Elrond stood before the gathered folk – representatives of every free race sat before him – there not had been a gathering of such importance since the start of the third age. "Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have 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." He paused to give the halfling a beckoning wave. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."

Still unable to tell Hobbits apart, Rekena tried to take note of the one who responded to Frodo – he who carried the one ring was surely an important halfling, the blood of Bilbo Baggins as well. As he placed the ring in the centre of the pedestal a whisper set ablaze round the council.

"So, it is true," sighed one of the men – the white tree crest on his chest and shield signalled him as Gondorian man, but his sigh of surprise, despair was mixed with something else that Rekena couldn't quite pin down. Great was the greed of man though, she wouldn't be surprised if he was plotting to take the ring to further his own self ambition.

"The Doom of Man," one of the elves hissed, an unnatural noise to emanate from a creature of such grace, but perhaps the humming that pounded Rekena's skull was getting to them as well.

"It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring?" The soldier from Gondor was now on his feet, eyeing the ring as if it were a prize to be won or a weapon to claim. "Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the Enemy. Let us use it against him!"

"You cannot wield it! None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master." Strider replied, he was a shadow bound man – this was probably the first time she had seen him not under the cover of darkness.

"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" He sneered.

The blonde eld of Mirkwood leapt to his feet, Gloin made an indiscriminate noise at this elf – he had been the monster at a great deal of fire side stories and caused many a stripling to shudder. It was strange to see him so close, still even after meeting him she wasn't quite used to it yet.

"This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." The elf spoke surly and proud as he revealed the Ranger's true identify. Rekena's mouth was left ajar, she may be culturally inept according to the mighty Elrond but even she knew enough of Mannish society to recognise the name of Isildur's heir.

"You mean to tell me this Strider is the heir of Isildur?"

"And to the throne of Gondor." The elf narrowed his eyes in challenge.

"Havo dad Legolas." Strider, Aragorn, calmly spoke – his voice was of the earth, much like a dwarf, he was well grounded.

"Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king."

"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it." Gandalf spoke, and as people tended to when wizards had something to say, everyone payed attention.

"You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed."

"What are we waiting for?" Gimli asked impatiently. His axe had lay prone by his side through the council – for elf control purposes – but now he held it firmly as he approached the pedestal. With a mighty war cry he struck the centre with all his might but was catapulted back as he if he was a young powerless stripling all over again. Rekena was mortified, going to his side and helping back to his feet and then to his seat. The stone flagging was now littered with the finest craftmanship of Erebor – Gimli's axe had shattered upon contact with the small golden ring.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin by any craft that we here possess. 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." His eyes tracked across the council as he spoke, locking eyes with them one at a time. "One of you must do this." Elrond concluded.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor." The soldier muttered in despair and disbelief. "Its black gates are guarded by 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 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!"

The monster-elf stood again although his features were decidedly un-monstrous, she could not quite pin down what maliciousness Gloin had seen in him – a passion yes, but there were no horns or fangs to be found. "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!"

At that Gimli leaped to his feet. "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?!"

As if he was unable to do anything else, the Gondorian was back on his feet. "And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his!"

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" Gimli roared.

"Gimli, calm yourself." Rekena whispered, not leaving her seat – she wouldn't undermine him in front of these strangers, but they were guests of elves and as Elrond sought to remind her, she was technically also an elf.

"Never trust an Elf!" He muttered like a curse under his breath.

It was then she stood for lack of a better word dwarfing over her brother. Gimli almost relented, her glare was that of his mother or perhaps his mother had learnt her thunderous stare from Rekena, but it mattered not for it was fierce.

"By the blood that flows within my veins and the blood we have split the weapon belongs to Gondor," he declared, malice and threat burning bright. Boromir or Faramir, she couldn't quite figure out who, she knew he was a son of the regent but the younger or older it was hard to tell – correctly aging humans had always alluded her.

"Ozirum menu seleku." Rekena spat back at him.

Khuzdul may not have been his mother tongue but an insult is universal, and he did not take it well. His sword was drawn and pointed at her quicker than she thought possible for the sluggish limbs of a human. Despite how fast his hand may have moved though his eyes were not fast enough to realise what she was doing until her dirk was unsheathed and pressed against his bare neck. She was too close for him to even think about swinging his sword. Perhaps what surprised him the most was how near she came to his height even when he drew himself to his fullest - the women he was used to didn't clear his shoulder, yet she could almost match his eyeline. How poetic that the woman who travels with dwarves with be so tall.

Piercing through the commotion Gandalf's commanding voice drew everyone to a halt. "Do you not understand that while we bicker among ourselves, Sauron's power grows?! None can escape it!"

A vulgar voice rose to join the warning of Gandalf, but this was something else, something foul chanting in a shadowy tongue she didn't recognise. It caught her off guard allowing the Gondorian who she still had pinned at dagger's edge to bat her hand away and take a step back to safety. She was about to peruse and slit his throat when a small body pushed into the fray. "I will take it! I will take it!" The young Hobbit called trying to be heard over the angry mob that had broken forth from the council.

The arguing and the grey wizard closed his eyes as he heard Frodo's statement. Everyone slowly turned toward Frodo, surprised though none quite as surprised as Frodo himself who seemed unsure of what to do now that he had everyone's attention. "I will take the Ring to Mordor." His voice was quieter but with the same strong determination only a Hobbit could have. "Though I do not know the way."

Gandalf joined the halfling's side in a show of solidarity. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, so long as it is yours to bear." He said putting his hand out on to young Hobbit's shoulder.

Aragorn also rose and walked towards him. "If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." He went down on his knees in front of him, so they were eye to eye. "You have my sword."

"And you have my bow." Monster-elf affirmed, joining Aragorn and Gandalf.

"And my axe!" Gimli said as soon as Legolas had finished, he walked over to the group exchanging dark looks with the elf. Rekena almost protested, it was clear to see that Gimli had signed himself up to a suicide mission out of spite due the actions of an elf – yes, he may have been the stuff of daymares for any child of Gloin or anyone else who had travelled in the company of Thorin, but it didn't mean Gimli needed to do this.

The Gondorian walked slowly over to then. "You carry the fates of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done."

"Heh!" A voice called, it's owner soon appearing from behind some bushes and running to stand beside Frodo. "Mr. Frodo is not goin' anywhere without me!"

With a faint smile of amusement Elrond spoke. "No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not."

Two more Hobbits emerged from behind pillars running to be with their friends. "Wait! We are coming too!'

"You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" One of them said.

"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest... thing." The other joined in, equally as confident and clueless.

"Well, that rules you out Pip." He said jabbing his companion in the side lightly, it was like watching striplings squabble. It was then that her mind was made up, Gimli was his own dwarf, he was grown and capable of making his own mistakes, but these halflings were possibly some of the last pure joy left – rallying around one of their own who had chosen to carry a great evil for the betterment of the known world. It was a noble cause – her axe and loyalty were the least she could give them, they needed all the protection they could get.

"I shall go too." Rekena sighed stepping forward, she didn't even notice the Gondorian flinch, Aragorn did but could only manage a half smile, the weight of their pending quest weighed heavy on him to allow anything else.

"Namad please." She opened her mouth to rebut Gimli's protest but realised it wasn't not him but Gloin who had spoken.

"I need to do this." She whispered. There was silence but then he bowed his head in acceptance, claiming her place alongside Gimli she turned to Elrond who again addressed the council.

"Ten companions, so be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!"

"Great!" One of the Hobbits cheering before a startling realisation dawned upon him. "Where are we going?"

ozirum menu seleku: you couldn't forge a spoon. it may seem trivial to any man but to dwarves who pride themselves on their craftsmanship this is a particularly mean insult

Check out @lunawolf8074 for some amazing Dwarvish and some more classic insults in Khuzdul.