Both Fang and Fire

by Erestor

Disclaimer: I own nothing pertaining to The Lord of the Rings.


CHAPTER THREE

After finding rooms for Boromir and his companions, Erestor returned to the courtyard and shooed Carca back to his own chambers. "You've had a late night," he said.

Carca wondered why he had not been partying with the other Elves. She found out later that he had attended the first half, but had left promptly when he heard of the new arrivals. He did not return to the feast. Instead he sat up and worked on various things, far into the night. Carca lay at his feet, wondering, as was her wont.

She thought of Erestor's comment, that no one knew who she would belong to in the end.

"Who will keep me?" she thought.


The next day Carca arose early. She licked herself down and set out, a dog on a mission. She wanted to find out who would keep her. She wanted to know if Strider would claim her.

Erestor had been very kind. He had fed her and talked to her, and let her roam about whenever she wanted. He seemed lonely, and would surely benefit from having a dog like her. She was certain of that. But who else needed her?

Carca wandered the gardens, thinking such grim thoughts. She was a dog, and not prone to worrying, but she realized that she needed to think about her future. She wanted to help. Perhaps she was in this strange place for that purpose. She wondered what Mary-Lou would have been doing at this point in time.

"Probably looking for the wonderful Leggy-Pooh," she thought. It would have served him right if Mary-Lou had fallen into his arms. She would have showed him the downfalls of having such a ridiculous name.

Carca turned the corner and found herself staring at two elderly people sitting on a bench talking. One was a hobbit. The other was a man who looked very ancient and wise, and also rather grim.

"So this is the dog," the hobbit said. "The one who helped save poor Frodo." He talked in a strange wheezing kind of way. Carca wondered if it was an affectation of his, so as to emphasis everything he said.

Two other hobbits rounded the bend. One was the much celebrated Frodo Ringbearer. The other was his friend, apparently a good fellow named Sam. He was afraid of dogs, Carca could tell, and he took care to avoid her as she sat on the path, her tail swishing back and forth.

The four talked about nice things like weather and the beauty of Imladris. But Frodo still looked rather pale, and Sam still looked a bit suspicious of Carca.

"I suppose if I did not like dogs," Carca thought, in her usual philosophical mood, "I should avoid one called Fang." The fact that her name was intimidating made her feel good: unbeatable and brave.

The ringing of a bell woke her from her reverie. "The Council of Elrond will soon begin," the old man said, jumping lightly to his feet. "You and Bilbo are wanted."

Frodo, the elderly hobbit (who must have been Bilbo), and the old man hurried off in the direction of the ringing bell, leaving the third hobbit behind.

Carca thought. "I think I will go to the Council of Elrond as well."

The hobbit, she noticed, seemed to be having similar thoughts. They both hurried off after their departing friends.


From where she lay, deeply ensconced in some leafy shrubbery, Carca had a wonderful view of the Council. She could see Boromir there, still in his dirty clothes, looking as if he was about to fall asleep at any moment. She could see Strider, surprisingly clean, especially when compared to the son of Denethor. She saw Erestor, grim and tidy and proper. Glorfindel was there too, looking very fine and dignified.

"What would he do if I rushed in and bit his ankle?" she thought. Probably he would keep on looking fine and dignified as he tried to detatch her from his foot. "He might even succeed," she thought, smiling to herself. The very thought of Glorfindel hopping around in a dignified manner, with her attached to his boot, made her give a little yip of laughter.

As she listened to the people talk she derived several things.

1. The Ringbearer had a ring.

2. The ring was dangerous.

3. The word 'Ring' should probably be thought of in Capital Letters.

4. They would have to either destroy the Ring, hide the Ring, or give up all hope of future happiness.

5. Erestor thought destroying the Ring would be suicide.

6. Glorfindel wanted to toss the Ring in the sea.

7. The Elf in Charge (his name was Lord Elrond) wanted to destroy the Ring in Mt. Doom.

8. Doom sounded rather ominous, even to Carca.

9. Everyone else seemed to agree the destroying the Ring was suicide.

10. Boromir didn't want to destroy the Ring.

11. Boromir thought they could use the Ring, for some strange purpose.

12. Boromir and Strider disliked each other.

13. Lord Elrond wanted to make a Fellowship to destroy the Ring.

14. Sam had been hiding in the shrubbery as well, and made himself known.

15. The Fellowshipers were now: Frodo and Sam.

Carca wandered away from the Council, feeling despondent. Things did not look good for the Fellowshipers. The two hobbits would probably not be capable to fighting anything. "They might need me," she thought. Then it struck her that Erestor would probably call the whole thing off. He would say it was suicide. She almost had to agree. The mission sounded dangerous to her, and she did not quite understand why it was necessary.

"I am just a dog," she thought, "but delivering a Very Dangerous Ring into the hands of the chief villain sounds just plain Wrong."

She wondered if the others thought of the quest in this way. She headed back home, and found Erestor standing by the door, about to leave.

"Carca," he said, "I'm going to visit Lord Glorfindel. Will you come?"

Glorfindel: the snooty wonderful Elf, with the beautiful, incredibly handsome black dog. Carca panted with excitement. "Of course I'll come," she thought. "Even if it's just to see Gath again."


Gath was not there. Carca prepared herself to be bored.

Glorfindel's chambers consisted of one large room. Very large. The furniture was simple but beautiful, the room spacious and open. It even had a balcony. Carca had always thought balconies were a good idea. She decided she liked Glorfindel's style.

Erestor slumped into a chair by a big window. "This whole idea is crazy," he said.

Glorfindel pushed a goblet of wine across the table towards his friend. "Lord Elrond has been right many times before," he said.

"But he has been wrong on occasion," Erestor said, frowning. "I'm very worried."

"You shouldn't be. Elrond has never been seriously mistaken. He knows what he's doing," Glorfindel said.

"Glorfindel the Perfect and Heroic strikes again," Carca thought.

"He doesn't always act this way," came an amused thought.

Carca spun around and found herself nose to nose with Gath. "You startled me," she thought, deciding to start with the obvious.

"That was my intent," Gath said.

"You know, you're just as infuriating as he is," Carca thought. "Gath and Glorfindel: the Terrible Two."

"What have you been doing all day?" he asked, stretching. His sleek black fur looked even glossier in the sunlight.

"I was at Elrond's Council," she thought. "Is that good enough for you, my lord?"

Gath smiled. "It's enough. Elladan and Elrohir were there too, but I stayed behind. I take it Lord Elrond wants to create a Fellowship."

"Yes," Carca answered. "'Nine walkers to face nine riders' or something like that. They will set out soon."

"Who exactly?" Gath asked. (He didn't know everything, Carca realized. That was reassuring. She couldn't stand know-it-alls.)

"The Fellowshipers: Sam and Frodo," Carca thought.

"I can count," Gath thought, "and that is only two."

"I suppose they'll find seven others later," Carca replied. "Probably Strider and some Elves."

"Maybe a few dogs too," Gath thought.

"Perhaps," Carca thought with satisfaction. Dogs were good and helpful animals. If they came with the Fellowship-to-be they would be of great assistance. When she thought about it, however, she wondered. Did she really want to join the Fellowship? Maybe she would prefer to stay in Imladris.

What would Mary-Lou have done? Carca knew the answer to that question at least. Mary-Lou would be galloping off to Mordor as fast as her high-heels would let her. Anything to save Middle-earth and make herself look heroic.

"Do I want to do what Mary-Lou would have done?" Carca wondered.

To Be Continued...