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Kyrie:
When we stepped out into the hall, Gandalf steered me down to an empty corridor. From out of his pocket he pulled out a stick of charcoal and began to smudge the black coal onto my skin.
"Uh…Gandalf? What are you doing?" I asked, closing my eyes as Gandalf began drawing along my forehead. The Wizard continued to draw across my neck, my shoulders, my ears, my upper arms, my fingers, and even my toes.
"It is a simple illusion." Gandalf said, tucking away the charcoal into his pocket. He then closed his eyes, placed his hands on my forehead, and began to mumble. Suddenly, there was a new weight upon my body, and when I looked down, I was covered in crystals.
"G-Gandalf?" I whispered, feeling a heavy circlet on my brow. Every smudge upon my body had become a gleaming piece of blue crystal jewelry.
"They are not real. A simple illusion." Gandalf said, happily tapping on one of the crystalline shoulder chains that draped around me like raindrops. My ankle bells jingled as I spun, trying to see all the jewels that swarmed my form.
"W-why?" I asked, feeling far too bedazzled for a simple meeting.
"I plan on presenting you as one of the last living members of your race; which you are. Think of the crystals as a precaution." Gandalf said, offering me his arm once more.
"Precaution? For what?" I asked, feeling drained. I feel like I've asked more questions today than I ever have my entire life.
"You are lavished such as a queen would be in the times of Fae strength and grandeur." Gandalf said. "None would dare imprison a Fae queen."
"Why?" I asked, wincing at Gandalf's sigh.
"Your people are a powerful race, even at such times of low population." Gandalf said. "I will not utter the word Fae, but the beings in this counsel will understand. Do not fear. Play your role well, and we shall all escape."
"Escape?"
"Oh yes," Gandalf said, as if he had forgotten something rather unimportant. "I will give you a signal, a single twitch of my eyebrows. When I give the signal, quietly excuse yourself. Return to the company, and tell them it is time to leave Rivendell. We must sneak."
"Yo-You almost forgot to tell me the plan?! That's what it sounds like you almost did!" I yelped.
"I must admit…it slipped my mind; telling you about the signal." Gandalf said as if there was nothing wrong. "I am thinking too much. Simply putting the horse before the cart."
Huffing, I narrowed my eyes at the tall Wizard. "Pretty large horse for you to let get slippery."
Gandalf chuckled, "Speaking of slippery, you have to answer something for me, dear."
"What?" I sighed, feeling drained.
"Without me there, Mister Baggins might feel a little…ganged up upon. He needs you on his side."
"What if his side is wrong?" I asked curiously.
"He needs you, Kyrie." Gandalf said, fastening our pace. "He might not recognize it now, but the Hobbit has managed to grow a sort of tenderness for you."
Nothing else could be said as Elrond appeared from around the bend. The Elf walked with us up a flight of marble stairs, conversing with Gandalf about the dangers of the quest, a seemingly up coming evil…
Blah, blah, blah.
"With or without our help, these dwarves will march on the mountain. They are determined to reclaim their homeland. I do not believe Thorin Oakenshield feels that he's answerable to anyone. Nor for that matter am I."
"It is not me you must answer to." Elrond said softly, leading us into a large, open, white marble pavilion. Once we entered the counsel room, I spied a tall figure standing in between one of the spaces between the large white pillars. Slowly, the figure turned around to reveal the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Moonlight was the color of her skin, starlight was her hair, sky was her eyes, and shimmering ice was her gown.
"Lady Galadriel." Gandalf whispered, seemingly in awe. Lady Galadriel took a step towards us that was so graceful, I had to control myself from falling at her feet.
"Mithrandir. It has been a long time." She spoke, her voice soft and kind.
"Nae nin gwistant infanneth, mal ú-eichia i Chíril Lorien." Gandalf whispered softly, almost lovingly. Whatever he said made the lovely woman smile softly, revealing that she had small dimples.
"I had no idea Lord Elrond had sent for you." Gandalf said. A sudden feeling of uneasiness settled over me as a figure appeared from the shadows.
"He didn't. I did." This newcomer, an elderly man in white, said as he crept out of the shadows. I frowned and took a step closer to Gandalf, who also seemed a little startled. None the less, Gandalf slowly bowed to the man in white.
"Saruman." Gandalf said, still bent oven.
"You've been busy of late, my friend." Saruman said, taking a seat at the only table in the pavilion. Dawn slowly began to cause the sky to lighten, and with a disgusted huff I realized that I hadn't slept all night. Smiling, Gandalf pulled out the chair beside him and offered me a seat.
"Tell me, Gandalf, did you think these plans and schemes of yours would go unnoticed?" Saruman asked calmly the moment Gandalf was seated.
"Unnoticed? No, I'm simply doing what I feel to be right." Gandalf said honestly.
"The dragon has long been on your mind." Galadriel spoke softly, her eyes trained on Gandalf.
"This is true, my lady. Smaug owes allegiance to no one. But if he should side with the enemy, a dragon could be used to terrible effect." Gandalf said softly, earning a look of understanding from Lady Galadriel.
"What enemy? Gandalf, the enemy is defeated. Sauron is vanquished. He can never regain his full strength." Saruman grumbled.
"Gandalf, for four hundred years, we have lived in peace. A hard-won, watchful peace." Elrond said, looking out over his land.
Peace? This Elf calls Orcs rolling around everywhere we go, 'peace'!?
"Are we? Are we at peace? Trolls have come down from the mountains. They are raiding villages, destroying farms. Orcs have attacked us on the road." Gandalf said, turning to me.
"Fangorn Forest has even been subjected to Orc attacks." I said slowly, earning the full attention of the counsel for the first time. "We've met wargs and Orcs on the road. As well as Trolls. Who knows what else is out there."
"And who are-" Saruman grouched, but was cut off by Lady Galadriel.
"Orcs, trolls, and wargs will forever be a problem for this world, it seems. Lady Kyrie." Galadriel cooed, causing me a shock. How did she know my name? I felt a deep seeded dislike swell up inside me.
Of course she would know everything. Nosey, beautiful Elleth.
"All those creatures considered; being attacked is hardly a prelude to war." Elrond said, siding with Saruman the white.
"Always you must meddle, looking for trouble where none exists." The white Wizard began to pick apart Gandalf, but he was silenced by a few soft words of Lady Galadriel.
"Let him speak." Galadriel said, her full attention on the grey wizard.
"There is something at work beyond the evil of Smaug. Something far more powerful. We can remain blind, but it will not be ignoring us, that I can promise you. A sickness lies over the Greenwood. The woodsmen living there now call it 'Mirkwood'. They say..." Gandalf stopped speaking, a pensive look crossing his wrinkled face.
"Well, don't stop now. Tell us about the woodsmen's sayings." Saruman prodded, frowning.
"They speak of a Necromancer living in Dol Guldur, a sorcerer who can summon the dead." Gandalf reported grimly.
"That's absurd."
Does this man have anything positive to add to this meeting?
"No such power exists in the world. This...Necromancer is nothing more than a mortal man. A conjurer dabbling in black magic." Saruman scoffed, his crooked nose crinkling.
"And so I thought too. But, Radagast has -"
"Radagast? Do not speak to me about Radagast the Brown. He is a foolish fellow." Saruman growled, rolling his eyes.
I felt my feathers ruffle in agitation. How dare this white robed Wizard dismiss the worries of his fellow Wizards? Did brotherhood mean nothing to him? He couldn't even be bothered to listen to a thing Gandalf had to say before cutting him off.
I caught eye contact with the beautiful Elleth, who was smiling at me. Her lips thinned for a moment and her smile became pinched. Then, her face smoothed out peacefully and her kind smile returned. She nodded to me, her shimmering eyes expressing understanding.
She understood what?
"Well, he's odd, I grant you. He lives a solitary life." Gandalf admitted, a frown crossing his usually optimistic features.
"It's not that. It's his excessive consumption of mushrooms. They've addled his brains and yellowed his teeth. I warned him, it is unbecoming of the Istari to be wandering the woods." Saruman hissed. Gandalf turned his attention to Galadriel, who smiled impishly at the Wizard.
Gandalf pulled something out of the folds in his robes that was wrapped in cloth and tightly knotted. He placed the parcel on the marble table, silencing Saruman.
"What is that?" Elrond asked, stepping closer in curiosity.
"A relic of Mordor." Galadriel whispered, her eyes wide. Elrond drew back from the parcel at the Elleth's words. Irritated at the softness of Elves, I quickly unknotted the wrapped relic. It turned out to be a sword; a crudely made sword.
"Looks like the work of a drunkard." I shrugged, not seeing the importance of the blade. The rest of the members looked upon the weapon with unsettled gazes.
"A Morgul blade." Elrond whispered, sounding out of breath.
"Made for the Witch-King of Angmar, and buried with him. When Angmar fell, men of the North took his body and all that he possessed and sealed in the High-Fells of Rhudaur. Deep within the rock they buried them, in a tomb so dark it would never come to light." Galadriel gave a short history lesson.
"This is not possible." Elrond muttered, staring at the poorly crafted weapon in awe. "A powerful spells lies upon those tombs; they cannot be opened."
"Unless opened by more powerful magic." I added, earning a scathing glare from Saruman.
"What proof do we have this weapon came from Angmar's grave?" He asked, sounding unconvinced.
"I have none." Gandalf admitted, sounding tired.
"Because there is none. Let us examine what we know. A single Orc pack has dared to cross the Bruinen. A dagger from a bygone age has been found. And a human sorcerer, who calls himself the Necromancer, has taken up residence in the ruined fortress. Not so very much, after all." Saruman mocked, but he did not get a single reaction from Gandalf.
"It's enough to question what you define as peace." I said, raising my chin. Saruman's dark eyes, like an old owl, narrowed down at me. I could see my reflection in his dark orbs, and I could tell that I looked ten times more powerful than I felt.
"The question of this dwarvish company, however, troubles me deeply. I'm not convinced, Gandalf; I do not feel I can condone such a quest. If they'd come to me, I might have spared them." Saruman haughtily sighed, frowning down at me.
Might have spared them?
Oh hell no!
Underneath the table, Gandalf tapped my foot with his. I looked up at the gray Wizard, who wriggled his eyebrows at me. That was the signal! Just as I was about to get up and leave, a soothing voice rang inside my head.
"Go, Fae. I grant you a gift." The soothing voice said. I knew that voice. "You can respond to me with your thoughts, Kyrie."
"G-Galadriel? H-how are you in my mind?" I questioned internally. I looked towards the Elleth, who was staring at me with a smile. I felt a little spike of resentment grow inside me. What right did she have to enter my head?
"My right is my desire to save you." Galadriel answered, sounding amused. "Go. My gift to you is the crystals you now wear, they are no longer illusions. Keep them on your person. Your gown as well."
"T-thank you, I suppose." I thought, feeling shocked. Why would she gift me with jewelry worth thousands of gold coins?
"For the final time, go, my Fae." Galadriel chuckled. "Remember what Gandalf said to you. Wearing that gown and those crystals, you look like a Fae queen of old. No one would dare imprison you. Keep these gifts on your person at all times. Not in a bag. A pouch stitched into the inside of your clothes."
With an understanding glance, I stood from the table. Without another word, I slowly made my way out of the meeting room. No one tried to stop me, and I walked slow enough that no one seemed suspicious.
Once I closed the door behind me, I rushed down the hall. After a few minutes of fumbling around the large castle, I found the room that the rest of the company was sleeping in. They were all awake, chatting softly as the sun began to lighten the black sky.
"We must go! Now!" I called, earning stares from the entire company. "The White Counsel plans to stop us! Gandalf sent me! Pack and meet me at the gates in ten minutes. We must flee for the mountains!"