Chapter 379: The Council Begins
Rivendell's council hall.
Representatives of the Free Peoples from all across Middle-earth had gathered here.
Among the Elves were Elrond, lord of Rivendell, and Glorfindel; Lady Galadriel of Lothlórien; Galdor, a secretary serving as the Grey Havens' envoy; and Legolas, representing Mirkwood.
Among Men were Boromir, son of Gondor's Steward; Théodred, son of King Théoden of Rohan; Bain, lord of Dale and son of Bard; Grim Beornson, son of Beorn and heir to the vales of Anduin; and Aragorn, chieftain of the Northern Dúnedain.
Among the Dwarves were Glóin and his son Gimli, representing the Kingdom under the Mountain; Brin, son of Balin, representing Moria; and Thorin III Stonehelm, son of Dáin Ironfoot, representing the Iron Hills.
Among the Hobbits were Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins.
Among the Wizards were Gandalf the Grey, Radagast the Brown, Morlëda the Blue, and Kael.
So many people being able to gather in Rivendell so quickly was thanks to the full support of Kael's Ministry of Magic, specifically the Department of Magical Transportation, which had set up a Floo Network spanning all these realms and allowing them to arrive by fireplace.
Before the council formally began, everyone exchanged greetings and introductions.
Glóin, the Dwarf representing the Lonely Mountain, spotted Kael and Bilbo at once and shouted with delight, sweeping both of them into a crushing embrace.
"It's been ages! Bilbo, Kael, I never thought we'd meet again here!"
Glóin had been one of the thirteen Dwarves of the Company that had once set out for the Lonely Mountain, and seeing old friends again filled Bilbo with genuine joy.
Even though Kael and Thorin Oakenshield had once had their share of friction, time had passed, wounds had faded, and the meeting carried the warmth of old grievances forgotten.
"I'm glad to see you again, Glóin," Kael said with a smile, looking him up and down. "You've been doing well these years. You've put on more than a little weight."
Glóin laughed and patted his belly, his gray beard trembling. "I can't compare to you lot. I'm old now, and you still look just the same as ever. It's unbelievable!"
Then he reached behind him, yanked a broad-axe-carrying Dwarf forward, and introduced him proudly. "Let me present my son, Gimli, one of the finest of the younger generation!"
He followed it up by smacking the back of Gimli's head. "Go on, Gimli. Say hello to Bilbo and Kael. They're old friends from our expedition!"
Even Kael and Bilbo felt a phantom ache at the sound of that slap. Was he trying to knock sense into the boy, or knock it out?
Gimli wore a Dwarven helm, and his face was so buried under a reddish-brown beard that it was hard to guess his age at a glance.
He looked honest enough, but the quick roll of his eyes hinted at sharpness behind the rough exterior. In a blunt, earnest tone, he greeted them. "Hello. I'm Gimli, son of Glóin. It's an honor to meet you."
Kael studied him with interest. So this was Gimli, one of the future Ring-guard.
On the original course of events, this young Dwarf would fight bravely, earn great merit in pivotal battles like the Pelennor Fields, break through old Dwarven prejudice against Elves, and forge a deep friendship with Legolas.
After the war, he would lead some of his folk to settle in the Glittering Caves and build a new realm there, becoming the Lord of the Glittering Caves.
He would even become one of the very rare Dwarves to sail West, departing at last with his Elven friend Legolas.
"Hello, Gimli. It's a pleasure to meet you," Kael said, with the air of an elder looking at a younger man. He flipped his hand and produced a brooch. "A first meeting calls for a gift. Take this enchanted brooch. It can block three lethal strikes. I hope it'll be of use to you."
Gimli's eyes lit up instantly. He took it without the faintest thought of refusing, pinned it right to his chest, and patted it happily.
"Heh. Thank you, Lord Kael!"
Seeing his son receive such a gift, Glóin couldn't help being delighted. He thumped the back of Gimli's head again as the boy grinned like an idiot. "Lucky, daft lad. Kael, you have my thanks!"
As an old companion of Kael's, Glóin knew exactly how valuable that gift was. Something that could save a life three times over was not an easy thing to refuse, so he could only set the debt firmly in his heart.
After that, Boromir of Gondor, Théodred of Rohan, Bain of Dale, and Grim Beornson of the Anduin valley all came forward on their own to greet Kael.
Their fathers or grandfathers had known Kael, which made these men, more or less, the next generation.
Boromir and Grim Beornson, in particular, chose more familiar forms of address and called Kael "Headmaster" or "Professor Kael."
Boromir, as a Dúnedain, and Grim, as a skin-changer, both possessed magical talent and had once received Hogwarts letters, studying magic there for seven years.
In addition to their usual weapons, both carried wands.
Kael did not hold back with the descendants of old friends. He handed out small protective enchanted trinkets as easily as if he were giving away candy.
These trinkets could block only three ordinary spells, but they were still more than capable of saving a life against blades and arrows.
Once the greetings were done, everyone took their seats around the round table, and the council formally began.
Elrond, as host, should have been the one to speak of the One Ring.
But because of the Fidelius Charm that had been set, no one but the Secret Keeper, Kael, could speak of the matter aloud.
When Elrond had summoned them, he had not explained the details, only emphasized that the matter concerned the fate of Middle-earth itself.
So among those present, some had come without knowing that the One Ring was the true subject at hand.
To everyone's surprise, Elrond yielded the host's place and asked Kael to explain the council's purpose.
Kael did not refuse. He rose slowly and addressed them. "Before you arrived, some of you did not know the nature of this council. Because secrecy magic is involved, Lord Elrond and the others could not speak of it. So I will lay the matter out plainly."
"You have all heard the legends of the One Ring. In the War of the Last Alliance, Isildur cut the Ring from the hand of the Dark Lord Sauron, and victory was won. The One Ring became Isildur's spoil of war, but Isildur later fell to an Orc ambush, and the Ring was lost, its whereabouts unknown."
"But now the Ring has surfaced again. Decades ago, Bilbo Baggins found it by accident. To ensure its safety, we entrusted it for many years to the 'Eldest,' Tom Bombadil, to keep it secure, until in recent years the Ring's power has grown increasingly active."
Kael continued, piece by piece, laying out everything they knew of the Ring's situation for all who sat at the table to hear.