The Tenth Walker - Aragorn Fanfiction

The fellowship of the Thing.

That is one way to start a meeting.

'Bring forth the Ring, Frodo' Lord Elrond orders Frodo, who steps forward and moves towards a stone plinth. He places a tiny golden thing on the plinth and returns to his seat.

It is a ring!

'So it is true!' Someone calls out in shock. A man dressed up in armour with dark blonde hair stands up from his chair. The men around me begin with yelling and shouting. 'Sauron's Ring! The Ring of Power!'

'The doom of man!' Seriously the doom of man? A little golden ring?

They grow quiet again when a little humming sound can be heard. It sounds like music and it is like I am drawn to the small ring lying on the stone plinth. But Strider has his hand folded on my own, so I remain seated. The man who was speaking before, in the armour, begins to approach the ring. '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." He says while reaching for the ring. 'Isildur's Bane' He mutters. But Elrond stands again from his chair. 'Boromir!' He shouts. Gandalf is also standing and he begins to speak in a strange languages. The sky darkens again and I can hear thundering rolling. But still Striders hand is around my own, like he is my anchor. 'Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk agh 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)

How fast the sky darkened it returns to normal and everyone sits still in his chair. Lord Elrond turn irritated to Gandalf. 'Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris'

'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 says while returning to his seat. I can see Boromir shaking his hand and he stands again from his chair. 'It is a gift ... 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!' Boromir yells at us. 'You cannot wield it. None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone... it has no other master' Next to me, Strider makes his case. He lets go of me and looks to Boromir. But the man turns and looks coolly at Strider. 'And what would a Ranger know of this matter?' He says taunting. Strider says noting and Boromir turns away from him. But next to Strider sits, I think an elf because he has long golden hair and pointy ears, but he stands from his chair and turns to Boromir. 'This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance' He shouts at Boromir.

What?!

His name is Aragorn?!

Everyone looks in awe at Strider – now Aragorn – and Boromir turns back sharply. 'Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?' He says in disbelief. 'And heir to the throne of Gondor' The elf answers proudly. 'Havo dad, Legolas...' (Sit down, Legolas) Aragorn says calmly to – what I presume – is Legolas. Legolas sits down on his chair again, but the proud smile on his face stays. 'Gondor has no king' Boromir sneers. But everyone ignores him because Gandalf is already talking. 'Aragorn is right ... we cannot use it'

'You have only one choice ... the Ring must be destroyed' Lord Elrond states. Suddenly a man jumps from his chair in excitement. I know this is a dwarf because I know my fairytales. And this man has a very long beard and he is short. 'Then ... what are we waiting for?' He says smiling and rushes forward, swinging his axe down on the ring. But the axe shatters and he falls backwards on the ground.

How is this possible?

'The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glóin, by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom ... only there can it be unmade' Lord Elrond states, looking to Gimli and to all of us. 'It must be taken deep into Mordor, and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this' He adds and looks at me.

Me?

Hell no!

It stays silence. No one says something. 'One does not simply walk into Mordor. 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' Boromir addresses us in a quiet voice. 'Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed' Legolas fires back. 'And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?' Gimli sneers. 'And what if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?' Boromir hisses. Gimli leaps to his feet. 'I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!' He shouts and a storm of arguments erupts around me. The men stand up and begin to yell at each other. I see Gandalf yell something but I cannot hear. I hear the same hum from before, the same quiet music. I see Frodo looking at the ring and he stands up. He tries to say, to shout something but his voice isn't clear enough.

'Silence!' I yell while standing up. The men are immediately silence and look at me in disbelief. 'You are going to take it?' An older man sneers at me. Angry I shake my head. 'No you dimwit. He is going to' I say and point to Frodo. He nods at me. 'I will take it ... I will take it ... I will take the Ring to Mordor' He says now in a strong clear voice and looks around the room. 'Though I do not know the way' He adds silently. Gandalf next to him rises to his feet. He walks to Frodo and puts his hand on the hobbits shoulder. 'I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear' Aragorn rises also to his feet and our eyes meet for a second before he walks up to Frodo and kneels before him. 'If by my life or death I can protect

you, I will....you have my sword' Legolas and Gimli also follow suit. 'And you have my bow' Legolas says while bowing his head a little. 'And my axe' Gimli adds grunting. Boromir looks at me and then back at Frodo. 'You carry the fates of us all, little one' He says while walking up to him. 'If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done'

Am I really going to do this?

He said I was chosen, so here I go.

'Frodo, I am going with you, all I can do is protect you like I did before we came here. And maybe I am not that good in it as the others are, but you saved me and now I repay you by doing the same. I am going with you' I say in one breath and Frodo smiles. I can see his dimples! I join them by standing next to me. Aragorn is staring at me in anger.

'Why' He hisses. 'They said I was chosen' I whisper back. 'Who said th-' Before he can finish his sentence I hear a noise. 'Here!' Sam pops up from behind a bush. 'Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me' He says and stands next to Frodo. 'No, indeed ... it is hardly possible to separate you ... even when he is summoned to a secret Council and you are not' Lord Elrond says grinning. Merry and Pippin jump from behind another bush and I can't help it but laugh.

Did they hide the whole time?

'Oi! We're coming too! You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us' Merry says with folded arms. 'Anyway ... you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission ... quest ... thing...' Pippin stutters. 'Well, that rules you out, Pip' I hear Merry hiss before standing next to Frodo. Lord Elrond looks at us in questioning. 'Ten companions ... so be it' He mumbles. Then he turns to the other men. 'You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring' He announces.

The Fellowship of the Thing he means...

Great, just great.