Chapter Thirteen: The Quest
The next morning Mélanyë woke in her room without any idea how she had gotten there. She realized with a touch of embarrassment that she had fallen asleep in the Hall of Fire- she hadn't done that since she was a child. She got up and dressed quickly before going to find Frodo. They had both been invited to the Council meeting and were going to go together. She crossed the hall between their rooms and knocked softly on the door.
"Frodo," she called. There was no answer. She knocked a little louder, but there were still no sounds from his room. She was about to open the door to wake him up when she felt a tap on her shoulder, causing her to jump almost a foot in the air.
"There you are," said Frodo, who stood behind her. "Come on, we're having breakfast." She saw a sly grin on her brother's face and chuckled to herself.
"You did that on purpose," she said. He grinned and led her down the hall.
After breakfast was the Council meeting. Since Mélanyë, Frodo and Bilbo would all be occupied, Lindir volunteered to entertain the other three hobbits. Mélanyë sat behind Bilbo and listened intently to all that was said, finally learning all the history of the Ring and how it had come to Frodo. She listened with great sadness to Legolas as he told the story of how Liofa disappeared with the creature named 'Gollum'. She watched in shock when Frodo got up and announced he would take the Ring on its final journey, and had to restrain herself from getting out of her chair in protest. She felt quite relieved when Sam appeared and announced he would help his master to the end, although had wondered, with a touch of amusement, how he had escaped from Lindir's sights. After Bilbo's request for a break, Elrond finally adjourned the meeting. Mélanyë shot out of her seat and headed for her brother.
"Frodo," she took him by the arm and spoke softly, "What are you doing?"
"I have to do this, Mel," he said evenly. Sam was standing just behind his friend.
"But it's dangerous!" she protested. "Weren't you listening? Boromir described the Black Lands well enough to discourage anyone from going there, and you say you want to go?"
"I don't want to go anywhere," he said, "but this is important. This is something I have to do," he looked into her eyes. "Or weren't you listening?" Before she could respond, Bilbo interrupted them.
"Well I'm starving! What do you say we go find Merry and Pippin? Wherever those two are, there's sure to be food!" He squeezed in between the two siblings and took each by the arm, guiding them out of the Council chamber.
"You shouldn't have to do this!" Mel and Frodo were arguing in his room that night. They didn't know it, but an audience of three hobbits and a handful of elves stood just outside the door.
"I don't have to, this is my choice!" Frodo defended. "No one else will take it. They're all too afraid!"
"As they should be!" she responded. "The Ring is dangerous! Made by the Dark Lord himself!"
"Somebody has to destroy it!"
"But why you?" There was a long pause. Mélanyë gazed out the window, arms crossed, staring at the stars. Frodo stood silently behind her. "I didn't wait all these years to meet you to lose you like this," she said quietly. Frodo sighed softly walked up behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"You're not going to lose me. Besides, Sam is coming." Mélanyë allowed a slow smile to creep onto her face.
"Sauron must be weak indeed if he would fear the might of two hobbits," she said, still staring out the window. Frodo bowed his head and fell silent. "I'm going with you," she said suddenly. Frodo looked up in alarm. Outside, several ears pressed closer to the door.
"What? No.."
"At least then it will be two hobbits and an elf," she flashed him a wicked grin. Frodo was shaking his head in disbelief.
"You're not coming, Mel," he said. "I don't want you to go." She caught his eyes with hers and responded.
"I don't want you to go either. Now we're even." He shook his head again.
"No.." he could find no other words. "No," he said again, "I won't allow it."
"Frodo, you need help!" she said.
"Lord Elrond is choosing companions for me," he said. She thought about this for a minute.
"That's right, he is..." she said distantly. At last she met his eyes. "I'll speak with him then." Before he could argue she brushed past him to the door.
"Mel, wait," he said, following her. As she opened the door, two hobbits fell to the floor at her feet and several elves backed away. Merry and Pippin looked up at her sheepishly. She sighed, stepping over them even as Frodo came up behind her, briefly met Lindir's eyes, who had also been listening, and headed down the hall to find Elrond. He followed her.
Frodo tried to follow her also, but found himself barricaded in his room by a heap of cousins. He looked down at them with his hands on his hips.
"Merry. Pippin." The two picked themselves up off the floor as the elves dispersed.
"Frodo," Merry said, who was the first standing. Sam, who had been leaning against the wall beside the door, was immediately at Frodo's side.
"What happened, Mr. Frodo?" he asked. Frodo managed a wry smile.
"I suppose you all know very well what happened," he looked accusingly at his cousins, then back to his friend. "We had a fight, Sam."
"Are you two all right, I mean-" Sam asked cautiously. Frodo was about to answer when Pippin interrupted.
"Oh, they're fine," he said. He gestured to Merry. "He and I fight all the time, but we're the best of friends." Merry gave him a playful whack on the shoulder.
"No we're not," he said. Pippin hit him back.
"Yes we are!"
"No we aren't!"
"Yes we are!"
Frodo chuckled, but looked past them to where Mélanyë had gone. Sam leaned over to him.
"Do you think Elrond will let her go?" he asked. Frodo sighed and shook his head.
"I hope he makes the right decision, Sam."
"No! Absolutely not! It's out of the question!" Elrond cried. Mélanyë stood in front of the elf as he continued. "A girl your age has no business going on a dangerous journey like this!"
"I am older than Frodo," she reminded him quietly.
"By five years!"
"Six." He sighed and looked her in the eyes.
"Mélanyë, listen to me." He knelt down in front of her. "Since your mother left, I've come to think of you as one of my own children. It's bad enough you went all that way with those dwarves, but to go on a dangerous quest like this? I don't want to see anything happen to you. Do you understand that?"
"Yes." He nodded and stood, assuming the conversation finished. "But I'm not a little girl anymore," She finished after a long pause. Elrond froze for a moment before turning back to look at her. "I want to grow up." She gestured to her height. "Just because I look like a child, doesn't mean I am one." A pained expression momentarily passed over his face as he considered her words. After a long silence he finally spoke.
"I'll think about it." Before she could get excited, he pointed to her sternly, "but I won't promise anything."
The next few weeks were ones of uneasiness between Frodo and Mélanyë. Each knew of the other's view of the quest, but they avoided speaking about it. They spent a lot of time together, either alone, or with the others, but they always seemed to be able to avoid talking about the one issue that was constantly on their minds.
At last the tension finally broke. They had taken a picnic lunch to the waterfalls and had sat eating and admiring the view in silence, when Frodo finally broke the long silence that had begun the day of the Council meeting.
"I don't want you coming with me, Mel." Mélanyë paused in what she was doing. She had known they would have to talk about it sooner or later, but she hadn't been prepared for it just then.
"That's not up to us now," she said carefully. "It's Elrond's decision who goes with you." She looked in his eyes. "If he says no, then I'll have to stay. It's not my decision anymore." Pure relief showed in his eyes and he hugged her. She hugged him back, a little off guard, but happily. They finished their lunch, talking about other happier things. They never spoke of the quest again until the day he left, both resolving to making each day they had together a good one.
"Correct me if I'm wrong," he said one day while they were hiking in the nearby hills. They had taken Merry, Pippin and Sam along and enough food to last them until dinner time. They would be back at the Homely House for supper. "Doesn't your name mean 'love'? I know something about Elvish, and I was just wondering."
"It mean's 'I love', actually," she said, watching Merry and Pippin running through the trees ahead of them. She looked back at Frodo. "My mother loved your father very much."
"Our father," he said with a smile. She drew him to her with her arm in a short hug. They walked in silence for several more minutes, enjoying the day and watching their friends up ahead.
"Our father," Mélanyë broke the silence, "what was he like?" Frodo looked to her in amazement, the obvious question plain in his eyes. "I never knew him." She avoided his eyes as she spoke. "My mother told me that he didn't know about me." Frodo took her hand and squeezed it.
"He was...very kind," he said. "I'm sure that if he'd known he would have loved you very much." She sighed softly.
"I'd often wonder what my life would be like if he had stayed. I never had a real 'father', even with Elrond to take care of me. Elrohir is like a brother to me, and Lindir..." she trailed off. "He's my best friend. When Bilbo told me I had a real brother..." she looked in Frodo's eyes and immediately lost herself in them.
"You can imagine my surprise when I found I had a sister," he said. She squeezed his hand before tapping him on the shoulder. "What's that for?" he asked. She grinned at him.
"Tag!" she cried and ran ahead. He bolted after her, letting his pack fall to the ground as he chased her.
At last the day they had dreaded came- Elrond had made his decision. The news came that eight companions had been chosen to go with Frodo. Mélanyë was not one of them. She took the news well, resolving to herself that she would cry later, when no one would see her. As it turned out Lindir heard her through her window and stayed with her until she calmed down.
When the Fellowship departed there was a tearful farewell between many. Bilbo and Mélanyë said their good-byes to each of the companions, wishing them well and a safe return.
Mélanyë hugged each of the hobbits in turn. At last she came to Frodo and hugged him tight. "Don't worry, Mel," he said to her, "I'll be back soon."
"You had better be," she whispered back to him. "Or I'll come looking for you." He smiled and turned, walking down into the courtyard. Mélanyë watched him go, then came to stand beside Lindir and listened to Elrond speak.
"The Ringbearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom. Know you who travel with him: no oath nor bond is laid to go further than you will. Farewell, hold to your purpose, and may the blessings of Elves and Men and all Free Folk go with you."