Through Fire and Water (A Legolas Love Story)

The Council

I am sat in a circle of chairs, surrounded by people of various races; Elves, Dwarves, Men, Hobbits and even the wizard Gandalf who I have met on multiple occasions during my life. We are all gathered here to discuss the fate of Middle-earth, as Lord Elrond is reminding us in a very serious tone.

“Bring forth the ring, Frodo” Elrond says and a fairly young looking hobbit steps up, looking very unsure of himself, and places a small gold ring on the pedestal in the centre of the clearing. As he does so I can feel the power pulsing from the thing, it feels hostile and, dare I say, evil.

A man stands up and he starts to talk to us about a dream he had, not very interesting, but more interesting is the way he walks towards the ring, as if bewitched by it. He reaches out a hand as if to take it but Lord Elrond springs to his feet “Boromir!” he yells and Boromir yanks his hand back but not before Gandalf starts speaking in black speech. The sky seems to grow dark and his words bounce off my skull, making my head hurt. They feel like a curse.

“Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here, in Imladris” Elrond says rather harshly but Gandalf explains that he is in no way sorry for his behavior “For the black speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the west! The ring is altogether evil!”

Boromir is on his feet again, protesting that the ring is a gift and should be given to Gondor so that they may use it against the enemy. Ha! Not likely! If the council votes to give Gondor the ring of power then I will eat my quiver!

“You cannot wield it, none of us can. The one ring answers to Souron alone, it has no other master” Father says, ever the voice of reason.

“And what would a ranger know of this matter?” Boromir says, spitefully. How dare he speak to my father in such a way!

“This is no mere ranger” A blonde elf from the other side of the circle says, getting to his feet “He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, you owe him your allegiance” His face is youthful and gentle and I find it hard to rip my eyes away from him. Father’s face, however, is anything but gentle. He is glaring at the elf and gritting his teeth.

“Aragorn? This, is Isildur’s heir?” Boromir asks. He is looking at Aragorn with an unbelieving face.

“And heir to the throne of Gondor” The elf replies.

“Havo dad, Legolas [Sit down, Legolas]” father says and the elf complies.

Elrond stands up and, in a very doom and gloom tone of voice, explains that the ring must be destroyed.

“What are we waiting for then?” A dwarf asks and runs at the ring, smashing his axe down onto it with all his strength. The axe shatters and the dwarf is thrown backwards, landing heavily on his back. he ring is still perfectly fine.

“The ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess. It was made in the fires of mount doom and only there can it me 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” Elrond says and then passes his piecing gaze among us.

“One does not simply walk into Mordor” Boromir says. Finally! This guy is talking sense now!

“Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs” Boromir continues “There is evil there that does not sleep. 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”

‘One does not simply walk into Mordor’ would have sufficed, he doesn’t need to depress us all. I role my eyes at father and mime a mouth opening and closing with my hand, he skillfully manages to hide his smile but I know it’s there.

Legolas is on his feet again, this council seems to be dominated by a few rather vocal people. “Have you heard nothing that Lord Elrond has said?” He asks Boromir “The ring must be destroyed!”

“And I suppose you think you’re the one to do it!” Gimli yells at Legolas.

“And if we fail, what then?!” Boromir yells, getting to his feet “What happens when Souron takes back what is his?!”

Gimli is on his feet now “I will be dead before I see the ring in the hands of an elf!” He yells at Legolas. This angers all the elves present, including me! How dare he say such things about my kind?! But Father puts his hand on my arm. His message is clear ‘Don’t join in’. I harrumph but stay in my seat as everyone else in the council jumps from their chairs and starts yelling.

Through the din I hear a small voice crying “I will take it!” and I look to see Frodo. The council quietens as everyone looks to him.

“I will take the ring to Mordor” He says “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

Father then rises to his feet “If, by my life or death, I can protect you, I will” He says and strides over to Frodo “You have my sword”

“And you have my bow” Legolas says.

“And my axe” Gimli says, Legolas does not look best pleased at that turn of events.

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

No way am I letting father go on an adventure without me! I leap to my feet and walk over, kneeling before the hobbit “My name is Ariana” I say to him “and it would be my honor to join you on this quest” and with that I move to stand beside father who gives my hand a light squeeze. “You just couldn’t miss out on the action, could you?” He whispers to me.

“You know me too well” I whisper back.

There is a sudden shout from a nearby bush and a hobbit runs out to stand beside Frodo with his arms crossed “Mr. Frodo isn’t going anywhere without me” He says.

“No, indeed it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not” Elrond says, and is that a hint of humor in his voice I detect? If it is it would be a first.

“Oi! We’re coming too” a voice shouts from behind us and two more hobbits come hurtling up the nearby stairs to join us. “You’d have to send us home, tied up in a sack to stop us” one of the hobbits says as they take their places next to Frodo.

“Anyway” The other puts in “You need people of intelligence on this kind of mission, quest, thing”

“Well that rules you out Pip” his friend says and I can’t help but snigger.

“The ten companions” Elrond says rather grandly “So be it, you shall be the Fellowship of the Ring”

“Right, where are we going?” the Hobbit who claimed his intelligence earlier said and again I snigger, earning a friendly nudge in the ribs from father’s elbow.

“That’s not very elf-like” He whispers.

“I don’t know if you’d noticed but I’m not very elf-like” I reply.