This is posted a little ahead of when I intended but I updated the story on AO3 today and so I figured I should do the same on here. That's a less than subtle hint (if you want to read 'ahead' then my AO3 username is on my profile - kudos and comments would be appreciated).
Thanks for the reviews, favs and alerts.
Again. Parts of this are borrowed from LOTR and The Hobbit.
"That is not any language I know," Thorin said.
"Nor is it one you should," Gandalf said, looking grim, "though the letters are Elvish the language is that of Mordor. I will not utter it's true form here but in the Common Tongue it says 'One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them', two lines of a verse of Elven-lore.
Three Rings for Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
This is the One Ring that was thought lost."
Bilbo noticed that the dwarves who had gone to bed had all been roused and the whole company sat around the fire, staring at the ring which lay – quite harmless – on Thorin's arm guard. Thorin sat down, but allowed the ring to remain sitting on his arm guard since neither Bilbo nor Gandalf made a move to take it.
"What's that mean?" Ori asked.
"Long before Erebor was founded, when Durin's folk lived peacefully in Moria, the Elvish settlement of Eregion was right outside the walls of Moria. Elves and Dwarves traded peacefully," there was much scoffing at that, but Gandalf simply spoke over it, "and the Elvish smiths there were famed. It was then that Sauron the deceiver, disguised in a fair form and calling himself Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, came to Eregion. There he laboured with Celebrimbor, the grandson of Fëanor and the other craftsmen of Eregion, who began to create Rings of Power. Sixteen of these unknowingly had Sauron's influence. Nine of these rings were given to great mortal kings and seven to worthy dwarf lords. Sauron's purpose in doing so was to control these ring bearers. Swiftly the nine kings of men fell under Sauron's power but the dwarf lords endured and would not fall," that prompted cheering, which only quieted under the combined glares of Thorin and Gandalf, "but unknown to Sauron, Celebrimbor forged three rings that were hidden from his influence. These were given to the elves. Sauron did not give up and instead he forged one ring to rule all the others, a ring into which he poured much of his own spirit. Enough that, even when he was slain by Isildur, he lived on because Isildur took the ring. Long has it passed out of sight and many thought it lost and Sauron truly dead."
"And then our hobbit finds it on the floor of a goblin cave," Thorin finished.
"It would appear so. This ring has much greater power than simple invisibility. My dear Bilbo, your fumble may yet save thousands of lives."
"How do you mean?" Bilbo said.
"I may have been able to read the words on the ring once they were visible, but I would not have known how to make them so – nor, I think, would any other of the wizards or the elf lords who walk this earth today. If you had not slipped and the ring had not fallen into the fire I would have supposed the same as Thorin and Sauron's power would have been allowed to grow. This is the final piece. The blade that Radagast brought from Dol Guldur was not of this world, Dol Guldur has long been a fortress of Sauron though it is but a ruin now. If Sauron is still alive then his servants, the Ringwraiths – the spirits of the nine kings of men enslaved to Sauron – are not destroyed, as was thought, but simply in hiding with their master. The unusual activity of trolls, orcs and wargs crossing the Bruinen is testament to Sauron's growing power. There is a difficult choice for this company. To continue onwards to Erebor and Smaug or to abandon that quest in favour of another. To take this ring to the only place in Middle Earth where it may be destroyed."
"And where is that?" Thorin asked.
"Mount Doom in Mordor," said Gandalf. He looked around at the dwarves, who were all in various states of shock, and at Bilbo who was just about clinging to consciousness. "But it is late, or else early, and this is not a decision to be made lightly. Go to bed. Bilbo, take the ring back from Thorin."
"But why can't you take it?" Bilbo said.
"I already bear one ring. Bearing two is not permitted and I fear that if I should take the ring then it might wake. In Gollum's company and in yours it is asleep, so long as it remains that way you may touch it with ease – though I would not have you use it save in the last depths of despair. Even Thorin taking it is a risk, for his father and grandfather both bore one of the seven."
Bilbo flexed his fingers and quickly snatched up the ring from where it lay on Thorin's arm, dropping it in his pocket as quickly as possible. It didn't seem any different than it had before he knew what it was, it was no heavier, but it felt different somehow. He wasn't sure if it was because he knew now that it was evil rather than just a useful tool or if it had woken up.
The three of them proceeded to bed. Beorn's animals had managed to lay out a mattress that was indisputably for Gandalf close to the fire, indisputable because it was nearly twice the size of the other pallets, but the other dwarves had graciously left the two normal mattresses closest to the fire open for Thorin and Bilbo.
Despite the exertions of the day and the terror and excitement of the night Bilbo was having trouble getting to sleep, knowing that he had an evil dark lord's soul in his pocket.
Eventually Bilbo fell into an uneasy and not at all restful sleep, only to be awoken by Beorn coming in. Feeling not at all himself, and wishing he could leave the ring under his mattress or else in some other place so he didn't have to carry it, Bilbo got up – maybe some breakfast would make him feel a little better.
Gandalf was already awake and sitting at the table. Bilbo hopped, for it was a goodly hop to get on the bench and his feet dangled awkwardly, on to the bench next to the wizard. He thought about asking if this was real, if it wasn't just some horrible dream he'd had because he'd drowned or something, the ring he'd picked up on a whim couldn't be one forged by some evil so great and so dark he couldn't really comprehend it. That Gandalf wasn't about to ask, or strongly suggest, that Thorin and the company abandon trying get their home back because of something he'd done. They'd barely accepted him as it was, they'd hate him if his finding this ring meant they lost their home. He should have just left the damned thing lying on the ground in that cave.
Beorn seemed in a good mood, his animals at his heels bringing breakfast as the dwarves - one by one - came to the breakfast table. Their expressions were all grim, and Bilbo couldn't meet their eyes.
"That story you told, Gandalf," Beorn said, "I liked it much last night but I like it still better this morning, for now I know it to be true."
It transpired, and Bilbo became very glad of Beorn's good humour for the large man spoke at length, that Beorn had changed shape into a bear (which Gandalf assured the dwarves he had mentioned to them but they all swore he had not) and headed back across the river and up towards the mountain when he had run straight into Azog and the rest of his orc pack. He had not managed to capture nor kill Azog but as a great, tireless bear, he had chased down one warg rider to question and run the others off. That rider had confirmed much of the story but Beorn had had to grab a goblin sentry to confirm the rest of it. He was mightily proud of the orc and goblin heads which adorned his gate and the warg skin nailed to a tree. It was only after he had finished telling the tale that he seemed to notice the solemn mood which hung over the rest of the company.
"I thought this news would be greeted with celebration. Your enemy is driven far behind you, though wargs move swifter than ponies, I am resolved to give you food and mounts for your quest onwards and hereafter I shall think better of any dwarf I see knowing what you have done," Beorn said, looking around at all of them. "What is it that so troubles you all?"
There were some shared glances between the dwarves but then Gandalf spoke, outlining quite generally what it was that Bilbo had found and what it meant. Beorn's expression likewise turned grim.
"And what do you propose to do about this?" Beorn said.
"That we have not decided," Thorin said.
"You must do so forthwith," said Beorn, "for I do not want that thing within my lands any longer than it has to be." With that, he left the hall.
"Now it comes to it," Gandalf said, "we must decide what to do."
"We, Gandalf?" Dwalin said, "I thought you were leaving us."
"And indeed I was, but with this…new development, no matter what course you decide I shall go with the ring at least until we have passed through Mirkwood. For if it is truly Sauron within the fortress at Dol Guldur, I do not know how far his reach has spread and if his mind would seek it out." Gandalf said.
"Very well," said Thorin, "we know what you would council us, wizard. To delay our return to Erebor and go instead to Mordor to destroy this ring. What do the rest of the company say?"
"Could we not go first to Erebor and, once that is reclaimed, go forth from there to Mordor with a greater strength?" Balin suggested.
"Erebor has been inhabited by a dragon for one hundred and seventy one years," Gandalf said, "returning it to rights and building it back to its former glory will not be a swift undertaking. One that is perhaps better suited to times of peace."
"If Sauron is growing as powerful as you say," Dori said, "what is to stop him from using Smaug?"
"That is precisely the reason I would have us set out now. Curtail Sauron's power before he has the chance to do just that. The reappearance of the One Ring will convince those who had thought, or wished, Sauron destroyed that he not yet dead. I believe they can hold his power back until the Ring can be destroyed. Besides, Sauron would have to have much more power than he does now to convince a dragon to leave such a hoard." That was not well received.
Bifur said something in Khuzdul which made the dwarves nod.
"Because if Sauron returns to his full power while you sit in your mountain, he will not leave you be." Gandalf boomed. "He may attack the strongholds of Men and Elves first, but eventually his eye will turn to the Iron Hills, to Erebor and to the Blue Mountains as the last of the free folk. If you wait and Sauron is returned to his strength then Durin's Bane will not be an idle legend."
Bilbo was liking this less and less. He did not much like being in the middle of an argument, quite literally in this case, especially over something he had caused. He couldn't even put on his ring and leave because it was evil. Instead he tried to make himself as small and unnoticeable as possible and hope everybody ignored him. Which they mostly seemed happy to do, as the discussion became louder. He didn't even know what outcome he wanted it to be, unless somebody was going to offer to take the ring off of him before they journeyed to Mordor (wherever that was). Gandalf wouldn't take it off him and none of the other dwarves seemed like they were about to offer to take the ring - then again, was it really their problem, he'd been the one to pick it up.
The argument continued long after breakfast was finished and cleaned away. He couldn't blame them for not wanting to come, he didn't particularly want to go. It was the right thing to do, destroy evil, but that didn't mean he wanted to march into Mordor and drop the ring in Mount Doom. He noticed that it mostly seemed to be the older dwarves, the ones with more connections to Erebor, who were speaking - Fili and Kili in particular seemed to be keeping quiet. Gandalf did seem to be swaying some of them as the argument quieted but Thorin and Balin seemed to be standing firm that the quest to Erebor was paramount and they could always go to Mordor later.
"Then let the company vote on it." Thorin said with an air of finality, looking around. Gandalf agreed that that was fair.
The votes were cast and Bilbo was a little surprised when he was included. He had to remind himself more than once that destroying the ring was the right thing to do, bigger evil and all that, and how strange had his life become when going to fight a dragon became the easy choice. Maybe he regretted his decision a little more when they reached the seventh vote for going to Mordor because Bilbo got a good look at Thorin's face and how it crumpled just a little bit before the dwarf king could control it. Thorin had been waiting a hundred and something years to get his home back and he, Bilbo, had accidentally broken that dream. In the end, despite the loyalty they owed to Thorin, there were only three hold-outs and nine were in favour of going.
"That is settled then," Thorin said, voice not shaking an iota, "we go to Mordor."
Dun dun dun.
Again, reviews are always appreciated.
