done."

"Hey!" yelled Sam, coming out of his hiding spot behind a bush. "Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me!"

"No, indeed," Elrond commented, "as it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not."

Then Merry and Pippin suddenly appeared, running up to join Sam beside Frodo.

"Oi! We're coming too! You'll have to send us home tied up in a sac to stop us!" Merry said.

"Anyway," Pippin added, "you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission…quest…thing."

"Well, that rules you out Pip." Merry commented.

Before the idea of volunteering himself to Frodo was half-formed, Iri felt a restraining hand on his shoulder. Sirius shook his head silently at Iri, letting him know silently that Iri shouldn't go. Before Iri could retort, Elrond spoke once again.

"Nine companions…so be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."

"Great." Pippin remarked. "Where are we going?"


¹ almost this whole chapter is word per word from the book (mostly the speeches), the chapter The Council of Elrond and/or the council scene in the movie. Some things were summarized from either/or and some I added in myself. It was pretty hard to get it all to flow together; but I think it worked out alright.

So, there is no Eye of Sauron, since Sauron is stuck in a physical form. But he could still send spies and whatnot to find out what everyone is up to.

.