Part 3.
"How is your daughter doing?" Gandalf asked once they were sequestered in Elrond's study.
"Arwen's holding on, she has more strength than I sometimes give her credit for. She's been having some, I hesitate to say visions, but that seems to be what they are. The palantirs have revealed themselves to her, she's has seen the one in Gondor clearly."
"Anything we should know about?"
Elrond shook his head. "Not at the moment. Gandalf, I hesitate to use my daughter as a tool to spy on the enemy, she deserves better."
"I understand."
"Does the hobbit know?" He cut off the question, knowing that the Istari would know what he referring to.
"No. I have asked Sam to keep quiet until he is strong enough to bear that knowledge."
Relieved sigh, then he became serious. "I've heard some disturbing news about Saruman's recent activities. Did you know that King Theoden died?"
"What?" Disbelief. "He seemed, not well but certainly not on death's door when last I visited him."
Elrond nodded. "Yes. Just after your escape, I believe. Saruman is currently ensconced in Edoras."
Gandalf sat down heavily.
"Precisely." Succinctly. "The ring cannot stay here any longer. Time is growing short."
"Frodo has borne the ring long enough. It would be grossly unfair for us to expect him to continue to carry it for us. As strong as he is, even that strength will falter."
"He has shown himself to be resilient to the ring's power. Look at Bilbo. Though he has fallen in later years, it took the ring sixty years to accomplish that. And he has been able to release it. Gandalf, you know that neither one of us could touch the ring and let it go. It would scar us." Elrond stated, not unkindly.
"True. But this world is to be man's once all the elves have departed. It should be in their hands."
"It was man that betrayed our trust in the beginning by allowing the ring to remain." Biting. Harsh. "I was there, Gandalf. It was I who led Isildur to Mount Doom. I told him to destroy the ring. He did not."
"Still, it should be up to them to right this mistake." The Istari was calm.
"Man betrayed us once before, I have no confidence in them to make it right." Bitter.
"Betrayed us?" Gandalf repeated, but something was off about Elrond's expression. "Or betrayed you? Do you feel that you are to blame?"
Elrond glared but could not hold the steady gaze of the Istari. "Is that it? You feel that you could have, should have, done more?"
"That isn't it at all, Gandalf."
"Then what is it?"
"I had hoped that man, who at that time was akin to us elves, would have the power to resist what I knew we could not. Even then, the ring had a strength, a will of its own. It tried to reach out to me. I could not approach Isildur for fear of what I might be compelled to do. You've seen it, Gandalf, the beauty in its simplicity. I hear it calling me even now. I am shaking with the desire to touch it, to possess it, to use it. Does that surprise you? Why?" He had caught the startled expression on his friend's face and looked at him, somewhat curiously.
"You did not show any desire for it when it fell into your hands. I watched you drop it into an open drawer and shut it tight." He explained.
Sitting down, Elrond stared out at his home. "My daughter and the hobbit needed my care. They called to me, they needed my help. Yet still I heard it. If they had not arrived as needful of my healing touch, I fear Frodo would be in more danger from me than he should be."
Gandalf was quiet, thinking. "I do not condemn you, friend. I, too, have experienced the ring's power. But we cannot ask it of Frodo to continue to carry it when there is another who can, and should, take the ring."
"Gandalf, you know as I do that he has chosen exile."
Rising, he joined his friend on the balcony, resting his hand on his shoulder. "He is still a man, though he denies it. We cannot continue to shelter and protect him. The world needs him. More importantly, he needs the world, deny it though he will."
Together they watched as their guests arrived. The Gondorians came first, followed quickly by the elves of Mirkwood. Surprised, they recognized the men of Rohan among those of Gondor. "I received word that they weren't coming. What changed their minds? And why would Saruman allow it?"
Gandalf pointed to one of the men. "That one beside Boromir is Eomer, nephew of Theoden. A bit head strong but loves his people with the ferocity of a mother bear. I think he's the reason for their arrival."
"Head strong?" Elrond queried. "And with dwarves around. Wonderful. This should be most entertaining."
"Look at it this way, it's a chance to show off those diplomatic skills you are so fond of." Gandalf teased. They watched as the final party arrived. The dwarves walked into the courtyard, skirting around the elves distastefully. "Ah, I see that Gimli did come. Bilbo will be pleased to see him. But I best warn him to keep quiet, the old hobbit wants to surprise Frodo tonight."
"Off with you then, I must relieve Aragorn and see to Arwen's care." Elrond sat for a moment longer after the wizard had left before moving. "While I agree with you, my friend, I truly believe that Frodo is our best hope." He murmured, watching the meetings that were occurring in his yard,
***
Strider sent one last look at Arwen's pale face before leaving. Walking out into the night, he met up with Legolas. "How are you holding up?" The prince of Mirkwood asked, studying his friend's pale face with something close to concern.
"It's all my fault. I know it, Elrond knows it. I should never have let her ride off with him. There had to have been a way I could've made her stay with the hobbits. Arwen wouldn't be fighting for her soul if I hadn't been so afraid of the Nazgul." He replied, shaking his head.
"My dear friend, do you honestly think you could have stopped Arwen from going? Her father couldn't stop her from taking Glorfindel's place, what make you think you would have done better? Arwen has a will of her own and the courage to exercise it."
He resisted the truth in his friend's words. "I would've found some way. She should not be in this kind of danger."
Legolas sighed, torn between comforting and wanting to smack his friend. "Elessar, Arwen would be in danger no matter what. Surely you haven't been buried so far under the ground that you haven't felt the darkness growing all around us. It touches everything, breathes through all life on Middle-Earth. No one is safe from its touch."
"It is that ring of Sauron's. It will not rest and let us be. I wish it had never been found."
"The evil is more than the ring, my friend." Mild rebuke. "And we are lucky that it was found by someone on our side rather than the enemies."
"I know. But I curse Isildur's stupidity in allowing that ring to be." His fists clenched in anger.
"It is unkind to curse another for their mistake made in ignorance." Then the blue eyes sharpened, directing the conversation into another path. "Is it true, what I heard, that it was found by the half-ling, Bilbo Baggins?"
"Yes. What do you know of Bilbo Baggins?" Elessar asked, curious despite his worry.
Legolas smiled. "My father talks about him with a mixture of respect and disgust."
"I can just imagine." Dry.
"He cannot understand how one with no greed inside can be friends with dwarves. Come to think of it, neither can I."
"Maybe that's because you elves are short sighted and think dwarves care nothing for the outside world." A gruff voice said.
Before Legolas could comment, the dwarf passed them, hearing a familiar voice calling his name.
"Gimli, son of Gloin. It does my heart good to see you. When Gandalf told me he saw you arrive, I could scarcely believe it." An elderly hobbit, gracefully aged, walked out to meet him.
"Bilbo Baggins! I am glad to see you, it will be a relief to have intelligent company around me-Gandalf aside." They embraced like the old friends they were. "When are you going to tire of these feather heads and visit us?"
"Not for a while, if ever, I fear. These old bones don't hold up on travel as they once used to." He sighed, fondly recalling the days when he had pep.
"Nonsense. It is just the company you keep that robs you of your natural strength." Gimli caught sight of Gandalf watching them, an amused smile on his face. "The exception being Gandalf, of course."
"How kind." Gandalf said, coming to stand between the two pairs. "I'm sure your host will be most interested to hear your appraisal of his character."
"Lord Elrond is all right, as far as elves go. My father likes him and speaks of him with unusual fondness. But I fear he is the exception, not the rule."
Bilbo shook his head, well aware of the dwarvish dislike of the elves and vice versa. "Come, let me show you what I've done."
Gandalf turned when he felt eyes upon him. Eomer was staring at him. "Go on. I will join you later."
"All right, Gandalf." Bilbo finally saw Strider. "Hello, Strider. Nice to see you finally getting some air."
"Bilbo." He acknowledged. "Before you disappear into your room for hours on end, you should meet Legolas. I believe you've met his father, King Thranduil of Mirkwood?"
"Of course I have. How do you do, Prince Legolas?" He asked, ignoring Gimli's derisive snort.
"I do very well, as does my father. He has told me much of you."
Bilbo smiled. "Has he? And I'll bet none of it was very flattering towards me."
"On the contrary, he quite admires you. Not your choice of acquaintances, mind you-save Gandalf." He added, imitating Gimli earlier.
The hobbit shook his head, cutting Gimli off before he could start. "Gentlemen, please, do not quarrel now. There is to be a celebration tonight before serious matters are attended to. And one cannot properly celebrate when angry feelings are present." Bilbo scolded, leading the dwarf away. "I am grateful that he remembers me fondly. I look forward to seeing you later."
They disappeared down one of the corridors, leaving behind Strider and Legolas. "Father was right, there is more to Bilbo Baggins than first meets the eye."
"There is at that. He's very open and not above making observations, but he only shares them if you ask. I made the mistake of asking him what he thought of me. He said that I am gold, though I do not glitter."
Legolas studied his friend. "I am inclined to agree with him. Though you hide what you are, it does not remain hidden."
A movement to their left stopped any reply he might have made.
"How is your daughter doing?" Gandalf asked once they were sequestered in Elrond's study.
"Arwen's holding on, she has more strength than I sometimes give her credit for. She's been having some, I hesitate to say visions, but that seems to be what they are. The palantirs have revealed themselves to her, she's has seen the one in Gondor clearly."
"Anything we should know about?"
Elrond shook his head. "Not at the moment. Gandalf, I hesitate to use my daughter as a tool to spy on the enemy, she deserves better."
"I understand."
"Does the hobbit know?" He cut off the question, knowing that the Istari would know what he referring to.
"No. I have asked Sam to keep quiet until he is strong enough to bear that knowledge."
Relieved sigh, then he became serious. "I've heard some disturbing news about Saruman's recent activities. Did you know that King Theoden died?"
"What?" Disbelief. "He seemed, not well but certainly not on death's door when last I visited him."
Elrond nodded. "Yes. Just after your escape, I believe. Saruman is currently ensconced in Edoras."
Gandalf sat down heavily.
"Precisely." Succinctly. "The ring cannot stay here any longer. Time is growing short."
"Frodo has borne the ring long enough. It would be grossly unfair for us to expect him to continue to carry it for us. As strong as he is, even that strength will falter."
"He has shown himself to be resilient to the ring's power. Look at Bilbo. Though he has fallen in later years, it took the ring sixty years to accomplish that. And he has been able to release it. Gandalf, you know that neither one of us could touch the ring and let it go. It would scar us." Elrond stated, not unkindly.
"True. But this world is to be man's once all the elves have departed. It should be in their hands."
"It was man that betrayed our trust in the beginning by allowing the ring to remain." Biting. Harsh. "I was there, Gandalf. It was I who led Isildur to Mount Doom. I told him to destroy the ring. He did not."
"Still, it should be up to them to right this mistake." The Istari was calm.
"Man betrayed us once before, I have no confidence in them to make it right." Bitter.
"Betrayed us?" Gandalf repeated, but something was off about Elrond's expression. "Or betrayed you? Do you feel that you are to blame?"
Elrond glared but could not hold the steady gaze of the Istari. "Is that it? You feel that you could have, should have, done more?"
"That isn't it at all, Gandalf."
"Then what is it?"
"I had hoped that man, who at that time was akin to us elves, would have the power to resist what I knew we could not. Even then, the ring had a strength, a will of its own. It tried to reach out to me. I could not approach Isildur for fear of what I might be compelled to do. You've seen it, Gandalf, the beauty in its simplicity. I hear it calling me even now. I am shaking with the desire to touch it, to possess it, to use it. Does that surprise you? Why?" He had caught the startled expression on his friend's face and looked at him, somewhat curiously.
"You did not show any desire for it when it fell into your hands. I watched you drop it into an open drawer and shut it tight." He explained.
Sitting down, Elrond stared out at his home. "My daughter and the hobbit needed my care. They called to me, they needed my help. Yet still I heard it. If they had not arrived as needful of my healing touch, I fear Frodo would be in more danger from me than he should be."
Gandalf was quiet, thinking. "I do not condemn you, friend. I, too, have experienced the ring's power. But we cannot ask it of Frodo to continue to carry it when there is another who can, and should, take the ring."
"Gandalf, you know as I do that he has chosen exile."
Rising, he joined his friend on the balcony, resting his hand on his shoulder. "He is still a man, though he denies it. We cannot continue to shelter and protect him. The world needs him. More importantly, he needs the world, deny it though he will."
Together they watched as their guests arrived. The Gondorians came first, followed quickly by the elves of Mirkwood. Surprised, they recognized the men of Rohan among those of Gondor. "I received word that they weren't coming. What changed their minds? And why would Saruman allow it?"
Gandalf pointed to one of the men. "That one beside Boromir is Eomer, nephew of Theoden. A bit head strong but loves his people with the ferocity of a mother bear. I think he's the reason for their arrival."
"Head strong?" Elrond queried. "And with dwarves around. Wonderful. This should be most entertaining."
"Look at it this way, it's a chance to show off those diplomatic skills you are so fond of." Gandalf teased. They watched as the final party arrived. The dwarves walked into the courtyard, skirting around the elves distastefully. "Ah, I see that Gimli did come. Bilbo will be pleased to see him. But I best warn him to keep quiet, the old hobbit wants to surprise Frodo tonight."
"Off with you then, I must relieve Aragorn and see to Arwen's care." Elrond sat for a moment longer after the wizard had left before moving. "While I agree with you, my friend, I truly believe that Frodo is our best hope." He murmured, watching the meetings that were occurring in his yard,
***
Strider sent one last look at Arwen's pale face before leaving. Walking out into the night, he met up with Legolas. "How are you holding up?" The prince of Mirkwood asked, studying his friend's pale face with something close to concern.
"It's all my fault. I know it, Elrond knows it. I should never have let her ride off with him. There had to have been a way I could've made her stay with the hobbits. Arwen wouldn't be fighting for her soul if I hadn't been so afraid of the Nazgul." He replied, shaking his head.
"My dear friend, do you honestly think you could have stopped Arwen from going? Her father couldn't stop her from taking Glorfindel's place, what make you think you would have done better? Arwen has a will of her own and the courage to exercise it."
He resisted the truth in his friend's words. "I would've found some way. She should not be in this kind of danger."
Legolas sighed, torn between comforting and wanting to smack his friend. "Elessar, Arwen would be in danger no matter what. Surely you haven't been buried so far under the ground that you haven't felt the darkness growing all around us. It touches everything, breathes through all life on Middle-Earth. No one is safe from its touch."
"It is that ring of Sauron's. It will not rest and let us be. I wish it had never been found."
"The evil is more than the ring, my friend." Mild rebuke. "And we are lucky that it was found by someone on our side rather than the enemies."
"I know. But I curse Isildur's stupidity in allowing that ring to be." His fists clenched in anger.
"It is unkind to curse another for their mistake made in ignorance." Then the blue eyes sharpened, directing the conversation into another path. "Is it true, what I heard, that it was found by the half-ling, Bilbo Baggins?"
"Yes. What do you know of Bilbo Baggins?" Elessar asked, curious despite his worry.
Legolas smiled. "My father talks about him with a mixture of respect and disgust."
"I can just imagine." Dry.
"He cannot understand how one with no greed inside can be friends with dwarves. Come to think of it, neither can I."
"Maybe that's because you elves are short sighted and think dwarves care nothing for the outside world." A gruff voice said.
Before Legolas could comment, the dwarf passed them, hearing a familiar voice calling his name.
"Gimli, son of Gloin. It does my heart good to see you. When Gandalf told me he saw you arrive, I could scarcely believe it." An elderly hobbit, gracefully aged, walked out to meet him.
"Bilbo Baggins! I am glad to see you, it will be a relief to have intelligent company around me-Gandalf aside." They embraced like the old friends they were. "When are you going to tire of these feather heads and visit us?"
"Not for a while, if ever, I fear. These old bones don't hold up on travel as they once used to." He sighed, fondly recalling the days when he had pep.
"Nonsense. It is just the company you keep that robs you of your natural strength." Gimli caught sight of Gandalf watching them, an amused smile on his face. "The exception being Gandalf, of course."
"How kind." Gandalf said, coming to stand between the two pairs. "I'm sure your host will be most interested to hear your appraisal of his character."
"Lord Elrond is all right, as far as elves go. My father likes him and speaks of him with unusual fondness. But I fear he is the exception, not the rule."
Bilbo shook his head, well aware of the dwarvish dislike of the elves and vice versa. "Come, let me show you what I've done."
Gandalf turned when he felt eyes upon him. Eomer was staring at him. "Go on. I will join you later."
"All right, Gandalf." Bilbo finally saw Strider. "Hello, Strider. Nice to see you finally getting some air."
"Bilbo." He acknowledged. "Before you disappear into your room for hours on end, you should meet Legolas. I believe you've met his father, King Thranduil of Mirkwood?"
"Of course I have. How do you do, Prince Legolas?" He asked, ignoring Gimli's derisive snort.
"I do very well, as does my father. He has told me much of you."
Bilbo smiled. "Has he? And I'll bet none of it was very flattering towards me."
"On the contrary, he quite admires you. Not your choice of acquaintances, mind you-save Gandalf." He added, imitating Gimli earlier.
The hobbit shook his head, cutting Gimli off before he could start. "Gentlemen, please, do not quarrel now. There is to be a celebration tonight before serious matters are attended to. And one cannot properly celebrate when angry feelings are present." Bilbo scolded, leading the dwarf away. "I am grateful that he remembers me fondly. I look forward to seeing you later."
They disappeared down one of the corridors, leaving behind Strider and Legolas. "Father was right, there is more to Bilbo Baggins than first meets the eye."
"There is at that. He's very open and not above making observations, but he only shares them if you ask. I made the mistake of asking him what he thought of me. He said that I am gold, though I do not glitter."
Legolas studied his friend. "I am inclined to agree with him. Though you hide what you are, it does not remain hidden."
A movement to their left stopped any reply he might have made.