Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story that appear in the world-renown bestseller, The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkein. I do, however, own any original characters seen here.
Storm Clouds
By
Brin~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 3: The Council, The Spy, The SecretChris stood outside the emergency room door, leaning against the wall. He was covered in Jack's blood all across his front and some of it had dripped onto the white hospital floor. Whenever someone tried to address him, he either totally ignored them, eyes glued to the bloodspots on his clothes, or just stared at them like they were a ghost.
Eve and Trent were troubled. Or, Eve was worried and Trent was just too shocked to move or speak.
"He hasn't moved from that spot in three hours," said Eve in a hushed tone. Trent nodded. "I'm worried his legs are going to give." Another nod. "Do you think I should talk to him?" More nodding.
Eve was about to get up and go over there, but a nurse exited the ER and talked to Chris quietly awhile before going about her business. Eve waited a few minutes and, when the detective remained expressionless and didn't move from his spot, she finally gained enough bravado to approach him. "Is everything alright?" she asked tentatively.
Chris turned to her, blue eyes cloudy. "He's going to be fine, but he'll be off duty for awhile," he said calmly. "I'll be on inactive duty until he's better."
"Oh… well that's good," said Eve, managing a weak smile.
"They're going to keep him here for at least a week," Chris added.
Eve opened her mouth to say something comforting, but his cell phone went off and he quickly answered it.
"Bowman… Yeah." Pause. "Uh huh. Right. Twenty minutes?" He checked his silver watch. "I'll be there in five. Don't start without me. Okay. Bye." He looked up at Eve again. "I have something I need to attend to. If you want a place to stay you can go down to the station, tell them Bowman sent you and that you were attacked by The Goblins, and they'll give you a temporary condo until your house is safe again."
Eve nodded and silently watched as he turned and disappeared own the corridor. She went over to her brother, gave him the same instructions Chris had given her, and announced, "I'm going to follow him."
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Chris pulled his black Benz into the parking lot of an old, rundown warehouse and covered it with a brown tarp before setting the car alarm and walking casually towards the building.
Fifty yards away, Eve parked her green Ford, making sure it was hidden by the tall grass of the broken parking lot, and crawled forward on her hands and knees to watch.
The detective ran up to the main door and knocked three times, then twice, then four times quickly, and then twice. As he waited, water began to fall from the stormy sky once again, the rain falling down his face like tears. He looked up at the clouds and squinted, as if he expected to see something overhead. Maybe he did.
After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened and Chris was ushered inside by a figure that Eve was unable to see.
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"King Legolas, welcome," said Eteryn, taking the taller Elf's coat and helping him put on his Royal Robes. "The Council has been awaiting your arrival." The tiny Elf looked around. "Where is Lord Izareth?"
"Lord Izareth has been disabled by an Orc. He will be unable to fight for at least a month," said Legolas calmly. He moved past Eteryn into the Council Hall.
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Eve stood outside the warehouse, trying to figure out a way in. She went around to the back and glanced up at the windows, which were a good fifty feet above the ground. She immediately ruled that option out, for she hated heights. Then, she noticed the vent nestled between two decaying old crates. She went over and pulled the cover off, satisfied to find that the vent was big enough for her to crawl through…
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Legolas took a seat at the Council Table, which was fairly large. It had been kept in good condition for thousands of years, made in the Old Age by an Elven carpenter. The Council Hall was simply an abandoned warehouse; nothing too special. It provided the necessities, though, such as privacy and shelter from the weather. Dinner had been set out upon the Table, consisting of soups, meats, vegetables, and deserts. There were also golden goblets filled to the very top with fine wine refined to fit Elven tastes at every seat.
"Where is Lord Izareth?" asked a female Elf sitting across from Legolas.
"He has been disabled by an Orc arrow, Lady Aeriela," said Legolas with an assured smile. "He will be unable to serve for a month, no less."
Aeriela nodded.
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Eve cursed to herself again and again as she crawled at an upward slant through the dark tunnel towards the light. Apparently, this route wasn't taken often. She was covered in an algae-like substance and more than one spider web had gotten caught in her hair. The only way it could get worse was if she ran into a rat. The light was only a few feet away as she belly-crawled her way through the vent. She could already hear voices.
"I have called you hear today to—"
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"—discuss the ever-growing problem with the goblins. They have invaded what we have set aside as neutral zones again and again, killing innocent humans and arousing suspicion. More people are dying every day. We cannot allow this to go on," said an elderly-looking Elf at the end of the table as he stood up. His robe was faded and covered with the symbols of Rivendell, a city lost long ago.
"Lord Elrond, the goblins number us a thousand to one when considering their global numbers, not to mention the threat of the Orcs. You can't honestly expect us to fight them!" exclaimed Garuend. "Be sensible about this!"
Lord Elrond narrowed his eyes at the other Elf. "Garuend, you are my peer in age but obviously not in the wisdom of war. If we do not take care of the goblin problem while it is small, it will grow into something too immense for even the humans to take care of. We do not want another fiasco such as the one with the Ring of Power."
"That was the fault of the race of men! If Isildur had destroyed the ring when given the chance then the Elves would've never had to get involved," argued Thridus, Garuend's business partner and close friend.
"But this problem, my friends, is one of just the Elves. The humans have no idea this is going on, therefore we have no reason to let them be murdered!" said Elrond. "Stop thinking of yourself! This issue is beyond just us."
"Just like the issue of the Ring? Lord Elrond, you were there. You lived through those dark times and fought Sauron yet you still have not learned from it! It should be every race for itself!" shouted Garuend, earning many murmurs of agreement.
"Why don't we ask King Legolas what he thinks of the situation. After all, he is the only remaining member of the Fellowship," suggested Aeriela in an effort to calm Garuend and Elrond's arguing. "And the only one here who took part in the 'fiasco' of the Ring."
The Council turned to Legolas, who was sipping his wine silently.
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Eve surveyed the scene. There were nine people sitting at the table, and there was one empty seat. They all wore colorful robes marked with different symbols, like the robes she had seen nobles wear in old medieval movies, but just a little bit different than that… these robes were longer, had no fur, of a tighter fit than the billowy robes of medieval aristocracy, and were of a fabric that looked like it was made from intertwined hair or fine wool.
But the one thing that was driving her absolutely nuts was the fact that not one person in that room wasn't wearing a crown. Golden crowns, silver crowns, and ivory/pearl crowns laden with colorful gems and diamonds. And Chris's hair was LONG whereas it had obviously been short when she last saw him. It was making her curiosity meter hit the roof to the point where she was just about ready to show herself.
Her attention was caught as the old man with the largest crown stood up.
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"My friends… My peers… my family. We have argued amongst ourselves for far too long and King Legolas is obviously tired. Come, feast with me and we shall talk of better times. The goblins can wait. For now, we feast!" He raised his goblet. "To Rivendell, Mirkwood, and Lothlórien… may the souls of those who once resided there have a peaceful afterlife!"
"To the kingdoms!" said the gathered Elves, raising their goblets as well. They then began to eat, all worries momentarily washed aside as they laughed and talked amongst themselves not about stock exchanges or the Enron scandal… but of times past and times to come.
"Lord Elrond, you cannot surely say that Rivendell's fall was not the fault of the Ring itself," said Dimitri, a noble of ancient Lothlórien.
"It was many years after the Ring was destroyed that Rivendell fell. I in no way defend the Ring, but we cannot blame all our problems on the One Ring," reasoned Elrond. "My people left Rivendell's shores for reasons all their own."
Down the table:
"King Legolas, you have not eaten a bite," said Aeriela with a kind smile. "Is something on our mind?"
"My partner was almost killed by the Orcs and I was unable to save him. Yes, something is bothering me," said Legolas with a tired sigh. "I am old, Queen Aeriela, more so than most of the Elves here but Elrond, Garuend, and Thridus. My tired bones long for the demise of The Goblins, but I fear my heart shall not live to see the day."
"Your heart, King Legolas?"
Legolas smiled wearily. "You are so young, Aeriela, many thousands of years younger than I. Your heart is left untainted by the Dark Age, your mind naïve to the horrible powers of the One Ring and the Fellowship's quest to Mordor. I have seen all other eight members of the Fellowship wither and die. I have found true love but twice. My heart has not truly beat in many long years... I fear that my soul and heart will die, leaving me with a body but without conscience, like my father. If that should happen, I might as well let myself be killed so I should not live to see anymore of these dark times."
Aeriela reached across and put her fair hand over his large, callused one. "King Legolas, you will not become like your father. The goblins drove him to madness and his heart was not as strong as yours. You are a very noble Elf, my King, and no matter how the thunder claps and the lightning flashes, the storm clouds will not wash you away with the rain. I'd bet my life on it."
Legolas gave her a thankful grin. "I should hope so, Aeriela. I should hope so."
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They feasted for three hours, servant Elves constantly bringing out more food, before they again got into the discussion about the goblins and Orcs. Elrond pleasantly noted that Elves tended to be in a better mood after they were fed and had warmed up to the idea of defending the men against the goblins.
"King Legolas, son of Thandruil, late King of Mirkwood, the Council now turns to you for wisdom, as you were part of the Fellowship and walked away alive from a fight against almost all of Middle Earth, controlled by Sauron. Isengard, Mordor, Moria… all fighting against you yet you prevailed. Please, share with us your views," said Elrond, bowing his head to Legolas. The rest of the Council did the same.
Legolas looked at each member of the Council, blue eyes filled with remorse and anguish. He stood.
"Members of the Ancient Council, oldest and wisest of all the Elves left after the Great Devastation three thousand years ago… I address you with deep sorrow and regret, for I had hoped that our lives would not come to this." He sighed. "That our lives would not come to the point where we must choose total annihilation of us or of another race in its entirety. We must not be quick to deal judgment, for it is mostly the Orcs who color outside the lines, not the goblins."
"King Legolas!" bellowed Thrupolan, a distant relative of Legolas's and his political rival. After Legolas, Thrupolan was highest in rank of the Mirkwood Elves… or what was left of them. "You cannot be saying that we should show these savages mercy!"
"That is exactly what I am saying," said Legolas calmly. "These goblins are slaves to the Orcs… they live underground, hiding from the sun even though human blood now flows through their veins and they are able to move in the light. When they emerge, the slightest light, even artificial, burns their skin, their eyes, unless the Orcs give them protection, such as sunscreen… they are victim to the will of the wielder of light, and that is how the Orcs want it."
"Thrupolan is right, Legolas," said Garuend, shaking his head. "We cannot show mercy to the very incarnates of evil! It would be like rewarding the wolf who has killed off your entire flock of sheep! They are half the reason for the Great Devastation!"
"And the race men are the other half of the reason yet you do not hunt them down like game birds and slaughter them without a shred of mercy, do you?!" roared Legolas, moving towards Garuend. "Why is that, Garuend?!"
Garuend looked down, unable to provide a good answer.
"Listen to me, all of you!" shouted Legolas. "I fought all of Mordor; the Dark Lord, Isengard and its Uruk-Hai warriors! And I lived! I prevailed! Yet you do not listen to my words now! Gollum, the very creature Frodo Baggins wished Bilbo Baggins had killed when given the chance… Bilbo showed Gollum mercy that most would not and because of Gollum, the One Ring and the Dark Lord are no more."
"You do not simply decide to wage war on the Orcs themselves," said Thrupolan, rubbing his temples. "They are… poisonous beings. Their breath is filled with disease and death, their blood riddled with natural venoms. Against the goblins, we would prevail… but the Orcs are intelligent, agile, and guarded by thousands of goblins, whom we will have to kill whether or not we want to. Not with a thousand Elves could you do this. It is better to just pick of the goblins until the Orcs are left alone and then finish them off."
Legolas smiled. "Ah, dear Thrupolan, my friend… you utter the same words that Boromir once did in the Council of Elrond. Yet you were not there. You do not have the same genuine passion behind your voice that he once did. For that reason, I cannot and shall not take your words as seriously as I did Boromir's."
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'Score!' thought Eve happily as she watched Chris… or was it Legolas?… tell off the smaller, uglier Elf sitting a few feet away from him. She then felt an involuntary wave of anger that confused her. He didn't have to tell her all his secrets, did he? They had known each other for two days and by the looks of this 'Council,' he hadn't told many about his alter ego. Still… he could've at least told her the truth when she had asked.
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"Lord Elrond, please, consider my proposal. We should go after the Orcs directly, only killing the goblins as necessary, not commit mass murder; genocide!" said Legolas, turning to the old Elf. "They were once Elves like us!"
"Mass murder is the crime they committed against us," reasoned Elrond. "I do not see why we should show them any more sympathy than they showed us."
Legolas stopped his pacing and fully turned around to face Lord Elrond, leader of the Council, the oldest living Elf on Earth… and the one he least expected to counter his words. It was like the only pillar holding him up these thousands of years had finally crumbled.
"King Legolas, your words may seem like wisdom, but to spare the goblins is to spare those who have no idea what mercy is," said the old Elf gently. "Putting them out of their misery is the best thing we can do for them."
"To commit genocide against them because they did it to us would make us no better than they. As I said, they were once Elves like us. To kill them with the cover excuse that it puts them out of their misery is just plain childish, Elrond," said Legolas quietly. "And if you expect me to take in part in it, I'm afraid you will be very disappointed. I am not a barbarian nor am I daft about the ways of the enemy."
"We are not insinuating that you are daft, Legolas!" said Elrond, raising his voice a bit. "But it is the choice of the Council that we shall destroy the goblins once and for all."
"You did not take a vote," said Legolas through clenched teeth. "You are required by the New Laws to hold a poll."
Lord Elrond shook his head, stood, and said, "All those in favor of waging war against the Goblins?"
Every Elf in the room but Aeriela and Legolas raised their right hand.
"All those opposed?"
Legolas and Aeriela raised their hands.
"It is settled by the popular vote. We declare war against the goblins," said Elrond, giving Legolas a sympathetic glance. "And after we destroy them, we will go after the Orcs, whom should be vulnerable without the goblins to back them."
"Tell me, friend… when did the great Elrond abandon reason for madness?" asked Legolas, quoting the late Gandalf. "Fine, fight your wanton war. If you should lose, do not come crawling to me with pleas of redemption and relief."
"Will you help us, King Legolas?" asked Elrond tentatively. "I may be foolish to even think it and I know you have already told me off, but there is no harm in hoping."
Legolas stared at Elrond a long while before quietly replying, "I will help you, but only to an extent."
"What's that?" asked Garuend with a scoff. "You wish to be in charge of the army's kitchen duty?" He and Thrupolan sniggered amongst themselves.
Legolas turned to them and narrowed his eyes. "I want to be in charge of Seattle's defensive lines. We cannot attack without being attacked and we will need to defend ourselves."
"Done," said Elrond, letting out a long, relieved breath. "The Council—"
He was not able to finish his sentence before there was a loud 'POP' and something large fell out of the vent above them.
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Eve didn't know what happened. One moment, she was leaning against the vent cover to get a better look at the people at the table below her, the next she was lying on her back looking up at the man called 'Lord Elrond.' She gasped for air, but none came into her lungs and she began to choke.
"She needs air," said the one called Dimitri. "Someone help her!"
Eve felt her body going limp from lack of oxygen as a beautiful young woman came to kneel next to her. She recognized her as 'Aeriela,' the only member of 'the Council' to take Legolas's side in the argument.
"The rib is bent against the lung," said the female Council member, feeling Eve's forehead with her hand. "We need Elirin, now. Someone go get her!"
Eve's dark eyes swiveled around in their sockets for Chris, but her vision was beginning to blur and she was unable to decipher the faces of the people around her. Then, she heard his smooth voice, soft in her ear…
"Hold on, Eve. Hold on."
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Something was tickling her nose. Eve swatted it away, but a firm hand caught her wrist before she could. Eve's eyes opened. As her vision cleared, she looked up into the gorgeous face of Aeriela.
"Your wound is not serious, it should heal soon," she said without smiling, though her eyes were gentle. "You are very lucky you didn't fracture your skull."
Eve raised her head and looked around. "Where am I?"
"You are in Chris's house."
"Chris? Don't you mean Legolas, Aeriela?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. My name is Nicki Reynolds. I am an old friend of Chris's from college."
Eve shook her head. "No, your name is Aeriela. I saw you at the Council with all those other people. Garuend, Elrond, Legolas, Thrupolan…"
'Nicki' put a finger to Eve's lips. "You hit your head pretty hard and bruised a few ribs when you tripped in the hospital parking lot. Chris has an insane fear of hospitals so he brought you back here and asked me to take a look. I'm a part-time nurse."
"So I dreamed it all?" asked Eve, putting a hand to her forehead. "I couldn't have dreamed up something like that. It was too real."
"I think you have a mild concussion. You need to rest."
"No, I have to see Chris! Where is he?" Against Nicki's wishes, she rose from the bed and pushed past the woman determinedly.
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Eve wandered through Chris's house in absolute awe. This wasn't merely a house. This was surely a castle! Every hall was lined with door after door, made of dark oak with bookshelves in between. The books on the shelves—leather-bound with gold lettering—were faded and aged, covered in dust. She recognized only a handful of the titles, and then there were those with strange markings on them, sort of like hieroglyphics but more closely related to some kind of ancient alphabet. It both confused and impressed her.
The floor was covered in one long, dark red rug that seemed to be showing her the way—much like the Yellow Brick Road. She didn't know why she followed it or how she had found it… just that her mind was urging her to go this way. The wood creaked under her bare feet and she cringed, feeling like the sound would cause the walls to come crashing down on her at any moment.
After what seemed like an eternity but in truth had only been a few minutes, Eve came to the end of the hall. There, there was a great door decorated elaborately with the foreign marking she had seen on the books. Underneath the markings was what she assumed to be a translation:
One Ring to rule them all
One Ring to find them
One Ring to bring them all,
And in the darkness bind them
She subconsciously winced as a pang of dread hit her heart from just reading those foreboding words. Her hands suddenly became very cold and she rubbed them against her arms in an attempt to warm them up. Taking one more look at the dark words, she grabbed the door lever and opened the door.