The room was filled with a tense silence as Elrond and Gandalf walked in, Elrond noticed the pair and sighed, "Everyone leave them be, I will hear no talk of this. We have a Council to start." They all nodded and walked out of the room to the Council room, Legolas and Kleo soon followed.
They walked into the circle of chairs and sat next to each other, elves on either side of them, the Dwarves walked in and sat down in a group of chairs beside them, next the Men of Gondor walked in and sat down, lastly came in Aragorn, Elrond, Frodo, and Gandalf. Once everyone was seated they started the Council.
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor." Kleo gripped onto Legolas's hand at the mention of the horrid place. Elrond sent her an apologetic look and continued, "Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will untie or you will fall."
Legolas stroked Kleo's hand to calm her, "Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom." Elrond gestured to the pedestal in the middle of the circle of chairs, "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." Frodo stood from his chair and walked to the pedestal laying the Ring on it. Kelo heard a man speak, "So it is true."
She watched Frodo again as he sat back down beside Gandalf, looking as if he had a great deal lifted from his shoulders. She looked back at the Ring as it spoke to them, "The Doom of Men." She turned to the man that now rose from his chair to address the Council. "In a dream, I saw the eastern sky grow dark. But in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying: "Your doom is near at hand,'" Kleo tensed as he walked to the pedestal, "Isildur's Bane is found."
The man leaned his hand closer to the ring, Elrond and Gandalf showing concerned looks, not only for the man's hand lingering ust over the Ring, but because of Kleo. The Ring spoke again, "Isildur's Bane." Elrond leaped up from his chair and yelled, "Boromir!" Gandalf then rose and started to chant in Black Speech, the Ring echoing harshly, as thunder crackled and the sky darkened. The Council looked around them in confusion. "Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul." One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them.
The voice of the Ring goes quiet and everyone looks horrified, Kleo was shaking from the Black Speech, Legolas was quick to recover from his fear and calm her, Boromir took his seat as Elrond looked at her in concern, "Never before has any voice uttered the word of that tongue here in Imladris!" Elrond bellowed not only because it was spoken, but because Kleo was terrified.
Gandalf replied with a raspy voice from the force of the words and language, "I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether evil!" He sends a glare to Boromir, who in turn looks unaffected as he speaks, "It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring?" He stood and paced, "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!"
This time Aragorn spoke up, "You cannot wield it! None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master." Boromir turned to Aragorn with slight disgust, "And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Kleo muttered under her breath only Legolas was able to hear, "Clearly more than you human." Legolas held in a chuckle as he stood, "This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." Boromir's disgust grew, "Aragorn? This...is Isildur's heir?" Legolas smirked slightly, "And heir to the throne of Gondor."
Frodo looked wide-eyed at Aragorn, as he spoke, "Havo dad, Legolas." Sit down, Legolas. Legolas sat back down allowing Kleo to hold his hand again, "Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king." Boromir grumbled as he sat back down. Gandalf spoke once more, "Aragorn is right. We cannot use it." Elrond looked around the Council, his voice echoing through the room, "You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed."
A gingered haired Dwarf spoke with a gruff voice, "Then what are we waiting for?" He stood from his chair, grabbing ahold of his axe and approached the pedestal. He let out a grunt and lifted the axe slamming it onto the Ring, with full force. The force was equally pushed back the Dwarf flying back and the axe shattering. Pieces flew everywhere, the members dodged the pieces of the axe. Legolas caught one about to hit Kleo, he turned to scold her for not paying attention, when he saw how weak she looked.
He looked over to Gandalf and Elrond where he saw that Frodo was holding onto his head, looking almost as bad as Kleo. Legolas did his next move carefully, he stood and moved to where he was kneeling in front of Kleo. He took her hands in his, "Kleo, it is alright. The Ring cannot hurt you while I am here." He whispered. Kleo looked at him, tears building in her eyes, "Legolas, it hurts. I can feel the power of this Lord...this Darkness. It surrounds me. Oh how wretched it feels, this is what she felt before she left me here."
Elrond stood quickly and walked to the couple, everyone watching in interest, "Kleo my child, are you alright?" Legolas answered for her, "It's Sauron. She feels him when the Ring is tampered with. That Dwarf harmed her greatly!" He sneered. Elrond raised his eyebrows at the tone Legolas used, "Try and keep her calm. I will look after her after the Council." Legolas nodded as Elrond made his way back to his seat. Legolas stood and held her arm as he sat back in his chair. He pulled her head to rest on his shoulder, moving his fingers through her hair. "Relax, Nenlilui baw harm will tul o cin." Relax, Waterlily no harm will come to you.
Elrond cleared his throat, regaining everyone's attention. "The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glóin, 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." The Ring spoke again, causing Kleo to let out a quiet whine, "Ash Nazg." Elrond spoke again, his eyes never leaving Kleo's helpless form, "One of you must do this."
