Chapter 6: Rivendell and the Council Meeting
My eyelids were heavy than I had ever felt in my life. I opened them to find too bright of light. I pulled my arm up to guard my eyes from the sun, but that hurt my arm.
"Ow!" I howled.
"Ah, she awakens!" A familiar old voice called out. I blinked, adjusting my eyes to the light.
"Gandalf? Is that you?" I asked, and it truely was, the blurry figure cleared out and there sat Gandalf next to me.
"Aye." Gandalf answered.
"What day is this?" I asked, sitting up slowly.
"Don't strain yourself. It is October the twenty fourth if you'd like to know." Gandalf answered.
"So that means I've been asleep for two weeks? Oh my god!" I said out loud. Just then, Frodo and Sam ran into the room.
"Shade!" They both shouted. They came to my side with wide smiles.
"You're awake!" Sam stated the obvious.
"Yeah, and I'm happy about it." I looked to Frodo's arm, bandaged and looking normal. "How's your arm?" I asked. Frodo smiled.
"Fine, just fine, Miss Shade. How are you?" He retorted, playing at her as if it were a game.
"I think I'm much better now!" I answered smiling. Sam hugged me.
"Now, now hobbits. Miss Shadow needs her rest. Let's allow her sleep." Gandalf motioned the hobbits out of the room. I looked around. The room was beautifully crafted. I saw that this place or village she was in was like what she had never seen. The carvings and the draps were all so magnificent!
I slowly stood, holding my left arm with my right. I lifted some draps that led me to a balcony. I stood by the railings to find that I was in a mountianous area with leaves all around. If you've never seen the mountains in autumn, then you're missing something most definantly. Nearby there was a waterfall that a rainbow stood over, the colors caressing my eyes like medicine when your eyes are sore. I looked below me to see a group of men riding up on horses. One was ahead of the others. He was most elegant. His hair blonde. I noticed he was an elf, just like me! He dismounted his horse, and looked straight at ME! He smiled and I returned the smile. He was so beautiful, in a manly way I mean! I felt my face blushing and I waved at him. He waved, his smile incresing. I then slowly backed away from the side of the balcony and went into my room. I sat down on my bed, smiling. Did he really smile at me? I've never seen such a cute guy before! I laid on my bed, staring up at the ceiling.
I sighed and drifted off to sleep, dreaming of that man's face. Who was he? Why was he so appealing to me when no other guy had never been?
I awoke to a familiar voice. It was Frodo. He also had someone with him. It was an old hobbit, with white hair.
"Hello." I said, smiling while rubbing sleep from my eyes. I gently sat up while holding my arm.
"Hello, young mistress. I have heard you saved my nephew here. I thank you." The old hobbit abliged. I shook my head.
"I did my job, as a friend. I didn't even think twice of it. So, you are Frodo's uncle?" I asked in question.
"Aye. 'Tis a great boy here. I just wanted to thank you. I will be on my way. Oh, and ye need to come to the courtyard with Frodo soon, the council's meeting adjorns. We all want you there." And with that, the old man left, even without giving me his name.
"What's his name?" I bellowed.
"Oh, did he forget to tell you? His name is Bilbo Baggins. You need to get ready. The elloth tells me that your gown is in the cupboard. Let me fetch it for you." And Frodo got up and retrieved a rather spectacular gown of light purple from the cupboard that held all of what seemed like my new clothes. I gasped.
"It's amazing!" I couldn't keep my eyes off of the smooth fabric. It was like clouds on a windy day. He laid it on the side of the bed.
"I will leave and let you get dressed. I will return in ten minutes." And he left. I slowly got up, slow enough not to hurt myself. I lifted up the dress, the cloth even felt like clouds. It slipped on as if it were made just for me, even though I didn't know it was. Just like he said, Frodo appeared at my doorway ten minutes later. I was admiring myself in the long mirror. My arm didn't add any beauty, but I looked elegant at least.
"Beautiful!" Frodo gazed at my reflection. I smiled.
"The arm doesn't add any beauty, but yeah. Thanks."
I giggled.
"Aye, but your beauty shows." And with that, Frodo took my arm and led me down a LOT of stairs until we ended up at a balcony-like floor. There were a lot of men there, all in a circle, but not all human. There were elves, humans, dwarves, and hobbits. Some were adorable, but others, not so much. Frodo led me to a seat, and before I sat I glanced around and found the blonde elf I had seen earlier. He was sitting directly across from me. I smiled and he returned
that. He leaned sideways and pointed me out to his friend right beside him. I blushed and looked away. Next to me sat Frodo, and on the other side of me was Gandalf. I am so happy that my friends were surrounding me, I hate sitting really close to people I don't know.
A very cute, but older elf stood. He had brown hair and wore a crown at the top of his head. He must be the ruler, if there is one. Gandalf told me earlier that his name was Elrond.
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned 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 this fate, this one doom. Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." The older elf said. Frodo then got up and walked over to a pedistal that stood in the middle of the circle. He took the very familiar, ring that was starting to annoy me, on the pedistal. Everyone around gasped.
"So it is true." A very cute guy said, but he had a strange sort of evil glint in his eye.
"The doom of man." Someone cried out.
"It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor." The man spoke again. He had a beard, so I will call him beardy at the moment. He stood up. "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. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master." Aragorn said in umph. I smiled and nodded to his statement.
"And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" Beardy said. That made me mad, but when I once thought to stand up, Gandalf thrust his arm over my chest. No one noticed this. Suddenly, the blonde elf spoke.
"This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." He had that certain tone that made my heart leap.
"Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?" Beardy reckoned. Well DUH!
"And heir to the throne of Gondor." My elf responded. I smiled at him, but he was too busy into the conversation to notice. During this, my elf man stood up.
"Havo dad, Legolas." Aragorn said something in elf to my man. His name is Legolas? What a nice-wait, no time to think such things! I actually understood that phrase for it was easy to figure out, it meant sit down.
"Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king." That ticked me off. I almost shot out of my chair if it wasn't for Frodo holding me back now.
"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it." I cooled down for a second and took a deep breath.
"You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed." Elrond said.
"What are we waiting for!" The dwarf who said this then shot out of his chair and tried to smash the Ring with his axe, but his axe is shattered into a million pieces and he is thrown backwards. You know that had to hurt.
"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." Elrond replied to the action. Suddenly, some sort of Black-evil language speaks out and makes me shudder.
"One of you must do this." Elrond immediately said.
"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 that you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly." I hate Beardy at this moment.
"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" Legolas retorted.
"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it!" The dwarf, known as Gimli spoke.
"And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" Beardy remarked.
"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" Gimli bellowed. Now that ticked everyone off. All the elves then stood, then the dwarves, and at this point, all people in the circle was standing, except little Frodo.
"Never trust an Elf!" Gimli griped. My face was hot from anger, and yet Gandalf still held me back.
"Do you not understand? While you bicker amongst yourselves, Sauron's power grows! None can escape it! You'll all be destroyed!" Gandalf nearly yells. I take deep breaths to calm myself down. I turned to see Frodo, who had a weird expression on his face, like if he were hearing voices. Suddenly, in the midst of all the fighting, Frodo jumps up and says,
"I will take it! I will take it!" I look at him with a look that said, you don't know what you're getting into. Everyone grows silent.
"I will take the Ring to Mordor... Though - though I do not know the way." Frodo speaks the truth. Gandalf walks over to Frodo and puts his hand on his shoulder.
"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins. As long as it is yours to bear." Gandalf is now standing next to Frodo.
"If by my life or death, if I can protect you, I will." Aragorn walks over and kneels in front of Frodo. "You have my sword." Gandalf then winked at Elrond. I smiled. Legolas then goes and stands next to Frodo.
"And you have my bow." Legolas proudly says, his head high.
"And my axe." Gimli too walked over beside Frodo, but he was right next to Legolas. Beardy then walks slowly to Frodo and says,
"You carry the fates of us all, little one." Aragorn then places his hand on Frodo's shoulder.
"If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done." Beardy finished.
"Here!" A familiar voice squeaks, and out of the bushes runs Sam. Aragorn had to lift his hand to let Sam by.
"Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me." Sam galiantly said.
"No, indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you from him, even when he is summoned to a secret Council, and you are not." Elrond states. Out of nowhere, another familiar voice pipes in.
"Oi! We're coming too!" It was Merry, along with Pippin. They ran from the entrance. Halfway to Frodo he said, "You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us."
Pippin then burst out, "Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission. Quest. Thing." They made their way to Frodo and stood beside him.
"Well that rules you out, Pip." Merry jokes.
"Nine companions." Elrond said. Then everyone was silent. The group then looked directly at me. "And what shall be of you?" Elrond asked, also looking at me. I was standing in front of the group.
"Oh! I'm sorry! Well, since they are my friends, and it is my duty, I will join this fellowship!" I elegantly walked over to the group. Everyone made me feel a home, except Beardy.
"So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring." Elrond announced.
"Great. Where are we going?" Pippin asked innocently. I, along with everyone else laughed. I was happy to be a part of this family, and getting to know some of these people would be even more enjoyable.
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