Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, or Hugo Weaving.

Note: This first chapter is a bit on the boring side, but it's also one of the shortest. A war to exterminate orcs is extra-canonical, but certainly makes sense in context, so I hope I do not diverge too much from the original story in putting it in. All of Book I takes place a year or so after the end of The Hobbit. Books II and III take place directly before and during The Lord of the Rings.

BOOK I: A Medical Condition

Incunabulum 1: A Problem and a Solution Discussed in One of Elrond's Councils

It was officially a secret council and so no one was supposed to admit he knew it was going on. Some took advantage of this policy to pretend that they didn't know about it and not show up at all, as Rivendell was rather out of the way. Elrond had councils fairly often and the elves who lived farther afield were getting rather tired of them.

Elrond and one of his sons were making their way towards the council chamber down the longest of the hallways leading to it, so as to have plenty of time for conversation before reaching the door.

"I want your voice in the council, Father," said Elrohir. "I need your support."

"What support I have I will readily give," replied his father, "but first you must convince me of the practicability of this 'final solution' of yours."

"What are your doubts?"

"In the first place, you will find little support from the other elves."

"Do you sense active hostility?"

"No; but indifference. Mirkwood sent only two elves. Lorien sent…" He paused a moment and calculated. "Three, I think. They are the ones you are most likely to convince—Lothlorien, especially, for they lie in the very shadow of the mountains. The Mirkwood elves have just fought a great battle with the orcs and that may either make them willing to fight or just the opposite… one never can tell with Wood-elves."

"They are not the only elves in Middle Earth; why do you say that?"

"The others are too scattered—or too far from the danger. Little help may be expected from the Grey Havens. They will tell you that the orcs are no concern of theirs."

"They think they're safe for the moment, that's all. They'll never see trouble until it's on their own doorstep—in that way they are all alike. Your opinion would carry weight with them. You could convince them."

"I might, and I might not. I do not yet know myself whether your plan is right."

"But you will not tell me why you doubt. I can see no fault in it."

"You cannot see what this war would mean to our kind and to all of Middle Earth. The others are right to hold back."

"They see the orcs as only a nuisance, that is all. I would have thought that you would understand. Sometimes I think you have forgotten what Mother went through."

"Memories," said Elrond, raising his voice, "cannot be washed away even with oceans of orc blood. You can do no good to anyone now by killing orcs. You and your brother think of nothing but your own pain."

"Forgive me, Father," said Elrohir. "But you are wrong when you say that we would be helping no one. Is it not a noble purpose to rid ourselves of these pestilential beings? They have killed many of us and may kill many more." He went on in a lower tone. "Would it not be right to prevent such a horror as my mother's captivity from occurring to another?"

"If I thought you could succeed in such a purpose I would use all the means in my power to further your cause," said Elrond.

"But why do you think we will not succeed?"

Elrond did not reply. They had reached the door.

The room they entered was round and had so many windows that the council could only be secret in an official capacity. The turn-out was pitiably small. There were twelve elves in all, including the Rivendell quota which consisted of Elrond, his two sons, one of his counsellors, and his brunette lieutenant, Lindir, who acted as secretary.

Elrond greeted each with the honeyed word customary to the opening of councils. Scolding could come later.

"Elves of Lothlorien—Elludol, Haldir, Findor—I bid you welcome. I hope my daughter fares well among you."

Having been assured that she did, he addressed the second group.

"Greetings, Ellibor and Galdor of the Grey Havens. Long have I meant to make Cindar a visit. I hope soon to find the time."

The two representatives bowed.

"Greetings, Hrothmar of the Wood-elves. You have journeyed far to grace our council. But where is Horthir, son of Hemir? He ought to be here to represent the elves at arms of Mirkwood."

"My brother was unable to come, my lord," replied Hrothmar. "Halrodil, my younger brother, is here in his stead."

"Welcome to Rivendell," said Elrond. "And now we are all assembled save for the lady of Lorien without whom no elf council can properly begin."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," said Elludol. "She couldn't be here. She said she would connect via conference call."

"Thank you for telling me," said Elrond. "I was wondering what that ringing in my head was."

There was a moment's pause.

"Now," he said, "we can start. Elrohir, you have the chair."

"I've called this council to discuss the problem of the orcs," said Elrohir. "Now I know we all are tired sick of fighting," he added quickly as he saw some long looks exchanged, "but the Battle of the Five Armies wiped out most of the enemy's number and the rest are scattered. This is the time to strike a blow and wipe out whatever is left of their foul breed."

"Long have we hunted the orcs," said Elladan, picking up where his brother left off. "You know how my brother and I can never forget our mother's torment in the dens of the goblins. Never have we faltered in our tireless effort to eradicate the foul race."

"We have called this council," said Elrohir, "to enlist the support of all elves in this righteous cause. Our kind has suffered countless ills at their foul hands. If we were to completely destroy them, we would be free from all danger from them forever. And, I need hardly add, Middle Earth would be a much better place."

The brothers fell silent, looking hopefully from face to face. For a short while everyone seemed to be thinking hard. Elludol spoke first.

"You wish to declare total war on the orc hordes?"

Elludol was the eldest of the Lothlorien group. Like his companions he was blonde and wore rather uninspiring woodland dress.

"That is the decision before us," said Elrohir. "We must have the support of all the elves."

"Would it not be wasted effort?" asked Galdor. "Even should we kill every orc, more would come. They spring from holes in the earth and from pits of slime."

"That is a common misconception that has been disproven by recent scientific evidence," said Elrohir. "It is entirely possible to extinguish the orcish race. And once we have, we might turn our attention to other creatures, such as wargs or cave trolls, and go on from there."

"The orcs are not a threat at present," said Elrond.

Elrohir shot him an angry glance.

"It's not my fault," said Elrond. "Lady Galadriel said it."

"The orcs may not be a threat at present," said Elrohir, "but they will be when they have regained their strength once more. That is why the time to fight them is now."

"Where is the need for haste?" asked Erestor, Elrond's counsellor. "Long have we endured the orcs. What is another thousand years?"

"Another thousand years is another thousand lives lost, perhaps," said Elrohir.

"But I do not feel, like you, that the time is right," said Elludol. "We ourselves are not strong, and the Wood-elves were weakened at the Battle of the Five Armies."

"We are stronger than the orcs."

"Elludol speaks sense," said Elrond. "This undertaking is greater than you think. That from me, by the way."

"It may be so, Father," said Elrohir, looking rather put out. "But it is a necessary undertaking and we cannot shrink from it."

"You and your brother," said Ellibor, "have great cause to hate the orcs. This seems to be a quest for the house of Elrond and not for all the elves of Middle Earth. As loathsome as the orc is, we have no personal quarrel with their kind."

"Hrothmar," said Elrohir. "Your father was killed by orcs. What have you to say?"

Hrothmar hesitated. "An orc is only an orc," he began.

"That is not true," broke in Halrodil, starting up. "He fears the orcs. Their foul forms haunt his dreams so that the night is a terror to him. He scarcely sleeps anymore. In battle with them he is as brave as any, but who can battle shadows in the mind?"

"Destroying the orcs would not destroy your dreams," said Elrond sternly.

"Hrothmar is an elven smith," said Elladan. "He knows much of war. Let us hear what he has to say."

"Well…" said Hrothmar. He had not been following the talk very closely and spoke at random, trying to choose words that would not sound too silly. "We have always been at war with the orcs. Peace between us and them is impossible, so it is superfluous to declare war against them. We kill them whenever we can, and so do the men and the dwarves. This sort of enterprise would be merely an extension of our usual activities."

The others nodded, wondering why they had not thought of the obvious fact sooner. Encouraged, Hrothmar continued.

"On the other hand, a war of complete annihilation would involve a great force and much time, for we would have to follow the orcs into their mountain fastnesses and there they would have the advantage of us."

"Your wisdom is as keen as your well-tempered blades," said Elrond approvingly.

"He is right on one score," said Findor. "We cannot follow them into the mountains."

"The dwarves have many holdings in the mountains," said Elludol. "We would have to have their permission before we could invade their ancient precincts."

"We have not had dealings with the dwarves since the Dark Days," observed Haldir.

"Such an endeavour would require a stronger force than ours," insisted Elludol. "We would need the help of men."

"The rangers of the North," said Elladan, "would undoubtedly come to our aid. Their assistance would be invaluable, for they know the ways of the orcs."

"My lady Galadriel asks if that is the reason for the two rangers waiting in the court below," said Elrond.

"I would have had them to the council if it had not been stipulated that it be an elf-only assembly," said Elladan. "They are friends of mine and to be trusted."

"There are few rangers left," said Ellibor.

"The forces of Gondor and Rohan are great and might be prevailed on to aid us," said Elrohir. "They would benefit from a total destruction of the orcs as well as we."

"Men are weak," said Galdor, "and their help in this matter cannot be depended on. If we do this thing, we must be prepared to do it alone."

"But must we do it?" said Elludol. "That seems to be the question of this council."

"It is indeed the question before us," said Elrohir. "All the other difficulties may be overcome once we have decided."

Elrond closed his eyes as if in resignation.

"My lady Galadriel," he said, "directs me to say that she has just looked into her mirror and is of the opinion that this task must be undertaken."

The opinion of Lady Galadriel carried much weight. The elves looked thoughtful for some few minutes after this speech, but in the end there was only one thing to be said.

"Council adjourned," said Elrohir.