686Chapter 19: Many Errands Meet
Author's Note – Time for an iconic scene we have been waiting for.
Many Errands Meet
A few weeks had passed during which nothing eventful happened. Bilbo and Toothless had several more of their riddling contests, contests at which they were very evenly matched. Hiccup used the time to practice his runes under Frodo's or Bilbo's guidance. The three other Hobbits volunteered to assist with gardening and cooking. Strider spent almost all his time with Lady Arwen. Gandalf and Elrond spent much time in deep discussion.
Then, the day before the Council was to meet, Gandalf came to Hiccup and Toothless with the suggestion that Toothless remain hidden until the actual Council meeting. Elrond had all his people agree to keep the secret until the meeting itself. That would prevent any misunderstandings or unfortunate encounters.
Strange companies of people began arriving in various heraldry. Elves were astride proud horses in a regal procession. A handful of Dwarves, a short, stocky, and very bearded people, marched in under their own power. A few men even arrived in noble garb. They were all representatives of their tribes and peoples.
Hiccup spent that night resting with Toothless up on a special ledge with a rock overhang and rushing waterfalls. There was also a very strange crystal pedestal which Gandalf had explained was used for reading Moon Runes, whatever those were.
Regardless, the place was isolated and gave a stunning view of the valley. This was especially true at night, such as now with the full moon on display.
Hiccup chuckled.
"What is twisting your tail?" Toothless asked.
"Remember how you tried to catch the light in the cove?"
Toothless snorted and grumbled.
"I could not catch that light!"
"Yeah, here's another chance. Look at the moonbeam! You should catch it!"
Toothless rolled his eyes in amusement and leapt at the shine of light the moon was casting through the crystal pedestal. As both he and Hiccup expected, he could not pin the light under his paws.
Then he padded over and lay down at Hiccup's side. Sitting up here could get boring, especially with the no-flying rule in force. Being bored contributed to his silliness.
"What do you think they will do, bud?" Hiccup asked.
"Who knows? The Ring gives power, yes?" Toothless shrugged.
"I think so. Not sure how."
"Maybe they will use it against the Enemy. Maybe they will hide it forever. Maybe they will drop it in the ocean. I do not care."
Then he snarled.
"I will be happy as long as it is gone."
"Can't argue with you on that. It's not our problem now."
Hiccup then leaned back against Toothless's side.
"What do you want to do after this?"
Toothless purred softly in solemn thought.
"We could go look for other dragons," he eventually offered.
Hiccup frowned while staring off into the night. The idea of finding other dragons still definitely had a powerful appeal, but he was far more hesitant now after learning about the dragons that were native to Middle-earth. It was very unlikely that they would be friendly. Further, none of the ones that he had heard stories of looked anything like the dragons back on Berk.
"That could be dangerous, but yeah, we should definitely think about it. Sure looks like a long way from here. Far over the Misty Mountains, Mirkwood, and the Grey Mountains, that would be quite an adventure."
Toothless grumbled softly, his ears falling slightly when he realized the problem.
"True, that could be dangerous for you if the dragons are like Smaug."
Hiccup gently slapped his shoulder and got up to pace before him.
"When has that ever stopped me before? Let's see... almost get eaten by a Monstrous Nightmare on the raid when I... saw you, almost burned alive, almost crushed, almost died in dragon-training several different ways and not only to the dragons, almost killed by an angry Night Fury..."
"Still stupid of you to let me go..." Toothless muttered.
"Eh, it worked out... almost poisoned by raw fish..."
"You were not!"
"... almost died in freefall, almost burned alive again, almost impaled, almost burned alive yet again, almost died to Astrid..."
"And you wonder why I have to protect you?"
"Haven't gotten hurt yet, bud!"
Toothless snorted and rolled his eyes.
"You will make my scales fall out early. Hatchling..."
"Toothless, I'll be fine! Safe is my middle name now."
"I thought it was Horrendous..."
"Don't you worry about that. Nothing can ever happen to me while you're around..."
Toothless swept his tail aside and knocked Hiccup's feet out from under him so that he fell.
"Useless human..."
Hiccup, clad in his finest gifted Elven robes, stared around at everyone gathered for the Council. The meeting was being held outdoors in an antechamber off one of the main buildings. Most of the people were unknown to him, save for Elrond, his attendants, Gandalf, Strider, and Frodo. As expected, there were Elves, Dwarves, and Men all represented.
He was seated closest to the main entrance where a space was left without any chairs. That space was being reserved, though none of the newcomers to the Council knew that.
But as he looked around at all the grand, proud people, he felt very small, physically and figuratively, by comparison to everyone else here. These were Chiefs and leaders for their people. They were accomplished warriors, great craftsmen, and poets, from the example the Elves set.
What was he? He was by birth the son of a Chief, but he had left that behind. Not to mention that land he was from was not even really a part of this world. That still didn't make any sense to him.
Further, it was not truly he whom everyone here at the Council would care to meet. He was nothing special on his own. Toothless was the one with the real power, and his own role was just to keep Toothless in the sky.
"Where are the representatives of the Mark?" a man asked.
"I heard that they refused the summons..." "I heard that region is in dispute..." "Strange guests at this Council... a halfling and a mere lad..." "How many winters has that one seen..."
The curious looks that many of the newcomers sent his way were not encouraging.
I so don't belong here...
Elrond, clad in his layers of fine robes and looking very Lordly on his throne, slowly stood up and folded his hands.
All conversation ended.
"Guests from distant lands, friends of old, you have all been summoned here on account of the threat of Mordor. Middle-earth is poised on the brink of its doom. None of us can oppose it alone. We will all stand or fall together."
Elrond paused and looked around all the seated figures.
"But we are not all present right now. There is another who should join us."
Confused muttering went around through the audience as they beheld the filled seats.
"An unexpected ally who only recently joined our cause. It is important for you all to meet him before we begin this Council. And I would have you all know that he is here by my leave, and there is to be no violence here in Rivendell."
That instruction sparked more looks of curiosity and wonder as well as some open whispering.
Elrond then turned to him and extended a hand in invitation.
Alright, go time...
Hiccup got up from his seat and strode out the main entrance, feeling all the eyes of everyone fixed on him. It was very nerve-wracking to be in front of so many great people all intensely gazing at him.
Success, I didn't trip over my own feet!
Toothless was waiting just outside the entrance and out of sight, having snuck closer after everyone else went inside.
"Ready for this, bud?"
"Yes."
"No biting, no flaming, no roaring..."
Toothless huffed and rolled his eyes.
"What do you think I am?"
"The bravest dragon I know..." Hiccup grinned.
"Definitely!"
Then Toothless took a deep breath and got to his feet, slowly following behind Hiccup.
"Don't worry, bud. You'll be fine..."
They walked back into the Council antechamber and stood in the entrance thereof. Frodo and Gandalf, the first two they laid eyes on, encouragingly nodded to them both. Toothless calmly walked inside, sat down on his rear next to Hiccup, and held his head proudly.
It became very clear when everyone within saw him. The Elves, Dwarves, and Men who did not know about him immediately stood, pointed in his direction, and began shouting.
"What is that!" "Get down!" "Dragon!" "Where's my ax?" "Fell-beast!" "Shadow spawn of Morgoth!"
The outraged voices continued clamoring louder and louder into a confused din as Toothless sat still, not reacting at all.
Then Gandalf slammed his staff against the ground.
"SILENCE!"
His shout echoed off the hills and rang with pure power while his robes fluttered in the non-existent wind. Hiccup winced at the echo of the first time Gandalf had spoken with such strength.
Total silence fell.
A long and awkward silence.
Elrond held a hand to his forehead, apparently with a minor headache.
Elves, Dwarves, and Men looked around at each other, no one apparently having the courage to be the first to speak.
Then a man from the south slowly stepped forward from the stunned assembly. His long, light brown hair fell down to his shoulders, and his beard was very neatly trimmed. He bore a coat of chain-mail underneath a long, dark leather tunic that fell to his shoes. His forearms had pauldrons with a familiar crest on them.
"What... is that creature?" the man warily asked Gandalf.
"I am glad that you ask, Boromir, Captain of Gondor. Let us hear the answer from him."
Gandalf turned to Toothless and pointedly nodded to him. Toothless slowly swept his gaze across all the unfriendly sets of eyes looking back at him. None of them looked happy to meet him.
"I am a dragon. A Night Fury."
He lifted a paw and rested it on Hiccup's shoulder.
"Master Haddock is my friend. He is a brother to me."
Incredulous muttering and pointing followed that.
"And what is your purpose here?" Gandalf asked.
Toothless glanced over to Frodo with a soft purr.
"I came here to protect my friend and the Hobbits also on their mission."
"But you are a dragon. Why should we trust you?" Gandalf prodded.
"I am... not like the dragons you all know about. I am not your enemy. Judge me for what I do. Not what I am."
Strider stood up and stepped forward to stand directly before Toothless.
"I will vouch for him after traveling the wild with him. He proved that he is an enemy of Sauron and the Dark Lord's servants when he burned several of the Nazgul."
Gasps and confused muttering went around the audience.
"Yes! They do not like my fire!" Toothless growled.
"And you, young man, what is your business with the dragon? Why are you its... friend?" Boromir countered.
Hiccup bristled despite how much bigger Boromir was. The man's personality was very forceful and brash.
"Toothless is not an it!"
Muted chuckling and snickers went around the whole Council. Hiccup heard what they were chuckling about and ignored it.
"Got plenty of teeth..." "Not so toothless..." "Stupid name..."
At least, he tried to ignore all that.
"We are friends because we both... saved each other's life..." Hiccup continued.
"From a very dangerous human..." Toothless toothlessly added.
"And from a furious dragon..." Hiccup added with a wry smile.
Both of them chuckled softly, though most of the Council did not understand why. Those who did also grinned faintly.
"And," Toothless swept his tail out to show, "I cannot fly on my own. Master Haddock helps me fly with a new tailfin he made for me."
The Dwarves gathered at the Council leaned forward with reluctant interest. They looked like they were rather impressed by the tailfin, though they were none too happy otherwise at his presence. One of the Dwarves stepped a little closer to inspect the tailfin before gruffly returning to his companions.
"Fine craftsmanship there..." the Dwarf grumbled.
"Where are you from? I believe that none of us here have ever heard of such an impossible thing as a... good dragon before," Boromir asked.
"We flew from islands far up north," Hiccup answered.
"North?"
Gandalf stood up and tapped his staff to get everyone's attention. Then he nodded at both of them once everyone was looking to him.
"They fled a world where there are more dragons that are at war with humans. Masters Haddock and Toothless flew down over Forochel, saw the ruins of Annuminas, and made their way to the Shire where they lived in peace with the Hobbits for over two months. We have shown that these two are not with the Enemy and that they deserve our trust. We should move on to why we are truly here: to the real reason for this Council."
More muttering followed as everyone took a seat. Toothless sat down with Hiccup sitting in the chair immediately by his side.
"See, that was easy..." Hiccup whispered, very thankful that this meeting did not come to violence.
Toothless gently nudged his head with a soft purr of relief. Then Elrond stood up and got everyone's attention.
"Frodo, bring forth the Ring," he gestured toward the stone pedestal in the center of the Council.
Hiccup put a hand on Toothless's shoulder to reassure him.
A hush fell over all as the quiet muttering ceased.
Frodo placed the Ring on the stand, and then he returned to his chair into which he collapsed with a relieved sigh. The Hobbit spared a glance and faint grin with both him and Toothless.
I know how you feel, Frodo.
Silence fell around the entire assembly. The Men, Elves, and Dwarves were all staring toward the stone dias upon which the Ring so alluringly now lay.
Toothless glared with fury at the Ring. Hiccup started gently rubbing circles on his shoulder, for which he gave Hiccup a soft hum of thanks which banished his very faint growling. Here among so many people and with Hiccup at his side, the pull and power of the Ring felt lesser, even though he could still feel and hear something.
Lost one... I can give you what you want...
He subtly looked away from the dias and the Ring, instead staring at the waterfalls. That faint voice faded until he could barely hear and feel it.
Hiccup heard a very faint whispering on the warm wind. A beckoning call was coming from just ahead. So he looked away from the Ring and kept rubbing Toothless's shoulder.
Peacemaker... you will change the world... with help...
Boromir then stood up; the man's gaze was firmly on the Ring. He stared for a while and then eagerly looked around to all others gathered with him.
"It is true! I wondered what could possibly be important enough to summon this entire Council, but not in my grandest dreams did I imagine something as wonderful as this! In a dream, I saw dark clouds cover the eastern sky, but a pale light lingered in the west over the realms of Men. A voice cried out that doom was near at hand, for Isildur's Bane had been found."
Boromir stared longingly at the Ring. Then he turned to eagerly address the rest of the Council.
"It is a gift! A gift to the foes of Mordor! Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay by the blood of our people! Thus are your lands kept safe! The Great Ring, the weapon of the Enemy, has come into our hands to serve us in the very hour of our need! We Free Peoples may surely defeat the Enemy yet!" he implored everyone present.
Strider flew to his feet.
"You cannot use it. The One Ring is Sauron himself; it answers to no other master. Do you not understand that? Even if one of us could seem to bend the Ring to our will, we would fall and become no different from the Dark Lord. Or it would betray us for its true master."
Boromir frowned and crossed his arms on his chest.
"Have you so little faith in the realms of Men? Are you blind to the strength of the White City? We would be fools to pass up this gift!"
"I know of nine Kings of Men who thought as you do," Strider countered.
"What have you done in the fight against the Enemy? What would a wild... Ranger know of such matters?" Boromir defiantly asked.
A formerly silent Elf stood, his long, golden hair flowing down past his shoulders.
"This is no mere Ranger! He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."
Gasps went through almost everyone at the Council. However, Hiccup was confused by all the different names being thrown around.
I mean, Strider did say that he has other names, but who is he really?
"Aragorn," Boromir breathed in surprise and pointed at him, "This is Isildur's heir."
Hiccup's jaw fell open.
Isildur, the one who beat Sauron so long ago... but that would make Strider a...
"And heir to the throne of Gondor itself," the Elf added.
A long, awed silence followed as everyone looked at Strider in a new light.
"What does that mean?" Toothless nudged him and whispered.
"It means that Strider is like... son of the King-Alpha, son of the Chief..." Hiccup breathed in awe.
I can't believe it. But he was living in the wild. Who does that?
Strider-Aragorn addressed the Elf in his native tongue, and the Elf reluctantly sat down.
Boromir then wandered back to his chair, softly fuming as he did so.
"Gondor has no King now. That line was abandoned. Broken."
Gandalf stood up after a brief silence fell over the Council.
"Aragorn is right. The Ring is treacherous. We cannot use it for good. Even I dare not to claim it or even attempt to use it for any purpose."
"What about Saruman? Surely he would know how we might safely use the Ring. Much of his studies are those of Ring-lore. Why is one so great as him not present at this Council?" Boromir asked.
"Saruman has fallen to the service of the Enemy. He held me prisoner not long hence," Gandalf grimly announced.
Cries of dismay and fear went through many gathered there.
Hiccup gasped in alarm. While he didn't know much about this Saruman person, even he knew that was not good news.
Okay, that explains where Gandalf was. Saruman, he was the Chief wizard, more powerful than Gandalf?
Elrond also stood to calm everyone present.
"Saruman's studies led him into peril. He delved too deeply into the arts of the Enemy. His fall to temptation makes the danger all the clearer. We have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed."
Boromir visibly wilted at that, although he did bow his head.
Another silence ensued as everyone glanced back at the Ring and at each other.
Peacemaker...
A whisper of disapproval fluttered through the air.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" a grizzled Dwarf growled.
Before anyone could react or object, the Dwarf grabbed an ax, stepped forward, and swung the ax overhead in a perfect strike.
Only to be flung back from the dias as his ax shattered into many pieces with a crash. Momentary chaos ensued.
Toothless winced and growled softly as he looked away.
"You alright, bud?"
Toothless leaned against him and settled down.
"That eye-thing was here. It is gone now..."
Then Toothless reared back and retreated several steps without warning. Hiccup followed his narrowed gaze, and then he froze when he saw what had frightened Toothless.
The Ring, apparently lost in the chaos after the strike, had somehow been knocked from the stone pedestal and was rolling toward him on the ground.
Then the beautiful and precious Ring was safely in his hand.
Peace would surely follow now that he had the precious that could grant him the strength of will to do what he needed to do. He just had to put it and claim it as his own. His destiny was to be a great peacemaker, after all. No one else was worthy to do what he could do! He had already done something that no one else had ever done! He had caught and tamed his own dragon! Just hop on his pet dragon that could never leave him and he could fly far away and become great and be a dragon master and purify all remaining dragons of the evil in their hearts and change the world into a dragon-human utopia of peace all through his great strength of will over others and he could be the King of the West and he could crush any resistance to the world he wanted to make and...
Something felt very wrong. His own voice sounded in the silence through the great vision.
I'm not great or brave.
But he could be great and fearless if he wanted it. Just claim it, his destiny, for himself!
I've never wanted power over others before.
Or maybe he had. Maybe all those inventions and attempts to prove himself were just that: attempts to gain more power.
Claim it now... you are nothing without your dragon...
Toothless might not... Toothless!
Memories that had not seemed important... now were very important.
Freeing the downed dragon in the woods, two acts of mercy, everything about the cove and their forbidden friendship, learning to fly, escape into a new world, life in the wild together, learning that they could now speak to each other, bonding together long overdue, and the peaceful and the dangerous encounters in Middle-earth so far.
All of that was far more real than the phantom he had just seen. He was not meant to be great. Not like that.
The Ring whispered disapproval to him, but in that moment he could feel and see how it tried to twist his thinking. It knew that he wanted peace, so it showed him that if only he would claim the Ring as his own.
His steps felt labored and slow as he approached the stone dias, and his breaths were very sharp as he extended his hand with the Ring. But it was hard to let go of what was so precious to him and which spoke something like truth.
His head pounded like a hammer upon an anvil.
Was he giving up on a dream?
What was precious?
A red eye or green eyes?
You are nothing without your...
He recoiled after dropping the Ring back on the pedestal, and then he turned around and walked back with trembling steps over to Toothless's side.
It was as though a weight had lifted from his heart the moment he let go of the Ring. But he still felt deeply disturbed at how easily the temptation had spoken to him with exactly what he most wanted. His hand itched and yearned to feel the warm, precious Ring once again.
To feel the precious that spoke so deeply to his heart.
"Hiccup, are you... well?" Toothless whispered and nudged him from behind.
"Yeah... yeah, I am... oh gods..."
Hiccup idly scratched Toothless's neck and focusing on nothing but the Fury's purring until his own breaths slowed. Then he looked back up and saw Gandalf nod at him, apparently having watched the whole time. What the Wizard had been thinking was unknowable.
That was when he realized that all of that had happened in only a few seconds. He had picked up the Ring, immediately walked over to the dias, and left the Ring there among the pieces of the shattered ax.
Why had it felt so much longer and more torturous?
The Dwarf was helped to his feet, and then everyone stared in alarm at the Ring on the pedestal. The entire Council looked very shocked as Elrond rose and addressed everyone present.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Gloin, by any common weapon we here possess."
An Elf who had remained silent so far stood up.
"I recall that a dragon's fire could melt the rings of power. We have a dragon here now, and I assume he has fire," the Elf gestured to Toothless.
Gandalf stood and addressed the Elf.
"That would be a valid option, Glorfindel, were this any other of the great rings. It is indeed said that a dragon's fire could consume the rings of power; several of the Dwarven seven were lost in this way, but none of the dragons left alive now have the old fire. Further, not even Ancalagon the Black at the height of his power could have harmed the One, for it is made by Sauron himself."
Glorfindel nodded and continued speaking.
"We do not have the power to destroy it on our own. We could take it over the sea to Valinor, or we could cast it into the ocean's depths where it would never be found. Either would separate it from Sauron."
Gandalf frowned and considered these options after glancing at Elrond.
"Those who dwell over the sea would not receive it. To cast the Ring into the sea may indeed hide it for many Ages, but it would not be unmade. Lands and seas change in time, and there are many unknown things that dwell in the deep places of the world."
"I agree," Elrond spoke, "that to hide the Ring away under the waters, hope that conflict ends now, and delay for a future Age would be to abdicate our duty. We should seek a final end of the Enemy now. The Ring was forged in the fires of Orodruin, Mount Doom as it is more commonly known. Only there by casting it into the river of fire can it made unmade. One of us must do this."
Everyone looked around, waiting for someone else to speak. There were very faint whispers echoing in what was otherwise total silence, but no one appeared to be speaking.
Boromir groaned.
"One does not simply walk into Mordor."
Everyone present rolled their eyes at how obvious that was. Boromir continued without pause.
"The black gates are guarded by more than orcs. The evil there does not sleep. Shadows and black riders trail us from above and scout our movements. And there is the great eye; we have lived under its gaze for decades. Western Mordor is a barren wasteland riddled with fire, ash, and dust. The very air itself is poisonous. Not with ten thousand men could we do this. It is folly!"
"Were you not listening to anything Gandalf and Lord Elrond have said? The Ring must be destroyed!" the golden-haired Elf objected.
The Dwarf flew to his feet and glared at the Elf.
"Aye, and I suppose you think you're the one to do it!"
Boromir stood and implored everyone.
"And when this mission fails, what then? What happens when Sauron reclaims his Ring after we took it straight to him!"
The Dwarf still glared at the Elf and then shouted while pointing at the Elf.
"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!"
Total chaos erupted. Elves and Dwarves were pointing axes and fingers at each other. Men were shouting and gesturing wildly.
"Stubborn piece of..." "Never trust an Elf!" "Have you forgotten..." "You'll all be destroyed..."
A whispering call floating in the air.
'You are a peacemaker...'
Hiccup stared at the Ring.
'You will be great and change the world...'
He so wanted to lean forward, stride over to that dias, and claim the Ring for hims... for the mission to destroy the Ring. Only he could do this. Only he was humble enough to resist its temptation. That is how he would change the world forever.
So he leaned forward with his gaze fixed on that shining, precious Ring.
But then Toothless nudged his shoulder and stared at him, ears flattened, frills flared, and eyes wide in amusement.
"They are like dragons fighting over a fish..." Toothless chuckled.
"Uh, yeah, they have stubbornness issues... Almost like we're back on Berk..." Hiccup sighed and leaned back in his chair.
Gandalf stepped away from the feuding mass of people. The Wizard raised his staff high.
Oh great, now what?
"ASH NAZG DURBATULUK..."
The Wizard's darkened voice, harsh as stone, echoed from the sky and drowned out the chaotic din of other voices.
"ASH NAZG GIMBATUL..."
A shadow passed overhead and smothered the midday sun.
"ASH NAZG THRAKATULUK..."
All trembled, and the Elves covered their ears.
"AGH BURZUM-ISHI KRIMPATUL..."
Gandalf lowered his staff and relaxed as light returned to the world. The shadow, which had filled the entire sky, faded to the faintest echo of a malevolent laughter.
Total silence followed.
Toothless shuffled on his paws.
"Gandalf, what was that!" he barked into the stunned silence.
Elrond swiftly stood.
"That, good dragon, was the Black Speech of Mordor, a tongue which has never before been uttered here in Imladris..." Elrond admonished the Wizard.
"I do not ask for pardon, Master Elrond, for that Black Speech may yet be heard in every corner of Middle-earth! Unless we cease this pointless bickering!" Gandalf answered and glared at everyone else.
Frodo hopped to his feet, stepped forward, walked over to the dias before anyone could object, and took back the Ring. Then the Hobbit raised his voice.
"I will take it!"
Everyone stared in amazed silence.
Hiccup's jaw fell open as he realized the significance of what Frodo was volunteering for. Frodo already told him and Toothless that he wanted to go back to the Shire and to a peaceful life which the Hobbit had definitely earned.
"Frodo..."
"It's alright, Master Haddock. I should do this."
Frodo took a deep breath and looked around at all the stunned faces.
"I will take the Ring to Mordor! Though, I do not know the way..."
Gandalf nodded and went over to Frodo, resting a hand on the Hobbit's shoulder as he stood with him.
"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear."
Aragorn also approached and knelt before Frodo.
"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."
"And you have my bow," the Elf added.
"And my... other ax!" Gimli also volunteered while glaring at the Elf.
Hiccup glanced over at Toothless. This had all happened so quickly that he was not sure what to do.
Should we go also? I don't know.
Boromir stepped forward and warily glared toward Toothless before looking back between Gandalf and Elrond.
"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small and little a thing. While I disagree with this strategy, I will consider all options. The Ring can only be destroyed in Mount Doom. Getting to Mount Doom is... difficult, for reasons I already shared. Why not fly the Ring there?"
All eyes went over to Toothless. He looked away into the sky and grumbled with his ears flattened.
"It is not safe for me to be around the Ring much," he answered.
Boromir looked very suspicious about that explanation.
Gandalf noticed and spoke.
"It is the same reason why I refuse to carry the Ring, not even to keep it safe. The Ring tempts the bearer according to how great and powerful the bearer is. The greater the bearer, the stronger the temptation to claim it. Hobbits do not want to be great, except maybe great gardeners, so it is harder for the Ring to tempt them. It can offer them very little that they would want."
Gandalf frowned after glancing at Elrond, and then the Wizard looked around the whole council.
"Having a dragon on our side could be helpful in many ways, but precisely how remains to be seen. He cannot help by bearing the Ring for us or by directly aiding us on this quest."
Hiccup, surprised by the definitive statement, shared another glance with Toothless without saying anything.
So we are not going with them? I'm not sure what to think about that.
Boromir nodded in acceptance, though he looked rather disappointed.
"Very well. If this is indeed the will of the Council to see the Ring destroyed, then Gondor will see it done."
All the volunteers went to stand together in an assembly. Hiccup thought that it was an odd group: one Hobbit, one Wizard, one Dwarf, one Elf, one Ranger, and one Gondorian. Old and new faces from different races together working toward a common goal. A mix of people from very different...
"Hey!" another familiar voice shouted.
Hiccup and Toothless jumped aside in surprise as another Hobbit ran up between them and stood at Frodo's side.
Sam! Where did you come from?
"Mister Frodo is not going anywhere without me!" Sam firmly declared and defiantly crossed his arms.
Elrond sighed with clear amusement and even a look of approval.
"No, indeed, it seems is nigh impossible to separate you two, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not..."
Sam managed to look both ashamed and proud of himself at the same time.
"Oye!" "We're comin' too!"
Merry and Pippin appeared from nowhere and ran up to stand beside Frodo and Sam.
Where did... what the...
Elrond did not look amused this time.
"You have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" Merry declared with his arms crossed.
"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission... quest... thing..." Pippin cheerfully added.
Gandalf gave everyone a completely exasperated sigh.
"Well, that rules you out, Pip..." Merry teased.
Hiccup barely stifled his own laughter while Toothless snorted in amusement.
Elrond crossed his arms on his chest and considered everyone in the group.
"The Company of the Ring shall be Nine, and the Nine Walkers shall be set against the Nine Riders that are evil. So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring," Elrond ceremoniously declared.
"Great!" Pippin beamed, "Where are we going?"
No one said anything, preferring to let Merry explain it to him. Elrond turned from the Fellowship and addressed everyone present.
"Further details about the mission will be kept to those traveling in the Fellowship itself. The rest of you who know of the errand shall keep this quiet. Tell none of your advisers. The fewer who know the truth, the less likely that the Enemy can guess our purpose or learn of it."
Those not selected for the Fellowship nodded in agreement. The Council formally dismissed shortly thereafter, the various emissaries and attendants beginning to depart or have conversations of their own. Hiccup and Toothless waited around afterwards. They had questions and needed answers.
"How long will you be on your journey?" Hiccup asked Gandalf.
"That depends on many things, such as what road we take, but it will be for several months at the least."
Toothless then stepped closer and glanced between Gandalf and the Hobbits. He sat down with a solemn hum.
"You know that it will be dangerous for them. And you, Hobbits, you will be away from home for a long time."
"Yeah, we'll be away from home, but we'll be together!" Pippin clamored.
"That's what friends do, even silly ones. We're there to get each other into trouble and out of trouble," Merry elbowed Pippin in the side.
"And I made a promise!" Sam added with a fierce nod.
Toothless nodded and gave a grunt of approval.
These Hobbits have good, loyal thinking!
Elrond then approached, and he beckoned to Hiccup and Toothless to follow him into an antechamber. Gandalf also followed a short distance from everyone else, apparently to speak more freely to both of them.
"What is the matter, Lord Elrond?" Hiccup asked.
"We wanted to know if you both have any plans now," Elrond answered.
They shared a glance, having already spoken of what they wanted to do. Though, that was before either of them knew about this Fellowship or its secret mission that changed everything.
"Was there a reason why we were not considered for this Fellowship?" Hiccup wondered.
"Would you have gone?" Gandalf wondered.
"I... don't know. I'm not a fighter or anything that would be helpful... Toothless probably could help..."
Elrond and Gandalf nodded, and then Gandalf spoke.
"We considered the possibility. However, the Enemy has many spies in the sky and the mountains. Traveling with a dragon and provisioning for one, even for a small one like you, Toothless, could be extremely difficult. The Enemy knows about you by now and will be watching for you. And we already know that the Ring's presence has a bad influence on you. That influence would likely only grow stronger with more exposure to the Ring."
"Yes," Toothless glanced over his shoulder, "I will miss the Hobbits, you, and Strider-Aragorn, but being away from the Ring will be good for me."
Elrond put his robed arms behind his back and paced, deep in thought until he spoke.
"Even if you are not to be part of the Fellowship, there are other things that you could do in the fight against the Enemy. It would not be easy or safe for either of you, and what we would propose is not something that we can order you to do."
"What do you mean?" Toothless asked.
"We mean that you should both give some thought to what I said about you two making a difference in the world," Gandalf answered.
Elrond stepped over to Hiccup and gently patted him on the shoulder.
"You two are free to return to the Shire, and you have my leave to remain here in Rivendell, if that is your wish. The Fellowship will depart tomorrow morning. Take an evening to think about what you want and are willing to do, and let me know in the morning. I will share our thoughts with you then."
"Alright, we will talk about it," Hiccup agreed.
They were both resting back on the balcony to their guest room after a quick meal of bread, cheese, and fish. A warm breeze floated through the balcony as they sat together and stared up into the evening sky which was painted an orange glow.
Neither of them wanted to be the first to speak. So much had changed in just one afternoon.
"So... we should... talk about what to do now..." Hiccup sighed.
"Yes, we should."
"The Shire is very nice. We are mostly respected there and can be useful to them."
"True, but you said that it felt almost... small?" Toothless warbled.
Hiccup nodded.
"Yeah, but what are we... what am I good for on these adventures? I'm not a fighter."
"No, you are not. But you do not need to be a fighter to make a difference."
Hiccup turned away and groaned.
"Toothless, let's not pretend. It's only you who would be making the difference, and I'd be there to help you fly."
Toothless raised a paw and gently batted at him.
"Wha..."
Toothless rolled his eyes and sat back down.
"Even if that is all you do, that is still good because I could keep you safe. And you change the world more than you think you do."
Then Toothless flicked an ear and stared at the distant waterfalls.
"On the other paw, we flew from your Berk-island to escape fighting, and now there is more fighting here. Maybe... we should just go back to the Shire or stay here in Rivendell. We wanted peace."
Hiccup leaned against Toothless's side and looked up at the clouds lit as if by a flame on the horizon. He remembered hearing about the unknown, faceless, and nameless rangers who protected the Shire from dangers so well that the Hobbits did not know about most of the dangers in the world except maybe as legends or stories from afar. The Hobbits lived their lives in ignorance, peace, and tranquility.
But the Hobbits could only live in their little hidden realm of the Shire because others actively fought for them and kept it safe on their behalf. Rivendell was similarly a safe place hidden from the rest of the world and kept safe by Elves and its location away from most conflict.
He and Toothless could hide themselves away from danger and live the rest of their lives in simple peace, but...
"Bud, do you remember what Elrond said: that to hide from a danger and wait for others to find a way later is... wrong? To do that would be to give up."
"Yes."
"Did we do that in leaving Berk? Did I give up?"
Toothless hissed and grumbled, flicking his tail in annoyance.
"No! You did not give up on what was important to you. Being stubborn and rock-headed is good, but you must know when your flight would be into a storm too strong to fly into."
"I guess so. No one back there really wanted to change. Their whole identity was built on killing dragons; killing dragons was everything back there."
Hiccup then winced, remembering Elrond's declaration that it was unlikely they could ever return to Berk. There was some measure of finality in that.
"We live here in Middle-earth now."
"Yes, we do."
Hiccup waved a hand toward the open sky.
"And we both have a duty to help this world and fight for it because we are part of it."
"I like this world more than the last one, even if Middle-earth is twisting in some ways to me," Toothless sighed.
Hiccup scratched Toothless's neck until the Fury softly hummed.
"It is a very big world out there, and I have no idea what we would see or where we would go..." Hiccup whispered.
"Me neither."
"I think that we should do it, whatever Gandalf's and Elrond's plan is. Only if you agree also."
Toothless deliberately nodded and purred his approval.
"We will," he said.
Neither of them said anything more as they rested together in the evening breeze in the last of the sun's light in the valley of Imladris.