*And Mae govannen again friends!*
"One does not simply walk into Mordor." Boromir groaned, his head in his hands. Then he looked up. "The Black Gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep." He made a circle with his thumb and forefinger. "The Great Eye is ever-watchful. It is a barren wasteland riddled with fire, ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume." He shook his head. "Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly."
"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has just said? The Ring must be destroyed!" Legolas said earnestly, rising again, grey cloak pushed back.
Gimli sprang up from his chair, grunting, "And I suppose you think you'll be the one to do it?" Elf and Dwarf glared at each other.
"And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron reclaims what is his?" Boromir stood, urging the rest of the circle.
"I'll die before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!" The dwarf continued, his kinsmen standing by him. Simultaneously, Legolas's kin from Mirkwood rose to argue with their Prince, but he held them back, being cooler of mind, although his eye still glared keenly at the dwarves. The entire chamber was filled with debate, argument and banter as the men from the south and Laketown joined in.
The two Rangers, the two hobbits, Gandalf and Elrond stayed seated. Gandalf and Elrond looked at each other with resignation. Eventually Gandalf pulled himself up by his staff and began fervently to try to reason with those nearest. "Do you not understand?" He thundered. "While you bicker amongst yourselves Sauron's power grows! None can escape it! You'll all be destroyed!"
And Frodo sat on his large chair, staring fearfully at the Ring, seeing the havoc it was raking just by being there. Then his blue eyes hardened and he swallowed, slipping off his chair.
"I will take it!" He said quietly, but no one could hear him. "I will take it!" He shouted, and the whole council was quiet. "I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though," He paused, uncertain. "I do not know the way." Kathryn's heart swelled with pride while at the same time breaking in two that he should choose such a dangerous road.
"And I will help you bear this burden, as long as it is yours to bear." Gandalf walked to him, leaning heavily on his staff, and placing a hand on the small hobbit's shoulder.
Aragorn rose. "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will." He swore. He knelt before Frodo, taking his hand. "You have my sword."
"And my bow." Legolas declared, moving towards Frodo.
"And my axe!" Gimli said, standing next to the Elf, allowing one last glare. Kathryn saw Gandalf and Elrond exchanging optimistic glances.
"You carry the fate of us all, little one." Boromir said to Frodo. Then he looked at Elrond. "If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done." Kathryn watched with interest.
"Here! Mister Frodo's not going anywhere without me!" Sam shouted from his hiding place among the bushes, then he scrambled up the steps and stood by his master. Elrond smiled, his keen elven gaze had long before shown him Sam's hiding place.
"No indeed it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret Council and you are not."
Then two more protests came from the arches opposite where Sam had been, and Elrond's eyes widened with rare surprise. "Hey! We're coming too!" Pippin shouted, running over to the gathering around Frodo.
"You'll have to tie us up in a sack to stop us!" Merry added.
Elrond examined them all. "Nine Companions, to match the Nine Ringwraiths - " At that moment Kathryn, after thinking long about it, rose.
"You've had my love, Frodo, since I first met you. But now you have all the aid I can give you." She said walking slowly towards him. "I apologise Elrond, I know your love for symmetry, but the Fellowship needs a woman so a woman they will have!"
Elrond could not hold his acute eyebrows down in a frown for long. "So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."
"One does not simply walk into Mordor." Boromir groaned, his head in his hands. Then he looked up. "The Black Gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep." He made a circle with his thumb and forefinger. "The Great Eye is ever-watchful. It is a barren wasteland riddled with fire, ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume." He shook his head. "Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly."
"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has just said? The Ring must be destroyed!" Legolas said earnestly, rising again, grey cloak pushed back.
Gimli sprang up from his chair, grunting, "And I suppose you think you'll be the one to do it?" Elf and Dwarf glared at each other.
"And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron reclaims what is his?" Boromir stood, urging the rest of the circle.
"I'll die before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!" The dwarf continued, his kinsmen standing by him. Simultaneously, Legolas's kin from Mirkwood rose to argue with their Prince, but he held them back, being cooler of mind, although his eye still glared keenly at the dwarves. The entire chamber was filled with debate, argument and banter as the men from the south and Laketown joined in.
The two Rangers, the two hobbits, Gandalf and Elrond stayed seated. Gandalf and Elrond looked at each other with resignation. Eventually Gandalf pulled himself up by his staff and began fervently to try to reason with those nearest. "Do you not understand?" He thundered. "While you bicker amongst yourselves Sauron's power grows! None can escape it! You'll all be destroyed!"
And Frodo sat on his large chair, staring fearfully at the Ring, seeing the havoc it was raking just by being there. Then his blue eyes hardened and he swallowed, slipping off his chair.
"I will take it!" He said quietly, but no one could hear him. "I will take it!" He shouted, and the whole council was quiet. "I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though," He paused, uncertain. "I do not know the way." Kathryn's heart swelled with pride while at the same time breaking in two that he should choose such a dangerous road.
"And I will help you bear this burden, as long as it is yours to bear." Gandalf walked to him, leaning heavily on his staff, and placing a hand on the small hobbit's shoulder.
Aragorn rose. "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will." He swore. He knelt before Frodo, taking his hand. "You have my sword."
"And my bow." Legolas declared, moving towards Frodo.
"And my axe!" Gimli said, standing next to the Elf, allowing one last glare. Kathryn saw Gandalf and Elrond exchanging optimistic glances.
"You carry the fate of us all, little one." Boromir said to Frodo. Then he looked at Elrond. "If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done." Kathryn watched with interest.
"Here! Mister Frodo's not going anywhere without me!" Sam shouted from his hiding place among the bushes, then he scrambled up the steps and stood by his master. Elrond smiled, his keen elven gaze had long before shown him Sam's hiding place.
"No indeed it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret Council and you are not."
Then two more protests came from the arches opposite where Sam had been, and Elrond's eyes widened with rare surprise. "Hey! We're coming too!" Pippin shouted, running over to the gathering around Frodo.
"You'll have to tie us up in a sack to stop us!" Merry added.
Elrond examined them all. "Nine Companions, to match the Nine Ringwraiths - " At that moment Kathryn, after thinking long about it, rose.
"You've had my love, Frodo, since I first met you. But now you have all the aid I can give you." She said walking slowly towards him. "I apologise Elrond, I know your love for symmetry, but the Fellowship needs a woman so a woman they will have!"
Elrond could not hold his acute eyebrows down in a frown for long. "So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."