Author: Arinya
Rating:R
Summary: Sam is forced to retell all the things that happened after the Fellowship had succeeded in destroying the Ring. All the members of the Fellowship have their own problems. Darkness returns, and Love struggles to conquer all. But as the problems mount up to a peak, can they survive? And can Sam bear telling his audience the true story?
Chapter Thirteen: Seeing the Others
Gimli was handed a scroll. He turned it around to see the seal of Gondor on it. The white tree and seven stars were quickly broken as Gimli opened the message.
He read to himself.
"Greetings...council...threat to Middle-Earth..."
"But how can this be? We destroyed Sauron long ago!"
His bread bristled, but he took the message seriously.
"If Aragorn has anything to say, then it'll have to be important. Ozen! We're leaving for Gondor!" he called his advisor.
"The pony will be ready sire" said Ozen.
"Ugh...ponies" said Gimli.
He had taken two days of fast, and almost nonstop riding to Gondor.
"The faster I get there, the faster I'll get over with it" he said to himself, and gave the reins of his pony to a stableboy.
He made his way towards the Council Room as directed by a guide, and sat down, with Ozen next to him. He noted that Sam was here, the hobbit. He restrained himself from sitting up and shouting a greeting as more people came into the ring. He merely nodded and Sam caught the gesture.
Gimli saw Gandalf, a surprise since he had believed that the wizard had gone to the Western Lands. Then Celeborn, he glowed with a soft moonlight texture and Gimli was even more surprised. King Eomer walked in and Aragorn came in and sat down in their chairs. It was a sad group of a meager six people. Gimli wondered why so little and Aragorn proceeded to speak.
"You may be asking why there are so few delegates here, the answer is that many of the higher ranking officers, and seinior men have been killed, or are not here anymore. You have been gathered to answer the threat of the Lady Galadriel. She has been turned towards the darkness, and is now planning to use Lothlorien as a hold against Middle-Earth"
"I do not understand, how could she!" said Gimli.
"She is a witch Sire-"
"Silence!" said Gimli, and Ozen looked uncomfortable.
Aragorn explained the circumstances where Eomer banged his fist on the arm of the chair.
"She is too powerful, the Lady alone could crush Rohan under one finger!"
"She is still breeding her orcs and Uruk-Hai, Galadriel is not satisfied with her task force" said Gandalf.
"They destroyed Rivendell in one day! When she is satisfied, she will have enough vermin to overrun us all!"
"Rivendell..." said Gimli to himself, cursing silently because he had not kept himself up to date with the news around him.
"Elrond was not found" said Aragorn, answering Gimli's unasked question.
"He might have escaped" said Sam.
"Or been captured" said Eomer.
"We must join together!" said Gimli, catching everyone by surprise.
This was a new age where dwarves were not so isolated, and careless. Gimli had set an example for the rest of his people and he pursed his lips.
"We must form another alliance, without one we are lost"
Gandalf's lips quirked in a small smile.
"Gimli is right my friends. For once a dwarf steps up to lead the people. Times are changing, we must accept and fight back"
Celeborn stayed silent thus far and Sam looked at the tall elf in wonder.
" Are you not well Lord Celeborn?" he asked. Celeborn swept his gaze to the hobbit and his normally serene face turned somber.
"Galadriel has been my faithful wife for over one thousand years. She killed Haldir who helped me escape. She has betrayed me and yet still I love her with all my immortal heart. I am torn between trying to salvage her light and fighting her darkness, for if I do either, she will be lost to me, and she herself is delved so deeply into her hatred that I fear she cannot be saved in any way."
Gandalf nodded, understanding lost love, and the sorrow that Celeborn felt.
"It is your decision to do as you wish my old friend. But Alatariel may not be lost to us forever, she was great once. There is always a small light waiting to be found"
"But I worry that the light is being tainted, that when I find her, even if so slowly being done, I will have been too late"
There was a silence.
"Do you know of where she plans to strike next?" said Eomer.
"She's mounting her forces to capture me" said Gandalf.
"For I have the third ring"
"She possesses two already?" asked Gimli.
"Yes, Nenya, and Vilya are hers"
"She might have killed Elrond!" said Gimli.
"We are not sure yet Gimli, she is not a very obvious person" said Aragorn.
"Then what do we do?"
"The hardest thing to do. We watch, and wait" said the High King and Eomer let his breath out.
"I will speak to my people. But Rohan was looking forward to better times"
"Everyone did" said Gandalf.
"The White Council has also been dissassembled" said Celeborn, suddenly reminded of it.
"Yes" said Gandalf.
"It is true...both Saruman and Alatariel turned from us...it is a great calamity"