Darkness of Moria
(Rewrite)
PG-13: for violence
A/n: Okay, the last time it didn't go so well. I have mused on this for a long while and have finally come up with something that will work. I know this is to be a dark tale and that Aragorn says his memory of it is evil but I cannot help injecting it with humour. Fortunately, it will shape up and get darker as the story goes. Any suggestions as to how these guys get tormented will be gladly accepted.
Summary: Aragorn and Halbarad get lost in the Misty Mountains while hunting a party of orcs. To escape the storm they enter a cave that begins their journey into the darkness of Moria.
Lightning struck to the north. The rain was tremendous and the wind was not any help. "I thought we were told they were to be in this area! I see nothing!" Halbarad shouted through the wind and the rain.
"If you want to give up and leave, then leave!" Aragorn sharply shouted back. He continued to look around the darkness for any sign of where they were but could see nothing in the dark. There had been unconfirmed reports of a small group of orcs forming away up in a little part of the Misty Mountains. Aragorn and Halbarad had volunteered to check it out. Lightning flashed again and Aragorn was able to make out a bit of the landscape. "We are in the wrong area."
"Then where are we?"
"I am not sure," he said slowly. "I do not believe I have been here before. We must have taken the wrong turn at the fork in the trail." They were now lost in the mixture of treacherous slopes and cliffs and they were drenched.
"Well if you didn't get us lost we might be where we are supposed to be," retorted Halbarad.
"Me?! I said let's go this way. You said let's go that way. I-"
"You should know better than to listen to me!" This was not the first of their arguments that day. Halbarad was not in a particularly good mood. It was several months since he had seen his wife and was on his way to see her when the report came. He and Aragorn were already near the mountains and he would never hear the end of it if he let his chieftain go orc hunting in the Misty Mountains alone. Aragorn's mood was not improving either as he cried out in frustration. He pushed past his cousin and pointed at a cave he had spotted in a lightning strike. "We should be able to rest there for the night, unless something plans to eat us in there." He said with a wry laugh.
Halbarad put his hand on the side of the cave opening and peered inside. It was too dark to see anything. He lit a match and went in a few feet. From what he could see in the small light was a relatively small cave with a small tunnel to the right. The walls and ceiling stuck out here and there in a very rough way. There was nothing else except a faint awful smell. Aragorn set his pack on the left side of the cave and took off his wet shirt. Halbarad lit a torch that had managed to stay dry. There was not enough room for a fire even if they could find some dry wood.
"Well, if this isn't perfect," Halbarad grimaced. "We get to spend the night in wet clothes."
"You are beginning to sound like a mule. You act like you have never been wet before." Halbarad started to retort with another comment when they heard voices. They were distant, but getting closer. "There are your orcs," said Aragorn trying to make light of their situation. It now sounded like a good number of orcs. More than they can handle by themselves. "Curse our luck. Come, we'll go through the tunnel." He picked up his gear.
"Are you out of your mind?"
"Where's your curiosity?"
"You know what that killed right?"
Aragorn was growing impatient, "No time to argue. I'm not staying to find out how many there are. If you have any other ideas, please share." He started for the tunnel.
"Nor do we know what is through this tunnel."
"Then stay here!" Aragorn snatched the torch from Halbarad's hand and entered the tunnel. Halbarad let out a sigh and followed after his cousin. They ran in a crouch through the low tunnel. It ran fairly straight with a bit of a decline. Aragorn halted quickly as the cave floor stopped suddenly. Halbarad ploughed into him from behind and they went down into the darkness.
.....to be continued. I had to leave a cliff hanger at a cliff. : )
*for abandoned concept: read my profile.