This chapter starts straight into the council meeting that decides the fate of the Ring, and that the Fellowship is formed in. Legolas doesn't join them at first, but he does once Elrond is done sharing his story. Most of them aren't to keen on the idea. (I wonder why?) But they'll get fond of him before the end. ;)
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I hope people will consider reviewing to tell me what they think of the story. I would like to know. Constructive criticism is also encouraged and welcome. I'm attempting to stay as close to the canon of Lord of the Rings as possible, and this is the first chapter where that's very evident at all. I know that the story will vary from time to time from the story, but I hope it's an enjoyable read none the less.
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," Elrond began, letting them all know that the meeting was now in session. "you have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands on 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."
Elrond paused a moment, letting his eyes wander around the partial circle of chairs. It was arranged this way so no one person would feel less important than another. It was a gesture of good will, that looking toward Gimil, he knew that not everyone shared. Legolas could feel his eyes, full of distrust and hate and bit back a sigh. That hatred would surely only grow if Elrond continued as he had planned. Legolas was not very comfortable with this idea, but he decided that it was probably better if the Fellowship knew what they were dealing with.
Legolas heard the Gondorian shift ever so slightly. Legolas hadn't bothered to ask what anyone looked like. After all, what was the point? He would never see them unless some miracle happened. He was beginning to recognize different patterns of breathing, of footfalls, and voices. It would be a slow process, but eventually he would learn them all.
The dwarf to his side huffed when he thought the elf was ignoring him. The hobbit at the end of one of the rows shifted very nervously, and the wizard patted the hobbit's arm. Legolas thought he heard the sight rustle of the wizard's robe as he turned his head in his direction. Other than that, there was little interaction between him and the wizard. Gandalf noticed and frowned, wondering what on earth could be wrong with the Prince he had met before in Mirkwood? Aragorn saw the frown and shifted ever so slightly.
"Bring forth the Ring," Elrond continued, unobservant to the signs from within the council.
All eyes immediately turned back to the tiny halfling as he brought the Ring forward, placing it on a rock table in the center of the council. Relinquishing hold of it, he returned to his seat in which he was before, and the wizard patted his arm as reassuringly as he could. Every eye turned to the Ring, even Legolas' eyes. The Ring blazed brightly, full of evil, while all else was darkness to his eyes. It made him shudder a little to behold it. But he was not the only one with a similar reaction. The Ring began whispering words into their ears, of what none were sure but the elf that was part Wraith. But it made them greatly desire the Ring. The elf on the other hand felt sick just looking at it. He didn't want the Ring. He didn't want to be anywhere near it. The Gondorian leaned forward suddenly and spoke.
"It is a gift," Boromir said. Legolas looked at him with everyone else, and was startled to see that he could vaguely make out the man's form in the darkness. "a gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, held 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!"
Legolas felt himself pale suddenly and he felt his stomach churn. So soon? Already the Ring was taking the council. It's might was terrible! He began to speak, hoping his voice would not shake, but Aragorn suddenly unwittingly came to the elf's rescue by speaking first.
"You cannot wield it," Aragorn said. "None of us can. The one Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has not other master." The Gondorian looked at Aragorn with contempt.
"And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" Boromir asked. Legolas grew angry and rose at the defense of his friend, the color returning to his face as he thought of the man's insolence.
"This is no mere Ranger," he said. All eyes turned to him now. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." All eyes turned in surprise now to Aragorn.
"Aragorn?" The Gondorian asked with disbelief. "This is Isildur's heir?"
"And heir to the throne of Gondor," Legolas added. Aragorn sighed.
"Sit down Legolas," he said to the elf in elvish. Legolas' eyes glanced toward Aragorn before he returned to his seat, as silent as before.
"Gondor has no king," Boromir boldly proclaimed, sitting down and muttering something else that was lost on the wind, while shooting a scathing gaze towards Aragorn.
"You have but one choice," Elrond said, looking over everyone. "We must destroy the Ring."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Gimli suddenly exclaimed from right next to Legolas.
He stood and picked up his axe, quickly crossing the space to where the Ring was. Legolas heard each and every one of his heavy footfalls. He began to speak, to warn the dwarf against it, but with a clash of ringing metal the blade of the axe came down upon it. Instantly Legolas winced as a vision of the great eye he had seen once before flashed into his mind. He paled again, and the elves that had come to Rivendell with Legolas looked at him. He was not the only one however. Frodo also let out a yelp of pained surprise, for he had also seen the eye.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli Son of Gloin, by any craft we here possess," Elrond continued without damaging the dwarf's ego any further. The dwarf returned to his seat and glanced at the elf, surprised to see him so pale. "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." There was nothing but silence around the circle, and even Legolas looked up, fear in his heart. "One of you must do this."
"One does not simply walk into Mordor," Boromir said shakily. "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." Legolas could sense the fear in the air, and he knew that he must speak. The elf leaped up.
"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" he cried, unable to think of anything else to say. "The Ring must be destroyed!"
"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Gimli cried, surprising the elf as he stood and glared at him. "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!"
Instantly the elves from Mirkwood leaped up and began to argue with the dwarves who had also leaped up to defend the statement of the other dwarf. Legolas held out his arms, holding the elves back. And though they were slightly scared of the powers he now possessed, they obeyed and did not step forward, keeping a fight from breaking out at least. Others began to stand as well, adding their loud voices to the din, and Legolas could see how the Ring was already tearing them apart. The dwarves and elves insulted one another. Boromir began to argue with other men around him. Gandalf stood and began trying to regain some order, but raising his voice didn't help anything. Legolas remained silent, unwilling to join in the argument. It was because of this, that he was the first to hear something extraordinary. He heard a chair scoot back a bit as tiny feet hit the ground and stepped forward.
"I will take it," Frodo cried.
No one else heard him. Legolas however couldn't help but turn his head in surprise at the sound. The dwarves and elves paused a moment, seeing the look on his face. The loudest part of the arguments died down, so now everyone heard.
"I will take it," Frodo again cried.
The arguments died out all together as everyone turned to look at the hobbit. His voice got a little quieter on seeing that he had everyone's attention.
"I will take the Ring to Mordor," the hobbit said. He looked around at all the faces staring at him in surprise and wonder, and his voice fell quieter still. "Though, I do not know the way."
"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins," Gandalf said, stepping forward next to the hobbit. "as long as it is yours to bear." Legolas heard as Aragorn rose from his seat and knelt before the hobbit.
"If by my life, or death, I can protect you," he said. "I will. You have my sword." Gimli gave Legolas a small smirk and stepped forward as well.
"And you have my axe," he told the hobbit. The elf did not take his bait however and remained silent. He would be joining them anyway.
"You carry the fate of us all little one," Boromir said to the hobbit. "If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done."
To the council's surprise, another hobbit leaped out of the bushes and ran to Frodo, crossing his arms defiantly and declaring that he would be going with Frodo. Legolas thought his name was Sam, and Elrond made a remark about how they were inseparable. Two more ran out, determined to join in on the quest as well, and Legolas couldn't help but smile. Funny the courage of hobbits. Few races thought they had any, but when it came to loyalty they were full of that at least.
"Nine companions," Elrond said quietly, glancing slightly towards Legolas. The number was not lost on the elf, for there were Nine Ring Wraiths. The Fellowship glanced around, wondering who the ninth was. "Very well. You shall be called the Fellowship of the Ring."
The council then realized that they were done, and they began to break and go their separate ways. The elves from Mirkwood bowed their heads a little to Legolas before they left. They knew that he would not see it, but they knew also they may never see the Prince again. Elrond motioned for Legolas to stay, as if he would turn now and run away. The others glanced at the elf Prince.
"Legolas will be joining you," Elrond said.
"No," Gandalf instantly replied. "I would not take him on a quest like this. I would not risk his life. Besides his father would not-"
"Thranduil has already expressed his consent," Elrond said, cutting him off. Mostly everyone was silent. They either had no idea what was going on, or in the case of Aragorn, grimly watched Elrond's face. Legolas shifted a little nervously as Gandalf gazed at Elrond.
"Why?" the wizard asked. Elrond glanced toward Legolas before looking at the Fellowship.
"Because Legolas' fate is tied to that of the one Ring," the half elf said. There was silence, so he continued. "It is a tale that few elves know, let alone others. But it is true nonetheless. As some of you may know, Mirkwood was once known as Greenwood, though it became known as the former when a dark shadow fell over it. It is more the fault of the council than any other that we did not foresee this before then, for we blindly believed that we had defeated Sauron, which is not the case. Gandalf warned Thranduil of the dangers of Dol Guldur, a fortress within the borders of Mirkwood. But the elves had other issues to deal with and nearly forgot the warning. Nearly. At last though, four elves went to discover the truth in the claims, for they had seen plenty of orcs in their borders before then. They found something else entirely though." Elrond's face turned to Frodo. "They found the Ring Wraiths."
The tiny hobbit's eyes widened and he reached up and touched his shoulder where the wound had been given to him from the Witch King.
"Ring Wraiths in Mirkwood?" Gimli asked, even the dwarf finding it hard to believe.
"Not only them," Elrond continued, aware that Legolas was very pale behind him. But the Prince made no sound and all eyes remained fixed on Elrond. "But something far worse. You see we discovered too late that Sauron had found his way into Mirkwood. We ignored the signs we saw there, and as a result we lost too many lives, and allowed him to regain his strength."
The horror of what Elrond was saying was beginning to appear on all of their faces as they watched the half elf. No one spoke, and no one seemed to breathe either.
"Four elves went into that forest that day," Elrond continued. "And only one came back. Sauron cast some sort of spell over his Ring Wraiths, but since his power was weakened and he was hardly in control of it, he accidentally created more Wraiths with that spell, the elves that were there." There were several gasps of horror from the hobbits. "It is no easy matter either, for elves are creatures of light, and cannot live within the darkness. When an elf loses their light they will fade and die, or else become Wraiths themselves. It is slow and painful. On that day, one of the elves died, unable to withstand the evil growing in his heart. Two were never found. They vanished, and are probably Wraiths somewhere wondering under Sauron's control. And the last, you have all met. It is honestly a miracle that he has survived this long, for it happened just after the quest for Erebor. This strength of this elf is still surprising to me, for there is nothing we can do to help him."
He looked over the Fellowship, eyeing each of them carefully. Some of them had realized who he was referring to, and kept glancing with either sad or fearful looks at Legolas, who could not see them and waited patiently.
"Only one thing can we do," he said. "and there is only the slightest chance that it will work. You see, the elf we speak of hangs somewhere between the realm of the living and the realm of the Wraiths. His eyes are useless to him unless it is to see evil, where then it burns to his eyes like the fires of Mount Doom, for his eyes are trapped fully within the realm of the Wraiths where he sees as they do. His light is fading, and unless the Ring is destroyed there will be no hope for him and he will either die or fall and become a Wraith himself. The darkness is too great for him to survive much longer. It is for this reason that Legolas Greenleaf must travel with you, or else he will have no hope." There was silence as everyone looked to the elf. He nodded his head to them.
"If this is to be my fate," Legolas said. "then I would do something good while I may still have time. After all, I may yet fall into evil."
The hobbits stared at him, not sure what to think at first. They had never even noticed that the elf was blind, for he hid it well. Looking at him now though they could see it. Gimli stared at the elf, unable to hide his surprise. He had often heard his father speak of how careless and hateful the son of Thranduil had seemed, and yet now looking at him, in such a pitiless state, he felt sorry for the elf. He would never mention this of course, but he found himself more sorry for him than afraid. Boromir looked absolutely horrified, and Aragorn's mouth was pressed shut into a tight line, so tight that his lips were beginning to turn white. Gandalf looked at Legolas sadly.
"Very well," the wizard said. "He will come with us then. I know his father would not send him to us if he was useless."
"Nor would I," Elrond said quietly, more to the elf behind him.
"No," Boromir said. "Absolutely not. We cannot take him with us, he will only slow us down! Not only is he blind, which will no doubt be a large inconvenience to us, but he is a Wraith! What if he is to fall into darkness? What then?"
"Legolas has already agreed," Elrond said. "that if that time were to come he would rather die. In that case it would be up to one of you to end his life before he became a Wraith."
"I would rather not put the fate of mankind in the hands of something so evil," Legolas added in a monotone. The hobbits looked up in horror. All the elves they had met were joyful and full of life. What had caused this one to be so willing to throw his life away?
"And as for him being blind," Aragorn said, drawing his short knife from its sheathe. "he can fight better than most of you, even without his eyes."
As proof, Aragorn threw his knife directly at Legolas, and his aim was true. If the elf had not heard the blade approaching it would have struck his heart and he would have died. As it was however, the elf lightly sidestepped and caught the blade by the hilt, frowning then at Aragorn.
"I would appreciate it," Legolas said. "if you would not throw your knives at me." Boromir did not look happy, and even Gimli was quite surprised. But all doubt was erased from the minds of the hobbits.
"How did you do that?" Pippin asked.
"Elf's ears are sharp," Legolas replied. "And since I cannot see, mine are better than any other."
Aragorn walked to the elf and extended his hand. To the surprise and wonder of the Fellowship, Legolas laid the knife very carefully into the man's hand like he knew exactly where it was. In reality, Legolas had a very good guess, considering he could hear the slightest rustle of clothing as Aragorn had extended his hand, and had realized that his hand was nearby. The man replaced his knife and they both turned to look at the others. Boromir looked ready to speak again, but Gimli stopped him.
"Leave him alone laddie," the dwarf said with a grunt. "Nothing's going to change the wizard's mind. We're stuck with him." Boromir reluctantly remained silent.
"We are indeed," Gandalf said gravely. "And we will be leaving tomorrow at dawn's first light. We must leave with all haste."
They all nodded and left to their separate rooms, understanding that the wizard had assumed command and they were not going to change his mind. Legolas sighed a little, turning his head heaven wards. He was really going on this quest now. There was no going back.
"By the Valar," he whispered to himself. "I will help them if I can."
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