*Hi! I know this is a LONG chapter (compared to the others anyway) but it
was the same in the book and film so excuse me, that's why I've decided to
split it into two =) I hope you are following the story so far - if you
have any problems e-mail me at schumiferrari13@hotmail.com - helpful
criticism is much appreciated and also have a go at my other story that
begins at the beginning (!) - HIDDEN IN IMLADRIS*
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The sun streamed through the pillars surrounding the outdoor chamber, flooding the room with golden light. A playful wind lifted falling leaves to swirl around the pillars. And in this place of peace a serious matter was to be discussed in the Council of Elrond.
"Strangers from distant lands; friends of old." Elrond began to the gathered circle of peoples around him. "You are summoned here to answer the growing threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one Doom." He turned to the two hobbits - Frodo and Bilbo, his uncle. "I would ask you to recount the tale of the Ring, but the hour grows late and haste is needed. Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." He gestured to the stone column in front of him.
Slowly the hobbit walked to the centre and placed down the Ring. A murmur of surprise and alarm flourished around the room. Kathryn looked at the simple band, trying not to remember the power that was in it. It was so beautiful for something so plain. A man to her right stood up and as he stepped further into the circle she saw something familiar in his face. He had brown hair and a well trimmed beard, pale grey eyes staring at the band of gold upon the grey stone. His attire was Gondorian, but she had not the time to look back on her days spent there.
"A dream made me seek counsel here. A shadow grew from the East, but in the West a pale light lingered and a voice cried:
Seek for the Sword That Was Broken; In Imladris it dwells; There shall be counsel taken Stronger than Morgul-spells. There shall be shown a token That Doom is near at hand, For Isildur's Bane shall waken And the Halfling forth shall stand."
Rising to her feet, words choking in her mouth, Kathryn spoke furiously, "How dare you? How dare you use the words that killed my mother! And all it was for you was a dream!" The man's gaze was cut from the Ring, and he stared, surprised, at Kathryn, taken aback by her words. Elrond rose from his seat and cut his hands across the air for silence.
"Those words are indeed those that your mother had in her foretelling. But that was twenty years ago, and to see so far into the future is more dangerous than to see less than a year ahead." His eyes were sympathetic, and she knew he would explain later perhaps. "But all questions and riddles will be answered as best they can here. Sit down Kathryn and Boromir of Gondor for I now see the meaning of this dream." For some reason this Boromir fidgeted under Kathryn's relentless and resenting gaze, almost as if with guilt. Slowly she sat down.
Elrond once again focused attention on the Ring. "This is the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron. It will be the Doom of Middle Earth."
"Nay." Protested Boromir, rising, "It is a gift! A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring?" Pain from memory passed across his face as he spoke passionately. "Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people." He hit his breast, then with his other hand gestured to the people around him. "While your lands are kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the Enemy. Let us use it against him!"
"You cannot wield it." Estel rose to his feet from the edge of the circle. "None of us can. The Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."
"And what," said Boromir, with quiet anger in his voice, "would a Ranger know of these matters?"
"This is no mere Ranger!" announced Legolas, also rising. "This is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." Boromir opened his mouth but no words came out.
"This is Isildur's heir?" Kathryn wondered aloud, rising dreamily to her feet and taking a few steps forward towards him. "Aragorn?" She raised her hand and touched his face, with searching eyes. He tried to avoid her gaze.
"And heir to the throne of Gondor." Legolas continued. Kathryn spun around to face him.
The newly named Aragorn gestured softly with his hand, "Havo dad, Legolas (Sit down, Legolas)." He looked back to her. "Kathryn." He whispered.
Words failed her. What cruel fate could make this happen? Dejectedly she sat down in her seat, staring at nothing.
Boromir however, was still standing, "Gondor has no King." He said quietly, sitting down and looking darkly at Aragorn. "Gondor needs no King." Throughout the rest of the council he would frequently cast such looks at Aragorn, jealous and measuring.
Elrond looked at her sternly. "Rise." He commanded. She stood up, and walked towards Elrond. He turned her to face the council will his hands on her shoulders. "Legolas, son of King Thranduil, has already introduced Aragorn. But Kathryn is also needing an introduction herself." He raised his voice so all in the room could hear. "This is Aredylen daughter of Armelion, second son of Arador. She is Isildur's heiress, if you will."
"And heiress to the throne of Gondor." Legolas murmured, blue eyes shining with intrigue.
Kathryn sat down, desperately trying to ignore the looks from either side.
"We are here in Rivendell or Imladris as it was known of old." Elrond said, casting his eyes to Boromir. "The Sword That Was Broken, Narsil, has long rested here in its shards, but may yet be reforged." An elf came forth bearing the pieces and laid them on Elrond's left side. "The halfling has stood forth." He gestured to Frodo. "Now the token of Doom has been shown. Isildur's Bane: The One Ring. It has awoken, it has heard its master's call. The Ring must be destroyed."
"Then what are we waiting for?" snarled a dwarf, leaping to his feet and unhooking his axe. He swung it with all his might at the Ring and there was a burst of immense power. When everyone looked again, the dwarf's axe lay in pieces around the pedestal, but in the eye of the storm the Ring lay, unscathed.
Elrond gave the dwarf who now lay on the floor a wry smile. "The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Gloín, by any craft 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 into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this." He surveyed the circle.
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*Dum dum! Who's going to take the Ring I wonder?!!! Anyway THANK YOU VERY MUCH people who have reviewed - you have made me consider my writing style and suchlike!*
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The sun streamed through the pillars surrounding the outdoor chamber, flooding the room with golden light. A playful wind lifted falling leaves to swirl around the pillars. And in this place of peace a serious matter was to be discussed in the Council of Elrond.
"Strangers from distant lands; friends of old." Elrond began to the gathered circle of peoples around him. "You are summoned here to answer the growing threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one Doom." He turned to the two hobbits - Frodo and Bilbo, his uncle. "I would ask you to recount the tale of the Ring, but the hour grows late and haste is needed. Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." He gestured to the stone column in front of him.
Slowly the hobbit walked to the centre and placed down the Ring. A murmur of surprise and alarm flourished around the room. Kathryn looked at the simple band, trying not to remember the power that was in it. It was so beautiful for something so plain. A man to her right stood up and as he stepped further into the circle she saw something familiar in his face. He had brown hair and a well trimmed beard, pale grey eyes staring at the band of gold upon the grey stone. His attire was Gondorian, but she had not the time to look back on her days spent there.
"A dream made me seek counsel here. A shadow grew from the East, but in the West a pale light lingered and a voice cried:
Seek for the Sword That Was Broken; In Imladris it dwells; There shall be counsel taken Stronger than Morgul-spells. There shall be shown a token That Doom is near at hand, For Isildur's Bane shall waken And the Halfling forth shall stand."
Rising to her feet, words choking in her mouth, Kathryn spoke furiously, "How dare you? How dare you use the words that killed my mother! And all it was for you was a dream!" The man's gaze was cut from the Ring, and he stared, surprised, at Kathryn, taken aback by her words. Elrond rose from his seat and cut his hands across the air for silence.
"Those words are indeed those that your mother had in her foretelling. But that was twenty years ago, and to see so far into the future is more dangerous than to see less than a year ahead." His eyes were sympathetic, and she knew he would explain later perhaps. "But all questions and riddles will be answered as best they can here. Sit down Kathryn and Boromir of Gondor for I now see the meaning of this dream." For some reason this Boromir fidgeted under Kathryn's relentless and resenting gaze, almost as if with guilt. Slowly she sat down.
Elrond once again focused attention on the Ring. "This is the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron. It will be the Doom of Middle Earth."
"Nay." Protested Boromir, rising, "It is a gift! A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring?" Pain from memory passed across his face as he spoke passionately. "Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people." He hit his breast, then with his other hand gestured to the people around him. "While your lands are kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the Enemy. Let us use it against him!"
"You cannot wield it." Estel rose to his feet from the edge of the circle. "None of us can. The Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."
"And what," said Boromir, with quiet anger in his voice, "would a Ranger know of these matters?"
"This is no mere Ranger!" announced Legolas, also rising. "This is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." Boromir opened his mouth but no words came out.
"This is Isildur's heir?" Kathryn wondered aloud, rising dreamily to her feet and taking a few steps forward towards him. "Aragorn?" She raised her hand and touched his face, with searching eyes. He tried to avoid her gaze.
"And heir to the throne of Gondor." Legolas continued. Kathryn spun around to face him.
The newly named Aragorn gestured softly with his hand, "Havo dad, Legolas (Sit down, Legolas)." He looked back to her. "Kathryn." He whispered.
Words failed her. What cruel fate could make this happen? Dejectedly she sat down in her seat, staring at nothing.
Boromir however, was still standing, "Gondor has no King." He said quietly, sitting down and looking darkly at Aragorn. "Gondor needs no King." Throughout the rest of the council he would frequently cast such looks at Aragorn, jealous and measuring.
Elrond looked at her sternly. "Rise." He commanded. She stood up, and walked towards Elrond. He turned her to face the council will his hands on her shoulders. "Legolas, son of King Thranduil, has already introduced Aragorn. But Kathryn is also needing an introduction herself." He raised his voice so all in the room could hear. "This is Aredylen daughter of Armelion, second son of Arador. She is Isildur's heiress, if you will."
"And heiress to the throne of Gondor." Legolas murmured, blue eyes shining with intrigue.
Kathryn sat down, desperately trying to ignore the looks from either side.
"We are here in Rivendell or Imladris as it was known of old." Elrond said, casting his eyes to Boromir. "The Sword That Was Broken, Narsil, has long rested here in its shards, but may yet be reforged." An elf came forth bearing the pieces and laid them on Elrond's left side. "The halfling has stood forth." He gestured to Frodo. "Now the token of Doom has been shown. Isildur's Bane: The One Ring. It has awoken, it has heard its master's call. The Ring must be destroyed."
"Then what are we waiting for?" snarled a dwarf, leaping to his feet and unhooking his axe. He swung it with all his might at the Ring and there was a burst of immense power. When everyone looked again, the dwarf's axe lay in pieces around the pedestal, but in the eye of the storm the Ring lay, unscathed.
Elrond gave the dwarf who now lay on the floor a wry smile. "The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Gloín, by any craft 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 into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this." He surveyed the circle.
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*Dum dum! Who's going to take the Ring I wonder?!!! Anyway THANK YOU VERY MUCH people who have reviewed - you have made me consider my writing style and suchlike!*