Birth of the Blade

5

I awoke early to find Strider and Gandalf already downstairs. They were eating breakfast and deep in discussion. I got myself some tea and sat with them.

"I wish to know how such a Ring of Power fell into the hands of this creature." Gandalf was saying.

"In order to understand the Ring?" Strider asked.

"Yes. To understand how it affects a mortal being, but also I wish to get to him before Sauron does. We must not let information about the whereabouts and the ownership of the Rings, that Gollum may have, fall into the wrong hands." He took a long pull on his pipe. "It is not Bilbo I worry for, no, it is the one who holds it now."

"I am sorry, what Ring?" I felt awkward butting in but I had to.

"Where you not paying any attention last night?" Gandalf turned to me.

"I was but I was also preoccupied. I've barely slept."

Gandalf sighed. "You know the story of Bilbo's ring?"

I nodded. "He says he won it when he was on his adventure with the Dwarves. In a cave. From a pitiful creature."

"This Ring is no ordinary ring Helravae. It allows the wearer to become invisible. And he did not wish to part with it, even though it had become a great burden to him, playing much on his thoughts by the time he left it behind. He did, luckily, leave it by his own volition in the end. But he never suspected that the Ring was at fault, rather that it was he himself who was the problem. I have always suspected that this was no trivial magical trinket, but something much darker. Though I did not realise quite how powerful until Bilbo was faced with parting with it, and made remarks that worried me greatly. He became incredibly possessive over it, almost possessed by it. He also did not wish to explain to me at first that he did not win the Ring fairly."

I frowned. "He didn't?"

Gandalf smiled wryly. "I did say he would make an excellent thief. But I suppose you have only ever heard the story from his lips, though I don't believe there is much to be gained in my retelling. But this has made me suspicious."

I shrugged. "Maybe he just doesn't want to be a theif?"

Gandalf shook his head. "It is not the lying that worries me Helravae, it is the insistence that it is his by right."

"So we are going to track down this Gollum creature?"

Strider set his glass down on the table. "I do not suppose, Gandalf, you have anywhere we might start?"

Gandalf looked down wistfully. "I am afraid I shall have to leave that up to your expertise. I must go to Minas Tirith, where I believe I can find more wisdom on the Ring."

I paused. "What about Saruman?"

Gandalf frowned. "Saruman the white?"

"Well I don't think it the most common of names, unless you can think of another Saruman." I played with my mug. "But isn't he a great Wisdom on the rings of power? But I thought..." I struggled, knowledge just on the tip of my tongue that didn't want to come out.

The others waited, quiet while I tried to find the words.

"It was in a meeting of the White Council. He said that Sauron could not regain his strength, even with a Ring. And that he believed it had been lost to history. He... He said that it would not be a problem, or words to that effect." I glanced up.

Gandalf and Strider were sharing a look of curiosity and, if I wasn't mistaken, concern.

"How have you come by this knowledge?" Gandalf asked me.