CHAPTER FIVE - COUNCILLED

"You have but one choice, the Ring must be destroyed. It was made in the fires of Mount Doom, and only there can it be unmade. One of you must do this."

The council fell silent. Lord Elrond had decided to go ahead with the council meeting, knowing that the ring could not remain in Rivendell forever. Many things had been discussed already; Gloin had told of the dwarves in the Lonely Mountain and Boromir of Gondor of the wars with Mordor and of his recurring dream. Elrond had spoken of the forging of the rings, then Gandalf had recounted what he knew of it's history and also of Saruman's betrayal.

Bilbo had spoken last of his finding of the Ring, and together with the other hobbits and narrated what they knew of Frodo's journey with the ring.

"It is a gift." Boromir began. "Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy and let us use it against him. Long has my father kept your lands safe, with the blood of our people. Let us use it."

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" Legolas cried out, outraged that this human suggest such a thing when he had seen the power of the ring first hand.

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it. I will be dead before I see the ring in the hands of an elf!"

Gimli son of Gloin stood up with that, followed by his kin and the elves. The two kinds traded insults until they heard a small voice among them.

"I will take it. I will take the ring to Mordor. I may not have been able to save Mr Frodo, but this is what he would have wanted, so I can at least to this last thing for him. Though, I do not know the way to such a far away and dark place such as Mordor."

Sam looked rather bewildered, surprised himself even he had, getting up and speaking in front of all these important folks. Gandalf smiled at him and stood up.

"I will help you bear this burden, Samwise Gamgee, as long as it is yours to bear."

Strider stood up at Gandalf's words and added: "By my life or death if I can protect you, I will."

Gandalf and Elrond shared a knowing glance. Legolas and Gimli also joined the group, but whether it was out of spite for each other or some other reason, even Lord Elrond couldn't fathom. Boromir seemed reluctant to join a quest to destroy the ring, but conceded to follow it as long as it was in his path back to Minas Tirith. The two smaller hobbits, Merry and Pippin also joined the group, not content to stay behind. Since Frodo's death, the three had become inseparable and it seemed unreasonable to ask them to separate.

Lord Elrond looked at the chosen, there were.eight. If he could only find one more, there would be nine. Nine companions to combat the nine walkers of darkness. Nine was also the elvish number for luck. He looked around the council and his eyes fell.

"I think that we already have our ninth member, stood over next to Sam." Elrond said out loud.

Sam looked bewildered and looked over his shoulder, there was nobody there.

"Frodo Baggins will be the ninth member of our Fellowship. He is here in spirit with us and will be counted among our number." Gandalf finished. There were tears in everyone's eyes as the fellowship remembered their dear friend.

"We must leave soon and fast, for the enemy is close." Aragorn voiced finally, shattering the silence.

"Very well, Aragorn. We will leave tomorrow at dawn." Gandalf answered.

*** Frodo was tied over a horse, his legs and arms connected by ropes beneath the belly of the horse. The ropes burned his fair skin, leaving blisters that rubbed and burst, giving him great lesions down his ankles and wrists. The pain was unbearable and whenever unconsciousness took him, he was grateful; but it was not often enough.

The tight gag around his mouth left his throat dry and parched, and rubbed against his cheeks. Often he tried to speak, knowing that Ferny would eventually hit him over the head, bringing on the black-outs quicker. He didn't even mind the headaches.

"Look half-ling. We are here."

Frodo could raise his head just enough to see a high stone wall circling a black stone tower. The sun hurt his eyes and he tried to close them tight, but still the sun beat down relentlessly. He heard some iron gates clang against a wall and his horse moved once again beneath him. He could smell burning.he fidgeted against his saddle, the burning smell brought back too many memories of his nightmare chase from Ferny. He tried to shut it all out, go back to the warm blackness, but suddenly he was falling.

*** "You have done well Ferny, it seems my trust in you was well placed. Pick him up and lock him in the tower; I will see to him later."

Saruman's voice was cool and calculated, his mind already imaging his possession of the ring, what he could wield with it, how invincible he would be.

Ferny slung the half-ling over his shoulder and began the long climb to the tower room. He dumped the half-ling unceremoniously in the centre and bolted the door shut behind him. He had no need to do any more, the child was no wizard such as Gandalf.

Ferny disappeared deep into the tower to get a good night's sleep after his long journey.

Saruman left the half-ling in the tower for several days, he'd been distracted creating his army of uruk-hai. When he finally completed the long climb to the top of the tower, he was disgusted. The half-ling was drawn into a fetal position and swaying back and forth as if possessed. His face was white and bloodied, and his hands brushed through his matted curls every so often, as if it might help his panic. As he approached the half- ling tried to move further away from him, regardless of the fact there was a wall behind him.

"If you give me the ring half-ling, I will let you go." Frodo looked up at him. He seemed to shimmer in white before him. Surely Saruman was not really evil. He didn't look evil. Frodo didn't even have the ring anymore, although he still heard it's call late at night.

"I do not.have the ring anymore."

Saruman's eyebrows raised.

"Search him." He commanded and from the shadows behind stumbled two orcs. They grabbed Frodo, turned him upside down and shook him. They then unceremoniously stripped off his clothing and checked all the various pockets. Frodo struggled at first, trying to twist around and bite the captors if he could. He earned a back hand across the jaw and quickly became rigid, just wanting it to be over.

The orcs shook their heads at Saruman.

"Where is the ring?" He asked gently.

"I.I.don't know. I lost before I got to the river. I don't know where it is, but it calls to me still."

Saruman cocked his head slightly to examine the half-ling. He probed him slightly with magic and found him like a piece of glass, ready to shatter at the slightest touch; but once glass was shattered, it was never joined together in exactly the same way he thought, and you could decide where to stick each piece. That could be fun.

"Lock him in chains and give him only enough water to keep him alive. Let him see no one."

The orcs behind him nodded at his command and grabbed the half-ling and chained him to the wall. Saruman slipped out and remembered something. He had forgotten to mention that the half-ling should not be harmed. He heard a scream. Oh well. Orcs will be orcs, but if they killed him, there would be hell to pay.