AN: Hey guys. I just wanted to say that this story is rated T for violence and, possibly, death. Yep, this story is not going to be an easy ride. It starts nice and slow, but just you wait and see... ;)
I took some lines from the movies, and used the book as well. This chap is a mix of both bookverse and movieverse to make a very AU and different chapter :)
Also, I never really said Alysae's age (my bad!). I did say that Alysae had been taken into Thranduil's care twelve years ago, but it doesn't mean that she's 12 now. When she was found, she was around five years old (no one really knows her age) which means that she's around 16-17 now. Just to clear some things up.
And, IF YOU FIND ANY TYPOS PLS LET ME KNOW AND ILL FIX THEM. thnx :)
ALSO, reading this chapter: In the letter, everything that is in bracket is crossed out.
Thanks for reviewing, following, favouriting, the plot bunny loves you all!
the8horcrux: Thank you for loving it! I hope that I answered your questions (?) above. Please, please tell me where you saw the typos, I swear you gave me a heart attack! Finding spelling mistakes in my own work is really hard, and I hope I dont make too many of them! Thanks for reviewing!
MustardLady: Thank you! I'm glad you find it adorable too. Yeah, its sad. I know. Except that I'm not so sad ;) Also, I hope I answered the last part of your review above. :)
Annabel Jones: I know right? Glorfy is everything ;) I also like Alysae bickering with them- its fun! And yup, more secrets to be revealed. A lot of them!
EmmaCBlackstairs: Thanks mellon nin!
. . . Chapter 6- The Council of Elrond . . .
.~.
"Everything is more beautiful because we are doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again."
Homer, 'The Iliad'
.~.
October 25th
Dawn found her the next day, feeling completely and utterly miserable. She had hardly slept a wink that night, and had dwelled upon Lord Elrond's words. She was fading. She was dying. There was nothing he could do.
She wanted to scream, to cry, to do something- for Eru's sake she was still young! She had her whole life ahead of her, so why? why! By the Valar, she had not even yet passed her seventeenth summer!
"Why?" she wanted to shout at the walls. Why her?
Her head fell into her hands. She could not find it in herself to cry. But the worst- aye, the worst- was telling her Adar and brother. How could she do it? There was no easy way. She- she didn't know what to do.
Lord Elrond had suggested her to go to Lothlórien. There, she would have a chance to find healing, at the Lady's hands. But that would mean abandoning Legolas and her father. She didn't want Thranduil to find out through a letter or worse, through his son.
But I will have to, she thought. I will have to write that letter. To place it into Legolas' awaiting hands, see the dread in his eyes, and send him off to their father.
She knew that either way, she could not stay here. There was nothing Lord Elrond could do to help her; he had told her as much.
She wanted it to all go away. She didn't want to think about it anymore, and tried to push it away, to no avail.
She sighed and got out of bed. Frodo Baggins had awakened at last, and the Council was to occur at the eleventh hour today. She made her way to the baths and got ready.
-xxx-
After breakfast -something that she did not remember afterwards- she was about to head towards the secret Council, when she noticed a tall figure with a grey pointed hat.
"Mithrandir!" she exclaimed.
The old Wizard turned around at the sound of her voice, and smiled when he caught side of her.
"Ah, Alysae," he said, waiting for her to catch up. "You have grown much since the last time I saw you."
"I would say the same about you," she said with a smile, "if only it was true!"
The Wizard laughed heartedly, as they begun to walk. "And yet, it seems you have not changed," he said, his blue eyes twinkling as he did so.
Alysae remembered the first time she had met him, at her father's palace. She had been enthralled. His pointy hat, grey robes and wooden staff, had immediately fascinated her. Mithrandir had amused her by creating fun animations with his pipe; dozens of floating ships, red dragons, and butterflies. She remembered giggling as she chased after a purple dragonfly.
"How are you?" she asked.
"The day grows old," he replied. "And so do I."
"Haven't you always been old, Mithrandir?" she asked mischievously.
"Perhaps to your young eyes, it may have always been so."
"Always speaking in riddles, old man," she noted with a laugh.
"Now come, come," he said. "The Council is about to commence!" And indeed, a silver bell rang in the distance, signalling the start of the Hour of the Council. Both Wizard and girl made their way to the open area where it would be held.
-xxx-
Alysae sat on a stone seat and silently observed the other members as they made to sit, talked or were just as silent as her.
There was Boromir, son of the Steward of Gondor. He seemed a proud man and had a rather handsome face, yet something about him made her uneasy. Then there were three dwarves, of which one of them was red-haired; Gimli was his name. Glorfindel and Erestor were there, as well as Aragorn. Large blue eyes darting around, Frodo Baggins, the center of the discussion, was there. Frodo. She had accidentally met him, a few hours prior to the Council.
She glanced at her ink-stained fingers and supressed a groan. Around her, lay several crumpled pieces of parchements. She crossed out the last words she had written violently, and threw down her quill. It was useless. The words would not come, not matter how much she tried.
Dear Ada, one parchement said, we have truly enjoyed our time here, in Imladris, (however it is time) and have found ourselves over joyous at the peacefulness that resides there. (I wish you were here with us, so that my joy would be more complete, unfortunately) My heart grows heavy at the prospect of leaving, but I have taken ill and-
She viciously crumpled the letter up and refrained the urge to stomp her foot. If only it was easier. Deciding that the best thing to do was to clear her head up, she gathered the messy pages, her quill and ink, into her arms and walked towards her room.
So caught up in her dark thoughts was she, that she did not notice the small creature with big feet, and nearly sent him sprawling.
"Oh, by the Valar!" she exclaimed, nearly dropping her charge. "I am so so sorry. Please forgive me! I did not see you there!"
The Hobbit -as she noticed he was- straightened his shirt and gave her a weary smile. "There is nothing to forgive, my Lady," he said.
"Oh please, call me Alysae," she replied, a tad embarrassed at having caused such wrong to a guest of Elrond's. Were Legolas and the twins to find out, they would tease her endlessly.
Briefly, she wondered if he was Frodo Baggins, the Hobbit they had all awaited for him to awaken.
"Forgive me!" the Hobbit suddenly said. "I have forgotten to introduce myself! I am Frodo Baggins, at your service."
Aha, she thought. So she was correct.
"A pleasure to meet you," she replied, shifting her load. He noticed the crumpled parchments and the ink on her hands.
"Is something troubling you?" he asked.
She sighted. "It seems I have lost the skill to even write a single sentence."
He gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sure it will all come back soon." Then, he bowed quickly. "I must take my leave, I am soon to be awaited."
"Of course," she smiled. He was surely speaking of the Council. Then he left, and she hurried to her room, to drop the ruined parchment and clean herself up.
She blinked, back to the present. Next to Frodo, sat Bilbo Baggins. How shocked she had been when she had learned that he had dwelled in Imladris for the past years! A hobbit had been there all this time, and she had never encountered him! He was the Hobbit who had regarded her strangely the other day at breakfast.
Elladan and Elrohir were there as well. Elrohir smiled at her when he caught her eye. She smiled back and continued studying the other members in the room.
Erkas was sitting next to her, Miraven was still to weak to attend the meeting. She had learned that Erkas was not only a guard, but a messenger as well. Legolas sat at her right.
She could feel the others' gaze on her, the only female in the room. She was a human, and yet clad in the garbs of the Elves, allowed to attend an important council. Surely, they must be wondering about her.
Legolas sensed her unease and grabbed her hand. "Don't worry," he said softly in Sindarin. "Let them speculate." She flashed a grateful smile at him, before carefully schooling her features again.
Then, Elrond stood up, robes rustling slightly. "Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," he began, voice ringing in the solemn silence, "you've been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor."
To be honest, Alysae thought he was a tad bit too dramatic. Exaggeration was key, often said her father. And it seemed to work. When she glanced around the room, all people looked either scared, uneasy or grim.
After that incredible opening phrase, each member of the Council began to speak of their problems. She listened in fascination as the dwarf, Gloin, spoke about the darkness of Moria and the party of dwarves that had gone in hopes to reconquer it. No words had reached from them, yet. Maybe they never would, thought Alysae. A rider from Mordor had also come to them, speaking of making another ring for the dwarves in exchange of their help. Her eyes widened. Surely that would not be possible?
As the Council continued, her fear continued to grow.
Then Gandalf spoke of the betrayal of Saruman and she could hardly keep her surprise and shock from showing on her face. Even impassive Legolas had his eyes wide. Who would have thought that the White Wizard would have fallen to the dark side?
After that, the hobbit named Bilbo stood up, his wrinkled face pale in the sun. He recalled his tale, how from Gollum he found a magical ring through a riddle with the creature. Then, there came the story of how Frodo had travelled all the way from the Shire to bring the ring to Rivendell. Seeing the grave expressions on both Gandalf and Elrond, Alysae guessed the ring was very important. And bad. Could it be? She shook her head. No way on Arda, it could not be.
As if he could read her thoughts, Elrond got to his feet and began to speak. He recalled the War against Sauron, and how Isildur had gotten hold of the One Ring. How it had fallen into oblivion when the Ring was lost in a river. And how a hobbit named Smeagol found the cursed Ring, and held on to it for more than five hundred years. Over the years, the hobbit had shrivelled and his body began to change until it became Gollum.
"Gollum?" exclaimed Alysae, drawing the attention of the Council to her. She could not help it. Gollum had had the ring?
Elrond nodded grimly. "At least, he now is safely kept into the hands of the wood-elves," he said.
"That is the problem," said Legolas standing up. All eyes had turned to him. "My father, King Thranduil, wishes for you to know that the creature Gollum has escaped."
Aragorn's mouth set in a firm line. Given that he and Legolas were close friends, he most likely already knew about it. But Aragorn had been the one to track down Gollum for years and to bring it to Mirkwood. Such news must not have been easy to be reminded of.
Legolas looked grim. "He has escaped from our clutches, I'm afraid, when none of us expected it."
"That is dire news indeed," said Elrond.
"Gollum did not escape so easily," added Legolas, jaw clenched. "A group of Orcs attacked us, freeing the... the wretched creature. We lost one of our own."
There was a tense silence, broken only by Gandalf. "Let us not dwell upon it any longer!" he said from his seat.
Elrond cleared his throat. "Middle- earth stands upon the brink of destruction," he said gravely. "None can escape it. You will unite, or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom." He turned to Frodo. "Bring forth the ring, Frodo."
Looking hesitant, the hobbit walked to the pedestal, opened his palm and dropped the ring. Almost immediately, everyone in the room leaned forward, enthralled. Frodo sat back and sighted in relief. Alysae could not blame him, for she felt the evil emaning from the Ring across the room, the Ring burning golden in the eyes of the beholders.
"So it is true," murmured the man from Gondor. "In a dream I saw the eastern sky go dark, but in the West a pale light lingered." He stood up. "A voice was crying, 'Your doom is near at hand." He had reached the pedestal. "Isildur's Bane is found.'" His hand reached towards the ring, and he looked almost as if in a trance. "Isildur's Bane…"
"Boromir!" bellowed Elrond.
The sky grew dark, like storm clouds covering the sun, as Gandalf jumped to his feet and began chanting in a dark, harsh language. All elves in the room immediately covered their ears with their hands, Legolas closing his eyes as if pained. Alysae grasped the armrests of her chair and grounded her teeth against the maleovent whisper that seemed to invade her mind and heart. A shadow seemed to grow over the members of the Council. The Wizard's voice echoed painfully in the room, each word spoke of a sleepless malice.
Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.
Then, it was over. All was bright again, as if the clouds had been brushed aside by the wind. Alysae brushed her hand nervously against her arm.
Elrond sighted and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris."
"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond," Gandalf said, leaning heavily against his staff, "for the black speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The ring is altogether evil," he added as he sat back down, throwing one last angry look at the Steward's son.
"It is a gift," insisted Boromir. "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-" His gloved fist came to hit his chest, emphasising the 'our', "-are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him."
Aragorn stood up. "You cannot wield it. None of us can," he said. "The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."
Boromir slowly turned around. "And what," he said arrogantly, "would a Ranger know of this matter?"
Legolas immediately stood up, to defend his friend. "This is no mere ranger," he said. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." Alysae rolled her eyes. Honestly her brother could not hold a grudge for more than five minutes.
"Aragorn," the Gondorian said disbelievingly. "This is Isildur's heir."
"And heir to the throne of Gondor," added Legolas. Frodo looked wide-eyed at Aragorn.
Aragorn raised a calming hand towards his friend. "Havo dad, Legolas." (Sit down.)
Bilbo the Hobbit, stood up, cleared his throat and recited,
"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king."
He glanced around the room. "That is all I have to say," he said, and then sat back down. It sounded like a prophecy to Alysae, and very well written at that.
"Gondor has no king," spat Boromir bitterly. "Gondor needs no king." He sat down.
The Council began to speak together again but she was not listening anymore, so caught up in her thought was she.
Alysae! The scream tore through the air, and she jerked backwards. "Did you hear that?" her eyes were wide.
"What is it gwathel?" Legolas turned to look at her.
"I th-" she began but the scream came again. "There! Didn't you hear it?"
Legolas frowned. "Hear what?" Alysae!
"That!" she praticaly shouted.
"Alysae are you well?"
She shook her head. What was going on? Legolas squeezed her arm reassuringly, but she did not feel it. No... her gaze was caught on the golden jewel that sat upon the pedestal. It whispered to her, bringing her the horrible, tortured sound of the screams.
The Ring seemed to beckon her, telling her to come closer, and suddenly she found her feet moving out of her own accord.
Gandalf observed very carefully the young woman as her gaze unwavered from the terrible jewel. Unlike Boromir, her eyes were not lustful or full of greed. No, they were curious, almost… scared.
Her hand reached out and her fingertips lightly touched the cool metal of the ring. She gasped.
Bodies littered the floor. Blood… so much blood. The stench of death and misery filled her nose in an overwhelming lament. A pale hand peeked out from underneath a crimson torso. Her stomach jerked and nausea seeped in. So much death. Alysae, a voice screamed. It sounded feminine, and the tortured cries echoed in her head until it was all she could hear. It resonated in her head, and she pressed her hands against her ears. Alysae. That scream…. Alysae, Alysae!
"Alysae!"
Somebody was shaking her, not too gently. Her eyes flew open. Movement fluttered in her vision, and she found two hard blue eyes in front of her face. Bushy eyebrows frowned amongst many wrinkles.
"What did you see!" shouted Gandalf. He was still shaking her. She was confused. What was happening? "What did you see?" he shouted again. "Tell me!"
"Mithrandir," said a calm voice. "Would you kindly stop shaking my sister?" Legolas put a gentle hand on her arm and the wizard immediately released her.
Founding her voice, she answered the question, "I saw… death and destruction." She shuddered.
Gandalf's eyes were fixed on her. "What did it tell you? What did it say?"
She frowned. "No one said anything. Safe for," she gulped, "a – someone was screaming. Screaming my name over and over again."
"Are you sure that you did not hear anything else?" the wizard asked. She nodded and he looked away, looking pensive.
"What is wrong?" she asked.
"How interesting," mumbled the Wizard.
"What is interesting?"
The Wizard appeared not to have heard her at all. "Could it be...?"
"What could be?"
Still, Gandalf did not answer. "Forgotten memories... buried..."
Her patience leaving her, she exclaimed, "Mithrandir!"
The Wizard shook his head, blinked and focused on her. "Oh, yes, my dear?"
"What did you mean?"
Gandalf placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "The ring is evil, Alysae. It will always strive to hurt those surrounding it. Such is the nature of Sauron, its master. Do not dwell on it."
Moving to turn to rest of the Council, who had watched the whole encounter with interest, the gray wizard said, "Aragorn is right. We cannot use it."
Elrond stood up. "You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed." As they spoke, Legolas began to lead Alysae back to their seats. The whole experience had shaken her. Never before had she seen such a gruesome sight, nor so much blood and death.
"Then what are we waiting for?" yelled Gimli, as he raised his axe and charged forward. There was a loud 'clung!', a red fiery eye seemed to flash in front of Alysae's eyes, and the dwarf was thrown backwards. Sharp pieces of his axe flew in all directions. One narrowly missed her head by a few inches.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Gloin, by any craft that we here posses," said Elrond as Gimli struggled to sit up and find his seat. "The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom, only there can it be unmade. It must be cast back into the fiery chasm where it once came." The noble elf looked around the room, his eyes resting on each one of them. "One of you must do this."
There was a silence as all pondered this. Someone had to travel through the lands of Middle-earth, through all dangers of torment and deaths, and deadly orcs, to go to Mordor. The Land of Shadows, the land of Sauron. Alysae shuddered as she imagined shouldering that responsibility, that dangerous quest.
Finally, the silence was broken.
"One does not simply walk into Mordor," Boromir said. Alysae refrained the urge to roll her eyes. Honestly, Boromir was starting to really get on her nerves. Although he had a point. How were they to do this? She listened with rapt attention the rest of what he said.
"Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs," he continued. "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!"
"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" cried Legolas as he stood up. "The Ring must be destroyed!"
Gimli leaped to his feet. "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?!"
Boromir rose as well. "And if we fail, what then?" he pointed out. "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"
"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" roared Gimli.
The other Elves rose and started shouting at Gimli and the other Dwarves. Legolas held out his hand to stop them from starting a fight, Erkas glaring at Gimli from behind the Prince's shoulder. Alysae stared wide-eyed at the fighting.
"Never trust an Elf!" Gimli shouted.
Gandalf rose. "Do you not understand that while we bicker among ourselves, Sauron's power grows?" he exclaimed, his eyebrows bristling. "None can escape it!"
"You'll all be destroyed!" someone shouted.
Alysae watched the Ring, the angry figures of the council reflected on its surface as they fought. Suddenly, flames flared up, engulfing the surface of the Ring. She felt as if the Ring was edging them on, mocking them.
Ash Nazg Durbatulûk! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul!
The intensity of the arguments increased. Alysae looked over the Council, feeling the urge to scream at them, tell them that bickering and arguing would not solve the problem. She noticed one who had not joined, other than Elrond, and Erestor; Frodo was silently staring at the ring, his face determined. She felt a sudden fear for him and shook her head at him, telling him not to do it, but he saw none of it.
He rose and took a step toward the arguing council, trying to make his voice heard above theirs. "I will take it!" he shouted. "I will take it!"
Everyone stopped arguing at once, the noise died as one. Gandalf closed his eyes, as if pained; and then, everyone slowly turned toward Frodo, surprised.
"I will take the Ring to Mordor," he continued. "Though... I do not know the way."
There was a moment of silence before Gandalf walked towards Frodo. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, so long as it is yours to bear." He placed his hand on Frodo's shoulder protectively.
Aragorn rose. "If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." He knelt before Frodo. "You have my sword."
Besides her, Legolas silently stood up. "And you have my bow," he said, moving to stand behind Frodo. Alysae felt her mouth drop open in shock. What was Legolas thinking?
"And my axe," said Gimli. He and Legolas exchanged dark looks.
Boromir approached them slowly. "You carry the fates of us all little one," he said. "If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done."
Alysae's thoughts were swirling, replaying only the feeling of betrayal over and over again. She barely noticed when Sam, Merry and Pippin burst out from surrounding bushes, ready to be part of the quest, nor when Elrond spoke again. All she could think of was that Legolas had volunteered. On a quest. To Mordor. How was she to tell him, then? Worry gnawed at her heart.
"Great! Where are we going?"
Pippin's voice jostled Alysae from her thoughts. She turned to the newly formed Fellowship, catching Legolas' eye. He offered her a smile, which she did not return. Anger, confusion, and fear swirled within her. She needed to get away from the room. She stood abruptly, startling the others.
"Forgive me," she said in a voice that shook despite her effort to keep it steady. She hurriedly left the chamber, her emotions in turmoil.
The tension of the Council meeting had driven her away. Alysae's mind was a chaotic whirlwind as she made her way down the corridors. She did not stop until she reached a quiet garden, where she sank onto a stone bench and let her tears flow freely. She needed to make sense of her own feelings, to find her strength amidst the chaos.
-xxx-
Please review and tell me what you think!
Edited as of 08/2024