The Legend of the Ring

One ring to rule them all,
One ring to find them,
One ring to bring them all
And in the Darkness bind them.

Chapter One

Gandalf the White rode in his carriage with a female hobbit named Amethyst. They were on their way to a surprise party for Frodo Baggins of the Shire. Along the way they were going to meet the other members of the fellowship. Those in the fellowship were more than just members but also very good friends… Aragorn now known as the king of Gondor, Gimli son of Gloin, Legolas of Mirkwood, and Paris-Ilren a different but reliable elf who was a drifter.

As Gandalf and Amethyst rounded a corner they saw Aragorn and Paris-Ilren.

“Paris, Aragorn, how good to see you,” called Gandalf.

“Yes, it’s been a while,” agreed Amethyst.

Aragorn nodded, Paris blinked.

The four traveled on for about another mile before running into Gimli and Legolas.

“Ho, Gandalf,” yelled Gimli. Gandalf returned Gimli’s greeting with a smile and said, “My, Gimli you’ve gotten smaller since I last saw you.”

A grunt came from Paris-Ilren, and Legolas smiled at the joke, even though it was pointing fun at Gimli.

“They’re coming! I see them!” Pippin shouted at the top of his lungs, bouncing up and down in excitement.

“Shush, Pip!” Merry clapped his hand onto his cousin’s shoulder. “Lawks, do you want the whole Shire to hear you?” Pippin hung his head dejectedly.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, just as their visitors came riding, driving, walking, up the path. Legolas was the first to dismount.

“Aiya, mellyn nin!” he cried to the greeting committee. Merry rushed up to hug him. “It’s great to have us all together again!” Pippin merely continued to sulk.

“Merry, did you break Pippin?” Amethyst asked jocularly.

“Well, actually, yes. He’s mad at me because I told him to be quiet.” Amethyst glanced sidelong at Pippin, employing use of big, blue, puppy-dog eyes.

“Ah! No! She’s mastered Frodo’s Look! Help! My eyes!” Her victim started rolling on the ground, clutching his face.

“Okay, okay! I stopped!” Amethyst shouted over Pippin’s howling and the laughter of the audience. Pretty soon the entire Fellowship of the Ring (minus two Ringbearers and one dwarf) was hugging and laughing some more and exclaiming how much so-and-so missed the other so-and-so, until, at last, Merry made an Announcement.

“All right, everybody, could- may I have your attention, please? Thanks, now, in order for this to work, you people all have to stay here until Sam comes to get you. The actual party doesn’t start for two hours, so we’ll keep Frodo very busy until then, okay? Let’s go!” The speech-maker and his cousin ran up the path to Bag End just as a snorting sound came from under the fireworks in Gandalf’s cart.

“Ack! I’ve been kidnapped! Come out and show your face, you idiotic–” The voice fell into a stream of illegible dwarven curses as one of the elves dug the speaker out from under the fireworks in said cart.

“Gimli! You’re fine! Open your eyes.” She dropped him on the ground.

“Oh, Paris-Ilren! Where did you come from? Did they get you too? Where in Middle-Earth are we?!?” The dwarf shouted the last line.

“You’re in the Shire– its Frodo’s birthday, remember?” Paris said slowly.

“Oh, yes! How is the lad anyway? Where is he? Frodo! Fro–”

“Shh!” He was silenced by all the others.

“He also doesn’t know that we’re here!” Aragorn added in a harsh whisper. “We’re a surprise– as in secret.” He ended with a pointed look at the poor dwarf.

After everyone got settled down, they waited for two hours before Sam came to get them.

“Lawks, the whole Fellowship, together again. I’ve missed you all so much. You don’t know what it’s like trying to live without you guys,” Sam said, happy to see them.

“Then you should know how much we’ve missed you,” Aragorn said speaking for all of them.

“Well, come on!”

They followed Sam quickly through the shadows to where the surprise party was being held. The Fellowship quickly ducked behind a tent fold and fell silently into the tent it belonged to.

“Now it’s time for your present, Frodo!” Merry and Pippin yelled together.

Frodo glanced at them as if they were crazy.

“I believe you’ve drunk a little too much of the Gaffer’s home brew, lads. Did you just say my presents? I’ve already given away all the gifts we prepared.”

“Yes, but this one’s for you!” Pippin shouted. Frodo’s look was the only question needed.

“It’s a custom the Big people use outside the borders.”

“All right, I’ll play along,” Frodo said with a smile.

“Close your eyes,” Sam said.

Frodo did as he was told, and the instant his eyes were shut, the Fellowship stepped out from inside the tent. All together they yelled, “Surprise!”

The look on Frodo’s face at that moment was priceless. He couldn’t say anything for a full minute, he was so overwhelmed.

So, in that silent moment, Amethyst cried “Happy Birthday, Frodo!”

“And may it be the best one yet!” Paris-Ilren finished.

“You guys are the best friends a hobbit could ever ask for!” Frodo said after finally finding his voice.

“And you are the best friend just about anyone could ever ask for,” Legolas returned.

Little did they know that it wouldn’t last long, for off to the left in a patch of trees a very old and powerful enemy was watching and waiting…

Chapter Two

“I’m so glad you came,” exclaimed Frodo for the fiftieth time in two days.

“If this was still yesterday I would have killed him for saying that,” Paris-Ilren thought. Gandalf stood up from his place on the front lawn of Bag End.

“Gandalf you’re not leaving already, are you?” Frodo asked, though he already knew the answer.

“I’m sorry, Frodo, but we must be going,” Gandalf said.

“But you’ve only just arrived. Must you go now?” Frodo said sadly.

“I’m afraid we must,” Gandalf said apologetically.

“May I come then?” asked Frodo hopefully.

“Of course you can,” Amethyst told him before Gandalf had a chance to answer.

“I’m not so sure about this,” thought Aragorn. A presence of evil had been bothering him for the last two days. He pulled Paris and Legolas aside.

“Have you felt a presence of evil?” Aragorn asked them quietly so no one else could hear.

“No,” said Legolas hesitantly.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Aragorn?” Paris seemed genuinely concerned.

Still feeling slightly tense, Aragorn responded, “Yes, I’m fine.”

Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin went with them when they left the Shire forming the whole Fellowship once again. They were now on their way back to Edoras in Rohan.

Chapter Three

Two days into the journey, Paris-Ilren pulled her horse Phantasy to a stop and commented, “The wind is picking up, and Phantasy is jittery. Something isn’t right.” She thought the last three words warily.

“Suppose Aragorn was right,” thought Legolas to himself, “Suppose something IS wrong.”

Gandalf stopped and looked at Paris questioningly.

“Why did you stop?” Gimli demanded, speaking Gandalf’s exact words for him.

Paris glared at the dwarf. To try to keep the peace, Amethyst suggested, “Maybe we should just stay here for the night, Gandalf.”

“Fine, fine,” grumbled Gandalf. He had still wanted to make a few more miles before nightfall.

“I’ll go get some food,” offered Aragorn. Not waiting for an answer, he grabbed his bow and dashed off into the woods to hunt. Paris glanced nervously at Legolas, who returned her glance.

Aragorn wandered for about two miles before he found a deer. As he raised his bow to shoot, he heard something off to the right, which was the last thing he remembered as he fell.

Back at camp Frodo paced back and forth across the flickering light of the camp fire.

“Frodo, is something wrong?” Amethyst asked.

“No, it’s nothing. Has anyone seen Aragorn lately?”

“That must be what’s bothering him,” thought Amethyst.

Finally, the words sunk in and instantaneously both Paris and Legolas were on their feet.

“I knew I had a bad feeling,” thought Paris angrily.

“I should have told someone when I had the chance,” growled Legolas at himself.

Gandalf stood slowly up and said, “Aragorn is a Ranger. He should be able to take care of himself.” Every eye turned to the wizard.

“What if something has happened? Suppose he is in trouble? Then what do we do, Gandalf?” Frodo demanded. Gandalf turned slowly towards Frodo.

“Then we just have to wait and hope he can defend himself.”

“This is too much talking and too little eating for my taste. Where’s Aragorn?” asked Pippin, who had just bounced up.

Legolas turned quickly and said urgently to Merry and Pippin, “Scream, jump up and down, act like you’re drunk for all I care. Just act normal!”

Sam leaned over to Legolas as Merry and Pippin started to scream and shout. “What’s up?” he asked.

“I heard something in the forest over there,” Legolas whispered.

“What was it?” Sam demanded.

Legolas’s reply was not what Sam had hoped for. “I don’t even know if it was something, it could have been nothing.”

Sam shuddered involuntarily. Paris-Ilren glanced around swiftly but saw nothing.

“Paris,” whispered a frightened Amethyst.

“Yes?” Paris-Ilren questioned.

“Are– are you frightened? I know something dreadful must have happened to keep him this long.” Amethyst asked in a shaky tone that Paris recognized as fear.

“There is nothing to fear, Amethyst. Remember I’m always here for you… always,” Paris said softly.

Amethyst started to say, “That’s so nice to know Paris.” She tried again, “It’s really nice to know that you’re there for me,” she said with more cheer in her voice.

Meanwhile an unconscious Aragorn was being taken as fast as a Nazgul horse could gallop back to a dark enemy who was gathering his power back in Mordor.

Chapter Four

The next morning everyone was as irritated as Gimli when he howled, “AAAAAHHHH. I can’t stand it any more! Where – is – Aragorn?”

“Who knows?” Sam yelled back at Gimli in frustration.

“That’s it!” screamed a frustrated Paris-Ilren, “I’m going to look for him!”

With that said she mounted Phantasy and rode off in pursuit of Aragorn. Everyone else followed her lead and got ready to go also. Sam and Frodo on Bill the pony, Gandalf, Gimli and Amethyst in his carriage, Legolas on Morning Glory, and Pippin and Merry on their pony Windrunner.

They followed Paris-Ilren trustingly for about an hour before she came to a halt. Amethyst paused and said, “What’s wrong Paris?” Paris-Ilren fleetingly glanced back at her.

“Maybe we should keep moving.” suggested Legolas.

“No!” Paris said harshly.

“Why not?” Legolas demanded.

Paris was looking down at the ground when she answered him. “Something happened here. Something fell to the ground and was dragged to–” she moved a little ways away, “here. Then it was put on a horse and, I’m guessing from the hoof prints, taken away as fast as the horse could go.”

A surprised look came from Gimli. Aragorn had always been the tracker, not this elf girl. When Gandalf spoke he spoke slowly.

“I believe Aragorn is in great danger.”

“Well finally someone agrees with me,” Frodo snapped.

“There is no need to get edgy, Frodo,” said Amethyst. “I’ve always agreed with you.”

“Show off,” growled Gimli.

Paris turned Phantasy and galloped in the direction that the horse prints headed. They followed the prints for about three hours before she stopped again.

“There is confusion in the prints. I think someone they didn’t expect came.” She tried to make out which way the prints were leading. All of a sudden, she recognized the south-easterly direction in which the tracks were pointing.

“Mordor,” she gasped.

“Mordor? What about Mordor?” questioned Gandalf.

Legolas began to realize what she was getting at, “The Nazgul?” he guessed. Then everyone began to catch on.

“Sauron– that’s impossible!” Gandalf gasped.

“Is it really, Gandalf?” Amethyst asked in a skeptical tone.

“No, it’s the only way Aragorn could get captured,” Sam ventured, “because he’s so powerful. Only someone really awful, like the Nazgul or Sauron could pull it off,” Sam said as he connected the puzzle pieces together in his mind.

“My point exactly, Sam!” Paris shouted.

“If this is so, then we need to think a lot of things over,” said Gandalf hesitantly.

“There has already been too much thinking and too little action,” Legolas snapped.

“Aragorn’s life could be in danger Gandalf. I think we need to act, not think,” Amethyst commented.

“Poor Aragorn,” said Sauron mockingly, “Without your pitiful little friends here to help you, you’re helpless.”

Aragorn would have said something back to him, but the fact that Sauron could kill him at any time caused him to refrain from doing so. By now Sauron was strutting around the room like a cocky roster.

“He just has to rub that in, doesn’t he?” Aragorn thought disgustedly.

Paris was angry now, angry at Gandalf for not acting sooner, and angry at herself for letting Aragorn get captured in the first place, “No more thinking. We act now!”

No one questioned her decision.

“Good,” thought Paris, “they trust me– but do I trust myself? I’m not sure.” She pushed the thought aside and again led them in the direction of Mordor.

Chapter Five

“Man is it hot out,” complained Pippin for the 10th time that day. Merry, who had been expecting it again, already had a retort on his tongue, “Pip, could I agree with you any more?”

“Well, I don’t know.” Pippin shrugged.

“You two!” laughed Amethyst and Frodo. Amethyst looked hopefully at Paris-Ilren to see if she would join in.

“Yep, they’re such a blast,” Paris-Ilren mumbled back.

Legolas approached Paris a few minutes later and asked, his voice full of concern, “Is something bothering you Paris?”

“No, but thanks for asking,” Paris said more kindly.

“You’re welcome, I guess,” Legolas said.

As he turned to walk away she called, “Legolas, wait.” He turned and glanced back at her. “There’s something I need to talk to you about,” she told him while trying to find all the courage she had, so she could tell him what was on her mind. They walked together over to a fallen tree and sat down.

“Well,” she began uncertainly, “I sure it’s my fault that Aragorn got captured and I don’t think I know how to lead you guys to rescue him.” She was gaining confidence now, “I don’t believe in myself and I know that’s the big issue. I mean it’s not a little thing because I don’t believe that I can do anything even if it’s really easy.” With her secret finally told she felt much better than she had in years.

Legolas put his arm around her shoulders comfortingly and said, “Well does it help when I say that I believe in you? And I know you already know that Aragorn would and does believe in you as well.”

“Thanks Legolas. Thanks for just being there to listen to me, and also thanks for being my friend,” Paris whispered.

“Don’t sweat it. But always remember I’ll be there for you when you need me, no matter what,” he whispered back.

“No matter what?” she demanded.

“No matter what,” he promised.

“Hey, Gandalf, how about we keep moving?” suggested Legolas as he got up from the tree and walked by to mount Morning Glory.

“Fine,” Gandalf called after him. “Come on, everyone, let’s get moving,” Gandalf hollered in his next breath.

“Let’s get this show on the road,” Paris-Ilren thought eagerly.

Aragorn sat all alone in his cell and hoped for the best.

“Please come and rescue me,” he would often think desperately. “I know they will,” was another thought.

“But what if they don’t?” was the one that nagged him the most. He tried to shake it off but to no avail.

After more that five days’ travel the Fellowship finally came within sight of Mordor.

“Finally,” “We made it,” “There it is!” “How do we get inside?” “Who cares? All I know is that we made it alive!” “Now it’s time to rescue Aragorn.” “First we need a plan.”

“How about we try to find a way in?” Sam was finally able to break in.

“I guess we forgot about that,” admitted Gimli.

“Well, you must have forgotten, because I didn’t,” Amethyst told him. Paris gave her a warning glare. Amethyst shrank back and said no more.

Gandalf was only pondering for about a minute before Frodo yelled, “I know!” Everyone looked at him.

“You know? You know what?” Gimli demanded.

“I know how to get in. Sam, you remember the way Gollum took us?” Frodo asked hopefully.

“Yes, I do believe so,” Sam agreed.

“That may be our only way to get in. Frodo and Sam shall lead the way,” Gandalf announced.

Frodo and Sam led the way the best they remembered it, and after getting lost about forty-eight times within five days they finally arrived at the Stair Case of Cirith Ungol.

Gimli gasped in amazement, “There is no way that, that thing is a staircase.”

“This is a way in, though, Gimli, because Sam and I climbed up it,” Frodo reminded the dwarf.

“Remember how many times we slipped?” Sam asked. Frodo smiled at the horrific memories, “Of course! Even when Smeagol pointed out every single handhold, it was insanely slick!” They laughed.

“No more laughing, let’s get climbing!” Amethyst cried in excitement.

“There is no way,” thought Gimli.

Paris stepped bravely up to the edge of the staircase and placed her foot onto the first crevice. She climbed up about four feet and called back down, “It’s not that bad.”

After that everyone climbed up three steps before another one came on. Six days later, when they reached the top, Frodo and Sam at the head, naturally, Legolas said, “It wasn’t that bad.”

“That’s what you think,” Gimli gasped totally out of air. Everyone else laughed.

“Gimli, you are so funny,” Pippin announced in the midst of his own laughter. Paris rolled her eyes.

Sauron was furious.

“I told you to get out of my sight,” he screamed at the poor orc in front of him.

Even down in the prison Aragorn heard him and looked up. “That does not sound good,” he thought. “Where are they? They should be here by now.”

A few minutes after he had heard the voice of Sauron yelling, he heard footsteps coming down. A few seconds later Sauron threw open the cell door and ordered, “Get up.” Aragorn glanced at him defiantly. “I said get up and make it snappy,” the dark lord repeated himself. When he didn’t comply Sauron came in and seized Aragorn roughly by the arm.

Chapter Six

The Fellowship was half way up the hill to the fortress.

“Whoa. That is a huge fortress,” Merry said amazed.

“I wonder how many people he keeps locked up in there,” Amethyst said out loud.

“Who knows? Let’s just get in and keep the fact a secret,” Paris whispered urgently. “That may be our only bet,” she thought.

“It’s much too late for that,” the laughing voice of Sauron said behind them. The Fellowship whirled around to see Sauron holding Aragorn by the arm. “One of you, fight me. Aragorn will be the prize,” Sauron said, quite overconfidently.

“Aragorn, a prize?” Paris-Ilren thought, surprised. “Arwen’s not gonna like that!”

“Who will challenge me?” Sauron demanded. Gandalf was about to accept when Paris stepped forward, saying, “I will fight you.” The entire fellowship stared at her in disbelief.

“Are you crazy?” demanded Sam.

“No, Sam, I just have to do this,” she muttered. Sauron pushed Aragorn aside and stepped forward. His opponent glanced at the Fellowship for what could have been the last time and also stepped forward. They drew their swords and began to fight. Paris waited for Sauron to make the first move. Sauron slashed, Paris-Ilren parried. Sauron leapt forward; Paris leapt back and slashed. Half an hour of tireless hacking later, Sauron drew out– the One Ring?

Gandalf gasped. “I knew he had a trick up his sleeve!”

“It can’t be,” Frodo yelled, “I destroyed It!”

Sauron stepped forward and waved the Ring tauntingly in Paris’s face. She seemed undeterred by the ring.

“Why does she not fear me?” Sauron wondered in his head. Paris-Ilren laughed. “That’s not the One Ring, Sauron,” she drew something from her neck, “this is!” She hollered the last words at his face. “You never had this little ball of evil, Frodo. I always did.” She finally told the secret. She mimicked Sauron’s rooster cockiness, trying to wave it in his face, but to no avail, since he was about twenty-two feet tall. He leapt for It. Paris, who was not expecting such a dirty trick, was caught by surprise. She barely reacted in time to toss the ring out of his way to Frodo, but she paid for it, by way of a deep gash on her back. Paris screamed in agony as she fell to the ground.

“There is no way,” Frodo cried as the ring landed in his hand. Now Paris-Ilren laid half conscious on the ground on her stomach.

Legolas acted quickly. He notched three arrows to his bow at one time and shot them at a weak spot in Sauron’s armor, the elbow. His aim was perfect, as usual, and it hit Sauron right where he had wanted. Sauron howled in pain and dropped his sword.
Gandalf stepped forward and yelled, “Back Sauron. Treachery will not win you this battle.” As Gandalf yelled, Frodo and Amethyst ran forward and pulled Paris carefully back to Merry, Pippin, and Legolas. Legolas carefully picked up his patient and moved her a little more removed from the battle.

“That must hurt,” commented Frodo, who had followed him to the sanctuary.

“Is there anything you need me to do?” asked Amethyst, who had tagged along as well.

“Actually, there is,” Legolas replied.

“What is it?” Amethyst demanded when he showed signs of hesitating.

“Get Merry and Pippin to run in that direction, then while they do you and Frodo run over and release Aragorn.”

“But what do we use to cut the rope?” Frodo wondered. Legolas glanced at them as if it was perfectly obvious.

“Use Sting!” he shouted.

The hobbits turned and ran to Merry and Pippin.

“Merry, run that way, Pip, you go there, help Gandalf!” Frodo whispered in his cousin’s ears, leaving no room for the answer no. The young hobbits immediately did as they were told, eager to help.

Sauron howled in wrath when he saw the tricksters laughing and trying to escape, but Gandalf stopped him from doing anything about it.

Frodo and Amethyst began to sneak over to where Aragorn was. From his rotten position, the whole thing was a nightmare. He tried to get up one more time but failed. He wanted to get up and help the others, but how? Sauron had practically broken his wrists with the rope that bound them.

Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder.

His head whipped around. “Frodo?” he said in disbelief.

“Aragorn, are you alright?” asked Frodo as Amethyst began to work at the ropes. His answer was surprising, “I’m just– still a little stunned that Sauron is alive.”

“Legolas, is that you?” Paris’s voice was soft.

Legolas jerked forward.

“Yes it’s me. Are you alright? That wound must really hurt.” Legolas looked over at something else that was going on.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Paris?” she heard another voice say.

“Aragorn, is that you? Are you okay?” she demanded.

“I’m fine. Now let’s get a look at that wound.”

By now Merry and Pippin had joined Gandalf in the battle against Sauron. Sauron had to keep looking every which way to keep from being hit by one of the hobbits, therefore Gandalf had the advantage.

Sauron decided to try threatening Aragorn but when he turned around and Aragorn wasn’t there he was furious.
He looked over to where Legolas was kneeling beside Paris and noticed Aragorn standing beside him.

“What?” he thought. “There is no way he could get out of those ropes!”
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Gandalf swing his staff towards him. He barely blocked the blow.

Paris sat bolt upright.

“Paris you really need to keep still,” Aragorn insisted.

“No.” She began to struggle to get up.

“You’re going to make it bleed more. Please lay down,” Legolas pleaded.

“No,” she responded again this time with more confidence.

Aragorn sighed and looked at Legolas as she finally made it to a standing position.

She spoke so suddenly the two jumped, “Gandalf needs the whole Fellowship out there. Who says we help him?”

“We do!” Amethyst and Frodo yelled.

“Let’s give him a run for his life,” Aragorn agreed.

“Legolas, are you in?” asked Amethyst.

“Count me in,” he shouted.

Three of the five ran out to help Gandalf face Sauron, but Legolas stayed behind and helped Paris walk out to the fight.

As one of the two of them limped out into the battle Sauron laughed.

“What is he laughing about?” Amethyst asked Frodo, really not knowing.

Frodo shrugged, “I don’t know.”

Paris-Ilren looked at Sauron and gave him her well known evil eye stare, as Sam called it. Even Sauron hesitated before attacking Gandalf again.

“Can’t you move any faster?” Paris asked Legolas.

“If you think you can handle it,” he agreed.

“I know I can handle it,” she snapped.
Aragorn assisted Gandalf in a block and hit Sauron on the knee. His sword pierced the armor.

“Legolas, I need a weapon!”

Legolas walked briskly away and came back with her bow. As she took it from him she said her thanks. Paris then aimed at a point at Sauron’s neck.

“Now if only he would lift his neck.” she thought.

Behind their twenty-foot tall (not including pointy helmet) foe, Frodo was standing on a rock.

“Just a little closer,” he thought.
Sauron stepped back close enough for him to stab.

He stabbed, Sauron lifted his neck in the way Paris needed him to and screamed.

Paris thought, “This is my only shot.”
She pulled back the string and shot. The shaft flew true.

Sauron let out one last scream as he fell, then he lay “dead” on the ground.

A dusty and dirty Fellowship turned to look at Paris.

“I told you that you could do it,” Legolas cheered.

Paris blushed at all the positive feedback from everyone.

“If you hadn’t led them,” Aragorn said seriously, “I might not have lived.”

“If you had died I would have never forgiven myself,” admitted Paris.
Only then did Gimli walk up.

“I missed the fight?!?” he howled.

“Only because you lagged so far behind everyone else,” Amethyst announced. The rest of the Fellowship laughed. Paris was glad that the attention was off her, but little did she know that it would only be for a while.

“Could someone please explain the meaning of this whole Ring thing?” asked Frodo.

“Well,” she said thoughtfully, “Galadriel said that if you didn’t destroy the ring that no one could.”

“Her exact words were,” corrected Frodo, “”If you don’t find a way, no one will.””

“So I guess you need to head up that lava-stricken mountain of death where, we’ll leave you to your work!” At this, everyone’s jaws dropped in horror.

“We’re not going through another Anduin episode!” Amethyst practically screamed at the elf. Paris laughed loud and long.

“You believed me! I can’t believe you believed me! Of course I’m joking! Now let’s go before this immortal dude wakes up.”