CHAPTER 19

With a grunt of acknowledgment, I shut the door. I don't know what Gandalf wants but I should change into something I haven't been rolling around the dirt in. The twins and I played hide and go seek which turned into tag when Kiliel showed up and then sexual harassment when Grim joined in. By the time Merry and Pippin stumbled upon us, I can't safely say what was happening. All I know is that I need to be clean. 'Feeling' for Longarm I ensure he's nowhere nearby before stripping down and hopping into the tub. 'Thank you Merilin for running my bath.' My old friend from my dragon hunting days always knows what I need before I need it.

I keep my hair tied up, not having time to wash it, noticing how light the strands have become with my time outdoors. The natural highlights all but glow and I wink at my watery reflection in a rare moment of self-adoration. What can I say, I like my hair.

Running my hands over my right bicep, I contemplate my latest inked art piece. Once I heard about glow-in-the-dark tattoos, I knew that I had to get one. It's a tree, oak if anyone was silly enough to ask, that twists around my upper arm to form a shield. I'd never get someone's name tattooed on me but I can do this much. Since it can't usually be seen, I often forget it's there. It symbolizes Thorin of course, but I specifically placed it on my right arm, rather than my left as a shield should be. 'I wonder what Thorin will think of it when he finally sees it.' He'll probably freak out and that's something I don't want to miss. Then again, do they even have UV rays here?

Scrubbing down and rinsing off, I leave the warm water in search of clothes. Picking out a clean burgundy dress, I slip it on with some soft shoes and quickly make my way to Gandalf's location. Pulling my hair down from its updo, I eventually find him and Elrond being creepy on a balcony. The two are all but spying on poor unsuspecting Frodo and Sam. So I, of course, spy on them. Just to be fair. 'It's not like I don't know what they are talking about anyway.'

"His strength returns." Elrond announces, stating the obvious "He will live yet."

"That wound will never fully heal."

Gandalf appears reluctant to admit Frodo's health, instead focusing on his troubles. I know he cares for the kid, rather than just not believing in him and for a moment, I pity the wizard. Being so in tune with the races of the world, he has no doubt come across many who he would consider a friend. Time and time again he will meet people, generations of them, and each one will die. Dwarves, men, hobbits, elves: They all die. No wonder the mair holds his friends so close... he doesn't know when he'll lose them, only that he will. The fact is very... very sad and I find this to be one of the few moments of realization that I wish this whole thing was just a simple movie again.

"He will carry it the rest of his life."

"And yet to have come so far still bearing the Ring...the hobbit has shown extraordinary resilience to its evil."

"He is not the first one to do so."

"Ah yes... It's sole female carrier."

"..."

"She cannot solve every problem this world has, Mithrandir."

"With her gifts, she could end this here and now."

"Maybe so but she is not ours to use as we see fit. The Valar have set her task to her, we must set ourselves to our own."

"This is a burden of the land she now calls hone-"

"Maybe so... That is an unfair burden to place upon her still. I do not believe the Valar would easily forgive it." I'm taken aback but should I be? I am favored, yes. I suppose. But to the point that people have to fear divine judgment if I'm led astray? That's news to me. And... astray from what? I thought my part was over and done "This duty is for the new ring bearer."

"It is a burden he should never have had to bear." turning to his partner, he spots me and starts in surprise but says nothing in greeting. Probably because he's blaming me for not taking the ring from Bilbo in the first place "We can ask no more of Frodo."

"Gandalf, the enemy is moving. Sauron's forces are massing in the east. His eye is fixed on Rivendell. And Saruman, you tell me, has betrayed us." A deep frown etches itself into the wizard's brow. His eyes flicker to mine and I shrug in apology for not telling him ahead of time. Gloin was right, I cant hope to change everything, nor should I "Our list of allies grows thin."

"His treachery runs deeper than you know. By foul craft, Saruman has crossed Orc with Goblin Men...he is breeding an army in the caverns of Isengard. An army that can move in Sunlight and cover great distance at speed." Again, his eyes dance towards mine while Elrond is not looking and it is my turn to frown. What does this have to do with me? I can't take on an army all by my lonesome. Who do I look like, Aragorn? Magician has me confused "Saruman is coming for the Ring."

"This evil cannot be concealed by the power of the Elves...We do not have the strength to fight both Mordor and Isengard..." the elf turns fully away from his longtime friend to overlook his lands in solemn sorrow "Gandalf...the ring cannot stay here."

The two share a moment of silence, listening to the sounds of the world. Their immobility is almost disconcerting to the point that I want to yell at them to cut it out. Instead I stand in the silence, holding my breath and waiting to be told why I'm here.

"This peril belongs to all Middle earth. They must decide how to end it. Not just for themselves but for those who come after." Elrond rounds himself to speak directly to Gandalf but stops short, visibly startled by my presence. He bows deeply in respect "Apologies, my lady, I did not hear your arrival."

"You were busy telling Gandalf that the time of elves is over." I say with a soft bow of my own, letting out the breath I'd been holding as his eyes widen "I never understood it. It's not as if you are leaving the planet or something."

"Your sight is impressive. I had heard rumors of it. Have you considered training with the Lady Galadriel?"

"I can't say I ever got the chance to consider it. And even if I did... I can't say i want anything more than what i have."

"... Please think on it."

"... You won't be here much longer to see if I succeed." I shrug lightly "Galadriel will at least be around until I die, but you'll depart much sooner than that."

"Alas, my people are leaving these shores, my lady."

"Quickly too."

"Gandalf, who will you look to when we have gone? The dwarves?" he turns to me again with a bow of apology as I make a very unladylike snort "I mean no offence-"

"But some is taken." I bite out, taking offence for my husband's, and now my own, people "You would speak of their greed and selfishness as you look for someone to hand this burden off to as if it weren't your problem too."

"Ah-"

"I doubt this small portion of the world will be enough for a guy who came back from the dead 3 times."

"... Perhaps not, however it is well known the love dwarves have for their riches." he answers cooly, though not rudely "Even you, the Queen, are a treasure that your husband and King seeks to have sheltered at all times."

"While a bit over bearing, Thorin does not shelter me. He can't because I refuse to be coddled."

"That may be so but your release from his mountain was for the sole purpose of shielding your ears from the whispers within it without your husband knowing of the shrieks beyond it."

"… What whispers?" I ask, squinting my eyes at the elf "What shrieks?"

"It matters not, as you are unable to hear them for now." Gandalf interrupts, smacking his staff on the ground. I stick my tongue out at him but he ignores me "It is in Men that we must place our hope."

"Men? Men are weak. The race of Men is failing."

"Well excuse me!" I cry out, creeping closer to the end of my nerves "You are really being mean today, Elly."

"El...ly? My lady, you may share a race but as I know your other worldly origins are true. Your blood flows through none of the men of this world. You are beyond them in more ways than measurable." I'm not sure how to feel about his statement but I lose some of my steam and just let him speak his mind. The deviation is welcome, though a bit forced "The blood of Numenor is all but spent, its pride and dignity forgotten. Do you know of their fate, my lady?"

"... I know that Sauron surrendered, was captured, and taken to Numeron during the second age in the year of 3261 by the king Ar-Pharazon." I remembered the name so well because it always reminded me of a Pharaoh "His goal was actually to gain control of the advanced city, which he did; forcing them to turn against the Valar which eventually caused their near total demise in the year 3319. Sauron's body was destroyed in the fall but the ring somehow ended up back in middle earth to help Sauron's spiritual body fight in the last alliance between elves and men."

"You are quite knowledgeable on the subject. Has this been given to you by your gift?" I shake my head at the wizard. If he knew how many flash cards I have in my house dedicated to this stuff he'd barf "Then? Why the interest?"

"Its hard to explain why i know stuff and why i learned stuff... but in the case of Numenor, its because it actually reminds me of a place from my home."

"Do tell."

"We have a city like that in my world as well. A great lost city. It's more of a myth than history though." I explain, as they continue to stare at me like I'm a fortune cookie "It was the city of Atlantis. It was a said to be a utopia were demigods, or half god/half humans... men, lived. The wonder of this place was not to last however, as those living became materialistic, trivial, and morally corrupt. This angered the gods and as punishment they sent fire and earthquakes to sink Atlantis into the sea."

"That sounds exceptionally violent." the elf frowns at his friend, taking the myth to heart

"It is." I shrug with a sigh "It's similar to the biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah; two city that were so corrupt that God destroyed them and everyone within them."

"God or gods?" Elrond questions and I immediately know what he is asking

"I do not believe in the 'gods' of this world or my own. Still, there seem to be people who are stronger than the general public and live on a different plain who may be seen as godlike. That aside, I do believe in God. Singular." shrugging again, I wave my hand in 'continue' gesture "Regardless, I understand the idea of Numeron and your current notion of the strength, or lack thereof, of men."

"... Does your god often destroy his people?" I listen for any hint of sarcasm but only find curiosity from the elf, so I answer

"Perhaps he does. Or perhaps he allows them to destroy themselves." I laugh lightly, shaking my head at the idea that crosses it "For all we know, Atlantis and Numenor have just been switching places randomly."

"Or perhaps this Atlantis and Numeron are one and the same."

"That would mean it was destroyed twice and they have a bad reputation for staying alive."

"Nothing is impossible, my dear." Gandalf hums, leaning on his staff "The ring of power had to have entered your world somehow."

"Gandalf…"

I muse with a half smirk. Leave it a wizard make connections where there are none. Sodom. Gomorrah. Atlantis. Numeron. They all amount to the same thing: Be mindful of angering those more powerful than yourself. Even so, a bit of Gandalf's suggestion rings true; the ring had to enter my world somehow and it lost its power when it did so. That being said, all those cities were destroyed; none sprouted up on earth with magic rings.

"It was a joke Gandalf, just a reference for understanding. Not that it matters now as the ring is back here and ready for action."

"It is because of men the Ring survives." Elrond is not letting this thing go. Jeeze, after God knows how many years, this guy is carrying his torch better than an Olympian. Meh, being that it is essentially the AntiChrist, I can understand his anger but still... His eyes glaze over as he falls into a memory "I was there the day the strength of Men failed."

"Isildur…" I whisper as a vision of the event unnecessarily pulses through my mind. It's gory and vivid; the smell of fresh blood that slides into my nose and across my tongue has me gagging "I didn't need to see… or taste that."

"Your sight gives you understanding."

"I suppose..."

"It should have ended that day, but evil was allowed to endure. Isildur kept the Ring...and the line of Kings was broken. There's no strength left in this world of Men. They're scattered, divided, leaderless. Perhaps the last strength of men were cast out into your own world."

"Hn." I hum, unable to rid my mouth of the lingering taste of fleshy soot "Then they did a terrible job there too because they couldn't destroy the ring there either."

"Fate has brought it back for there is one who can unite them, men of this world, to end this. Here." Gandalf suggests, blatantly ignoring my remark so I bob my head in agreement "One who could reclaim the throne of Gondor."

"He turned from that path a long time ago." I hear the heat in Elrond's voice, even as his face remains calm as stone "He has chosen exile."

"Well, we can't throw the darned thing back into the river bed." I huff out, fighting not to spit out the all too real metallic taste "Something has to be done about it."

"And so it shall." The three of us stand mutely, debating the next move

"Why was I called?" I ask suddenly, not seeing why I was needed "Gandalf?"

"Ah! To invite you to the council before you leave tomorrow, my dear." Gandalf answers, patting me on my head as he leaves the room "I feel you may be needed. Until then."