Not All Legends Are True

A few days passed before Frodo finally awoke. During those days I spent most of my time with either Arwen or Elrond. And a day before Frodo awoke, Gandalf turned up. He had told me that he was delayed and that was why he could not meet us at the Prancing Pony. But I sensed more behind what he had told me. Though I did not question him further.
Only a day after Frodo had awoken, new visitors came to Rivendell. Men, Elves of the Woodland Realm, and Dwarves, to my surprise. Arwen and I had gone down to great our guests since Elrond was having a meeting with Gandalf.
“Welcome,” Arwen said in her soft voice. “To Rivendell.”
“These Elves here shall take your horses and see to them as they see fit. And these She-Elves will show you to your accommodations for while you’re here,” I smiled next to her.
The horses were taken away and many of the new guests followed the She-Elves to their rooms, after their long journeys. Arwen then left to see to her horse in the stable and I was left alone.
“You are Lady Ireth, aren’t you?”
I turned to see an Elf, from the Woodland Realm, with long blonde hair. Slug acrossed his back were his quiver of arrows and his bow.
“Yes,” I smiled nodding to him.
He nodded back, “I am Legolas Greenleaf of the Woodland Realm.”
“Welcome to Rivendell Legolas. Is there anything that I can get for you?”
Legolas smiled and looked down, “No, My Lady. But it was very kind of you to ask.” I bowed my head and went to turn to head to Frodo’s room. “Lady, Ireth!” I turned back to Legolas. “Do you know where your archery range is?”
I smiled. “No. I do not. But if you find out, please let me know, because I’d very much like to practice as well.” I then turned and walked towards Frodo’s room.
“I saw that, Ireth.”
I jumped at the sound of Striders voice. I placed my hands on my hips, “And what exactly do you think you saw, Mr. Strider.”
He smiled, “You’re sister flirts the same way,” and at that he turned and walked away.
I blushed and quickly dashed towards Frodo’s room.
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As night fell I found myself restless. I wondered around Rivendell seeking something that would help comfort my mind. I found myself in one of the many open rooms of Rivendell. I could feel the presence of another and as I looked around I found Strider sitting in the moon light reading. I smiled and leaned up against the railing staring up at the moon.
“The moon interests you, doesn’t it?” he asked not looking up from his book.
I smiled, “Yes. How did you know?”
“Every night, before you fell asleep, you would look up at the moon. It comforts you.”
I smiled but said nothing more. I could hear someone else enter the room. His footsteps were light, making little noise, but he was no Elf. I watched as one of the men that had arrived earlier that day gaze at a painting and then turn to walk up to one of the many statues of Rivendell. Placed on that statue was a broken sword.
“The shards of Narsil.” He whispered. He then picked up the sword by its hilt. “The blade that cut the Ring from Sauron’s hand.” He ran his hand up the side of the blade and cut one of his fingers. “It’s still sharp.” He then looked over and saw Strider and I. “But no more than a broken heirloom.” He said quickly placing the sword back down and walking away. But the sword fell off the statues holding plate and onto the floor. He paused but kept walking.
Frowning I walked over to the fallen sword and picked it back up. As soon as I had touched the sword I saw a white tree and stone. I realized it was Gondor. There was a crowd of all Middle-Earth creatures. Elves, Dwarves, Men, and in the middle where the four little Hobbits. I smiled at them. I turned and looked up to the front doors to the king’s castle. I watched as Gandalf placed a crown on a man’s head.
“Now come the days of the king.” Gandalf said to the crowd. “May they be blessed.” He whispered to the new king.
The new king stood from his kneeling position and turned to the crowd. I gasped when I saw that it was Strider. And at his side was the sword, Narsil.
I then returned to Rivendell with Strider. I looked down at the sword and then over to Strider.
“You are a king.” I whispered to him. “You are the king of Gondor. You are Aragorn.” Strider looked at me, shocked at what I had just said. “But you have chosen to not be a king. You fear of the past.” I said placing the sword on the statue again. “Do not fear the past, Aragorn. You are much different than Isildur. You will be a great king, Aragorn,” I smiled and then walked away.
I wondered out of the room as my sister stepped in to the room to talk to Aragorn. I walked down the hallways towards my room. When rounding a corner I almost ran head first into Legolas.
“Oh!” I said jumping back.
“Lady Ireth,” he smiled. “What are you doing up so late?”
“Please, Legolas, just call me Ireth. And I couldn’t sleep,” I smiled at him.
“Well, if you are still unable to sleep, I have found the archery range.”
“Have you now?”
He nodded, “Would you care to join me?”
I smiled, “I must get my bow first.” I stepped past him and walked down to my room. I quickly grabbed my bow and returned to where I had left him.
“Ready, My Lady?” He asked.
I sighed and shook my head, “It’s Ireth, Legolas.” I walked past him and out into the main court yard of Rivendell. “Now, where to?”
“This way, my…Ireth,” said Legolas as he caught himself.
I followed him through the trees of the nearby forest on a small path. We didn’t walk for very long before we came to a large clearing with many targets set up for archery.
I smiled and looked at Legolas, “You first.”
Legolas took his stance and stared at one of the targets. Then with incredible speed and talent he withdrew an arrow from his quiver, notched the arrow, and shot the target straight on. I frowned. I was nowhere as good as that. Now I felt almost embarrassed to even try archery.
“You’re turn, Ireth,” smiled Legolas.
I blushed and looked down, “I…umm…I’m not very good,” I muttered. I looked up and saw him smiling.
“Come here, and I shall teach you.” I blushed even more as I walked up next to him. “Okay, stand as if you were to shoot.” I sighed turning sideways and holding my bow up. “First, you’re legs need to be a little further apart,” he said inspecting my stance. I moved my legs a little further away from each other, “Good. Now, notch one of your arrows.” I pulled on out of my quiver, notched the arrow and pulled it back. “Okay, your fingers aren’t placed right.” He then moved my fingers so that my first three fingers were below the arrow and my thumb was holding the notch in place. “Now string your arrow again.” I pulled back the arrow and aimed it at the target. “You’re body isn’t aligned right. Your shoulders,” he said standing behind me, “should be parallel with each other and your legs.” He moved my shoulders. “There,” he took a step back, “now shoot.”
I aimed and let the arrow go. The arrow flew through the air but hit the outside of the target. I dropped my arms and glared at the target. Legolas laughed.
“It’s not funny,” I grumbled.
“You were thinking too much about it, Ireth. Archery is an instinct. There is no need for that much thought. Try again but this time only think of hitting exactly where you want to hit on the target. Don’t worry about aim so much.”
I nodded and took my stance again. I notched my bow and aimed. I cleared my head and only thought of hitting the middle of the target. I quickly released the arrow and it shot, almost hitting the center of the target.
“See,” smiled Legolas. “Now, come. It’s almost midnight. We both need our sleep.”
I followed Legolas back to the main court after we retrieved our arrows. After I had said goodnight to Legolas and began to walk back to my room, I felt a danger would soon be upon us in my heart but I knew that in the end, everything would be all right again.
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“Strangers from distant lands, friends of old, you’ve been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor.” Elrond spoke to the collection of about twenty people, Elves, Men, Dwarves, Gandalf, and Frodo. I was seated between Gandalf and Legolas as Elrond spoke to us about what to do with the Ring. “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. Bring forth the Ring, Frodo.”
Frodo slowly stood up and placed the ring on a stone table in the middle of the court. Once the Ring was in sight of everyone, the all began to whisper and gasp that the Ring was really there.
“The doom of Man,” whispered one of the men.
The one that was in the room with Aragorn and I last night shook his head. “It is a gift.” He stood up, “A gift to the foes of Mordor. 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.”
“You cannot wield it. None of us can,” spoke Aragorn. “The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master.”
“And what would a Ranger know of this matter?” Asked the man.
Legolas stood, “This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance.”
“Aragorn,” said the man. “This is Isildur’s heir?”
“And heir to the throne of Gondor,” said Legolas.
“Sit down, Legolas,” Aragorn spoke to Legolas in Elvish.
Legolas sat down as the man turned to him, “Gondor has no king.” He turned back to Aragorn and stared at him as he sat back down, “Gondor needs no king.”
Gandalf broke the tension, “Aragorn is right. We cannot use it.”
“You have only one choice,” spoke Elrond. “The Ring must be destroyed.”
“What are we waiting for?” asked one of the Dwarves as he stood up and picked up his ax. He slammed his ax down on the Ring but it only broke the Dwarf’s ax into pieces and threw him backwards.
“The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess. 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. One of you must do this.”
“One does not simply walk into Mordor,” the man spoke again. “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.”
Legolas shot up from his seat again, “Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed.”
“And I suppose you think you are the one to do it!” shouted the Dwarf named Gimli.
“And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?” asked the man as he stood again.
“I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!” Gimli shouted.
Suddenly everyone stood and began to argue amongst the random babbling you could hear Gimli shout, “Never trust and Elf!” Even Gandalf began to fight with the others. But Frodo and I stayed quiet in our seats. I did not want to get into a fight with those around me. We needed to work together if we were going to destroy the Ring.
“Do you not understand?” Gandalf asked them as they continued to shout at one another, “While you bicker amongst yourselves, Sauron’s power grows! None can escape it! You’ll all be destroyed!”
I watched Frodo as he stared intently at the Ring and then suddenly stand up. “I will take it,” he yelled at them. “I will take it.” The bickering became hushed. “I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though, I do not know the way.”
I smiled at the young Hobbit and stood up. I draped my arm around his shoulders. “Neither do I, friend. It seems we will need company on our trip.”
“I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins,” Gandalf spoke as he walked behind us and placed a hand on my shoulder, “as long as it is yours to bear.”
Aragorn stood, “If by my life or death I can protect you, I will.” He walked over to Frodo and knelt down, “You have my sword.”
“And you have my bow,” said Legolas as he joined our gathering.
“And my ax,” Gimli chimed in walking over to us.
“You carry the fates of us all, little one,” spoke the man. “If this is indeed the will of the Council then Gondor will see it done.”
“Here!” Sam shouted from the bushes. He ran up to our group, “Mr. Frodo’s not going anywhere without me.”
“No. Indeed it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret Council and you are not,” Elrond smiled.
“Oi! We’re coming too!” shouted Merry as he and Pippin came running from the halls. “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,” spoke Pippin.
I giggled.
“Well, that rules you out, Pip,” Merry whispered to him.
“Ten companions,” said Elrond. “So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring.”
“Great!” smiled Pippin. “Where are we going?”
I couldn’t hold it any longer, I burst out laughing. “Pippin! Have you not been listening at all?”
He frowned, “Ahhh…”
I giggled and Elrond dismissed the meeting.