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Just a reminder

' ' Thought

" " Speech

Sindarin (Elvish)

Chapter 7: The rise of a new hope.

In the city known by so many for its beauty and glory one troubled lord lay resting in the chair of his office, for worry was predominant in his mind, worry for his daughter, for the fate of the one ring as well as of all lands. All depended on Arwen haste, and even luck must be in their favor, for if his visions were true and the nine were working as one again, then the ring bearer might just not make in on time, especially if what Gandalf said was true and the ring was really in possession of a Hobbit. It was not that he find their morals wrong, he only doubted the speed and the strength that a body that size could produce.

Just as he was gazing at the night sky trough the balcony of his room, wishing to the Vallar that the fate of all remain in the path of light, he saw her enter the gates of the city in haste. He was surprised, he expected Arwen to arrive in the morrow, adding that the fact that she was running as fast as she could was not a good sign, so Elrond prepared for the worst. She came to him at once carrying what appeared to be at first sign the Hobbit that was supposed to be the ring bearer. But at a second glance one could tell, it was not a Hobbit, the size was correct but feet wasn't, and just as he was watching the body that his daughter was carrying with so much care he saw, in the head that was wearing a strange cap lay something he hasn't seen in a long time, too long. This was a child, a very special child, a child of the elves.

"Father, he was stabbed by a Morgul's blade!" cried Arwen, calling back the mind of her father, just beginning to lose itself in confusion and wonder. But said cry was effective, and at once the lord looked at his daughter eyes, seeing the worry in her face. He had no time, all questions must be asked later, and as one the two of them ran to the house of healing, no words needed to be said, and only actions matter if the life of the elfling were to be saved.

He was sudden aware that a bright light was touching his face, and just as consciousness was coming back, so came an involuntary groan. All that he remembered was the blinding pain, there were flashes of cries, of being on Epona, and then, of some beautiful lady that literally shined through the darkness, but that was all they were, flashes, like a dream. He tried to open his eyes, an action that surprisingly took a lot of effort. Once he was successful he immediately regretted, for the light that was warmly touching his face was not so confortable to said part of his body. As his eyes adjusted he noticed he was lying on his back, covered by some form of blanket made of the softest fabric he has ever known. The bed he was in was big, and it could probably comfortably fit all the Kokiris on it. It was just when he tried to sit down to see more of the room he was in that he felt it, there in the place he was stabbed pain made itself present again. All he could do was to groan again, and immediately give up on sitting as he fell on his back, closing his eyes in the process.

Just as his left hand came to rest on the injured shoulder he felt bandages on it, but before he could make any theories about who might have treated him a voice that came to his right startle Link.

"You must leave the injury alone child, for it has not healed completely yet." The voice said, and it was a man's voice, but one he did not know. That was incentive enough for said child to open his eyes once more.

What he saw was a tall figure, taller than Aragorn, he was wearing some strange clothing but it seemed to be well made, better than the ones worn by the royals in Hyrule, and that seemed to fit since he was actually wearing some kind of small golden circlet, but before he could consider the man's features he saw them, the pointed ears, and in the next second realization just came to him 'He's an Elf!'

The boy looked at the man in amazement, he finally met the famous race that everyone seemed to think he belonged to. The man was tall, almost too tall, and he was young too, almost too young for a lord, he looked to be no older than twenty five, but even then Link could just tell that his eyes were full of knowledge and wisdom. Before he could analyze the man's features any further he remembered the fight at the watch tower, at the evil beings he was fighting so fiercely to keep in check, and then the pain, and the dream like visions, so in a hurry Link asked in a low tone, pain preventing him to raise his voice "Where is Aragorn? What happened to Frodo?" just as he finished he flinched again, it seemed like all of his body was in pain, not only his right shoulder.

"Hush child, you must calm down, for you are much too weak." The elf responded, worry shown in the man face as clear as the summer sun. "Your friends have not arrived in Rivendell yet, but you need not worry, for the foe that has been tracking your steps is no more, so even if they are not here they are safe from that evil."

'I would very much like to hear how someone defeated those five black riders, but I guess that is a tale for another time' Link thought in silence, trying to make sense of the situation "Thank for treating my wounds sir, I would assume that I'm currently at the city called Rivendell then? If so might I ask why I was the first to arrive when the last time remember I was traveling with five other companions? I would also like to know how my companions are after so fierce a battle as the one I remember being in. Lastly I would ask for your help in making me sit, for I'm afraid that my strength alone is not enough at the moment"

"It would be best if you sleep for now child, it has been only five hours since I was able to heal your wound, and to be frank I expected you to wake up in a week at best, for it was no mere cut that you receive in your shoulder. You were stabbed by a Morgul blade, a cursed sword, and if you hadn't reach Rivendell in time you would have suffered a most terrible fate" The elf said, worry never leaving his face as he looked down to where the little elfling lay, hoping that the child would choose rest and be spared of the pains of the still not completely healed wound.

'By Farore please let me not have to deal with another Aragorn' Link thought bitterly, but he was far too weak to make any other kind of protest. "Please sir, I must know, if only to end the worry for my friends that won't put my mind at ease." He was playing dirty and he knew, but desperate times called for desperate actions, and so after those despicable words were out of his mouth he made the most pleading face he could muster. The instant he saw the man reaction he knew it had worked flawlessly. Much to the protest of his conscience and pride as a warrior he had to add this new found ability to the list of skills he kept in his mind.

"Very well, I will tell you what I know, but be aware that most of the tale is still unknown even to me. I must insist though that you should stay lying down, for you have a considerable bruise in your back and to put stress on your muscles is most unadvisable. Before I start I must insist that you should eat something, for it would help in bringing your strength back."

Link was then given a piece of bread that seemed so bland that he was almost doubtful for a second, but the moment he took a bite it was like a lot of his energy came back, the effects of days of hunger seemed to simply disappear. He was still fascinated by the miraculous bread when he was given something that seemed like tea by the too carful hands of the elf. He managed to drink most of it, and as he rested his head again in the confortable pillow, he began to hear the incomplete story of what had happened after he was stabbed in the watch tower.

As the elf lord began to recount just how magnificent were the defenses of the land and how they utterly drove the mighty foe away he heard a small snore. The boy had fallen into slumber again, and a peaceful expression was set on his face. The man who had lived so long could not help but smile, he found himself missing the time his daughter was an elfling, so long ago, but hope once again filled his heart at the sight of the precious little gift

The time was still dire, and the weapon that the child had brought forth to Rivendell must be destroyed for peace to reign in these lands again. He was skeptical at first when Gandalf told him that the ring bearer was in fact a Hobbit, he had already seen how it could corrupt even the heart of the little people, and the result, in the form of the creature called Gollum, was a reminder that there was weakness in the hearts of every mortal and immortal, no matter the race. That fact together with the lack of strengths and speed that would come with so small a race made the one called Frodo Baggins unsuitable to carry such a heavy burden in the Elf lord view.

But the hobbit not only seemed to be resilient of the evil he was caring, but did what no man had ever done in known history, he had willingly and freely given the weapon of the enemy away. Even if it was to save the life of the child, something that Elrond was forever grateful, the act of giving up such a cursed and mind bending evil artifact so easily as Arwen described could only mean that Gandalf was right, that if ever there was one to bring the One Ring to the heart of mount doom and cast it into the fire where it once came it would unexpectedly be this hobbit of the shire, so in his mind it was already decided that the fate of all would be in the hands of one of the once so ignored small people. The council would then be a mere formality and a way to find companions to help the Hobbit in this perilous quest that held the fate of all in the tip of a sword.

The elfling stirred in his sleep and as an instinct Elrond placed a hand in the child forehead and began to sing a song that for more than seventy years had not been uttered in the halls of his city. For some time he had thought that the time of the elves in Middle Earth was coming to an end, but the sudden appearance of an elfling could mean that maybe it was not to be true, that there was still a future for the old race in these lands. At least Elrond would certainly stay, for he would not leave for the immortal helm and leave behind such a young elf, least he became lost again and found by fouler beings. The Lord had a feeling that his sentiment would be shared by most of his kin, and that as a result the elves would start to consider again these lands as their home, and their future still attached to its fate.

As the Elf Lord watched the child sleep lost in thought and in hope for better days, the door of the room both elves were in was suddenly thrown open, and forth came a most distressed grey cladded wizard, uttering words without the good sense to control the volume of his voice. "Is Frodo safe? Does he still have the ring?"

Gandalf was in much distress, Saruman had not only betrayed the side of the free people of middle earth, but also held him captive when Frodo needed him the most, when he was being chased by the terrible minions of Sauron. He was glad that he decided to ask for Aragorn to meet the hobbits if anything was to delay him, but he still could not hold back the feeling that something was going to be wrong and that Frodo might fail without his help. It was in such a state then that the wizard was dropped in Rivendell, with a warning from his old feathery friends not to summon them again until the time of the last battle, for they had no strength left at the moment and the call of the west lands beyond the sea were becoming much too strong to be ignored and very soon they would have to leave these lands.

So ran he did, in the halls of the ancient race, to find his friend and ally. He was much too anxious to hear the fate of Frodo and the so important weapon he carried. He feared his miscalculation would be the doom of all, for he knew that Sauron was moving, and if the nine were to find them, not even Isildur's Heir would be a match to so formidable a foe. When he finally came to the room that the lord of Rivendell held his office he was met with only a guard, informing him that Elrond had gone to the house of healing in haste. That information only made fear grow exponentially in the mind of the Istari, and fly he did, apprehension firmly set in his mind.

As he entered the room the wizard could not hold his anxiety any longer, but as he finished asking what had troubled his mind for so long, he was met with the glaring eyes of Elrond. There was a moment of confusion where Gandalf looked from the elf to the bed in between them, by the size of the person lying there his first thought was that Frodo had being injured, but then he saw the head. It was not the head of a hobbit, it was just too young. Then he saw the ears, and then suddenly nothing made sense anymore, this was beyond anyone's prediction, it was illogical, was an impossibility, something that should not have happened, something that was beyond anyone's dream, of anyone's hope. For the second time in the month he was facing with a fact that he was not able to foresee, with a situation that was completely outside his schemes, with something so improbable that all his plans had to be revised. For sleeping in the bed before him was not only a child, it was a child that would bring hope, that would bring spirit again for the aging race, that would make them care, care about the land, about the future.

While the wizard was still dazzled by what lay resting in front of him Elrond checked to see if the last turn of events had unmade his efforts to bring the child to rest. As the answer to that question was a negative he let his gaze fall over his old friend: "Come to my office, for we have much to talk."

"Indeed" was the only response of the old wizard as he was much to dazzled by the events that had unfold during his captive, and eager to receive some answers he followed Elrond to where a much needed conversation could unfold without worry of being overheard nor upsetting no one rest.

The former members of the Second White Council talked together for hours, both making the other know the events that had occurred to the best of their knowledge. So it was then that Elrond discovered the treason of Saruman. Gandalf for his part learned that indeed his choice had been right, for the fact that Frodo had given freely the ring to the child in need was one of such importance that could change the fate of all, and it confirmed the wizard intuition of the great force of will present in the hobbit, even stronger than his uncle Bilbo.

As they finished updating each other with the current events Elrond began "This changes everything Gandalf, for an age my people thought that the time for us to leave this lands was coming, that it was in due time that every elf that still inhabited this lands would make the trip beyond the sea. The fact that for an age there was no elf born in Middle Earth only made that kind of thought more certain in our minds. But now, about eight hours ago, that certainty is no more, for you have seen what lay resting in that bed, and I would tell you my friend, that it is hope, hope and future that once was so closed to us that was never considered. As soon as word reach the other Elves settlements that an elfling was found what most would think is that the Vallar still want us to live here, that we still have a future east of the seashores. I would tell you now, after the treason of Saruman the elves cannot hold alone the powers of evil that are stirring in the east, but there is a chance that we will not leave Middle earth to its fate."

"You know not how it gladdens me to hear such words friend, for I had hope the race of Man could drive of this evil, but if a combined army could be formed as it was in the ages past, then in a more even ground would the free people be to oppose the Dark Lord"

"There is much to be decided before we reach that point, but a council must be formed, for it is due to the inhabitants to middle earth to determine what their fate would be" Answered the elf lord, not wanting to be too optimistic, after all he could not see how he could convince the dwarves to fight for a greater good without the incentive of profits from gold or pretty rocks.

There were just a silent agreement, and both Elf and Wizard focused then at the task at hand, writing to every lord of middle earth that still held power in their lands for a council in one moth time on the city of Rivendell, where the fate of all would be decided.

There were birds singing, the noise of water could be heard in the background, and the rustle of leaves was completing the melody that his ears were picking. As he opened his eyes he could see the same ceiling as before, and without the pain to distract his thought he could see the amount of details that seemed to decorate every single part of it. He could tell by the color of the light coming from the window on the right side of the rom that it was probably late afternoon, and that meant he must have slept for the most part of the day. There was no one with him at the moment, so he tried to move again, his body still hurt in some places, specially his right shoulder, his right arm and his back, but the pain seemed to be more effective in numbing his senses than actually limiting his movement, so he decided to test how much he could do at the moment. The first order of busyness was to sit down, something that seemed almost impossible some hours ago now felt like a doable job. After sitting he noticed that he was in a simple room, only a couple of chairs were present, with no other furniture in sight.

Deciding that it was too boring a place to spend the rest of the day, how much little it would last, he made his way to the left side of his bed, the nearest to the only door present in the room, and lifted over the overly confortable blanket that was keeping him too warm. As he looked down he could see that his chest was covered in bandages, which seemed quite exaggerated as he surely wasn't defeated that badly. He then noticed a small chain around his neck, and on it was the weapon that was so important to this world in the form of a rather simple golden ring, and remember he did the events that the Elf had said had come to pass about Frodo giving it to him and he felt thankful for his friend and the act that had saved his life. Nothing more covered his torso, and the only piece of clothing he seemed to be wearing was a plain white trouser, luckily his new pants had pockets, so deciding that the weapon should probably be hidden he took the chains out of his neck and placed it into the left front pocket of said attire, not wanting to openly display such a dangerous artifact.

After coming to the conclusion that his attire was acceptable for the moment, Link tried to use the legs that were inactive for an undetermined amount of time. They worked, for the most part, and soon enough the boy was standing up, not completely upright since the aching of the muscle on his back made him bend a little, but at least he would not be needing a walking stick.

At once he was out of his plain room, but what greeted the eyes of the Kokiri was definitely not plain at all. As soon as he was out of the door he was greeted by one of the most beautiful street he has ever seen. Every building was filled with so much detail, and every piece of construction seemed to blend seamlessly with the nature that seemed to be an important part of this city. Everything was in harmony, nothing looked out of place, it was the most beautiful visage he has seen, and it was breath taking. In shock the boy stood, gazing at the magnificent of the city in front of him.

It seemed like hours had passed, but finally Link decided to walk around, the buildings were all magnificent but he had yet to meet any elf, or any one in the streets at all. Every place he looked was empty. As he walked he suddenly heard what appeared to be chatter in the background, and so to the direction of the sound he went. As he walked on the street he realized most of the buildings were small, he seemed to be in a residential area of some sort, but even so to have no one around, not even children running on the streets was quite strange.

Following the sound brought him to the front of a considerably big building, bigger than the ones he had seen until now, and if the sounds other than the chatter were any indication, he was in front of a tavern or something of the like, only there was no name plate in front, just two big wooden doors. As he was struggling to move one of those impractical pieces of wood he had to wonder how other child would live in such an inconsiderate place. His efforts were soon rewarded and before as he entered he thought, not noticing he was actually vocalizing it. "Seriously who in their right mind would make doors so big and difficult to move?"

Just as he became aware he had spoken those words he also notice that all the chatter that was coming from the building suddenly stopped, as he let go of the door and turned to look at what lay inside the supposed tavern he could see a lot of people, and more importantly a lot of pointed ears. He was just starting to become amazed when in a startle he became aware that every eye on the room was looking at him, every single one of them.