Anyanesta and the Lord of the Rings

As everyone took their place, Anya could feel the mood change from cheerful and happy to very serious. Anya couldn’t help but to wonder what was going through everyone’s minds. “Too bad I’m not in Lothlórien right now,” she thought, “then I could just read everyone’s mind.” Everything became deadly silent. It felt as if nature itself had become frozen. Then Elrond’s booming voice broke the silence.

“Now that everyone is present,” Elrond began, “we can get this meeting started. Here, my friends, is the hobbit Frodo son of Drogo.” As he said this, everyone turned and stared, some even glared, at poor Frodo. As people continued to look at him, Frodo began to fidget in his seat. “Few have ever come hither on an errand more urgent.”

After this, Elrond decided to introduce everyone to Frodo, well, in a way. First, there was a redheaded dwarf named Gimli. Then he introduced Legolas as “the messenger for King Thranduil from Northern Mirkwood.”-who was his father. Anya couldn’t help but to giggle. Legolas looked at Anya with a confused look on his face.

“What?” he mouthed to her.

“When did you become a messenger boy?” she teased.

Legolas just blushed with an annoyed look on his face and focused on the meeting. Elrond had introduced Anya as a representative of Lady Galadrial of Lothlórien. After her, he introduced Aragorn. She hadn’t seen Aragorn for a while, but he was a good friend. Then there was a man from Gondor. He had a fair, noble face. His hair was a dark red, almost brown. By the look in his steal gray eyes, you could tell he had been in battle before. He seemed at ease, but she could tell he was nervous by the way his fingers kept clenching. As she looked at his hands, she noticed a fresh cut on his left index finger. His name was Boromir.

“Now that the introductions are made, we can now truly begin,” Elrond said. He began discussing all the matters that needed to be known. Then they discussed the events occurring in Middle-earth. Anya obviously hadn’t kept up well enough. According to Elrond, shadows were starting to spread across the lands of every nation. Then, after all this news, some even more shocking news came from a dwarf named Glóin.

“Oh! Moria!” Glóin moaned, “We delved too deep for our own good. We woke a nameless fear in those mines. Not one dwarf has dared go through the doors of Khazad-dûm. But then Balin left and took with him Ori, Óin, and many other dwarfs. Unfortunately, that occurred nigh on thirty years ago. For a while, they kept in contact, but eventually we lost contact and haven’t heard from them since.

“After a while a messenger finally came,” he continued, “but he was not from Moria, but from Mordor. He asked our chieftain Dáin to help find a hobbit and to get a ring from him. He said if we did this, Moria would be ours forever. But if we refused, horrid things would befall our people. Twice the messenger has come and gone unanswered. So, finally, Dáin has sent me here to ask for helping advice from Elrond.”

“You have done well to come,” Elrond said,” for today your questions will be answered. That is the reason,” he said, gesturing to everyone, “you have come hither. Now I shall begin the tail of the ring while others will end it.”

Then Elrond began in his clear voice, and everyone listened. He told of the forging of the ring, and how Isildur took the ring. When Elrond finished the man, Boromir, stood and asked for leave from Elrond. He spoke of the peril Gondor would soon be in, and how smoke was now again rising from Mount Doom. He further of troubles in Gondor, then he retook his seat.

“Now that everyone truly understands the peril is spreading through out Middle-earth,” Elrond stated, “we now are all in understanding. Frodo, you may now bring forward.” At the mention of the ring, there were gasps from everyone.

“You mean to tell us that atrocious ring has been in our midst this whole time!” Anya said astonished.

At Anya’s outburst, Frodo became intimidated. He wasn’t sure if he should bring the ring forward or if he should stay in his seat.

“Frodo,” Elrond said, “please bring the ring.” With that, Frodo stood up timidly and set the ring on the stone table. “The only way to destroy Sauron is to destroy the ring.”

If destroying it is what you want,” the redheaded dwarf named Gimli said, “then destroy it I shall.” As he said this, he pulled out his axe and ran at the ring. Before anyone could stop him, his axe was coming down at the ring. The next thing Anya knew, pieces of Gimli’s axe head were flying in her direction. She ducked as one piece was about to hit her in the head.

“No, Gimli son of Glóin,” Elrond, “it is not that simple. The ring can only be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom, where it was forged.” Gimli’s father got up to help his son to his feet. “And one of you must do this.”