Chapter 5

The Council of Elrond

I heard voices up ahead in the area where the council was to be held, so I quickened my pace, not wanting to be the last person there. I had hoped to arrive with Aragorn and be able to sit beside him, but I had slept late and he had already left when I called on him. Hurriedly, I cast the hood of my cloak over my head before I arrived at the circle of chairs. Most of them were filled, but I found one between the Elves and the Dwarves. ‘Fantastic, stuck between two rival races.’ I grumbled inwardly as I sat down. I noticed Aragorn sitting roughly opposite me. I could see his eyes searching for mine under the shadow of my hood, so I tilted my head slightly and smiled. He would probably be the only person in the circle who was sure of my identity, apart from Lord Elrond. This was my intention. I preferred to remain hidden until the opportune moment to reveal myself. Until then, I would just stay quiet.

Slowly, the last few seats filled and I looked around, observing the people who sat around me. There was Frodo to my right– the only hobbit, but a rustle in the nearby bushes told me that the others probably weren’t far off – Gandalf, Legolas (who was surrounded by several other Elves). And to my left the Dwarves –none of which I recognised, Boromir – along with a few other men, Aragorn, and then Lord Elrond. 

In front of Elrond there was a tall, stone table. All around me people where muttering under their breath in various languages. Sometimes they would cast a glance at Frodo, other sat in silence, observing others, like myself. Suddenly Lord Elrond stood and silence fell.

“Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. 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.” His eyes scanned the circle, analysing each person who sat there. When he reached me, he frowned slightly at my hidden face, and then moved on. He then looked to Frodo.

“Bring forth the ring, Frodo.” He commanded.

The hobbit stood, with the Ring sitting in the palm of his hand. The second my eyes fell on it I felt an instant pain in my mind. Like my skull was being put under a great pressure, which gradually increased second by second. I watched as Frodo set the Ring on the stone table, and it looked like a great weight had been removed from his shoulders. People around me had started whispering again, so I shut my eyes, blocking the pain. I heard Boromir whisper ‘So it’s true’, but I didn’t look up.

“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. Isildur's Bane is found.’” Boromir continued. I opened my eyes to see him reaching towards the Ring. I felt a lump form in my throat. It was already taking a hold of him… “Isildur’s Bane…” He murmured.

“Boromir!” Elrond snapped, seeming to break his trance. Suddenly, Gandalf began to chant in a menacing voice.

“Ash Nazg Durbatuluk! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul!”

The words were harsh and malicious, and they only seemed to make the pain in my head grow worse. I shut my eyes tightly, driving away the pain as the sound of the words faded.

“Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris.” Elrond spoke, sounding furious at Gandalf.

“I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond, for the black speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether evil.” Gandalf responded, as peace seemed to return to the circle. I couldn’t agree more. I had never felt evil so strong…

“It is a gift, a gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring?” Boromir spoke again, rising to his feet and slowly walking towards the table. “Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of my people are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him.”

‘Boromir no!’ I screamed in my mind. The Ring was beginning to take control…

“You cannot wield it. None of us can.” Aragorn finally spoke in a sharp tone. “The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master.” He finished a little more softly.

“And what would a ranger know of this matter?” Boromir hissed, turning towards Aragorn.

‘How dare he!’ I yelled again in my mind.

“This is no mere ranger.” Legolas stood, staring at Boromir and opposing him. “He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance.”

I cheered silently for the elf, who I was already warming to.

“Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?” Boromir said in disbelief, sounding unimpressed.

“And heir to the throne of Gondor.” Legolas continued.

“Havo dad, Legolas.” Aragorn murmured, waving his hand, as if he was embarrassed about his identity being revealed. Or maybe it was because Legolas was standing up for him. It must be one of those male-ego things…

“Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king.” Boromir muttered, retreating to his seat. I almost had to stop myself from standing up and attacking him, but the pain in my head prevented it.

“Aragorn is right. We cannot use it.” Gandalf grumbled, bringing the council to order once again.

“You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed.” Elrond stated.

‘That sounds so simple. Almost too simple…’ I thought.

“Then what are we waiting for?” One of the Dwarves interrupted, standing up and brandishing his axe. He raised it high above the table a brought it crashing down on the Ring. The pain in my mind flared and for a moment I thought I saw a flash of red flame around the ring. The Dwarf flew backwards and crashed to the ground, groaning. His axe lay shattered around him.

“The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess.” Elrond stated. Silence fell once again as he continued; “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.”

The tense silence that followed was almost unbearable. As if we were all waiting for someone to oppose the statement.

“One does not simply walk into Mordor.” Why was I not surprised that Boromir was the one who spoke? “Its black gates are guarded by more than orcs. 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.”

I sighed, preparing to stand and argue with him.

“Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!” Legolas cried, springing to his feet. Damn, he beat me to it again.

“And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?” Gimli shouted.

“And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?” Yelled Boromir over the arguing Elf and Dwarf. Chaos broke lose. All around the circle people jumped to their feet, arguing with each other. Over the noise I heard Gimli make further insults.

“I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf! Never trust an elf!” He spat on the ground near Legolas’s feet. A low hiss seemed to arise from nowhere, muting the sounds of the argument.

“Ash Nazg Durbatuluk! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul!”

The hiss formed into the same words that Gandalf had spoken and I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off the ring. The pain was getting worse. This was what the Ring wanted. It wanted us to fight amongst ourselves. My head throbbed, and I felt like I was about to collapse. I looked across the circle and saw Frodo with his head in his hands. Suddenly he stood up.

“I will take it!”

I barely heard his voice over the arguing, but he raised his volume and shouted again.

“I will take it!”

Silence fell over the circle, and people began to return to their seats.

“I will take the Ring to Mordor.” Frodo continued. “Though I do not know the way.”

My heart filled with pity for the little Hobbit, as I realised that the fate of myself, and everyone else in Middle Earth was now in his hands. Gandalf rose to his feet with some difficulty.

“I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, for as long as it is yours to bear.” His voice seemed aged as he laid a hand on Frodo’s shoulder.

I then saw Aragorn rise to his feet and walk over to Frodo.

“If by my life or death I can protect you, I will.” He murmured softly. He then knelt in front of the Hobbit. “You have my sword.”

By this point I’d made up my mind and was preparing to stand up.

“And you have my bow.”

Legolas walked forward and stood behind Frodo. Somehow, he managed to beat me to everything!

“And my axe!” Gimli grunted, following Legolas.

I rose to my feet and cast back my hood.

“An impossible quest? I wouldn’t miss this for the world!” I grinned, walking up to Frodo and ignoring the stares of the people around me. I crouched in front of him and placed both my hands on his shoulders. “I’m with you all the way.”

I stood and took my place beside Aragorn, noticing that he looked slightly disapproving until I gave him a reassuring smile.

Boromir then got to his feet, and I groaned inwardly.

“You carry the fate of us all, little one. If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done.”

He walked over and stood behind Frodo just as the rustling in the bushes got louder and Sam burst out of them.

“Hey! Mr. Frodo's not goin’ anywhere without me!” He cried, running towards us. Elrond smirked.

“No, indeed, it is hardly possible to separate the two of you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not.”

I heard footsteps and turned to see Merry and Pippin bolting towards us.

“Wait! We're coming, too! You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!” Merry yelled, taking his place beside the other Hobbits.

“Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission... quest... thing.” Pippin piped up.

“Well, that rules you out, Pip.” Merry muttered and I stifled a laugh. Lord Elrond looked at each of us.

“Ten companions. So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring.” I smiled and looked down, seeing Pippin look around.

“Great… Where are we going?”