Disclaimer: Still don't own any LOTR characters. Mourn for me, will ya? The other disclaimer is that I used a couple of the book's phrases as well as the movie's phrases.
Also, here's a declaration that I cannot take much credit for this chapter since it follows quite a bit of the book, and the movie. In fact I cannot take much credit for the plot lines until after the War of the Ring, because my duty is to fill in the gaps as to what Legolas remembers about it. So don't sue me for plagiarism…
Author's note: This is dreadful. I haven't written again for so long =P Sorry! I've been up to my neck in examinations. Just had two long series of them, one after another. Yeech. Not to mention writer's block. Another yeech. I guess I must have lost all my readers, again. *weep*
This is a warning that this chapter may be a little dry… Because I had to put the Council in, and the Council speaks of many things of which I cannot stray from. But I promise that after this chapter I'll try my best to use much more of my own input, although I will stick to the plots of both the books and the movies, following our favourite Elf, of course =).
Anyway, Rînloth is my own creation – the name means 'queen of flowers'.
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Chapter 6: A Time To Take Counsel
Legolas entered the Square of Rivendell, and two of his trusted advisors from Mirkwood followed. The dwarves filed in from the other end of the Square, eyeing the elves disdainfully. One of the dwarves with a red curly beard – the one who had insulted Legolas the previous night – locked his eyes on Legolas with a baleful stare.
Legolas returned an equally cold look before sitting down.
Then the Rivendell elves came in, led by Erestor, one of the leading elves in Rivendell. A couple of humans strode in as well, followed by Aragorn, Galdor sent by Círdan of the Havens*, and Glorfindel the elf prince.
The first council bell rang, and a few moments later Gandalf led Bilbo and the other younger halfling in, and the old wizard took a seat beside Legolas. After greeting the elf, he began introducing the members of the council to the hobbits.
Legolas was startled to realise that Red Beard was none other than Gimli, the son of Gloín – the Gloín, one of the members of the dwarven party his father had imprisoned so long ago. + That made him understand why Red Beard was so venomous towards him. The elf felt a little guilty for his father's deeds, but he quickly shoved these nagging thoughts aside – they were dwarves, after all.
There was another introduction that raised Legolas' brows. The son of the Steward of Gondor, a proud stern-eyed man called Boromir, was seeking answers to a riddle that he had dreamt of.
Legolas was unsure what particularly this council had been called for, but he had had more haunting thoughts to ponder about during the night. Like his failed task, for instance, and that ring…
The second bell rang, and Elrond sat upon the high chair and began to address the Council.
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. There have been much evil tidings, and it is now time to make known our predicament – the peace over these few years has been but a guise, and it shall soon fade away. For the Shadow rises once more." A grim silence fell upon the Council, and Legolas bit his lip as he remembered how Ôlion died. Unconsciously, his fingers curled up into balled fists.
"You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-earth now stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall." Elrond then gestured towards the dwarves. "Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain, come forth and voice your troubles."
Gloín rose from his seat and bowed.
"For a long time, the dwarves have sought to reclaim their forefathers' great Halls, and all the splendour of Moria. Alas! Too deeply have we delved, and awoke the nameless fear."
Legolas shivered. He knew what the dwarf meant by "nameless fear". When he was younger his father had told him stories of a hideous and formidable monster of old, and he would have recurring nightmares of a large minotaur-like beast, a fiery whip in its hand –
The elf shook his head lightly to try to dismiss that image and continued listening.
"… The Daín did not give leave to them, but Balin, Ori and Oín went to restore Moria. For the first two months, they sent us letters to say that all was fine, as well as some mithril samples. But after that…" A shadow flickered across the dwarf's eyes, and Gimli put a comforting hand on his father's arm. The older dwarf sighed and continued.
"We heard from them no longer. That was only the beginning of our troubles. One day, a rider dressed in raven robes came to the Lonely Mountain and sought for the Daín. In a chilling hiss, he said, 'The Lord Sauron seeks the dwarves' friendship. He has discovered that something called a hobbit has stolen a ring, the least of rings, a trifle that Sauron fancies. To prove your friendship, he only requests that you must give information as to what hobbits are, as he has heard that a group of you has travelled with one of them before.'"
In the corner of his eye, Legolas saw Bilbo turn a shade paler, and the younger hobbit shuddered.
"'In return he will give you rings of power, as he did to your sires of old.' All of us trembled then, but the Daín calmly told the Dark Rider, 'I say neither yea nor nay.'"
"Good for the Daín!" Gandalf whispered, giving a hint of a smile.
"The Dark Rider then hissed at the Daín, 'You must decide quickly, before winter falls.' 'My time is mine to spare,' returned the Daín. 'For now,' the Rider said, and rode away. Twice more he has come, and twice he has gone unanswered. The last time he comes will be only a few months from now."
"I was sent by the Daín to warn Bilbo of these tidings, and to query what is this ring, this trifle that Sauron fancies?"
Elrond looked thoughtful a moment, then rose from the high chair, as Gloín resumed his seat.
"Thank you, Gloín. I suppose I should begin this Tale of the Ring, though others will finish it, for in the Finding of the Ring I had little part in."
"It began with the forging of the great Rings. Three were given to the Elves; Seven to the Dwarf lords; and Nine Rings were gifted to the race of Men who desired power. For within these Rings was bound the strength and will to govern each race. But they were all of them deceived, for another Ring was made. In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged in secret a master Ring, to control all others. And into this Ring, he poured his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate all life. One Ring to rule them all."
"One by one, free lands in Middle-Earth fell to the power of the Ring. But there were some who resisted. A Last Alliance of Men and Elves marched against the armies of Mordor and on the slopes of Mount Doom; they fought for the freedom of Middle-Earth. As we finally cornered Sauron, Elendil and Gil-galad charged forth." ~
"But the power of the Ring could not be undone. Sauron was still much too powerful for them. Elendil fell then, and his sword, Narsil, broke beneath him; Gil-galad was mortally wounded."
"It was in this moment when all hope had faded, that Isildur, son of Elendil, took up his father's sword. Isildur swung the sword, and cut the Ring from Sauron's hand. But as we took him to the brink of Mount Doom to throw the Ring in – Círdan, Gil-galad, and myself – we saw him hesitate, and he took the Ring for his own. Gil-galad died then, knowing that we had not completed the task the Last Alliance was set out to do."
"For Sauron was defeated, but not vanquished; the foundations of Mordor damaged, but not destroyed; and the Ring was still in Middle-earth. There would never be another Alliance between Men and Elves again, for the Firstborn decrease, and the Númenoreans' blood becomes mingled with lesser men."
"There were once two great towers built in Gondor: Minas Ithil, the Tower of the Rising Moon, and Minas Anor, the Tower of the Setting Sun. But evil things awoke and overcame Minas Ithil, and it is now a place of darkness – it is now Minas Morgul. Minas Anor was renamed as Minas Tirith, and the people of Gondor fight on, but this last defence will soon fall if the people of Middle-Earth do not stand forth and fight."
Boromir then stood up, proud and tall. "First give me leave, Master Elrond, to speak of Gondor. I doubt that many people understand what burden will be laid upon them should Minas Tirith one day fail. Under my father Denethor, the Steward of Gondor, Minas Tirith has been constantly fighting the Enemy; if Gondor falls, the Darkness will be upon us all."
"There has been much more activity in Minas Morgul than there has been in past times. The people of Gondor had been cautious, but one day the enemy took us by surprise. We fought hard, but all of a sudden our enemies were overcome by madness, and we, were taken by fear. For a fell figure rode upon his dark steed, and we were thus forced to retreat beyond the last bridge between the two towers."
"Few stood against the darkness at that moment, to unmake the bridge before us – amongst them were my brother, myself, and two others. When the people behind us heard our names, they would give much praise – much praise, but little help. The bridge was finally broken, but much of our number was lost."
"Since then, a dream came oft to my brother, Faramir, and it once came to me. In the dream I fancied that darkness filled the eastern sky, but in the West a pale light lingered, and from there a voice spoke to me:
Seek for the Sword that was broken
In Imladris it dwells
There shall counsels be taken
Stronger than Morgul-spells
There shall be shown a token
That Doom is near at hand
For Isildur's Bane will waken
And the Halfling forth shall stand
I have thus come to Rivendell, to seek the answer to this riddle."
"Here is the Sword that was Broken!" Aragorn stood up, drawing his sword and holding it in two open palms. "It was the Sword of Elendil, which broke beneath him when he fell during the Last Alliance of Men and Elves."
Boromir looked as if he wanted to speak, but Elrond rose from his place.
"Boromir will now understand the remaining of his riddle. Bring forth the ring, Frodo." Elrond commanded.
The ring! Legolas swallowed uneasily, his eyes widening as the young hobbit reluctantly got up from his seat. Frodo put the ring in the centre of the stone table.
"Tell us about your story now, Bilbo." Elrond said, turning to the hobbit.
"I would gladly do so, Master Elrond, but it is growing late, and my stomach is starting to growl." Bilbo said, standing up.
Elrond smiled kindly at him and said, "The sooner you finish your tale, the sooner you will be refreshed."
The hobbit conceded and bowed, and began his account, not omitting a single riddle this time. + Legolas listened with great interest, for though his father had once told him about Bilbo, he knew the story was rather skewed in favour of the elves, and had always wanted to hear the true tale.
Bilbo was just beginning to speak of his great Party, but Elrond put up a hand to stop him. "We shall leave stories of merry-making for later, Bilbo. For now, let Frodo continue the tale."
Frodo rose, albeit less willingly. But as he began to speak of the Dark Riders, and how they pursued him, Legolas was consumed by dark memories of his own.
"Naneth!" An elven child cried out from his hiding place, as the dark figures began circling the lady warrior. The dark figures turned to look at him, but to his horror he discovered that none of them had faces.
"Go, Legolas!" Rînloth called to him in desperation, bidding him to leave. One of the shadows started to advance on the young prince, who was too afraid to move.
"Oh no, you don't." The queen snarled and leapt to Legolas' defence.
And then they were upon her.
Legolas could not remember much of his childhood – Thranduil had told him that after his mother died he went into a trance-like state for nearly two years, and when he became lucid again he had little memory of what had happened.
Only sometimes, he would dream of the incident all over again, only to have it fade quickly away when he awoke. Centuries of life, though, had allowed Legolas to retain some of the memories from his dreams.
Legolas broke his reverie as he felt someone's eyes intent upon him. Aragorn looked worried, and Legolas realised that he must be betraying more pain than he thought. The elf gave a reassuring smile and shook his head lightly to tell the ranger that he was all right.
Frodo had completed his tale, and now Boromir stood up once more.
"It is strange that we should fear such a small artefact. If it wields such power, is it not Fate that has allowed us to be in possession of it? It is a gift – a gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this ring?" Boromir looked at the Council and continued. "Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!"
"You cannot wield it! None of us can." Aragorn said, rising and staring at Boromir long and hard. "The One Ring answers to Sauron – it has no other master."
Boromir turned to look at Aragorn, disdain evident in his eyes.
"And what, would a Ranger," Boromir sneered, "know of such a matter? And what gives you the right to hold the Sword of Elendil?"
Legolas leapt to his feet, annoyed.
"This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."
"Aragorn?" One of Boromir's brows shot up, as his lips curled in contempt. "This, is Isildur's heir?"
"And heir to the throne of Gondor." Legolas' eyes narrowed at Boromir.
Sensing that unwanted tension was building, Aragorn quickly stepped in. "Havo dad, Legolas." The ranger acknowledged his friend's concern, but gestured for the elf to be seated.
"For my part, I forgive your doubt, Boromir. A world-worn and weary ranger would hardly seem kin to the majestic figures of Isildur and Elendil carved in the halls of Gondor. But I am Isildur's heir, and not Isildur himself."
"I have had a hard and long life as a ranger, living in the wild of the North. If Minas Tirith is a stalwart tower against the Enemy, the rangers must have too, played a part. We have long protected Northern Middle-Earth, and if not for us, it would have fallen to darkness."
"And yet less thanks have we than you. Travellers scorn us, the simple folk scowl when they meet us. Yet if the simple folk are free from cares and worries, then simple they must be, and we must keep secret the tasks we carry out to protect them, even as the years pass and the grass grows."
"But the world is now changing. Isildur's Bane is found. The Doom of Men is at hand. The Sword that was Broken must be reforged. I will come to Minas Tirith."
Galdor of the Havens now rose, and questioned the Council.
"You say that Isildur's Bane is found. How can we know for sure, that this is the One Ring? And why, is Saruman the White not present? He is learned in the lore of Rings – he should be able to help us."
Gandalf gave a sad smile, as he began to speak.
"I will answer both your questions, Galdor. I understand that for some, Gloín's tidings and Frodo's tale are not enough. Yet, it is a Ring. The Nine, the Nazgul have; the Seven, were taken or destroyed; and the Three are unfouled and hidden. These Rings, each have their proper gem, but not so the One, which was round and unadorned, to make it seem one of the lesser rings."
"Long ago had I consulted Saruman the Wise, and he beguiled me with his words, saying that the One Ring fell to the Sea, and was lost forever."
"But it was around this time, that I realised that Bilbo had a ring that possessed magical powers. As years passed, Bilbo did not seem to grow any older, save for his whitening hair, and I began to suspect that the ring, was not but a mere artefact of magic."
"Pursuing answers, I sought for the creature Gollum with the help of Aragorn. Long years we spent hunting him, but we did not find him. My worries increasingly grew, for so many questions were left unanswered. Saruman is learned in the lore of rings, but his information must have had a source. And whose hand did the Ring end up in after Sauron? Who else, but Isildur, himself?"
"With these queries in mind, I forsook the chase, and took to Gondor. I delved deeply into the ancient libraries of Minas Tirith, and I finally found the answers I sought."
"Isildur described the ring as neither small nor large, neither light nor heavy. He spoke of markings upon the ring, markings that could only be told by fire. When I met Frodo before he left the Shire, I threw this very ring into the hearth. Only then, were the baneful markings visible:
Ash nazg durbatulûk,
ash nazg gimbatul,
ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul
Gandalf drew himself tall, and his voice grew menacing. A shadow seemed to pass over the sun, and the mortals trembled in fear, whilst the elves stopped their ears.
But as he ended, he grew bent once more, and the darkness fleeted from the Council.
"None has ever dared to utter those words in the tongue of Mordor here." Elrond said, and the company breathed once more.
"And let us hope that they will never be uttered in Imladris again." Gandalf sighed, but continued. "One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them. It was this One Ring, that granted the creature Gollum his unnatural life, and the desire for it consumed him. Aragorn alone continued the pursuit for Gollum, and as to what mortal dangers he had faced, I dare not guess."
"There is little to be said of the pursuit, save it being long and dreary. Gandalf and I had hunted his tracks till the borders of Mordor, where we dared not set foot in." Aragorn said, not noticing that Legolas was growing increasingly uneasy. "The Enemy had found Gollum first, and the creature was tormented for the whereabouts of the Ring."
"But not long after Gandalf rode to Gondor, had I discovered fresh tracks near the Dead Marshes. It led not to Mordor, but away from it. I followed its trail for a couple of days more, and finally caught it."
"It will never love me, I fear, for the creature fought me every inch of the way. Gandalf and I had agreed to send it to the Elves of Mirkwood for safeguarding, for though it may be small, its mischief is great. But now that it is safely imprisoned, I am at ease." Aragorn turned to Legolas and smiled.
"Alas! Alas!" Legolas cried, and on his fair elvish face there was great distress. "The tidings I was sent to bear must now be told. I had not known how evil this news might seem to this Council until this day. The creature Gollum has escaped."
"How be that the folk of Thranduil failed in their trust?" Aragorn cried, as a fleeting sense of betrayal flashed through his eyes. Guilt struck Legolas hard, and the elf dared not raise his eyes to meet the ranger's.
"Not through the lack of watchfulness," Legolas said, quietly. "But perhaps through over-kindliness. Gandalf told us to hope for its cure, so we had not the heart to keep it imprisoned in our dungeons."
"You were less tender to me," Gloín said, his eyes alight, stirred by old memories in the dungeons of Thranduil's hall. Legolas did not argue, he had not the strength to – the look in Estel's eyes had drained the energy from him.
"Pray do not interrupt, my dear Gloín." Gandalf stepped in on Legolas' behalf. "If we were to bring up all the grievances between elves and dwarves, we might as well abandon this Council."
Gloín grunted, but bowed and sat down, letting Legolas continue.
"In days of fair weather we led Gollum to the woods, and he often liked to climb a high tree standing alone far from the others. We allowed him up to the highest branches, till he felt the free wind; but we always set a guard at the tree's foot."
"One day he refused to come down, and our guards had no mind to climb after him. They sat at the tree for a long while, but in that starless night the orcs came over the mountains, and battled with our party."
Ôlion, Legolas thought, visions of his bloodied friend lying under the Ûn-fêr flashing through his mind. The elf closed his eyes in pain.
"We fought hard, but we could not get to the guards in time. When the orcs left the guards were either taken or slain, and Gollum had escaped." Legolas opened his eyes once more, but they were bright with unshed tears.
"That is ill news indeed." Gandalf said, but his tone was not an accusing one. "We shall all rue it bitterly, I fear. Gollum has escaped, but as of present we can do nothing about it. As for Galdor's second question about Saruman, I too bring some adverse news."
"At the end of June in the Shire I was greeted by Radagast the Brown¹, one of my order. He had a message for me from Saruman, and I was to meet the latter immediately and not tarry any longer. It was my biggest mistake to obey the message."
"'I have come to seek your advice, Saruman the White.' I said as I met him, but his title seemed to anger him."
"'Indeed, Gandalf the Grey!' he scoffed. 'Did Radagast the Brown speak to you? Radagast the Bird-tamer? Radagast the Simpleton?' I was surprised by his sudden outburst, but as he moved towards me I realised that his white robes were no longer white, but woven of many colours, so that it changed as he walked, and bewildered the eye. 'I am no longer Saruman the White. I am now Saruman of Many Colours!'"
"'I liked white better.' I told him."
"'White!' he sneered. 'White cloth can be dyed, and the white page overwritten.' In his eyes grew a madness that I had not seen before. 'A new power is arising, Gandalf, and none of us will have the power to stop it. Against the power of Mordor there can be no victory. We must join with him. We must join with Sauron, my old friend.'"
"'Then tell me, friend,' I stressed the last syllable, 'when did Saruman the Wise abandon reason for insanity?' He snarled at me and attacked." Gandalf sighed before continuing. "Alas, he was more powerful than I, and he disarmed me, then imprisoned me on the pinnacle of Orthanc."
"Imprisoned? You?" Frodo cried, unbelieving that there could be any stronger than Gandalf.
"Yes, I." Gandalf gave a weary smile. "It was only by chance that a small moth came to me, and I bade it to bring a message to Gwahir +, King of the Eagles. Saruman came once more to me on the pinnacle to try to sway me, but I would not listen. It was also by chance and sheer luck that Gwahir came at this time, and I jumped off the pinnacle to safety."
"His treachery runs even deeper. By foul craft has Saruman crossed orcs with goblin-men. He is breeding an army that can walk in the day, and at great speeds. Saruman is coming for the Ring."
A disturbing silence settled upon the Council. At length, Elrond rose to speak.
"Our list of allies grow thin." Elrond spoke, gravely. "If Saruman has betrayed us, there are few to stand against both the powers Mordor and Isengard."
"Can we not ask help from Iarwain Ben-adar? His powers are strong." Erestor stood to ask. "And how about the Beornings?" ^
Elrond shook his head. "No. Tom Bombadil may have powers, but he will only protect the Old Forest, not further than that. The Beornings may be strong, but they too, will not be able to withstand both evils. But I will dispatch messengers to our remaining allies to warn them of Middle-Earth's danger."
"What of the Ring, then?" Gloín questioned. "The way I see it, we have only two choices: one is to hide the Ring, and never speak of it again; the other is to destroy it."
"Too long have all of us been living in fear of the Enemy. It is time to take a harder road." Elrond said. "The Ring must be destroyed."
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Gimli got up, a broadaxe in hand, and brought it down swiftly upon the ring. Instead, the axe shattered, and the ring remained intact.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Gloín, by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. 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 here must do this."
"Do you think that it is so simple to walk into Mordor?" Boromir rose, indignant. "Its black gates are heavily guarded by orcs, wolves, and other dark creatures that see no light of day. There is evil there that does not sleep. The Great Eye is ever watchful. How can it even be possible to penetrate such a perilous wasteland riddled with fire, ash and dust? Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly."
Legolas stood up, furious that this mortal should question men and elves greater than he is. "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? This Council has spoke of all the dangers the Ring brings with it. The Ring must be destroyed!"
Gimli jumped up, an expression of scorn written on his face. "And I suppose that you are the one to do it?" The dwarf sneered at the elf, sarcasm dripping from his voice. Legolas turned to glare at the dwarf, an unnatural fury rising in his heart.
"And what then, if we fail?" Boromir continued to challenge the Council. "What happens when Sauron reclaims what is his?"
"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" Gimli spat, but his outburst surprised even himself. The elves sprang from their seats, enraged by Gimli's words. But Legolas sensed something amiss, and though he was ready to fight the insolent dwarf, he stood his ground and held the rest of the elves at bay.
Gimli, on the other hand, did not stop to ponder about his bizarre rage, for wrath was quickly blinding all from reason.
"No one trusts an Elf!" Gimli growled.
"It's not as if dwarves are trustworthy themselves!" Gladhên yelled.
Aragorn pushed the Rivendell elves away from the angry dwarves, as he raised his voice above the commotion. "This is no time for fighting amongst ourselves!"
"What do you mean ourselves, those stunted beings – "
"As though dwarves would love to be one of your kind!"
"And our height is our own business!"
"In other words, just mind your own business, ranger." Boromir sneered.
"Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.
You will bow before him when he reclaims his throne!" Bilbo could stand it no longer. He joined in the arguments, defending Aragorn.
"Do you not understand that while we bicker among ourselves, Sauron's power grows! None can escape it!" Gandalf struggled to be heard in the crossfire.
"What's the matter, elf," Gimli scorned Legolas, "Not enough guts to fight?"
Legolas' temper finally surfaced. "If you want a fight, I'd be glad to give you one!" The elven prince was nearly ready to strike a blow, when he finally heard a small voice call out to the Council, bringing the debate to a screeching halt.
"I will take it! I will take the Ring to Mordor…" It was Frodo, the young hobbit who had spoken. "Although I do not know the way."
In that instant, all the elves, men and dwarves grew ashamed of themselves, that instead of coming together to solve their problem they had engaged in petty squabbles. And instead of one of them offering their help, the burden was now laid upon one of the small folk.
Gandalf walked up to Frodo, and a melancholic smile touched his fatigued face. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, for as long as it is yours bear."
Aragorn then stood before the hobbit, greatly moved. "If by life or death I can protect you, I will." He knelt down before Frodo on one knee, and promised then, "You have my sword."
Legolas too, was deeply touched by the hobbit's courage. The elf moved to Aragorn's side, and pledged his loyalty as well.
"And you have my bow."
"And my axe!" Gimli was inspired by Frodo's fortitude as well, but his motivation was enhanced by the wish to keep the elven prince in check.
Boromir then walked towards the young hobbit, and said, "You carry the fate of us all, little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."
It was then that Sam sprang out of the bushes (actually all the elves long knew that he was there, and Legolas was wondering whether he would show himself at all), and stood proudly beside Frodo. "Ha! Mister Frodo is not going anywhere without me!"
"No, indeed it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." Elrond said, his stern eyes now twinkling.
"And we're going too!" cried Pippin and Merry, now coming out from behind the pillars.
"You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" Merry declared, but quickly sobered as he saw Gandalf pondering this possibility.
"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of... mission. Quest. Thing." Pippin said, his face stubborn.
"I believe that that would rule you out, Peregrin Took." Gandalf muttered, but the hobbit took no notice. Elrond, however, heard the wizard, and agreed.
"My heart is against the youngest hobbit going," Elrond said, "for the journey will be long and arduous." A mournful expression immediately spread across Pippin's face, but it was an amusing one to see and Legolas almost laughed aloud.
But Gandalf unexpectedly contradicted himself. "However, it is better to trust to the love of friends in this dark times," Gandalf told the Elrond, "for even if you sent an elven lord Glorfindel in our company, his power holds no guarantee that we can cross the dark towers and fight the evil within. No, I would believe it wiser to put our faith in friendship."
Elrond sighed, but conceded. "Nine companions. So be it! From now on, you shall be known as the Fellowship of the Ring. Seven days from now you must leave Rivendell, and in the meantime messengers will be sent to our allies." The Lord of Rivendell then turned his gaze on Aragorn. "Hand Narsil, the Sword of Elendil, to us, Estel. There are some prominent elven smiths amongst this Council. We will reforge it."
Aragorn respectfully handed his forefather's blade over, as the Fellowship bowed before the elf lord, and retired for the day.
"Legolas! Wait up!" Aragorn quickly caught up with the long strides of his elven friend. But Legolas kept his head down and continued walking down the garden's path.
"Legolas!" The ranger moved in front of Legolas in an attempt to block the elf. The prince stopped short in his gait but did not look up.
"Look, Estel, I'm very sorry about losing Gollum, and I know I betrayed the trust of both Mithrandir and you…" Legolas trailed off for awhile, nearly choking at his memories. "But there's nothing I can do about it any longer, and – "
Aragorn cut him short.
"Legolas."
Legolas snapped his head up, surprised to hear not a trace of anger in his friend's voice. This time he caught Aragorn's gaze, and now the ranger's eyes held no sign of betrayal, only sorrow and regret.
Aragorn looked into the eyes of Legolas and spoke. "Legolas. I apologise. I didn't know what had happened, and I jumped to conclusions too quickly, and have thus led you to believe that we can trust you no longer. But I had spoken too hastily in the Council, my friend."
"You… still trust me, then?" Legolas asked hesitantly.
The ranger's face creased with a confirmatory smile. "With my life. My outburst was a big mistake, Legolas." Aragorn placed a comforting hand on Legolas' arm. "I hope you can forgive me for that."
Legolas was glad for the touch, and smiled back. "There is nothing to forgive, Estel – the Council made me understand how ill my tidings were." \
"But I don't believe my words alone troubled you."
The elf's eyes widened. Trust Aragorn to still know Legolas so well after all these years.
"Something else happened during Gollum's escape, isn't it?"
"I'm sorry, my friend." Aragorn said quietly, Legolas by his side watching the stars. "I had no idea."
The elven prince shook his head lightly as he struggled to fight back the tears. "No one expected it to happen – much less would anyone guess that it had occurred. I'll be all right, Aragorn. Don't worry about me."
Aragorn gave an inward sigh. He clearly did not believe that Legolas would be "all right" any time soon – the loss of a dear friend takes heavy tolls on an elf. But the ranger knew that this was one wound that Legolas must heal on his own, and thus spoke no more.
"After all," Legolas whispered, almost to himself, "there are so many more things to worry about now." And as he gazed to the heavens once more, he saw a star flicker.
And die.
Translations:
Naneth : Mother
Havo dad, Legolas : Those who have watched the movie would probably know that this means, "Sit down, Legolas."
* Círdan is the elf that sails people to the Havens, kind of like the guardian of the Havens
+ Read the Hobbit to know more about Bilbo, Gloín, the Daín and Gwahir! :)
~ Elendil was a brave Númenorean King, father of Isildur, one of the forefathers of Aragorn; Gil-galad was an Elven King
¹ Radagast the Brown is one the Maia – i.e. a wizard – as well. He is more learned in birds and beasts.
^ Iarwain Ben-adar is none other than Tom Bombadil who is a strange person who lives in the woods near the Shire. His powers are indeed great, but he will not leave his homeland. The Beornings are the children of Beorn, the shapeshifter who lives near Mirkwood. For more information on Beorn read the Hobbit :)
\ Well, just in case any one wonders, I wrote this before watching The Two Towers, and it just so happened that Legolas says the same thing as Aragorn, so don't blame me :)
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*sigh* This is awful! One whole month and only one chapter (albeit a rather lengthy one). I beseech my readers' forgiveness. Time has not been kindly to me these days. I'm also aware that this chapter does not exactly focus much on Legolas, but the Council is a pivotal point for all the characters and my duty is to fill in the story, so please bear with me. More action coming up I suppose. =)
Argh. Somehow Word Documents turned to .html files look weird on spacing.
And because of some gripes from my favourite editor (she's my only beta-reader anyway) I'm supposed to give her an honourable mention. There: "Honourable Mention to Rogue Runaway". That should do it. Any fics you guys/gals want beta-ed, go look for ROGUE RUNAWAY. This advert will cost you $100, my dear editor *beam* (my prices raise now and then, yeah? *wink*)
Mew – Thanks for the lovely review! I'm glad that my writing is IC… I was quite afraid it would not be. Hope you'll continue to review, fellow dws member! =)
Rogue Runaway – How come you get to be the honorary member? Hmph. You should start writing too, editor, or Mew and I will keep pestering you. Thanks for reviewing anyway (though not much substance ;)) – it encourages me greatly.
littlefish – *sheepish grin* I finished reading your Dark Horizons fic but because it was the last chapter I was lazy to review (slow internet connection :P) So I figured I would review it here instead, I hope you don't mind *grin* – I'm glad everything had a happy ending although I would have preferred Legolas to get a strike back at Malek. But on the whole it was a brilliant story and I'd like to congratulate you for it. I know you've started on another one, I'll be going to read it soon =) As for the review you gave me, I thank you greatly – your reviews are also always encouraging. I hope you'll like this chapter, albeit its length and a little bit of… uh… long-windedness. I think I just depreciated my story. ;)
Frigia – Thanks for coming back to review! Here's the next chapter… I'm sorry it took so long *sheepish look*
TreeHugger – May the stars shine upon you, too! Your reviews (together with my beta-reader's and littlefish's) are always such lovely ones to read and I always look forward to them. Thanks for your encouragement and compliments! I like Gladhen too, pity he isn't going on the journey though. I'm relieved to know that an elvish expert like you liked Gladhen's song! Phew! I was worried as to whether it would make sense or not. Thanks again!
Gimli der Zwerg – Glad you liked it! I'm not giving up, but it may take quite along time for new chapters, so I hope you don't mind. Just curious… What does Zwerg mean, anyway? =)
mini scrim – Thanks for reviewing and your support! I have finally written another chapter! =)