"Did you want to talk about it?"

Noticing the way that Strider had been watching him, Frodo wasn't at all surprised that he had said something.  It was more like he was surprised Strider hadn't said something earlier.  All the same, Frodo felt that it was nice to have had some time to himself to think things out, even if he couldn't make any sense of it.  He really wished Gandalf here there at that moment.  He'd have known what to do, what was causing those weird dreams.

"No, I'm fine.  I guess I'm just letting my mind wander too much."

"We're all under a lot of stress Frodo, but just remember, if you ever want to talk, I'm here.  I might not be as wise as Gandalf, but I'll do my best to help you."

Turning to look at Aragorn, Frodo almost expected to hear from the Ranger that he'd said his thoughts out loud, instead of just thinking them.  And seeing the look on his face, Aragorn had no doubt what Frodo was thinking about.

"Frodo, it hardly takes much of a guess to see that you miss Gandalf's guidance as much as the rest of us do.  No one feels his loss as much as I, but we all must go on."

"You're right Strider, but some times it just seems so hard to go on.  I don't know how we'll ever manage it."

"One step at a time my dear hobbit, one step at a time."

With that, Frodo turned back around facing the front of the boat and continued thinking about his mysterious dream as Aragorn paddled them down the Anduin.  But with his mind all in a jumble, time passed relatively quickly for Frodo, and before he was ready Aragorn was signaling the rest of the fellowship to pull over and prepare to settle down for the night.  "Just as long as there are no more dreams of Bilbo trying to kill me," Frodo mumbled to himself and helped unpack the boat he and Aragorn were in as they all set up camp.

"Try and eat something Mr. Frodo.  You think I haven't noticed how little you eat"

"I will Sam, I'm just not hungry right now."

"Humph!" Sam declared, putting down the plate of food and returning back to the cooking fire to finish cleaning up.

"Your friend is right, little one.  The ring must weigh heavily on your mind.  You need some nourishment to help you keep your strength up."

Looking up at Boromir, Frodo was less surprised than most at his untimely comment.  It seemed, at least to Frodo, that Boromir had been watching him a lot lately.  Every time he looked around he could see Boromir facing his direction, and when he was not facing him, Frodo could feel Boromir's stare drilling into his back.  And at every moment Frodo knew that Boromir wanted the ring.

Frodo almost had to fight off the urge to stand up and yell at Boromir, to tell him to just deal with it.  That thought was seductive, just throw the ring away and let someone else suffer all the angst and just deal with it, just dump the whole problem on someone's plate.  Apart from what Gandalf, Elrond, and recently Strider, said, Frodo just didn't feel up to the task of bearing the ring.  Looking into the fire beside Sam, Frodo could almost see the flames of Modor as they crested over the crevices, just waiting to embrace the ring once more.

"Come on Mr. Frodo, if we don't get moving we're going to be late for the secret council meeting."

Looking up into Sam's face, Frodo realized he'd been staring into the fireplace in his room. That was odd since he couldn't remember when he had started to look into the fire.  He'd been having the weirdest of dream, though, but for some reason he couldn't remember what it was.

"Yes, of course Sam, I'm coming."  With that, Frodo grabbed his cloak, as it seemed to Frodo that he hadn't been properly warm since being stabbed with that morgul blade at weathertop, and went to join Lord Elrond's secret council meeting.

"It is good of you two to join us," Elrond said, pointing to a couple of empty seats beside Gandalf.

"We're sorry we're late, my Lord," Frodo said, trying to be as courteous as possible.  But with a wave of his hand Lord Elrond dismissed their tardiness as inconsequential and began the council meeting that was much anticipated in Rivendell.

For the most part, they talked about many things at that council meeting, not the least of which was Frodo's ring, the One Ring.  Yet, when it came time to decide on a ring bearer, no clear candidate could be found.  Gandalf and Aragorn didn't want it, and neither the Dwarf nor the Elf would allow the other to have it.  Both Gandalf and Elrond admitted that Boromir looked too longing at using the power of the ring to be able to destroy it.  Its power would corrupt him too easily.

That left only one of the hobbits.  But which one?  Both Merry and Pippen were always getting into too much trouble to be able to carry the ring, and it was Elrond's thought that, after being stabbed by the Morgul blade, Frodo was too susceptible to the Dark Lord's power to be able to resist the lure of the ring.  So, it was decided that Sam, the most unlikely carrier of all, should be the ring bearer.

"But surely it's Mr. Frodo's!"  Sam cried out when Lord Elrond made that announcement.  "He brought it all the way from the Shire to here and is a much better person for the job, beggin' your pardon and no insult intended."

"None taken Master Gamgees," the tall elf knelt down to look Sam in the eye.  "But he did his job bringing the ring to us.  Would you have it destroy him, especially now that he's been so weakened?"  Said so softly, none but Sam heard the elf's comment.

Seeing the shock and panic in Sam's eyes, the Elf Lord could see how he would never want that to happen.  Lord Elrond had picked the one thing that would guarantee that Sam accepted the ring.  He'd take it if it meant that it would spare Frodo more pain and suffering.

"Then it's been decided.  The tale of the Nine is filled.  In seven days the Company must depart."

**************************

A/N:

Thank you for reading my story so far and for those wondering, yes, that last line is what Elrond says when he commissions the fellowship (like I could say it any better than he).

I'd also like the thank everyone who has read my story so far and enjoyed what you've read.  I'd especially like to thank those who have left a review and let me know how they felt.

I'd especially like to thank TesubCalle for all her help and encouragement.