LotR: Pippin's Point of View

IX: The Council of Elrond

The next day, Merry shook me awake.

"What, what?" I mumbled groggily.

"Come on, Pippin," Merry said, turning to check no one was near the door. "Frodo went to decide the ..." he paused and checked again. "Decide the fate of the Ring." Merry whispered eagerly.

"So?" I flipped over, pulling the comforter more snugly around me. "Gandalf told us; we weren't invited."

Merry sat on my back.

I groaned. "Off. Would you get off?" I choked out.

"Pip, how many parties have we crashed back in the Shire?"

"Too many," I gasped, reciting the words that had come from Gandalf a while ago.

"So, would it be so different to crash a council?" Merry asked thoughtfully.

"Get...off..." I managed before I couldn't take in another breath.

"Lets go!" Merry took off out the door.

I wheezed as I swung myself out of bed and blundered over to the closet. I chose a white shirt under a dark green cloak-thingy and a pair of brown trousers.

I combed a few tangles out of my hair with my fingers and ran after Merry.

==========================

"...you've been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor."

My bare feet slid across the marble floor as I came to a stop behind a column. I pushed my back up against the column as Elrond continued.

"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."

I watched as Elrond extended his hand. Frodo stood up nervously and placed the Ring on a stone podium in the center of the Council.

"So it is true," a Man sitting close to us murmured. As heads turned, I flattened myself against the column again.

"The doom of Man." He said quietly. "It is a gift." He stood up and addressed the whole Council. I could hear the slight lust in his voice.

This should be interesting.

"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."

I exchanged a glance with Merry. We silently agreed: this guy was a little off.

"Give Gondor the weapon if the enemy. Let us use it against him."

"You can not wield it." A blue-clad man with dark hair interrupted.

Finally, a guy with some sense here.

"None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

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

Oh! The sensible guy was Strider! Man, I knew that voice was familiar ... why couldn't he have been facing me? then I would've been able to tell.

A tall Elf with long blonde hair stood. "This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."

"Aragorn?" The annoying guy slightly sneered. "This is Isildur's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor." Te Elf said.