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TW: Thank you.
Wolf: Thank you. I will.
A few hours after their arrival on Middle-Earth, The Doctor and his companions were helping set up camp. As The Doctor helped Sam cook, his friends were helping the members of the Fellowship gather fire wood.
"If I may Lady River, what sort of weapon is it that you fired?" Boromir asked as the pair gathered firewood.
"It's called a gun although it's far more advanced than anything you might develop within the next hundred years," River explained to him.
"What makes you say that?" Boromir asked confused.
"Your clothes and weapons suggest this world is at least a thousand years behind Amy and Rory's time," River said, smiling at Boromir's dumbfounded look. "I'm an archeologist."
"What is an archeologist?" Boromir asked confused.
"Someone who studies ancient civilizations," River said, smiling at the confused look on Boromir's face.
"Why would you want to do such a thing?" Boromir asked, not understanding it.
"Only by studying the past can we understand out future," River said with a shrug.
"I suppose that makes sense," Boromir muttered, although the concept still confused him.
A few feet away, Rory had found himself with Legolas and Gimli. As he heard Legolas and Gimli trade barbs, it didn't take Rory long to realize they two had some sort of beef with each other. Rory had seen it more often than not in his life, but it wasn't his place to put his noise in that kind of thing.
"I like your bow," Rory mentioned to Legolas as he picked up a piece of wood.
"Thank you Rory. Do you know how to use one?" Legolas inquired and Rory almost laughed.
If Legolas only knew.
"A bit," Rory said modestly.
"Perhaps we could see you shoot if we remain together," Legolas offered.
"Maybe," Rory agreed with a slight smile.
Gimli scoffed but Rory paid him no mind, turning his head and smiling. A few feet away, Amy was surrounded by the hobbits as they gathered firewood. Amy was laughing as Pippin and Merry began bickering over something. However, Rory frowned as he noticed Frodo rubbing his chest, as if scratching some kind of itch.
After gathering the firewood, The Doctor and Sam were beginning to cook the vegetables they had cut when Rory walked up behind The Doctor.
"Doctor, can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?" Rory asked randomly.
Rory felt Amy's curious gaze on him but ignored it, focusing all his attention on The Doctor. The Doctor looked up at him curiously and, seeing the look in Rory's eyes, nodded.
"Of course. Be right back Sam, don't overcook things while I'm gone," The Doctor said as he got to his feet.
"Never Doctor," Sam said sounding scandalized by the thought.
The Doctor gave a hearty laugh before walking away with Rory. Seeing River's curious look, The Doctor merely shrugged.
"What is it Rory?" The Doctor asked once he deemed they were far enough away.
"Frodo. He keeps rubbing his chest like he's in pain. I'm worried it might be some kind of infection," Rory told him and The Doctor frowned.
Neither The Doctor nor Rory had noticed that Pippen had walked up behind them during their conversation and was listening.
"Oh, that's just the ring Rory," Pippen said and the two men turned around to face him.
"Ring? What Ring?" The Doctor asked.
All conversation stopped as the other members of the Fellowship looked at The Doctor sharply. Upon seeing Pippen, everyone understood what had just happened.
"Confound your loose tongue, Peregrin Took!" Gandalf scolded Pippin. "When we agreed to keep the ring a secret, I knew I should have cast a spell on you making you a mute!"
"I'm sorry, Gandalf, I just forgot," Pippin replied cringing before Gandalf's displeasure.
"Don't be angry at him, we're the ones who brought it up," Rory interjected, feeling guilty that Pippen was in trouble.
"Since we were going to tell you our story, perhaps after we tell you ours, you can tell us yours?" The Doctor offered, seeing they were hiding something. "At least for the moment, we're going to be traveling together. And I've learned that it helps when all the cards are on the table."
"What do cards have to do with anything?" Gimli asked confused.
"It's an expression. He means if we're all honest with each other," River explained.
"We'll go first so you can decide if you can trust us. If not, you don't have to say anything and tomorrow we'll all go our separate ways," The Doctor offered.
For a moment, no one said a word. Then, one by one, the other members turned to Frodo. As the Bearer of the Ring, it was ultimately his decision.
"I find those terms agreeable," Frodo said after a moment of thought and The Doctor nodded.
"Good. I suggest we finish making dinner and then we'll talk," The Doctor said as he clapped his hands together.
Not long after, the group sat around the fire, every one of them holding a bowl of stew made by The Doctor and Sam. After a few moments, The Doctor spoke up.
"I may look human, but I'm not. I come from a world called Gallifrey. I'm what you'd call a Time Lord," The Doctor explained.
"What exactly is a Time Lord?" Aragorn inquired.
"It's complicated. We've been around far longer than men but are far smarter. But that doesn't make us better," The Doctor said darkly, remembering his fellow Time Lords grimly.
The Time War may have made them worse, but they had never been good. While the loss of his people still haunted him, it was more due to the act itself rather than any love he had for the Time Lords.
"Many years ago, I stole what's called a TARDIS. It allowed me to travel to other worlds and even through time," The Doctor explained.
"Are you saying this TARDIS can take you backwards and forwards through time?" Gandalf questioned, all of the members of the Fellowship looking at The Doctor in disbelief.
"It sounds mad, but he's telling the truth," Rory said, having had the same reaction upon finding out all of Amy's stories about The Doctor were true.
"Is that how you got here?" Aragorn inquired curiously.
"Not exactly. We arrived here by accident. The TARDIS was exploding, causing our universe to collapse," The Doctor said, seeing confused looks.
"Our world was dying," Amy clarified for them.
"The Doctor managed to find a way to fix it but in doing so, he brought us all here," River added.
"And without the TARDIS, we're stranded here," Rory finished glumly.
For a moment, it was silent, the Fellowship processing this as they tried to wrap their minds around this absurd tale.
"I believe your story to be beyond even the maddest of minds," Gandalf noted. "And if Sauron had sent them, they would not have come up with such a mad tale."
"It would have been far simpler to pretend they were beggars or something more believable," Aragorn agreed.
"I agree that no spy of Sauron would make up such an outlandish tale, but what do you think Frodo?" Boromir inquired as they all turned back to the bearer of the Ring.
Frodo was silent for a moment, once more put in a position to make a judgement on this group. Finally, he spoke.
"I do not believe they lie to us, but their story is quite queer," Frodo noted.
"When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth," The Doctor pointed out and, after a moment, Gimli barked out a laugh.
"Perhaps we are all mad, but I believe them," Gimli said with a chuckle.
"As do I," Legolas agreed and if Legolas and Gimli agreed, then the other members of the Fellowship had no other complaints.
"Now that we're all on the same side, what's this about a ring?" River inquired and the atmosphere instantly changed, the other members of the Fellowship becoming tense.
"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," Amy offered but Frodo shook his head with a sigh.
"At least for the moment we are going to be traveling together. You deserve to know what is at stake," Frodo said ominously.
Frodo reached under his shirt, pulling the ring out with the chain he had it on. Instantly, the four visitors began to feel its affects.
Amy and River stared at the ring, as if mesmerized by the sight of it. Rory, on the other hand, stared at the ring with a hint of fear, the worst moments of his two thousand years waiting for Amy all flashing to him in that moment.
And The Doctor stared at it stonily, wondering why it caused him to feel such dread.
"You may put it away Frodo," Gandalf said softly.
Frodo didn't do anything for a moment, merely staring at the ring.
"Frodo," Gandalf called out but Frodo ignored him.
"That's enough," Boromir said strained and they noticed the blond man looked pale as he tried to avert his gaze from the ring. "Frodo."
"Frodo!" The Doctor shouted and Frodo seemed to come back to himself.
"Forgive me," Frodo said before pulling the ring back under his shirt.
"What was that?" Amy asked her mind seemingly clear now that Ring was out of sight.
"The One Ring. Long ago, in the Second Age of Middle-earth, the great Rings of Power were forged. Three were given to the immortal Elves. Seven were presented to the Dwarf Lords. And nine were given to great kings of Men. Within these rings contained the strength and will to govern each race. But what they did not know was their rings were controlled by a master ring, the One Ring. One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them," Gandalf paused as the words all washed over all of them.
"And that's the ring Frodo has around his neck?" Rory realized and got several nods in answer.
"It was forged in the land of Mordor by the Dark Lord, Sauron, in the fires of Mount Doom. He poured into it his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate all life. Long ago, Sauron attempted to dominate all of middle Earth, only stopped by the unified forces of both Men and Elves. He was defeated, but not destroyed. Only when the One Ring is destroyed can Sauron truly be defeated," Gandalf explained.
"So why not just destroy it?" Amy wondered.
"I don't believe it's that simple Amy," River noted.
"And you would be right Lady River. Gimli tried when the Ring was brought to Rivendell. It shattered his hammer," Legolas said and Gimli scowled at the reminder.
"The Ring can only be destroyed where it was created, in the heart of Mount Doom," Gimli added.
"And that's where you're going," Rory realized.
"Frodo has undertaken this task and we have all elected to follow him," Gandalf explained. "By traveling with us, you are putting yourselves in great danger. And there is no guarantee you will find a way home by traveling with us. If you wish to part ways with us in the morning, we will understand. Our only request is to not mention the ring, to anyone. Sauron has eyes and ears everywhere."
For a long moment, the group was silent before The Doctor spoke.
"If Sauron is as bad as you all say he is, then he must be stopped. And I've seen things like the One Ring in my life before; they've destroyed civilizations from the inside out. I will not allow it to happen here. But I won't put my friends in danger if they don't want to continue on," The Doctor said as he looked towards the Ponds.
"Something like the One Ring cannot be allowed to exist. If we're putting this to a vote, my vote is to continue traveling with them while we're here," River gave her few cents.
"I've lived a long life, seen a lot of terrible things," Rory started after a moment. "And none of them unnerve me half as much as that Ring. River's right, it can't be allowed to exist. But it's Amy's choice; I won't go if she doesn't want to."
They all turned to Amy, who looked like she'd rather be anywhere else.
"That Ring…it did something to me, it was like it had this power over me. It scares me, I don't want to be anywhere near it," Amy said apologetically before turning to Rory. "But you followed me into a blue box because I wanted to be there, even though you didn't. If you feel like you need to do this…I will go with you."
"Then it appears it's settled," The Doctor noted as Rory smiled slightly, kissing Amy lightly.
And just like that, the Fellowship of the Ring had four new members.
Once again, I apologize if anyone is OOC.
The scene of Pippen revealing the One Ring to The Doctor and Rory is a modified version of a scene from one of DR. Manhattan's stories Thank you to him for letting me use it.
And now that the groups have shared their stories, we ca get into the plot of the story.