Chapter 359: Pressure
At the end of the Third Age, year 3018, on a bright noon, the Council of Rivendell was called to order.
Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, presided. The chief attendees were: Levi, Supreme Leader of the Free Cities, Lord of the North, and legend; Gandalf the Grey; Frodo the Ring-bearer; Bilbo, who had found the Ring; Glorfindel, a Noldorin Elf who looked perfectly ordinary at first glance; the Dwarf Glóin and his son Gimli; Boromir, eldest son of Denethor, Steward of Gondor; Legolas of the Woodland Realm; Aragorn the ranger; and Galdor, messenger of Círdan.
Also seated with Elrond were several councillors of Rivendell.
Together, they would decide the final fate of the One Ring, and settle on a course of action against the rising power of Sauron.
"Honoured guests who have come from afar, and allies of long standing, you have been summoned here to meet the threat of Mordor," Elrond began.
"Middle-earth stands once more on the edge of upheaval. The fate of all our peoples is bound together. We must stand united and face the Enemy as one."
His opening words delivered, he gave a slight nod.
"Ring-bearer, come forward. Frodo."
Frodo walked to the stone plinth and set the Ring down.
The moment it left his hand, a weight fell from his heart as well. It was as if he had at last put down some crushing burden. He let out a breath of relief.
Every eye in the circle turned at once to the One Ring. Low murmurs began.
From that moment, the Ring's influence began to show. Unease crept through the gathering. Though they spoke to one another, not one of them looked away from it.
Once the council had quieted, Gandalf, Elrond, and Bilbo stood and recounted the history and origins of the One Ring, doing all they could to convey the evil power it held.
"It is a thing of utter malice," Gandalf finished.
"I do not agree," a voice said.
Boromir rose to his feet. His eyes were fixed on the Ring. Step by step, he moved closer.
"I had a dream," he said. "In it, endless shadow covered the world, but through the shadow a light broke. A voice told me that the Bane of Isildur had been found. It is the Enemy's weapon, yes, but could it not also become a tool for the Free Peoples?"
"If Gondor held it, we could surely—"
His eyes grew distant.
Bearing all the hope of Gondor on his shoulders, his will was bent too far by need.
And so he became the first to fall under its sway.
Will save: failed.
Boromir reached out, fingers stretching towards the Ring.
In that brief pause, Aragorn and Legolas traded a glance, then both looked towards Levi.
As a mark of respect, Levi had been placed last in the speaking order for this council. His turn had not yet come, so he had kept silent.
Feeling their eyes on him, Levi thought for a moment, then winked at them and gave a calm nod. Then he did nothing else.
The Man and the Elf considered, then settled back down and abandoned their half-formed intent to intervene.
Now it was Levi who was puzzled.
Wait, I nodded to tell you two to get up and stop him. Why are you sitting down again?
Did you plan this? Are you trying to mess with me on purpose?
Just as Boromir was about to lose himself entirely, Levi drew breath and was rising to his feet to calm the room when Elrond's voice rang out.
"Boromir!"
The young captain flinched as if struck.
At the same moment, foul, evil words in the Black Speech poured from Gandalf's mouth.
"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them."
Four lines, all of them inscribed upon the One Ring itself.
As the Black Speech echoed through the valley, all Rivendell fell into shadow. Thunder rolled across the sky. Golden leaves were shaken from the trees. Dust and fragments of stone fell from nearby buildings.
Elrond pressed a hand to his forehead. He felt as though his hair might fall out from sheer exasperation.
This was but a sliver of Sauron's power at its height. With words alone, he could twist the very air of a region, dragging it down into darkness.
No matter what else could be said, Sauron was still one of the Maiar. Not the strongest among them, perhaps, but far from weak.
In the shadows, Levi and Glorfindel met each other's eyes and shook their heads.
This was not a direct attack. It was more akin to a phenomenon. Neither of them had a clean way to counter it.
Elrond, for his part, was furious at Gandalf's rash act. It was a true and rare anger from him.
Those four short lines had affected not only the assembled council, but all of Rivendell. Every Elf in the valley had been shaken by that sudden bloom of evil.
But Elrond was famously even-tempered.
Once Gandalf had offered his sincere apology and admitted his error, Elrond let the matter rest.
"I do not ask your forgiveness, Lord Elrond," Gandalf said. "But if I had not done so, none here would understand its true peril, nor what despair will fall upon us when those words are spoken across all of Middle-earth."
"This is a gift," someone said stubbornly.
Once he had recovered, Boromir stood again.
"Why should we not use this Ring?" he asked.
Remembering what had been said earlier—"One Ring to rule them all"—he pressed on.
"If we hold it, the Ringwraiths themselves must bow. They will be no threat at all."
"Gondor has sacrificed too much holding back Mordor and the powers of the South. If we could only put it to proper use—"
"You cannot wield it. No one here can," Aragorn cut in. "The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It will serve no other master."
"And what would a mere ranger know of such things?" Boromir shot back.
At that, Legolas leapt to his feet.
"He is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."
"Aragorn? Heir of Isildur?" Boromir said slowly.
"Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king."
Sigh.
Watching this unfold, Levi let out a long breath.
"Boromir. Sit down," he said.
At once, every eye turned to him.
Boromir's words caught in his throat. His mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.
After a pause, he returned meekly to his seat and fell silent.
Yes, Gondor had bled and sacrificed, and the burden was great. But the North bore no less. They had withstood even greater pressure.
They only looked at ease because someone very tall was standing at the front, flanked by a host of hardened warriors, holding the line.
All peace, all safety, existed because someone stood in the dangerous places and bore everything.
But if he could take the One Ring, perhaps he could become that tall man as well. He could stand at the most dangerous point and hold back all that pressure, meet the Enemy head-on, and then drive into Mordor itself and cast Sauron down into ruin.
And afterwards, destroy the Ring. Surely he would not repeat such an obvious, well-documented mistake?
It would all be to end the threat for good, to give people lasting peace and safety. What was wrong with that?
Remembering again what his father had said before he left, Boromir slowly closed his eyes and let out a silent sigh.
Beneath that hard exterior, that hunger for strength, lay a heart stretched tight with worry.
His father's hopes. The people's fervour. The trust of his brother and his comrades. All of Gondor seemed to rest on his shoulders, and he could barely stand straight under the weight.
Pat.
A hand came down on his weary, burdened shoulder. The warmth of the gauntlet was almost too hot.
"Do not trouble yourself so, Boromir," Levi said.
"Do you remember? I told you once: if anything happens, you come and tell me. I am here. I will help."
"Or do you need a hug?"