Iron Stars

Chapter 12: Council

TA 3018
Rivendell
    
     Within a few days, Elrond called all of those who had traveled to Rivendell to the council. Ruinë was among them as her position as Commander and as a Ranger with hundreds of years of experience made her a good advisor.

     She was speaking with an elf from the wild, one of the Battalion before realizing she had to head to the meeting. Bidding the elf farewell, she entered the council slightly late and slipped into a seat beside Aragorn, sighing. Her eyes slipped from person to person, silently evaluating them. She wore a simple tunic and pants with a cloak fastened around her shoulders, warming her when the breeze blew through the courtyard.

     She could feel many of their eyes on her, wondering who she was and what she was doing there. As the only woman present and the likely one of the first elves they'd ever seen with red hair she stuck out. The scars that littered her skin also drew their attention. The men of Gondor, who didn't even let their women be shieldmaidens, seemed particularly surprised but she ignored them. She knew her position and her power.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You've 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 one fate, this one doom," Elrond began. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."

     The young hobbit stepped forward and gently set the ring upon a stone plinth located in the center of the courtyard. Murmurs immediately broke out upon seeing the dark object. Ruinë gritted her teeth as she heard it speak to her, promising her things she knew she could not have.

     One of the men of Gondor stood up, Boromir, son of the Steward if she remembered correctly. "In a dream, I saw the eastern sky grow dark, but in the west a pale light lingered. A voice was crying, 'your doom in near at hand, Isildur's bane is found' Isildur's bane..." the man trailed off, his eyes staring at the ring, undoubtedly sensing its power. Ruinë's hand drifted to her blade, prepared to act if need be.

     "Boromir!" Elrond yelled, rising from where he sat. At the same time Gandalf began to speak in the Black Speech of Mordor, a sickening tongue. The world grew dark and the pillars of Rivendell seemed to shake. More leaves fell from the trees as the wind rose to a roar, storm clouds gathering above them. For all assembled and particularly the elves, the wretched tongue caused physical pain, a slight throbbing behind their eyelids.

     As he finished, Boromir crumpled into his seat while Ruinë and the other elves recovered from the pain the language brought to them. "Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris," Elrond scolded.

     "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," the wizard retorted, gazing at each of them in turn.

     Boromir stood up again however and spoke once more, "It is a gift. 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!" Ruinë rolled her eyes at the man's foolishness. Her and the Battalion had been serving Middle-Earth long before Gondor even existed, gladly giving their blood for the free peoples.

     "You cannot wield it, none of us can! The One Ring answers to Sauron alone, it has no other master," Aragorn told him, trying to reason with the man. (Also for some reason I can always hear Aragorn saying this line, without fail)

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

     Ruinë considered snapping at him but Legolas did it for her, shooting out of his seat, "This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."