Chapter 2

Fadron sat up at camp while the others slept, listening for any sort of odd noise as he made sure all the party members were still breathing.

Steadily he sat, til he heard the sound of crying from the woods, "oh? Hello?" The Warforged stood and looked around, activating his darkvision in an attempt to locate the source of the voice, he located the source, it was a child being held by what Fadron considered the last surviving ringwraith, "oh no you don't."

Fadron took a step beyond the fire light without picking up his Tower shield, drawing his sword, "we gonna do this or do you have an iota of self preservation?"

The wraith tilts its head, running the flat of the blade of it's sword along the kid's chin, "give him to us...the Baggins..." the wraith spoke in a croaky whisper, "ok, drop the kid first."

The Wraith shook it's head, "Baggins first." Fadron growled and pointed an open hand at the Wraith, "fine, you brought this on yourself! Sorry kid."

From Fadron's forearm burst four iron cylinders thst began to crackle with electricity, "you ever been hit by lightning? It's a hell of a rush."

The Wraith tossed the child at Fadron with a savage hiss, intending to throw him off balance only to have Fadron drop his sword and catch the child, setting him down and glaring back at the Wraith who was now running in the opposite direction, Only to be caught by a steady stream of lightning as Fadron used Witchbolt!

The Wraith began to shudder and crumple as sparks lept off the Wraith's plate armor, it's robes catching fire and falling to the ground as the Wraith abandoned it's vessel.

There was a panicked gasp from the camp and another shriek as one of the nazgul attacked the party! Frodo fighting to pull the chain around his neck from the creature's grasp! "No! Fadron! Don't let them take it!" Help!"

The cylinders In Fadron's arm receded and he turned in a whirl of his cloak to rush back towards the clearing! Madeye, woken by the scream, crawled from Fadron's discarded backpack and spread his wings, making gurgling "BURGH!" sounds as if barking like a dog, flapping his wings at the Nazgul, who tugged the chain loose before rearing back to stab Frodo in the shoulder! Only to have his hand attacked by the google eyed Homunculus!

The Nazgul angrily shook Madeye off, only to have the tiny being continue to bother it, flapping his wings in the Nazgul's face!

Fadron had arrived in the clearing as the Nazgul breathed a cloud of black smog that enveloped the small flying beast! Madeye falling to the ground with a pained cry!

Fadron brought his sword about and ran the Nazgul through it's chest! The pained hiss making it evident that the enchanted orichalcum sword was not welcome where it was.

"Give me that ring."

The Nazgul, in pure spite, lobs the ring past Fadron, only for Peony to catch it!

The entire party was up now and the surviving ringwraith looked around, still struggling to escape.

"When you get back to whatever necromancer sent you, tell his ass to give you guys better weapons, then to kiss your invisible asses goodbye, because that STILL won't help him."

And with that, both of Fadron's arms produced those cylinders and electricity arced through the panicked Wraith!

After the cloak and armor hung limp in his grasp, he retracted his sword and sheathed it, "right Peony give Frodo back the...oh no."

Peony was holding the ring in her hand, staring longingly at the ring as it was reflected in her large blue eyes, "But...why can't I have a turn? It's so pretty..."

Fadron grabbed her wrist and took the ring out of her hand, "oh no you don't, I know a cursed object when I see it...hey Frodo, your ring is cursed."

Peony crouched and picked up Madeye, "it's gonna be ok, don't worry baby...mama's got you now."

Madeye let out a pained croak and clutched Peony's hand as she put him in the basket.

Strider blearily rolled his eyes as he stood, "The Nine are only footsoldiers of a greater power that seeks that ring...do you know the tales of the great wars waged over this ring? It is the ONE ring."

Fadron chuckled, causing strider to raise an eyebrow, "We've dealt with something like this before, lemme guess, we have to get the ring to some expert who possesses the skill to destroy it?"

Strider shook his head, "no such expert exists, we must take it to Rivendell where we will seek the council of Elrond, I thought I already spoke of this."

Fadron gestured to the four other halflings, "to them maybe, I've only been following you this whole time."

Gallend stood up and rubbed his head, "ough...my head..can I get some hair of the dog?" Without waiting for an answer, Gallend filled his tankard from his keg that hung on his back, "we heading out?"

Fadron nodded and Gallend stood, " right then...let's...lets...yea..."

The group then mounted horses, excepting Fadron, who used his powers to transform his legs into a horse's body, effectively making him a Warforged Centaur. awe in the eyes of the other hobbits as Peony and Gallend mounted him.

"Fadron..." asked Strider, "how do you do that?"

Fadron looked at Strider, "I'm not sure I take your meaning." His iron hooves pawed the ground as the others began to ride, Fadron following them at a trot.

"How are you able to be as stalwart as a warrior whilst using magic like a wizard?"

Fadron chuckled, "I was built this way, an Eldritch knight I think they called it."

The ride did not have much in the way of incidents and the party reached Rivendell without taking any losses.

Gandalf came to meet the party at the gate, smiling that they were ok, but stopped short when he saw the three other travellers.

"Frodo! Oh! Who are these?"

Frodo smiled at Gandalf, "Gandalf this is Fadron, Peony and Gallend, they helped us fight off the nine!"

Fadron turned back into a normal Warforged and Gandalf raised both eyebrows, "...the nine?"

Fadron nodded, "they're used to being feared, I'm a machine, they have no effect on me."

Gandalf inspected this new creature, one he had not seen before, and that in itself was odd, "so it would seem...Fadron, was it?"

Fadron bowed along with his two compatriots, "at your service, sir!"

Gandalf nodded, "perhaps we will have need of that service...come, the council is about to gather."

Frodo looked curious as Sam looked about excitedly. "Council?"

Gandalf nodded, "the peril of the ring is the peril of all, and so each race has come to deliberate what to do about it."

Fadron nodded, "right! Let's get to it then!"

Peony lept up on to her Husband's shoulders, "let's do this."

Gallend sat in the closest chair and fell asleep, "you go on I'll catch up..."

And so the counsel gathered, men, dwarves, halflings and elves, ALL gathered together to discuss the infernal ring, gathered about a stone pedestal in a semicircle, Elrond speaks.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor."

Each member of the counsel is looking at each other when Fadron raises a hand, "so we're here to make Mordor...less door?"

Peony and the entire counsel glares at Fadron who holds up his hands in a show of surrender whilst Legolas lets out a small chuckle, Elrond resumes speaking.

"Each race is bound to this fate — this one doom." He gestures to the pedestal, "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."

Frodo walks towards the pedestal, setting the ring and it's chain down on the cold stone.

There are gasps all around as Frodo took his seat beside Gandalf, looking slightly relieved.

One of the men leans forward, "So it is true…"

Fadron suddenly hears a whisper in his head, "Power...unlimited Power..."

Someone off to the side sounds scared, "the doom of men!"

The man who spoke first before, stands to address the council, "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 approaches the Ring on the plinth.

"Isildur's Bane is found."

Boromir reaches out towards the Ring. Gandalf, Elrond and Fadron exchange concerned looks. Boromir's fingers hover above the Ring.

Elrond leaps up, "Boromir! Sit down!"

Gandalf stands and begins to chant in the Black Speech. The ring echoes the harsh words. Thunder crackles as the sky darkens. The Council, including Peony 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.

"What he said." Chuckles Fadron, impressed with the impact it had, yet clueless as to the meaning.

Elrond looks at Gandalf with a quizzical look in his eye, "Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris!"

Gandalf coughed, his voice hoarse from the incantation, "I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West!"

He steps towards his seat, casting an angry glance at Boromir, "the ring is altogether evil."

Fadron scoffed in agreement, "I've seen it firsthand, this thing whispers to your mind, tries to tempt you...I can totally get behind Gandalf's statement."

Boromir was unfazed by this statement however, "It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor, Why not use this Ring?" He begins 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!"

Fadron waves his hands, "bad! Bad idea!"

Strider stands with an angry glare, "You cannot wield it! None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

Fadron chuckled, "fuckin eh! Someone talking sense!"

Boromir scoffed at Strider, "And what would a ranger know of this matter?"

Fadron stood himself this time, at the same Time, the blonde elf who had angrily been eyeing Boromir stood as well.

"This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."

Boromir is taken aback, "Aragorn? This… is Isildur's heir?"

Fadron flailed his massive hands, "ok ok SHUT UP!"

The council's eyes fell upon Fadron, "I suppose Master..." Elrond looked at Aragorn who sighs, "Fadron."

Elrond nodded, "Fadron then, I suppose Master Fadron should be allowed to speak just as much as anyone else, given that he somehow almost singlehandedly fought five of the nine and yet lives."

Fadron bowed, pulling off the hood of his cloak as he addressed not the council, but Boromir.

"You have been TOLD, by not 2 but 3 VERY credible sources that using this ring is a bad idea! That the very thought of such an act, offends even the most stalwart here."

The red haired dwarf claps, "here here!"

Fadron nods at The Dwarf then continues in on Boromir, "I vote that Boromir be voted off the council, in favor of a more level headed representative of the race of men, can I get a show of hands?"

Elrond raises both eyebrows, "this is Highly irregular, Master Fadron."

Fadron drew himself up to his full height, "I have seen quite a few traitors in my day, and I'm looking at one in the making! Does he have a brother? Someone he brought here whom we might replace him with?"

Boromir sat up in his seat, "you speak as if the Verdict has already been passed! Nobody is showing..." Boromir was cut off by the sudden rise of hands from all around the circle, not all the representatives had voted, but the various entorages brought with them carried the same weight.

"It...seems We have a majority..." sighs Elrond, "Boromir, you are off this council, you may choose your successor or one will be chosen for you."

Boromir scoffed again, "I will not be treated this way!"

Elrond shook his head and called to one of the other men in the room, gesturing to a man who quite resembled Boromir, but was smaller, "Faramir I did not know you were here." Elrond smiled, "You two came together then?"

Faramir shook his head, "I cannot do as you ask, Elrond, I cannot take my brother's-" Boromir cut him off, "Do it, Brother, I must go it seems...bring glory to our house." And quite uncharacteristically, Boromir stood and hugged his brother before leaving the council chambers.

With little choice, Faramir took the seat that his brother has occupied, "Are you satisfied, Master Fadron?" Asked Elrond, "because if you are in fact finished voting council members off, we should get down to the crux of the issue...Faramir, do you have anything to add that your Brother could not?"

Faramir deferred to Gandalf, staring at the ring, "Aragorn is right. We cannot use it."

Elrond nods at Faramir, "You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed."

The red haired dwarf grabs his axe, "Then what are we waiting for!?" And then brings it down on the ring, shattering the blade of the axe into a thousand tiny pieces, The Dwarf falling on to his back with a grunt.

Elrond threw up his hands, "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."

Fadron laughed, "we're dropping it into a volcano? I love it! Let's get to it!"

Fadron stopped however, when the ring began to whisper in his head yet again, not effecting him, though he could hear it.

"Ash Nazg..."

Elrond looked around the room, "one of you must do this..."

Faramir chuckled, "Into Mordor? Are you insane?"

Legolas looked at Faramir, not as angry with him as he was with his absent brother, he responded, "The ring MUST be destroyed, Faramir."

Faramir shrugs, "I hope sincerely that there is a plan, because we will be facing more than just orcs."

"You're not taking it by yourself! I'll die before I see one of you elves take that ring!" Shouts Gimli

Fadron looks at Frodo who is staring at the ring, Peony is also staring at the ring, the conversation slowly growing more heated as Fadron saw what they were staring at, the Ring was glowing, it was somehow fueling the argument.

"I will take it!' Shouts Frodo, Shocking Fadron and Peony alike, the council members staring at the hobbit.

"I will take the Ring to Mordor...though I do not know the way.."

Fadron knelt to look at Frodo, "and I'll carry you there if thats what it takes!"

Gandalf walks up to Frodo, "I will help you bare this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bare."

Aragorn rises, "If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will."

Aragorn joins Fadron in a kneel by Frodo's side, "you have my sword."

"And you have my bow." Legolas walks to join them

"And my axe!" Gimli walks up and kneels as well.

Faramir walks over and kneels as well, "You carry the fate of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."

Sam jumps from behind the bushes and joins them "Mister Frodo is not goin' anywhere without me!"

Elrond smiled, "No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not."

Merry and pippin rush out from behind the same bushes, Wait! We are coming too!"

Merry looks up at Elrond, "You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!"

Pippin nods and looks all around in a comical gesture, "Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest… thing."

"Well that rules you out Pip." Crackles Merry

Peony pulls the two of them together in a hug, "have either of you handsome Gents been with a woman before?"

Pippin blinks, "aren't you married?"

Fadron picked his wife up, "yes she is, she just has...habits."

Peony huffed as Fadron put her back into his backpack, Elrond spread his arms wide, "12 companions, so be it, you shall be called the fellowship of the ring!"

Peony laughed from inside the bag, "ha! He said the thing!"

Madeye poked his now better head out of the basket with a "HUEH!"

To be continued...