I don't own Lord of the Rings. I only own Edleneth and any other characters I make up along the way, as well as the twists I put into the basic story. Elvish will be in italics. Black Speech will be in bold.
Edleneth slumped in her chair, waiting for the council to start. She was seated next to Elrohir, but neither of them was talking to the other, for they were too busy glaring at the dwarves across from them.
"What are dwarves doing here anyway?" She hissed at Elrohir, glancing away from the dwarves to look at him.
"The Ring is as much their problem as ours," Elrohir sighed. With that, both elves resumed glaring. Elladan came and sat on Elrohir's other side, and, after seeing what they were looking at, joined them in glaring.
Lord Elrond walked to the center of the platform and began to speak. "Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," he greeted. Edleneth rolled her eyes. "You have been summoned here to answer to 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," Elrond continued. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo," he commanded.
As the hobbit put the small golden ring on a pedestal in the center of the room, a fair-haired man with green eyes murmured, "So it is true." Edleneth eyed him warily as he stood and walked towards the Ring. "In a dream," he began, "I saw the Eastern sky grow dark. But in the West, a pale light lingered. A voice was crying 'The doom is near at hand, Isildur's Bane is found.'" His hand reached for the Ring. "Isildur's Bane," he whispered.
"Boromir!" Elrond cried at the man, who looked as if he were in a trance
Gandalf stood and shouted, "Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul!" The sky grew dark and the air rumbled as Gandalf spoke, and Edleneth felt as if her skin was burning off her body. The man, Boromir, backed away from the Ring.
"Never before has anyone dared utter words of that tongue here, in Imladris," Elrond looked at Gandalf.
"I do not ask for pardon, Master Elrond," Gandalf scowled, "For the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether evil," he insisted.
"But it is a gift," Boromir argued, "A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring?" He looked around, "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!" he cried, "Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy! Let us use it against him!"
"You cannot wield it," Aragorn said, standing up, "None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."
Boromir looked at him with scorn. "And what would a Ranger know of this matter?"
Legolas, the Prince of Mirkwood, rose from his chair. "This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn," he declared, "You owe him your allegiance."
Boromir looked at Aragorn dubiously. "Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?"
"And heir to the throne of Gondor," Legolas added.
Aragorn put his hand on Legolas's shoulder. "Sit down, Legolas." The elf obeyed.
"Gondor has no king," Boromir stated, "Gondor needs no king."
"Aragorn is right," Gandalf agreed, "We cannot use it."
"You have only one choice," Elrond announced, "The Ring must be destroyed."
One of the dwarves, who had a bushy auburn beard, took out his axe. "What are we waiting for?" he roared and charged at the Ring. He hit it squarely with his axe, which shattered. The Ring, however, was unscathed.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess," Elrond addressed the dwarf, "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!" He took a breath. "One of you must do this."
"One does not simply walk into Mordor," Boromir argued, "Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. The Great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire, ash, and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly!"
"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" Legolas cried, "The Ring must be destroyed!"
"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" The dwarf, Gimli, shouted.
"And if we fail, what then?" Boromir asked, "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"
"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" Gimli roared. At that, every elf, Edleneth included, began to argue with every dwarf. "Never trust an Elf!" Gimli yelled over the din.
"Never trust a dwarf!" Edleneth shouted back, "The lesser children of Eru!"
"I will take it!" a small voice cried. All arguments stopped as every elf, human, and dwarf turned to look at Frodo. "Though, I do not know the way," he admitted.
"I will help you bear this burden," Gandalf said, "Frodo Baggins, for as long as it is yours to bear."
Aragorn stepped forward. "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will," he told Frodo, "You have my sword."
"And you have my bow," Legolas declared.
"And my axe," Gimli announced.
"You carry the fate of us all, little one," Boromir stated, "If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."
As Edleneth began to speak up to join them, the hobbit, Sam charged in. "Hey! Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me!" he shouted.
"No indeed. It is hardly possible to separate you," Elrond laughed, "Even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." Sam looked down, embarrassed.
"We're coming too!" Frodo's other hobbit friends ran in, surprising Lord Elrond. Merry, the one who had spoken before, said, "You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!"
"Anyway," the other hobbit, Pippin, stated, "You need people of intelligence on this sort of mission…quest…thing."
"That rules you out, Pippin," Merry told his friend.
Edleneth opened her mouth to volunteer to help, but Elrond cut her off, "Nine companions," he mused, "So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring." Edleneth looked longingly at the group before her, but stayed silent.
"Great!" Pippin cried, "Where are we going?"