SPY IN RIVENDELL
By JULES
Authors Quick Note - This story explores the idea about what might have happened if somebody was out to thwart the fellowship right from the beginning before they had even left Rivendell.
I have decided to prolong Frodo's recovery to the stab wound in his shoulder and allow it to play a different role in how things come to pass as well adding some extra bits into it. Some of the scenes are from the movie like the secret meeting to decide what is to be done with the ring. Everything else is made up and concocted in my own twisted sense of reality.
This chapter assumes that the members of the fellowship arrived a day or so before the secret council meeting takes place as too the conversation between Elrond and Gandalf. I wanted a few things to happen in between Frodo waking up and him meeting up again with Bilbo and his other friends.
Still just trying a put a few brief ideas down before they crowd the dozen or so other stories in there - will update as I can.
The story begins.............
The shadowed figure lurked as close to where they were keeping the young ring-bearer as it dared. Fortunately, even the wise Elrond was not aware that somebody in his own city was prepared to take the young hobbit's life.
The figure knew that whatever steps were needed, they would need to be done in absolute secrecy. The problem mainly was that because the ring-bearer had been brought in close to death, the were only rare occasions that he was left alone while he continued his recovery.
Time was of the essence the spy had been told and he needed to carry out his deadly mission as soon as possible. Some things were on his side such as access to a lot of areas that others within the city did not. Even in some of Elrond's more private domains where he kept some of his healing herbs and recipes.
This would serve to his benefit later when he decided what method to use to take Frodo's life. The best way was slowly so that the others were unaware of what was going on until it was too late.
First though, the spy wanted to gather as much information about his intended victim as possible. He planned to creep into the boy's room later when he was sleeping again and see for himself why this Halfling was so important to Elrond and his friends.
The spy was known as Yarrish - elvan in appearance but he held allegiance to others that were not his own race. Avarice was his main goal. He did not think that Elrond or any of the others in this city knew just how close the
Dark Lord was watching over Rivendell.
*****************************************************
Gandalf the wizard sat quietly by the edge of a large bed. Sleeping in it
was Frodo, a young hobbit who had been asked to do a great deed and bring the One Ring to the city of Rivendell.
That deed had been carried out but with a high cost. Frodo had been injured by the blade of a Ring Wraith and had barely arrived alive. Now the young Halfling rested as the healing herbs that Elrond prescribed did their job.
Sam had only briefly been dragged from the room by Pippin and Merry to have something to eat. The younger, fairer hobbit's loyalty to his master Frodo couldn't be questioned and it had come to threats and compromises to get him to leave his injured friend's side.
Frodo felt himself drifting upon a higher plateau that left him confused about where he was and why. He tried opening his eyes but the effort was incredibly draining. He felt as though somebody was forcibly holding him down.
"Where am I?" Frodo asked, not sure if there was anyone around to hear the question. "You are in the house of Elrond and it is ten o'clock in the morning, on October the 24th if you want to know," Gandalf replied. Frodo frowned in confusion. He recognized the voice but he didn't quite know why he heard the wizard.
"Gandalf?" he finally said in a voice that sounded very faint and fatigued. By now his eyes had opened sufficiently for the ring-bearer to see that it was his friend that sat by his side.
The rest of his surroundings were unfamiliar as he looked around.
"Yes I am here. And you're lucky to be here too. A few more hours and you would have been beyond our aid, but you have some strength in you, my dear hobbit," Gandalf said as he looked fondly at the boy.
Gandalf couldn't help but note the smudges of fatigue still under the young hobbit's eyes as he looked back at him, still a little confused as to where he was and why he came to be here.
"What happened Gandalf? Why didn't you meet us?" came the question. Not a harsh one, just from a lad who had come to have too much of a burden placed upon him for a reason he had yet to be told.
"I am sorry Frodo..... I was delayed," came the reply. Frodo seemed happy enough with the answer given but he failed to see the look on the wizard's face as he though back to what had happened to him with Saruman.
Elrond now entered the room, followed quickly behind by Sam. He had eaten, but only just enough to keep him going for fear of being away from his master too long when he was needed.
"FRODO" Samwise exclaimed, hardly able to believe that his master was at last awake. "Bless you, you're awake."
He had still been sound asleep when he left and showed no sign of waking anytime soon. Gandalf and Elrond had insisted that Frodo be left to sleep as long as his body required and wake only when he was ready.
"Sam!" Frodo said in greeting, a smile upon his face but his voice somewhat much softer.
The little Halfling still didn't feel much like dancing around at the moment or indeed moving about at all if he didn't need to. Even pulling himself into a half-seated position to talk to Gandalf had taxed him much more than he would like to have admitted.
"Sam has hardly left your side," Gandalf informed Frodo as he watched and smiled at the friendship between the two young hobbits.
"We were that worried about you, weren't we Mr Gandalf?" Samwise now added, hoping that Frodo wouldn't learn of just how much concern he had shed over his friend. He didn't mind one bit, but had come to know that Frodo might become embarrassed at such statements in front of complete strangers.
"By the skills of Elrond, you're beginning to mend," Gandalf now informed Frodo.
The young Halfling had yet to make any mention of the fact that he had been stabbed. The hobbit had reached painfully for the area when he first awoke and the pain was reignited by his movement. But other than that Frodo had tried to ignore the very reason he was laying in bed.
"Welcome to Rivendell, Frodo Baggins," Elrond said in a formal greeting.
The man's appearance seemed to command respect and displayed an aura unlike one would find attached to a king or queen. His voice was almost soothing and calming in effect as the syllables were formed.
"What would you say to some food Mr Baggins?" Elrond now enquired. He had been informed by all including Sam and Gandalf about the young hobbit's poor appetite. That could clearly be seen by his thin frame compared to the other three hobbits that currently resided in Rivendell.
Still though, the boy needed to eat something to regain his strength. His recovery was certainly not going to be overnight.
Frodo felt everyone's eyes upon him and given the hospitality that he had already been afforded, he could scarcely give them a negative answer.
"Maybe just a little," he said in compromise, much to the relief of his friend Sam who had been worried that his master would refuse such an offer.
"Come with me Samwise Gamgee and you can serve your master his meal here in his bed," Elrond now instructed. Sam promised Frodo that he shouldn't be gone any longer than necessary.
Whilst they were gone, Gandalf did his best to make the boy more comfortable by arranging the pillows behind his back, elevating him slightly. His efforts seemed to have been rewarded as the boy lay back against the softness and felt his muscles beginning to relax.
By the time Sam came back into the room, laden with a tray of food and drink for his master, the relaxation was almost complete and Frodo's eyes had begun to drift closed again.
"Should we wake him again Gandalf?" Sam asked, a little disappointed that his friend still seemed very weak.
"Yes Sam, just long enough to have some of that broth I think and maybe some of Elrond's healing tea. He still requires a great deal of rest Sam," Gandalf said. "He has been through a lot and it will take time for him to regain his strength.
"I will make sure he get's that rest too," Sam said in determination.
Gandalf and Sam together gently coaxed Frodo awake long enough for him to take a few mouthfuls of the broth. In between Frodo had partaken in a few sips of tea, although the taste didn't really appeal to him.
Just as Sam was about to bring the spoon back to Frodo's mouth though, his master just couldn't keep awake anymore and was asleep before the liquid touched his lips.
"He's done in I think Sam," Gandalf said as Sam carefully removed the tray from Frodo's lap and then the two of them carefully laid the boy back down on his bed. He didn't stir through any of their administrations.
TO BE CONTINUED.........
Just a nice little moment before the fun really begins.... Yarrish is just a name that I invented - don't know if it even sounds Elfish.
My other idea revolves around what would happen if the Ring Wraiths came to the Shire about the time of Bilbo's Birthday party - before Frodo knew anything about the existence of the ring. Haven't worked it out enough yet.
JULES
By JULES
Authors Quick Note - This story explores the idea about what might have happened if somebody was out to thwart the fellowship right from the beginning before they had even left Rivendell.
I have decided to prolong Frodo's recovery to the stab wound in his shoulder and allow it to play a different role in how things come to pass as well adding some extra bits into it. Some of the scenes are from the movie like the secret meeting to decide what is to be done with the ring. Everything else is made up and concocted in my own twisted sense of reality.
This chapter assumes that the members of the fellowship arrived a day or so before the secret council meeting takes place as too the conversation between Elrond and Gandalf. I wanted a few things to happen in between Frodo waking up and him meeting up again with Bilbo and his other friends.
Still just trying a put a few brief ideas down before they crowd the dozen or so other stories in there - will update as I can.
The story begins.............
The shadowed figure lurked as close to where they were keeping the young ring-bearer as it dared. Fortunately, even the wise Elrond was not aware that somebody in his own city was prepared to take the young hobbit's life.
The figure knew that whatever steps were needed, they would need to be done in absolute secrecy. The problem mainly was that because the ring-bearer had been brought in close to death, the were only rare occasions that he was left alone while he continued his recovery.
Time was of the essence the spy had been told and he needed to carry out his deadly mission as soon as possible. Some things were on his side such as access to a lot of areas that others within the city did not. Even in some of Elrond's more private domains where he kept some of his healing herbs and recipes.
This would serve to his benefit later when he decided what method to use to take Frodo's life. The best way was slowly so that the others were unaware of what was going on until it was too late.
First though, the spy wanted to gather as much information about his intended victim as possible. He planned to creep into the boy's room later when he was sleeping again and see for himself why this Halfling was so important to Elrond and his friends.
The spy was known as Yarrish - elvan in appearance but he held allegiance to others that were not his own race. Avarice was his main goal. He did not think that Elrond or any of the others in this city knew just how close the
Dark Lord was watching over Rivendell.
*****************************************************
Gandalf the wizard sat quietly by the edge of a large bed. Sleeping in it
was Frodo, a young hobbit who had been asked to do a great deed and bring the One Ring to the city of Rivendell.
That deed had been carried out but with a high cost. Frodo had been injured by the blade of a Ring Wraith and had barely arrived alive. Now the young Halfling rested as the healing herbs that Elrond prescribed did their job.
Sam had only briefly been dragged from the room by Pippin and Merry to have something to eat. The younger, fairer hobbit's loyalty to his master Frodo couldn't be questioned and it had come to threats and compromises to get him to leave his injured friend's side.
Frodo felt himself drifting upon a higher plateau that left him confused about where he was and why. He tried opening his eyes but the effort was incredibly draining. He felt as though somebody was forcibly holding him down.
"Where am I?" Frodo asked, not sure if there was anyone around to hear the question. "You are in the house of Elrond and it is ten o'clock in the morning, on October the 24th if you want to know," Gandalf replied. Frodo frowned in confusion. He recognized the voice but he didn't quite know why he heard the wizard.
"Gandalf?" he finally said in a voice that sounded very faint and fatigued. By now his eyes had opened sufficiently for the ring-bearer to see that it was his friend that sat by his side.
The rest of his surroundings were unfamiliar as he looked around.
"Yes I am here. And you're lucky to be here too. A few more hours and you would have been beyond our aid, but you have some strength in you, my dear hobbit," Gandalf said as he looked fondly at the boy.
Gandalf couldn't help but note the smudges of fatigue still under the young hobbit's eyes as he looked back at him, still a little confused as to where he was and why he came to be here.
"What happened Gandalf? Why didn't you meet us?" came the question. Not a harsh one, just from a lad who had come to have too much of a burden placed upon him for a reason he had yet to be told.
"I am sorry Frodo..... I was delayed," came the reply. Frodo seemed happy enough with the answer given but he failed to see the look on the wizard's face as he though back to what had happened to him with Saruman.
Elrond now entered the room, followed quickly behind by Sam. He had eaten, but only just enough to keep him going for fear of being away from his master too long when he was needed.
"FRODO" Samwise exclaimed, hardly able to believe that his master was at last awake. "Bless you, you're awake."
He had still been sound asleep when he left and showed no sign of waking anytime soon. Gandalf and Elrond had insisted that Frodo be left to sleep as long as his body required and wake only when he was ready.
"Sam!" Frodo said in greeting, a smile upon his face but his voice somewhat much softer.
The little Halfling still didn't feel much like dancing around at the moment or indeed moving about at all if he didn't need to. Even pulling himself into a half-seated position to talk to Gandalf had taxed him much more than he would like to have admitted.
"Sam has hardly left your side," Gandalf informed Frodo as he watched and smiled at the friendship between the two young hobbits.
"We were that worried about you, weren't we Mr Gandalf?" Samwise now added, hoping that Frodo wouldn't learn of just how much concern he had shed over his friend. He didn't mind one bit, but had come to know that Frodo might become embarrassed at such statements in front of complete strangers.
"By the skills of Elrond, you're beginning to mend," Gandalf now informed Frodo.
The young Halfling had yet to make any mention of the fact that he had been stabbed. The hobbit had reached painfully for the area when he first awoke and the pain was reignited by his movement. But other than that Frodo had tried to ignore the very reason he was laying in bed.
"Welcome to Rivendell, Frodo Baggins," Elrond said in a formal greeting.
The man's appearance seemed to command respect and displayed an aura unlike one would find attached to a king or queen. His voice was almost soothing and calming in effect as the syllables were formed.
"What would you say to some food Mr Baggins?" Elrond now enquired. He had been informed by all including Sam and Gandalf about the young hobbit's poor appetite. That could clearly be seen by his thin frame compared to the other three hobbits that currently resided in Rivendell.
Still though, the boy needed to eat something to regain his strength. His recovery was certainly not going to be overnight.
Frodo felt everyone's eyes upon him and given the hospitality that he had already been afforded, he could scarcely give them a negative answer.
"Maybe just a little," he said in compromise, much to the relief of his friend Sam who had been worried that his master would refuse such an offer.
"Come with me Samwise Gamgee and you can serve your master his meal here in his bed," Elrond now instructed. Sam promised Frodo that he shouldn't be gone any longer than necessary.
Whilst they were gone, Gandalf did his best to make the boy more comfortable by arranging the pillows behind his back, elevating him slightly. His efforts seemed to have been rewarded as the boy lay back against the softness and felt his muscles beginning to relax.
By the time Sam came back into the room, laden with a tray of food and drink for his master, the relaxation was almost complete and Frodo's eyes had begun to drift closed again.
"Should we wake him again Gandalf?" Sam asked, a little disappointed that his friend still seemed very weak.
"Yes Sam, just long enough to have some of that broth I think and maybe some of Elrond's healing tea. He still requires a great deal of rest Sam," Gandalf said. "He has been through a lot and it will take time for him to regain his strength.
"I will make sure he get's that rest too," Sam said in determination.
Gandalf and Sam together gently coaxed Frodo awake long enough for him to take a few mouthfuls of the broth. In between Frodo had partaken in a few sips of tea, although the taste didn't really appeal to him.
Just as Sam was about to bring the spoon back to Frodo's mouth though, his master just couldn't keep awake anymore and was asleep before the liquid touched his lips.
"He's done in I think Sam," Gandalf said as Sam carefully removed the tray from Frodo's lap and then the two of them carefully laid the boy back down on his bed. He didn't stir through any of their administrations.
TO BE CONTINUED.........
Just a nice little moment before the fun really begins.... Yarrish is just a name that I invented - don't know if it even sounds Elfish.
My other idea revolves around what would happen if the Ring Wraiths came to the Shire about the time of Bilbo's Birthday party - before Frodo knew anything about the existence of the ring. Haven't worked it out enough yet.
JULES