Lord of the Rings: An Outlaw's Redemption
…
Chapter 3: A New Gang
Arthur found his guns in the armoury where the elven quartermaster was looking over them with interest.
"Howdy," the outlaw greeted the elf who looked up and replied, "Greetings, stranger. What brings you here?" he asked.
"Just came to collect my guns, 'fore some fool blows their head off with 'em," said Arthur.
"Ah, these are your weapons then?" asked the elf, indicating Arthur's guns with a gesture. Arthur nodded and said, "Yep, those are them. Would you mind if I have 'em back?" he requested.
"Of course, although I must confess as to their capabilities," said the elf. "But I forget my manners, I am Eibear, the quartermaster and armourer of Rivendell," he introduced himself with a bow.
"Arthur Morgan," Arthur said in response. "Ain't you ever seen guns before?" he then asked.
"Admittedly no, I have never heard or seen such weapons as yours before," replied Eibear. "What sort of projectile do these guns fire?" he asked as he looked at the Schofield revolver on the bench.
"Bullets," said Arthur. "Pieces of lead encased in brass which is filled with gunpowder that when ignited shoots the lead outta the barrel at great speed," he explained.
"Interesting, this gunpowder sounds similar to the substance used by the dwarves and hobbits for mining and the creation of fireworks," Eibear remarked.
"You have fireworks here?" Arthur asked in surprise. "Huh, never woulda guessed it," he said with a grin on his lips.
"And judging by how different these guns seem to be from each other, they each have different purposes?" Eibear asked as he picked up the sawed off shotgun and held it in his hand. Arthur gently took the weapon off the elf so as to avoid it going off in his hand and possibly injuring or killing himself.
"Yeah, they each perform differently," Arthur confirmed. "The Schofield there is a sort of sidearm that's good for close range and maybe medium range combat, the Lancaster is good for medium range combat, the Rolling Block rifle is for long distance and sniping and the shotgun here is for close range," he said.
"Interesting, perhaps if you could show me how these weapons perform, I might have a better understanding of what they do?" Eibear asked.
"Sure, why not? You got a shooting range around here?" Arthur asked.
Taking his guns, Arthur was then lead by Eibear to what could pass for a shooting range in Rivendell. There were other elves on the range, practising their archery skills. Some of elves paused to see Arthur with his guns, their gaze curious at seeing such weapons Arthur possessed.
"So, what gun do you wanna see first?" Arthur asked Eibear who thought about it for a moment before replying, "I'd like to see your Rolling Block Rifle first, I'd like to see how far it can shoot."
"Alright then, you might wanna cover your ears, guns are pretty loud," Arthur warned as he unslung his rifle from his back. Dropping down to one knee, cocking the hammer and looking down the scope, Arthur aimed for the target. Inhaling slowly, Arthur aimed at the centre of the target before slowly exhaling, squeezing the trigger as he did so.
A thunderous boom broke the air, causing many elves nearby to clap their hands on their ears and wince in discomfort. A large hole broke through the target a little right of centre. Opening up the chamber, Arthur noted the cartridge popped out halfway before glowing and sliding itself back in.
"By the Valar!" Eibear exclaimed. "Such noise! How can you stand it?" he asked Arthur who gave a laugh and said, "I'm pretty used to it myself, but for first timers it can be pretty disorienting."
"And the target… goodness! There's a hole right through it!" Eibear almost shouted as he looked at the hole in the target.
"Yeah, I've put down quite a bit of game with this rifle," said Arthur said as he got to his feet and slung the rolling block over his back. "What gun do you wanna see next?" he asked Eibear.
"Perhaps your Lancaster," Eibear said in response.
"Alright then."
Taking the repeater from his shoulder, Arthur held it ready and lifted the lever, loading a round in the chamber and pushing back the firing hammer. Aiming down the buckhorn sights, Arthur aimed at a target that was at medium range. With a squeeze of the trigger, another crack of thunder broke the sky, although it was quieter in comparison to the rolling block. Eibear and the other elves had taken the precaution to cover their ears this time, although they still winced slightly. Lifting the lever after the first shot, Arthur fired another round and repeated the process. Each time he lifted the lever of the gun, there was a small flash of light in the chamber. Arthur smiled to himself a little, silently thanking the Stranger for solving his ammunition problem. Firing a couple more rounds at the target, Arthur stopped and slung the repeater back onto his shoulder. The target was riddled with bullet holes that were only a couple of inches away from each other.
"Amazing!" Eibear said in awe as he removed his hands from his ears. The other elves were murmuring their astonishment as well, each of them looking at Arthur's guns in interest. "What about your sidearm? How well does that perform?" he asked in interest.
"Well, watch and find out," Arthur replied as he rested his hand on the grip of his Schofield, picking out the closer targets. Readying himself, Arthur waited a moment before pulling out his Schofield out and holding it at the hip, Arthur pulled the trigger and fanned the hammer with his offhand, rapid booms coming out of the revolver, the cylinder spinning and bullets flying out of the barrel and burying themselves into the target. Once all the rounds had been emptied, Arthur opened the gun up and the cylinder spun as the cartridges glowed, loading with fresh rounds. Closing the gun back up, Arthur made a show of twirling the gun on his finger before holstering it.
"Amazing! I've never such a thing before!" Eibear said in amazement. "What about your shotgun? What can it do?" he asked looking at the last of Arthur's guns in eager interest.
"Well, just to say, that the shotgun doesn't do well at long range. It's more of a close range gun and it does okay at medium range but it's better off at close ranger," replied Arthur as he took the shotgun from his offhand holster and aimed it at one of the close targets. With a loud thunderous boom, the buckshot shot out and left gaping holes in the target. The elves looked at the target, seeing how much damage the weapon did and they had no trouble imagining just how much damage such a weapon would do to someone at that range.
"So, that's what my guns are capable of," Arthur said to the elves, holstering his shotgun. "Anything else you'd like to ask?" he added.
"How good are you with a bow?" one of the elves asked out of curiosity.
"Good enough for things like hunting, and I can put down my share of enemies with one, but it's not my preferred weapon," Arthur admitted honestly.
"Perhaps you could show us?" another elf asked.
"Well since you asked," Arthur replied as he looked at the selection of bows on the nearby rack. Arthur had to admit that these bows made the one he used back home look more like a tree branch than an actual bow. These bows looked more akin to works of art than actual weapons. Picking a bow of relatively simple design, Arthur took a quiver of arrows and moved to stand in front of a target. Taking out an arrow and nocking it to the bowstring, Arthur pulled the string back until it was taut. Breathing in slowly, Arthur focussed his gaze at the target before slowly exhaling and releasing the bowstring. With a twang of the bowstring being released and a sharp hiss of air whistling, the arrow soared through the air and sunk deep into the target, a few inches above the centre.
"Hmm… not bad," Arthur said to himself and he looked at Eibear who said, "You shoot very well, Mr Morgan. Perhaps not as good as an elf, but you did well regardless."
"Yeah, bow's not my favoured weapon, but I can use one if I have to," replied Arthur rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.
At that moment, Strider came onto the range, wearing more casual looking clothing with his sword sheathed on his hip. The other elves greeted the man in their language. Strider greeted them back before looking at Arthur and said to him, "I heard those thunders and wondered what the noise was about. I assume you were demonstrating your weapons?" he asked Arthur.
"Yeah, put on a little show for everyone," Arthur joked with a chuckle. "Sorry about the noise, tho'," he said apologetically.
"It's no trouble," Strider said dismissively. "Although I will say that such weapons don't serve well for more quiet engagements," he remarked.
"Yeah, if there were a way to make guns quiet when shooting them, I'd gladly take it," Arthur said. "But I will say that a bow does the job nicely, throwing knives and hatchets do too," he added knowingly.
"That they do," Strider agreed. "Although apart from your knife, I do not see any other form of weapon on you," he said looking over Arthur. "Do you perhaps know how to use a sword?" he enquired.
Arthur made a slight face before saying, "Can't say I've used a sword before," he admitted. "Although I have used things like machetes, but I'm no swordsman. Swords kinda fell outta practice where I'm from when guns were made," he said.
"Indeed," Strider said. "With such weapons, swords must've been made obsolete where you are from," he noted.
"Yeah, but since I'm here, I might as well learn how to use a sword," Arthur said.
"Then perhaps I can teach you," Strider offered.
"Mighty generous of you, Mr Strider," Arthur replied. "So, what's the first lesson?" he asked. Strider smiled before picking out a pair of training swords, both made of hard wood. For the next hour, Strider taught the outlaw what he knew of swordsmanship. Arthur struggled a little against Strider who clearly had greater experience and natural talent, but the outlaw was willing to learn, and he wasn't afraid to fight dirty, something Strider commented on but made no move to correct him. Strider even admitted that in life or death situations, underhanded tricks could save your life, something Arthur wholeheartedly agreed with, having been in plenty of life and death situations.
After the lesson was over, Arthur was panting hard, wiping sweat that was practically pouring off his brow. He had taken his hat off after the first fifteen minutes, so as to avoid it being knocked off and obscuring his vision if it did so. Strider was seated beside Arthur, not sweating or breathing as hard as the outlaw, but he did look a little winded.
"You've done well," the ranger congratulated the outlaw as he took a swig from a water skin. "If you keep it up, you'll be able to fight the best swordsman in no time," he said as he offered the water skin to Arthur who gratefully took a drink from it.
"Well, helps I had a good teacher," replied Arthur as he took another swig and handed the water skin back to Strider. "Forgive me for saying that I hope to avoid close-up fights, tho'," he said.
"Of course," Strider said. "But I fear that some enemies may not give you such reprieve," he warned.
"Yeah, I reckon so. Just have to hope that I can put 'em down 'fore they even get close to me," Arthur said and Strider nodded in agreement.
"Well, since you showed me how to fight with a sword, might as well teach you how to use a gun," Arthur said, standing to his feet.
"You do not have to," Strider said.
"I know, but I want to," Arthur said. "It's only fair since you taught me to use a sword, that I teach you what I know," he added.
"Well, if you insist," Strider replied getting to his feet.
Arthur then showed the ranger how to use guns; they started off with the Schofield with Arthur showing how to hold the weapon, aim it and fire it. The ranger took the instruction well and although he was unused to such a weapon and nearly dropped the gun at the first shot from the sound and the recoil, Arthur gave him some advice on to how to deal with such things.
After learning how to use the Schofield, Arthur then taught Strider how to use the Lancaster, then moving onto the rolling block then using the shotgun. After the lesson, Strider's hands were shaking a little and his ears were a little sore.
"Ergh… I don't know if I'll get used to such noise," the ranger grumbled as he flexed his hands and wrists.
Arthur gave a short laugh and said to the ranger, "Yeah, takes a bit of getting used to. But you did pretty well for a greenhorn," he joked.
"Greenhorn?" Strider repeated the word in confusion.
"Just a word used to describe someone who's pretty new to something where I'm from," Arthur explained. "Don't mean nuthin' by it," he said.
Strider nodded in acceptance. The striding regally in came Lord Elrond and Gandalf.
"Learning something new today, Estel?" Elrond asked Strider who nodded and replied, "Yes, Lord Elrond. Arthur's been teaching me to use his guns, and I've taught him the basics of swordsmanship."
"Did pretty well for a first timer," Arthur put in. "Strider, that is," he quickly said. "Did a lot better than some people I know. He can hit the target for one," he added with a laugh.
"Indeed," Elrond remarked. "Although I must ask you refrain from using your guns for now. The noise may be upsetting to our visitors who are due to arrive soon," he said.
"Visitors?" Arthur asked. "We expectin' company?"
"In good time," Gandalf said to the outlaw. "For now, I think a nice luncheon will do everyone some good, I think," he added helpfully.
"I could do for some vittles," Arthur agreed and Strider agreed as well.
Entering the dining hall, Arthur noted some of the new arrivals. There were some elves and men, but there were some short men with great big beards and wearing heavy armour. "Who are those?" Arthur asked Strider who saw where the cowboy was looking and said, "Those would be Dwarves. Great miners and craftsmen of their mountains halls. Whatever you do, don't mention their height or attempt to shave their beards," he warned with a jesting smile.
"What? Do I look like the kinda feller who'd make fun of someone's height?" Arthur joked back and Strider gave the cowboy a deadpan look that "Yes." Arthur gave a laugh and said, "Naw, you don't gotta worry. I'll make sure I don't make fun of 'em. You have my word on that."
Seating himself at the dining table, Arthur looked at the selection of food and he was a little surprised to see that there wasn't much in terms of meat on the table. Most of the food was vegetables and salads with fruits and berries. There were some meat dishes to be sure, but not as many as Arthur would've liked. Looking at the selection of beverages, Arthur was surprised, although not by much, to see there was only wine, water and fruit juice to drink.
"Huh, shoulda guessed that there'd be no beer of whiskey around here," Arthur muttered to himself. Glancing over at the dwarves, Arthur saw some bottles and flasks being passed among them; clearly they didn't think much of the wine the elves offered. Taking a chance, Arthur got up from his seat and walked over to the dwarves.
"Howdy there, friends," Arthur greeted them. The dwarves looked at Arthur suspiciously and one of them with a great white beard and hair spoke.
"Greetings there, friend. What brings you over here?" he asked, his beady little eyes narrowing at Arthur in suspicion.
"Oh, just thought I'd introduce myself is all, if that's alright with you," replied Arthur. "Arthur Morgan," he then said sticking out a hand to shake. The white haired dwarf grunted before shaking Arthur's hand.
"Gloin," the dwarf said. "These are my kin and this is my wee lad, Gimli," he introduced the other dwarves and presented what Arthur assumed was the dwarf's son. Gimli had a younger appearance but in looked middle-aged in comparison to Arthur with a full beard of reddish brown hair and dark beady eyes.
"So, what brings you fellers to this neck of the woods?" Arthur asked Gloin who replied, "We came as representatives of our people, to decide what is to be done with the One Ring," he said.
"Ah, yeah, heard about that," Arthur mused scratching his chin, feeling the growing bristles. "Makes sense everyone would come together to do sumthin' about it," he added thoughtfully.
"What brings you to Rivendell, Arthur Morgan?" Gimli asked.
"Ah, well, I got caught up in this mess when I helped some Hobbits with some nasty business involving them, whaddya call 'em, Ringwraiths? Anyway, I didn't have nuthin' better to do, so I thought I might as well lend a hand," replied Arthur.
"Good a reason as any," commented one of the dwarves.
"What manner of weapons are those, laddie?" Gimli asked looking at Arthur's guns in interest. "I've not seen such weapons before," he said.
"Oh, these? These are guns, they're kinda unique 'round these parts," said Arthur. "I won't show what they can do right this minute, but I can tell ya a little about 'em," he added.
"Well, sit yerself down and let's talk!" Gloin said jovially and Arthur took a seat at the dwarves' table and was handed a tankard of brown ale and the cowboy began to explain what he knew about guns. The dwarves listened with great interest and asked many questions and Arthur mentioned that the substance used in the bullets was very much similar to the explosive powder they used for mining. One of the other dwarves began scribbling down notes on a piece of parchment, taking in everything Arthur said. As the meal progressed, some elven musicians began to play their instruments. Soft lilting music floated through the air; some of the dwarves made faces at the music and Arthur asked them, "Don't like the music?"
"Nay, music like this is not what we dwarves like," Gloin replied. "Pansy music is what it is!" he said.
"Well, can't say this is my kinda music, but I know a couple of songs where I'm from," Arthur said taking a sip of ale.
"Oh, do ye now? Well go on then, let's hear a song from your land," Gimli encouraged.
"Alright then, gimme a moment," Arthur said taking another sip of ale, smacking his lips before launching into a song from home.
"Oh, Mollie, Oh, Mollie, It's for your sake alone~,"
That I leave old parents, my house and my home;"
"My love for you, it has caused me to roam;"
"I'm a rabble rouser and Dixie's my home."
The dwarves began to clap and cheer as Arthur sang the song. The other patrons of the dining hall began to look and listen in on the song. Some of the men were amused by the song, while the elves looked confused and even a little annoyed as Arthur sang.
"Jack o'Diamonds, Jack o'Diamonds, I know you of old:"
"You robbed my poor pockets of silver and gold;"
"O Whiskey, you villain; you've been my downfall;"
"You've kicked me, you've cuffed me and caused me to brawl."
The dwarves began singing along with Arthur and some of the men did as well. Merry and Pippin who were seated nearby began laughing and singing along with the song as well.
"My foot's in a stirrup, my bridle's in my hand;"
"I'm leavin' sweet Mollie, the fairest in the land."
"Her parents don't like me, they say I'm too poor;"
"They say I am unworthy to enter her door."
"They say I drink whiskey, my money's my own;"
"And them that don't like me can leave me alone."
"I'll eat when I'm hungry, I'll drink when I'm dry;"
"And when I get thirsty, I'll lay down and cry."
The dwarves then began to jig along to the song, dancing around in circles, kicking up their heels and feet to the song and Merry and Pippin joined in with them. Frodo and Samwise watched in exasperation and amusement. Elrond watched with a slight note of disapproval in his eyes, but he made no move to stop it. Strider had a small grin on his face as he watched Arthur sing the song and the dwarves and two hobbits dance.
"It's beefsteak when I'm hungry;"
"And whiskey when I'm dry;"
"Greenbacks when I'm hard up;"
"And hell when I die."
"Rye whiskey, rye whiskey;"
"Rye whiskey I cry;"
"If I don't get rye whiskey;"
"I surely will die."
"Oh, baby, oh, baby, I've told you before;"
"Do make me a pallet, I'll lie on the floor."
Gandalf had a look of amusement on his face and was chuckling the whole time as Arthur and the dwarves sang the song.
"I've rambled and trambled, this wide world around;"
"Raising hell with the gang, that's where I'm bound;"
"It's with these gunslingers, dear Mollie, I'll roam;"
"I'm a rabble rouser, and Dixie's my home."
"If the ocean were whiskey;"
"And I were a duck; (Quack, quack),"
"I'd dive to the bottom;"
"And get one sweet sup;"
Some of the dwarves were laughing and some of the men had grins of amusement on their lips. One of the elves had a slight grin pulling at his lips but he quickly wiped it off his face before one of the other elves noticed.
"But the ocean ain't whiskey;"
"And I ain't no duck;"
"So I'll play Jack o' Diamonds and then we'll get drunk;"
"Oh, baby, oh baby, I've told you before;"
"Do me make a pallet, and I'll lie on the floor~"
The dwarves cheered raucously and some of the men clapped their appreciation as well.
"You've a fine singing voice, Mr Morgan!" Pippin said to Arthur who nodded and said to the Hobbit. "Thank ye kindly," he said gratefully.
"I agree with the little one, you'd make a fine bard if you chose to," Gimli said. "Know any other ditties?" he asked eagerly.
"I do, but they ain't fit for present company," Arthur laughed glancing at the elves who had looks of disapproval. "They can wait til another time," he said as he took a swig of ale and burped a little.
"Yes, I feel we must turn in for the night," Elrond called out in a distant lordly voice. "We have much to discuss on the morrow, and we'd do better with clear heads," he said. Arthur nodded reluctantly and stood from his seat.
"Thank you kindly, gents," Arthur said to the dwarven delegation. "Nice speaking with you, I'll catch you all later," he added before ambling off, a little unsteadily but he found his way to his room where set his guns by his bed and collapsed on top of the mattress and feel asleep.
…
The next morning, Arthur woke up feeling groggy and hungover. Yawning slightly and settling into the comfortable bed, Arthur stared up at the ceiling for a while, thinking about all that he had been through in the last couple of days. He wondered if John had made it out and back to his family. He also wondered what had happened to Sadie or Charles, if they were alright. He also wondered what had happened to Pearson, Mary-Beth, Tilly, Karen, Trelawney and Uncle. Arthur could only hope that they were alright and keeping out of the Pinkertons' reach and not getting into or causing trouble.
Sighing to himself, Arthur sat up on the bed and rubbed his face, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Standing up, Arthur slung his guns back on and left the room to head to the dining hall and have some breakfast. Hopefully they served something he could actually eat.
Making it to the dining hall, Arthur was greeted by the dwarven delegations who bade him to sit with them which Arthur did so graciously.
"How are ye feeling, laddie?" Gimli asked as he sat next to Arthur. "Not too sore from last night?" he joked.
Arthur laughed and replied, "Ah, about as well as you'd expect from last night. Just hope they serve I can actually eat than what they served last night," he said.
"Aye, those prissy elves don't know the joys of fire roasted meats and good hearty malt beer," Gimli said. "They'd rather eat rabbit food!" he added scornfully.
"Well, I ain't exactly against having vegetables, but I do like a nice steak or bit of bacon," said Arthur.
"A man after me own heart!" Gloin said in approval. "Hopefully this meeting won't take too long and we can decide what to do about that blasted ring," he then said.
"Hopefully," Arthur said in agreement. He then noticed a long thin package near Gloin. "What's that ya got there?" he asked the dwarf, looking at the package.
"Ah, this? Well, this sort of a gift to the elves, or more us returning an item to them," replied Gloin as he held up the package.
"Well, forgive me for bein' curious, but what is it?" Arthur enquired.
"This here is an elven forged blade," said Gloin. "Forged in Gondolin by the high elves of the first age; a famous blade named Orcrist, the Goblin Cleaver," he explained.
"Famous for killing goblins, huh? Must be a pretty good sword then," Arthur commented.
"Aye, it is a good blade, it was lost for a time but Thorin Oakenshield's company and I discovered this blade and another lying in a troll hoard," said Gloin. "How it came to be there, we do not know," he added shrugging his shoulders.
"So, why give it back to the elves?" Arthur asked curious to know.
"Well, the time of the elves is over, they are leaving these shores for the West, the Undying Lands," replied Gloin. "We thought it would be a show of good will to return Orcrist to them and their kin," he said.
"Mighty generous of you," said Arthur. "Would you mind if I had a look?" he asked Gloin who nodded in acceptance and began to unwrap the packaging of the blade. Arthur gave a low whistle of appreciation as he gazed upon the elven weapon. The hilt was made from the fang of some great beast with a metal pommel just near the tip of the fang. The blade was a straight single edge with some runes running along the flat and the crossguard jutted out. The blade almost seemed to shine with a cold faint blue light.
"Now, that is a work of art," Arthur stated. "Never seen anything so pretty," he said jestingly.
"Aye, it may look pretty, but it cuts orcs well," Gloin said before rewrapping the sword. "We'll present this blade to Lord Elrond after the meeting is over," he added.
"Speaking of which, when is it about to start?" Arthur asked.
"Soon," said Gloin. "After breakfast and some other things have been seen to, the meeting will happen," he added. "But for now, we eat and make merry!" he declared as breakfast was served.
After breakfast was served, Arthur wandered around and found himself in the library. Perusing some of the books but putting some of them away due to them being in a different language, Arthur found a mural depicting a man in armour swinging a broken sword against a larger almost terrifying figure that had its hand stretched out upon which gleamed a golden ring. Gazing at the picture, Arthur found an inscription that was luckily in English.
"The defeat of Sauron by Isildur with Narsil," Arthur read the inscription. "Huh, and that must be the One Ring everybody's been talkin' about," he said to himself as he looked at the ring on Sauron's finger. "So much trouble over a little piece of jewellery?" he asked himself in disbelief. Huffing, Arthur found a display of a broken sword and its broken pieces on a shrine.
"Huh, so this must be that sword that cut the ring from Sauron," Arthur muttered as he picked up the hilt. Feeling the weight of it, Arthur said, "Must've been a good blade, even when it was broken."
"Indeed it was," said a voice. Arthur almost dropped the sword in surprise and looked to see Arwen entering the library. "Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you," the daughter of Elrond said softly.
"Eh, don't worry about it, lil' lady," Arthur replied his heart hammering in his chest. "Didn't expect to see anyone in here, is all," he said, placing the broken sword back onto its shrine. "So, this was the sword that cut the ring from Sauron?" he asked Arwen.
"Indeed it was," replied Arwen. "The sword Narsil, it belonged to Isildur's father Elendil, king of Numénor and Gondor, a great warrior and leader," she said.
"But his son wasn't I take it, or at least that's what I heard," Arthur said.
Arwen nodded sadly and said, "Yes. Isildur was seduced and corrupted by the power of the Ring and took it for his own instead of destroying it," she said with sadness in her voice.
"Did… Isildur leave any kin behind? Someone to carry on his name?" Arthur asked a little unsure if he should ask.
"He did, but his last remaining descendant chose exile," replied Arwen sombrely.
"I take it you know the feller then?" Arthur asked.
Arwen nodded, smiling softly at the cowboy and replied, "I do, but he wishes to remain hidden for his own safety."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know," Arthur said quickly.
"it is alright, Mr Morgan, you did not intend any harm by asking," Arwen reassured him. "But I must profess to be curious about you," she then said. "Your garb and accent are clearly foreign, and your weapons strange and otherworldly. Who are you before coming here?" she asked gently.
Arthur sighed before saying, "That's… a bigger question then you might think," he said reluctantly, feeling a little unsure if he should divulge his life story with Arwen like he did with Gandalf. He had no way of knowing if Arwen would react to his days as a killer and thief.
"Of course, I don't mean to pry. I am simply curious about you, as is everyone in Rivendell," said Arwen. "The council will be starting soon, so you may wish to find a seat if you wish to attend," she added.
"Thank you, ma'am, I will," replied Arthur as he then left the library and headed to the meeting area where people were beginning to take their seats. Seeing an empty seat near Frodo, Arthur sat next to the hobbit and spoke to him, "You doing okay there?" the cowboy asked the hobbit. "Not feeling nervous?"
"A little," Frodo confessed.
"You'll do fine, kid," Arthur assured him. "This shouldn't take too long anyway," he said confidently.
Once everyone had seated themselves, Lord Elrond looked at the assembled representatives before speaking.
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned to answer the threat of Mordor," the elven lord declared and a slight ripple of muttering befell the representatives. "Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it," he said. "You will unite, or you will fall."
"Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom," said Elrond before looking at Frodo. "Bring fort the Ring, Frodo." Frodo stood from his seat, walking towards the stone pedestal in the centre and placed on it a simple golden band.
Then one man with auburn hair and wearing finery spoke, "So it is true," he said in a hushed voice.
Arthur looked at the ring and he then heard a voice whisper in his head.
"Arthurrr…"
Shaking his head and looking around to see where the voice had come from, but seeing no-one else nearby, Arthur looked back at the ring.
"The Doom of Men," said one of the human representatives quietly but loudly enough for everyone to hear.
Then the auburn haired man stood from his seat and spoke, "In a dream, I saw the Eastern Sky grow dark. But in the West a pale light lingered," he said slowly. "A voice was crying: Your doom is near at hand." He then began to reach for the ring. "Isildur's Bane is found," he muttered as he walked slowly towards the ring, his hand reaching out to touch it. Arthur put a hand to his revolver, ready to draw it at a moment's notice; he did not wish to kill the man, but if the fool tried to make off with the ring, he plug the man full of holes before he'd get even one finger on it.
Elrond stood from his seat. "Boromir!" he said in a commanding voice, as if to snap the man out of what he was doing, but the man paid him no heed.
Then a harsh dark chanting made itself heard in Arthur's head, causing him to clutch his head in pain. Then Gandalf rose from his seat, speaking in a harsh guttural tongue, causing the sky to darken as he chanted those strange words. Thunder rumbled in the sky as the Grey Pilgrim chanted.
The chanting inside Arthur's head died away and everyone sat back in their seats, horrified, Boromir among them. Elrond glared at Gandalf and rebuked him, "Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris!"
"I do not ask for your pardon, Lord Elrond," Gandalf replied, his voice hoarse and raspy. "For the Black Speech may yet be heard in all corners of the West! The Ring is altogether evil!" he said as he sat back in his seat. But then the man known as Boromir spoke in rising excitement.
"It is a gift! A gift to the foes of Mordor!" he declared. Arthur looked at the man in disbelief, brief memories of Dutch and Micah flitting through his mind; of Dutch's growing mania and Micah's twisted manipulations. Arthur was now sorely tempted to pull out his revolver and shoot the man in the head. "Why not use this Ring?" Boromir asked the council.
Rising from his seat, Boromir said, "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!"
Stride then spoke up. "You cannot wield it. None of us can." He said "The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master!" he stated.
"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Boromir asked the ranger condescendingly.
"A lot more than you it seems," Arthur commented loudly. Boromir glared at Arthur and made to bite out some scathing retort, when one of the elves, one with long blonde hair and grey-blue eyes spoke.
"He is no mere ranger! He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn! You owe him your allegiance!" the elf said sternly.
Boromir looked at Strider in surprise and Arthur looked at the ranger in surprise too. "Aragorn? This… is Isildur's heir?" Boromir asked.
Arthur looked at Strider, now Aragorn, in surprise. But he then thought about it and suddenly understood why Aragorn kept his identity hidden; he honestly couldn't blame the man for wanting to distance himself from his ancestor and his failure in destroying the One Ring.
"And heir to the throne of Gondor!" the elf said.
Aragorn looked at the elf and spoke in elvish to him who sat back down in his seat. Boromir looked at the elf and said to him, "Gondor has no king," he said walking back to his seat and looked at Aragorn. "Gondor needs no king!" he declared.
Everyone was silent for a moment before Gandalf spoke. "Aragorn is right. We cannot use the Ring!" he said.
"Then we have but one choice," Elrond said firmly. "The Ring must be destroyed!"
Then Gimli snorted and stood up from his chair. "Then what are we waiting for?" he asked as he picked up his axe and strode forward and with a roar, he swung his axe down onto the Ring before anyone could stop him. A small explosion was heard and the blade of the axe broke into piece, the force throwing Gimli onto his back. Arthur looked to see if the Ring was destroyed or damaged, but to his surprise, the Ring was unblemished and seemed to be whispering in that dark tongue.
"That's one strong little ring," Arthur said to himself and he looked at Frodo who was clutching his injured shoulder in pain. "You okay, kid?" Arthur asked the hobbit in concern. Frodo nodded in response.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Gloin, by any craft we here possess," Elrond said to Gimli who was being helped to his feet by his father and fellow dwarves. "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 stated.
"One of you must do this."
Arthur noted that everyone had uneasy looks of apprehension on their faces. No-one seemed keen on doing this task. Boromir then spoke.
"One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs," he said. "There is an evil there that does not sleep, and 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! He declared.
Then the elf who revealed Aragorn's identity stood from his seat and spoke harshly. "Have you heard nothing Elrond has said?! The Ring must be destroyed!" he shouted.
Gimli leapt from his seat. "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?!" he demanded accusingly.
"And if we fail, what then?!" Boromir cried. "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?!" he yelled.
"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!" Gimli bellowed. With that, the other elves, dwarves and men leapt from their chairs and began yelling and arguing over the Ring. Arthur stared in disbelief. Aragorn had a look of tired annoyance on his face, Gandalf was shaking his head at the stupidity of it and Elrond held his head in his hand. Frodo sat there stunned by the sudden outbreak of arguing.
"NEVER TRUST AN ELF!" Gimli roared.
"Some things never change," Arthur muttered himself cynically, having witnessed back home in the gang and among other people, whether it be matters of race or votes for women. And here it seemed no better.
Gandalf stood from his seat and spoke in a rising voice. "Do you not understand that while we bicker amongst ourselves, Sauron's power grows?!" the Grey Pilgrim yelled. "None can escape it! You'll all be destroyed!" he shouted.
Frodo had been staring at the Ring, a look of unease on his face before he stood from his seat and shouted, "I will take it!" But no-one seemed to hear him, except Arthur who drew his revolver and fired a shot in the air. The loud boom broke through the arguing, causing everyone to look at Arthur who spun the revolver on his finger before holstering it and he said.
"If y'all are done measuring your dicks, I'd like to hear what the kid has to say," the cowboy said before looking at Frodo and said to him, "Floor's yours."
Everyone looked at the Hobbit who said, "I will take the Ring to Mordor." Everyone looked at him in disbelief who fidgeted a little and said, "Though… I do not know the way," he admitted.
Gandalf nodded his head and said, "I will help you bear this burden Frodo Baggins, for as long as it is yours to bear." Placing a comforting hand on Frodo's shoulder, Gandalf stood beside the Hobbit.
Aragorn stood from his chair and said, "If by my life or death, I can protect you I will." Walking over to kneel before Frodo, the Heir to Gondor said, "You have my sword!"
"And you have my bow!" said the elf moving to stand beside Frodo.
"And my axe!" Gimli declared. Gimli and the elf glared at each other.
Arthur looked at Frodo. "So, you're gonna risk your life and limb on a journey that will most likely kill you, all to save these dumb fools?" he asked the Hobbit, casting a glance at everyone.
"I've carried the Ring thus far," said Frodo. "A little more will not kill me," he added with determination in his voice.
"Maybe, maybe not," Arthur said. "But in any case, looks like you'll need help and since I got nothin' better to do, then I'll help however I can," he added before looking at Elrond asked, "If that's alright by you, o' course?"
Elrond nodded in reply, showing he had no problem with this. Boromir stared at Arthur in disbelief and shouted, "Have you all lost your wits?! Just who is this man?!" he demanded, pointing at Arthur. "This man here, for all we know, could be a spy of Sauron!" he shouted.
"He is not, Boromir," Aragorn said speaking in Arthur's defense. "Arthur helped fight off the Nazgul, preventing them from taking the Ring. He is a good man," he stated.
"Besides, if anyone here is a spy for Sauron, I'd say it's you since you seemed awfully keen on getting near that Ring," Arthur said cuttingly. A tic appeared on Boromir's brow and his hands curled into fists and shook with suppressed anger.
"I wouldn't try anything, partner," Arthur warned the man, his hand touching his revolver. "I've put down more people then you can claim to have put down, so don't even think about it!" he threatened.
Glancing around him, Boromir saw everyone looking at him warily before he sighed, relaxing slightly but not before saying to Arthur, "Very well, but if you so much as betray anyone, I will cut off you head myself!"
"I'd like to see you try," Arthur retorted. Gandalf placed a hand on Arthur's back and shook his head slightly as if asking or telling Arthur not to make this any worse.
"If this is indeed the will of the council," Boromir said slowly. "Then Gondor will see it done," he promised.
Then suddenly a shout came from behind a bush and running out was Samwise Gamgee. "Mister Frodo's going nowhere without me!" the Hobbit blurted out.
Elrond had an amused look on his face as he said, "No indeed. It is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not."
"Eavesdropping were we?" Arthur asked the Hobbit who had a guilty smile on his face.
"Hey! We're coming too!" Merry and Pippin ran out from behind some pillars. "You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" the Took hobbit declared as he and Pippin stood beside Frodo.
"Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission… quest… thing!" Pippin said.
"My god, we're doomed," Arthur grunted making Pippin wince a little.
Elrond looked at the group. "Ten companions… so be it, you shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!" he declared.
"Great!" Pippin said in relief. "Where are we going?" he asked stupidly.
"Yep, we're doomed!"
…
TO BE CONTINUED…
A/N: There! The longest chapter of this story so far, and I hope it made the grade and some bits of it were original and not just following the movies/books. So the next chapter we'll see the beginning of the Fellowship journeying out from Rivendell to Mordor and you know how it goes if you've watched the movies or read the books, but if you haven't and are new to Lord of the Rings/Tolkien, well I won't say anything as I want to keep it a surprise. But let's be honest here, we've all seen the movies so we obviously know what happens next, but hopefully I will try to put in some more original content in the journey such as Arthur teaching the Hobbits what he knows and maybe some confrontations between Arthur and Boromir because I think Boromir is somewhat similar to Dutch Van der Linde in the growing mania/craziness and Arthur having seen how insane Dutch became can see that happening in Boromir and would do his best to stop him from going overboard.
In others, I recently submitted this story to the Fan Ramen podcast. If you are not familiar with Fan Ramen, it is a podcast of two professional voice actors and a music/sound effects foley who read your fanfiction out loud for everyone to hear. Now this is NOT a definite thing, I submitted my story to them and they said they'd consider it but they do have other projects/fanfics coming up, so don't take this as a certainty. However I am hopeful that this fic will be in the Fan Ramen podcast, but I'm not going to put all my eggs in one basket at this stage. It's up to the Fan Ramen people to decide if they want to read this fic for everyone or not.
And that's about the sum total of things, so I'll just leave this here and I'll catch you all in the next one.
Be kind to one another,
Angry lil' elf.