The plans had been made. The remaining free peoples of Middle Earth gathered to prepare for battle.
For the second time in history, Elves, Men, and Dwarves would unite against one enemy.
Aragorn had told everyone what needed to be done. Weapons and armor needed to be made, everyone needed to train and prepare themselves for the battle.
And that included the hobbits.
Frodo, Sam, and Merry had decided that they would go into battle with Aragorn and the others. Gandalf had agreed and there had been no objections from anyone else.
But all three of them were scared. They knew the chances of them making it out alive were very slim. They had almost no experience fighting.
They had fought orcs in Moria but this was different. They were going into a full scale battle.
Frodo glanced down at Sting, the small sword that had belonged to Bilbo felt heavy.
He missed his uncle, he missed Pippin, he missed how things used to be.
"I will do it! I will take the ring to Mordor!"
Frodo stirred at the memory.
"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins. As long as it yours to bear."
Gandalf. Frodo had been excited to see that Gandalf was still alive, but now he was afraid that they would lose him for good this time.
"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."
Aragorn. He had already risked so much for him and the other hobbits. Now he was leading all of these people into battle, would Aragorn survive?
"And you have my bow."
He hadn't known Legolas very well. In fact he still didn't know him very well. But he had proven to be a loyal and brave friend. He had protected them as well as everyone else in the Fellowship.
"And my axe!"
Frodo had become close friends with Gimli. The dwarf had lost his father as well as some of his closest friends but he never lost hope.
"You hold the entire fate of the world little one. If it is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done."
Boromir, he had been so brave, and loyal. The ring had taken him, and now they had to pay the price. What was going through the man's mind now? How could he live with himself?
"Mister Frodo's not going anywhere without me!"
Sam. Sam had been with him since the beginning. Ever since he'd left the Shire. Now he was following him into Mordor, just like he'd said he'd would. Only now it was for battle. Not to destroy the ring.
"We're coming too!"
Frodo's heart twisted at the memory.
"You need intelligence on this sorta of quest, thing."
"That rules you out Pip."
Frodo held back tears at the memory, Merry had been broken by Pippin's death. His cousin was like an empty shell. He never spoke to anyone, he barely ate, and he barely slept.
And Pippin, his little cousin, he had failed him. He hadn't been there when he needed him and now he was gone.
"You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."
Frodo wished he could go back, refuse to take the ring, he had failed as the ringbearer. He was supposed to have carried the ring all the way to Mordor, destroy it, and end Sauron's reign for good.
But everything had failed. All that was left was for them to fight Sauron, and it seemed impossible.
"Are you two scared?"
Frodo was shocked to hear Merry's voice after so long.
"Yes. I'm scared." Sam admitted.
"Me too." said Frodo.
"There's no way we're all going to survive this." Merry said grimly.
Frodo and Sam said nothing. They knew he was right.
Merry looked up at them.
"But at least were dying for something."
Frodo and Sam looked at him in understanding.
"For our freedom." Sam said.
"To take back everything Sauron stole from us." Frodo added.
"For each other." Merry concluded.
The hobbits sat in silence.
Merry looked down at the small sword he had been given.
"Do you guys think we should be learning how to use these?"
"Aragorn and Gimli are busy." Sam pointed out. "Who's going to take the time to help us?"
"May I?"
The hobbits jumped in shock as Boromir approached them. He looked so broken, and desperate. But there was something different about him. The hobbits didn't know what it was, but it was the look of a man who had been forgiven.
And who still needed forgiveness.
"I have no right to ask this of any of you. But I need you to know that I am truly sorry. For everything."
He turned to Frodo.
"I never should have taken the ring from you. I betrayed the Fellowship, and your trust. Please, forgive me."
Frodo didn't know what to say. Boromir looked ready to break. He was about to go into battle because of what he did, and the chances of him living through it were small.
But if he could at least be assured that he was forgiven, it would make it much easier for him.
"I forgive you."
Frodo looked in surprise at Merry. The hobbit looked like he was on the verge of tears. He looked at Frodo and Sam.
"It's what Pippin would have wanted."
Sam looked down at his feet.
He sighed and looked up at Boromir.
"I forgive you too."
Boromir's eyes were beginning to fill with tears. He looked at Frodo, and Frodo felt like his heart was about to break.
If he didn't forgive Boromir, it would.
"I forgive you Boromir."
If felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of Frodo's chest.
Boromir felt the same.
The four said nothing until Merry stood with his sword.
"Were you going to help us with these?"
Boromir smiled.
"Of course."
°°°°
Aragorn, Gandalf, Thranduil, Legolas, Gimli, Dain (the former king of Erebor) Haldir, Elladan, Elrohir, Boromir, Eomer, Faramir, and the Hobbits. Were gathered in a separate cave discussing final plans for the battle.
Everything was almost taken care of. They knew that in order to truly defeat Sauron, they had to destroy his ring. It was decided that Aragorn and Gandalf would face him.
"No one else is to go near him. Is that understood?" Gandalf asked.
The others nodded in agreement.
"Aragorn and I will try to cut the ring from Sauron's finger. It was done once it can be done again. But I have no doubt that Sauron will be expecting that. Even if the ring is separated from its master his servants will continue to fight. We need a way to get the ring safely to Mt. Doom."
"If you can get the ring away from Sauron, I will take it."
Frodo announced.
No one objected to this. In fact, most of them had been expecting it.
"We'll go with him." Sam said gesturing to himself and Merry.
"Someone must go with you to ensure your safety." Aragorn told them.
"I will."
Boromir announced.
The others looked at him in surprise but they didn't object.
Frodo nodded towards him in thanks.
"The rest of us must focus on Sauron's army. He will come at us with everything he has." Gandalf said.
"What about Amarth?" Elrohir asked. "He must be dealt with."
Silence filled the air. Everyone had heard about Amarth. No one wanted to face him.
Except for one.
"I will fight him."
"No you will not."
Thranduil told Legolas sternly.
"Amarth will come after me no matter what. I will not have him kill anyone to get to me."
"It is out of the question."
"Whether I am fighting a thousand orcs or Amarth will not change the fact that I have as much chance of being killed as anyone else."
Legolas stared hardly into his father's cold, blue eyes.
"I will fight Amarth. And there is nothing you, or anyone else can say that will have me change my mind."
Thranduil fell silent. The thought of losing his son terrified him. He had considered forcing him to stay behind with Faramir, who was too weak to go into battle, and the other injured as well as the women and children. But he knew that Legolas would not remain behind.
"I have made my choice father."
Legolas concluded.
He waited for Gandalf or Aragorn to confirm his decision.
"Very well." Gandalf sighed.
Aragorn said nothing, but looked at his friend with concern.
The meeting was finished. Everyone left to prepare for the long march to Mordor.
Gandalf stopped Aragorn on his way out.
"There is something I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
Aragorn asked.
What did the wizard have to tell him?
"It's about destroying the ring, it will not only kill Sauron."
"What do you mean?"
"It will destroy him, and everything else he created. As well as things he has put some of his power in."
Aragorn was lost. What did this have to do with him?
"What I am trying to tell you Aragorn, is that if the ring is destroyed, Legolas may be destroyed too."
Aragorn's world swayed.
No...
No that couldn't be right.
"How can that be possible?"
"Saron put much of power into Legolas when he controlled him. That power is still in him. He is bound to the same fate as Sauron is with the ring."
Aragorn couldn't believe what he was hearing. After everything Legolas had survived, he would die.
Because the ring had to be destroyed.
"We have to tell him, he deserves to know." Aragorn insisted.
Gandalf shook his head.
"No. Legolas cannot know. And before you say anything let me explain."
"The power that Sauron put into Legolas, he can use it. It can make him unstoppable. Legolas knows this and he planned on using it to defeat Amarth. But I warned him that if he did, Sauron could take control of him again. One moment he would be fighting the enemy, and the next he would be fighting with them."
"If Legolas knew that there was a chance the he was going to die anyway, he would use the power briefly to defeat Amarth. If it Sauron took control of him it wouldn't matter because the ring's destruction could kill him in the end."
"But there is still the chance that we won't be able to destroy the ring,"
Aragorn reminded him, "and you said that Legolas might be killed along with the ring, what if he survives?"
"Legolas believes that the ring can and will be destroyed. That is why he cannot know what will happen if it is. As for him surviving, I do not know if he is strong enough to survive while the darkness inside him is being destroyed. It could very well tear him apart."
Gandalf gave him a hard stare.
"You will not say anything to him. Understand?"
Aragorn looked at Gandalf with tears, and anger in his eyes.
"Why did you tell me this?"
"Because if I had not, and it happened, you would have been lost to your anger."
Aragorn sighed.
"Does his father know?"
"Yes."
It felt wrong, keeping it from him.
But he didn't argue with Gandalf.
"I will not tell him."
Aragorn promised.
Gandalf nodded.
"Good."