Star-Crossed

Chapter 79

"I got separated from my Mother, yes! I remember!" He laughed, she opened her arms to him.
The nature of their meeting was quite serious. Kili and Tauriel had long since excused themselves long ago, their seat having been occupied by a man by the name of Boromir and several of his advisors. The young Hobbit, Frodo Baggins, looked quite out of place in the company of Middle Earth's leaders. Gandalf sat beside him, offering a reassuring smile as Elrond began speaking. 

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have 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 fate, this one doom." Elrond looked back at Frodo. "Bring forth the ring, Frodo." Carefully, the Hobbit slipped from his chair and paced to the center of the room, setting the ring on the stone table. 

"So it's true." Boromir rose from his seat. "In a dream, I saw the Eastern sky grow dark. In the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying, your doom is near at hand," He stepped closer to the ring. "Isildur's bane is found..." His voice trailed. "Isildur's bane." He reached his hand out. 

"Boromir!" Elrond shouted. The sky grew dark, Gandalf leapt to his feet. In her seat, Bern pitched forward, crying out and covering her ears. 

"Ma?" Gilthoniel knelt before her mother. 

"Get back!" Aragorn pulled Gilthoniel to her feet. Fili took her place. "Don't touch her, he'll see you." Aragorn muttered to his cousin.

"Beuren?" Sauron's voice boomed in her head, the dark language like nails on a chalkboard as his voice grew louder.

Gandalf boomed in fluent black speech, his power fighting back against the darkness. Elrond rushed to Beuren's side, face set in a grimace of pain. Legolas griped the arms of his chair tighter, clenching his jaw against the throbbing in his head. 

"Never before has anyone uttered words of that tongue here in Imladris." Elrond glowered over his shoulder at the Wizard. Dwalin sat Beuren back, running his hand gently through her silvery hair. Elrond stood after determining that Beuren would be ok. 

"I do not ask your pardon Master Elrond for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West." Gandalf looked to every face in the Council, warning in his eyes. "The ring is altogether evil." 

"Aye, it is a gift!" Boromir stood, looking at the ring once more. "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 bey. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe." Beuren could feel Aragon's eyes rolling. 

"Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy, let us use it against him."

"You cannot wield it. None of us can." Boromir turned, his eyes filled with anger as Aragorn spoke. "The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master." 

"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Legolas rose. 

"This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn son of Arathorn, you owe him your allegiance." 

"Aragorn... This is Isildur's heir?" Boromir scoffed. 

"As am I." Gilthoniel snapped. 

"Gili." Beuren whispered in warning.

"You? A dwarf-"

"Her mother has more of a title than anyone in this room, laddie, I'd watch your step." Dwalin warned. 

"Beuren Elendil, daughter of Arador, Chieftain of the Dunedain, Queen of Ered Luin, late Queen of Erebor, and heiress to the throne of Gondor." Gilthoniel hissed.

"Why must you always prompt her?" Beuren asked her husband. 

"It's funny to watch." He whispered back. 

"Havo dad, Legolas." Aragon said, seeing his aunts annoyance. 

"Gondor has no king." Boromir turned to Aragorn.. "Gondor needs no king." 

"I'd beg to differ." Fili muttered beside his aunt, she smirked.

"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it." Gandalf added, breaking the tension. 

"You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"Gimli no!" Fili couldn't stop him before he rose his axe, bringing it down with all his might on the ring. Frodo gasped, Beuren fled to his side, the blade shattered, all was quiet. 

"Quiet now little one, the pain will pass." Beuren whispered, taking his hand in hers. 

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, 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 firey chasm from whence it came." Elrond looked at each startled face. "One of you must do this." The silence was deafening. Beuren rose from her knees and turned to face the Council. 

"One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep and the great eye is ever watchful. Tis a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this." Boromir's doom and gloom was beginning to get on the Queen's nerves. "It is folly."

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" Legolas snapped incredulously. 

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it!" Gimli hollered. 

The fight was booming, Dwalin and Fili were trying to reign in the rest of the dwarves as the elves continued their onslaught. Gilthoniel and Boromir were in a shouting match, Aragon rising to his feet when Boromir shoved his finger into her chest. It was all a mess. Beuren sat quietly on the arm of Frodo's chair. She could feel him growing antsy beside her, knowing full well what he was about to do. It was exactly what his Uncle would have done.

"I will take it!" Frodo shouted, getting to his feet and moving to the center of all the arguing. "I will take it!" The crowd silenced. "I will take the ring to Mordor!" He paused, looking a bit sheepish at his next admission. "Though, I do not know the way." Beuren smiled, unseeing eyes staring ahead as she rose to her feet. 

"I will help you bear this burden Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." Gandalf assured, standing beside Frodo. 

"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will." Aragorn knelt before the halfling. "You have my sword." 

"And you have my bow." Legolas said, moving to stand beside Aragorn. 

"And my axe." Gimli said, side eyeing the elf. 

"You carry the fate of us all little one." Boromir paced forward. "If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."  

"And from Ered Luin," Beuren strode forward. "Our finest and bravest." Gilthoniel grinned over at her mother. 

"You have my...horseshoe..." Gilthoniel said awkwardly. 

"You lost your mace." Beuren said through her teeth.

"Yep." 

"Mr Frodo's not going anywhere without me!" Another halfling pushed through the crowd, taking his spot beside Frodo. 

"No indeed it is hardly possible to seperate you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not!" Elrond grinned. 

"Wait! we're coming too!" Two more Hobbits pushed through, nearly taking Beuren off her feet. Beuren returned to her husband's side, hearing another rustling in the bushes. 

"Kili, if you don't keep your ass hidden I'll beat you." Beuren shot over her shoulder. The bushes stopped rustling.