Chapter three – Nine or Ten?

The day of the council dawned bright and early and as always, Krys was up with the sun. She headed outside as had become her routine to see Dae. She saddled her mare and put her through her paces before going for a run around the outskirts of Imladris. After stabling Dae, she walked back to her room to grab her glaive, then headed outside to the practice fields where she went through her routine of blocks, strikes and jabs. When she was finished she headed in for a bath then breakfast in the dining hall.

Krys sat down, grabbed some food and immediately started eating. A cough interrupted her train of thought and she looked up to several elves watching her. One of the elves said something in elvish, so she just tilted her head in a questioning way. The only thing she understood was 'hello'. The elf repeated his question in common, he wanted to know her name. Krys looked around a bit before spotting Arwen. She waved her over.

"Hello, Krys, how are you today?" she asked. Krys nodded then tilted her head. "I'm fine," Arwen replied to her silent question. Krys motioned to the elves that were watching the two curiously, then tapped her throat. Arwen nodded, then explained, "Krys is mute, I'm afraid you will get few, if any, answers." The elf who had asked my name stood and bowed. "That is fine, milady, we were merely curious as to the lady's name." Krys frowned then looked at Arwen, who giggled. "Krys would like me to tell you she is mute, not deaf and can hear your questions fine. Therefore she asks that you do not talk about her as if she is not here."

"I am most sorry, milady," he replied to Krys, "I meant no offence."

Krys's face relaxed and she waved her hand in the way that meant 'it's okay' before returning to her meal. She motioned for Arwen to sit beside her, which she gratefully did. "I've been on my feet for an age," she explained, "with all these visitors at once, everybody has to be arranged so and so. After all you can't put dwarves and elves in the same hall or at the same table, and two of the Dwarf clans are disagreeing at the moment, so they can't be beside each other. It's exhausting." Krys patted her arm sympathetically then motioned across the hall. "Things are fine," replied Arwen, "He's really quite a gentleman, despite how rough he looks." Krys giggled silently.

Krys and Arwen ate in silence for a while before Krys stood. She nodded to Arwen and bowed to the other elves at the table, then left the hall deep in thought. When she reached her room she grabbed her favourite shawl and her book on medicinal plants before heading to the council, which was scheduled to begin soon. Entering the small garden where the council was being held she looked to Elrond who motioned for her to sit beside the elf who had asked her name at breakfast. She curtsied and complied.

Krys only had to wait a few minutes before the rest of the people arrived. She shrank back slightly from the men, but stopped moving when the elf beside her looked at her. She looked to Elrond, who smiled reassuringly, before taking a deep breath and paying attention as the council began.

Everyone looked to Elrond as he spoke, "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. Bring forth the ring, Frodo." Krys watched as Frodo rose and laid a small gold ring onto a pedestal in the centre of the garden.

A man spoke, "So it is true…" The man stood, "In a dream, 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." He walked towards the ring, "Isildur's Bane is found." The man reached towards the ring. Elrond rose, "Boromir!" He yelled. A harsh chant started up and Krys covered her ears. Gandalf stood and started speaking in the same language, "Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul." Thunder boomed and the sky darkened. The man, Boromir, returned to his seat as the commotion died down.

Elrond looked at Gandalf furiously. "Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris!" He yelled. Gandalf's voice was raspy as he spoke, "I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether Evil!" Gandalf looked scathingly at Boromir, who ignored him as he stood once again.

"It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this ring?" he said as he started to pace, "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!" Estel stood to face him. "You cannot wield it! None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

Boromir sneered at Estel and replied, "And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" The Elf beside my stood angrily, "This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son or Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." Boromir looked stunned. "Aragorn? This… is Isildur's heir?" The Elf replied, "And heir to the throne of Gondor." Krys was amazed, and she saw Frodo was too, Estel was a prince, and he didn't seem too happy that everyone knew. "Havo dad, Legolas" he told the elf. So, Legolas was his name. 'I'll have to remember that,' Krys thought.

As much as Estel didn't like the revelation, Boromir seemed to hate it. "Gondor has no king," he said, " Gondor needs no king." Krys felt relieved when he finally sat down, Estel too. Gandalf spoke, "Aragorn is right. We cannot use it." Elrond continued, "You have one choice. The ring must be destroyed." At this point one of the dwarves rose from he seat, yelled, "Then what are we waiting for?" and brought an axe down hard upon the ring. The axe shattered and the dwarf was thrown back. The evil voice once again issued forth from the ring and above it Elrond replied, "The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glóin, 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."

The council was silent. Krys saw that most of them stared at Elrond in disbelief. Boromir in particular looked strangely at him. "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!" He replied. Legolas looked indignant, "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The ring must be destroyed!"

Gimli jumped to his feet, "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?"

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

Gimli rose his voice above Boromir's, "I will be dead before I see the ring in the hands of an elf. Never trust an elf." Krys thought this was unfair, and apparently, so did the elves. The council broke into loud arguments and Krys slouched down in her seat and covered her ears and flashbacks raced through her mind. Her father standing over her with a knife. Her mother's scream as she died.

Anger, pain and misery clouded her senses until, "I will take it!" Krys opened her eyes as the council quieted, Frodo had stood and walked to the centre of the small garden. "I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though-- I do not know the way," he said. Gandalf walked towards him, "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." Estel followed, "If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." He knelt before Frodo, "You have my sword."

Legolas walked over, "And you have my bow."

Gimli joined them, "And my axe." Although he looked grimly at Legolas as he joined the group. Boromir walked slowly towards the group, "You carry the fate of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done." Krys's head whipped to the side as a voice came from the bushes, "Heh! Mr. Frodo is not goin' anywhere without me!" Krys smiled as Sam joined the group and Elrond replied, amused, "No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." Sam had the decency to look at least a little repentant.

However, even Elrond was surprised when Merry and Pippin ran out to join the group yelling, "Wait, we're coming too!" Merry continued, "You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!"

"Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest... thing," said Pippin. Everyone looked amused as Merry replied,

"Well, that rules you out, Pip."

Elrond mused, "Nine companions," suddenly he stopped and looked over at Krys. "Krys, I wish for you to go with them." Everyone was shocked. Then Boromir spoke, "A female? What use will she be? She would but slow us down." But neither Krys nor Elrond was listening. Krys stared hard at Elrond, looking into his eyes, trying to see his reasons in his emotions. There was nothing but truth, trust, and sorrow that he must ask this of her.

She nodded, stood and walked to the group. She stopped at Frodo and looked him in the eye before bowing her head and standing beside Legolas. "Enough Boromir, son of Denethor." Said Elrond, "It will be done, she has agreed. Ten companions… So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!"

Well, here it is. I'm all better, physio is finished, and I have to say, thank the lord!!! I had a bit of time and a few ideas, so I decided to write a little. School is hell, catching up on almost a year's work is not fun but, hey my own fault. Anyway, sorry bout that, thank you for your reviews and for anyone who reads WMP I'm a bit stuck, so it might not be updated for a bit.

Blondie, Gossamer and Youko – Thank you, I really appreciate your reviews, it's good to know people like your stories.

Helkardowen – I'm sorry, I suppose it's because I keep thinking of changing it to first person, I'll try to make sure I don't make the same mistake again, but the only Beta reader I have is Alex, and she's about as good at English as I am.

Ariti – I'm sorry for my rather… acidic reply, but I was in a bit of pain that day and Krys was rather upset. I know you didn't mean much by it and I've often scoffed at the flowery names myself, but I just thought each name was pretty and I couldn't choose so I stuck them all in.