A/N: Thank you for those of you who reviewed, Reala and I really appreciate it. The first part of this chapter will follow closely to the movie, then we go into more detail with the new characters. Please read and review. Thanks!
Chapter 2: Discussions
The man of Gondor's eyes widened as he heard this information. "Aragorn?" he stuttered. "This is Isildur's heir?"
"An heir to the throne of Gondor," Legolas corrected.
Aragorn looked as if his biggest secret had just been given away, which in a way, it was. He looked at Legolas and waved a hand at the elf. "Havo dad, Legolas." Sit down, Legolas the ranger said.
"Gondor has no king," Boromir said matter-of-factly, going to sit down in his seat. "Gondor needs no king."
The elf did as he was told hesitantly, as Gandalf spoke to the council. "Aragorn is right. We cannot use it," he said, hoping to bring peace to the humans by changing the subject.
"You have only one choice," Elrond said, standing in front of his chair again. "It must be destroyed."
Silence filled the council. Lindi's voice broke the quiet. "Lord Elrond…there is no being here with the strength and innocence to complete this task. It will poison whomever you choose. It has already poisoned some here."
Elrond nodded, but Boromir said, "one does not simply walk into Mordor. It's black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. It is a barren wasteland…rittled with fire and ash and dust…the very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly!"
Now Legolas stood. "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" Gimli stood in anger.
"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it!" he snarled to Legolas. "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!"
"But what then?" Boromir stood now, temper flaring. "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?!"
"Who says he will?" Lindi was now arguing, and Gandalf stood as well. He and Boromir were now in a heated debate.
Frodo felt despair well up inside him and he covered his eyes. It was all going so fast, and before he knew it, he stood and said, "I will take it. I will take the Ring to Mordor." Everyone was suddenly gazing on him. Gandalf said something and patted Frodo's shoulder, then Strider. Lindi knelt before him and once again gave him a warm smile.
"You are very brave, Frodo." One of her hands found his. "I will accompany you on this quest."
Elrond raised an eyebrow. "Lindi? You wish to go?"
"I do, if you will allow it."
Elrond smiled this time. "I will, Tanthor-Lind." He looked to the council. "For Frodo's other guardians I choose Gimli son of Gloin, Boromir of Denethor II, Reala Firith, and Prince Legolas of Mirkwood to represent their races." The member assembled, but there was something Elrond had not noticed, it seemed. Lindi brought it to attention.
"Where is Reala?" She looked around. "She has gone!"
"Fled!" Gimli said angrily, gripping his axe. "She is a spy of the Dark One, I know. I felt the evil in her!"
"No, Gimli son of Gloin, you are not fully correct," Elrond said. "Reala Firith has fled to protect herself from the Ring. You may find out why on your quest, but know this: you will find her in your journeys and when you do, you must allow her to join you. You must make her."
"Why?" Frodo asked.
"Trust me, Frodo Baggins," Elrond said, but just then a cry went into the air and a smaller figure dashed next to Frodo.
"Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me," said a hobbit with sandy blonde hair. He stood close to Frodo. Elrond was about to speak when there came a cry from behind him. Two other hobbits, Pippin and one Lindi had not yet been introduced to, came and stood on Frodo's left side.
"You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us," the new one said, later found out to be named Meriadoc Brandybuck, nicknamed Merry.
"Anyway," said Pippin, smaller than all but the most determined. "You need people of intelligence on this sort of mission…quest…thing!"
"Well that rules you out, Pip," Merry said playfully. Pippin gave his cousin an unkind look.
Elrond looked at the hobbits doubtfully (as did everyone else, including Frodo), but eventually said, "eleven companions. So be it. You shall be…the Fellowship of the Ring."
"Great," said Pippin, licking his lips eagerly. "Where are we going?" Everyone at the council sighed. Pippin looked around obliviously. "What?" he asked innocently.
"You have some time before you will be able to leave," said Elrond. "I think the end of December would be the best time. Meanwhile I suggest you relax and take your mind off you journey for a while. And someone needs to find Reala and tell her of our plans."
"I will," Boromir offered, bowing to Elrond and leaving the council. The rest watched him go.
"The council is dismissed," the elf lord declared.
Everyone left the area where the council was held except Lindi and the hobbits. The human smiled at them in amusement then bent down so she was at their eye level. "I'm very happy that all four of you are coming on this noble quest," she said, smiling at Frodo. "But I think you need to have a talk with your friends about intruding on things they're not invited to." She gave a sideways glance to Merry, Pippin, and Sam, who were looking around innocently.
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Boromir wandered through the halls of Rivendell, looking for any trace of the young and intriguing girl with the strange brown eyes. He passed some elves on the route, but they couldn't help him because they did not even know she had arrived. He saw the silhouette of a girl, and moved toward her.
"Firith, is that you?" he asked, and the girl turned. It was Lindi. Boromir blinked and muttered an apology.
"It's all right," she said with a smile. "I'm looking for her too. Want to join me?"
Boromir shrugged. Why not go for a walk with a pretty girl? They walked for some time in silence, looking down halls or in rooms. Boromir gave Lindi a sidelong glance. "I apologize for my behavior at the council, Lady," he said after a minute, arms at his sides and his eyes straight ahead. "I sometimes forget myself with my temper."
"I noticed," Lindi said, but smiled a little. He could tell she wasn't angry with him, but her tone was firm. Suddenly, she tugged on his jerkin and pointed to a clearing in the garden of Rivendell where a girl seemed to be sharpening a double-edged sword. Lindi motioned for him to follow, and he obeyed. He saw that Lindi had a friendly smile on when she approached the brown-haired girl.
"Wonderful day, isn't it?" she asked, and Reala looked up. Instead of looking troubled and nervous, she offered a smile. Her eyes had a peaceful light, and soon Lindi had forgotten all about the incident at the council. "Elrond has sent us to tell you that you're going to join the Fellowship of the Ring."
"Yes, I was told by a dwarf," she replied, and put her sword to the side. "I have agreed to go as far as Rohan."
Lindi was silent as though considering this, then smiled a smile that seemed to come and go with the warm breeze. "Fair enough, then. Do you mind if we sit down?" she asked, and Reala shook her head and quickly cleared away her weapons so the two of them could sit next to her. Boromir hesitated but followed the example; he hoped word never reach Minas Tirith of how the Steward's heir sat in the garden and engaged in idle chat with a pair of ladies.
"My path heads west. To Minas Tirith." he began to start up some kind of conversation, and received only a grunt from Reala but a shrug and an actual reply from Lindi.
"I don't know where my journey ends, or even where it began." she looked about the garden and the blue sky. "But my home has always been Rivendell." she was silent a moment, but her face brightened as though she suddenly remembered something. "Oh – Reala Firith, this is Boromir son of Denethor, from Minas Tirith. Forgive me for forgetting introductions."
"We have met." Boromir said flatly in response at the exact moment Reala did (in a similar tone) and Lindi arched a pale brow.
"Do I sense a contradicting force, here?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
Lindi's shoulders sagged and she sighed, resigning momentarily from her usual role of peacemaker. "I thought so." With a another sigh and a shrug, she got to her feet. "I want to find the merry little hobbits. They always have such pleasant things to speak of. Excuse me." Lindi departed, and seconds later Reala stood as well, preparing to leave.
It was then that Boromir noticed she did not wear a light dress as the other maidens did, but a heavy pair of leather trousers and black boots. She picked her now polished her weapon and slid it into the sheath, then nodded to Boromir as she made her way through the winding garden paths. Boromir followed her.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm hungry. I am going to find something to eat, is that alright with you?"
"Fair enough." he said, mimicking Lindi's earlier words and following her still. "May I join you? Perhaps we can work out some of our differences." Without a glance in his direction, she replied nonchalantly,
"If you wish, I really don't care." She walked to the dining hall and Boromir found an eerie comfort in the fact that this girl actually made noise when she walked instead of the elves that seemed to glide flawlessly over the smooth stones and floors. The dining hall always seemed to be filled with food and drink and merry laughter combined with light, joyous music and Reala could not help but smile. Boromir did not seem to notice.
Reala sat at a table made of pure oak, carved with beautiful designs and different symbols that were distinctly Elven, and Boromir (still taking no notice to the design) sat across from her. A few maidens brought plates of food over at their request, and glasses of smooth red wine.
"What is it, exactly, that you have against me?" he inquired after taking a long sip of the sweet wine he had just been given, and studied the goblet as Reala spoke.
"I should have asked you the same question, but now it's a bit late, don't you think?" she replied, and her eyes met in his in a very pointed look. "I did nothing to you directly."
"Well – " Boromir started, but was cut off by the pitter-patter of hobbit feet running towards them and a voice higher than the usual Elven or human pitch. It was Merry. He skidded to a stop by their table and exhaled sharply, speaking very quickly and excitedly.
"Hey, you two, why are you in here by yourselves? Come outside and have fun with us! The elves have the most wonderful songs and Lindi has assembled the fellowship so we can get to know each other better." The young hobbit was practically bouncing up and down (apparently still excited about convincing lord Elrond and Gandalf to allow Pippin and himself along on the journey).
"I was talking to Reala," Boromir said slowly, as if to let the hobbit know his twinge of displeasure in being interrupted, but he could not help but look at the hobbit in wonder. Where did all their energy come from; did the council of Elrond not get them unnerved even a little?
"You can talk outside!" Merry urged, and even went so far as to pull on Boromir's bracer. "Come on. Please?" Boromir looked at Reala with somewhat of a crooked smile, which was returned ever so slightly, and then replied to Merry (after releasing his bracer from the grip of the hobbit),
"That sounds like a good idea. I'll gladly take all the fresh air I can get." He stood, then met Reala's blank brown eyes. "Can we expect the pleasure of your company?" The words were not exactly sincere, but polite enough for the hobbit, the man and the girl.
"As soon as I finish. I need some time alone," she said, and quickly chewed then swallowed a mouthful of bread. "Just a few minutes."
Boromir shrugged his broad shoulders and prepared to venture out to the courtyard with the hobbit. "Come, eh…"
"Merry." the hobbit replied with his own annoyed tone. "I'm Merry, not Pip, and try not to get us confused."
"Merry." Boromir repeated absently, and followed him to where his future companions had gathered.
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Well, there's another fun little chapter for you! I hope you liked it, the third chapter will be up once Reala and I finish typing it! . Once again, please R & R, reviews are my best friends! ^.~
- Lots of luv from Lindi.