"People from distant lands, you are here to debate about a subject that concern us all. You will unite or you will fall." Elrond turned toward Frodo and pointed a large round stone in the center of the assembly. "Show them the ring, Frodo Baggins."
Willow sat next to Aragorn in a half circle. She watched with great interest everything that was going on, a bit confused by the reactions around the room at the sight of the gold ring. In front of her sat Frodo and Gandalf. Beside the wizard was a group of four Elves. Next to them sat four Dwarves, then five humans. Sitting at the end of the assembly were Aragorn and herself.
Suddenly, the younger of the five man stood up. "This ring his a gift to all the enemies of Mordor. Why not use it against them?"
"No," Aragorn said. "No one can control it, Boromir."
"And what does a Ranger know about that?"
Willow watched in awe as the two men argued. "Too much testosterone in this room," she muttered. She stopped her musing when she saw an Elf stand up and take a step toward Boromir. "He isn't any Ranger. He's Aragorn, the son of Arathorn."
Boromir turned and glared at Aragorn. "The descendant of Isildur."
"And the rightful owner of the throne of Gondor," the Elf said.
Willow did a double-take and glared at the man sitting next to her. He was totally serious, but still seemed disturbed by the outcome of the assembly. "Sit down, Legolas." The blond Elf did as he was told.
Boromir shot a look full of hatred at Aragorn. "The Gondor doesn't have a king... and doesn't need one."
Finally having it with their childish behavior, Elrond stood up. "Aragorn is right. The ring must be destroyed."
"What are we waiting for." One of the Dwarves suddenly picked up his axe and swung it on the golden ring.
Willow startled when the axe exploded. When the cloud of smoke dissipated, the ring was there on the stone, completly intact. "The ring can't be destroyed by anything in our possession, Gimli son of Gloin. The ring was made in the fire of Mountain Doom, it is only there that it can be unmade. One of you must do it."
Silence established itself around the council. Willow started to understand what was going on. Somehow, Frodo had been in possession of this ring. Nine Ringwraiths from Mordor had been sent to find it and bring it back to their master. And she did understand that the small thing must be very powerful and terribly dangerous if they wanted to destroy it. And by the look of the faces of the assembly, Mordor wasn't paradise.
A sighed escaped Boromir's lips. "Nobody can simply enter in Mordor. The black gates are constantly garded by evil that does not sleep. Air is poisonous. Even a thousand men could not do it."
Legolas stood up again and without her knowledge, the redhead's eyes turned to him. "Haven't you heard what lord Elrond said. The ring must be destroyed."
Suddenly, Gimli jumped out of his chair and took a step toward the Elf. "Uh oh," Willow whispered. "This is bad news."
"And I suppose you think you are the one to do it," the Dwarf said with an angry voice. The hatred between Dwarves and Elves was legendary. "I would prefer to die than see that ring in the hand of an Elf!"
The room exploded. Tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Willow's eyes widened when she saw everybody stood up, confronting one another with pointless arguments. In front of her, Frodo stared at the ring without batting an eye. She understood what was happening. The ring carried so great evil that it influenced everyone around. It was as if it had a will of its own.
She gasped when Frodo stood up and got closer to the ring. "I'll do it."
Everyone turned toward the small man with surprised look on their faces. Gandalf smiled and came to stand behind his protege. "I'll help you carry this burden as long as it is yours to carry."
Aragorn kneeled in front of the Hobbit. "And if I can protect you with my life, I will. You have my sword."
Willow saw Legolas think about it for about five seconds before he gave out and crossed the distance to the Hobbit. "And you have my bow."
"And my axe!" someone said. The redhead saw the Elf roll his eyes when Gimli stood next to him, glaring at him in defiance.
Boromir walked to them calmly. "You have our faith in your hands, Little One. And if it is the wish of this council, the Gondor will bring its help."
"Hey, Frodo won't go anywhere without me!" Sam jumped from the bushes where he had been hiding for the last half an hour.
Elrond smiled. "No, you two can't be separated even when one is invited to a secret assembly and you're not," he stated, completly amused by the whole situation.
Merry and Pippin came running from another direction. "We are going too!" Elrond frowned when two other Hobbits came running in the circle, evidence that not only Sam had assisted to the council in secret. "Anyway you need intelligent people to do that mission," Pippin stated.
"That means you're in the wrong place, Pippin," Merry said, joking as ever.
"I am," a voice stated from across the room. Every faces turned toward the only female assisting to the council. Willow looked at Frodo. She had once given her help to Buffy, the Slayer, to help save the world countless times. Now, she would give her knowledge to Frodo. "My help and my knowledge are what I offer you." She took her place next to Boromir.
Elrond smiled. "Ten companions. So be it. As of now, you are the fellowship of the ring."
"Great!" Pippin exclaimed. "Where are we going?"
Willow sat next to Aragorn in a half circle. She watched with great interest everything that was going on, a bit confused by the reactions around the room at the sight of the gold ring. In front of her sat Frodo and Gandalf. Beside the wizard was a group of four Elves. Next to them sat four Dwarves, then five humans. Sitting at the end of the assembly were Aragorn and herself.
Suddenly, the younger of the five man stood up. "This ring his a gift to all the enemies of Mordor. Why not use it against them?"
"No," Aragorn said. "No one can control it, Boromir."
"And what does a Ranger know about that?"
Willow watched in awe as the two men argued. "Too much testosterone in this room," she muttered. She stopped her musing when she saw an Elf stand up and take a step toward Boromir. "He isn't any Ranger. He's Aragorn, the son of Arathorn."
Boromir turned and glared at Aragorn. "The descendant of Isildur."
"And the rightful owner of the throne of Gondor," the Elf said.
Willow did a double-take and glared at the man sitting next to her. He was totally serious, but still seemed disturbed by the outcome of the assembly. "Sit down, Legolas." The blond Elf did as he was told.
Boromir shot a look full of hatred at Aragorn. "The Gondor doesn't have a king... and doesn't need one."
Finally having it with their childish behavior, Elrond stood up. "Aragorn is right. The ring must be destroyed."
"What are we waiting for." One of the Dwarves suddenly picked up his axe and swung it on the golden ring.
Willow startled when the axe exploded. When the cloud of smoke dissipated, the ring was there on the stone, completly intact. "The ring can't be destroyed by anything in our possession, Gimli son of Gloin. The ring was made in the fire of Mountain Doom, it is only there that it can be unmade. One of you must do it."
Silence established itself around the council. Willow started to understand what was going on. Somehow, Frodo had been in possession of this ring. Nine Ringwraiths from Mordor had been sent to find it and bring it back to their master. And she did understand that the small thing must be very powerful and terribly dangerous if they wanted to destroy it. And by the look of the faces of the assembly, Mordor wasn't paradise.
A sighed escaped Boromir's lips. "Nobody can simply enter in Mordor. The black gates are constantly garded by evil that does not sleep. Air is poisonous. Even a thousand men could not do it."
Legolas stood up again and without her knowledge, the redhead's eyes turned to him. "Haven't you heard what lord Elrond said. The ring must be destroyed."
Suddenly, Gimli jumped out of his chair and took a step toward the Elf. "Uh oh," Willow whispered. "This is bad news."
"And I suppose you think you are the one to do it," the Dwarf said with an angry voice. The hatred between Dwarves and Elves was legendary. "I would prefer to die than see that ring in the hand of an Elf!"
The room exploded. Tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Willow's eyes widened when she saw everybody stood up, confronting one another with pointless arguments. In front of her, Frodo stared at the ring without batting an eye. She understood what was happening. The ring carried so great evil that it influenced everyone around. It was as if it had a will of its own.
She gasped when Frodo stood up and got closer to the ring. "I'll do it."
Everyone turned toward the small man with surprised look on their faces. Gandalf smiled and came to stand behind his protege. "I'll help you carry this burden as long as it is yours to carry."
Aragorn kneeled in front of the Hobbit. "And if I can protect you with my life, I will. You have my sword."
Willow saw Legolas think about it for about five seconds before he gave out and crossed the distance to the Hobbit. "And you have my bow."
"And my axe!" someone said. The redhead saw the Elf roll his eyes when Gimli stood next to him, glaring at him in defiance.
Boromir walked to them calmly. "You have our faith in your hands, Little One. And if it is the wish of this council, the Gondor will bring its help."
"Hey, Frodo won't go anywhere without me!" Sam jumped from the bushes where he had been hiding for the last half an hour.
Elrond smiled. "No, you two can't be separated even when one is invited to a secret assembly and you're not," he stated, completly amused by the whole situation.
Merry and Pippin came running from another direction. "We are going too!" Elrond frowned when two other Hobbits came running in the circle, evidence that not only Sam had assisted to the council in secret. "Anyway you need intelligent people to do that mission," Pippin stated.
"That means you're in the wrong place, Pippin," Merry said, joking as ever.
"I am," a voice stated from across the room. Every faces turned toward the only female assisting to the council. Willow looked at Frodo. She had once given her help to Buffy, the Slayer, to help save the world countless times. Now, she would give her knowledge to Frodo. "My help and my knowledge are what I offer you." She took her place next to Boromir.
Elrond smiled. "Ten companions. So be it. As of now, you are the fellowship of the ring."
"Great!" Pippin exclaimed. "Where are we going?"