"It has been long indeed, son of Thandruil!" said Aragorn with sincerity to
Legolas and Gandalf who were standing in the corner of the room, talking
softly. Legolas' eyes lit up at the sight of Aragorn. He swiftly walked up
to him and met him halfway and they shook hands in the old fashion - by
grabbing each other's forearm just above the wrist, instead the hands. "And
it is good to see you, my friend" he said in his beautiful voice. He
knitted his brows then and looked the man up and down, "You look worse
every time I see you, Aragorn. How do you do that?"
Aragorn grinned slowly "I'll tell you if you tell me how you look exactly the same every time I see YOU, Legolas".
Legolas grinned as well. "Come, we have been talking with Gandalf about this grave issue that lies ahead of us" he said and they both walked up to Gandalf who was sucking thoughtfully on the pipe in his mouth, unaware that it had grown cold quite a while ago.
"It is good to see familiar and trusted faces in this crowd" Aragorn said slowly and moved closer to avoid being heard.
"Do you not trust these men?" asked Legolas.
"Aragorn does not trust anyone" said Gandalf with a smile.
Aragorn laughed lightly, "I trust one or two. And that is far more than usual in these dark times" he added a bit bitterly.
"I can relate" said Legolas and they followed his gaze to the dwarves who were keeping among themselves and throwing suspicious looks to everyone else. Especially the elves.
"Dark times indeed" said Gandalf slowly. "But Elrond is right. We must fight together, for divided we will fall. This mistrust is what Sauron is trying to forge into us. We must overcome it. I can only hope that we can achieve this at the meeting of the council, tomorrow".
His company nodded in agreement. Suddenly a wave of soft whispers traveled through the room. All three turned to look at the entrance which seemed to be the source of it.
In walked a figure all clad in black. He was of middle statue, shorter than most in the room, with wide shoulders and an athletic built. His black tunic reached down to his knees and was covered with a black leather vest around the chest. His arms and shoulders as well were covered with leather holsters and bands. Black soft gloves hid his hands. Black trousers were tucked into black leather boots. His face was covered with a dark veil, leaving only the eyes in the open, which could not be seen either, for they were under the cover of a large hood.
"Behold", said Aragorn slowly, "the Black Knight has arrived".
"THIS is the infamous Black Knight?" said Legolas with mild curiosity.
"I have heard of him as well" said Gandalf and looked the man up and down. "But I never had the chance to meet him. He is well acquainted with the men of Gondor".
"Yes, he fought many battles with them against the orcs that pour in from Mordor" said Aragorn with a soft voice that only the three of them could hear, "The men of Gondor admire him. But he is not bound to them. He is not bound to anyone. I have met him once in an inn. He knew who I was, though. Does not talk much, that fellow."
The Black Knight passed by them slowly with a feral grace and went straight to the company of Boromir and his fellow men. Boromir seemed to be overjoyed to see him. He shook the Black Knight's arm heartily and introduced him to the other men.
"Why would he be here?" asked Legolas. "He does not represent any kingdom or people". He did not like the fellow. Someone who had so much to hide about himself could surely not be a trustable fellow.
"Obviously Elrond has a reason to invite him as well" said Gandalf. He looked over to the Knight again, who stood with a relaxed and yet reserved posture and was listening to Boromir. He rejected an offered drink. The Black Knight never ate or drank in public. "Odd fellow" mumbled Gandalf to himself.
***
The next day when he Council met to decide on the fate of Middle Earth, Legolas realized with mild dislike that the Black Knight had already taken his place in the circle that was reserved for so few in Middle Earth. He was sitting next to Boromir, with the men of Gondor. "Who can tell that there is no orc underneath that garment" he thought suspiciously. "Looks like a black adder to me".
He looked over to Gandalf who was patting Frodo on the shoulder. Frodo looked more tired and sad than excited or interested. A silence settled on the company as Elrond approached the circle and took his seat across it with two other elves. "Friends of Middle Earth" he began. Legolas listened intently. Until this very moment he had hoped that he was wrong about the gravity of the situation. It seemed a bad joke that the One Ring was found after so many years. True, the elves had been feeling the change in the world for some time now, but nobody suspected that Sauron, who was now only a myth of the past, could rise and regain his power once again. He was not present in the last battle when Isildur defeated the Dark Lord, he was born a few years after that. But he had heard much about those times. And those stories did not sound good at all.
However, when Frodo approached and presented the ring, he knew that all was true. An unspeakable evil emanated from that thing. He could feel it in his bones even though he was sitting at a comfortable distance from it. He glanced from face to face and realized that all seemed to go through the same feelings. Frodo seemed relieved while Gandalf's looks were sad and wary. Aragorn seemed to be struggling to believe that this was really happening while the dwarves exchanged suspicious and excited looks. Boromir had an oddly glad expression and the Black Knight......... the Black Knight was looking at him and swiftly turned his head before their eyes could meet.
Legolas now liked him even less. "I hope Elrond has good reasons to invite such a man to a meeting like this" he thought with a tinge of anger. He seemed to be waiting in the shadows, always watching, thinking, scheming. So far he had been unable to detect any expression of emotion from him and that only added to his dislike. Only an elf could be that neutral......... "Could he be an elf?" he wondered all of a sudden, shocked about the possibility of that thought. But an elf would not.............No....... he could not be. He quickly discarded the idea. But he neither looked nor "felt" like other men either. He stirred uncomfortably in his seat and realized that Boromir was on his feet now, trying to convince the council to use the ring. No one seemed to be happy about that idea.
The son of Gondor was -as were many men- very much under the pressure of his emotions. He was forced to back up with the tumultuous rage of Gandalf. "And what would a Ranger know about this" he said bitterly when Aragorn spoke his mind.
Legolas immediately jumped to his feet. "That is no mere ranger. He is Argorn, son of Arathorn" he said with fury. Men! Always speaking before thinking. Did their own line of kings mean nothing to them anymore? Everyone turned in surprise to Aragorn who seemed to be a little bit uncomfortable with the exposure.
"Aragorn? THIS is Isildur's heir?" Boromir said with displeasure.
"And heir to the throne of Gondor" added Legolas levelly.
Then that stupid dwarf actually tried to smash the ring -the Ring of Power!- with his axe! Legolas felt as if the axe had shattered on his own head! He grabbed the arms of the chair wincing from the pain and the anger. After that all hell broke lose. Everyone jumped to his feet, yelling. He had barely time to hold his friends back who were more than upset about the remarks of the rude dwarves.
And to his utter amazement, Frodo the Hobbit came up in all the chaos and volunteered to be the ringbearer. He felt a sudden respect for this boy. Gandalf stood up and promised his support. Then Aragorn pledged the same.
He stood up next with determination. There was not the slightest doubt in his mind that this was where he belonged. He would have gone anywhere with Gandalf and Aragorn, but aside from this, this quest required his skills and he was more than willing to offer them for a cause like this. "And my bow" he said, walked over and stood by Gandalf.
To his utter demise, the dwarf joined them as well, followed by Boromir. Suddenly all the other hobbits ran in. Elrond had indeed a funny expression for such a wise elf when they ran past him to take their place next to their friend Frodo. Just when they seemed to be complete, a new voice echoed: "And I my staff". It was the first time he heard his voice, which had a neutral, even boyish tinge to it. 'I would expect a hissing' he thought bitterly. The Black Knight walked towards them. He stood to the very edge of the group, his legs spread apart. Even the hobbits seemed to be intimidated by him. 'His staff?' thought Legolas, 'that does not even sound much of a use. And I have not seen him carrying one either'. The only weapon he could see on the man was a sword with a very narrow blade and a curious, mild curve. He had a short thick stick that seemed to be made of a dull metal strapped to his belt, but he could not imagine the curious object to be a deadly weapon. He glanced at Gandalf, who looked back with an unreadable expression.
"You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring" Elrond blessed them. 'If Elrond agrees to his presence, and if Gandalf will not object to it, I must accept it as well' he thought. But he would certainly keep an eye on this fellow.
***
So the fellowship set out. They traveled on foot and this finally gave him the chance to travel beyond Rivendell, as he had been wishing to do for a long time now. He had missed the rest of the world. He could barely remember the last time he had left Mirkwood or the neighborhood if it. The open plains and mountains and hills felt good to walk through. He loved the forest, yet living in it too long could become oppressive - even for an elf!
The hobbits recovered easily from the grave atmosphere that had dominated the Council meeting in Rivendell and their departure. They had a close friendship, that much was easy to see, and they had no fear of expressing it. He was especially impressed by the love and loyalty between Frodo and Sam. Gandalf was in a good mood as well. Gimli (the dwarf) was always complaining and talking with that abrasive deep voice of his. There was tenseness between Boromir and Aragorn, which he could sense easily enough. Other than that, the fellowship seemed to be very harmonious.
Oh yes... then there was the Black Knight. Aragorn was right, he did not talk much. He was switching places every now and then, moving up and down the line. He only talked to Boromir and spent just a couple of words with everyone else. Legolas sensed unrest in him, though he could not imagine why. After all, he was making everybody else timid with that outfit and his silence. He did not join their meals, eating apart from everyone else. And he still had not staff Legolas had seen of!
On the third day when they had managed to put a good distance between themselves and Rivendell and when they decided to take yet another rest (Legolas had believed these rests to be rather unnecessary in the beginning, but then reminded himself that the company did not consist of elves) by the shade of a few trees that seemed to be the last before a long walk on hills and rocks, the unthinkable happened.
***
Gandalf was stuffing his pipe and everyone else was getting on with picking a place to sit or lie when he looked up with a different light in his blue eyes and said "I think it is time. You can take off that outfit now".
Everyone froze in mid-action and looked up to see what the conversation was about. Gandalf's eyes did not leave the Black Knight who paused only for a moment and contrary to general expectance, slowly pulled down his hood and then began the process of unveiling himself. Everyone was holding their breath and looking at him as if Sauron himself would come out from below the tunic. Even Boromir seemed uneasy. Only Gandalf was puffing merrily on his pipe, with an expression that seemed closer to amusement than to anything else.
He pulled the last strap out and lifted the cloth from his face. As a matter of fact, to everyone's utter horror and confusion, "from HER face" would be a more correct expression. For a woman was standing before them now! Her brown wavy hair was tied into a ponytail and now fell lazily off from her shoulders and reached her waist. She had a face with prominent cheekbones and jaw. It was not the oval and soft features of a beauty. Her eyes were brown and her brows a perfect arch. Yet she was beautiful, the way a panther was beautiful, probably.
She smiled and threw down the cloth and began to take off her shoulder plates and her vest "I was worried that you would not ask, Gandalf" she said with a mild amusement in her tone, "it was getting too hot in this thing". And that's when everyone sprang to their feet.
"What is going on here?" yelled Boromir.
"Gandalf, who is this?" asked Frodo with a timid voice and moved slightly behind the wizard to seek safety.
Merry and Pippin just jumped back a couple of steps, but then decided that the scene was too interesting to go any further and remained where they were.
Sam was too baffled to say anything, but unconsciously moved in front of Frodo as if he meant to protect him.
Aragorn had pulled out his sword and was scanning the woods as if he expected others to jump out of the trees any minute.
Legolas stood there with one of his feet on a small boulder, with something like utter confusion in his face. He seemed to be unable to decide whether he should approach or fall back.
Gimli's mouth had actually fallen open and he was only staring in obvious disbelief.
"Gandalf........." pleaded Frodo again.
"I demand......." began Boromir,
"I do not see any others" was saying Aragorn.
"How can that....be" whispered Legolas.
"Is that.....what IS that Merry?" said Pippin.
"... an explanation!" finished Boromir.
"A human..... woman?" grumbled Gimli.
And they were talking all at the same time, their voices getting louder and louder until Gandalf stood up and everyone stopped in mid sentence. The woman was still patiently removing the excess of her clothing. "May I ask how you knew?" she said softly, looking up at Gandalf now, completely ignoring everyone else.
"Let us say.......... a wizard's instinct, Irulan".
"A stealthy wizard indeed" she said and chuckled lightly.
"Gentlemen!" said Gandalf out loud, although he did not really need to speak up any further. It was as quite as a cemetery at that moment. "Let me introduce, Princess Irulan, daughter of King Kanduin".
Irulan's head shot up "I don't use that title anymore" she hissed softly.
"She is what? A WHAT?" said Boromir.
"What happened to the Black Knight?" said Merry.
"Well is it not obvious by now?" she chimed merrily, and then added with a darker voice "I had to kill him to take his place".
Frodo actually went white in the face and Boromir too pulled out his sword. He and Aragorn looked at each other. Gimli was reaching for his axe when Gandalf threw them a hard look and held up his hand "Don't be foolish! This IS the Black Knight". Another long silence followed.
"I don't understand" said Aragorn very slowly.
Irulan threw her hands up and that movement seemed to make everybody jump up slightly, "Gandalf! Shall I go and defeat Sauron single handedly while you explain? Looks like it will require an awful long of time!"
Boromir moved forward stealthily, "Who are you?" he hissed. His face was a mask of anger and hate.
Irulan merely looked at him. "Don't you recognize your brother in arms, son of Gondor?" she said with a cold voice.
"You are not my brother in arms!" he spat. "You are a witch! What did you do to the Black Knight?"
Irulan waved the argument away. "Ah well, I have been called worse".
Legolas finally found his voice again. "Irulan......... how.......... you died." he said softly, the confusion in his face still persisting.
"Riiiiiiiighht... a GHOST" whispered Merry in amazement.
"Is this some evil sorcery, Gandalf?" yelled Gimli, not looking away from the dangerous creature in front of him.
"Some fellowship!" muttered Irulan. She had finished undressing and stood now with the black tunic, the black breeches and the soft black leather boots only. The large shoulders and the bulky air created merely by vest over vest was gone. She looked very obviously a woman now. An athletic one, but a woman nevertheless.
"Obviously I did not, Legolas" she said a bit impatiently. He was taken aback by her coldness and hardness. She looked like Irulan and he madly wished her to be, yet she seemed distant and foreign. He looked over at Gandalf helplessly. "Did you know?" he whispered.
"No my friend" said Gandalf. "But I always suspected. You were right, she was not one to take her own life".
"What in the name of hell are you TALKING about?!" screamed Boromir again.
"Boromir" said Gandalf with a stern voice, "I know this is hard to understand for you right now. But the truth is, Pr- Irulan has been the Black Knight from the beginning and nothing has changed - she is still your friend and brother in arms. You said that you would trust her with your life more than once, and she is still that person. In time, you will find it easier to get used to". Boromir looked frantically from Gandalf to Irulan and back. "Sheath your sword, son of Gondor" said Gandalf slowly. A silence followed and finally both Aragorn and Boromir sheathed their swords. Irulan was looking away, oddly oblivious to the reactions around her.
"She can not come with us, Gandalf" said Aragorn cautiously. "No hard feelings... princess... but this quest is none for a woman".
"IF she is a woman! I half expect her to shed another skin and come out as something else!" Sam muttered. Irulan laughed softly at that.
"True" said Legolas. He had a bitter expression on his face now, "A mortal woman would only slow us down. We can not allow that, Gandalf" he spat rather with too much emotion for an elf.
Boromir was quietly looking at the ground.
Gandalf was silent for a while. So was Irulan. If she was angered by their comments, she did not show it. She was still looking away when she suddenly turned to Aragorn and Legolas both of which slightly tipped back, and said "I am part of this Fellowship whether you like it or not. I was sent out with you, it is my right to remain until a reason presents itself to do otherwise. In which case, I assure you, I have enough sense to leave this circle myself".
"This is not a game, child" said Gimli with exasperation.
"You don't say?" chirped Irulan, mocking surprise.
"Don't you see that this is beyond you?" said Aragorn. "I can see that you feel the need to prove yourself" -Irulan's eyebrows shot up at that remark- "but this is neither the time nor way to do it".
She was just about to reply when Gandalf spoke up again. "She is right my friends. She IS part of this".
"Gandalf........." said Legolas but Gandalf cut him short. "I believe it is time that you LISTEN to my words. I said, this IS the Black Knight. She is not some woman who grabbed her pan and decided to join us!" A smile crept on Irulan's face. "You have to see beyond her appearance. Elrond knew who she was and gave her permission to come anyway. Do any of you doubt his wisdom?"
Irulan turned to Legolas with a killer smile. "You of all people should not doubt me, Prince of Mirkwood". If anything, he looked angrier after that. "Besides" continued Irulan and addressed all of them now, "you need me".
"What?" said Gimli, "what is this man -I mean WOMAN- talking about, Gandalf?"
Irulan turned to Gandalf, "Will you tell them, or shall I?"
Gandalf sighed deeply. "Elrond would not reveal her identity, but he told me the reason she was accepted to be a part of the Fellowship. She is the only one who knows the way to Mordor" he mumbled.
Even Boromir's head snapped up at that.
"Mordor?" said Frodo softly.
"Yes" said Irulan. "So unless you stumble about another skilled and trustable guide who can take you to the gates of Barad-Dur, I WILL make this trip. No hard feelings Master Aragorn. Do no let your emotions and prejudice endanger the quest".
"How would you know the way to Mordor?" said Sam suspiciously.
"Because I went there and came back."
A gasp ran through the Fellowship. "Pray tell me" began Boromir slowly, "why would ANYONE actually want to go to MORDOR?" his voice grew louder with every word and he almost spat the last one.
"Well for fun of course!" she said after a short, deadly silence. "Sure, Sauron lives there, and the orc population is just devastating; and I must confess, it is a bit too hot and damp for my taste, but apart from that..... Mordor is not that bad a place at all" she grinned. And then an utterly serious and angry mask took hold of her features in the blink of an eye. "The point is" she said with something that sounded like a low growl, "I went there, and I came back........ in one piece! That is all I have to say. That is all I NEED to say, gentlemen!"
Aragorn grinned slowly "I'll tell you if you tell me how you look exactly the same every time I see YOU, Legolas".
Legolas grinned as well. "Come, we have been talking with Gandalf about this grave issue that lies ahead of us" he said and they both walked up to Gandalf who was sucking thoughtfully on the pipe in his mouth, unaware that it had grown cold quite a while ago.
"It is good to see familiar and trusted faces in this crowd" Aragorn said slowly and moved closer to avoid being heard.
"Do you not trust these men?" asked Legolas.
"Aragorn does not trust anyone" said Gandalf with a smile.
Aragorn laughed lightly, "I trust one or two. And that is far more than usual in these dark times" he added a bit bitterly.
"I can relate" said Legolas and they followed his gaze to the dwarves who were keeping among themselves and throwing suspicious looks to everyone else. Especially the elves.
"Dark times indeed" said Gandalf slowly. "But Elrond is right. We must fight together, for divided we will fall. This mistrust is what Sauron is trying to forge into us. We must overcome it. I can only hope that we can achieve this at the meeting of the council, tomorrow".
His company nodded in agreement. Suddenly a wave of soft whispers traveled through the room. All three turned to look at the entrance which seemed to be the source of it.
In walked a figure all clad in black. He was of middle statue, shorter than most in the room, with wide shoulders and an athletic built. His black tunic reached down to his knees and was covered with a black leather vest around the chest. His arms and shoulders as well were covered with leather holsters and bands. Black soft gloves hid his hands. Black trousers were tucked into black leather boots. His face was covered with a dark veil, leaving only the eyes in the open, which could not be seen either, for they were under the cover of a large hood.
"Behold", said Aragorn slowly, "the Black Knight has arrived".
"THIS is the infamous Black Knight?" said Legolas with mild curiosity.
"I have heard of him as well" said Gandalf and looked the man up and down. "But I never had the chance to meet him. He is well acquainted with the men of Gondor".
"Yes, he fought many battles with them against the orcs that pour in from Mordor" said Aragorn with a soft voice that only the three of them could hear, "The men of Gondor admire him. But he is not bound to them. He is not bound to anyone. I have met him once in an inn. He knew who I was, though. Does not talk much, that fellow."
The Black Knight passed by them slowly with a feral grace and went straight to the company of Boromir and his fellow men. Boromir seemed to be overjoyed to see him. He shook the Black Knight's arm heartily and introduced him to the other men.
"Why would he be here?" asked Legolas. "He does not represent any kingdom or people". He did not like the fellow. Someone who had so much to hide about himself could surely not be a trustable fellow.
"Obviously Elrond has a reason to invite him as well" said Gandalf. He looked over to the Knight again, who stood with a relaxed and yet reserved posture and was listening to Boromir. He rejected an offered drink. The Black Knight never ate or drank in public. "Odd fellow" mumbled Gandalf to himself.
***
The next day when he Council met to decide on the fate of Middle Earth, Legolas realized with mild dislike that the Black Knight had already taken his place in the circle that was reserved for so few in Middle Earth. He was sitting next to Boromir, with the men of Gondor. "Who can tell that there is no orc underneath that garment" he thought suspiciously. "Looks like a black adder to me".
He looked over to Gandalf who was patting Frodo on the shoulder. Frodo looked more tired and sad than excited or interested. A silence settled on the company as Elrond approached the circle and took his seat across it with two other elves. "Friends of Middle Earth" he began. Legolas listened intently. Until this very moment he had hoped that he was wrong about the gravity of the situation. It seemed a bad joke that the One Ring was found after so many years. True, the elves had been feeling the change in the world for some time now, but nobody suspected that Sauron, who was now only a myth of the past, could rise and regain his power once again. He was not present in the last battle when Isildur defeated the Dark Lord, he was born a few years after that. But he had heard much about those times. And those stories did not sound good at all.
However, when Frodo approached and presented the ring, he knew that all was true. An unspeakable evil emanated from that thing. He could feel it in his bones even though he was sitting at a comfortable distance from it. He glanced from face to face and realized that all seemed to go through the same feelings. Frodo seemed relieved while Gandalf's looks were sad and wary. Aragorn seemed to be struggling to believe that this was really happening while the dwarves exchanged suspicious and excited looks. Boromir had an oddly glad expression and the Black Knight......... the Black Knight was looking at him and swiftly turned his head before their eyes could meet.
Legolas now liked him even less. "I hope Elrond has good reasons to invite such a man to a meeting like this" he thought with a tinge of anger. He seemed to be waiting in the shadows, always watching, thinking, scheming. So far he had been unable to detect any expression of emotion from him and that only added to his dislike. Only an elf could be that neutral......... "Could he be an elf?" he wondered all of a sudden, shocked about the possibility of that thought. But an elf would not.............No....... he could not be. He quickly discarded the idea. But he neither looked nor "felt" like other men either. He stirred uncomfortably in his seat and realized that Boromir was on his feet now, trying to convince the council to use the ring. No one seemed to be happy about that idea.
The son of Gondor was -as were many men- very much under the pressure of his emotions. He was forced to back up with the tumultuous rage of Gandalf. "And what would a Ranger know about this" he said bitterly when Aragorn spoke his mind.
Legolas immediately jumped to his feet. "That is no mere ranger. He is Argorn, son of Arathorn" he said with fury. Men! Always speaking before thinking. Did their own line of kings mean nothing to them anymore? Everyone turned in surprise to Aragorn who seemed to be a little bit uncomfortable with the exposure.
"Aragorn? THIS is Isildur's heir?" Boromir said with displeasure.
"And heir to the throne of Gondor" added Legolas levelly.
Then that stupid dwarf actually tried to smash the ring -the Ring of Power!- with his axe! Legolas felt as if the axe had shattered on his own head! He grabbed the arms of the chair wincing from the pain and the anger. After that all hell broke lose. Everyone jumped to his feet, yelling. He had barely time to hold his friends back who were more than upset about the remarks of the rude dwarves.
And to his utter amazement, Frodo the Hobbit came up in all the chaos and volunteered to be the ringbearer. He felt a sudden respect for this boy. Gandalf stood up and promised his support. Then Aragorn pledged the same.
He stood up next with determination. There was not the slightest doubt in his mind that this was where he belonged. He would have gone anywhere with Gandalf and Aragorn, but aside from this, this quest required his skills and he was more than willing to offer them for a cause like this. "And my bow" he said, walked over and stood by Gandalf.
To his utter demise, the dwarf joined them as well, followed by Boromir. Suddenly all the other hobbits ran in. Elrond had indeed a funny expression for such a wise elf when they ran past him to take their place next to their friend Frodo. Just when they seemed to be complete, a new voice echoed: "And I my staff". It was the first time he heard his voice, which had a neutral, even boyish tinge to it. 'I would expect a hissing' he thought bitterly. The Black Knight walked towards them. He stood to the very edge of the group, his legs spread apart. Even the hobbits seemed to be intimidated by him. 'His staff?' thought Legolas, 'that does not even sound much of a use. And I have not seen him carrying one either'. The only weapon he could see on the man was a sword with a very narrow blade and a curious, mild curve. He had a short thick stick that seemed to be made of a dull metal strapped to his belt, but he could not imagine the curious object to be a deadly weapon. He glanced at Gandalf, who looked back with an unreadable expression.
"You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring" Elrond blessed them. 'If Elrond agrees to his presence, and if Gandalf will not object to it, I must accept it as well' he thought. But he would certainly keep an eye on this fellow.
***
So the fellowship set out. They traveled on foot and this finally gave him the chance to travel beyond Rivendell, as he had been wishing to do for a long time now. He had missed the rest of the world. He could barely remember the last time he had left Mirkwood or the neighborhood if it. The open plains and mountains and hills felt good to walk through. He loved the forest, yet living in it too long could become oppressive - even for an elf!
The hobbits recovered easily from the grave atmosphere that had dominated the Council meeting in Rivendell and their departure. They had a close friendship, that much was easy to see, and they had no fear of expressing it. He was especially impressed by the love and loyalty between Frodo and Sam. Gandalf was in a good mood as well. Gimli (the dwarf) was always complaining and talking with that abrasive deep voice of his. There was tenseness between Boromir and Aragorn, which he could sense easily enough. Other than that, the fellowship seemed to be very harmonious.
Oh yes... then there was the Black Knight. Aragorn was right, he did not talk much. He was switching places every now and then, moving up and down the line. He only talked to Boromir and spent just a couple of words with everyone else. Legolas sensed unrest in him, though he could not imagine why. After all, he was making everybody else timid with that outfit and his silence. He did not join their meals, eating apart from everyone else. And he still had not staff Legolas had seen of!
On the third day when they had managed to put a good distance between themselves and Rivendell and when they decided to take yet another rest (Legolas had believed these rests to be rather unnecessary in the beginning, but then reminded himself that the company did not consist of elves) by the shade of a few trees that seemed to be the last before a long walk on hills and rocks, the unthinkable happened.
***
Gandalf was stuffing his pipe and everyone else was getting on with picking a place to sit or lie when he looked up with a different light in his blue eyes and said "I think it is time. You can take off that outfit now".
Everyone froze in mid-action and looked up to see what the conversation was about. Gandalf's eyes did not leave the Black Knight who paused only for a moment and contrary to general expectance, slowly pulled down his hood and then began the process of unveiling himself. Everyone was holding their breath and looking at him as if Sauron himself would come out from below the tunic. Even Boromir seemed uneasy. Only Gandalf was puffing merrily on his pipe, with an expression that seemed closer to amusement than to anything else.
He pulled the last strap out and lifted the cloth from his face. As a matter of fact, to everyone's utter horror and confusion, "from HER face" would be a more correct expression. For a woman was standing before them now! Her brown wavy hair was tied into a ponytail and now fell lazily off from her shoulders and reached her waist. She had a face with prominent cheekbones and jaw. It was not the oval and soft features of a beauty. Her eyes were brown and her brows a perfect arch. Yet she was beautiful, the way a panther was beautiful, probably.
She smiled and threw down the cloth and began to take off her shoulder plates and her vest "I was worried that you would not ask, Gandalf" she said with a mild amusement in her tone, "it was getting too hot in this thing". And that's when everyone sprang to their feet.
"What is going on here?" yelled Boromir.
"Gandalf, who is this?" asked Frodo with a timid voice and moved slightly behind the wizard to seek safety.
Merry and Pippin just jumped back a couple of steps, but then decided that the scene was too interesting to go any further and remained where they were.
Sam was too baffled to say anything, but unconsciously moved in front of Frodo as if he meant to protect him.
Aragorn had pulled out his sword and was scanning the woods as if he expected others to jump out of the trees any minute.
Legolas stood there with one of his feet on a small boulder, with something like utter confusion in his face. He seemed to be unable to decide whether he should approach or fall back.
Gimli's mouth had actually fallen open and he was only staring in obvious disbelief.
"Gandalf........." pleaded Frodo again.
"I demand......." began Boromir,
"I do not see any others" was saying Aragorn.
"How can that....be" whispered Legolas.
"Is that.....what IS that Merry?" said Pippin.
"... an explanation!" finished Boromir.
"A human..... woman?" grumbled Gimli.
And they were talking all at the same time, their voices getting louder and louder until Gandalf stood up and everyone stopped in mid sentence. The woman was still patiently removing the excess of her clothing. "May I ask how you knew?" she said softly, looking up at Gandalf now, completely ignoring everyone else.
"Let us say.......... a wizard's instinct, Irulan".
"A stealthy wizard indeed" she said and chuckled lightly.
"Gentlemen!" said Gandalf out loud, although he did not really need to speak up any further. It was as quite as a cemetery at that moment. "Let me introduce, Princess Irulan, daughter of King Kanduin".
Irulan's head shot up "I don't use that title anymore" she hissed softly.
"She is what? A WHAT?" said Boromir.
"What happened to the Black Knight?" said Merry.
"Well is it not obvious by now?" she chimed merrily, and then added with a darker voice "I had to kill him to take his place".
Frodo actually went white in the face and Boromir too pulled out his sword. He and Aragorn looked at each other. Gimli was reaching for his axe when Gandalf threw them a hard look and held up his hand "Don't be foolish! This IS the Black Knight". Another long silence followed.
"I don't understand" said Aragorn very slowly.
Irulan threw her hands up and that movement seemed to make everybody jump up slightly, "Gandalf! Shall I go and defeat Sauron single handedly while you explain? Looks like it will require an awful long of time!"
Boromir moved forward stealthily, "Who are you?" he hissed. His face was a mask of anger and hate.
Irulan merely looked at him. "Don't you recognize your brother in arms, son of Gondor?" she said with a cold voice.
"You are not my brother in arms!" he spat. "You are a witch! What did you do to the Black Knight?"
Irulan waved the argument away. "Ah well, I have been called worse".
Legolas finally found his voice again. "Irulan......... how.......... you died." he said softly, the confusion in his face still persisting.
"Riiiiiiiighht... a GHOST" whispered Merry in amazement.
"Is this some evil sorcery, Gandalf?" yelled Gimli, not looking away from the dangerous creature in front of him.
"Some fellowship!" muttered Irulan. She had finished undressing and stood now with the black tunic, the black breeches and the soft black leather boots only. The large shoulders and the bulky air created merely by vest over vest was gone. She looked very obviously a woman now. An athletic one, but a woman nevertheless.
"Obviously I did not, Legolas" she said a bit impatiently. He was taken aback by her coldness and hardness. She looked like Irulan and he madly wished her to be, yet she seemed distant and foreign. He looked over at Gandalf helplessly. "Did you know?" he whispered.
"No my friend" said Gandalf. "But I always suspected. You were right, she was not one to take her own life".
"What in the name of hell are you TALKING about?!" screamed Boromir again.
"Boromir" said Gandalf with a stern voice, "I know this is hard to understand for you right now. But the truth is, Pr- Irulan has been the Black Knight from the beginning and nothing has changed - she is still your friend and brother in arms. You said that you would trust her with your life more than once, and she is still that person. In time, you will find it easier to get used to". Boromir looked frantically from Gandalf to Irulan and back. "Sheath your sword, son of Gondor" said Gandalf slowly. A silence followed and finally both Aragorn and Boromir sheathed their swords. Irulan was looking away, oddly oblivious to the reactions around her.
"She can not come with us, Gandalf" said Aragorn cautiously. "No hard feelings... princess... but this quest is none for a woman".
"IF she is a woman! I half expect her to shed another skin and come out as something else!" Sam muttered. Irulan laughed softly at that.
"True" said Legolas. He had a bitter expression on his face now, "A mortal woman would only slow us down. We can not allow that, Gandalf" he spat rather with too much emotion for an elf.
Boromir was quietly looking at the ground.
Gandalf was silent for a while. So was Irulan. If she was angered by their comments, she did not show it. She was still looking away when she suddenly turned to Aragorn and Legolas both of which slightly tipped back, and said "I am part of this Fellowship whether you like it or not. I was sent out with you, it is my right to remain until a reason presents itself to do otherwise. In which case, I assure you, I have enough sense to leave this circle myself".
"This is not a game, child" said Gimli with exasperation.
"You don't say?" chirped Irulan, mocking surprise.
"Don't you see that this is beyond you?" said Aragorn. "I can see that you feel the need to prove yourself" -Irulan's eyebrows shot up at that remark- "but this is neither the time nor way to do it".
She was just about to reply when Gandalf spoke up again. "She is right my friends. She IS part of this".
"Gandalf........." said Legolas but Gandalf cut him short. "I believe it is time that you LISTEN to my words. I said, this IS the Black Knight. She is not some woman who grabbed her pan and decided to join us!" A smile crept on Irulan's face. "You have to see beyond her appearance. Elrond knew who she was and gave her permission to come anyway. Do any of you doubt his wisdom?"
Irulan turned to Legolas with a killer smile. "You of all people should not doubt me, Prince of Mirkwood". If anything, he looked angrier after that. "Besides" continued Irulan and addressed all of them now, "you need me".
"What?" said Gimli, "what is this man -I mean WOMAN- talking about, Gandalf?"
Irulan turned to Gandalf, "Will you tell them, or shall I?"
Gandalf sighed deeply. "Elrond would not reveal her identity, but he told me the reason she was accepted to be a part of the Fellowship. She is the only one who knows the way to Mordor" he mumbled.
Even Boromir's head snapped up at that.
"Mordor?" said Frodo softly.
"Yes" said Irulan. "So unless you stumble about another skilled and trustable guide who can take you to the gates of Barad-Dur, I WILL make this trip. No hard feelings Master Aragorn. Do no let your emotions and prejudice endanger the quest".
"How would you know the way to Mordor?" said Sam suspiciously.
"Because I went there and came back."
A gasp ran through the Fellowship. "Pray tell me" began Boromir slowly, "why would ANYONE actually want to go to MORDOR?" his voice grew louder with every word and he almost spat the last one.
"Well for fun of course!" she said after a short, deadly silence. "Sure, Sauron lives there, and the orc population is just devastating; and I must confess, it is a bit too hot and damp for my taste, but apart from that..... Mordor is not that bad a place at all" she grinned. And then an utterly serious and angry mask took hold of her features in the blink of an eye. "The point is" she said with something that sounded like a low growl, "I went there, and I came back........ in one piece! That is all I have to say. That is all I NEED to say, gentlemen!"