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The Council

At dawn of the morning of the Council, Drifter opened the closet to choose her attire for the meeting.

-Nothing fancy. Both elves and Men seem to have a problem with fighting women-

"Ah, perfect," she said, pulling out a dark brown, sleeveless travel dress with dark green trim and a V-neck. She always hated being too picky about her clothing, but situations such as these required such specifications. After pulling on a black vest over the dress, she completed the attire with three of her daggers, two in her belt and the other in her right boot. "I think I look intimidating enough," the woman stated, smirking at her reflection in the mirror. She hated mirrors. They created too much self-consciousness. She went straight to the Meeting Hall, which was empty. It was only an hour after dawn, so the Council would not begin for a couple more hours.

"You're early, I see," Elrond addressed her, stepping into view.

"The Ring must be beyond your wall by tomorrow, else Sauron will send his forces here when he does send them."

"You advise wisely, Falathiel. A trait that was common in your family."

"Hmm…" the girl pondered prior to eagerly changing the subject. "It has been strange being back in Rivendell after all this time. Even though my house still stands and my few friends treat me the same, I know that I do not belong here anymore. In fact, I never did, whatever you may think."

"You have changed…probably more than you know."

"Explain, old friend."

"First, you rarely speak in elvish any more. You used to use it more than the common tongue. Second, you could have passed as an elf years ago. Now, with your ears covered, no one would even take a second glance after designating you as a human. These and many more reasons present themselves as obvious differences."

"I like it that way, Elrond. In the world of Men, I am accepted for what and who I am: a secretive human ranger. I do not give explanations when it is not necessary, and they do not ask."

"You have other choices than exile, Falathiel. You could leave Middle-Earth, all the suffering that you have endured, behind and come with me and the rest of my people. That is still an option, however you may deny it. Another choice would be to return to what you were before coming to Rivendell the first time."

"If I left with you, all my…suffering, as you call it, will have been for nothing. And you know as well as I that I could never be that person again."

--

Following an hour of awkward silence, the others who had been invited to the Council began trickling in. Drifter took the outside seat next to Strider.

Finally, the meeting began as Elrond addressed the people.

"Strangers from distant lands, 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. Each race is bound to this fate: this one doom." At last getting to the point, he gestured to the stone pedestal in the middle of the room. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."

In response, the young hobbit arose from his seat directly across from Drifter and placed the Ring on the pedestal before returning to his chair. Whispers spread around the room like a flood. After a moment, Boromir arose, making Drifter tense.

-Don't do it Boromir-

"In a dream," he began, "I saw the eastern sky grow dark. But in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying: Your doom is near at hand. Isildur's Bane is found."

At this, the Man reached for the Ring, causing both Elrond and Drifter to leap up.

"Boromir!" they called, but were interrupted as Gandalf stood and loudly began chanting,

"Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
ash nazg thrakatulûk 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)."

Hearing the fell words, Drifter returned to her seat and, she noticed, Boromir as well. The booming voice of the wizard caused everyone to become extremely uneasy. For Drifter, it felt like a simple headache, although she knew that the speech of Mordor had given her the same consequences when she heard it the first time.

"Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris!" Elrond rebuked Gandalf.

"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond," the old wizard replied, his voice rough from the use of the harsh language, "for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether evil!"

"Ah, it is a gift," Boromir put in, standing once again. "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 or our people are your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!"

Drifter was about to counter Boromir, but Strider beat her to it.

"You cannot wield it! None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

"And what would a ranger know of this matter?"

"This is no mere ranger," Legolas, the prince of Mirkwood, threw in as he stood. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."

"Aragorn? This…is Isildur's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor."

"Havo dad, Legolas (Sit down, Legolas)," Aragorn urged the elf before seating himself.

"Gondor has no king," Boromir muttered. "Gondor needs no king."

"Aragorn is right," Gandalf stated. "We cannot use it."

"You have only one choice," Elrond said. "The Ring must be destroyed."

"Then what are we waiting for?" one of the dwarves grumbled, walking to the pedestal and striking the Ring with his axe. Drifter could see Frodo wince in pain.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glóin, by any craft that we here possess," Elrond chided. "The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. I must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this."

Moments of dead silence followed until Boromir once again spoke up.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor. 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!"

As Legolas stood, Drifter spoke.

"What else would you have us do, Boromir son of Denethor? Hide it away? Use it? If we hid it, the Ring would simply seduce and destroy anyone within ten miles of it. And if we used it…you might as well hand it over to Sauron right now and avoid the waste of time! If it is not destroyed, Middle-Earth is doomed to suffer what it went through over a thousand years ago, except Sauron would be even less vulnerable."

"Falathiel, you are correct," Elrond said, "but who do you suppose will take the Ring."

"As I have said before, Lord Elrond, I am too vulnerable to carry it myself. I would, however, help whoever did with all my power."

"And who are you, ranger, to be knowledgeable enough to give such advice," Legolas queried with slight challenge in his voice.

"Legolas," Aragorn defended, "I do not know much of Drifter myself, but I can tell you that her advice is worth heeding."

"If anyone brings the Ring to Mordor, they will be practically handing it to the Enemy on a silver platter," Boromir stated.

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" Legolas argued, turning his attention from Drifter. "The Ring must be destroyed!"

Leaping to his feet, Gimli asked the elf,

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?!"

"And if we fail, what then?" the Gondorian added. "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!"

Chaos occurred as everyone but Frodo stood and began loudly arguing. Knowing what he was thinking, Drifter squeezed through the crowd and knelt beside him.

"You don't have to do it, Frodo. You have already done your part, but if you do, know that I will be there to help," she whispered to him.

"I know…Falathiel, but who else can?" he asked before standing abruptly. "I will take it! I will take it!"

The room silenced as everyone looked at the small hobbit.

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

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins," Gandalf offered, put his hands on the halfling's shoulders, "as long as it is yours to bear."

Drifter instantly stood and walked next to Gandalf and behind Frodo.

"You will need someone to watch your back, old man. I can't imagine you walking into Mordor with only one companion."

"A woman!?" Gimli exclaimed. He would have spoken further if Elrond and Gandalf had not sent death-glares his way. Next, Aragorn rose.

"If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."

"And you have my bow," Legolas stated, joining them.

"And my axe!" Gimli put in.

"You carry the fate of us all, little one," Boromir addressed Frodo. "If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."

"Hey!" Sam yelled, coming from behind a bush and running up to Frodo. "Mr. Frodo is not goin' anywhere without me!"

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

"Wait!" Merry and Pippin called, racing from behind a pillar. "We're coming too!"

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

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

"Well that rules you out, Pip."

"Ten companions…" Elrond pondered. "So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!"

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

Everyone soon departed to make preparations for the journey except for Drifter and Elrond.

"You have many decisions to make ahead of you, Falathiel," the elf said.

"I can already guess what a few of them may be…Elrond, before I leave, there is something I want to do. Arathorn was father-figure for me, and Gilraen a mother-figure…where are their graves? Of all the places I wandered to here, I never went there."

The elf looked slightly amused before becoming serious once more.

"The cemetery is at the back of my House near the wall. You should be able to find your way with relative ease after that."

As Drifter strolled toward her dwelling, she was stopped by Miluiel.

"Well, did you meet him?" she asked, bubbling with joy.

"Who?"

"Oh, quit being vague, Lyn. My fiancé, Legolas!"

"You are worthy of each other and will make a wonderful couple."

"Lyn? Since you will be traveling with him, will you do me a favor?"

"What is it, Miluiel?"

"Could you make sure that he returns safely?"

"Of course! And then, you can have him all to yourself."

The elf-maiden thanked Drifter and ran off, obviously to find Legolas.

-He's not yours anymore, Drifter, let it go-

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