hey there, thanks to all who are reading this. I'm going to make this A/N short because ff.net is being a bitch right now. I know those of you who reviewed had a lot of questions, so hopefully they will be answered in this chapter. I might not be able to update again until next week, so this nice long chapter should keep you satisfied for awhile. enjoy!
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," Elrond began. "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."
I sighed, inwardly. As important as this issue was, Elrond had a way of making even the most threatening things seem boring.
It was the next afternoon, and I was seating in an uncomfortable chair in an uncomfortable situation. Around me were the men, elves, and dwarves of Middle Earth, all gathered to represent their people in Elrond's council. Among them were Strider, Frodo, Gandalf, Legolas, Elrohir, Elladan, and Boromir. I sat in between a dwarf and a man...and was the only woman present. Upon my arrival, Boromir had glared at me and complained loudly about how a woman should not be present today. Elrond silenced him with a glare, and Legolas looked ready to strangle him.
But all of that was quickly forgotten. Elrond gestured towards the pedastal in the center of the courtyard and nodded encouragingly towards Frodo. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."
Frodo reluctantly stood and made his way towards the pedastal. He set the Ring down on it, and quickly made his way back to his seat. He was nervous, I could tell.
My eyes quickly went back to the Ring. There it was. The symptoms I had felt the other night--the coldness, the burning in my chest, the faintness--all returned, but to a smaller degree. The effect of the Ring was taking its toll on me, but growing weaker as time went by. It glittered with evil, I could feel it.
A voice broke my thoughts. "So it is true."
The speaker had been Boromir. I turned to him, and he seemed absolutely mesmerized by it. I knew what was happening...the Ring was speaking to him. What it was telling him, I did not know.
Boromir stood to address the Council. "In a dream, I saw the eastern sky grow dark. But in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying, 'Your doom is near at hand.'" He slowly approached the Ring, reaching out to it. "Isildur's Bane is found."
I sucked in my breath, not wanting this man of the South to be anywhere near the Ring. I saw Gandalf and Elrond exchanged a concerned glance, and Boromir's fingers hovered over it.
"Isildur's Bane is found," he whispered.
Elrond stood up. "Boromir!"
The sky suddenly darkened, and Gandalf leaned forward in his seat. His eyes lost their glimmer, and clouded over. Boromir looked stunned, and looked at Gandalf as he began to speak.
"Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul!"
I could feel the blood in my veins turn to ice. The Black Speech. I could have recognized it if I'd heard it backwards and underwater.
Gandalf took a deep breath, and said in the common tongue,
"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to rule them all, and in the darkess, bind them."
Members of the Council looked on, horrified. Boromir reluctantly returned to his seat, and Elrond glared at Gandalf. "Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris!"
"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West!" Gandalf's voice was still somewhat raspy from the effects of the language. "The Ring is altogether evil!" He cast Boromir a scathing look, and settled back in his seat.
The Son of the Steward was unaffected. "It is a gift," he mused. "A gift to the foes of Mordor!" He stood again, but did not leave his seat. "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 rolled my eyes, and Strider spoke up. "You cannot wield it! None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."
"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Boromir asked venomously.
Legolas's temper had been simmering for the past few minutes, and I feared it had now reached a full boil. He stood as well, and began shouting at Boromir. "This is no mere ranger! He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."
It felt good to see Boromir be put in his place. "Aragorn?" He sputtered. "This...is Isildur's heir?"
"And heir to the throne of Gondor," Legolas added. I hid a grin. For some reason, seeing an Elf get smug and shirty amused me.
Apparently, Strider didn't think so. "Havo dad, Legolas."
"Gondor has no king," Boromir spat out, sitting back down. "Gondor needs no king."
"Aragorn is right," Gandalf said, returning to the topic. "We cannot use it."
"You have only one choice," Elrond said, gazing around the room. "The Ring must be destroyed."
A dwarf, seated a few people down from where I was, stood, and raised his axe. "Then what are we waiting for?" He charged at the pedastal with full force, and lowered his weapon, preparing to strike the Ring.
The effects were disastrous. The Ring repelled him flying back, and his axe flew into a million pieces upon contact. From across from where I was seated, I saw Frodo wince in pain, and shield his eyes. My chest burned, my heart ached, and my body went cold. The pain eased slightly as Gimli sat up, grumbling, and went back to his chair.
Elrond's eyes darkened. "The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glóin, 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 hesitated. "One of you must do this."
A dead silence fell over the Council. Finally, Boromir spoke, his voice shaky. "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!"
Elrond sighed. "There was one person, we thought, who might be able to bear this burden. The strongest of all mortals in Middle Earth. Unfortunately, her heart is burned by the mere presence of the Ring. To touch it would mean to extract any will she had against it." He paused for effect. "The vampire slayer."
I had expected wary glances from those who knew my identity. But Elladan and Elrohir kept their faces stoic, Gandalf stared straight ahead at Elrond, and Strider looked just as broody as usual.
Not to my surprise, Boromir was the first to speak. "The vampire slayer!" he scoffed. "Strongest of all mortals? How about greatest of all cowards? The slayers and watchers fled from Minas Tirith over a thousand years ago, fearing the overflowing boundaries of Mordor as the White City became infested with these undead. And who is to blame? The vampire slayer."
I spoke, suddenly, surprising myself. "The vampire slayers did not flee Gondor," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. Others turned, as if just now recognizing my presence within the Council. "They were banished by Mardil, the first ruling Steward. One of your ancestors, I believe." I glared at him. "Too afraid were the Stewards of someone in their land that had more power than they did."
"That is a lie!" he cried.
"Unfortunately, the Lady Silly speaks the truth, Boromir," Gandalf said softly. "For some reason or another, the slayers were banned from entering Gondor. Ever."
Boromir turned to give me a snide look. "You are a fool for sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong, woman."
I grit my teeth, trying to hold back my anger. "I told you last night," I growled. "I am more than a woman."
"And how would some maiden know anything about the vampire slayer?" he spat out.
Before I could stop myself, I stood and shouted angrily, "Because I am the vampire slayer, you half-wit!"
Silence echoed throughout the courtyard. All eyes had turned to stare at me, but mine already had a focal point. I stood in front of my seat, glaring at Boromir, my hands clenched in fists. The expression on his face, though priceless, was one of utter fear. I inched closer to him, and Elrond stood in alarm. "Silly, please--"
"No." I waved him off. "Sit down, Elrond. This man needs to be set in his place." Elrond sat, stunned that I had not only not addressed him as 'Lord Elrond,' but also because my presence held some sort of power that he couldn't shake.
I came up to Boromir, who sat still in his seat. "Tell me, Boromir," I began, my words laced with poision, "tell me, who exactly in Valar do you think you are? Are you some sort of god? Do you think you're somehow better than everyone here? That you could overpower Sauron for control of the Ring?
"Well, let me tell you straight away that you're NOT. Do you hear me? You're nothing but a self-righteous, self-centered, arrogant, perverted, naiive, ignorant..." I racked my brain. I was running out of adjectives. "...pathetic excuse for a man!"
"Silly." It was Legolas's voice, and it was calm. But I was not, and I would not remain calm.
"You complain about how Minas Tirith is overflowing with vampires, yet you do not seem so equipped to handle them. Did it not occur to you that I--we--tried to help you? I tried, I did. Half a century ago. And your father, the one you speak so highly of? He had me arrested, and thrown into that dungeon of yours. For a year!"
Boromir was squirming. He looked uncomfortable, like a child who had been caught lying to his mother. But I was not his mother, and I could not punish him. "I should torture you, bend you, castrate you, crush you, and break you six ways from Sunday just for the way you spoke to me last night. But hopefully, the truth will be enough punishment and embarrassment for you for one day. But watch what you say, for the next woman you come across might not be so...understanding."
I turned and stalked back to my seat, all eyes on me. I glared at Elrond, who, in turn, glared back at me. "In the future, Silly, I would prefer it if you did not use my council time to make a scene."
"My apologies, my lord," I said, my mouth dripping with sarcasm.
There was an impatient sigh from across the circle, and we all turned to look at Strider. "Vampire slayer or not," he said, "there is still the matter of destroying the Ring, and who is going to do it."
"But how?" asked one of the Gondorian men. "As Lord Boromir said, it is impossible! There is no way that we'll be able to walk into Mordor unseen."
Legolas stood up angrily. "Have you heard nothing the Lord Elrond has said?" he cried. "The Ring must be destroyed!"
Gimli, who had attempted earlier to destroy the Ring, stood as well. "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it!"
Boromir finally stood, coming out of his shock from my accusations. "And if we fail, what then?! What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"
Gimli growled. "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!"
We all stood up then, shouting and arguing with each other over who would take the Ring. I found myself picking on Boromir again, but this time he had the courage to stand up to me.
"What have you got to say in the matter, slayer?" he asked, ticked. "The Ring is your poison. To take it to Mordor would be the death of you!"
"I'd rather die taking it to Mordor than have you take it and live on afterwards!" I shouted in retaliation.
"One less slayer to worry about!"
The commotion only increased. From somewhere amongst the others, I heard Gandalf say, "Do you not understand that while we bicker amongst ourselves, Sauron's power grows?! None can escape it! You'll all be destroyed!"
As right as he was, I couldn't bring myself to end the argument with Boromir. He made some comment about me being a red-haired whore, and I mocked the large space between his eyes, and we bantered back and forth for a few minutes, until I heard the tiniest voice say, "I will take it."
I turned around, and saw Frodo sitting still in his chair. The intensity of the arguing had only swelled, so the halfling stood up and shouted "I will take it!"
Our noise died down then, and everyone turned their eyes to Frodo, astonished."I will take the Ring to Mordor," he said, bravely. "Though - though I do not know the way."
Gandalf shut his eyes, and reopened them. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins. As long as it is yours to bear."
Strider stepped forward then. "If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." He knelt until he was at Frodo's eye level. "You have my sword."
"And you have my bow!" Legolas stepped forward eagerly, joining the growing group of compatriots.
"And my axe!" said Gimli. As he walked over the group, he gave Legolas a wary glance, obviously not pleased by the presence of the Elf.
Knowing what I had to do, I inhaled, swallowing my pride, and strode over to stand next to Gimli. "In your name, Master Baggins, and all that is good in the world, I will see to it that you succeed in destroying the Ring." From out of the corner of my eye, I saw Legolas smile at me.
To my disgust, Boromir walked over to stand next to me. "You carry the fates of us all, little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."
Suddenly, a voice came from nowhere. "Here!"
Out of the bushes darted Sam, the chubby hobbit. He dashed over to Frodo clumsily and stood at his side. "Mister Frodo's not going anywhere without me!"
"No indeed," said Elrond, hardly amused. "It is hardly possible to separate you from him, even when he is summoned to a secret Council, and you are not."
"Oi! We're coming, too!"
My eyes drifted from Elrond and over to the steps, to see Merry and Pippin dart out from behind two columns and make their way over to us. "You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" said Merry, jovially.
"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission...quest...thing," said Pippin, grinning importantly.
Merry scoffed. "Well, that rules you out, Pip."
Strider and I exchanged amused glances, and Frodo grinned, happy to have his friends along for the journey.
"Ten companions," Elrond mused, surveying us carefully. "So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!"
"Great!" Pippin chirped. "Where are we going?"
Later that evening, I was doing my best to avoid the other council and Fellowship members. Now that I'd blown my cover and everyone knew me as the vampire slayer, I could compromise my real mission in Middle Earth...the one I was born to do. I journeyed down to the stables to see Amrûn, only to be followed by curious minds.
"Silly! Silly, wait up!"
I turned in time to see the four hobbits running clumsily down the stable path, Pippin in the lead. They caught up to me after a few minutes, and Pippin said, "Hello! What are you up to?"
"Ahh...nothing. I was just going down to the stables to my horse." I saw their delighted faces, Sam's especially, and sighed to myself. "Would you like to join me?"
"Yes!" they chorused, and I couldn't help but grin. We continued down the path and into the barn, and I led them over to where Amrûn was in his stall. I dragged over a step stool so that they could take turns standing on it and petting him, and he was absolutely thrilled to see the hobbits again. I watched them from the side of his stall, steadying them so that the wouldn't topple over, and wondering who would have the nerve to ask me about my slayerdom first.
Apparently, it was Frodo. As I led Amrûn out of his stall and out onto the grassy area behind the stables, he walked along next to me. "During the Council, you said you were a...a vampire slayer," he said curiously. "Exactly, what is that?"
"Oh, haven't you never heard the songs, Mister Frodo?" Sam piped up. "The one girl, the Chosen One! Stronger then all of the men in Middle Earth, the only one who will stand against the vampires and forces of darkness!" I gave him a small smile, and he blushed. "'Course, I don't know what all that means, but..."
I laughed. I sat on the grass, and they sat down next to me as Amrûn went off to graze for awhile. "All it means is that I get to live a long, lonely life of killing vampires, demons, orcs, and whatever gets in my way."
The hobbits began asking a million questions at once. "How old are you?"
"How do you kill a vampire?"
"Are you an Elf? You don't look like an Elf."
"Where do slayers come from?"
"Are you really going to castrate Boromir?"
"Are you sure you're stronger than all of them men in Middle Earth?"
It was Merry who asked that last question, and he did so quite skeptically. I just smiled. "If you ever find someone whom you think is stronger, be sure to let me know."
I looked around, seeing the curious hobbits waiting for my answer anxiously. I sighed. "Maybe I should just tell you the entire story.
"A long time ago, when Sauron was just beginning to gain power, he began breeding a new type of enemy. They walked, talked, and acted just like any living thing, but they feed off the blood of the living. They were vampires.
"Unfortunately, they were some of Sauron's earlier experiments," I explained. "There were several faults to them. They couldn't come into your house unless they were invited, they could not come out while the sun was out, and they were burned by water from the Enchanted Stream.
"But as many faults as they have, they have twice as many strengths. They are super strong, have an unnatural connection to the land of Mordor, and can multiply quickly and dangerously. They are undead--not dead, not alive. But they walk Arda anyways."
"So, if a vampire sucks your blood out, will you turn into a vampire?" Merry asked, curiously.
I shook my head. "No. To turn into a vampire, you have to suck their blood. First they suck your blood, then you suck their blood...it's this really disgusting...sucking ritual." I saw Sam turn slightly green.
"Anyways...the spirits of the Valar saw the vampires beginning to overpopulate Middle Earth, and decided that an intervention was necessary. Remember, Pippin, when I told you that I was of closer kin to you than Strider?" He nodded. "Well, that's because the Valar chose to bless a Shire Elf. They gave him eternal life, and seed that would produce offspring more powerful than any mortal creature that walked Middle Earth."
"Uh...Shire Elf?" Frodo asked, confused.
"Yes...they are the ancestors of the halflings. They're only about five and a half feet tall, have magnificent golden hair, and have mostly sailed to the Grey Havens now, save for the blessed one. And that," I added dramatically, dropping backwards onto the grass, "is why I am so unbelievably short."
They laughed, and I laughed along with them. Then, Sam said, "Where is this Shire Elf now?"
I rolled my eyes and waved my hand around. "Off somewhere in the woods, probably breeding with some poor human girl who's got nothing left to do but sell her body to the watchers."
"Watchers?" Pippin asked.
"Oh...yes, watchers. How could I forget?" I felt like smacking myself for not mentioning them up until now. "They're pretty much just really old men. A watcher is assigned to a slayer to help her train and prepare for what is to come in her life, should she be called. My watcher is this really old man named Lauxely, who's just as old as Elrond. Only he hasn't aged as...gracefully."
"Wait...I'm confused," Merry said, scrunching his brow. "So...this one Elf just breeds all the slayers? I thought there was only one slayer. So does that make you an Elf or not? And...where do they all go?"
"Well." I hesitated, trying to collect my thoughts. "Yes, there is only one Elf that was blessed by the Valar. The right hand of the Valar. The Order of the Istari are the left hand of the Valar, in case you ever heard it referred to that. And yes, there is only one slayer at a time in the world, but this Elf breeds many girls each year. They're called potentials. We--they--all live together, preparing for the call, should they ever recieve it."
"Why would they be called? How where you called?"
"A new slayer is called every time the current slayer dies," I explained. "And the first job of the new slayer is to avenge the previous slayer's death."
"What about you?" Frodo asked, looking at me pointedly. "How, when...?"
"Uh..." I thought for a moment, trying to remember the exact details of my own life. "I was called when I was a little over three hundred. The slayer before me had been killed by a vampire, so all I had to do was dust him and my duty was done. Ah...this January, I'll be 788 years old. I'm a half-elf, technically. My father was an Elf, I explained earlier. My mother was Rohirrim, not Gondorian...not like the others."
"So..." Pippin looked at me anxiously. "Are you really going to castrate Boromir?"
"What?" I said, confused. Then I remembered what I threatened Boromir with at the Council today, and I blushed. "Oh, ah. No. I have no mortal enemies. I don't kill humans."
He sighed, relieved. "Good, because...well, we're all a team now. And we really need to get along...even if he did call you a whore."
My cheeks turned an even deeper red. "I'm not a whore."
The hobbits began talking to each other about other random things at that moment, turning their attention away from me. I sat deep in thought, thinking about Boromir and what Pippin had said. Maybe it would be a good idea for me to call a truce with him. After all, this Fellowship was going to trek all the way to Mordor together just to destroy the thing. I wouldn't want to be on bad terms with any of them.
The hobbits stood up, and I was still on the grass. I looked up at them. "Where are you going?"
"It's dinnertime." Merry pointed to the west, where the sun was sinking below the trees. "These elves don't eat as often as we'd like around here." He looked at me pointedly. "Aren't you coming?"
"I have to put Amrûn back in the barn. Go on ahead, I'll see you there."
The hobbits found their way back to the path and began to head on up to the dining hall. I stood, and whistled for Amrûn. He came, reluctantly, and I led him back to the stalls. Amrûn went in without a fuss, and as I shut his stall door and locked it, from behind me, I heard a quiet, "Hello." I whirled around.
It was Legolas.
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