Bremen froze. The elves present glared at him with a searing rage. Elrond's healing powers were the pride of the peaceful Rivendell. Bremen had insulted them deeply.
"The ring," I moaned, shivering violently. Brom dashed up to the ring, the Sword of Shannara wielded. He swung it and tried to cleave the ring in two. There was bright explosion of light and screeching metal and Brom was thrown back into Aragorn who caught the small boy easily. He struggled to free himself from the ranger's grip, to try and cleave the ring again.
"Stop it, boy, tell me what is wrong with your mistress," Aragorn asked. Brom thrashed harder than ever, his silver hair whipping around his pixie-face.
"She is no mistress of mine! I just know that thing is evil!" Brom said.
The council had surged to its feet. There was shouting and confusion. Frodo raced over to the podium and stuffed the ring in his pocket and backed away to an aged hobbit who had a concerned look on his face.
"Enough!" Rang a voice filled with power. There came the sharp crack of wood on marble as Gandalf struck the floor with his staff. The world seemed to gone mute. Gandalf strode forward and stood before me. Allanon stood up, his hand still gripped with mine as he tried to feed me magic to soothe Rash. "Let her go," Gandalf said softly, "I swear to you, I will not hurt her," Reluctantly, Allanon released my hand and the magic flow cut off. Rash became strong and he seemed to rip at my insides. Gandalf placed his hands on either side of my face and I heard his strong voice in my head. The words were deep and resounding like a brass bell but I did not know the words. Rash hissed and tried to strike out at the wizard but soon fell silent, cowering in a corner of my mind. When I opened my bleary eyes, the wizard's sharp gaze burned into my brain. He knew everything. I waited for him to cast us out of council. To tell the council who we were, and what I really was. Instead, he smiled and smoothed my hair.
"The ring affects us all in ways we cannot predict," He said loud enough for the council to hear. "Some are more sensitive to its power and it causes great pain. If you want to leave the council, I think our Lord Elrond will permit it," Never once did his eyes leave mine. I knew that whatever happened now, I could not fool the wandering wizard.
"Yes," Elrond said as people took their seats and Aragorn released Brom, who glared at the Ranger and then took his seat. "Lady Meia, you can leave council if you wish. I can get someone to take you to a room where you can rest,"
"No thank you, Lord Elrond," I said breaking gazes with Gandalf and looking over at the elf king. " I wish to stay for the rest of the council,"
"Very well," Elrond said bringing everyone's attention to the task at hand. "We know what we must do, but the question who will undertake the task? Who shall deliver the ring to Mount Doom?"
Several people including Elves and Dwarves stood and voices and opinions raged once more until Frodo rose timidly to his furry hobbit feet.
"I will go, though I do not know the way," Elrond nodded with a sad gaze. The council agreed that once more the fate should once gain lay on the fall on the shoulders on a hobbit's shoulders. Then the elf lord turned to us.
"Lady Meia, would you and your party be willing to accompany our dear Frodo?" He asked and it was Allanon who rose.
"We would be honored to help undertake this task," He said, bowing low. Elrond nodded his expression growing graver and graver.
"I had thought a party of nine but with your addition , we ask you choose five of your party to go."
Fourteen," The older hobbit named Bilbo chuckled under his breath," Good ol' fourteen,"
The party at the end of the council became Frodo, three hobbits named Samwise Gamgee, Meridoc Brandybuck, and Peregrin Took, Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli, and Legolas, and from our group went Tay, Risca, Brom, Allanon, and myself.
I sat on a soft bed absolutely drenched in downy layers of white blankets. I hadn't known anything like this, not even in King Jerle's castle. (He's the elf king in the Four Lands.) The door opened silently and I looked up to see who it was.
"It's late Meia," Allanon said, peeking his head around my door. I was in a simple room with a single glass door that opened to a garden outside. I smiled at Allanon and nodded.
"Alright, 'Lanon," I said and rose from the bed and went to the door. As I grabbed the door knob, Allanon reached out and touched my face. I looked up at him, startled.
"Meia, sometimes I wish . . . " He said it so softly I nearly missed it, than let his hand drop to finger my ruby pendent. " Its nothing, Meia, good night."
He left without another word and I closed the door with a shaky breath.
"Alanon," The druid turned to see Aragorn, dressed no longer in his embroidered shirt and sleek pants, but know in plain breeches and a white linen shirt. "You're relationship with the Lady Meia confuses me. If you love her as I think you do, why so you two keep such a wall up?"
Allanon met Aragorn's equally dark eyes and said matter-of-factly, "Because she tried to kill me," and with that Allanon walked away.