Chapter Nine:
It had been two weeks since the orc ambush. Glorfindel had continued training Laurel in private and she was improving greatly in her hand-to-hand combat skills and there was some minor improvements in her swordsmanship, although the lack of progress there could easily be attributed to disinterest on her part. She was getting to know the little hobbits more and more each day, deciding she enjoyed the carefree jokesters Merry and Pip the most. Arwen had introduced her to Estel, or Strider as the hobbits knew him, and he had been very polite, if not rather reserved. She liked him well enough, they just didn't interact very much since he spent most of his time with Arwen, training the hobbits, or with Legolas. The blond elf in question had been avoiding her, she noticed.
Anytime she accidentally bumped into him in a corridor or the gardens he would politely apologize and make a hasty retreat. Elladan and Elrohir had been spending more time with her recently as well. They had taken to teaching her about elvish customs and many other things that she didn't have the heart to tell them that she already knew. It was becoming increasingly difficult to feign interest when you had literally hundreds of years to yourself with nothing but books. Elrohir was the more tactful and conservative twin, while Elladan had a bit of a wild streak. Although according to Arwen, both had gotten into lots of trouble together in their younger years.
She had also been spending time with Gandalf. The wizard was curious about her gifts and so he decided that he would help her refine her skills each day. One day it was trying to grow a tree from a seed in a small amount of time, another day she was talking with some of the moths in the dining hall and learning quite a bit of juicy gossip. She even found out that she can heal small cuts and bruises on her body if she was in bright light and drank lots of water. She had never really injured herself while in her tower, so that particular gift came as quite the surprise!
Currently, she was lounging in the library, leafing through a book about elvish traditions. As she was reading, her ears picked up lots of movement and chatter from the main hall. Setting the book down on a nearby table, she walked over to the window that overlooked the courtyard. She gasped when she saw lots of visitors arriving. There were dwarves, and humans with their own respective traveling companies. Servants were dashing this way and that in order to prepare rooms for everyone and see to their needs. Laurel was interested by the small group of dwarves since she had never seen them, and there was not very much literature in regards to their history or customs. A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts and she turned to find Gandalf standing in the doorway.
"Excuse me, my dear," his voice rumbled. "But I was hoping to have a word with you before our gathering commences."
"What gathering? Is that why all these people are here in Imladris?" she asked. Gandalf nodded with a small smile, taking out his pipe.
"Lord Elrond has requested the presence of certain individuals in order to discuss that fate of a very important object."
"What object?" she asked, reclaiming her seat she had used for her reading earlier.
"A most dark and ominous object I'm afraid," he explained, taking a long drag from his pipe. "Lord Elrond and I agree that you should be in attendance."
"Me? But I don't even know anything about the object, how could I weigh in on deciding its fate?" Gandalf gave her a knowing smile.
"I think you will be more helpful to this gathering than you think," he supplied. Laurel didn't know what to think about all of this. She had no idea all these people would be here for this special gathering, and she definitely didn't know what it was supposed to entail or how she could benefit them. The only thing that made her stand apart from the others was her gifts from Yavanna. But would that mean Lord Elrond and Gandalf planned for her to tell all these strangers her secret? Gandalf noticed the panic rise in her by her expression.
"Now, now, there is no need to worry," his gravelly voice soothed. "We will not divulge your past to any in attendance." Laurel let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.
"Well, alright then. I guess it couldn't hurt," she shrugged. The wizard gave her a smile around the tip of his pipe.
"We will be meeting on the terrace outside the main hall at midday, be sure you are not late." He gave her a wink and slowly stood, leaving the room. Laurel looked out the window and judged by the sun that it was about three hours until midday. Knowing Glorfindel, he would most likely be waiting on her in their little glen for training, so she stood up and stretched before tugging on her boots and heading for the gardens.
When she finally made it to the glen, Glorfindel was already there, a frown marring his features.
"You're late again," he deadpanned. She gave him a sheepish look as she went to pick up the sword he had set out for her.
"I'm sorry, I was speaking with Gandalf, apparently I was invited to this big meeting they're having later today." Glorfindel arched a blond brow at her words.
"Did he say why you were invited?" Laurel rolled her eyes at the elf, knowing he didn't mean for that to come out offensively.
"He just said that they thought I would be useful somehow? I'm not really sure." She faced her mentor, sword in hand, ready for another brutal training session. The elf readied his own sword, swiveling it around in his grip. Show-off, she huffed internally. Without warning, he came at her fast, sword raised and swinging down toward her. Laurel squeaked and brought her own sword up to block the heavy blow. The weight of his swings was too much for her to counteract, so he had been teaching her to use speed and agility rather than brute strength against her opponents.
Laurel side-stepped his next swipe, and blocked him again as she danced in a circle around him. It was like a game of cat and mouse as she dodged his strikes. But it didn't take very long for her to begin to tire and really begin to notice the weight of the sword.
"Keep going," Glorfindel called to her, not willing to let her throw in the towel just yet. Laurel kept at it for a few more minutes, her arms beginning to shake slightly and her leg muscles began to burn. It wasn't until Glorfindel started to note the hazy look in her eyes that he let her rest. He pulled out a wineskin full of water and handed it to her. Gratefully she gulped it down, feeling the refreshing liquid revitalize her body. She felt the sun on her face and some energy start to return to her. This is how most of their training sessions went. He would push her almost to the point of exhaustion and then let her recuperate before beginning again.
He dismissed her an hour and a half later, giving her enough time to change into a fresh set of clothes and rinse the sweat off of her face. Her shoulder felt tight and she rubbed circles into it as she made her way back to her room. She walked into her chambers, stripping off the dirty tunic and breeches, trading them for a new pair. She tugged on a light blue tunic and a pair of charcoal-gray breeches. She walked over to the water basin in her bathroom, splashing the cool water on her face. She brought the comb up to her scalp and gently ran it down to the ends of her hair, ridding it of tangles and grass. She smiled as she saw the shine that her hair reflected from the light. Her hair was always something she was proud of and she took very good care of it. It had gotten longer since she had been in Imladris and soon it would need trimming she thought to herself. As she was pulling on her boots, preparing to leave for the meeting, she heard someone knock on her door. Laurel crossed the room and opened the door, surprised to see Legolas standing before her.
"Legolas," she breathed, taking in his appearance. He was dressed in a lovely silver tunic and brown pants, a cloak draped about his shoulders. He looked to be inspecting her outfit as well, although he didn't look as impressed as she did.
"Lord Elrond has asked that I escort you to the gathering," he explained, face devoid of emotion. Laurel studied him for a moment before nodding and stepping out into the hallway, shutting the wooden door behind her. It was amazing that she hadn't run into him more often since his room was right next to hers. As they walked, she tried to rub the soreness from her shoulder. She would have to remember to ask one of the servants to draw her a bath later. She groaned slightly when she put a little too much pressure on a particularly tense spot, which drew the attention of her elven escort.
"Is there a problem with your shoulder?" he asked, the tiniest hint of concern in his voice.
"Just a little sore, nothing to be worried about," she placated, dropping her hand back down to her side.
"How did it happen?" Laurel shrugged nonchalantly.
"Glorfindel," she muttered, remembering this morning when he knocked her off her feet many times, landing on that shoulder. Laurel glanced up at Legolas, seeing his jaw clenched tight and a hard set to his brow. They remained silent for the rest of the walk, finally emerging onto the terrace Gandalf had described to her earlier. Legolas left her side and went to seat himself amongst the group of people gathered there. She could see Gandalf, Frodo, Estel, a man with dirty-blond hair, two dwarves, one of which looked much older than the other, and of course some others that she assumed were traveling companions. She saw Lord Elrond standing in the middle of the terrace, the guests forming a semicircle around him. He motioned for her to stand next to Gandalf and turned to address the eclectic group.
"Strangers from distant lands," he began, "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." He leveled a serious look to those in attendance. "Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom. Bring forth the ring, Frodo." He extended a hand in the hobbit's direction, motioning for him to place the ring upon a stone pedestal near where he was standing. Laurel glanced around in confusion. This was the dangerous object Gandalf was so concerned about? A piece of jewelry? She watched Frodo rise from his seat, taking small steps and gently placing the little golden ring on the stone surface. There were whispers erupting amongst the guests and then the many with the blond-auburn hair stood, addressing them.
"I dream I saw the eastern sky grow dark," he started, glancing around. "But in the West a pale light lingered. Voices crying, 'doom is near at hand'. Isildur's bane is found..." he mumbled, slowly nearing the ring. He inched a hand out toward the golden band.
"Boromir!" Lord Elrond called. Gandalf stood quickly, chanting words she didn't recognize. The sky grew dark suddenly and there were gasps from the semicircle of attendees. Boromir seemed to recognize his mistake and slowly backed away from the stone pillar to take his seat. Gandalf's chanting lowered in volume and the clouds parted as the sunlight slowly retuned.
"Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris," Lord Elrond spoke, eying the grey wizard as he addressed them.
"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond," Gandalf declared. "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..." the man, Boromir stood again. "A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this ring?" he posed. "For 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!" he suggested with fervor. "Let us use it against him!"
"You cannot wield it, none of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master." Laurel glanced over to the man speaking. Estel had spoke up, trying to bring back rational thought and steer the group away from such a radical and dangerous idea.
"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Boromir sneered. Legolas jolted from his seat at the insult directed at his companion.
"This is no mere ranger," he announced. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, you owe him your allegiance." Boromir glanced at the man with the weathered face and shoulder-length brown hair.
"Aragorn... This is Isildur's heir?"
"And heir to the throne of Gondor," Legolas added. Laurel's eyebrows shot up, as did nearly everyone else's who was in attendance.
"Hav dadbas, Legolas,*" Aragorn pleaded.
"Gondor has no king," Boromir ground out, glaring at the ranger. "Gondor needs no king." After Boromir seated himself again, there was a tense silence among them.
"Aragorn is right," Gandalf defended. "We cannot use it."
"You have only one choice," Lord Elrond rose from his seat. "The ring must be destroyed."
The meeting lasted a while longer, but Laurel had stopped paying attention when they began to argue about how they were to destroy it or who was to destroy it. Their meeting concluded when nine individuals pledged to form a fellowship to protect Frodo in their quest to cast the ring into a giant volcano. Or at least that's what she gathered. Frodo had been the first to assume the responsibility, then the other three hobbits, who had been eaves dropping on the entire meeting, then Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Boromir, and the red-haired dwarf, Gimli.
Everyone had almost cleared out, but Gandalf and Lord Elrond asked her to remain behind. Laurel glanced nervously between them. She had a bad feeling about this.
"Lady Laurel," Lord Elrond began, "We feel it is crucial that you also be a member of this expedition." Laurel's jaw went slack at his words.
"Why?" she asked incredulously.
"If you are able to communicate with birds so that danger can be avoided from a distance, or use you gifts to help this fellowship on their journey, I predict that likelihood of success would be far greater than if they were to be without your assistance." Laurel stared blankly at the two, not sure what to say. She couldn't go on this quest! She didn't know the first thing about quests! In every book she had read on the subject, a daring hero would journey forth to do the impossible, but they almost always some sort of trai-. Her eyes narrowed.
"This is why you asked Glorfindel to start training me, isn't it?" Lord Elrond let out a sigh, confirming her suspicion.
"We had hoped that you might be more open to the idea, and your help with the orc ambush only solidified our desire to request your help in this endeavor," Gandalf explained, his eyes pleading with her. Laurel gave it some thought. If she went, that would mean she would be there for the other's protection. But that also meant defending herself. Glorfindel had been adamant on teaching her offensive tactics during their training, but that would mean she would be forced to take the life of another. She visibly balked at the idea. It was not her place to condemn others to that fate, and she would not be complicit in the carnage that would likely come of this mission.
"I can't," she admitted. "I will not take the lives of others on this journey. I know that is what Glorfindel has been training me for, but I won't do it." She saw Gandalf extend an open hand to her. Placing her hand in his, he slowly guided her to sit in one of the now empty chairs.
"My dear," he sighed with a sad smile. "The Valar have blessed you with with extraordinary gifts. Yavanna looks after all the plants and animals of this world, protecting them, keeping them safe, seeing that the world is in balance." He squeezed her hand in his. "I believe that she has given you these gifts to restore that balance. These orcs, and now the unholy race of Uruk-Hai, are perversions of the natural order. You will be able to protect those that have pledged their lives to protect all of Middle Earth by accepting this quest, and any foe that might fall in protecting them, is one step closer to righting the natural balance." Laurel felt selfish now. She knew what he was trying to say, and to a certain extent she had to agree with him, but could she really take a life? She didn't think she had the stomach for it. Plus, she knew the others would not want her to be there. If she told them about her gifts, she could risk them betraying her and left for dead on the road, or returned to Saruman, or-.
She looked up when she felt the wizard squeeze her hand, drawing her from her spiraling thoughts. She looked into his eyes and they seemed to twinkle. She looked over to Lord Elrond and he nodded his agreement.
"It would be a true shame for the Valar's gifts to go to waste if all of Middle Earth falls to ruin. If this fellowship should fail, there will be nothing left for you to care for with those gifts, no one to spend your long life with." The thought of being alone again made her heart tighten. She felt hot tears start to slip down her cheeks.
"I will be there to protect both you and your secrets, my dear," Gandalf's rumbling voice assured her. Laurel sniffed, looking back and forth between them. She took a deep breath and moved to stand up.
"Okay," she agreed, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'll do it, but I don't want the others knowing about my past, not unless I want them to." She laid out her terms.
"Of course," Lord Elrond gave a soft smile. "We will inform the others soon." She gave him a nod, showing she understood and made to leave. She wanted to go to the meadow by the waterfall. She needed a little time to be by herself. With a gesture that said she was free to go, she said her goodbyes and quickly made her way out into the hall. She could hear voices echoing from the dining hall, so she picked up her pace as she did not feel like stopping for idle chit chat.
Hav dadbas = sit down