Disclaimer: Has it changed throughout the whole story yet? No, shock horror! I only own my characters.
Note: I am using lines from the film, and interspersing them with my own bits, so please do not sue!
Chapter 5
Council of Elrond
Aleyna woke with a shock as she fell out of the tree. She heard her maid calling her and raced in to find a very worried maid and a not very impressed Arwen. Arwen took one look at Aleyna before shaking her head. Leaving the room on the arm of another maid Arwen ordered that Aleyna was not to be let out to the council until she was dressed more appropriately.
Aleyna took one look in the mirror and couldn't help but smile at herself. The ringlets her hair had been so carefully put into had fallen out and the hair returned to its usually wavy stubborn self. Shock of shock there were still some roses left in her hair, but they were looking rather the worse for wear. Her dress was all rumpled, although luckily there were no tears in it. All in all she looked as if she had slept in a tree, which in truth she just had.
The maid by this point was almost despairing. Aleyna shook her head before walking over to her vanity and splashing some water on her face. Once she had done that she ordered the maid to do something, who promptly undid the laces to her dress. Once she had changed into a clean under dress Aleyna was pulled into a pale blue dress that was simpler and lighter than the one she had been wearing the last night.
Around her neck was placed a silver choker. The band was silver and the front looked as if it had been woven. This decoration carried on to a point at the base of Aleyna's neck, where a small pale emerald hung.
Finally the maid started on Aleyna's hair. Firstly the roses that hadn't fallen out were removed, with much care on the part of the maid. Next Aleyna's unruly waist length hair was brushed until it shone. Most of the waves fell out when it was brushed, but the others stayed in, much to the maid's chagrin. Before her maid could do anything else Aleyna walked out and went in search of Arwen, who was now lying in bed.
"Do I look presentable?" Aleyna asked, twirling around.
"You should do something with your hair." Arwen complained.
"There isn't time, now I have to go." Aleyna smiled before kissing her cousin's cheek and running off.
A few moments saw everyone sitting in the council. Aleyna shifted uncomfortably in her chair, a strange sense of foreboding that she could not pinpoint. Tysan, who was sitting next to her, just shot her an irritated glance, and Aleyna subsided. Elrohir shot her a pained look from beside his father, showing her didn't want to be there either. Elladan was nowhere to be seen.
Glancing over to Legolas Aleyna wasn't surprised to see him in the same outfit as the day before. She smiled friendly before looking around the group. She saw Aragon, who was strangely unwilling to meet her eyes, though she didn't know the reason. Gandalf was probably the only person to return her smile, and Aleyna could almost swear that Frodo glared at her when she smiled at him.
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate--this one doom. Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." Elrond began as Frodo placed the ring on a pedestal in the middle of the courtyard.
"What are women doing here?" Boromir asked, eyeing Tysan and Aleyna.
"If I knew children were invited I wouldn't have come." Tysan shot back, which made Boromir stop picking on Tysan.
"I still don't see why she should be here." Boromir indicated Aleyna.
"I don't see any she's here." Aleyna smiled icily.
"Be nice now." Star gently nipped Aleyna's hand.
Aleyna nodded and turned back to the council. Everyone was muttering amongst themselves and Boromir was eyeing the ring in a way Aleyna didn't quite like all that well. She petted Star absently, glad of the dogs reassurance. Tysan seemed to be getting bored, waiting fro something to happen, tapping her feet on the floor.
"So it is true." Boromir whispered.
"The doom of man." A male voice finished.
Boromir stood and walked closer to the ring saying, "In a dream, I saw the Eastern side grow dark but in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying: 'Your doom is near at hand. Isildur's Bane is found."
"Boromir." Elrond called, standing quickly.
Star jumped up from where she had been quietly sitting by her mistress's feet. Growling, her hackles raised she raced and stood between Boromir and the ring, even as Gandalf stood.
"Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatuluk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul." (A/N for those of you who don't know the rhyme: One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and, in the darkness, bind them.) Gandalf's voice took on a different tone.
"Never before has any voice uttered the words of the tongue here in Imladris." Elrond spoke when the skies had cleared.
"Call off your pet wench." Boromir ordered Aleyna.
"I'm not her pet, I'm her familiar." Star growled, Boromir looked shocked to see a dog speak.
"A familiar, what kind of witch are you?" Boromir asked Aleyna.
"I am not a witch, I am the daughter of a fey knight." Aleyna declared hotly, standing.
"What is a familiar?" Frodo asked, eyeing the dog.
"A familiar is an animal that aids their fey…master… if you will, and aids them." Gandalf explained.
"I thank you, but I can answer questions about myself." Star declared, before going to sit down at Aleyna's feet.
"I think that is not the matter at hand." Elrond snapped.
"I shall not apologize for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether evil." Gandalf spoke gruffly.
"Enough of this. Some of us came here for answers." Tysan spat angrily from behind her mask.
"You have all the answers you need." Elrond answered Tysan calmly.
"No I do not. Why am I the Wraithqueen?" Tysan demanded. All the elves drew in a breath at this statement, they obviously had heard the term before.
"You are not she." Elrond answered calmly.
"They why did he call me it?" Tysan asked angrily.
"Stop this now Tysan, this council is meant to be peaceful. We need to decide what is to be done with the ring." Aleyna ordered.
"Fine, but I still want answers." She spat at Elrond.
Everyone seemed shocked and quelled by this argument. Tysan was fuming though. She had come here for answers, and wanted to get them. Had not Aleyna promised that she would get the answers today at the council. Glancing next to her Tysan was proud to see Aleyna sitting with her eyes closed, obviously talking to that pet dog of hers.
"It is a gift! A gift to the foes of Mordor! 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 broke the silence.
"You cannot wield it, none of it can. It answers only to Sauron, it has no other master." Aragorn spoke.
"And what would a mere ranger know of this?" Boromir asked, derision in his voice as he eyed Aragorn.
"This is no mere ranger, this is Aragorn son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." Legolas stood up, defending his friend.
"Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?" Boromir asked, clear disbelief written on his face.
"And heir to the throne of Gondor." Legolas asked.
"Havo dad Legolas." Aragorn asked. (Sit down Legolas.)
"Gondor has no king, Gondor needs no king." Boromir spoke, eyeing Aragorn in disgust.
"Aragorn is right, we cannot use it." Gandalf agreed with Aragorn.
"You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed." Elrond nodded satisfied with the answer.
"Then what are we waiting for?" One dwarf asked, picking up his axe.
Aleyna opened her eyes wide when she realized what the dwarf was about to do. She went to move, but by then the dwarf was at the pedestal. Bringing his axe down hard on the ring the dwarf was thrown backwards, and his axe was left shattered on the pedestal.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came." Elrond looked down at the dwarf, "One of you must do this." He finished, looking around at the council.
No one spoke for a while. Deathly silence hung over the council. It seemed as if the very birds had stopped their song. No one moved, no one stirred. They all were looking round at Elrond as if to verify what he had just said.
"One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland. Riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly!" Boromir broke the silence, rubbing one hand over his eyes.
"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" Legolas stood.
"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Gimli demanded, rising to his feet.
"And if we fail, what then! What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" Boromir demanded.
"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!" Gimli declared.
An argument ensued. Aleyna was really annoyed at everyone. How typical of men. They always had to bicker. It would be amusing, if it wasn't about the entire fate of Middle Earth. Instead it was annoying, could no one agree on anything? Eventually Frodo stood up and walked towards the rest of the group, who were still arguing.
"I will take it!" Frodo shouted, "I will take it!" He shouted so everyone could hear him, "I will take the ring to Mordor. Though.. I do not know the way." Frodo looked around at everyone in the council.
"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, so long as it is yours to bear." Gandalf placed his hand on Frodo's shoulder.
"If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will" Aragorn knelt before Frodo, "You have my sword." He finished, before standing.
"And my bow." Legolas joined the others.
"And my axe." Gimli and Legolas glared at each other, making Aleyna laugh behind her hand.
"You carry the fates of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done." Boromir pledged himself, making Aleyna glare at him surreptitiously.
"Hay!" Sam cried emerging from some bushes.
"No Sam, hay is for horses." Tysan sighed as if bored.
"Mr. Frodo is not goin' anywhere without me!" Sam carried on, ignoring Tysan.
"No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." Elrond smiled, slightly amused.
"Wait! We are coming too!" Merry cried as he and Pippin ran to join the others
"You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" Pippin declared, ignoring the glares the pair were getting from Elrond.
"Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest... thing." Pippin finished after a while.
"Well that rules you out Pip." Merry joked.
"I'm coming too, it's boring around here anyway." Tysan strolled up.
"Go on, go with them." Star urged Aleyna.
"No way, it's not a pleasure trip." Aleyna hissed back.
"I see no fey, how can it be a fellowship with not all the free peoples represented?" Elrond asked, turning his gaze on Aleyna.
"I don't see any fey around here my lord." Aleyna replied politely, but didn't disguise the steeliness behind her voice.
"But there is a half." Elrond looked at Aleyna.
"I really don't want to engage in a battle of wits." Aleyna sighed heavily.
"Then you shall go with the fellowship." Elrond ordered.
"Yes like Cinderella will go to the ball." Aleyna snapped as she walked to join the group.
"11 companions. So be it. You shall be the fellowship of the ring." Elrond smiled.
"Great, where are we going?" Pippin laughed.
Aleyna had to hide a smile behind her hand. The others looked at Pippin, and some also managed to see the funny side. Maybe going with the fellowship won't be so bad after all… Aleyna thought.
Author's note: Here we are, the infamous council scene. I tried to keep it as true as I could, whilst changing it, hope you enjoy.