Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings. Except Legolas. ;)
Warning: Starting with the next chapter, things are probably going to become slightly angst-y, at least when she goes home. Just a friendly warning.
Two chapters in one day, aren't you guys lucky!?
A/N: I have decided to skip the part where Frodo wakes up, because it seems weird that Calime is everywhere. Plus, that's a close moment, and Calime has never met Frodo, so I cut it. There is a reference to it, though. Enjoy the Freak Parade!
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Chapter 11: The Council of Elrond *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Five days after their return to Rivendell, Frodo awoke, much to the delight of Sam, Bilbo, Merry and Pippin. The next day, Calime was called to the Secret Council of Elrond. She walked with the still silent Legolas to the same hall where she had inadvertently given away her secret. About twenty chairs were gathered in a semi-circle. Several elves were gathered at one end, speaking softly in their language. Men gathered in another corner, and a loud bunch of dwarves were sitting in several of the chairs. Gandalf and Frodo sat silently in the last two chairs. Legolas joined the other elves, so Calime sat next to Gandalf.
"Why am I here?" she asked him.
"You are here because Elrond summoned you."
"Well, I know that. But this council is about Frodo and the Ring, a fact I am almost positive about. What have I got to do with that?"
"Lord Elrond believes that you may be of some help to our quest, so you were summoned." That didn't really answer any of Calime's questions, but just then Elrond appeared and motioned for them all to sit. Legolas sat in the chair next to her, and she couldn't badger Gandalf with questions anymore.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A/N: LOL, I don't know what Elrond says at the Council of Elrond, and I'm too tired to write it all down, anyway, so I'll skip right to the end.
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Calime watched in silent amusement as elves and dwarves leaped to their feet, spewing insults. Legolas had both arms up, trying to hold back the infuriated elves. Frodo was sitting in his chair, the only other one sitting. After a minute had passed, he lifted his hand to his head, and then stood.
"I will take it!" he said. The others did not hear him. He said it louder, and every person in the hall turned to look at him. "I will take the ring to Mordor, although I do not know the way."
Aragorn stepped forward, and knelt before the hobbit.
"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."
"And my axe," Gimli said.
"And my bow," Legolas said. Heck no, I am not getting left out of this, Calime thought to herself. She leaped to her feet.
"And you have my sword, as well," she said. Elves and dwarves, finally agreeing on something, gave her incredulous looks. Elrond nodded.
"You carry the fates of us all, little one," Boromir said. "If this is indeed the will of the council, Gondor will see it done."
Sam jumped out of a nearby bush, startling the members of the council.
"Mr. Frodo's not goin' anywhere without me!" he cried.
"Indeed, it seems impossible to separate the pair of you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not," Elrond said, smiling. Pippin and Merry came running from behind a pillar.
"Oi! We're coming too!" Merry cried. "You'll have to send us home in a sack to stop us!"
"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission. Quest. Thing," Pippin added.
"Well, that rules you out, Pip," Merry muttered.
"So be it. Ten here, to outnumber the nine ring wraiths. You are the Fellowship of the Ring." *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Are you in your right mind, Calime? You will be killed!" Legolas tried to dissuade her later that day, at the archery fields.
"Oh, now you speak to me. You're just scared, 'cause you know I can kick your ass," she muttered under her breath. She looked up at his soft chuckle. 'Damn elves and their hearing' she thought, in her head this time.
"Oh, come on Legolas. You have seen me fight, against those orcs, and you have been training me. I can take care of myself!" she protested. "Why is it you don't speak to me for days, and then the first things you speak are protests? I may not be the best, but I can hold my own."
"You are a woman, that is why you shouldn't go!"
"Oh, Lord, that argument again. Why is it so different if a man goes off to battle? If he's killed, he died a hero. If it is a woman, it is because she is weak, or delicate. Well, newsflash, I am neither weak nor delicate. Elrond thinks I am capable, and so does Strider. Strider! He has known me for days, and he trusts me, having never seen me fight. Yet you have seen me, and you do not!"
Legolas could see that he was defeated. Calime could see this, too, and she gathered the last of her arrows and left for her room as darkness fell over the beautiful land that was Rivendell.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Late that same night, Calime slipped from her bed and out of the open window. She stood on a stone terrace and listened to the wind whispering through the trees, and the silence of a type that never descended on California. Standing in her loose sleeping gown, she held her left hand in front of her face. Slowly, her right hand traveled to her left, and she ran her finger over the smooth silver of the ring. Carefully, lingeringly, she slipped the ring from her finger.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
To be continued... A/N: Hehehe, can you all say really boring chapter? And cliffhanger? Heeheehee. What's going to happen? I think y'all can probably answer that one, right? REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!!
Warning: Starting with the next chapter, things are probably going to become slightly angst-y, at least when she goes home. Just a friendly warning.
Two chapters in one day, aren't you guys lucky!?
A/N: I have decided to skip the part where Frodo wakes up, because it seems weird that Calime is everywhere. Plus, that's a close moment, and Calime has never met Frodo, so I cut it. There is a reference to it, though. Enjoy the Freak Parade!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 11: The Council of Elrond *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Five days after their return to Rivendell, Frodo awoke, much to the delight of Sam, Bilbo, Merry and Pippin. The next day, Calime was called to the Secret Council of Elrond. She walked with the still silent Legolas to the same hall where she had inadvertently given away her secret. About twenty chairs were gathered in a semi-circle. Several elves were gathered at one end, speaking softly in their language. Men gathered in another corner, and a loud bunch of dwarves were sitting in several of the chairs. Gandalf and Frodo sat silently in the last two chairs. Legolas joined the other elves, so Calime sat next to Gandalf.
"Why am I here?" she asked him.
"You are here because Elrond summoned you."
"Well, I know that. But this council is about Frodo and the Ring, a fact I am almost positive about. What have I got to do with that?"
"Lord Elrond believes that you may be of some help to our quest, so you were summoned." That didn't really answer any of Calime's questions, but just then Elrond appeared and motioned for them all to sit. Legolas sat in the chair next to her, and she couldn't badger Gandalf with questions anymore.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A/N: LOL, I don't know what Elrond says at the Council of Elrond, and I'm too tired to write it all down, anyway, so I'll skip right to the end.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Calime watched in silent amusement as elves and dwarves leaped to their feet, spewing insults. Legolas had both arms up, trying to hold back the infuriated elves. Frodo was sitting in his chair, the only other one sitting. After a minute had passed, he lifted his hand to his head, and then stood.
"I will take it!" he said. The others did not hear him. He said it louder, and every person in the hall turned to look at him. "I will take the ring to Mordor, although I do not know the way."
Aragorn stepped forward, and knelt before the hobbit.
"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."
"And my axe," Gimli said.
"And my bow," Legolas said. Heck no, I am not getting left out of this, Calime thought to herself. She leaped to her feet.
"And you have my sword, as well," she said. Elves and dwarves, finally agreeing on something, gave her incredulous looks. Elrond nodded.
"You carry the fates of us all, little one," Boromir said. "If this is indeed the will of the council, Gondor will see it done."
Sam jumped out of a nearby bush, startling the members of the council.
"Mr. Frodo's not goin' anywhere without me!" he cried.
"Indeed, it seems impossible to separate the pair of you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not," Elrond said, smiling. Pippin and Merry came running from behind a pillar.
"Oi! We're coming too!" Merry cried. "You'll have to send us home in a sack to stop us!"
"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission. Quest. Thing," Pippin added.
"Well, that rules you out, Pip," Merry muttered.
"So be it. Ten here, to outnumber the nine ring wraiths. You are the Fellowship of the Ring." *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Are you in your right mind, Calime? You will be killed!" Legolas tried to dissuade her later that day, at the archery fields.
"Oh, now you speak to me. You're just scared, 'cause you know I can kick your ass," she muttered under her breath. She looked up at his soft chuckle. 'Damn elves and their hearing' she thought, in her head this time.
"Oh, come on Legolas. You have seen me fight, against those orcs, and you have been training me. I can take care of myself!" she protested. "Why is it you don't speak to me for days, and then the first things you speak are protests? I may not be the best, but I can hold my own."
"You are a woman, that is why you shouldn't go!"
"Oh, Lord, that argument again. Why is it so different if a man goes off to battle? If he's killed, he died a hero. If it is a woman, it is because she is weak, or delicate. Well, newsflash, I am neither weak nor delicate. Elrond thinks I am capable, and so does Strider. Strider! He has known me for days, and he trusts me, having never seen me fight. Yet you have seen me, and you do not!"
Legolas could see that he was defeated. Calime could see this, too, and she gathered the last of her arrows and left for her room as darkness fell over the beautiful land that was Rivendell.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Late that same night, Calime slipped from her bed and out of the open window. She stood on a stone terrace and listened to the wind whispering through the trees, and the silence of a type that never descended on California. Standing in her loose sleeping gown, she held her left hand in front of her face. Slowly, her right hand traveled to her left, and she ran her finger over the smooth silver of the ring. Carefully, lingeringly, she slipped the ring from her finger.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
To be continued... A/N: Hehehe, can you all say really boring chapter? And cliffhanger? Heeheehee. What's going to happen? I think y'all can probably answer that one, right? REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!!