Chapter Three: The Council of Elrond
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," Elrond started his speech, and by the second word I was captivated. I was surprised to have been invited to the council in the first place, but this was awesome. "You've been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands on the brink of destruction, none can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to the fate of the ring, this one doom. Bring forth the ring Frodo," Elrond said. Frodo stood up and walked over to a small stand in the middle of the chairs. He set the ring down.
Immediately I felt the power of the ring. At first it had just been an illusion to me, it was just a ring in a stupid book, but I felt a certain desire creep up in me. Protect the ring. What was I thinking! This was the one ring, that was going to destroy everything. I needed to knock it off and pay attention.
"So it is true," Boromir murmured. "In a dream, I saw the eastern sky grow dark, and I the west, a pale light lingered… I heard a voice crying… a doom is near at hand… Isildur's bane is found…" Boromir had slowly made his way over to the ring. He reached his hand out to it, and I just about jumped up and told him to walk away, but Gandalf beat me to it.
He stood up and began speaking the ancient language of Mordor. Immediately the whole world went dark around us. I nearly freaked out. But instead of running way, I stayed in my seat gripped my chair and closed my eyes. I felt a hand close around mine in comfort… When he stopped speaking, I opened my eyes. Legolas had been the one to put his hand over mine. He looked uncomfortable and immediately removed it.
"Never before has anyone uttered those words here in Imlardris," Elrond said clearly disgruntled as the rest of us.
"I do not ask you pardon, Master Elrond, for the black speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the west! The Ring is altogether evil!" Gandalf said turning and sitting back down.
"It is a gift! A gift to the foes of Mordor!" Boromir said standing up again. "Why not use this ring? 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!" Boromir said getting rather fired up in his speech. I couldn't believe he could imagine that.
"You cannot wield it! None of us can…" Aragorn said. "The Ring answers to Sauron alone, it has no other master!"
"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Boromir said condescendingly.
"This is no mere ranger!" Legolas said standing up. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn… You owe him your allegiance," Legolas said. Boromir's eyes became fiery with anger.
"Aragorn? This is Isildurs heir?" He asked, looking stupefied and angry at the same time.
"An heir to the throne of Gondor," Legolas finished. I could tell this was certainly news to all of the men in the company, a few dwarves, and defiantly a revealed secret to Frodo.
"Havo dad Legolas," Aragorn said. It took me a second but I figured out he had told him to sit down. Legolas took his seat again.
"Gondor has no king… Gondor needs no king," Boromir said sitting down, brooding.
"Aragorn is right… We cannot use it," Gandalf said.
"You have only one choice," Elrond said directing the attention back to himself. "The ring must be destroyed." Boromir looked heavily saddened. A heavy silence fell on the council. Before anyone could say any thing else, Gimli was up out of his chair with his ax in his hand.
"What are we waiting for?" And he took an almighty swing lurching down on the Ring. His ax shattered in different directions. I looked at Gimli who had been tossed to the ground, and then at Frodo, who was cradling his head.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed Gimli son of Gloin, by any craft we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mordor, and only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back in the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this," He said. The whole council fell silent, you could have heard a pin drop. Finally Boromir sighed as if he was being tested by little five year olds.
"One does not simply walk into Mordor. The black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep, the great eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire ash and dust, the very air you breath is a poisonous fume," He looked resigned. "Not with ten thousand men could you do this… it is folly!"
"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said!" Legolas said leaping out of his chair again. "The ring must be destroyed!"
Gimli looked infuriated. "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it!"
"And if we fail what then!" Boromir said standing up again. "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his!" He snapped.
"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an ELF!" Gimli shouted. It was chaos. Everyone stood up at once to say their piece, especially Elohin who looked just about ready to disregard everything and attack Gimli. I grabbed Legolas's arm, before he went at it himself. He nodded and put out his arms to keep back his fellow elf. All the men were arguing amongst themselves.
"Never trust an elf!" Gimli said above the shouts.
"Do you not realize as you bicker among yourselves, Sauron's power grows!" Gandalf said trying to break up the fight. "None will escape it, all will be destroyed!" Boromir looked up for his challenge though, and began arguing with him.
"This is ridiculous!" I said loudly. One of the dwarves looked at me rather insulted, and began shouting at me.
"This is not ridiculous! This is the fate of the world!" He said.
"Yes! But there's no point in bickering over it! We're just spreading seeds of discord, and distrust amongst ourselves!" I said back.
Just when the fight had reached the point where it might get physical, I heard Frodo's voice.
"I will take it! I will take it!"
The bickering stopped abruptly.
"I will take the ring to Mordor… Though… I do not know the way," He said unsure of himself.
"I will help you bear this burden Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear," Gandalf said. Aragorn jumped out of his chair like it had suddenly become very warm and began speaking
"By my life or death I can protect you… I will. You have my sword," He said kneeling down in allegiance.
"And you have my bow," Legolas said stepping forward.
"Make that two bows," I said thinking quickly. Legolas looked at me unsure, but said nothing.
"And my ax," Gimli said. Legolas rolled his eyes. Boromir then stepped forward.
"You carry the fate of us all little one. If this indeed be the will of the council then Gondor will see it done," He said.
"EH!" Someone shouted. I jumped, as Sam Gamgee came out from behind the bushes. "Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me!"
"No indeed, it is hardly possibly to separate you two, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not!" Elrond said.
"WE'RE COMING TOO!" I heard Merry shout. He and Pippin ran up from behind two columns. "You'll have to send us home tied us up in a sack to stop us," He said standing next to Frodo.
"Anyway! You need people of intelligence on this sort of mission… quest… thing!" Pippin said proudly.
"Well that rules you out Pip," Merry whispered. Pippin nodded smiling, before getting the joke. It took a moment, but Elrond smiled.
"Ten companions… So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!"
"Great!…" Pippin stopped short and looked up at Elrond in all honesty… "Where are we going?"
