Aerlinniel POV

Puling on the reigns, I slow my horse down. I carefully dismount and walk through the gates of Imladris, handing over my horse to one of the Ellons.

First thing, I need to find Lord Elrond. I need to know what I'm doing here. I haven't got any sleep since that day I got the message from Lord Elrond back at the Woodland-Realm. It doesn't take me long to find him.

"Gi suilon, Lord Elrond. What did you need me here for? What is the urgent matter?" I question him.

"There will be a Secret Council held tomorrow. You will find out everything you need to know there. Go and get some rest." He tells me.

As much as I want to know what is going on. I can wait one more day. Lord Elrond leads me to the room I will be staying in.

~the next day~

I hear a knock on my door. Listening for the heartbeat, I find that it is Caunedhiel. I go over and open my door.

"Caunedhiel! What are you doing here? I have not heard from you in a while." I say, excitingly.

"I have been here for the past few months. Are you here to go to the Secret Council?" She asks me.

"Yes, I am."

"Good, I am also going, I'm glad I'm not going to be the only Elleth there. I brought you something to wear." She tells me.

"Thank you." I thank her and take the clothing from her. "I will get changed and you and I can head down. Do you know where it is being held?"

"Yes, go on and get dressed. I will wait here."

After I get changed, Caunedhiel and I head to where the Secret Council is being held. When we get there, I hear Lord Elrond's heartbeat and,

"Gandalf!" I exclaim, happily.

"My dear, Aerlinniel. I was hoping I would see you here." Gandalf tells me ask I give him a quick hug.

I take a seat next to Gandalf and Caunedhiel sits next to me. More people come into the room. Most of them I do not recognise. Then I heart one that I do recognise, Bilbo's nephew Frodo. I wonder what he is doing here, maybe Gandalf will know.

"Gandalf." I whisper his name.

"Yes, Aerlinniel?" He whispers back.

"Why is Frodo here?" I ask him.

"You will find out soon." He answers.

I am about to ask him something else when someone's heartbeat completely catches me off guard.

Legolas?!

My heart starts beating really fast at the sound of his heartbeat. He's here. He's alive. I haven't heard from him since the last time I saw him all those years ago. I had no idea if he survived or not, but here he is.

I am about to go talk to him when Lord Elrond starts talking.

"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." Lord Elrond stops for a moment before continuing, "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."

The Ring? Frodo has the one ring? How did he get it? I will have to ask either him or Gandalf about it later.

"So it's true." I hear a man state. It is silent for a minute before he begins speaking again. "In a dream, I saw the Eastern sky grow dark. In the West a pale light lingered a voice was crying, your doom is near at hand. Isildur's bane is found. Isildur's bane."

"Boromir!" Lord Elrond shouts the man's name.

Gandalf then begins to speak in black speech, "Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul. Ash nazg thrakatuluk, ash burzum-ishi krimpatul. (One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.)"

"Never before has anyone uttered words of that tongue here in Imladris." A shocked and angry Lord Elrond says to 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 finishes.

"Aye, it is a gift." Boromir starts speaking again. "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 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." A man states.

"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Boromir questions.

"This is no mere ranger." Legolas tells him, the sound of his voice making me smile. "He is Aragorn son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."

"Aragorn! This...is Isildur's heir?" Boromir questions, shocked. I am quite shocked too.

"And heir to the throne of Gondor." Legolas adds.

"Havo dad, Legolas. (Sit down, Legolas.)" Aragorn tells Legolas.

"Gondor has no King. Gondor needs no King." Boromir says.

"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it." Gandalf confirms what Aragorn said.

"You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed." Lord Elrond tell us.

"Then what are we waiting for?" A Dwarf questions.

The next thing I know I am hearing what sounds like something shattering. What just happened? What did the Dwarf do?

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess. Lord Elrond says to the Dwarf.

Gimli son of Gloin? As is Gloin the Dwarf who is my friend? This is his son? I would like to talk with this Dwarf when this council is over.

Lord Elrond continues, "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."

"One does not simply walk into Mordor." Boromir states after there is a moment of silence. "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. Tis 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? The Ring must be destroyed." Legolas tells him.

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Gimli questions him angrily.

"And if we fail, what then?" Boromir asks, "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 shouts.

That is when an argument blows up. Almost everyone starts arguing with each other. I give a sigh. It must be the ring that is doing this. I am surprised to hear Gandalf joining in on the argument.

"I will take it!" Frodo tries to shout over everyone arguing. "I will take it! I will take the Ring to Mordor!" Everyone quiets down. "Though, I do not know the way."

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." Gandalf says to him.

"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will." Aragorn promises. "You have my sword."

"And you have my bow." Legolas joins with them.

"And my axe." Gimli also joins with them.

"You carry the fate of us all, little one." Boromir tells Frodo. "If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."

Caunedhiel grabs my hand and we stand up.

"You have my daggers." Caunedhiel adds.

"And you have my bow and sword." I tell Frodo.

I hear Legolas give a quiet gasp. He must have finally noticed that I was here.

"Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me." A hobbit shouts, it is Sam!

"No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not!" Lord Elrond states.

"Wait! We're coming too!"

There are two more Hobbits! I can tell by their heartbeats that it is Merry and Pippin.

"You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us."

"Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission...quest...thing." Pippin stumbles and I hold in my laughter.

"Well that rules you out, Pip."

"Eleven companions...so be it! You shall be called the Fellowship of the Ring." Lord Elrond states.

"Great! Where are we going?" Pippin asks and I shake my head and laugh. "Oh! Aerlinniel, it's you!"

I then feel multiple small arms wrap around me. I hug them all back.

"Are you coming with us?" Merry asks.

"Yes, I am." I reply.

"Good! We could really use your help." Sam tells me.

"Well, I am happy to help. I will do my best to protect you all." I promise them.

"When will we be leaving?" Frodo asks.

"Early tomorrow. You all should get some rest, you have a long journey ahead of you." Lord Elrond suggests.

Before I can head back to my room, I am stopped by Legolas.

"Aerlinniel, may I talk with you for a moment?"

~~~~~~

Ahh, omg! It's the first chapter of the 7th book! What do you all think of it? Updates are every Sunday and Thursday!

Love you my elves from the realm of llamas,

~Ellethwen <3