Chapter 62

The next morning brought an early breakfast, and I was soon getting ready for the council. I didn't want to be late, so I pulled on my dress that had been provided, and I fixed my braid. Looking at myself, I made sure to proudly display my beads from Thorin and soon, I found my way to the council. The others arrived around the same time I had, so that made me feel a little better. Boromir glanced my way when I walked in and I saw his eyebrow tick.

"How are we feeling this morning?" I smiled, obviously teasing him.

"Just fine, thank you," he muttered. "Apologies for last night."

I shrugged, feeling a little sour.. "Just be thankful I didn't feel like teaching you a lesson, boy."

He took my challenge, and snorted. "Like you could."

"Be careful, laddie," Gloin rumbled, as he walked past us.

I watched as everyone gathered around at their chairs, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I shivered briefly, and decided that I'd feel safer if I was in a different form. There was evil here, and I could feel it. Pushing my transformation, I turned into a wolf and shook my fur out. Carefully, I made sure no one had seen me change. Sitting down next to Aragorn, I curled my tail around my feet quietly. Aragorn tilted his head to acknowledge me, and he briefly ran a hand through my fur.

I looked across the space, and laid eyes on Frodo. He was much younger than Bilbo had been, but he did bare a resemblance to his Uncle. He was an innocent hobbit that had not been meant for this quest, but it had chosen him anyway. Flicking my ears back a little, I looked over when Lord Elrond slowly rose to his feet.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," he began. "You've been summoned 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."

I watched the little hobbit get to his feet and walk forward. He set a gold ring in the middle of the stone table that sat at the center. Everyone paused when they saw it, and I immediately felt the evil. The ring had a mind of its own, and as I paid extremely close attention, it whispered. It whispered to everyone around it, in hopes that one of them would fall to its spell. Lifting my lip, I gave a low growl and lowered my head. This thing could destroy us all.

Boromir leaned forward after several minutes, his fingers to his lips as he considered what he saw. "So it is true," he whispered, making a few look at him.

The man rose to his feet boldly, and slowly moved forward. I took the moment to move behind the chair and turn human again, knowing I was probably going to need my voice. Even though I wanted nothing more than to go hide from this evil.

"In a dream," Boromir began, "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, Isildur's Bane is found.' Isildur's Bane."

As he reached for the ring, Elrond surged to his feet and called out his name. Gandalf had also come to his feet, only for an entirely different reason. The words that came from his mouth had the sky darkening and every elf closing their eyes in pain. I shuddered at the sound, knowing exactly what I was hearing. Moving back, I closed my eyes against the words and the headache it gave. Whatever Gandalf had spoken had sent Boromir to his seat. Once it was quiet, the sun came back and the evilness of the voice was gone. I trembled at the feeling that left my body, and Aragorn looked back, but I shook my head. Gandalf leaned quietly against his staff as Elrond suddenly pinned him with a glare.

"Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris," the elf said seriously, his expression angry.

"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond," Gandalf grumbled, taking in a huge breath. "For the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West. The Ring is altogether evil."

I shuddered a little, shaking the feeling of dread from my bones. It had been a very long time since I had heard Black Speech. There had been a time long, long ago when it had been all I heard. Even during the Battle of The Five Armies, Azog had spoken it. Very rarely, did Orcs speak the Common Tongue. Looking across the council, I glared at Gandalf, showing that I was obviously displeased as well. He dipped his head a little, but there was no apology in his eyes.

"It is a gift," Boromir protested, getting to his feet again. "A gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this ring? 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 ring, let us use it against him."

"You cannot wield it," Aragorn said impatiently. "None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

Angry, Boromir turned and looked at the man still sitting. "And what would a ranger know of the matter?"

I chuckled suddenly, unable to help it, and it caused everyone but the dwarves to look at me. They knew when I chuckled that way, that I was frustrated. When I had Boromir's attention, I glared at him.

"Glad I have your attention," I said icily. "First, this is no mere ranger. This, my dear fellow is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. I think you owe him your allegiance."

"Aragorn?" he replied slowly. "This is Isildur's heir?"

"And frankly heir to the throne of Gondor," I grunted. "And last, sit down so that the adults can speak. You speak without thought. You are young and foolish. I have no doubt that you are a great warrior, but the horrors you've seen are nothing compared to what we have faced because of that Ring."

"Laddie, I would do as she says," Gloin offered wisely, and Boromir glared at me.

"You are a disrespectful…."

"Please, do not insult me further," I cut him off, arching my brow. "If you continue, I might cause a scene and I do not wish to do so in front of Lord Elrond."

The man looked at me for a long moment, and then glanced down to Aragorn who sat there quietly, but I knew he was irritated. Gosh, it was a good thing Thorin, Dwalin, or Thane were back in Erebor. Heads would have been rolling already.

"Gondor has no King," Boromir glared. "Gondor needs no King."

I watched as he sat down, obviously upset but otherwise quiet. Reaching out, I laid a quiet hand on Aragorn's shoulder knowing that the words Boromir spoke must have been discouraging.

"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it," Gandalf nodded.

"Then you have only one choice," Elrond answered, rising to his feet. "The Ring must be destroyed."

The words spoken cast a tension over everyone. A tension that was quickly broken by Gimli who grunted and his hands tightened on his ax.

"What are we waiting for?" he growled, getting to his feet.

He swung his ax as hard as he could and slammed it right on the Ring. His axe shattered, and sent him crashing back to the ground. The look of surprise on his young face had me rolling my eyes. I caught the heavily amused look of his father, who had quietly sat back and let his son attempt. That made me smile.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Gloin by any craft we here possess," Lord Elrond sighed, arching his brow in light mirth. "It was made in the fiery depths 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."

"One does not simply walk into Mordor," Boromir said, his voice quiet. "It's 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 poisonous. Not with 10,000 men could you do this. It is folly."

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" Legolas suddenly demanded. "The ring must be destroyed."

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Gimli suddenly demanded.

"And should we fail?" Boromir stood up with a glare. "What then? What happens when Sauron claims back what is his!"

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf! No one trust an elf!" Gimli snarled.

His words caused everyone to stand up in defense and I sighed softly at the words Gimli spoke. The others started to argue, and soon it was so over run with shouting that I couldn't hear myself think. Lord Elrond, Frodo, and Aragorn were still seated while the bickering continued. Gathering myself quietly, I walked past Aragorn and called on my powers. A loud roar echoed when I opened my mouth, and it was so loud that everyone fell silent.

"SIT!" I roared, and glared daggers at Gimli.

His father yanked him down into his seat and muttered something to him. It made Gimli's eyes shoot to me in apology but otherwise, he was silent. Everyone slowly followed his example and sat back down. Except for Boromir, who stayed standing. Gandalf had moved to his chair, but had also remained on his feet. I turned to the man who was being stupidly defiant.

"You are causing grief when we should be looking for options," I glared. "You are young. You do not know who stands in this room, or before you. The very air you breathe in Mordor is not poisonous. If it was, Orcs and other creatures would not live there. The same rumor had gone around about Gundabad, and I assure you that was false. Now sit down before I truly become unpleasant."

"What is unpleasant..."

"I will warn you once, Boromir, to sit," Elrond said quietly, cutting the man off.

"Now there is a way to Mount Doom," I said with a growl. "But the question is, who can stand the evil of the Ring?"

Everyone started to mumble amongst themselves, and it got to the point that they were becoming frustrated. A grunt left my throat, and I rolled my eyes dramatically. I felt like I was dealing with Fiona and her brother back when they had been young. Those two could fight like dragons. It had been amusing, because they had been children. This council was not filled with children, but I could certainly mistake the adults for them. I was not ready for the little voice that suddenly shouted above all the others.

"I will take it! I will take it!"

Surprised, I watched as Frodo surged to his feet and I stepped back toward Aragorn as the brave hobbit walked forward. He had such a determined look on his face that I said nothing, and neither did anyone else.

"I will take the Ring to Mordor," he said once more, but then his courage failed a little. "Though...I do not know the way."

Gandalf looked at the hobbit for a long moment, and then slowly walked forward. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins. As long as it is yours to bear."

Aragorn stood up then, startling me. "If by my life or death, I can protect you…I will," he said walking forward and bowing. "You have my sword."

"And you have my bow," Legolas joined quickly, walking to stand with them.

"And my ax," Gimli spoke up quietly, and joined them.

I felt a huge rush of pride toward the dwarf as he went and stood with them. He met my gaze, and I dipped my head toward him to let him know just how I felt. Boromir slowly walked forward, his eyes narrowing on the hobbit. Part of me tensed at his movement. It seemed the Ring was already having an affect on him. Men could be so weak sometimes.

"You carry the fate of us all little one," he said slowly. "If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."

I tried hard not to snort at his comment, and I forced myself to cough to hide it. Elrond shot me a look, but I knew it wasn't a harsh one. I had such an awful sense of humor that could come out at the worst of times. That had not changed over the years, in fact it probably only got worse. Thane was no help when it came to that, he encouraged it.

"Here!"

We all jumped as another hobbit ran out from where he was hiding. He rushed straight to Frodo's side and crossed his arms bravely.

"Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me," he said loudly.

"It is hardly possible to separate you two, even when he is summoned to a secret Council and you are not," Lord Elrond smiled.

I felt the air shift behind me, and I smiled widely as two more hobbits declared their presence, baffling the elf. They ran straight for the company and they said something that almost sent me into a fit of laughter. Hobbits were such amusing little things. Elrond looked over them for a long minute and smiled.

"Nine companions," he nodded slowly. "So be it. You will be known as the Fellowship of the Ring."

I watched as the council slowly moved off once they were dismissed. Dinner would start soon, since this had taken the good majority of the day. It was surprising to see where the sun was at in the sky. I was curious as to what would happen from here. If they were successful in their journey, we'd be saved. The Ring being destroyed would mean that Sauron would die with it. Middle Earth would be safe again.

"Arina," Lord Elrond rumbled, catching my attention.

I noticed that Boromir watched as I walked over to him, and so the elf took me somewhere private. I didn't like that man, the stupidity he carried with him was astounding. Arrogance of a steward's son. Turning my attention back to the elf, I looked at him. Part of me almost wanted to laugh because at a time, he reminded me of Thranduil. That was a total insult to the elf, and I made sure to keep those thoughts private. But, it did not deny that these dark times had changed Lord Elrond, it was clearly seen on his face. He had begun to lose hope.

"I want you to accompany them, for as long as you can," he said seriously. "If you must leave, then you must leave. You may yet give them a chance to finish this task."

"You are asking much from me this time, old friend," I sighed, running my hand down my braid.

"I am not binding you by any means, but we need all the help we can get," he rumbled.

"I will help," I nodded, dropping my shoulders a little. "How could I not?"

"Thank you," he rumbled, laying a hand on my shoulder.

I put my hand on his for a moment, and nodded slowly. What he asked of me was a serious task. I was putting myself at risk, being out in the open. However, maybe we could get a head start before the enemy realized what we were doing. Turning around, I walked away and went to find Gloin. He and the other two dwarves were getting ready to departure, not wanting to linger. Gloin looked over at me when I came forward and they all bowed.

"My Lady," he rumbled, and smiled. "Even after sixty years saying that brings my heart joy."

"You are a dear friend, Gloin," I smiled. "Will you deliver a message for me?"

"Aye, of course," he nodded.

"Tell the King I am assisting with this quest, and that I will return as soon as I am able," I said quietly. "I will be careful. Tell him and my children I love them."

"Aye, Arina," he rumbled. "I will. You take care of my lad?"

"I will," I smiled, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Tell Thorin war is coming. Prepare the whole mountain, and make sure to let Brand know."

Gloin nodded seriously, and swung up into the saddle of his pony. He reached down, and I took his hand to give it a tight squeeze. This was going to be a long year, if things were going the way I thought they were. I watched them ride out on their ponies, and once I was satisfied I walked back inside. They were planning on leaving in the early morning, so I grabbed some breakfast, and handed my sword and daggers over to Gimli who happily took them. I planned on sleeping as a wolf that night, so that they wouldn't leave without me.

Well, here we go. The start of LOTR. I'm trying to keep it as close to the events as I can. As you can imagine, I don't want Arina to be all powerful, save everyone so don't expect that lol. She has her own issues that she is going to deal with this time around, and things are going to be interesting from now on.

Hope you enjoyed reading, you know what to do! Review for me! :D

Until next time!