Frodo looked sceptical about Gandalf's reply when a sudden "Frodo!" Broke the silence, Sam ran through the doors and to Frodo's bedside.
"Sam!" Frodo exclaimed delightfully as his best friend smile warmly.
"Bless you, you're awake!" Sam said gleefully shaking Frodo's hand.
"Sam has hardly left your side," said Gandalf, chuckling slightly, it was then how Harry realised how Sam and Frodo were a mirror image of Harry and Ron except Sam and Frodo were much closer.
"We were that worried about you, weren't we Mr Gandalf, Mr Hadrid!"
"By the skills of Lord Elrond, you're beginning to mend," Harry said, smiling at Frodo, who smiled back, before Harry turned to reveal a figure who had just walked into the room. Elrond had long black hair and had a stern face but he seemed kind, he wore robes of silver "Welcome to Rivendell, Frodo Baggins," he said calmly.
Harry had been in Rivendell for two days and he still hadn't explored it all, in fact he still got lost on the way to his quarters, Rivendell nested in a beautiful valley and nearly all the buildings were white in colour, it was a beautiful place. Harry and Sam were giving Frodo a tour of most of Rivendell and suddenly they were ambushed by Merry and Pippin and lots of hugs were shared and then Frodo suddenly stopped he was staring at an old man sitting on one of the stone benches, Frodo positively beamed as he ran towards the old man "Bilbo!" He shouted in delight. Bilbo's face crinkled as he smiled "Hello, Frodo my lad!" He said, hugging Frodo.
"Bilbo," said Frodo again while he laughed, Harry smiled at the two's reunion and Bilbo took Frodo of to his quarters, 'probably to catch up' thought Harry.
A couple of hours later Harry was watching Sam pack his bag to go home, Harry wondered what he was going to do, he didn't have a home in this land and there was no hope of going back but Harry didn't dwell on it that much "Now what have I forgotten?" Sam muttered.
"Pipe-weed," Harry suggested.
"Got that."
"Pipe?"
"Got that."
"Socks?"
"Got that."
"Packing already?" Said Frodo who had just appeared from one of the buildings.
"No harm in being prepared," Sam said, quickly.
"I thought you wanted to see the Elves," Harry teased, walking alongside Frodo and Sam.
"I do," replied Sam, putting his hands in his pockets.
"More than anything," Frodo added, picking up on Harry's joke.
"I did," Sam said indignantly "It's just we did what Gandalf wanted, didn't we? We got the Ring this far to Rivendell and I thought seeing as how you're on the mend we'd be off soon, off home."
Harry cleared his throat but Frodo ignored him "You are right Sam, we did what we set out to do, the Ring will be safe in Rivendell," Frodo held out his palm and the circle of gold glimmered in the sunlight "I am ready to go home"
"Hang on," said Harry, he pointed at the gates "Who are they?" People on horses streamed through the gates like a river some were elves, some were men and Harry even thought he saw some dwarves.
"Elrond has summoned a council to decide what to do with the ring," Sam said, following Harry's gaze "It will be held tomorrow."
That night Harry was sat in a hallway leaning against a rail "Where will I go," he sighed "I have no home, no family, no clue what I'm doing here for!" Harry kicked the rail in frustration.
"I know why," a voice said from behind Harry, he turned round, it was Strider holding a book under his arm, he sat on a chair Harry hadn't noticed before "You were sent here by someone I don't know but you were sent to help us, you helped four hobbits you didn't know to Bree and had the courage to face the Nazgûl with no training, you have purpose here Hadrid."
Harry thought deeply, sure Strider made him sound cooler than it was but he had done those things, he wondered if he was really sent to help he turned back round but as he did so he saw a man looking at a tapestry of a man holding a broken sword and a large knight fighting. The man turned and he noticed the two of them "You two are no Elves," he said calmly.
"Men of the South are welcome here," Strider responded carelessly.
"Who are you?" Said the man.
"I am a friend to Gandalf the Grey and so is Hadrid here," Strider said motioning his hand towards Harry.
The man nodded slightly "Then we are here on common purpose," he said "friends." Strider remainder motionless and silent as did Harry, the man turned towards a statue in the corner of the room, the statue was holding what seemed to be a stone platter and on the stone platter was a broken sword like the one in the tapestry "The shards of Narsil," he said, clearly in awe of the broken weapon, he picked up the hilt in two hands and smiled "The blade that cut the Ring from Sauron's hand," he ran his finger across the blade and a red line appeared on his skin "It's still sharp," he murmured. He turned to look at Strider whose face stared back at him "But no more than a broken heirloom," he said throwing the sword onto the platter which fell off and clattered to floor, he looked back slightly before walking off. Strider walked over and picked up the sword, he frowned at it before putting it back in its rightful place.
"Good night," Said Harry before he walked very quickly to his quarters, thinking about the sword.
The next day flew past, Elrond gave Harry a new set of clothes to wear to the meeting, he, Frodo, Gandalf and Strider were the only ones invited from their company invited to it, the meeting would be held at sunset and at sunset the council gathered outside Elrond's hall. "Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," Elrond called "You've been summoned here 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."
Frodo nervously asked forward and placed the ring on a small table in the middle of the courtyard and walked back and sat down again. "So it is true," said the man from the night before, the whole council stared at the small hoop of gold, all in deep thought, the man stood up "In a dream," he began and slowly approached the table "I saw the eastern sky grow dark but in the west a pale light lingered and a voice cried 'your doom is near at hand, Isildur's Bane is found' Isildur's Bane," he said again reaching towards the Ring.
Elrond suddenly stood up "Boromir!" He shouted and all of a sudden the sky grew dark and Gnadalf had risen from his chair.
"Ash nazg durbatulûk!" He roared "Ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul!"
Elrond looked stunned "Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imaldris," he said very quickly.
"I do not ask your pardon Master Elrond," Gandalf replied, leaning on his staff "For the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether evil."
Boromir shook his head "It is a gift," he said enticingly "A gift to the foes of Mordor, why not use the ring? Long has my father the Steward of Gondor kept the forces of Mordor at bay, by the blood of our people are the lands of your people kept safe, give Gondor the weapon of the enemy, let us use it against him."
Harry stood up and faced Boromir "Are you mad!" He yelled "Did you not hear what Gandalf said, the Ring is evil we must destroy it, if we try and use it Sauron will use all his power to get it back, I mean look what happened to me and my companions we were attacked by the Nazgûl and no doubt Sauron has worse things up his sleeve!"
"I agree with Hadrid," said Strider "You cannot wield it, none of us can, the One Ring answers to Sauron alone, it has no other master."
"And what would a Ranger and fourteen year old boy know of this matter?" Boromir questioned.
At that moment a blond haired elf stood up "This is no mere Ranger!" He called "He is Aragorn, Son of Arathorn, you owe him your allegiance and this boy seems a lot more mentally older than fourteen, he took on five Nazgûl with no training and protected four hobbits and an elf he didn't even know!"
Boromir scowled "Aragorn," he mocked "This is Isildur's heir?" Aragorn nodded slightly
"And heir to the throne of Gondor," the elf added.
"Sit down Legolas," said Aragorn in Elvish, Legolas reluctantly sat down.
"Gondor has no king," Boromir scowled "Gondor needs no king, and this boy what has he accomplished? Surviving the Nazgûl was fluke he has done nothing."
Harry bubbled with anger he stood up and face the council "I have faced more than you can imagine Boromir," he said, his voice laced with ice "I have duelled the most infamous dark wizard of all time, I saved the Philosopher's Stone from the same wizard's clutches, I have faced a werewolf, an entire colony of giant spiders, a fully grown dragon, sea sirens, sphinxes, over one hundred demons that can suck out your soul and dozens of other monsters."
Boromir looked stunned as he sat down and so did many of the other members of the council "Aragorn and Hadrid are right," Gandalf said, breaking the silence "We cannot use it."
"You have only one choice," said Elrond "The Ring must be destroyed."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Growled a red bearded dwarf, he seized his axe and brought it down on the Ring, the axe's blade shattered and the dwarf was thrown backwards and the same eye Harry had see when Frodo put on the ring flashed into view and disappeared within a second and Harry noticed Frodo put a hand to his forehead.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Glóin, by any craft that we here possess," Elrond said "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, one of you must do this."
Boromir put a hand on his head "One does not simply walk into Mordor," he said tiredly "It's Black Gates are guarded with 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, ash and dust, the very air you breath is a poisonous fume, not with 10,000 men could you do this. It is folly."
"Have you heard nothing what Lord Elrond has said?" Legolas growled, leaping to his feet "The Ring must be destroyed!"
"And I suppose you think you are the one to do it!" Gimli challenged, Legolas glowered at him.
"And if we fail, what then!?" Shouted Boromir, standing up too "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"
Gimli got to his feet too "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" He shouted. At this everyone stood up and lots of shouting ensued even a sword was drawn in the midst Harry heard Gimli's voice scream "Never trust an elf!"
Which just added fuel to the fire and even mor yelling ensued, Gandalf shook his head dejectedly "Do you not understand?" He called "While you bicker amongst yourself, Sauron's power grows!" But no one listened apart from Aragorn, Frodo, Elrond and Harry who were the only ones still seated.
Harry noticed Frodo staring at the Ring 'no, no, no' he thought 'he'll volunteer to take the Ring' and as Harry predicted Frodo stood up and shouted "I will take it!" No one heard he shouted again "I will take it!" This time they heard and face Frodo , Gandalf turned to the hobbit "I will take the Ring to Mordor," Frodo said "Though I do not know the way."
"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins," said Gandalf solemnly "As long as it is yours to bear," he put a hand on Frodo's shoulder and stood behind him.
Harry stood up, accidentally knocking over a pot plant as he raced over to Frodo and bowed to him "You have my sword and life at your disposal Frodo Baggins, I swear to protect you and fight with you on your quest to destroy the ring, you have my sword." He said strong and truly.
At this Aragorn stood up and approached Frodo "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will," he said and he knelt at Frodo's feet "You have my sword," Harry saw Gandalf wink to Elrond.
"And you have my bow," said Legolas.
"And my axe," Gimli grunted, they all stood behind Frodo and Boromir slowly approached them.
"You carry the fates of us all little one," he said to Frodo "If this indeed the will of the Council then Gondor will see it done."
Suddenly a loud "Hah!" Echoed through the courtyard and Sam dashed out of a clip of bushes and next to Frodo "Mr Frodo's not going anywhere without me," he panted, folding his arms defiantly.
"And it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not," Elrond chided.
Harry then saw Merry and Pippin behind to columns and chuckled "We're coming too!" Merry yelled, followed by Pippin in his dash to Frodo's side, Elrond looked scandalised "You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us," Said Merry, proudly.
"Anyway," said Pippin "You need people of intelligence on this sort of mission... quest... thing." Pippin raised his eyebrows as if to challenge Elrond and Gandalf smiled.
"Well that rules you out, Pip," muttered Merry.
"Ten companions," said Elrond "So be it, you shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."
"Great!" Said Pippin "Where are we going?" Merry stared at Pippin as if he had grown a second head.