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"Ah." Gandalf breathed as we made our way down to the breakfast table. "There may be a bit of a shock waiting downstairs for you."

"And what might that be?" I laughed, practically skipping into the dinning area. I stopped at the doorway to observe the people inside for a moment. Five Hobbits, Frodo, Sam, Talia, Merry, and Pippin, Strider, a male human, a dwarf, and an...elf. With long golden hair that had two warrior braids in it. Bright blue eyes. A kind face. Oh, damn.

"A bit of a shock?" I hissed to Gandalf. I spun on the heel of my worn leather boots to face him. "You call that, a bit?"

"Alas, my dear. You two haven't seen each other in many years. Let the past be the past." He tried to reason. I frowned and gave a light sigh.

"I did not want to confront him so early." I moaned softly.

"After breakfast is the council meeting." Gandalf said, putting a hand on my shoulder. My eyes widened. To answer my unspoken question, he said. "You've been asleep for three days, my dear."

"You should have woken me up." I sighed, shaking my head.

"You needed rest." He responded.

"Frodo woke up before me!" I protested weakly. The shock of seeing Legolas again has yet to wear off.

"You cannot withhold this forever." Gandalf said, putting his old, withered hand on my back.

"I know." I mumbled, taking a deep breath and walking into the dinning area.

"Gwen!" Talia greeted loudly, jumping up and running over to give me a hug.

"Hello, Talia." I laughed, patting her dark curls affectionately. "You honestly didn't think I died, did you?"

"Even Frodo woke up before you." She pointed out.

"That is going to follow me the rest of my immortal life." I groaned, sighing for the millionth time this morning. I smiled at the greetings from my Hobbit friends and Strider before sitting down and smiling at the hot porridge in front of me. I felt like two holes were being burnt into my head as I picked at the milky substance in front of me.

"Thank you for getting us here safely, Strider." I said, looking up at the mysterious Ranger. "We couldn't have made it without you."

"It was not a problem, my lady." He said, giving me a smile. I returned it and went back to my breakfast. By the time it was time to leave for the secret council I learned that the dwarf's name was Gimli, the man's name was Boromir, and Legolas can be very quiet when he wants to be. As I sat down next to Gandalf, I got a few nasty looks from some people, which I immediately returned with a scary look.

"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 said, everyone settling down at once. "Bring forth the ring, Frodo."

I could not lie and say I wasn't drawn to the ring. I stared at it, relishing the power that was radiating off of it. I blinked a few times to snap out of my trance, and turned back to Elrond.

"So it is true." Boromir said in shock. I scoffed quietly at the fact that he didn't believe us. Gandalf gave me a warning look from the corner of his eye, and I silenced myself.

"Sauron's ring. The ring of power!" Legolas breathed. Oh. So he could talk. How nice.

"The doom of man." Gimli added grimly.

"It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this Ring?" Boromir demanded. "Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, held the forces of Mordor at by. By the blood of our people your lands are kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!"

"You fool!" I cried in outrage, standing up.

"Sit down, girl." Boromir snarled.

"You cannot wield it. None of us can. The one ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master." Aragorn said calmly, quietly standing up. Boromir turned to him coolly.

"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Boromir asked in an almost pleasant tone. Aragorn didn't answer, but Legolas stood up fiercely.

"This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance!" Legolas argued angrily. I met his eyes across the council room, but quickly turned away with a furious blush rising to my cheeks.

"Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?" Boromir asked in disbelief.

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

"Havo dad, Legolas." Aragorn commanded, still in a quiet tone.

"Gondor needs no king." Boromir said with a scowl.

"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it." Gandalf finally put in, effectively ending the argument.

"You have only one choice. The ring must be destroyed." Elrond decided, causing everyone to focus on the ring once more.

"Then what are we waiting for!" Gimli asked in an excited tone. I chuckled under my breath and sat down. Only a dwarf. He ran forward with his axe and swung it. The axe shattered as it made contact with the ring, blowing Gimli backwards. Frodo winced and slumped in his chair. I leaned over to him.

"Are you alright?" I whispered in concern. He nodded in return and focused on Elrond.

"The ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possesses. 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 into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this." Elrond said, stunning everyone into silence. Nobody would meet his eyes as a feeling of dread settled down onto us.

"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 said quietly, breaking the silence.

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The ring must be destroyed!" Legolas said heatedly.

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

"And if we fail, what then? What happens with Sauron takes back what is his?" Boromir growled in anger.

"I will be dead before I see the ring in the hands of an Elf!" Gimli shouted, causing an uproar. Everyone started arguing with each other, shoving, and threatening to draw swords. I stood desperately on the sidelines, trying to see my mentor in the swirling pool of angry men.

"I will take it." I heard behind me. I turned to Frodo with shock written all over my face.

"Frodo?" I breathed quietly. He looked at me.

"I will take it into Mordor!" Frodo said loudly. Everyone's attention turned to us.

"Though," He added quietly, "I do not know the way."

"I will you help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." Gandalf said, putting his hand on the young Hobbit's shoulder.

"And I as well." I said, smiling at him. "You have my staff.

"If, by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." Aragorn said, kneeling in front of Frodo. "You have my sword."

"And you have my bow." Legolas said, walking over to us. I stopped breathing as he stood next to me. Letting out my breath, I tried to ignore his presence.

"And my axe!" Gimli declared loudly, walking over to us.

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

"Here!" Someone shouted form the bushes. Sam. "Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me."

"Or me, for that fact." Another, more feminine voice said, popping up behind a stone wall. I smirked at Talia before turning to the other bushes were Merry and Pippin were emerging from.

"Oi! We're coming too!" Merry called out. "You'll 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 decided with a radiant beam.

"Will, that rules you out, Pip." I laughed with a beam.

"So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the ring." Elrond declared thoughtfully.

"Great!" Pippin said eagerly before pausing. "Where are we going?"