The nine stood, and in one moment had sworn their Allegiance to one
another, had pledged their honour to the Quest. They stood solemnly, a
strange assortment, and none of them fully aware of the great
responsibility they had each taken upon themselves. Two Men, tall and proud
– their grey eyes stern and their gaze steady; a Dwarf, quick-tempered and
sturdy, two axes at his waist; an Elf, the tallest of the chosen Company,
and fair beyond the reason of Men. To guide them had stepped forth the
wizard, one of the fabled Istari – old as the land itself and more ancient
than even the Elves; and in front of them, more serious than they had ever
been in their sheltered lives, four Halfings stood, with no true concept of
what they had bound themselves to and quite unaware of the terrible dangers
it held.
The envoys from each race stood, and in that moment their fates became one and the same.
"Very well," said Elrond. "You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."
All around the Council, there was both dread and anticipation – dread knowing that the terror from far away was drawing ever closer, and the anticipation to conquer it: and none felt it so much as the Company.
Elrond looked grave; the Company was decided. "You shall depart when those who are departed from my house return, and bring news of what lies in the east."
There was silent recognition; yet even as he spoke, a movement came from the seated circle. A beautiful Elven maiden came forwards and stepped before the Fellowship so that she might address the Council. All those present stared in awe at her – they had not been aware of her before: she had appeared as a dream, yet when they turned to see from where she had come, there stood a chair, solitary and vacant, set back slightly from the others. It would seem she had indeed been present as a member of the council, yet no one remembered her coming, nor found her face in their memories from the last few hours.
She came before them, and there fell a silence all around, still as the stone of the floor, soundless as the night. She was beautiful beyond the imagination of any, flawless as the Valar themselves. Her skin was unblemished, and white as the palest ivory – so complete it appeared, a stone-mason might have carved her from stone: except that no stone was pure enough, no tool nor mason with the skill to model such perfection. Her eyes were of the deepest blue, and set with such profoundness that none could hold her gaze for more than two seconds. The stars seemed to have been born in those eyes, softer than the darkest night and deeper than all eternity; from the fathoms of blue great tales arose, and a knowledge so ancient it seemed impossible for one mind to contain it. Her hair fell down her back – long and thick, and darker than all the bark of Mirkwood. Her frame was slender, slim as a willow-wand: yet still she stood tall and proud – stern as Men of Gondor and commanding, though she had not yet spoken. Her manner was graceful and swift, but still there was a power in her that silenced the words of the bravest man; she wore a dress of the simple beauty that only those of Elven kind could weave, and a silver crown was on her head.
She stood before them, and awe was in the Company, and in all those around.
"Greetings," she said, and her voice was clear as the morning dew. "I am Mairiel, Lady of the Sueth Realm. I come to offer my counsel." She bowed her head graciously, and beyond the flow of her sleeves, her hands were spread before her, as if to give to them her knowledge.
At last someone spoke.
"Forgive us Lady," apologised Elrond," but we had not been aware of your presence. Too busy were we discussing the fate of the mortal earth, and the ring that blackens it."
The strange lady received his explanation with another nod, and a small smile.
"I too have heard of the One Ring," she said. "And I know much about the balance of power that commands the fate of Middle Earth. I come to offer you my guidance. I know much of that which has happened, and also some of what might happen, should certain things occur."
Her startling eyes wandered to the Company, acknowledging each in turn, and lingered a while on one member. He could not hold the strong gaze and turned away, doubt and fear in his eyes.
"And so I say this," she continued. "The peril is too great, even with such a faithful Company. Therefore, I shall assist you, and forsake the ruling of my Realm until peace is restored to Middle Earth, or until the end – whichever it may be – is come. I take my pledge now. I shall aid you, and be the tenth and final member of the Fellowship."
Absolute silence followed these words. Mairiel stood, tall and proud – unwavering in her purpose. The gathered Council were shocked, both admiring and incredulous.
"But…but my Lady," began Elrond. "The path is dangerous, and great things are at stake. It is not for someone of your high blood to undertake such things."
Mairiel turned her knowledgeable gaze upon him. "But," she said softly, "there are those present of blood higher than mine – the purest of all Men – and they are accepted into the Company."
Her eyes strayed to the dark Ranger, who struggled to hold her stare and failed, wilting before her sharp gaze. His proud eyes fell, and she looked away.
"I shall go," she said, and this was not a suggestion with which to argue, but a command. "I shall go, for I know much of what lies in the untold lands of Middle Earth, though it is long since I travelled in many of those dark places, even by my reckoning. In my life I have known the rise and fall of many a proud city, and the promises in many dwellings, and the treachery in areas that lie between and divide the people. In this fair house are many maps, yet should I accompany you shall need none. The ring need not be my concern, yet from this moment forth I make it so; I say again, I shall be the tenth and final member of the Fellowship."
The silence now was one of acceptance. Not one of those present – almost every one of whom had fought in battles of great terror – would object to this fair lady who stood before them. Elrond spoke finally.
"It is decided then. The Fellowship shall be ten. None of you is under any pledge to go with the Ringbearer to the end, although the further you journey, the harder it will be to return. I can offer you no more than my counsel. The fate of Middle Earth is bestowed upon you. Good luck."
He dismissed the council and then turned to the Lady Mariel – but he looked only to find her gone. He went to the chair where she had sat and it was indeed one of his house, but it had a different look since she had sat upon it; and in the place where she had first stepped out, a strangeness hung in the air, as though she carried with her a visible presence, that remained long after she had gone. He went from the room and searched the immediate corridors of the fair Elven halls – but he looked in vain, for no sign of the Lady he found, and it gave him much concern. He said nothing to any other, not even to one of his council, but in him now was a feeling of premonition, though he knew not where it came from. And though he loathed to feel so, he mistrusted the mysterious Lady Mariel and her knowing tidings, and slept uneasily that night: suspicious of recent events and dreading the day when the ten would set out.
The envoys from each race stood, and in that moment their fates became one and the same.
"Very well," said Elrond. "You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."
All around the Council, there was both dread and anticipation – dread knowing that the terror from far away was drawing ever closer, and the anticipation to conquer it: and none felt it so much as the Company.
Elrond looked grave; the Company was decided. "You shall depart when those who are departed from my house return, and bring news of what lies in the east."
There was silent recognition; yet even as he spoke, a movement came from the seated circle. A beautiful Elven maiden came forwards and stepped before the Fellowship so that she might address the Council. All those present stared in awe at her – they had not been aware of her before: she had appeared as a dream, yet when they turned to see from where she had come, there stood a chair, solitary and vacant, set back slightly from the others. It would seem she had indeed been present as a member of the council, yet no one remembered her coming, nor found her face in their memories from the last few hours.
She came before them, and there fell a silence all around, still as the stone of the floor, soundless as the night. She was beautiful beyond the imagination of any, flawless as the Valar themselves. Her skin was unblemished, and white as the palest ivory – so complete it appeared, a stone-mason might have carved her from stone: except that no stone was pure enough, no tool nor mason with the skill to model such perfection. Her eyes were of the deepest blue, and set with such profoundness that none could hold her gaze for more than two seconds. The stars seemed to have been born in those eyes, softer than the darkest night and deeper than all eternity; from the fathoms of blue great tales arose, and a knowledge so ancient it seemed impossible for one mind to contain it. Her hair fell down her back – long and thick, and darker than all the bark of Mirkwood. Her frame was slender, slim as a willow-wand: yet still she stood tall and proud – stern as Men of Gondor and commanding, though she had not yet spoken. Her manner was graceful and swift, but still there was a power in her that silenced the words of the bravest man; she wore a dress of the simple beauty that only those of Elven kind could weave, and a silver crown was on her head.
She stood before them, and awe was in the Company, and in all those around.
"Greetings," she said, and her voice was clear as the morning dew. "I am Mairiel, Lady of the Sueth Realm. I come to offer my counsel." She bowed her head graciously, and beyond the flow of her sleeves, her hands were spread before her, as if to give to them her knowledge.
At last someone spoke.
"Forgive us Lady," apologised Elrond," but we had not been aware of your presence. Too busy were we discussing the fate of the mortal earth, and the ring that blackens it."
The strange lady received his explanation with another nod, and a small smile.
"I too have heard of the One Ring," she said. "And I know much about the balance of power that commands the fate of Middle Earth. I come to offer you my guidance. I know much of that which has happened, and also some of what might happen, should certain things occur."
Her startling eyes wandered to the Company, acknowledging each in turn, and lingered a while on one member. He could not hold the strong gaze and turned away, doubt and fear in his eyes.
"And so I say this," she continued. "The peril is too great, even with such a faithful Company. Therefore, I shall assist you, and forsake the ruling of my Realm until peace is restored to Middle Earth, or until the end – whichever it may be – is come. I take my pledge now. I shall aid you, and be the tenth and final member of the Fellowship."
Absolute silence followed these words. Mairiel stood, tall and proud – unwavering in her purpose. The gathered Council were shocked, both admiring and incredulous.
"But…but my Lady," began Elrond. "The path is dangerous, and great things are at stake. It is not for someone of your high blood to undertake such things."
Mairiel turned her knowledgeable gaze upon him. "But," she said softly, "there are those present of blood higher than mine – the purest of all Men – and they are accepted into the Company."
Her eyes strayed to the dark Ranger, who struggled to hold her stare and failed, wilting before her sharp gaze. His proud eyes fell, and she looked away.
"I shall go," she said, and this was not a suggestion with which to argue, but a command. "I shall go, for I know much of what lies in the untold lands of Middle Earth, though it is long since I travelled in many of those dark places, even by my reckoning. In my life I have known the rise and fall of many a proud city, and the promises in many dwellings, and the treachery in areas that lie between and divide the people. In this fair house are many maps, yet should I accompany you shall need none. The ring need not be my concern, yet from this moment forth I make it so; I say again, I shall be the tenth and final member of the Fellowship."
The silence now was one of acceptance. Not one of those present – almost every one of whom had fought in battles of great terror – would object to this fair lady who stood before them. Elrond spoke finally.
"It is decided then. The Fellowship shall be ten. None of you is under any pledge to go with the Ringbearer to the end, although the further you journey, the harder it will be to return. I can offer you no more than my counsel. The fate of Middle Earth is bestowed upon you. Good luck."
He dismissed the council and then turned to the Lady Mariel – but he looked only to find her gone. He went to the chair where she had sat and it was indeed one of his house, but it had a different look since she had sat upon it; and in the place where she had first stepped out, a strangeness hung in the air, as though she carried with her a visible presence, that remained long after she had gone. He went from the room and searched the immediate corridors of the fair Elven halls – but he looked in vain, for no sign of the Lady he found, and it gave him much concern. He said nothing to any other, not even to one of his council, but in him now was a feeling of premonition, though he knew not where it came from. And though he loathed to feel so, he mistrusted the mysterious Lady Mariel and her knowing tidings, and slept uneasily that night: suspicious of recent events and dreading the day when the ten would set out.