CHAPTER V
THE ROAD TO RUIN
Not to long after the threesome came back to the city after their encounter with the Ringwraiths, a counsel of elves was called. All though only Elves from Mirkwood and Lorien attended, it was a counsel of dire importance. The reason so was that it would decide the fate of the Hobbit (who's name was Bungo Harfoot) and his supposed "ring of power".
Before I get into what happened during the counsel, I'll tell you what happened right before the counsel. In the middle of the night, I heard screams coming from the healing houses.
"Help!" yelled the voice. "There's a poisoned blade in my friend's arm! HELP!" I then jumped right out of bed and ran down there. Right when I got there I saw Duinrama dressed up as a Haradrim holding Aráto, who was also dressed up as a Haradrim.
"Why in the name of Mandos are you dressed up like Haradrim?" I asked them.
"Now's not the time", exclaimed Duinrama.
"Okay", I said. I then carried Aráto to the nearest bed and turned on some candles for light. "How did he get the blade in his body?"
"Nazgul", said Duinrama.
"NAZGUL?" I exclaimed. "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" I then heard a loud scream from Aráto and I knew I had to keep my mouth closed for the moment. I then put on some gloves and took out the blade very slowly, trying not to hurt Aráto. Even though I was as gentle as I could be, he cried like a baby. I then lifted up the blade to the light and saw the blood that covered the blade. The blood was red with a tint of very dark black.
"He's been poisoned all right", I said. "How long ago was he poisoned?"
"A mere two minutes, sir", said Duinrama.
"Normal poison wouldn't travel that fast", I said. "But Nazgul poison sure will". I then lifted up his bloodied left arm. It was very limp. I then lifted up his right arm. It was extremely strong.
"I need to remove his left arm", I said. "So the poison won't spread throughout his body". Then, Aráto gave me a look of pure terror. I have never seen a face so terrorized and I don't think I ever will again. This was probably the hardest thing I've ever done, but I knew I had to do it. I then drew out a sword and was about to remove the arm when Aralokë ran in and held Aráto's right hand.
"It's going to be okay", said Aralokë. "If you can just withstand this pain for one minute, you will be able to see the spring again. Do you remember how you used to love the spring?"
"Yes", said Aráto. "And I still do".
"Stand back", I said. I then lifted up the blade and began to remove the arm. As I gently moved the blade down to get rid of it, Aráto was screaming bloody murder while Aralokë and Duinrama stood by his side and cried to see their friend in pain. After a mere minute, the arm was removed. I then put the arm into a special container (where we put all amputated limbs), and washed the stub that used to be Aráto's left arm. I then cleaned the blade and wiped all the blood off the table.
"There's nothing you can do now", I said to them. "Except stand by his side". Then I left the area. I didn't even bother with how Aráto got poisoned or why they were dressed up as Haradrim. There was too much pain to think about those trivial things.
Now, back to the counsel. While I was amputating Aráto, Bungo supposedly woke up Thanduil to tell him about his ring.
"We need a counsel", said Bungo. "All of Middle-Earth depends on it".
"Yes", said Thanduil. "I agree. I will send riders out to Lorien, our sister land. There will be a counsel in two days. No more, no less".
"Thank you, my lord!" exclaimed Bungo, who happily left the area.
"You are certainly most welcome", said Thanduil. Then, two days later, a counsel was held. Three lords from Lorien and three lords from Mirkwood were present, along with the witnesses (Aráto, Aralokë, Duinrama, Bungo, and I) and Thanduil. We sat in a middle-sized courtyard, which was place behind some very beautiful trees that was about to bloom.
"Citizens of Lorien, Mirkwood, and the Shire", said Thanduil. "We have a crisis on our hands. This hobbit told me himself that he holds in his hand a fake One Ring. He was sent on a mission by the Blue Wizards to draw attention away from Sauron and his minions while the Ringbearer attempts to destroy the ring in the fires of Mount Doom. But the aura of this fake One Ring wore off after a while, and the Ringwraiths found him and captured him. He was sent to Saleme the Huntress, who supposedly is sitting right here in Mirkwood with a massive army of Haradrim, waiting to strike at the heart of us. But Bungo escaped with the ring, and was rescued by Aralokë and his friends. Bring forth the ring, young hobbit". Bungo then walked up and put the ring in front of Thanduil and then sat down.
"Now", said Thanduil. "I call upon Aralokë, who supposedly rescued this halfling". Aralokë then walked up and stood in front of everyone. I knew he was nervous. He had to be. He did something wrong that led to the rescue of Bungo, and he had to tell the top officials of two cities. But Aralokë was an honest soul, and he would rarely lie.
"My lords", said Aralokë. "One day, I was sparring with my friends when I tripped and fell off a hill. I hit my head on a rock and suddenly had a vision. In that vision, I saw Lord Faramir of Gondor. He needed help and we responded. Because of those actions, Mirkwood was burned to the ground and the Witchking murdered Thanduil. I then told my vision to Captain Anganca, who refused to believe that it was true. So my friends and I stole some sets of Haradrim armor and went out to the west road to drive off Faramir and his company. But instead of Faramir and his company, we found two Nazgul chasing Bungo on strange winged beasts. I lost one friend and one of my friends lost an arm is this chase. But we rescued the hobbit, who is alive and well today."
"Thank you Aralokë", said Thanduil. "You may now sit. We will now..."
"MY LORD!" yelled a voice from the distance. "LORIEN HAS BEEN ASSAULTED A SECOND TIME!" Then everyone gasped, but I stood up.
"I will depart with my regiment at once, Arash", I said to him. Aralokë jumped up and stood in front of me.
"But what of the hobbit?" yelled Aralokë. "He was sent by the Blue Wizards to lead the Wraiths away from the ring bearer!"
"I don't care", I responded. "You will stay with me and leave the Hobbit behind. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir", said Aralokë.
"Are you sure all the soldiers are ready?" asked Thanduil.
"Every since one of them" I said. "But there is one I'm afraid of". I then gave an extremely dirty look to Aralokë. "Get ready for battle, except you, Aráto. You have been too wounded for battle. And Bungo, stay with Thanduil at all times. LET"S MOVE!" Everyone then left except Aralokë, who went to Bungo.
"Come on", said Aralokë. "There must be some battle armor that could fit a hobbit". Bungo's face then lightened up and he followed Aralokë with the utmost glee.
THE ROAD TO RUIN
Not to long after the threesome came back to the city after their encounter with the Ringwraiths, a counsel of elves was called. All though only Elves from Mirkwood and Lorien attended, it was a counsel of dire importance. The reason so was that it would decide the fate of the Hobbit (who's name was Bungo Harfoot) and his supposed "ring of power".
Before I get into what happened during the counsel, I'll tell you what happened right before the counsel. In the middle of the night, I heard screams coming from the healing houses.
"Help!" yelled the voice. "There's a poisoned blade in my friend's arm! HELP!" I then jumped right out of bed and ran down there. Right when I got there I saw Duinrama dressed up as a Haradrim holding Aráto, who was also dressed up as a Haradrim.
"Why in the name of Mandos are you dressed up like Haradrim?" I asked them.
"Now's not the time", exclaimed Duinrama.
"Okay", I said. I then carried Aráto to the nearest bed and turned on some candles for light. "How did he get the blade in his body?"
"Nazgul", said Duinrama.
"NAZGUL?" I exclaimed. "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" I then heard a loud scream from Aráto and I knew I had to keep my mouth closed for the moment. I then put on some gloves and took out the blade very slowly, trying not to hurt Aráto. Even though I was as gentle as I could be, he cried like a baby. I then lifted up the blade to the light and saw the blood that covered the blade. The blood was red with a tint of very dark black.
"He's been poisoned all right", I said. "How long ago was he poisoned?"
"A mere two minutes, sir", said Duinrama.
"Normal poison wouldn't travel that fast", I said. "But Nazgul poison sure will". I then lifted up his bloodied left arm. It was very limp. I then lifted up his right arm. It was extremely strong.
"I need to remove his left arm", I said. "So the poison won't spread throughout his body". Then, Aráto gave me a look of pure terror. I have never seen a face so terrorized and I don't think I ever will again. This was probably the hardest thing I've ever done, but I knew I had to do it. I then drew out a sword and was about to remove the arm when Aralokë ran in and held Aráto's right hand.
"It's going to be okay", said Aralokë. "If you can just withstand this pain for one minute, you will be able to see the spring again. Do you remember how you used to love the spring?"
"Yes", said Aráto. "And I still do".
"Stand back", I said. I then lifted up the blade and began to remove the arm. As I gently moved the blade down to get rid of it, Aráto was screaming bloody murder while Aralokë and Duinrama stood by his side and cried to see their friend in pain. After a mere minute, the arm was removed. I then put the arm into a special container (where we put all amputated limbs), and washed the stub that used to be Aráto's left arm. I then cleaned the blade and wiped all the blood off the table.
"There's nothing you can do now", I said to them. "Except stand by his side". Then I left the area. I didn't even bother with how Aráto got poisoned or why they were dressed up as Haradrim. There was too much pain to think about those trivial things.
Now, back to the counsel. While I was amputating Aráto, Bungo supposedly woke up Thanduil to tell him about his ring.
"We need a counsel", said Bungo. "All of Middle-Earth depends on it".
"Yes", said Thanduil. "I agree. I will send riders out to Lorien, our sister land. There will be a counsel in two days. No more, no less".
"Thank you, my lord!" exclaimed Bungo, who happily left the area.
"You are certainly most welcome", said Thanduil. Then, two days later, a counsel was held. Three lords from Lorien and three lords from Mirkwood were present, along with the witnesses (Aráto, Aralokë, Duinrama, Bungo, and I) and Thanduil. We sat in a middle-sized courtyard, which was place behind some very beautiful trees that was about to bloom.
"Citizens of Lorien, Mirkwood, and the Shire", said Thanduil. "We have a crisis on our hands. This hobbit told me himself that he holds in his hand a fake One Ring. He was sent on a mission by the Blue Wizards to draw attention away from Sauron and his minions while the Ringbearer attempts to destroy the ring in the fires of Mount Doom. But the aura of this fake One Ring wore off after a while, and the Ringwraiths found him and captured him. He was sent to Saleme the Huntress, who supposedly is sitting right here in Mirkwood with a massive army of Haradrim, waiting to strike at the heart of us. But Bungo escaped with the ring, and was rescued by Aralokë and his friends. Bring forth the ring, young hobbit". Bungo then walked up and put the ring in front of Thanduil and then sat down.
"Now", said Thanduil. "I call upon Aralokë, who supposedly rescued this halfling". Aralokë then walked up and stood in front of everyone. I knew he was nervous. He had to be. He did something wrong that led to the rescue of Bungo, and he had to tell the top officials of two cities. But Aralokë was an honest soul, and he would rarely lie.
"My lords", said Aralokë. "One day, I was sparring with my friends when I tripped and fell off a hill. I hit my head on a rock and suddenly had a vision. In that vision, I saw Lord Faramir of Gondor. He needed help and we responded. Because of those actions, Mirkwood was burned to the ground and the Witchking murdered Thanduil. I then told my vision to Captain Anganca, who refused to believe that it was true. So my friends and I stole some sets of Haradrim armor and went out to the west road to drive off Faramir and his company. But instead of Faramir and his company, we found two Nazgul chasing Bungo on strange winged beasts. I lost one friend and one of my friends lost an arm is this chase. But we rescued the hobbit, who is alive and well today."
"Thank you Aralokë", said Thanduil. "You may now sit. We will now..."
"MY LORD!" yelled a voice from the distance. "LORIEN HAS BEEN ASSAULTED A SECOND TIME!" Then everyone gasped, but I stood up.
"I will depart with my regiment at once, Arash", I said to him. Aralokë jumped up and stood in front of me.
"But what of the hobbit?" yelled Aralokë. "He was sent by the Blue Wizards to lead the Wraiths away from the ring bearer!"
"I don't care", I responded. "You will stay with me and leave the Hobbit behind. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir", said Aralokë.
"Are you sure all the soldiers are ready?" asked Thanduil.
"Every since one of them" I said. "But there is one I'm afraid of". I then gave an extremely dirty look to Aralokë. "Get ready for battle, except you, Aráto. You have been too wounded for battle. And Bungo, stay with Thanduil at all times. LET"S MOVE!" Everyone then left except Aralokë, who went to Bungo.
"Come on", said Aralokë. "There must be some battle armor that could fit a hobbit". Bungo's face then lightened up and he followed Aralokë with the utmost glee.