A few days later, as promised by Lord Elrond, Frodo began to stir awake

"W-Where am I?" Frodo asked. 

  "You are in the House of Elrond," Gandalf's voice replied. "And it is ten o'clock in the morning. On October the twenty-fourth, if you wanted to know."

  Frodo finally opened his eyes. 

  "Gandalf!" he greeted, looking relieved. 

  "Yes, I'm here," Gandalf replied reassuringly. He still gnawed at the pipe he was smoking. "And you're lucky to be here, too. A few more hours, and you would have been beyond our aid. But you have some strength in you, my dear Hobbit." 

  Frodo slowly sat up in the bed, and I helped him by grabbing his upper arm and pulling him gently to a sitting position. He winced in pain and clutched his shoulder. At least he didn't try to claw at it like he had been in the past. 

  "What happened, Gandalf?" Frodo asked. "Why didn't you meet us?"

  "Oh, I am sorry, Frodo. Eirina," he apologized. He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I was delayed. A friendship with Saruman is not lightly thrown aside." 

  He looked deep in thought, which immediately got Frodo concerned. 

  "Gandalf? What is it?"

  "Nothing, Frodo," Gandalf reassured. 

  "Mr. Frodo!" said Samwise excitedly. He rushed in and immediately shoved me aside. I didn't blame him. Instead of getting mad, I just chuckled at his excitement to seeing his best friend being alive. 

  "Sam!" said Frodo with relief. 

  "Bless you, you're awake!" 

  "Neither Elysia nor Sam have left your side," Gandalf informed Frodo, who looked amused and slightly confused. 

  Lord Elrond came in and I went over to him. Sam continued speaking.

  "We were that worried about you. Were we, Mr. Gandalf, sir? And Eirina?"

  "By the skills of Lord Elrond and the help of Lady Elysia," Gandalf replied as he looked over at the two of us with a knowing look, "you're beginning to mend." 

  "Welcome to Rivendell, Frodo Baggins," Elrond greeted him. 

  Frodo was recovering tremendously. He seemed stronger than I thought, and I was relieved. Unfortunately, he still felt some pain in his shoulder at night, and Lord Elrond still had to come in and take the pain from his wound nearly every night before bed. And he still suffered from intense nightmares that happened nearly every night, and I would always be at his side to help comfort him when he needed it. Most nights, it would just end with us cuddling together on the bed, with him resting his head on my chest. I knew he felt more comfortable, and more protected that way, with my arms wrapped protectively around his waist. 

  Almost a week after Frodo had fully recovered, different races from Middle-Earth came to a meeting. Frodo and I were invited, but not the rest of our Hobbit friends. The Middle-Earth civilians ranged from Men, to Elves, to Dwarves. Frodo and I were the only Hobbits to attend the meeting. I sat next to Frodo, and Frodo sat next to Gandalf.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," Lord Elrond greeted. "You have been summoned to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-Earth stands on the brink of destruction. None can escape it! You shall unite, or you will fall. Each race is bound to this one doom!" There was an intense pause as Lord Elrond's eyes swept through the circle. His eyes finally landed on Frodo's. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."

Frodo slowly stood up from his seat, and hesitantly walked over to the podium that stood in the middle of the circle. He slowly placed the Ring in the center of the table. He walked back to his seat, and I noticed that he let out a breath of relief. He must be relieved to get rid of the burden, for at least a little bit. 

"So — So it is true!" one of the Men, Boromir, I think his name was. There was something about him that I already didn't like. He then got to his feet, attracting everyone's attention. "In a dream, I saw the Eastern Sky grow dark. But in the West, a pale light still lingers. A voice cried out to me, saying, 'Your doom is near at hand. Isildur's Bane has been found'."

  He extended his hand out to try and take the Ring. I glanced to my left where Frodo sat, and saw that he looked very nervous, and tense. I finally decided to speak. 

  "Boromir." 

  He ignored me. It wasn't until Gandalf spoke, that Boromir finally listened. Gandalf spoke in the Black Speech, the language of Mordor. The entire Council looked terrified, including Boromir. He'd been thrown back into the chair as Gandalf's voice boomed over the crowd. I glanced over at Frodo and saw that he looked scared. I took his hand reassuringly and he squeezed it tightly in return.

  As soon as Gandalf had finished speaking those words, the darkening sky lightened, and the thunder and lightning ceased. The entire Council shifted in their seats, looking very uncomfortable. Elrond finally spoke up after a tense silence. 

  "Never before have we had any voice speak those words in the realm of Imaldris."

  "I do not ask for your pardon, Lord Elrond," said Gandalf as he sat back down. "For the Black Speech of Mordor maybe yet heard from all corners of the West. The Ring, itself, is evil to anyone who possesses it."

  "It is a gift," Boromir spoke. He rose from his chair, looking proud of himself. "A gift from the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring?" 

  My body stiffened. Was he actually stupid? Did he not hear a word Lord Elrond or Gandalf had said? I spoke up before I could stop myself. 

"We cannot wield it," I declared in a sharp voice, catching everyone's attention. "None of us can! The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master!"

"And what would a mere Hobbit know of this matter?" Boromir sneered.

One of the elves, Legolas, I think his name was, stood up, immediately coming to my defense. 

"This is no mere Hobbit," he announced. "She is Elysia Hlothar, daughter of Eruraviel Undomiel and Darren Hlothar — the granddaughter Lord Elrond. You owe her your allegiance." 

There was a pause. Everyone stared at me in awe.

"Elysia?" said Boromir in disbelief. "So this is an heir of the house of Undomiel?"

I nodded slowly before turning to Legolas, speaking firmly to him in Elvish. "Sit back down, Legolas." 

"Eruraviel has no heir," Boromir finally spat before slouching back over at his seat. "Eruraviel needs no heir." 

An awkward silence followed before Gandalf started speaking again.

"Elysia Hlothar is right. We cannot use it."

Lord Elrond got to his feet again.

"Then you have, but one choice: The Ring must be destroyed."

No one looked very happy about it. I noticed the wary glances they were giving the Ring. Finally, a dwarf spoke.

"What are you waiting for?!"

We turned to him. He got to his feet with his axe in his hands. He sprinted forward, hacking the Ring away with his axe, only to be thrown back by the force of the Ring. I could feel the blow, but it was obvious that Frodo felt it the worst. 

  He cried out and placed a hand over his forehead, as though trying to block everything out. I felt bad for him and I reached over and hesitantly placed my hand over his. He didn't hesitate to grip it tightly back. I turned back to face the crowd.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft we here, possess. It was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there, can it be unmade. It must be cast back deep within the fiery chasms from whence it came!" He paused, his eyes sweeping around the circle. "One of you. . . . . must do this."

A tense silence followed. Finally, Boromir spoke.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor." His comment caught everyone's attention. "Its Black Gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten-thousand Men could you do this. This is folly!"

Legolas rose sharply to his feet.

"Have you heard nothing of what Lord Elrond had said?!" he burst out in an angry voice. "The Ring must be destroyed!"

"Well, I suppose you think that you're the one to do it!" Gimli protested.

"And what, next?" Boromir insisted. "What will happen when Sauron takes back what is his?!"

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" Gimli roared angrily. Everyone got up and began to argue. Legolas tried to push his people back to get them out of the argument. "Never trust an Elf!" Gimli added.

"Do you not understand?!" Gandalf insisted. "The more and more we bicker against ourselves, the more power Sauron grows! None can escape it! You'll all be destroyed!"

Finally, Frodo got his feet.

"I will take it!" he declared in a desperate voice. It took several tries but eventually, he got everyone's attention. "I will take it! I will take the Ring to Mordor." Everyone stared at him, amazed, shocked, and shocked. Including me. Frodo had more courage than I thought! "Though. . . . Though I do not know the way," he admitted.

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins," Gandalf offered as he stood behind him. "As long as it is yours to bear."

"And by my life, or death, I will protect you. I will," Aragorn added. He got down on his knees, getting up to Frodo's height. "You have my sword."

"And you have my bow," Legolas added.

"And my axe!" Gimli also added.

I walked up to him and took both of his hands in mine before looking him straight in the eye. "I know that Gandalf had asked me to keep an eye on you, but I will do more than that. I will protect you with all that I have. I promise." I paused. "And I give you my protection."

I smiled at Frodo before standing at my place behind him. I put a protective hand on his shoulder as Boromir stood forward. There was something off about this man and I didn't like it.

"You carry the fate of us all, little one," Boromir finally commented. "If this is, indeed, the will of the council. . . . then Gondor will see it done."

"HEY!" said the voice of Samwise Gamgee in surprise. We all turned to face him. Sam squeezed past me and shoved my hand out of the way. 

  I smiled. I didn't blame Samwise. He was too close to Frodo. 

  "Mr. Frodo isn't going anywhere without me!" he argued in a defensive voice.

"No, it's highly impossible to separate the both of you, even when he has been summoned to a secret meeting, and you have not," Lord Elrond answered, though he had a hint of amusement in his voice. A light smile placed on his face. 

"Oi! We're coming, too!" Merry insisted as both he and Pippin hurried over towards us.

"Anyways, you'll need people of this sort of intelligence for this mission. Quest. Thing!"

We stared at him, amused.

"Well, that rules you out, Pip," said Merry in a sarcastic voice. Pippin stared at him, surprised.

"Ten companions," Lord Elrond murmured in a soft voice. In a louder voice he added, "So be it! You shall be called the Fellowship of the Ring!"

"Great!" said Pippin with much enthusiasm before adding in confusion, "Where are we going?"