Hellomy dear readers! It has been very long since I posted a new chapter and I am sooooooooooooo very sorry! Please don't kill me! I was on a vacation with my family and didn't have my computer with me so I couldn't write. In the future I promise to pots more often, though I cannot promise it will be 1 chapter/week. But I'll try my best!

Enjoy!

Aelin had stayed here for four days and they had been a paradise. The days were warm and bright and Aelin finally had time to rest properly and regain her full strength. Today there would be a big feast. Frodo was finally awake and well enough to be out of bed. The council would be held tomorrow and all those who had been invited were also going be at the feast.

In an hour the feast would begin. Right now Aelin was standing in front of her closet, not sure what to wear. In the end, she decided on a pine-green dress and a pair of white shoes. She looked at the Eye of Elena hanging around her neck. She let her hair loose - she didn't want to braid it.

Aelin left her room and went down the corridor. As she walked past Manon's door she knocked asking:

"Are you planning on coming? Because I'm already on my way!"

Aelin hadn't even finished speaking as the door opened.

"Yes, I do."

Aelin looked at the witch. She had a black costume and boots as always, only now everything was cleaner, shinier. And she had a beautiful silver necklace. Manon had braided her hair to the side and tied it with the blood red piece of her former Crochan cape.

"I have to admit, you look good," Aelin said smirking.

Manon only grinned in response as the two females walked to the Hall of Fire where the feast was going to be held.

Aelin had to agree that the Hall of Fire was huge. It was filled with light and people. The wine was passed around and elves were singing beautiful songs in their language. In the middle of the Hall, there was a large table filled with all possible food imaginable. Soon guests began to pour in. There were a few men. Aelin thought they looked quite dull and boring, so she did not bother going to them and learning who they are. Though, she did notice one arrogant looking man. He was very tall and had light brown hair. He had rich clothes and Aelin saw a big, white horn hanging from his best.

'Must be some kind of authority' Aelin thought.

"I don't like the look of him," Manon whispered nodding towards the man Aelin just noticed.

"Yeah, me too."

Just then Aelin noticed a small group of elves entering the Hall. They all had blonde hair and green clothes. They looked much different than the elves of Rivendell, in truth Aelin thought that they looked more warrior-like than the peaceful and calm people of Rivendell. Then came a group of what Aelin assumed were dwarves. They were short and had very long and fluffy beards. Just looking at them, Aelin got the feeling they were a grumpy people that you didn't want to mess with.
When the Hall finally was full the doors opened once more and in came five small hobbits. Aelin recognized the four she had traveled with, but she did not know the fifth. He looked old and was walking with the help of Frodo. Although out of all the hobbits he looked higher spirited and most excited.

The feast began. Aelin and Manon ended up sitting with the hobbits, who Aelin right then decided were her favorite race. They drank and laughed, telling each other stories. Bilbo seemed very interested in the two females and asked them many questions. He told them about his own adventure. Both the witch and Aelin were very intrigued and came to admire and respect the old hobbit for all he had done. Then he went on telling about his birthday party.

"And then I went: "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve". You should have seen the looks on their faces! It was priceless, most didn't understand a thing!" he exclaimed, making Aelin laugh and Manon chuckle softly.

"That was the absolute best compliment and insult at the same time that I have ever heard!" Aelin said.

They went on exchanging stories with each other until the very end of the feast.

Today was the council. Aelin and Manon were already in the place where it should be and had been given seats. There were few except themselves already sitting. It was that wizard Gandalf, and Strider, or Aragorn. In fact, Aelin did not care. She would get to know that soon enough. And by the way, Strider was currently sitting next to her and looked very annoyed with it. Aelin also noticed two hobbits: Frodo and Bilbo Baggins. Soon other people began pouring in. Dwarves, Elves, and Men. All of them Aelin had seen on the feast the day before. The council began. Elrond started with a long tale about the forging of the great rings of power and the consequences it led to. How the Dark Lord Sauron, who wanted nothing but death and destruction, had created the master ring, the One Ring to rule them all. He told of the war and the Last Alliance between Men and Elves. How Isildur, the son of King Elendil, cut the Ring from Saurons hand, thus winning the battle.

'This Sauron sounds pretty much like Erawan,' thought Aelin.

The tale went on, finally coming to Bilbo and how he had gotten the Ring from the creature Gollum. At that moment one of the blonde elves stood up and exclaimed that Gollum, who had been held captive by the elves of Mirkwood, had escaped. This was bad news, but the council went on. Bilbo told everyone about his party and how he left the Ring to Frodo. Then Frodo told about his journey to Rivendell. When he was done, there was a long silence before Lord Elrond spoke:

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," sounded the deep calm voice of 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. Each race is bound to this fate–this one doom. Bring forth the Ring, Frodo," Elrond said.

Frodo slowly got up and carefully placed the Ring in the middle of the pedestal. He then hurried back to his chair and sat with a sigh. The council members immediately started whispering to each other. The man from the day before, whose name was Boromir as Aelin figured out, quietly muttered:

"So it is true..."

"The Doom of man," someone else murmured.

Then Boromir stood up.

"It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring? 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!"

"You cannot wield it! None of us can!" Strider interrupted.

"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Boromir spat.

"More than you, apparently," said Manon accusingly, causing Boromir glare daggers in her direction.

"He is no mere Ranger!" an elf stood up with an angry look on his face. "This is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."

"Aragorn?" Boromir looked at the man in disbelief. "This... is Isildur's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor!" the elf continued.

"havo dad, Legolas. *Sit down, Legolas*" Aragorn said.

"Gondor has no King. Gondor needs no King," Boromir spat and went back to his seat with a sigh.

"Aragorn is right," Gandalf broke the silence. "We cannot use it."

"We have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed," announced Elrond.

"What are we waiting for?" Gimli grabbed his axe and went to the pedestal. "ARGH!" he cried as he brought it down on the Ring.

There was a deafening noise as the axe shattered and Gimli flew backward, landing on his back. His fellow dwarves immediately helped him up as Elrond said:

"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. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this"

"This Ring reminds me very much of some certain Wyrdkeys... What do you think?" Aelin quietly noted to Manon.

"I agree with you," came the reply.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor," Boromir said with a sigh. "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!" The man tried to reason, and for once Aelin thought he had a point.

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" Legolas once again stood up. "The Ring must be destroyed!"

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?!" Gimli leaped to his feet.

"And if we fail, what then?! What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?!" Boromir argued.

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!" Gimli shouted. This caused a big uproar and all the members of the council began to yell and argue with each other. The only ones who decided to stay out of it were Elrond, Frodo, Aragorn, Aelin, and Manon. Just then Aelin noticed something strange. It seemed as if the Ring was whispering... Aelin decided to block it out and looked at the witch. The confused look she received was the only thing she needed to know that she was not alone in hearing things.

Suddenly Frodo stood and said loudly:

"I will take it! I will take it!"

Everybody stopped and turned their heads to Frodo in shock. He repeated, only a little bit quieter:

"I will take the Ring to Mordor! Though, I do not know the way..."

Aelin had to admire his courage. He did what she knew many men would not dare to do. She watched as Gandalf slowly walked to the small hobbit with a smile.

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear," he said and stood behind the hobbit placing a hand on his shoulder.

"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will," said Aragorn walking towards Frodo and kneeling in front of him. "You have my sword."

"And you have my bow!" Legolas came over to stand beside Frodo.

"And my axe!" Gimli joined in, but not without exchanging dark looks with the elf.

"You carry the fates of us all little one," said Boromir approaching the hobbit slowly. "If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done."

At that moment, Aelin understood. This was the reason she and the witch were here. They were meant to help these people. Maybe there was something bigger behind it but at the current moment, this was their purpose. Aelin turned to Manon and knew she had the same thoughts. They nodded to each other and stood up. Aelin looked at Lord Elrond and said slowly:

"There was a reason we were brought here. You yourself said that. I think this is the reason. We are meant to help you." she turned to Frodo and smiled at him gently. "Will you take us in your company?"

Frodo smiled back at her, although a little uncertainly, and said:

"I think that we need all the help we could get. If you want to join us then I will not stop you. From what Merry and Pippin have told me of the fight at Weathertop, you are very fierce warriors."

"Fierce warriors?" Boromir snorted. "They are women! What can they do if not create lots of problems and make men's ears bleed?"

"Either of us can snap your neck right here and now before anyone could even blink," Manon said in a deadly calm voice. "You don't want to antagonize me or Aelin."

There was a tense silence which Gandalf decided to break by saying:

"Well, come over here and join us!"

Just as the two females moved over to the company, a rustle was heard behind them and Sam Gamgee appeared beside Frodo.

"Heh! Mister Frodo is not goin' anywhere without me!"

A slightly amused Elrond said to him with a smile:

"No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not."

One second later, two more hobbits ran to the company to stand beside their friends.

"Wait! We are coming too!"

They were, of course, Merry and Pippin.

"You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" Merry said.

"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission... quest… thing." Pippin added.

"Well that rules you out, Pip" Merry teased him.

"Nine companions…" Slowly said Lord Elrond. "So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!"

"Great!" exclaimed Pippin. "Where are we going?"

So, what do you think? Is this good? Did I get their characters right? Please, please,
please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please leave a review! I know how you think: "Well it doesn't matter if I won't write, someone else will." Please don't think like that! That ends only with me getting no reviews at all!

Untill next time,

Katy.