Thorin Oakenshield Stole My Heart

Chapter 7: The White Council

        Gandalf began to speak once more to Lord Elrond as they continued to walk to the room where the White Council was being held, “Without our help the dwarves will continue to march on the mountain. They’re determined to reclaim their homeland. I do not believe that Thorin Oakenshield feels that he should answer to anyone. Or for that matter am I.”

        Just as they entered the Council room Lord Elrond replied to Gandalf’s words, “It is not me you must answer to.”

        Gandalf turned to the way Lord Elrond was facing. The lady of Lorien was there. He smiled and said to her, “Lady Galadriel.”

        Galadriel smiled back at Gandalf and said to him in her soft elvish voice, “Mithrandir. It has been a long time.”

        Gandalf smiled once more and said to Galadriel, “I may have aged but you have not grown any older, my lady of Lorien.”

        Gandalf turned to Lord Elrond and spoke once more, “I had no idea Lord Elrond had sent for you.”

        Just then Saruman interrupted them, “He didn’t. I did.” Saruman walked in the large room his white cloak went down to the floor and his staff was as white as snow.

        Gandalf turned to Saruman and spoke to him with a smile and bowed, “Saruman.”

        Saruman smiled back to Gandalf and said with a straight face, “You’ve been busy, my friend.” Saruman and Gandalf sat at the marble table in the middle of the large room.

        Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel circled the marble table focusing on the conversation in which Gandalf and Saruman were speaking of, “Tell me Gandalf. Did you think these plans and scheme of yours would go unnoticed?”

        Gandalf looked up from his hands and said with a worry in his own voice, “Unnoticed? No I’m simply doing what I feel is right.”

        Galadriel who was a very powerful elf-witch said to Gandalf with no hesitation, “The dragon has long been on your mind.”

        Gandalf turned to Galadriel and spoke to her with a nodding head, “It is true, my lady. Smaug owes allegiance to no one but if he should side with the enemy. The dragon could be used to a terrible factor.”

        Saruman looked at Gandalf with a face of curiosity, “What enemy? Gandalf the enemy is defeated. Sauron is vanquished. He can never again gain his full strength.”

        Lord Elrond then took his turn to speak, “Gandalf for four hundred years we have lived in peace a hard won watchful peace.”

        Gandalf struggled to sit still in his seat as he spoke, “Are we at peace? Trolls have come down from the mountains. They are raiding villages and destroying farms. Orcs have attacked us on the run!”

        Just as Gandalf finished Lord Elrond spoke, “Hardly at preview.”

        As Lord Elrond finished his sentence Saruman took his turn to speak, “You are willing to venture where none exist.”

        Lady Galadriel circled around the marble table and said in her soft elvish voice to Saruman, “Let him speak.”

        Gandalf cupped his hands and began to speak, “There is something out there in the world more evil then Smaug. Something far more powerful. A sickness lies over the Greenwood. The woodsmen who live there now call it Mirkwood and they say….. Gandalf paused as he stared into the eyes of Saruman.

        Saruman looked back at him and said with the straightest of faces, “Well… Don’t stop now. Tell us what the woodsmen say.”

        Gandalf took a deep breath and began again, “They speak of a Necromancer living in Dul Guldor. A sorcerer who summons the dead.”

        Saruman who now was unconvinced about Gandalf’s statements spoke to him with a little disbelief in his voice, “That’s absurd no such power exists in this world. This Necromancer is nothing more but a mortal man. A country man gathering in black magic.”

        Gandalf now was becoming a little irritated but remained calm and said to Saruman with a calm voice trying not to become irritated again, “So I thought too but Radigast….”

        Saruman then interrupted Gandalf with a voice of irritation and was now becoming angry at all the ‘mad’ talk about this said Necromancer, “Radigast? Do not speak to me about Radigast the Brown. He is a foolish fellow.”

        Gandalf nodded and said in agreement to Saruman’s response, “He is odd. He lives a solitary life.” Gandalf sighed and looked up into Saruman’s eyes.

        Saruman then said to Gandalf in a voice of pity, “It is not that. It is his conception consumption of mushrooms. They have rattled his brain and yellowed his teeth.”

        Saruman’s voice dozed off into the distanced as Lady Galadriel spoke to Gandalf in his mind, “You carry something. It came to you from Radigast. He found it in Dul Guldor.”

        Gandalf nodded and said back to her in his mind, “Yes.” Galadriel looked at him and said with a voice of manipulation, “Show me.” Carefully Gandalf pulled out a small object from under his cloak. A dagger was wrapped in a yellow cloth. The sword of the Witch King it was.

        Lord Elrond looked worried and asked to Gandalf, “What is that?” Lady Galadriel slowly spoke with a voice of evil as Lord Elrond reached for the object but withdrew his hand, “A relic of Mordor.” Lord Elrond reached for the dagger again and lifted away the cloth that covered the evil dagger of the Witch King.

        Lord Elrond began to speak with a voice of worry, “The Morgul blade.”

        Galadriel walked over to Gandalf and said with evil once more and remembrance, “Made for the Witch King of Agmar and buried with him. When Agmar fell the men of the north took his body and all he possessed and sealed it in the high realms of Rodan. Deep within the rock they buried him. In a tomb so dark that it would never come to light.”

        Lord Elrond shook his head in disbelief and spoke again, “This is not possible. A powerful spell has upon those tombs and they cannot be opened.”  

        Saruman who was still disbelieving in the fact that the story being told to him was real but he spoke anyway, “What proof do we have that this weapon came from Angmar’s grave?”

        Gandalf shook his head in suspense and replied to Saruman’s question, “I have none.”

        Saruman spoke again within his turn, “Because there is none. Let us examine what we know: a single Orc pack is dead across the ruined land. A dagger of the Bygone age has been found and a human sorcerer who calls himself the Necromancer has taken up residence in a ruin fortress. This dwarvish company however troubles me deeply. I am not convinced Gandalf. I do not feel that they can endure such a quest. If they come to me I might spare them this disappointment.” 

        While Saruman continues to speak Lady Galadriel speaks to Gandalf in his mind, “They are leaving.”

        Gandalf looks at Lady Galadriel and says back to her in his mind, “Yes.”

        She looks back at him and said to back to him, “You knew.”

        Just as Saruman is finishing his talk with Gandalf one of Lord Elrond’s servants arrive. A look of suspense over whelms him, “My Lord Elrond. The dwarves they are gone.”