For Disclaimer, see Chapter 1.
Chapter 5: The Council of Elrond
Cynthia's POV
~The Next Morning~
"My sister." Aragorn said, "Yes, my brother." I said to him, "There is a council of Lord Elrond and he told me, that you are expecting to join there." He said, "I know that already, he said to me last night before I go to bed." "Really?" He asked, "Yes."
~Flashback~
As I went to my room and get some sleep but suddenly, Lord Elrond walks toward to me said, "Cynthia." He said, "Yes, my lord." "I expect you to join us in the council tomorrow morning." I nodded and asked, "Why do you want to join me there?" I turned around to him, "Well, I know, you are very brave and you are going to become a warrior like your brother and we are going to talking about the One Ring." He said, "The ring is actually here in Rivendell, my lord." I said, "Yes, and it was handle by Frodo." "Oh, that's why? Arwen brought Frodo here to heal him because of the Nazgul and that ring." "Yes. Now, get some rest, my dear and be ready for tomorrow." He said as I nodded, "Of course, my lord." Then he walks away as I enter my room.
~End of Flashback~
"Then, let's go before Lord Elrond finds out that are late." Aragorn said, I nodded as we are going to the council.
~At the Council~
Gandalf, Frodo and I along with a congregation of Men, Elves and Dwarves sit in a semi-circle around a stone pedestal. However, I sit beside of my brother and Elrond starts to speak, "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." He gestures to the pedestal, "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." "So it is true…" Boromir said as Frodo returns to his seat beside Gandalf. He seems relieved. The members of the Council stare at the Ring, mesmerised by it. It appears to start whispering to each of them in turn. Each person hears it differently. Then the man from the ring starts to whisper, "The Doom of Men." Boromir rises to address the Council, "In a dream, I saw the eastern sky grow dark. But in the West a pale light lingered." The voice was crying: "Your doom is near at hand." Boromir approaches the Ring on the plinth. "Isildur's Bane is found." And he reaches out towards the Ring. Gandalf and Elrond exchange concerned looks. His fingers hover above the Ring. "Isildur's Bane." The voice said again, then Elrond leaps up. "Boromir!" Gandalf stands and begins to chant in the Black Speech. The ring echoes the harsh words. Thunder crackles as the sky darkens. The Council stare around them in fear and confusion.
"Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul."
The voice of the Ring dies away. People resume their seats, horrified, Boromir amongst them. "Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris!" Elrond said, "I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West!" Gandalf said as his voice raspy from the force of the words and the language and he continues, "The Ring is altogether evil!" He gives Boromir a final scathing glance and resumes his seat. Boromir is unperturbed. "It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor." "Why not use this Ring?" Boromir paces, "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, "And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Boromir said, 'How he could say that him' I thought, then Legolas stands up, "This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." "Aragorn? This… is Isildur's heir?" Boromir said as Legolas continues, "And heir to the throne of Gondor." Frodo looks wide-eyed at Aragorn. "Havo dad, Legolas." Aragorn said and Legolas sits down, "Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king." Boromir said as he returns to his seats. "Aragorn is right. We cannot use it." Gandalf agreed, "You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed." Elrond commanded, "Then what are we waiting for?" Gimli said and he grabs an axe and approaches the pedestal. "Argh!" He strikes the Ring with full force but is repelled back, throwing him to the ground. Concurrently, Frodo sees the Eye of Sauron in his mind and winces in pain. The Ring remains intact with the shards of the axe all around it. Whispers in the black tongue issue forth from the Ring. "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." Elrond said, the ring whispers again, "Ash Nazg." "One of you must do this." "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!" Boromir, then Legolas stands indignantly, "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" Gimli leaps up and yelled at him, "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?!" Then Boromir stands up and starts to yell as well, "And if we fail, what then?! What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?!" "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" Gimli yelled as the commotion starts as arguments erupt amongst the council members. "Never trust an Elf!" Gimli yelled again, Frodo remains seated including me, Aragorn and Lord Elrond and then Gandalf joins and argues with the other members, "Do you not understand that while we bicker amongst ourselves, Sauron's power grows?! None can escape it! You'll all be destroyed!" Until Frodo stands and takes a few steps toward the arguing council, trying to make his voice heard. "I will take it!" But they didn't hear and he starts to yelled again, "I will take it!" The arguments are finally stop and Gandalf closes his eyes as he hears Frodo's statement. The members of the council slowly turn towards Frodo, astonished. "I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though — I do not know the way." Gandalf walks toward to Frodo, "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." He places his hands reassuringly on Frodo's shoulders and Aragorn rises and joins, "If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." He approaches Frodo and keels before him. "You have my sword." Then I stand up but I stare at Lord Elrond and he nodded at me, it means, I will join with them as well. I kneel down before Frodo and said, "As my brother said to you and you have my protection, hope and strength." I said as I stand up, "I can't believe it that you are expecting to join us, my dear." Gandalf said to me, then Lord Elrond said, "Yes, indeed since she is very brave warrior and she is only the girl who will fight against the evil." "I glad, you will join us, my lady." Frodo said, "Thanks." I said with a simple smile to him, Legolas walks to join with us, "And you have my bow." "And my axe!" Gimli looks grimly at Legolas as he joins 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." Boromir said as he walks over to us, "Heh!" Sam jumps from behind the bushes and joins toward to us, "Mister 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 amused, "Wait! We are coming too!" Pippin and Merry said and emerge from behind the pillars to join as well. "You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" Merry said, "Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest… thing." Pippin said, "Well that rules you out Pip." Merry said to him, "Ten companions… So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!" "Great! Where are we going?" Pippin said.
Translations:
"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.
Havo dad - Sit down