Lili Grace; A LotR Fanfic

||~Chapter~Eleven~||

Merry laughed as Pippin and Lili walked into the room. Lili was drenched.

"So, I'm assuming it went well?"

Lili looked at Merry, then at Pippin, then back at Merry.

"You were in on this!?"

Merry shrugged. "We meant to go to the falls and knew that you would want to stay, so when you went to go see Frodo, I planned it all out. I would leave early so Pip could..." He looked at Lili from head to toe. "...Push you into the water?"

Lili laughed. "He did good in my book."

With that, she planted a small kiss on Pippin's nose.

Merry rolled his eyes. "You know, I'm your best friend, too!"

Lili laughed and gave him a hug, with a small kiss on his cheek.

"Better?"

"Better," Merry smirked.

The hobbits laughed. Lili got up and found a towel on the dresser and wrapped it around her, then she began to comb through her hair.

"So," Merry started. "Are we going to the council this evening?"

"What council?" Pippin asked.

"Elrond's holding a council to discuss the fate of the ring. Didn't you say something about it right before Gandalf came last night, Lili?"

Lili sighed. "We weren't invited."

She looked up at Merry, who had a mysterious grin over his face. "And?"

"Guys, this is important! We can't just...." Lili thought for a moment, but succumbed to the idea quickly.

"If we get into trouble, I'm blaming you for everything."

"Well," Pippin stretched his arms back and cracked his knuckles. "I guess I'm ready to crash another party."

~

Later that evening, a half circle of people sat before Lord Elrond.

"My friends," he said, quieting the group. "We have gathered here to discuss the threat of Mordor."

Merry, Lili, and Pippin ducked behind two columns. Lili didn't understand what Lord Elrond was talking about. He said something about how the fate of the world rested on a ring, and he talked a little about its past.

She took a quick peek out at the group. There were elves and dwarves. She saw two men, Strider, or Aragorn according to Arwen, and another man she didn't recognize. Frodo and Gandalf sat near the end.

And it took all the power in the world to keep her from laughing at a small figure crouched in the bushes behind Frodo's chair.

Sam.

"Bring forth the ring, Frodo," Lord Elrond commanded.

Pippin watched Frodo step forward and reluctantly set a small gold band on a pedestal in the midst of the group.
As soon as it felt his hand, Frodo seemed to stand straighter.

Lili didn't understand what was so important about one tiny ring. She lost track of everything else that was going on before the second man she didn't recognize stood up and shouted, "Why don't we use it against him?"

"You cannot wield it," Aragorn spoke. "None of us can."

"And what would a ranger know of this matter?"

One of the elves stood up tall. "This is no mere ranger," he said. "This is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, rightful heir to the throne of Gondor. You owe him your allegiance."