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Falling In Love is Hard on the Knees	By : sarahjean Category: Lord of the Rings Movies > General Views: 3149 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings book series and movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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I can't find the rhyme in all my reason

Lost sense of time and all seasons

Feel I've been beaten down

By the words of men who have no grounds

Can't sleep beneath the trees of wisdom

When your axe has cut the roots that feed them

Forked tongues in bitter mouths

Can drive a man to bleed from inside out

- Creed, What If

The Council of Elrond was basically a circle made up of the races of Middle Earth, sitting on chairs, with the sunlight beating down on them and making them all look all nice and pretty and�fairytale-like. Well, aside from me and my darling brothers. We no doubt just looked plain and boring and ordinary � not of Middle Earth.

Tommy sat on one side of me, Jack on the other, almost like bodyguards. From where I sat, Elrond was to my left, Gandalf and Frodo opposite me diagonally, Legolas opposite me, Boromir on my right (though not my immediate right, Tommy was next to me on my right) and Aragorn was concealed by Jack and a few Elves on the left somewhere. I was the only woman present, which made me a tad uncomfortable.

I glanced to Boromir. I suppose some strange part of me wanted reassurance, but at the same time, I was interested to see the book and cartoon acted out. Boromir caught my gaze and winked at me. Great. Now I was practically blushing. I turned my gaze to Legolas. The Elf had been watching as Lord Elrond conversed with Gandalf, but the moment my eyes fell on him, he seemed to notice, and turned his gaze to me. He gave me a slight smile, and I felt my stomach drop. That smile! I gave a slight one back and looked away before I made a fool of myself.

Frodo was sitting on a chair, and the fact that his feet didn�t reach the floor might have been humorous at another time. Plus, the sad, long-suffering look on his face made me cast my usual cattish attitude aside for the time being. I mean, I normally tend to poke fun, not always to be cruel, but also because I preferred to find laughter in a situation than doom � only people don�t normally appreciate my humour. Aren�t I so hard done by? Yeah, sure. Look at poor Frodo. Little does he know � or does he know it already? � he�s about to embark on one of the most life changing journeys. Puts the whole adventure thing into perspective, at least. And it shows the strength of character � someone half my height (or at least, three fifths of my height) was going to do something I could probably never do.

Gandalf finally took his seat, and looked right at me. I frowned. Okay, so I�d been looking at him a moment before, so what. I wasn�t looking at him with this kind of x-ray vision sight he was inflicting upon me.

�Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-earth stands upon the brink of destruction.,� Elrond said, studying the Council. At his next words, the various races glanced among one another � Elves glaring at Dwarves and vice versa. �None can escape it. You will unite, or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom. Bring forth the Ring, Frodo.�

I turned my attention to the Hobbit. I knew this all too well, and that in itself scared me. The idea of having power of this kind of situation might be exhilarating to some, but not to me. I never did like being placed in positions of authority or knowledge, and this was technically the epitome of both. What made matters worse was that everyone at the council knew I was important in some way because I was the only female. If only Elrond had let Arwen come, then maybe I wouldn�t be so singled-out. But then, she�d probably just distract Aragorn.

Frodo hopped out of his chair slowly, with encouragement from Gandalf, and made his way towards the pedestal-type table at the centre of the circle, walking slowly as though he was either reluctant to let the Ring go, or was just plain saddened to the core. He placed it on the table.

There was instant reaction in the Council. Not noisy, no. The Elves didn�t give out girlish shrieks and faint, the Dwarves didn�t roar, the Men didn�t scream. There was only a few gasps, and lots of movement. Legolas�s eyes widened momentarily before he looked at the Ring darkly. I had the feeling he wasn�t tempted all that much. Boromir shifted in his seat, looking eager. Uh oh. Even Tommy and Jack shifted a little, but Jack looked more eager than Tommy � this worried me. I began to get depressed all over again. Did they do antidepressants in Middle Earth, I wonder?

Of course, I wasn�t exactly unaffected. But it wasn�t temptation. At first, an odd whispering seemed to brush past me, like a wind, then a sharp pain filled my forehead behind my eyes, and as it spread down through my stomach to my thighs, I saw a glowing fiery eye, reds and blacks and oranges�I felt my fear peak, my heart speed up. I knew what this was. And the eye seemed to know that I knew. I�m not sure if I shook it off or if it left of its own accord, but I was startled when Boromir said, �So it is true.� He looked on the very of having an O, and that forced me to bite my lip to stop from laughing. This was a serious situation, but look at the guy!

Someone said �The Doom of man,� but I didn�t know who, because the pain sliced through my head again. It was only a quick flash, but it was enough to diminish my urge to laugh. Just as I was fighting to calm myself, Boromir continued, �It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor.� He stood up. Here we go, I thought. �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 had looked almost like a cross between a lawyer and a cheerleader, and that in itself was amusing. I turned my head to the left slightly, waited for Aragorn to kick in. Apparently Tommy and Jack were doing the same.

�You cannot wield it,� Aragorn said, right on expectation. �None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master.�

Boromir turned to give Aragorn a dirty look that would�ve made me quite offended. But Aragorn (from what I could see past several heads) was still sitting, quite calm.

�And what would a Ranger know of this matter?� Boromir sneered.

I glanced straight ahead.

�This is no mere Ranger,� Legolas said, jumping up, anger clear on his beautiful face, ready to defend his friend. �He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance.�

A kind of baffled silence settled over the Council, and I was tempted to break the silence with a wisecrack, but I figured it wouldn�t be appreciated. Boromir was still eyeing Aragorn with some disdain, but shock was obviously the more dominant emotion. �Aragorn? This is Isildur�s heir?�

�And heir to the throne of Gondor,� Legolas said. I could see Frodo�s shock as well as Boromir�s. The young Hobbit had his heart on his sleeve. A few murmurs passed through the Council, but silenced almost immediately.

�Havo dad, Legolas,� Aragorn said, holding his palm up to the Elf. Judging by the fact that Legolas sat down, it was obviously Elvish for, er, sit down?

Boromir�s face showed a multitude of emotions, not all of them recognisable. I felt sorry for the man in many ways, but I knew I could do nothing. I was bound to my seat both by expectation and the pain that was still lingering in my thighs and behind my eyes. �Gondor has no king,� Boromir said, sounding pained and angered. �Gondor needs no king.�

�Aragorn is right,� Gandalf said. �We cannot use it.� Boromir sat slowly down, obviously seeing he was overruled.

�You have only one choice,� Elrond said. �The Ring must be destroyed.�

Oh, here we go, I thought. I had a feeling in my stomach that this wouldn�t be good � I may have known everything so far, but I had the feeling there was something waiting for me around the corner.

�What are we waiting for?� Gimli piped up. I swung my gaze to him in time to see him raise his axe, run forward at the Ring, and bring it down harshly. Instantly, blinding pain ricocheted around my skull, and I buried my eyes in my hand, elbow on the chair arm. By the time I was okay enough to risk a look, I saw Gimli being helped up off the floor, his axe broken. The Ring was unharmed.

Frodo too had felt the repercussions of Gimli�s act � he too looked pained and was trying to hide in his hand. It was then that I wondered � why was the Ring affecting me? Frodo was the Ringbearer, so it was obviously going to affect him. But why me? It didn�t affect anyone else at the Council (Frodo excluded), and it certainly didn�t affect Tommy or Jack. Why me?

�The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glo�n, by any craft that we here possess,� Elrond said, apparently unfazed by the little display. 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 back into the fiery chasm from whence it came.�

The whispery voice returned, and it was speaking in some other language. I groaned, feeling a slight pain starting to throb behind my eyes.

�One of you must do this,� Elrond finished, eyeing the Council.

A silence ensued, as though no one expected this. Tommy and Jack exchanged looks, then glanced at me, but I barely noticed. I was waiting for what came next � I wanted the Council over fast, before it caused me a haemorrhage or something.

�One does not simply walk into Mordor,� Boromir said, his voice dripping with disdain and annoyance. �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.� At the word �eye�, I felt sure I must have quickly turned the colour of Saruman�s robes. �It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air that you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly.�

�Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?� Legolas cried, jumping up once more. He reminded me of a jack-in-the-box. �The Ring must be destroyed!� He looked around the Council with these words, taking on the lawyer/cheerleader hybrid.

�And I suppose you think you�re the one to do it?!� Gimli barked in disdain, a sneer in his voice.

�And if we fail?� Boromir cut in. �What then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?�

�I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!� Gimli roared. This statement caused instant outburst � the Elves jumped up, Legolas holding some of them back, and the Dwarves followed suit. Soon, everyone was up and arguing aside from me, Tommy, Jack, and Frodo.

�Never trust an Elf!� Gimli�s voice called out.

Gandalf was speaking, but I couldn�t hear. Instead, the whispering voice came, and I could hear it in a language that struck a fear into my heart. My eyes were on the Ring.

�Ash nazg durbatuluk, Ash nazg gimbatul, Ash nazg thrakatuluk, Agh burzum-ishi krimpatul��

I could see in the Ring�s golden depths a fire, a fire consuming the reflections of the Council in a symbolic and foreboding way. Just when I was considering doing something � anything � a voice rang out, �I will take it! I will take it!�

Everyone fell silent, and turned towards the Hobbit who had spoken.

�I will take the Ring to Mordor,� Frodo said, looking afraid. �Though�though I do not know the way.� For some reason, I wanted to exhale in relief. I glanced at my brothers, and saw that they looked disturbed � but then, so was I. We all had every right to be disturbed.

�I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins,� Gandalf said, moving to place his hand on the Hobbit�s shoulder. �As long as it is yours to bear.�

�If, by my life or death, I can protect you, I will.� Aragorn rose from he seat strode over and knelt in front of Frodo. �You have my sword.� I swear I saw Gandalf wink at Elrond. My mind instantly started cooking up perverse scenarios, but halfway through, the lingering pain in my mind forced me to give up.

�And you have my bow,� Legolas said, standing beside Frodo.

�And my axe,� Gimli said, moving to stand next to Legolas. Legolas cast a slightly annoyed look at the Dwarf, and Gimli seemed amused and pleased at the reaction.

Boromir walked slowly towards Frodo. �You carry the fate of us all, little one,� he said, as Aragorn placed a supportive hand on Frodo�s shoulder. �If this is the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done.�

�Here!� A voice cried, startling me momentarily. Sam came barrelling out from some nearby bushes, running up next to Frodo. �Mr. Frodo�s not going anywhere without me.�

�No, indeed,� Elrond said, as Frodo smiled fondly at Sam (yet again, more material for perverse scenarios, but my mind wasn�t up to it), �It is hardly possible to separate you from him, even when he is summoned to a secret council, and you are not.�

�Oy! We�re coming too!� Everyone turned, surprised, to see Merry and Pippin running over. Elrond watched with shock as they ran past him and stood next to Frodo. �You�ll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!� Merry said.

�Anyway,� Pippin said, �You need people of intelligence on this sort of mission. Quest. Thing.� I smiled. Merry and Pippin reminded me of myself and Thalia when we got together. Of course, Thalia was Pippin.

�Well, that rules you out, Pip,� Merry snorted.

It was then that Elrond turned towards us, the only three still sitting. �Tommy, Carolina, Jack.� All three of us stood up, shooting each other furtive glances before looking back to Elrond. The rest in the Council eyed us with interest. �It is in my knowledge that you can be helpful on this mission. It is my wish that you join this group.�

�If we can do anything, we�ll do it,� Tommy said, nodding. And I was supposed to be the wannabe hero?

I nodded, looking to Frodo. He was staring at me with large blue eyes, and in his hand he now clutched the One Ring. �We�ll do anything we can,� I said, �and we won�t fail you.�

The words that left my mouth were spoken from me, but it didn�t feel like it. The whole thing felt too surreal, too fantastical.

�Twelve companions,� Elrond said, eyeing us all, and I caught Gandalf giving me an almost encouraging, secretive look. �So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring.�

�Great!� Pippin cheered. �Where are we going?�
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Falling In Love is Hard on the Knees