A Note: I do not own anything to do with Lord of the Rings---
they belong to those running the Tolkien estate, and anything to
do with New Line Cinema and anyone else affiliated with the
movie trilogy. Tari and Colin are my own creations, you want to
use them, just let me know, I'm pretty flexible. I am not making
any money from this (as is well shown by my bank account at the
moment, unfortunately); I'm just an obsessed fan who decided to
try my hand at it, after reading the works of many others. Hope
you like it, and review it for me please! Also thought up some
part of the plot for much later in the story that will include
Eomer, but look for that later on. Enjoy!
Chapter 7
Tari and Aragorn neared the end of their journey through a number of hallways and corners to reach the entrance area she recognized as the one she had come in earlier. Tari's level of apprehension rose as they neared the council area. "Tari," Aragorn whispered to her, "please, there is nothing to fear. Just relax; we are all friends and allies here. Now would you kindly remove your very sharp nails from my forearm, as they have most likely left marks." Shaking the scared thoughts out of her head slightly, she looked up at him unsurely. "I'm sorry, Aragorn, I don't mean to be so nervous. I mean, I know what happens here, and I know what has to happen, but I just don't know how I shall be received by some of those gathered. I have been lucky that you and Lord Elrond have been so kind and understanding, Lady Arwen too, but some of the other peoples gathered here may not take kindly to a woman being present." Tari fidgeted nervously, slowing her steps until she came to a dead stop just in front of the entrance of the council area. Aragorn stopped to look into her eyes, reassuring her of her need to be present at the meeting. "Breathe deeply, and stay calm. You are expected, and the council really must convene. We cannot linger. Come, all are waiting." Tari nodded softly to his soothing words, taking a deep breath as she headed out the archway on Aragorn's well- muscled forearm.
"Ah, Estel, Lady Tari, good! You are here. It is time to begin the council. Please, take your seats and we shall begin." Elrond announced as Tari and Aragorn entered. Aragorn bowed to Elrond, acknowledging him with a muted, "Lord Elrond." Tari followed his example, curtsying and with her head bowed low. To her own acknowledgement of her gracious host, she added, "Please, milord, forgive my tardiness to the council. It took me longer to prepare than I had previously anticipated." Elrond nodded his forgiveness, seeing the nervousness written plainly on her delicate face. She turned to the others and curtsied respectfully. "And I ask your pardon as well, milords. I had not intended to take up more of your time. She watched as Boromir stood, smiling at her as he bowed before her, taking her hand into his and placing a soft kiss on it. "You are most heartily forgiven , my lady." He replied to her request, giving her a rather flirty grin. Tari's cheeks reddened slightly in a blush, her cheeks taking on a vibrant rosy hue. She thanked him softly and followed the path Aragorn had taken, since the last seat was beside him.
"Now that we have all gathered, allow me to introduce you all to Lady Tari, who comes to us from a far off land unknown to all of us. She has previously made her acquaintance with Strider and me. I cannot tell you all why she is here, since I am not completely clear on that matter myself, but she is an integral part of this council." Each person introduced himself to her, even though she already knew who everyone was. Boromir gave her a wink as he announced who he was, the same grin still on his face. Tari smiled nervously, the rosy blush returning to her cheeks as she bowed her head in greeting. Elrond continued. "Darkness has fallen over Middle Earth, and we are here to discuss how to stop it. Sauron seeks to destroy the free peoples of Middle Earth, and the most dangerous weapon of evil has surfaced. Frodo, bring forth the ring." Frodo, who sat on Tari's right, stood slowly, wincing slightly from what she knew to be the wound from the witch king's morgul blade. Frodo placed the ring on a small table made of stone in the centre of the meeting area.
Tari looked away from the ring, knowing of its dangers immediately. Instead, she looked at the reaction of the other council members. Nearly all were shocked, amazement plainly written in their eyes. She noticed Boromir standing and heard him stutter before speaking. "So it is true!" He went on, but Tari did not listen further, knowing the gist of how his monologue would go. She stood slowly, facing Boromir. "My lord Boromir," Tari began, "please, forgive my interruption, but you must realize that this ring is far too dangerous for any of us to try to use against Sauron. If you try to wield it, great harm will come to you. The Ring of Power is loyal only to its creator. It betrays any other that tries to wield its power. Those that have tried to control its power in the past, other than the dark lord himself, have died because of it. I do not want to see anyone here die because of it. Te only way to be free and at peace is to destroy it." Tari sat, breathing in it out rapidly, winded from her extremely passionate speech. She wavered slightly, nearly falling backward out of her seat, except for Aragorn's catching her in his arms before she cold completely lose her seat. He pulled her closer to him, asking if she was alright, the healer in him taking over. He placed his hand on her forehead as she replied that she was. "I suppose I used up more air in my speech than I had realized. I'm just a little winded. I'll be fine in a moment." Aragorn pulled her hand closer to him, taking her pulse in her wrist. Tari gasped softly, realizing that her heart was pounding practically out of her chest. Her crush on Aragorn came into her mind, and she tried to fight those feelings. Aragorn noted her rapid heartbeat and looked to Tari, concern written all over his face. She blushed, quickly looking away from him so that she could hide the emotion on her face. "I'm fine." She mumbled quickly, thinking about how much hotter he looked in person rather than on the big screen. "My words and my emotions took over. It will be back to normal in a few moments. I'm alright, just a little embarrassed." He nodded slowly, vowing to himself to keep an eye on her after this. Tari kept her gaze on her lap, finding that her nails all of a sudden needed lots of attention. She could feel Aragorn's gaze on her, and she also sensed Boromir's gaze. She wondered if her secret crush was written all over her face. She had always had a crush on Aragorn, since she first saw the movies and read the books. There was just something about his character that really appealed to her. Until now, she had believed that having a crush on a fictional character was silly and useless, since none of the men she knew from home could never live up to him.
Tari was woken from her reverie as Elrond continued the council, agreeing with what she had said. The meeting went on much as it had in the film and the book. Aragorn was revealed as the heir of Isildur, and an argument broke out between him, Legolas, and Boromir. "Please," Tari interrupted, rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration and aggravation as she felt a headache coming on. "this is not the time to argue about whether or not Gondor needs its king. Aragorn is Isildur's heir, but that is not the issue at hand right now. Can't we just get back to how to destroy the ring? That is, after all, why we are here." Tari wondered how she had not remembered this argument to be more annoying than it really was. She knew these guys were acting macho. It seemed to be the way guys were, no matter where you were in time or space. The men mumbled their apologies and sat down again. Everyone got back to how the ring was to be destroyed and the argument about who was going to take it broke out, just as she knew it would. Tari sat silently, knowing that Frodo was about to volunteer. Damn Tari thought to herself, what I wouldn't do for a couple of Advil right now...
Frodo jumped up, volunteering to take the ring to destroy it. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Tari all volunteered to help him, and Boromir agreed as well, although grudgingly. Sam, Merry, and Pippin jumped out of their various hiding spaces and declared that they were going too, saying that they would not willingly leave Frodo; that they would have to be tied in sacks and sent home in order to be stopped. But, before Elrond was to declare them the fellowship of the ring, Boromir interrupted, his curiosity taking over. Excuse me, but how will Lady Tari be of any assistance in this mission? I beg your pardon, my lady, as I am not trying to insult you, but you do not appear to be very strong or able to fight anything bigger than you." He had turned to her once he started speaking to her. "You are a lovely woman, of that I have no doubt, my lady, but you are very slight. I only worry for your safety. I believe it would be safer for you to stay here." Tari fought the urge to roll her eyes and tell him exactly what she thought of his macho, caveman attitude. "There is no insult taken, Lord Boromir. I realize that I am not very tall, and that I am rather slender. However, I am well trained in the use of a bow, thanks to my loving father, and I am also excellent in hand-to-hand combat. I was trained by a man who was three times my height and who was also three times as wide, muscle bound as he was. I have what is known in my world as a black belt in Karate, which is the highest level of hand-to-hand combat that can be achieved. If you wish, you can test me later, although I must warn you, some moves that I have learned can kill a man. I wouldn't use those moves though. Those are only for the enemy, or those that try to hurt me." Tari knew very well that Boromir would not be taking up on her offer, judging by the look on his face, but if he did, she would blow him away! She would prove to him that she was not one of the women he was used to! Tari grinned mischievously at Aragorn, who was smirking at Boromir's reaction. "I would like to see that sometime, milady." Tari laughed heartily. "Is that a challenge then, milord Aragorn?" "No, no, not me, I believe you! I would much rather see you take on Boromir, who is, as I have heard, the best fighter in Gondor. That would be a match I would very much like to see!" he laughed loudly. Tari giggled as she shot a quick glance at Boromir, who was looking very uncomfortable at being the butt of the joke at the moment. Somehow, Aragorn knew that she was no mere woman, afraid of silly little things like most women he knew. He could sense that about her.
"Lady Tari is right." Elrond broke in. "Besides her self-defense skills, she is a very important part of this quest. She knows more about what is happening than any of us. Not only is she extremely well versed in the history of Middle Earth, but she sees what will happen in the future and can guide you accordingly." Tari nodded in agreement. "Yes, Lord Elrond is right. While you may not understand why I say or do what I do, just remember that everything is said and done for one main purpose. We may not always understand the reason for things, but it is all important to the overall outcome." Tari knew she was being cryptic, but she couldn't give any more clues for fear of changing the future as she knew it here. She heard Aragorn mumbling to himself as they left the council, many going their separate ways, "just like Gandalf, she too speaks in riddles!"
they belong to those running the Tolkien estate, and anything to
do with New Line Cinema and anyone else affiliated with the
movie trilogy. Tari and Colin are my own creations, you want to
use them, just let me know, I'm pretty flexible. I am not making
any money from this (as is well shown by my bank account at the
moment, unfortunately); I'm just an obsessed fan who decided to
try my hand at it, after reading the works of many others. Hope
you like it, and review it for me please! Also thought up some
part of the plot for much later in the story that will include
Eomer, but look for that later on. Enjoy!
Chapter 7
Tari and Aragorn neared the end of their journey through a number of hallways and corners to reach the entrance area she recognized as the one she had come in earlier. Tari's level of apprehension rose as they neared the council area. "Tari," Aragorn whispered to her, "please, there is nothing to fear. Just relax; we are all friends and allies here. Now would you kindly remove your very sharp nails from my forearm, as they have most likely left marks." Shaking the scared thoughts out of her head slightly, she looked up at him unsurely. "I'm sorry, Aragorn, I don't mean to be so nervous. I mean, I know what happens here, and I know what has to happen, but I just don't know how I shall be received by some of those gathered. I have been lucky that you and Lord Elrond have been so kind and understanding, Lady Arwen too, but some of the other peoples gathered here may not take kindly to a woman being present." Tari fidgeted nervously, slowing her steps until she came to a dead stop just in front of the entrance of the council area. Aragorn stopped to look into her eyes, reassuring her of her need to be present at the meeting. "Breathe deeply, and stay calm. You are expected, and the council really must convene. We cannot linger. Come, all are waiting." Tari nodded softly to his soothing words, taking a deep breath as she headed out the archway on Aragorn's well- muscled forearm.
"Ah, Estel, Lady Tari, good! You are here. It is time to begin the council. Please, take your seats and we shall begin." Elrond announced as Tari and Aragorn entered. Aragorn bowed to Elrond, acknowledging him with a muted, "Lord Elrond." Tari followed his example, curtsying and with her head bowed low. To her own acknowledgement of her gracious host, she added, "Please, milord, forgive my tardiness to the council. It took me longer to prepare than I had previously anticipated." Elrond nodded his forgiveness, seeing the nervousness written plainly on her delicate face. She turned to the others and curtsied respectfully. "And I ask your pardon as well, milords. I had not intended to take up more of your time. She watched as Boromir stood, smiling at her as he bowed before her, taking her hand into his and placing a soft kiss on it. "You are most heartily forgiven , my lady." He replied to her request, giving her a rather flirty grin. Tari's cheeks reddened slightly in a blush, her cheeks taking on a vibrant rosy hue. She thanked him softly and followed the path Aragorn had taken, since the last seat was beside him.
"Now that we have all gathered, allow me to introduce you all to Lady Tari, who comes to us from a far off land unknown to all of us. She has previously made her acquaintance with Strider and me. I cannot tell you all why she is here, since I am not completely clear on that matter myself, but she is an integral part of this council." Each person introduced himself to her, even though she already knew who everyone was. Boromir gave her a wink as he announced who he was, the same grin still on his face. Tari smiled nervously, the rosy blush returning to her cheeks as she bowed her head in greeting. Elrond continued. "Darkness has fallen over Middle Earth, and we are here to discuss how to stop it. Sauron seeks to destroy the free peoples of Middle Earth, and the most dangerous weapon of evil has surfaced. Frodo, bring forth the ring." Frodo, who sat on Tari's right, stood slowly, wincing slightly from what she knew to be the wound from the witch king's morgul blade. Frodo placed the ring on a small table made of stone in the centre of the meeting area.
Tari looked away from the ring, knowing of its dangers immediately. Instead, she looked at the reaction of the other council members. Nearly all were shocked, amazement plainly written in their eyes. She noticed Boromir standing and heard him stutter before speaking. "So it is true!" He went on, but Tari did not listen further, knowing the gist of how his monologue would go. She stood slowly, facing Boromir. "My lord Boromir," Tari began, "please, forgive my interruption, but you must realize that this ring is far too dangerous for any of us to try to use against Sauron. If you try to wield it, great harm will come to you. The Ring of Power is loyal only to its creator. It betrays any other that tries to wield its power. Those that have tried to control its power in the past, other than the dark lord himself, have died because of it. I do not want to see anyone here die because of it. Te only way to be free and at peace is to destroy it." Tari sat, breathing in it out rapidly, winded from her extremely passionate speech. She wavered slightly, nearly falling backward out of her seat, except for Aragorn's catching her in his arms before she cold completely lose her seat. He pulled her closer to him, asking if she was alright, the healer in him taking over. He placed his hand on her forehead as she replied that she was. "I suppose I used up more air in my speech than I had realized. I'm just a little winded. I'll be fine in a moment." Aragorn pulled her hand closer to him, taking her pulse in her wrist. Tari gasped softly, realizing that her heart was pounding practically out of her chest. Her crush on Aragorn came into her mind, and she tried to fight those feelings. Aragorn noted her rapid heartbeat and looked to Tari, concern written all over his face. She blushed, quickly looking away from him so that she could hide the emotion on her face. "I'm fine." She mumbled quickly, thinking about how much hotter he looked in person rather than on the big screen. "My words and my emotions took over. It will be back to normal in a few moments. I'm alright, just a little embarrassed." He nodded slowly, vowing to himself to keep an eye on her after this. Tari kept her gaze on her lap, finding that her nails all of a sudden needed lots of attention. She could feel Aragorn's gaze on her, and she also sensed Boromir's gaze. She wondered if her secret crush was written all over her face. She had always had a crush on Aragorn, since she first saw the movies and read the books. There was just something about his character that really appealed to her. Until now, she had believed that having a crush on a fictional character was silly and useless, since none of the men she knew from home could never live up to him.
Tari was woken from her reverie as Elrond continued the council, agreeing with what she had said. The meeting went on much as it had in the film and the book. Aragorn was revealed as the heir of Isildur, and an argument broke out between him, Legolas, and Boromir. "Please," Tari interrupted, rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration and aggravation as she felt a headache coming on. "this is not the time to argue about whether or not Gondor needs its king. Aragorn is Isildur's heir, but that is not the issue at hand right now. Can't we just get back to how to destroy the ring? That is, after all, why we are here." Tari wondered how she had not remembered this argument to be more annoying than it really was. She knew these guys were acting macho. It seemed to be the way guys were, no matter where you were in time or space. The men mumbled their apologies and sat down again. Everyone got back to how the ring was to be destroyed and the argument about who was going to take it broke out, just as she knew it would. Tari sat silently, knowing that Frodo was about to volunteer. Damn Tari thought to herself, what I wouldn't do for a couple of Advil right now...
Frodo jumped up, volunteering to take the ring to destroy it. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Tari all volunteered to help him, and Boromir agreed as well, although grudgingly. Sam, Merry, and Pippin jumped out of their various hiding spaces and declared that they were going too, saying that they would not willingly leave Frodo; that they would have to be tied in sacks and sent home in order to be stopped. But, before Elrond was to declare them the fellowship of the ring, Boromir interrupted, his curiosity taking over. Excuse me, but how will Lady Tari be of any assistance in this mission? I beg your pardon, my lady, as I am not trying to insult you, but you do not appear to be very strong or able to fight anything bigger than you." He had turned to her once he started speaking to her. "You are a lovely woman, of that I have no doubt, my lady, but you are very slight. I only worry for your safety. I believe it would be safer for you to stay here." Tari fought the urge to roll her eyes and tell him exactly what she thought of his macho, caveman attitude. "There is no insult taken, Lord Boromir. I realize that I am not very tall, and that I am rather slender. However, I am well trained in the use of a bow, thanks to my loving father, and I am also excellent in hand-to-hand combat. I was trained by a man who was three times my height and who was also three times as wide, muscle bound as he was. I have what is known in my world as a black belt in Karate, which is the highest level of hand-to-hand combat that can be achieved. If you wish, you can test me later, although I must warn you, some moves that I have learned can kill a man. I wouldn't use those moves though. Those are only for the enemy, or those that try to hurt me." Tari knew very well that Boromir would not be taking up on her offer, judging by the look on his face, but if he did, she would blow him away! She would prove to him that she was not one of the women he was used to! Tari grinned mischievously at Aragorn, who was smirking at Boromir's reaction. "I would like to see that sometime, milady." Tari laughed heartily. "Is that a challenge then, milord Aragorn?" "No, no, not me, I believe you! I would much rather see you take on Boromir, who is, as I have heard, the best fighter in Gondor. That would be a match I would very much like to see!" he laughed loudly. Tari giggled as she shot a quick glance at Boromir, who was looking very uncomfortable at being the butt of the joke at the moment. Somehow, Aragorn knew that she was no mere woman, afraid of silly little things like most women he knew. He could sense that about her.
"Lady Tari is right." Elrond broke in. "Besides her self-defense skills, she is a very important part of this quest. She knows more about what is happening than any of us. Not only is she extremely well versed in the history of Middle Earth, but she sees what will happen in the future and can guide you accordingly." Tari nodded in agreement. "Yes, Lord Elrond is right. While you may not understand why I say or do what I do, just remember that everything is said and done for one main purpose. We may not always understand the reason for things, but it is all important to the overall outcome." Tari knew she was being cryptic, but she couldn't give any more clues for fear of changing the future as she knew it here. She heard Aragorn mumbling to himself as they left the council, many going their separate ways, "just like Gandalf, she too speaks in riddles!"
