Chapter 3
The next morning someone gently prodded me awake. I waved an arm around, a signal of 'go away' but to no avail. Who ever it was, or whatever it was, was being persistent. "It is time to get up, Child." I heard a voice say. I rolled over and opened an eye, looking at who spoke. He was short and old looking. His hair was gray and messy. "Ah, you are alive." He said, a hint of a smile on his kind old face. He had to be a ...hobbit. Man, things are too confusing. Hobbits, Elves, dwarves! No guns. No TV. No TV?! I AM IN HELL! I thought. I almost laughed out loud. That comment was more likely to come from one of my friends then me. My favorite pass time was fighting and riding, of course. Who woulda thunk? "Yeah...I'm alive...unfortunately." I said, stifling a yawn. The old man smiled. "Well, child, get up and get dressed! You've over slept! It is time for the Council." "Overslept? What time is it?" "Why, 7 o clock of course!" My mouth dropped. "If that is oversleeping, then what is sleeping to 10? A coma?" I snorted. This was too strange. The hobbit just laughed. "Come, come. My name is Bilbo, by the by!" "Talvari." I said, once again stifling a yawn. The man nodded politely then handed me a bundle of clothes. He stepped out of the room and waited for me. I dressed myself and looked into the mirror. It was elvish, definitely, but it seemed more feminine. It fit a hell of a lot better, too, then the man clothes. To top it off, I had my black cloak back. I walked out of the room and walked with Bilbo to the council. When we walked in, I noted that there where only guys, or should I say 'males' here. Sexist peoples. I took a seat as far away as everyone else as possible. I noted, faintly interestingly, that I knew a few of the people here. Elrond was at the head of the room, Gandalf sat to the side with Frodo, Aragorn sat with the hottie elf... I mean Legolas, and that one dude who I ran into the other day too. Most of the 'males' here stared in disbelief as I walked in. Along with the a few men, the two hobbits, and countless elves, there was another species. I guessed they were dwarves as they were short, kind of grubby, and had really insanely long beards. I sat down on a step in the back of the council, waiting for the council to start. "Strangers from distant lands, newcomers, friends of old. You have been summoned here 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." He stopped, letting this sink in before going on. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." He gestured to the young hobbit, then to the pedestal. Frodo only stood and placed a small ring on the stand before quickly sitting back down, breathing as if a great weight had been taken from him. I looked at the ring, the small little gold ring, and instantly flinched from the evil I felt. "So it is true..." The annoying man said. "The Doom of Men." Whispered another man, in awe. "It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring?" At this the man stood and began to pace. "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!" I snorted in disgust. The man, along with many others, turned their heads to me. I raised a hand. "Don't mind me. Keep talking." I made a dismissive gesture with my hand. The man glared at me. "No, continue. I would like to hear what a woman has to say about all this." I stood and glared back. I walked into the light. "You wanna hear my take on it? Fine. First off, you are an ass. The second I saw that thing, I could feel the evil radiating off of it. Second, You are stupid. Have you heard nothing Elrond said? It is E-V-I-L. Ya know what that spells right? Evil? Cause that is what it is. And to think, even for a second, that you can use that ring for good, it means you are REALLY dumb." "And a woman knows of this?" it was Aragorn speaking. He was not being rude, just a mere question. That is when I realized I had the whole councils' attention. "Yeah. Were I come from, we have been through more wars then you can count. Sometimes wars are stared because of hate and prejudice, others because of some religious crap. But the worst ones are started because of truly evil people thinking they can change the world to fit their visions. Ya wanna know why those are the worst? Cause they kill the most. Innocent or not, people die. People on all sides suffer, indifferent or not." I took a breath. Aragorn was nodding solemnly. "And your point is?" the annoying one asked. I almost slapped him. "You must be freaking deaf." I shook my head and walked away a bit, and plopped down on the ground next to Gandalf and Frodo. Gandalf was smiling proudly at me. "I agree with Talvari, Boromir. You cannot wield it! None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master." Aragorn said finally. "And what would a ranger know of this matter?" "This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." Legolas said, jumping up. "Aragorn? This... is Isildur's heir?" Boromir seemed just as stunned. "And heir to the throne of Gondor." Legolas continued. In the mean time, my mouth dropped. Aragorn was a king?! "Havo dad Legolas" Aragorn said in a gently voice. Something inside of me, somehow, knew that it meant 'sit down'. Legolas did as he was asked. "Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king." He turned to sit down. I jumped up and went after him. I was livid. "WHAT IS YOUR FREAKIN PROBLEM?! You come in here, invited to represent your people and you act like a fool! Let me tell you something, BOROMIR, Aragorn may not be your choice of kings but you wanna know something? He is a better man then you could ever hope to be." Boromir had had it. He looked like he as going to punch me. "Take your best shot." I growled. He shook his head and sat back down, glaring at me. I didn't care. Aragorn was a friend to me. You didn't screw with my friends. I glared back at him and went back to my seat. A small silence followed. I had the feeling that Boromir was not the only one who doubted Aragorn. I glanced at him momentarily and leaned back, chewing my lip in thought. "You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed." Elrond said finally. "What are we waiting for?" The younger of the two dwarves stood up, grabbed his axe and approached the ring. He hit the Ring with full force but was repelled back and he fell to the ground. The ring was still intact. The axe however was shattered. Completely. Frodo winced, and I put a hand on his knee, looking up at him. He smiled forcefully and shook his head. "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." He paused. "One of you must do this." There was the bombshell. Dead silence. "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. It is a barren wasteland. Riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly! "Boromir said once again. "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" Legolas yelled, standing "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?!" the young dwarf, Gimli, yells back. "And if we fail, what then?! What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?!" Boromir stands. "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!" Gimli yelled angrily. At this, the elves stood, offended. "Never trust an elf!" Gimli said shrilly. "Do you not understand that while we bicker amongst ourselves, Sauron's power grows?! None can escape it!" Gandalf said, standing as well. I clapped my hands over my ears. Men. Can we say TESTOSTERONE?! More people enter the argument, everyone practically screaming at each other. Only Frodo and I remained seated. Suddenly he stands, and I know what's coming. "I will take it." He says quietly. No one hears. "HEY, GIRLS! SHUT UP!" That got their attention. "I will take it." Gandalf closes his eyes, saddened. The others turn to him in amazement. "I will take it to Mordor, though I do not know the way." Frodo looked scared. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, so long as it is yours to bear." Gandalf said, coming to stand by Frodo with his hand laid gently on his shoulder. "If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." Aragorn said, standing and walking towards Frodo. He kneeled. "You have my sword." "And you have my bow" Legolas said, coming to join the group. "And my axe!" Gimli said, as if not to be out done by an elf. Boromir stands and walks towards Frodo. "You carry the fates of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done." He said. It surprised me a little. Maybe he is better then I thought. "Heh!" Suddenly, Sam jumps from the bushes and runs to Frodo's side "Mr. Frodo is not goin' anywhere without me!" "No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." Elrond said, amused. "Wait! We are coming too!" Pippin and Merry soon joined Sam and Frodo. "You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" Merry declared. "Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest... thing." Pippin said, almost dignified. "Well that rules you out Pip." Merry said sarcastically. "Nine companions..." Elrond started. "Ten." I said, standing and coming to Frodo's side. I bent down, looking him in the eye. "If you will have me, Frodo, I would like to come." I instantly saw objections I all of the mens' eyes. A few were about to object. "Hey, shush. I didn't ask you. I asked Frodo." They closed their mouths and smirked, as if they knew Frodo's answer. "I would love for you to come, Talvari." Frodo said, returning my gaze. That was obviously not what the men had expected. "Yes? She is a woman!" A rather handsome elf yelled out. "How could she help?" Another yelled. "Legolas, dagger please?" He looked at me blankly. I knew he had one. I also knew you kinda weren't supposed to bring daggers to councils. "Oh stop. Just for a demonstration." He nodded and pulled a dagger from the back of his shirt. He handed it to me. "Thank you." I took the handle, gripped it expertly and chucked it at the elf that spoke first. It landed right where I had intended it to, about an inch from his *ahem* more private parts. His eyes widened. The other elf's eyes also widened, as did most of the other's did. The second elf grabbed the dagger, pulling hard and being careful not to 'clip' his brethren. The first elf grabbed the dagger once it was free and chucked it at my head as hard as he could. And I caught it. "Ten companions...So be it...You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring." Elrond said quietly. The guys stood amazed. I only grinned and handed Legolas his dagger before turning and walking out of the council, whistling.
***
It was later that night that I finally saw the rest of the Fellowship. The stood or sat, relaxing for perhaps the last night. I walked to them, yawning a bit. "Talvari." Legolas said, being the first to spot me. I noticed that the others stood, turning to me. "You guys are so polite. Sit down. You have to be more relaxed around me. I may be a woman, and I may be able to kick your butt but that don't mean we can't have some fun!" I laughed a bit. The Hobbits grinned and sat back down. Gimli just stared, Legolas quirked a brow, and Boromir stared moodily at me. Aragorn watched me for a moment. "Why do you want to come?" he asked suddenly. "My, you are subtle. I want to come because I know I can help. Helping people should not be restricted by gender. Woman can be just as good at being a warrior as a man. Maybe its time someone proved that." Aragorn simply nodded. Which was followed by an awkward silence. "So what kind of fun?" Gimli asked, breaking the silence. "Hmm...Good question. No sparing cause we are gonna hafta do that enough later... Anyone know any good dirty jokes?" They just starred. Then they started looking around, finding other things to look at. "Ah-ha...Noone wants to go first. Alright then... I have one. Excuse me if it is...discriminating to anyone." I took a breath. "A man was walking in a forest. Night was falling and he was becoming quite tired. Suddenly, he comes across an elf home in a tree. He walks to it and knocks, waiting for someone to answer. A wise old elf answers. 'What can I do for you, wanderer of the wood?' the elf asks. The man replies 'I need a place to rest for the night.' The elf nods his head. 'You may stay here on one condition. You may not sleep with my daughter. If you do, you will receive the two worst elvish tortures known.' The man nods and walks into the elves' home. That night, he sees the elf's' daughter and she sees him. It is love at first sight. She sneaks into his room and the sleep with each other." I took a breath, once again having everyone attention. A few elves I did not know had joined us. "The next morning, the man wakes and finds that there is a rock on his chest. A card next to it reads 'the first torture'. The man thinks to himself ' no big deal.' picks the rock up and proceeds to throw it out of the tree. Just then, he notices a slight tug on his left. *Ahem* testicle and he realizes the rock is tied to it. He jumps out the window and sees another card. It read s' the second worst torture; the other one is tied to the bed post." I finished grinning madly. Most of the men had their legs crossed now. The hobbits where laughing madly, and so was Gimli. Gandalf was smirking, and so was Elrond, who I just noticed. The other elves were doing well, holding in their laughter. Aragorn and Legolas were holding in their laughter as well, but it was a losing battle. "I do not think I have ever heard that one before." Elrond said after wiping away a small tear of laughter. "And that is quiet amazing," Gandalf said, still smirking. It was a while before the others could breath well enough to talk. "That was amusing!" Sam said, still grinning. Pippin and Merry just nodded, wiping tears away from their eyes. Gimli clapped a hand on my back. "Good one, Lassie!" I grinned. "Do you have any others?" Frodo asked. "I thought you would never ask. Alright, the next one I am going to tell you, you may be a little confused. But let me explain three things; Japan is a city and Japanese is the language they speak. Golf is a type of sport that you use a staff to knock a ball into a hole from really far distances" I paused, taking a breath. "A man goes to Japan on a business trip. The night he arrives their, he gets a hooker, or prostitute, if you understand that better. Anyway, all the while they are having sex, the woman says "hoshimota'. Not speaking a word of Japanese, the man assumes he is giving her a good time. The next day, he goes with a few friends to play golf. He gets a whole in one. His friends congratulate him and he says the first thing he can think of 'Hoshimota.' One of his friends, who knows Japanese very well, gives him a strange look and says 'what do you mean, its in the wrong hole?" I grinned again, this being my favorite joke. Laughter exploded from the guys. Even the elves that had held in their laughter so well before could not help but laugh. Even Boromir's mood was lightened. I shook my head. "I think I will go now and have a drink..." one of the elves said, still laughing. The other elves I did not know nodded in agreement. They nodded to us in a polite goodbye and walked off, tears still dampening their eyes. "And I will go and see if I cannot get rid of that awful image in my head..." Elrond said. I laughed. He smiled warmly at me, bowed his head and walked away. Now only the Fellowship remained. I looked up at the sun. It was 7pm already. "Well, I think I'll go get my things together, eh Mer?" Pippin said. Merry nodded. They grinned at me. "Bye Talvari, bye everyone else." Pippin and Merry said almost simultaneously. They walked off, which left the others grinning at me. "She gets her own goodbye!" Gimli laughed. "Don't worry, Tal, you'll fit right in with them." Frodo said. "I wasn't worried." I smirked. "Come, Mr. Frodo. Bilbo wanted to see you and I've still things to pack." Sam said lightly. Frodo turned to him and nodded. "Good bye. I will see you all later." He said before turning to follow Sam. "I am taking my leave as well." Boromir said, his voice all to sober now. He nodded curtly at us and left. "I am going to say goodbye to Arwen..." Aragorn said, his voice somber. It was then I realized it; He loved her. The other two nodded. "Aragorn, don't worry. We'll get you back to her safely." I said, giving him a small smile. His face brightened a bit. "Thank you." Was all he said before he turned to go. "I get it. Ill leave too. I have my own things to take care off!" I watched the dwarf turn and leave. I shook my head and turned to Legolas, about to say something when I noticed he was giving me a strange look. "What..?" "I find you intriguing. You stand up for what you believe, even if no one sides with you. You fight, you think things through. You are human, yet completely elf." "I think I should say 'thanks'" He smiled. "Most of all, you stood up for Aragorn. He has been a friend of mine for ages, and you show him allegiance. And for this, I am grateful. Any friend of Aragorns' is a friend of mine." He put a hand on my shoulder. "Now, come with me. I have that bow I promised you. As well as a few other things..." He walked towards the armory and I followed. When we reached it, he pulled me to the side and pointed to a table with a cloth covering it. "There is the bow I promised you, along with sixteen arrows. You may need a new quiver, but that is easily done. I also had a sword and two daggers prepared for you. I am sorry that they are not much but..." I uncovered the table, revealing a gorgeous bow and arrows. Along side them were a sword with two daggers. "Thank you, Legolas! The bow is beautiful..."I hugged him suddenly. And he seemed a bit surprised, his eyes widening a bit before he hugged me back. In that one moment, I felt safety and....a ...belonging that I had never felt before. I looked to Legolas, his blue eyes meeting my own. He smiled at me, beginning to lean towards me. And I knew he was going to kiss me. And I did not really mind. But.... "*Ahem. *" Elrond said, coming to stand at the doors of the armory. I blushed and took a few steps back. Legolas did the same, without so much of the blushing. "Lord Elrond." Legolas said politely. Elrond smiled. "I just came to make gather a few things. I hope I was not interrupting anything...important?" Legolas ducked his head and smiled. I swear, if I get the chance, Elrond is going to get it! I thought, blushing more. "Of course not." Legolas said, his voice holding a bit of shame? At being caught? I wasn't sure. But it didn't exactly give me warm squishy feelings.
Elrond nodded his head and moved to pick up a few swords and daggers. "Well, I think we should go to bed." I said. Then I blinked. And turned bright red. "I mean, We should go to sleep! In different beds! In different rooms!" I was really embarrassed now. When would I learn to shut my mouth?! Elrond smiled at me, Legolas was trying not to laugh. "As you wish, Lady Talvari." Legolas said simply. Elrond waved a small goodbye. I gathered my weapons, waved, and left as fast as I could. "I can't believe you, Tal! You're so embarrassing! I mean, yes, Legolas is really hot. And yes, he has a fine body. And yes, he almost kissed you. But that doesn't mean you have the right to be a babbling idiot!" I said, scolding myself. "You're falling for him, Tal. Whether you like it or not." My rational self said. I sighed, knowing full well it was true. Sometimes I hated my rational side so much! I made my way to my room and opened the door. It was pitch black inside. I set my stuff down and took of my cloak and shirt. I sat down on the bed. To find four little bodies on it. I squinted my eyes and smiled. It was the hobbits. I shook my head, rearranged them, curled up between them and fell asleep.
The next morning someone gently prodded me awake. I waved an arm around, a signal of 'go away' but to no avail. Who ever it was, or whatever it was, was being persistent. "It is time to get up, Child." I heard a voice say. I rolled over and opened an eye, looking at who spoke. He was short and old looking. His hair was gray and messy. "Ah, you are alive." He said, a hint of a smile on his kind old face. He had to be a ...hobbit. Man, things are too confusing. Hobbits, Elves, dwarves! No guns. No TV. No TV?! I AM IN HELL! I thought. I almost laughed out loud. That comment was more likely to come from one of my friends then me. My favorite pass time was fighting and riding, of course. Who woulda thunk? "Yeah...I'm alive...unfortunately." I said, stifling a yawn. The old man smiled. "Well, child, get up and get dressed! You've over slept! It is time for the Council." "Overslept? What time is it?" "Why, 7 o clock of course!" My mouth dropped. "If that is oversleeping, then what is sleeping to 10? A coma?" I snorted. This was too strange. The hobbit just laughed. "Come, come. My name is Bilbo, by the by!" "Talvari." I said, once again stifling a yawn. The man nodded politely then handed me a bundle of clothes. He stepped out of the room and waited for me. I dressed myself and looked into the mirror. It was elvish, definitely, but it seemed more feminine. It fit a hell of a lot better, too, then the man clothes. To top it off, I had my black cloak back. I walked out of the room and walked with Bilbo to the council. When we walked in, I noted that there where only guys, or should I say 'males' here. Sexist peoples. I took a seat as far away as everyone else as possible. I noted, faintly interestingly, that I knew a few of the people here. Elrond was at the head of the room, Gandalf sat to the side with Frodo, Aragorn sat with the hottie elf... I mean Legolas, and that one dude who I ran into the other day too. Most of the 'males' here stared in disbelief as I walked in. Along with the a few men, the two hobbits, and countless elves, there was another species. I guessed they were dwarves as they were short, kind of grubby, and had really insanely long beards. I sat down on a step in the back of the council, waiting for the council to start. "Strangers from distant lands, newcomers, friends of old. You have been summoned here 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." He stopped, letting this sink in before going on. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." He gestured to the young hobbit, then to the pedestal. Frodo only stood and placed a small ring on the stand before quickly sitting back down, breathing as if a great weight had been taken from him. I looked at the ring, the small little gold ring, and instantly flinched from the evil I felt. "So it is true..." The annoying man said. "The Doom of Men." Whispered another man, in awe. "It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring?" At this the man stood and began to pace. "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!" I snorted in disgust. The man, along with many others, turned their heads to me. I raised a hand. "Don't mind me. Keep talking." I made a dismissive gesture with my hand. The man glared at me. "No, continue. I would like to hear what a woman has to say about all this." I stood and glared back. I walked into the light. "You wanna hear my take on it? Fine. First off, you are an ass. The second I saw that thing, I could feel the evil radiating off of it. Second, You are stupid. Have you heard nothing Elrond said? It is E-V-I-L. Ya know what that spells right? Evil? Cause that is what it is. And to think, even for a second, that you can use that ring for good, it means you are REALLY dumb." "And a woman knows of this?" it was Aragorn speaking. He was not being rude, just a mere question. That is when I realized I had the whole councils' attention. "Yeah. Were I come from, we have been through more wars then you can count. Sometimes wars are stared because of hate and prejudice, others because of some religious crap. But the worst ones are started because of truly evil people thinking they can change the world to fit their visions. Ya wanna know why those are the worst? Cause they kill the most. Innocent or not, people die. People on all sides suffer, indifferent or not." I took a breath. Aragorn was nodding solemnly. "And your point is?" the annoying one asked. I almost slapped him. "You must be freaking deaf." I shook my head and walked away a bit, and plopped down on the ground next to Gandalf and Frodo. Gandalf was smiling proudly at me. "I agree with Talvari, Boromir. You cannot wield it! None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master." Aragorn said finally. "And what would a ranger know of this matter?" "This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." Legolas said, jumping up. "Aragorn? This... is Isildur's heir?" Boromir seemed just as stunned. "And heir to the throne of Gondor." Legolas continued. In the mean time, my mouth dropped. Aragorn was a king?! "Havo dad Legolas" Aragorn said in a gently voice. Something inside of me, somehow, knew that it meant 'sit down'. Legolas did as he was asked. "Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king." He turned to sit down. I jumped up and went after him. I was livid. "WHAT IS YOUR FREAKIN PROBLEM?! You come in here, invited to represent your people and you act like a fool! Let me tell you something, BOROMIR, Aragorn may not be your choice of kings but you wanna know something? He is a better man then you could ever hope to be." Boromir had had it. He looked like he as going to punch me. "Take your best shot." I growled. He shook his head and sat back down, glaring at me. I didn't care. Aragorn was a friend to me. You didn't screw with my friends. I glared back at him and went back to my seat. A small silence followed. I had the feeling that Boromir was not the only one who doubted Aragorn. I glanced at him momentarily and leaned back, chewing my lip in thought. "You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed." Elrond said finally. "What are we waiting for?" The younger of the two dwarves stood up, grabbed his axe and approached the ring. He hit the Ring with full force but was repelled back and he fell to the ground. The ring was still intact. The axe however was shattered. Completely. Frodo winced, and I put a hand on his knee, looking up at him. He smiled forcefully and shook his head. "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." He paused. "One of you must do this." There was the bombshell. Dead silence. "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. It is a barren wasteland. Riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly! "Boromir said once again. "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" Legolas yelled, standing "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?!" the young dwarf, Gimli, yells back. "And if we fail, what then?! What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?!" Boromir stands. "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!" Gimli yelled angrily. At this, the elves stood, offended. "Never trust an elf!" Gimli said shrilly. "Do you not understand that while we bicker amongst ourselves, Sauron's power grows?! None can escape it!" Gandalf said, standing as well. I clapped my hands over my ears. Men. Can we say TESTOSTERONE?! More people enter the argument, everyone practically screaming at each other. Only Frodo and I remained seated. Suddenly he stands, and I know what's coming. "I will take it." He says quietly. No one hears. "HEY, GIRLS! SHUT UP!" That got their attention. "I will take it." Gandalf closes his eyes, saddened. The others turn to him in amazement. "I will take it to Mordor, though I do not know the way." Frodo looked scared. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, so long as it is yours to bear." Gandalf said, coming to stand by Frodo with his hand laid gently on his shoulder. "If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." Aragorn said, standing and walking towards Frodo. He kneeled. "You have my sword." "And you have my bow" Legolas said, coming to join the group. "And my axe!" Gimli said, as if not to be out done by an elf. Boromir stands and walks towards Frodo. "You carry the fates of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done." He said. It surprised me a little. Maybe he is better then I thought. "Heh!" Suddenly, Sam jumps from the bushes and runs to Frodo's side "Mr. Frodo is not goin' anywhere without me!" "No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." Elrond said, amused. "Wait! We are coming too!" Pippin and Merry soon joined Sam and Frodo. "You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" Merry declared. "Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest... thing." Pippin said, almost dignified. "Well that rules you out Pip." Merry said sarcastically. "Nine companions..." Elrond started. "Ten." I said, standing and coming to Frodo's side. I bent down, looking him in the eye. "If you will have me, Frodo, I would like to come." I instantly saw objections I all of the mens' eyes. A few were about to object. "Hey, shush. I didn't ask you. I asked Frodo." They closed their mouths and smirked, as if they knew Frodo's answer. "I would love for you to come, Talvari." Frodo said, returning my gaze. That was obviously not what the men had expected. "Yes? She is a woman!" A rather handsome elf yelled out. "How could she help?" Another yelled. "Legolas, dagger please?" He looked at me blankly. I knew he had one. I also knew you kinda weren't supposed to bring daggers to councils. "Oh stop. Just for a demonstration." He nodded and pulled a dagger from the back of his shirt. He handed it to me. "Thank you." I took the handle, gripped it expertly and chucked it at the elf that spoke first. It landed right where I had intended it to, about an inch from his *ahem* more private parts. His eyes widened. The other elf's eyes also widened, as did most of the other's did. The second elf grabbed the dagger, pulling hard and being careful not to 'clip' his brethren. The first elf grabbed the dagger once it was free and chucked it at my head as hard as he could. And I caught it. "Ten companions...So be it...You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring." Elrond said quietly. The guys stood amazed. I only grinned and handed Legolas his dagger before turning and walking out of the council, whistling.
***
It was later that night that I finally saw the rest of the Fellowship. The stood or sat, relaxing for perhaps the last night. I walked to them, yawning a bit. "Talvari." Legolas said, being the first to spot me. I noticed that the others stood, turning to me. "You guys are so polite. Sit down. You have to be more relaxed around me. I may be a woman, and I may be able to kick your butt but that don't mean we can't have some fun!" I laughed a bit. The Hobbits grinned and sat back down. Gimli just stared, Legolas quirked a brow, and Boromir stared moodily at me. Aragorn watched me for a moment. "Why do you want to come?" he asked suddenly. "My, you are subtle. I want to come because I know I can help. Helping people should not be restricted by gender. Woman can be just as good at being a warrior as a man. Maybe its time someone proved that." Aragorn simply nodded. Which was followed by an awkward silence. "So what kind of fun?" Gimli asked, breaking the silence. "Hmm...Good question. No sparing cause we are gonna hafta do that enough later... Anyone know any good dirty jokes?" They just starred. Then they started looking around, finding other things to look at. "Ah-ha...Noone wants to go first. Alright then... I have one. Excuse me if it is...discriminating to anyone." I took a breath. "A man was walking in a forest. Night was falling and he was becoming quite tired. Suddenly, he comes across an elf home in a tree. He walks to it and knocks, waiting for someone to answer. A wise old elf answers. 'What can I do for you, wanderer of the wood?' the elf asks. The man replies 'I need a place to rest for the night.' The elf nods his head. 'You may stay here on one condition. You may not sleep with my daughter. If you do, you will receive the two worst elvish tortures known.' The man nods and walks into the elves' home. That night, he sees the elf's' daughter and she sees him. It is love at first sight. She sneaks into his room and the sleep with each other." I took a breath, once again having everyone attention. A few elves I did not know had joined us. "The next morning, the man wakes and finds that there is a rock on his chest. A card next to it reads 'the first torture'. The man thinks to himself ' no big deal.' picks the rock up and proceeds to throw it out of the tree. Just then, he notices a slight tug on his left. *Ahem* testicle and he realizes the rock is tied to it. He jumps out the window and sees another card. It read s' the second worst torture; the other one is tied to the bed post." I finished grinning madly. Most of the men had their legs crossed now. The hobbits where laughing madly, and so was Gimli. Gandalf was smirking, and so was Elrond, who I just noticed. The other elves were doing well, holding in their laughter. Aragorn and Legolas were holding in their laughter as well, but it was a losing battle. "I do not think I have ever heard that one before." Elrond said after wiping away a small tear of laughter. "And that is quiet amazing," Gandalf said, still smirking. It was a while before the others could breath well enough to talk. "That was amusing!" Sam said, still grinning. Pippin and Merry just nodded, wiping tears away from their eyes. Gimli clapped a hand on my back. "Good one, Lassie!" I grinned. "Do you have any others?" Frodo asked. "I thought you would never ask. Alright, the next one I am going to tell you, you may be a little confused. But let me explain three things; Japan is a city and Japanese is the language they speak. Golf is a type of sport that you use a staff to knock a ball into a hole from really far distances" I paused, taking a breath. "A man goes to Japan on a business trip. The night he arrives their, he gets a hooker, or prostitute, if you understand that better. Anyway, all the while they are having sex, the woman says "hoshimota'. Not speaking a word of Japanese, the man assumes he is giving her a good time. The next day, he goes with a few friends to play golf. He gets a whole in one. His friends congratulate him and he says the first thing he can think of 'Hoshimota.' One of his friends, who knows Japanese very well, gives him a strange look and says 'what do you mean, its in the wrong hole?" I grinned again, this being my favorite joke. Laughter exploded from the guys. Even the elves that had held in their laughter so well before could not help but laugh. Even Boromir's mood was lightened. I shook my head. "I think I will go now and have a drink..." one of the elves said, still laughing. The other elves I did not know nodded in agreement. They nodded to us in a polite goodbye and walked off, tears still dampening their eyes. "And I will go and see if I cannot get rid of that awful image in my head..." Elrond said. I laughed. He smiled warmly at me, bowed his head and walked away. Now only the Fellowship remained. I looked up at the sun. It was 7pm already. "Well, I think I'll go get my things together, eh Mer?" Pippin said. Merry nodded. They grinned at me. "Bye Talvari, bye everyone else." Pippin and Merry said almost simultaneously. They walked off, which left the others grinning at me. "She gets her own goodbye!" Gimli laughed. "Don't worry, Tal, you'll fit right in with them." Frodo said. "I wasn't worried." I smirked. "Come, Mr. Frodo. Bilbo wanted to see you and I've still things to pack." Sam said lightly. Frodo turned to him and nodded. "Good bye. I will see you all later." He said before turning to follow Sam. "I am taking my leave as well." Boromir said, his voice all to sober now. He nodded curtly at us and left. "I am going to say goodbye to Arwen..." Aragorn said, his voice somber. It was then I realized it; He loved her. The other two nodded. "Aragorn, don't worry. We'll get you back to her safely." I said, giving him a small smile. His face brightened a bit. "Thank you." Was all he said before he turned to go. "I get it. Ill leave too. I have my own things to take care off!" I watched the dwarf turn and leave. I shook my head and turned to Legolas, about to say something when I noticed he was giving me a strange look. "What..?" "I find you intriguing. You stand up for what you believe, even if no one sides with you. You fight, you think things through. You are human, yet completely elf." "I think I should say 'thanks'" He smiled. "Most of all, you stood up for Aragorn. He has been a friend of mine for ages, and you show him allegiance. And for this, I am grateful. Any friend of Aragorns' is a friend of mine." He put a hand on my shoulder. "Now, come with me. I have that bow I promised you. As well as a few other things..." He walked towards the armory and I followed. When we reached it, he pulled me to the side and pointed to a table with a cloth covering it. "There is the bow I promised you, along with sixteen arrows. You may need a new quiver, but that is easily done. I also had a sword and two daggers prepared for you. I am sorry that they are not much but..." I uncovered the table, revealing a gorgeous bow and arrows. Along side them were a sword with two daggers. "Thank you, Legolas! The bow is beautiful..."I hugged him suddenly. And he seemed a bit surprised, his eyes widening a bit before he hugged me back. In that one moment, I felt safety and....a ...belonging that I had never felt before. I looked to Legolas, his blue eyes meeting my own. He smiled at me, beginning to lean towards me. And I knew he was going to kiss me. And I did not really mind. But.... "*Ahem. *" Elrond said, coming to stand at the doors of the armory. I blushed and took a few steps back. Legolas did the same, without so much of the blushing. "Lord Elrond." Legolas said politely. Elrond smiled. "I just came to make gather a few things. I hope I was not interrupting anything...important?" Legolas ducked his head and smiled. I swear, if I get the chance, Elrond is going to get it! I thought, blushing more. "Of course not." Legolas said, his voice holding a bit of shame? At being caught? I wasn't sure. But it didn't exactly give me warm squishy feelings.
Elrond nodded his head and moved to pick up a few swords and daggers. "Well, I think we should go to bed." I said. Then I blinked. And turned bright red. "I mean, We should go to sleep! In different beds! In different rooms!" I was really embarrassed now. When would I learn to shut my mouth?! Elrond smiled at me, Legolas was trying not to laugh. "As you wish, Lady Talvari." Legolas said simply. Elrond waved a small goodbye. I gathered my weapons, waved, and left as fast as I could. "I can't believe you, Tal! You're so embarrassing! I mean, yes, Legolas is really hot. And yes, he has a fine body. And yes, he almost kissed you. But that doesn't mean you have the right to be a babbling idiot!" I said, scolding myself. "You're falling for him, Tal. Whether you like it or not." My rational self said. I sighed, knowing full well it was true. Sometimes I hated my rational side so much! I made my way to my room and opened the door. It was pitch black inside. I set my stuff down and took of my cloak and shirt. I sat down on the bed. To find four little bodies on it. I squinted my eyes and smiled. It was the hobbits. I shook my head, rearranged them, curled up between them and fell asleep.