Lady of the Elves

Chapter 4

Mithrandir and Frodo already sat in the open council room. As soon as they saw me they recognized me immediately. Mithrandir smiled warmly and Frodo waved slightly. I raised my hand slightly in greeting, but did not bare my face.

After a short while, several dwarves walked into the meeting, and I recognized one immediately despite the years. It took me all my strength not to leap to my feet and let him know I was still alive, that I was there. A group of men, including Strider walked in and sat in their respective seats. Many others walked in and sat. The dwarves and the elves avoided one another sitting on opposite sides of the group.

Then Legolas walked in, a little behind his kin and I now realized why Arwen had refused to tell me who was coming. His face was downcast and mournful, I wanted to run to him and hug him tightly, telling him all would be alright, forgetting all the years I had been lost. Instead I gripped the arm rests, and the spidery veins that decorated my arms seemed to pop.

Just as we were about to begin a single man with travel stained clothes came in. "Sorry I'm late, I got lost." His eyes scanned the room searching for an empty chair and they landed on me. "What is a woman doing here? I do believe you are lost miss, back to the kitchen with you," he laughed. He took a step towards me and motioned with his hand for me to get up.

I glanced as if to say I didn't know he was talking to me, "Kind sir were you talking to me?" I asked innocently. All eyes were on me now.

He laughed cruelly and said, "Up woman! Will you not do as your superior says?"

"No, Boromir," I said pulling a blade from my boot and hiding it in the folds of my cloak. He flinched slightly at the sound of his name, before returning to his previous confident smile. He was not unlike he had been when I first met him... saved him from the orcs years ago when he was just a child.

"No?" He asked his voice alit with intense ire.

"No," I confirmed standing up, and throwing my knife so it whizzed by just under is ear. He backed up and fell against the wall obviously terrified. I threw another and it trapped the fabric of his shirt, just above his shoulder as Elrond watched perfectly at ease, not doubting my aim in the least. "Woman may I be, but I am a wanderer under no command but the elven lords of my own race" I said drawing another knife and pointing it at him, "Never ever command me about like that, son of Gondor." He cringed as I stepped up to him and pulled my knife from his cloak and the wall, returning them into my boots, before offering him my hand.

He slapped it away as he stood and walked to his seat. When he had reached it I curtsied elegantly before him, "Then all is forgiven?"

I then returned to my seat. A rumble of laughter came from Mithrandir as he watched me sit. The rest joined him as they spoke quietly pointing at the long inky-black marks on my arm.

Saving me from any further words, Lord Elrond asked for quiet. I was glad he had allowed me to do what had to be done; he knew my honor was a powerful thing that I refused to have taken from me.

Elrond began, "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.Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." Frodo hesitantly stood, looking indescribably tiny as he placed it on a stone plinth in the middle of all the seats before quickly retreating to his chair.

"So it's true," Boromir said standing up and walking towards the ring, "In a dream I saw the Eastern sky grow dark In the West a pale light lingered A voice was crying, your doom is near at hand, Isildur's bane is found. Isildur's Bane," Boromir's hand strayed over the ring as he looked at it greedily.