Disclaimer: Still not mine.
Tracy: Please relax. I *will* finish this. I promise. I just can't guarantee when. It might be a while between updates, and sometimes it might not be. But this story will eventually get finished. I'm not trying to diss you or anything, but please stop worrying about it.
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Valora was a little miffed that she and three of the Hobbits had not been asked to join the special meeting that was about to take place. After all, they were just as involved, if not more so, in this as anyone who had been asked to attend. It was really very unfair.
She hoped to heaven that they didn't get caught. She and Sam were hiding in the bushes near the Counsil. They were being as silent as possible. They weren't sure where Merry and Pippin were, but they suspected they might be hiding somewhere nearby as well. If any of them were caught, they were in trouble. From where they hid, they could see Elrond and Strider quite well. Frodo and Gandalf's backs were to them.
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," began Elrond, "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." He looked around at the others. "Every race is bound to this fate, this one doom." He turned to Frodo. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo," he said, not unkindly.
Frodo stood and set the Ring on a small stone alter in the middle of the circle. He went back to his seat and sat down. Relief washed over him at not having to hold the Ring any longer.
"So it is true," said one of the Men. His name was Boromir and he was from Gondor. He stared at the Ring, as did everyone else. The Ring was calling to them all. Slowly, Boromir stood. "In a dream," he told the Council, "I saw the eastern sky 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."" As he spoke, he moved closer to the Ring. Now, he reached out his hand to touch it. "Isildur's bane," he whispered.
"Boromir!" cried Elrond loudly, standing swiftly.
Gandalf stood as well and began chanting. The language he spoke was harsh and had an immediate effect on the Council and the weather. The sky grew dark and the ground shook. Fear passed through all present. Soon, Gandalf ceased his chanting. The sky grew light again. But the fear lingered. The Elves in particular looked a little sick. Valora wasn't feeling too hot herself. Boromir returned to his seat, disturbed.
"Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris," said Elrond, looking a bit angry and quite disturbed.
"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond," said Gandalf, "for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether evil."
"It is a gift," said Boromir. Everyone looked at him. "A gift to the foes of Mordor." He stood once again and began to pace. "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."
Valora frowned. She didn't care for his slightly superior tone of voice. Um, egotistical much? she thought. Even if what he said was true, that was no reason for him to look down on everyone else here.
"Give Gondor the weapon of the Enemy. Let us use it against him," he said excitedly.
"You cannot wield it. None of us can."
All eyes turned to Strider, who had spoken.
"The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."
"And what would a Ranger know of such matters."
There was a sneer in the man's voice, if not on his face. Valora narrowed her eyes slightly. Strider may be a Ranger, but that didn't make him stupid. She really didn't care much for this Boromir guy.
"This is no mere Ranger," said one of the Elves, rising from his seat, causing Boromir to turn and look at the Elf.
Valora and Sam couldn't really see the Elf's face, but Valora recognized that voice. That was Legolas. He sounded extremely annoyed.
"He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."
Sam and Valora had no idea what this was about. Neither did Frodo. But, apparently, it meant something to Boromir. His eyes had widened in shock and he turned back to Strider. "Aragorn," he said in disbelief. "*This* is Isildur's heir?"
"And heir to the throne of Gondor," said Legolas.
Valora's eyes widened, and she imagined Sam and Frodo must be in shock also. Heir to the throne of Gondor? She couldn't believe it. Apparently, she had been hanging around with not one, but two future kings. She'd like to get the odds on that in Vegas.
Strider shook his head. He knew it would have to be brought up sometime. He just would have preferred to have been the one to tell the others. Legolas knew him well enough to know that. It must have been the Ring effecting him. "Havo dad, Legolas." Sit down, Legolas.
Boromir recovered from his shock and felt his anger rising. So, *this* was the one who had abandoned Gondor. Turning back to Legolas, he said, "Gondor has no king." He started back for his seat, glaring at Strider. "Gondor *needs* no king."
Strider lowered his eyes. Perhaps he deserved this Man's scorn. But he did not want to be heir to the throne. He had never wanted it. Unfortunately, he had no choice in the matter.
"Aragorn is right," said Gandalf. "We cannot use it."
"You have but one choice," said Elrond, slowly rising. "The Ring must be destroyed."
"What are we waiting for?" asked one of the Dwarves. He snatched up the ax of the Dwarf next to him and darted forward. Before anyone could stop him, he brought the ax down over the Ring. The ax broke into pieces and the Dwarf was thrown back several feet. The Ring, however, remained in perfect condition.
Frodo had winced in pain when the Dwarf tried to destroy the Ring. An image of the Eye flashed through his mind.
"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." Elrond looked at the others very grimly. "It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this."
There was a brief silence.
"One does not simply walk into Mordor," said Boromir. "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."
Legolas shot out of his chair. "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" he demanded angrily. "The Ring must be destroyed!"
"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" snapped Gimli.
Legolas glared at him, but kept his temper in check.
"And if we fail what then?" challenged Boromir, also rising from his chair. "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"
Gimli leapt to his feet and glared at Legolas. "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" he declared.
This caused an uproar. Nearly everyone leapt to their feet and began arguing. Even Gandalf, frustrated with their attitudes, got up and argued with them that they were wasting time bickering. Elrond sat in his chair and looked sadly at the Council, shaking his head slightly. Legolas, though right in the middle of the fight, wasn't actually arguing. In fact, he was restraining his two escorts, who looked as though they wanted to rip Gimli a new one, though he spared a very cold glare for the rather rude Dwarf and Boromir. Aragorn had remained in his seat, knowing this arguing would get them absolutely nowhere.
Frodo watched. His gaze returned to the Ring. He heard its voice in his head, speaking in the Black Speech. As he listened, he grew determined. He stood. "I will take it." No one seemed to have heard him, so he repeated himself, louder this time. "I will take it!"
"No!" Valora whispered.
The Council fell silent and turned to look at the Hobbit in utter astonishment.
"I will take the Ring to Mordor," said Frodo. "Though... I do not know the way."
Gandalf came to stand next to him. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." He placed a hand on Frodo's shoulder.
Aragorn stood. "If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." He walked over to Frodo and knelt before him. "You have my sword."
"And you have my bow," added Legolas, moving to stand by him as well.
"And my ax," said Gimli.
Legolas made a face that said, 'Oh, god, not the Dwarf.' Clearly, he did not relish the idea of traveling with the Dwarf. Nor did the Dwarf appear happy about traveling with the Elf.
Boromir walked slowly towards the group. "You carry the fates of us all little one," he said to Frodo. Turning to Elrond, he said, "If this is, indeed, the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."
At this, Sam let out a yell and ran towards the group. "Sam!" hissed Valora and made a grab at him to try to hold him back. She missed him and he ran up beside Frodo.
"Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me," he declared firmly, crossing his arms over his chest.
Elrond, rather than looking angry or annoyed, looked a bit amused. "No, indeed it is hardly possible to separate you. Even when *he* is summoned to a secret Council and *you* are *not.*"
Valora cringed and came forward. She cleared her throat. "Forgive me for spying Lord Elrond, but wherever my friends go, *I* go," she said, standing behind Frodo and Sam. What are you *doing?!* she mentally screamed at herself. Do you have any idea how *dangerous* this is?! I don't think I really have a choice, she answered herself. She was slowly beginning to understand what she had to do in order to get home.
"Oy, we're coming, too!" Everyone turned to see Merry and Pippin running towards the group. "You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" declared Merry.
Elrond couldn't believe that four people had been spying on the Council and no one had noticed.
"Besides, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission... quest... thing!" said Pippin.
Everyone looked at him. "Well, that rules you out, Pip," said Merry, voicing everyone else's thoughts for them. Pippin started to nod, then realized what his best friend had just said and looked offended. Valora had to stifle a smile and suppress a giggle. They may be incredibly annoying, but they were good for a laugh.
Elrond observed them as they stood for a moment. "Ten companions. So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."
"Great," said Pip. "Where are we going?"
Everyone looked at him and sighed. *Now* Elrond looked annoyed.
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Sorry for taking so long between updates. As most of you know, it's not always easy to write a fanfic. Well, this is where I usually beg for reviews. I'm not gonna do that today. You're either going to review or you're not. I've already recieved far more reviews than I thought I would. Not that I'd object if you wanted to review. Anyway, thanks for reading and have a good one.
Tracy: Please relax. I *will* finish this. I promise. I just can't guarantee when. It might be a while between updates, and sometimes it might not be. But this story will eventually get finished. I'm not trying to diss you or anything, but please stop worrying about it.
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Valora was a little miffed that she and three of the Hobbits had not been asked to join the special meeting that was about to take place. After all, they were just as involved, if not more so, in this as anyone who had been asked to attend. It was really very unfair.
She hoped to heaven that they didn't get caught. She and Sam were hiding in the bushes near the Counsil. They were being as silent as possible. They weren't sure where Merry and Pippin were, but they suspected they might be hiding somewhere nearby as well. If any of them were caught, they were in trouble. From where they hid, they could see Elrond and Strider quite well. Frodo and Gandalf's backs were to them.
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," began Elrond, "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." He looked around at the others. "Every race is bound to this fate, this one doom." He turned to Frodo. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo," he said, not unkindly.
Frodo stood and set the Ring on a small stone alter in the middle of the circle. He went back to his seat and sat down. Relief washed over him at not having to hold the Ring any longer.
"So it is true," said one of the Men. His name was Boromir and he was from Gondor. He stared at the Ring, as did everyone else. The Ring was calling to them all. Slowly, Boromir stood. "In a dream," he told the Council, "I saw the eastern sky 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."" As he spoke, he moved closer to the Ring. Now, he reached out his hand to touch it. "Isildur's bane," he whispered.
"Boromir!" cried Elrond loudly, standing swiftly.
Gandalf stood as well and began chanting. The language he spoke was harsh and had an immediate effect on the Council and the weather. The sky grew dark and the ground shook. Fear passed through all present. Soon, Gandalf ceased his chanting. The sky grew light again. But the fear lingered. The Elves in particular looked a little sick. Valora wasn't feeling too hot herself. Boromir returned to his seat, disturbed.
"Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris," said Elrond, looking a bit angry and quite disturbed.
"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond," said Gandalf, "for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether evil."
"It is a gift," said Boromir. Everyone looked at him. "A gift to the foes of Mordor." He stood once again and began to pace. "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."
Valora frowned. She didn't care for his slightly superior tone of voice. Um, egotistical much? she thought. Even if what he said was true, that was no reason for him to look down on everyone else here.
"Give Gondor the weapon of the Enemy. Let us use it against him," he said excitedly.
"You cannot wield it. None of us can."
All eyes turned to Strider, who had spoken.
"The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."
"And what would a Ranger know of such matters."
There was a sneer in the man's voice, if not on his face. Valora narrowed her eyes slightly. Strider may be a Ranger, but that didn't make him stupid. She really didn't care much for this Boromir guy.
"This is no mere Ranger," said one of the Elves, rising from his seat, causing Boromir to turn and look at the Elf.
Valora and Sam couldn't really see the Elf's face, but Valora recognized that voice. That was Legolas. He sounded extremely annoyed.
"He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."
Sam and Valora had no idea what this was about. Neither did Frodo. But, apparently, it meant something to Boromir. His eyes had widened in shock and he turned back to Strider. "Aragorn," he said in disbelief. "*This* is Isildur's heir?"
"And heir to the throne of Gondor," said Legolas.
Valora's eyes widened, and she imagined Sam and Frodo must be in shock also. Heir to the throne of Gondor? She couldn't believe it. Apparently, she had been hanging around with not one, but two future kings. She'd like to get the odds on that in Vegas.
Strider shook his head. He knew it would have to be brought up sometime. He just would have preferred to have been the one to tell the others. Legolas knew him well enough to know that. It must have been the Ring effecting him. "Havo dad, Legolas." Sit down, Legolas.
Boromir recovered from his shock and felt his anger rising. So, *this* was the one who had abandoned Gondor. Turning back to Legolas, he said, "Gondor has no king." He started back for his seat, glaring at Strider. "Gondor *needs* no king."
Strider lowered his eyes. Perhaps he deserved this Man's scorn. But he did not want to be heir to the throne. He had never wanted it. Unfortunately, he had no choice in the matter.
"Aragorn is right," said Gandalf. "We cannot use it."
"You have but one choice," said Elrond, slowly rising. "The Ring must be destroyed."
"What are we waiting for?" asked one of the Dwarves. He snatched up the ax of the Dwarf next to him and darted forward. Before anyone could stop him, he brought the ax down over the Ring. The ax broke into pieces and the Dwarf was thrown back several feet. The Ring, however, remained in perfect condition.
Frodo had winced in pain when the Dwarf tried to destroy the Ring. An image of the Eye flashed through his mind.
"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." Elrond looked at the others very grimly. "It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this."
There was a brief silence.
"One does not simply walk into Mordor," said Boromir. "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."
Legolas shot out of his chair. "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" he demanded angrily. "The Ring must be destroyed!"
"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" snapped Gimli.
Legolas glared at him, but kept his temper in check.
"And if we fail what then?" challenged Boromir, also rising from his chair. "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"
Gimli leapt to his feet and glared at Legolas. "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" he declared.
This caused an uproar. Nearly everyone leapt to their feet and began arguing. Even Gandalf, frustrated with their attitudes, got up and argued with them that they were wasting time bickering. Elrond sat in his chair and looked sadly at the Council, shaking his head slightly. Legolas, though right in the middle of the fight, wasn't actually arguing. In fact, he was restraining his two escorts, who looked as though they wanted to rip Gimli a new one, though he spared a very cold glare for the rather rude Dwarf and Boromir. Aragorn had remained in his seat, knowing this arguing would get them absolutely nowhere.
Frodo watched. His gaze returned to the Ring. He heard its voice in his head, speaking in the Black Speech. As he listened, he grew determined. He stood. "I will take it." No one seemed to have heard him, so he repeated himself, louder this time. "I will take it!"
"No!" Valora whispered.
The Council fell silent and turned to look at the Hobbit in utter astonishment.
"I will take the Ring to Mordor," said Frodo. "Though... I do not know the way."
Gandalf came to stand next to him. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." He placed a hand on Frodo's shoulder.
Aragorn stood. "If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." He walked over to Frodo and knelt before him. "You have my sword."
"And you have my bow," added Legolas, moving to stand by him as well.
"And my ax," said Gimli.
Legolas made a face that said, 'Oh, god, not the Dwarf.' Clearly, he did not relish the idea of traveling with the Dwarf. Nor did the Dwarf appear happy about traveling with the Elf.
Boromir walked slowly towards the group. "You carry the fates of us all little one," he said to Frodo. Turning to Elrond, he said, "If this is, indeed, the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."
At this, Sam let out a yell and ran towards the group. "Sam!" hissed Valora and made a grab at him to try to hold him back. She missed him and he ran up beside Frodo.
"Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me," he declared firmly, crossing his arms over his chest.
Elrond, rather than looking angry or annoyed, looked a bit amused. "No, indeed it is hardly possible to separate you. Even when *he* is summoned to a secret Council and *you* are *not.*"
Valora cringed and came forward. She cleared her throat. "Forgive me for spying Lord Elrond, but wherever my friends go, *I* go," she said, standing behind Frodo and Sam. What are you *doing?!* she mentally screamed at herself. Do you have any idea how *dangerous* this is?! I don't think I really have a choice, she answered herself. She was slowly beginning to understand what she had to do in order to get home.
"Oy, we're coming, too!" Everyone turned to see Merry and Pippin running towards the group. "You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" declared Merry.
Elrond couldn't believe that four people had been spying on the Council and no one had noticed.
"Besides, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission... quest... thing!" said Pippin.
Everyone looked at him. "Well, that rules you out, Pip," said Merry, voicing everyone else's thoughts for them. Pippin started to nod, then realized what his best friend had just said and looked offended. Valora had to stifle a smile and suppress a giggle. They may be incredibly annoying, but they were good for a laugh.
Elrond observed them as they stood for a moment. "Ten companions. So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."
"Great," said Pip. "Where are we going?"
Everyone looked at him and sighed. *Now* Elrond looked annoyed.
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Sorry for taking so long between updates. As most of you know, it's not always easy to write a fanfic. Well, this is where I usually beg for reviews. I'm not gonna do that today. You're either going to review or you're not. I've already recieved far more reviews than I thought I would. Not that I'd object if you wanted to review. Anyway, thanks for reading and have a good one.