Sorry it took long, but I had some family problems! tell me what you think! and please don't hate, english is not my language!
The next day, there was the secret council of Elrond, to decide the fate of Middle-Earth and the ring.
Sitting in the meeting there were, Starting from left to right, Frodo, the hobbit who carried the ring, Gandalf the gray, Calaglin of Lorien, Silinde of Mirkwood, Legolas with Níniel on his lap, Galdor of the Havens who was a messenger of Círdan, Hugin from Laketown, Járnsmid from Dale, Dwalin, Gloin, Gimli and Nori from the lonely mountain, next to the dwarves there was Jarnsmid a barding Emissary, Ottar, Boromir, Anborn, Erland, sitting on his left there was Golradir a Councilor of Imladris, Saelbeth, Aragorn, Elladan, Elrond and Elrohir.
Legolas wasn't surprised to not see Círdan, since the death of Cerylia he had never spoken to them, he never even saw his Granddaughter, he closed himself away from everyone, he doesn't want to believe the death of his only daughter, he wanted to live in the lie he made that she was still alive in Mirkwood and she never had a daughter, the creature who killed her.
Legolas imagined the moment where Níniel could finally meet him; she wouldn't like him because he was the only elf having a beard.
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," Elrond began the meeting. "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." He gestured for Frodo to step forward and place the ring where all present could clearly see it. The crowd all gasped at the sight, many giving murmurs of disbelief or awe.
"A dream," A man said as he arose from his seat. "I saw the eastern sky grow dark." He continued, pausing to move a bit of hair from his face. "But in the west a pale light lingered. Voices crying… 'Doom is near at hand…Isildur's bane is found…'" The man crept forward and held out a hand to pick up the ring. "Isildur's bane…" He repeated quietly.
"Boromir!" Elrond raised his voice.
Suddenly, Gandalf raised his voice and himself from his seat and began to chant:
"Ash nazg durbatuluk,
ash nazg gimbatul,
ash nazg thrakatuluk
agh burzum-ishi krimpatul"
*One Ring to rule them all,
One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and,
in the darkness, bind them*
The world shook, and the sky darkened, the elves covered their ears, Legolas did his best to protect Níniel, wrapping his arms around her and trying to cover her own ears, Boromir backed away nervously and sat down on his chair. He looked at the wizard in confusion and utter fear.
"Never has anyone ever spoken the words of that tongue here, in Imladris." Elrond scolded.
"Do not ask for pardon, Master Elrond!" Gandalf said, catching his breath. He hadn't been that angry in a long time. "But the black speech of Mordor…may it be heard, in every corner of the west!" Frodo looked up and stared at Gandalf in surprise. "The ring is all together, evil!" Gandalf turned and sat back down.
"It is a gift." Boromir said, standing up as if taking the stage again. "A gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, held the forces of Mordor at bay-by the blood of our people while your lands kept safe?" He accused everyone in the meeting. "Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!" Boromir cried out with excitement.
"You cannot wield it. None of us can. The one ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master." Strider argued firmly, looking at Boromir pointedly as if to make sure there wasn't any confusion about this one very important point.
"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" The man sneered
"This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." Elladan got up from his seat and everyone was silent in shock.
"Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?" Boromir asked in what appeared to be almost awe.
"And heir to the throne of Gondor." The elf pressed, before Aragorn told him to sit down.
"Gondor has no king." The man said coolly and calmly as he almost glared daggers at him. "Gondor needs no king."
Gandalf speak up once again. "We cannot use it."
"You have only one choice. The ring must be destroyed." Elrond further elaborated.
"Than what are we waiting for?" suddenly said Gimli as she rushed forward, he swaged his axe down on the ring, his weapon shattered with a deafening crack as the dwarf fell backwards, staring in disbelief at the unharmed ring.
Frodo winced as an angry image of the fiery eye hit him, he slummed in is chair clutching his forehead as Gandalf watched him concerned, but then gave his attention at Níniel crying on her father's lap claiming to have seen an eye on her head and worst of all claiming that she was hearing his voice in a dark language.
"The ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glòin, by any craft that we here possess. The ring was made in fires of mount Doom, only there can be it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor, and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came, then it will but an end in Sauron and it will free Níniel, one of you must do this"
There was a stunned silence, the council sat with downcast eyes, as if a great dread descended on them, Legolas wanted to go on the quest for free his daughter but he knew that he couldn't leave her, he had hoped that one man of great courage would volunteer, but his hope left him.
The quiet voice of Boromir filled the council "one does not simply walk into Mordor, it's black gates are guarded by more than just orcs, there is evil there that does not sleep and the great eyes is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust, the air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is fully"
Legolas fury got the best of him, he suddenly got up, putting Níniel on her feet "Sauron's powers are increasing every moment, the ring must be destroyed"
Gimli raised his voice "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it"
"And if we fail what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" Boromir added
"I will not let my daughter fade!" he raised his voice in anger "I will do it on my own if no one will!"
Gimli leaped to his feet "I will dead before I see the ring in the hands of an elf!"
A storm of argument erupted around the room
Níniel covered her ears for not hear the men fight but as soon she thought she wasn't listening to anybody she found herself in the in her dark world
"cen-amin achas lle" *I feel you are distress*
Níniel uncovered her pointy ears "bad-kwacha, amin na-er" *go away, I want to be alone*
"nara-amin, Manke naeg lle" *tell me, why you felling fear*
She took a deep breath "amdir fair hon a gonhir auth, hannas amin said, ada thang hain" *because the men and the drawf are arguing, and I do not understand, Daddy got mad at them*
Sauron looked her confused "Manke naa lle?" *where are you?*
"I will take it!" she heard a voice
Níniel gasped and looked at Sauron "Kwentra lothron ab?" *May we talk later?*
"Heneb se" *of course* he smiled and disappeared and Níniel slowly returned to the council
she saw the Halfling take a few steps and Gandalf walking toward him "I will help you with bear the burden, Frodo Baggins, as long it is yours to bear
Legolas gave a look to Gandalf "what about Níniel? How will you protect her from the power of Sauron?"
"She will come too, she cannot remain to Rivendell" said Gandalf as he turned his attention to Frodo.
Legolas lost his breath for a moment, taking his daughter to Mordor? But he trusted Gandalf, he had a plan, he hoped.
"You have my sword" said Aragorn kneeling
"And you have my bow" he wasn't going to leave Níniel in the wilds with other men other than him, he would do anything for her, he would sacrifice himself for her.
"And my axe" said Gimli walking near Legolas
as Boromir walked toward the group Níniel ran to his father and hugged his left leg, protecting him anyway she could from the dwarf, she had heard stories form her grandfather and she didn't want him to harm his father, Legolas protected Níniel form Sauron, and she protected Legolas from Gimli, fair enough.
"You carry the face of us all, little one" said Boromir before looking up towards Elrond and Gandalf "If this is indeed the will of the council, than Gondor will see it done"
"Eh!" a voice came behind a plant, and a hobbit came out of it running to the group. "Mr. Frodo will not going anywhere without, me"
"No, indeed" Elrond said "it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is invited to a secret council and you are not"
"Oi!" another voice came out from a statue "we're coming too!" and two hobbits came running "you will have to sand us back tied up in a sack to stop us" said one hobbit
"Anyways you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission" the other hobbit paused "quest?" and though of another mane "thing!"
"Well, that rules you out, Pip" said again the other hobbit.
In the moment Legolas picked his daughter up, showing all the group faces to Elrond
"Ten companions, so be it" the lord said admiring the group "you shall be the fellowship of the ring"
"Great." Pippin said smiling cheerily. "Where are we going?" Everyone groaned around him.
"Why do you have to come? It's too dangerous" Merry told his cousin
"I am capable of protecting me, plus you can't go anywhere without me!" Pippin told him with pride
"You are going to ruin everything!"
"No I will not"
the fight ended when they saw Legolas silently leaving the group with his daughter in his arms, and seconds later followed by Aragorn who hurried to talk with his elven friend, Frodo knew very little of what was going on with the child, they only know that she had a connection with Sauron, Gandalf told him that information only when he saw the child sitting in the council before it began so he had asked why at Gandalf.
"Gandalf?" he began "is it necessary brings the child with us?"
Gandalf closed his eyes and sighed "unfortunaly is required"
Legolas was scared and confused, he quickly grabbed his treasure and walked away from the council, he wanted to go back to Mirkwood and having Níniel around like he was used to.
He walked to a balcony and watched the view trying to calm himself; he hugged his baby, and kissed her in her cheek.
"Ada?" she asked confused, his father closed his eyes and took deep breaths, she then looked over him, Aragorn was coming closer, and she slowly waved and smiled at him.
"Legolas" he said when he was close to them "I know you are scared, but I promise you everything is going to be fine" he rested a hand on his shoulder.
Legolas opened his eyes, not even bothering to turn to his friend or look away from the view he spoke calmly "do not make promises that you cannot make"
Aragorn wanted to turn him around and tell him firmly that what he was telling was insensate, but he didn't want to scare the child on his arms, legolas had learned to use Níniel as a shield for himself.
"Do you think that we can take her into Mordor without a scar?" he said trying to keep his voice calm but he was in the point of breaking again.
"Níniel, Bad-lle ù Arwen?*Níniel, why don't you go to Arwen?* Aragorn suggested her smiling
The princess looked Legolas hoping for the approval, he without saying a world let his daughter on the ground, he knew he was for breaking; he didn't want her to see him weak.
"na-bâr lle" *she is in the palace* he told her pointing the bigger building in Rivendell, Níniel smiled and nodded, than she ran away happily.
Aragorn watched her until she disappeared before finally turn legolas to face him, he was distant, he didn't look himself, he was slowly suffering in grief, the pain was killing him but he was surviving for her, he was a strong elf and loved his daughter more than anything, he would fight to not leave her alone.
Aragorn didn't say anything he just embraced his friend, knowing that he needed support
"I promise you that she will be freed" Aragorn asked quietly, after a moment.
"You do not know that" Legolas said simply, his voice void of all emotion.
"I do not know" Aragorn admitted, "but I know that there's a little girl who needs you to be her father"
Legolas sighed, leaning his head down and grinning his fists against his eyes "I am not sure I am that anymore." He said quietly "I have not been able to keep her safe, and look where she is now"
Aragorn turned his head, and looked at him properly. "She trusts you to be strong, and it was not your fault about this." He pointed out.
"Estel-"
"She needs you to be near her" Aragorn told him, as if he were giving a father-son talk, with the same determined advice in his voice. "I do not remember you so negative."
The elf sighed again. "I had failed her."
"You have not! you are the best father I ever seen" Aragorn told him as he rest his hand on his friend shoulder "I know that you're scared, and that you don't know what to do, but do you really want to abandoned her when you are all she's got left?"
"No." He answered immediately, not even needing to think about the answers. For all the doubts in the world, he wasn't going to abandon his daughter.
"We will find a way to free her"
Legolas sighed, knowing that Aragorn was right. He was always right, usually in an annoying way, but that day, it had been the sort of right that he had needed to hear.
NEXT CHAPTER: the ring goes south