Frodo and I were called to a council meeting later that day. We sat in a semicircle with the others who had arrived earlier.
Lord Elrond addressed the council. "Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned to answer the 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. Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."
Frodo stepped forward and placed a gold ring on a table then sat back down. For some reason I couldn't take my eyes off of it.
"It is a gift," one of the men said standing up. "A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor kept the forces of Mordor at bay by the blood of our people are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!
"You cannot wield it. None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master," a man with dark shoulder length hair said.
"And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" the other said.
The elf with long blond hair stood up. "This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathron. You owe him your allegiance."
"Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?"
"And heir to the throne of Gondor," the elf said.
"Havo dad, Legolas," 1 Aragorn told the elf.
The other man snorted. "Gondor has no king," he looked at Aragorn. " Gondor needs no king."
"You have only one choice," Elrond said. "The ring must be destroyed."
"What are we waiting for?" one of the dwarves asked. He struck the ring with his axe and was knocked backwards. His axe was broken into pieces but the ring remained intact.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that 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 back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. Elrond looked around at each of us. "One of you must do this."
"One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great Eye is ever-watchful," the man with auburn hair said. "It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air that you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly."
"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" the elf stated.
"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Gimli demanded.
"And if we fail, what then?" the man asked. "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"
"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!" Gimli shouted. "Never trust an elf!"
They all stood, with the exception of Frodo and myself, and began to argue. The sounds of the bickering were blocked out and all I heard was a deep voice chanting something in a language I did not understand.
"Ash nazg durbatuluk, Ash nazg gimbatul, Ash nazg thrakatuluk, Agh burzum-ishi krimpatul." 2
I stood and slowly walked over to where the Ring lay, my gaze never leaving it. I could see flames glowing upon the band as the voice continued chanting. I reached my hand out to take it when I was startled by a voice.
"I will take it! I will take it!" Frodo shouted, the fighting stopped. "I will take the Ring to Mordor... though I do not know the way."
Gandalf approached Frodo. "I will help you bear this burden Frodo Baggins. As long as it is yours to bear."
"If by my life or death, if I can protect you, I will," Aragorn said as he went and knelt before Frodo. "You have my sword."
"And you have my bow," the elf said.
"And my axe," Gimli said.
"You carry the fates of us all little one," the other man said. "If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done."
"Here!" someone shouted. I saw Sam run up and stand beside Frodo. "Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me."
"No, indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you from him, even when he is summoned to a secret Council, and you are not," Elrond said.
"Oi! We're coming too!" Merry shouted and he and Pippin came and stood with Frodo. "You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to get rid of us."
"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this mission. Quest. Thing," Pippin said.
Merry looked at Pippin. "Well that rules you out Pip."
"What about you Stacey?" Frodo asked. "Will you come with us?"
"Yes. From what Lord Elrond has told me of you, you may prove to be quite useful," Gandalf said.
I was about to decline when I heard the voice in my head again. "Sure I have nothing else to do."
"Ten companions. So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring," Elrond said.
"Great," Pippin said. "Where are we going?"
I rolled my eyes. This was going to be interesting.
Author's Note:
Below are the translations for the parts in Elvish which are numbered above.
1 "Sit down, Legolas"
2 "One Ring to rule them all, One Ring
to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them."