Misc. Stories

LotR - The Valley's Revival - Chapter 2

This chapter is complete, but the story is not. 

It was late in the afternoon, two days later, when the entire Council gathered in the room they had prepared.

The idea of this yearly Council had existed as long as Aragorn had been king of Gondor and the Reunited Kingdom. The new king had proposed this 'Council of Middle Earth' the day he married, and it was that same day when the First Council had been held, although they didn't do much other than agree to hold off further discussions until a few days later.

The aim of the Council had been to maintain peace by bringing together at least one representative from each kingdom of the Free Peoples once a year to exchange ideas, and more importantly news and trade.

The Council's second meeting was kept small -- only those present at the wedding's meeting were included. That said, there were still ten attendees; Aragorn of the Reunited Kingdom and his newlywed wife Arwen of Rivendell, Legolas of the Woodland Realm, Gimli -- kin to the dwarves of Erebor and of Moria, Elysa of the Valley, Gandalf the White, Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took, and Meriadoc Brandybuck. A Council, they agreed, would take place every year -- and in such a time that war be upon them, an emergency Council will be summoned and held as often as deemed necessary.

Over the years since that second meeting, three Councils -- four including the one about to start -- had been held, each growing in size as word of the Council spread.

From the words they'd received, many among this year's Council could be considered a sort of royalty in their lands -- Legolas was the son of a king, Gimli was kin to the dwarves that reclaimed Erebor, Dwalin was one of said dwarves and kin to the late Thorin Oakenshield, Celeborn was the king of Lothlórien (if they were to ever call him that), Faramir was held in near-royal standards after the War and his wife Éowyn was sister to the current king of Rohan, Éomer the king of Rohan who took up his uncle's mantle, and Brand son of Bain son of Bard from the resurrected city of Dale. That list, of course, didn't include Aragorn the king of the Reunited Kingdom and his wife Arwen the daughter of Lord Elrond of Rivendell, nor Elysa the heir to the Valley. Thranduil of the Woodland Realm had yet to attend a Council, nor to send word of anyone's arrival to the one about to start, but in the past he nearly always sent an elf from his own court.

As was customary when old friends meet, the Council began with warm greetings and kind reunions from all the gathered parties. Elysa took mental stock of the peoples and regions that had come, and upon making the realization, asked, "Has no one come from Greenwood?"

"We've not received word one way or another, no," Aragorn said. He must've noticed something in Elysa's face and asked, "What are you thinking?"

"He's sent someone every year, so why not this year? Has the Elvenking finally decided to leave his throne?"

"Wouldn't he have sent word if he was coming?" Legolas asked.

"Not if he wanted to surprise us," Elysa remarked. Why he would, she wasn't sure, but she wouldn't necessarily put it past him. Then again, there wasn't much she would. "Make some sort of entrance."

"You still speak of him with distaste," Legolas noted.

"Can you blame her?" Dwalin pitched in.

After a look towards Elysa, Legolas said, "No, I suppose not, although since it has been nearly seventy years, I'd hope she can keep her feelings in check, provided she's right."

"I will try," Elysa said.

After a moment, Legolas said, "I suppose that's the best I'll get."

When everyone had settled, the meeting officially began with Aragorn asking the group, "What news does everyone bring?"

They went around the circular table, although no one had much new information to share until they reached Faramir. As with each year prior, Faramir was tasked with relaying the information gained and gathered from the orc camps to the Council. He was about to begin when a young messenger boy approached Aragorn.