Well here is the second part, I hope that you have enjoyed it thus far. I've been writing this for some time so I should be able to update pretty fast. Keep reviewing because I really want input into how to improve the story, enjoy.
The timely arrival of Glorfindel was enough to save Frodo from his death, however I did not witness their flight across the ford, the remainder of the trip to Rivendale for me was a peaceful one.
Rivendale was more beautiful than I could have imagined, and as Frodo slept I explored the vast house of Elrond. Elrond had been kind enough to supply me with new clothes; I kept my old ones for sentimental reasons.
The new clothes almost seemed magical simply by their feel against my skin; they were bright silver with interwoven designs which shined with the brightness of gold, yet whether it was night or day they shined as brightly as ever. After getting used to the new clothes I began to explore the lakeside hallways, which is where I ran into an old man, carrying a staff with a gray-blue hat atop his head, none other than Gandalf himself.
"You are Gandalf the Grey?" I asked in anticipation. "The grey pilgrim who has lived 300 lives of men?"
He chuckled as I would have expected from him, "yes dear boy, and you are Dunedan, formerly known as Derek, the stranger who seems to know a bit much for his age. You may be known as your birth name here to those you trust, there is not a single spy amongst the enemy that can infiltrate Imladris."
I laughed as well, "I do know a bit, but not as much as I would like." I told Gandalf of my origins, and how I had come to middle earth, oddly enough he did not seem surprised.
"No one knows the invisible bonds that connect all beings, no matter what world you are from my friend," he puffed several times on his pipe. "Relax here, there is a hall where stories are told everyday, for now you are safe. But I do have someone I think you should meet."
I knew he was right about relaxing, but it didn't seem right to just do nothing, I followed him to the hall where elves would gather to tell tales, the hall of fire. Yet the man standing before me was not who I expected.
"Clark!!" I shouted, placing my hand on his shoulder as if to verify that it was truly my friend. "Is that really you?"
"Derek?" he asked, jumping up from his seat. "What the heck are you doing here?"
"Where did you end up?" I asked, curious as to how this happened.
"Right here actually, I landed right on top of old Bilbo, at first I thought I had gone mad."
We exchanged stories as to what we had gone through since our coming to middle earth; however Clark had few for he had been at Rivendale the whole time. Apparently the elves had thought him a messenger of the enemy and had forbid him from leaving the grounds.
"Have you seen any of the others?" I asked hopefully.
Clark shook his head solemnly, "I haven't seen any of them, maybe they appeared at different places like we did."
I hoped he was right, at that moment I realized what had to be done…I had to find my other friends, but they could be anywhere in middle-earth.
I had to go with the fellowship of the ring.
Days passed swiftly in Rivendale, and in no time at all Frodo healed, and the council of Elrond was formed, Gandalf made sure that I was present along with Clark. I finally got to meet the men of legend in my world and this one, Gimli, Legolas, Aragorn sat near Elrond, and Boromir sat nearby, I got a seat to the left of Gandalf.
After several hours of speaking Elrond finally gave the command that the ring must be destroyed, Gimli seemed overly eager to oblige.
"What are we waiting for?" asked the dwarf, lifting his axe and approaching the ring.
"Wait!" I shouted, getting Gimli's, as well as the councils, attention. "I wouldn't advise hitting it with your axe master Gimli." I said, hoping to spare him the pain of what would happen.
"Bah," replied the dwarf, bringing his axe down upon the ring, the axe head shattered instantly, blowing Gimli backwards to the ground.
Though I had seen it coming I flinched at the sight of the break, "Told ya so," I said to Gimli as he lifted himself back into his chair.
"Dunedan is right," said Elrond. "The ring cannot be destroyed Gimli son of Gloin by any craft that we here possess, it was created in the fires of mount doom, only there can it be unmade. One of you must do this."
The elves, men and dwarves began to bicker on the dangers of who would take it, I could barely hear their words over the overlapping voices, Clark and I tried to calm them but it did little, until the smallest voice was heard.
"I will take it!" said Frodo, silencing the council as they turned to him. "I will take the ring to Mordor, though I do not know the way."
The council stared at the hobbit dumbfounded, until Gandalf spoke up. "I will help you bear this burden Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear," he said, stepping up to Frodo.
"If by my life or death I can protect you I will," added Aragorn. "You have my sword.
"And you have my bow," said Legolas, stepping forward.
"And my axe," spoke Gimli with a small smile forming on his face.
Finally Boromir inched forward in front of Frodo. "You carry the fate of us all little one, if it is the will of the council, then Gondor shall see it done."
As soon as he finished I stood from my seat, kneeling before Frodo.
"My friends may be out there, if I can find them I must try, and as long as I can help end the evil from Mordor I will, my sword is at your side."
"Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me," interjected Sam, stepping out from his hiding spot.
"Oi! Were coming too," shouted Merry and Pippin, emerging from similar hiding places, much to the discontent of Elrond.
"So…..ten companions, so be it, you shall be the fellowship of the ring."
"Right," said Pippin licking his lips. "Where are we going?"
A loud smack could be heard as I brought my hand to my forehead.
I can't believe he actually said that, I thought to myself.
Clark came to me shortly after the council meeting as I was packing my stuff, giving me a more than annoyed glance.
"What are you nuts Derek? You could be killed, I know this is like your dream come true but think seriously."
I turned to him, slowly responding, "I'm not doing this for fun Clark, you should know me better. One of us has to go in case Liz, Ben, or Alex are somewhere between here and Mordor, and you didn't volunteer for it, so I did."
"I'm sorry Derek, I guess I should have huh?"
"Nah, one of us should stay here, so we have a place to meet when this is all over."
Clark nodded and walked off, I released a long pent in sigh, I had never been more worried in my life, and yet relieved. I had dreamed of this on many occasions, I was not sure of the true reason I was going; to save my friends, or to join men of legend in an epic journey.
The days passed, I knew from reading the book that the fellowship would remain in Rivendale for two months before starting out, and I was going to make the most of it. I practiced with my sword for hours, until I realized I wasn't very good at using a broadsword for extended periods. Asking for directions to a metal smith in Rivendale, I searched for some elves that could make a sword.
Using my knowledge of swords I gave him the descriptions on how to make a lighter curved sword, I had spent hours in the real world gazing at Japanese katanas', now was my chance to use one. Though Clark thought this was a stupid idea, I knew I would be little use to the fellowship with a sword I could barely lift.
The sword the elves made was magnificent, it was far lighter than the broadsword Aragorn had given me, yet could cut just as well. Its blade was etched with runes that would keep it from breaking in battle, according to Master Elrond. The grip was more elaborate than that of normal blades, having interwoven gold and silver designs in the shape of slithering dragons.
For my wear I decided to only use leather armor in the fashion of the rangers, for mail would be far too heavy. Master Elrond was kind enough to supply me with some armor, as well as a cloak in case of the early onset of winter.
The remainder of my days was spent enjoying that beauty that was Rivendale, as well as training with my new sword; this included primarily sparring with Aragorn, Gimli, as well as Elrond's sons Elladan and Elrohir. They rarely spoke, much like their father, but were excellent swordsmen. Often times I could not tell who I was fighting for they looked so much alike.
I'll admit I hadn't been in the best shape when I had come into middle earth, too many salty snack foods, however the endless hours of sparring had eaten always almost all my excess fast and replaced it with muscle, if I ever got home I knew my brother would be in a fit of jealousy over my new physique.
When there was no one to train with I would tell stories from my world to the other elves in the hall of fire at night. They always seemed particularly interested in the tale of Sparrowhawk from Earthsea and would listen intently to every word I spoke.
Gandalf was my tutor on the days when he was away from preparing Frodo, he taught the history of middle earth that I had been unfamiliar with. Over the passing weeks I became quite fluent with the primary dialect of elvish, even learned a bit of dwarvish and the few words in orc that I could pronounce.
"If I may ask," I said to Gandalf one day as he explained the origins of the Valar. "Why am I getting all this training and lessons, not that I'm ungrateful, just curious."
"Because son," he began, a soft grandfather like smile forming on his face. "I believe that you were brought here for a reason, and I intend for you to be ready when it's time to face what lies ahead."
I nodded in reply, returning the gaze of my eyes to my books.
Legolas was kind enough to teach me to use the longbow, though my skills never came close to that of the master elf. Though he never admitted it, I always felt that he enjoyed besting me during target practice.
One night many weeks later I could not sleep, so I decided to walk across the lakeside bridge; it had always been peaceful to me. A sudden noise behind me caught my attention and I instinctively dove for cover behind a nearby wall.
It was none other than Aragorn, with a young looking elf girl, though I assumed she was much older than she looked, a star seemed to shine upon her neck. They stood upon the bridge I had been walking across a second ago. Though I could not hear them, I knew what they were discussing. Not wanting to disturb them I promptly returned to my room and attempted to sleep, with little success.
"Undomiel," I whispered to myself as the night trudged on.
Before I knew it the time had come, to set out on the quest of Mount Doom, to Mordor.
As the day began I donned my armor and weapons, including a longbow Elrond had given me in case I needed it, other than my sword, and bow I carried no other weapons of war. As I marched out to join the rest of the fellowship Clark stopped me. The days in Elrond's house had done him well, he wore the same fashioned elf-ware I had worn what seemed only days ago.
"Good luck Derek, if anyone can survive this journey it's you," he gave a soft chuckle.
"Don't worry Clark, I'll find the others and bring them back safely, I swear it. Just don't get too comfy here in Rivendale." We shook each others hands one last time before I turned, and followed the fellowship as they left Rivendale.
On the way out I took notice of Aragorn's gaze lingering for half a moment longer on the same young elf maiden in the crowd, she was the same one I had seen him with at the bridge, my last thought before we left sight range was, 'that must be Arwen Undomiel, the even star of her people.'
The trek from Rivendale was a grueling, yet peaceful march. I thanked god that traveling with Aragorn previously had prepared me for the pain of long marches. As we neared the mountain and prepared to move south to the gap of Rohan, we stopped to rest briefly.
"Left, right, left, up, block," said Boromir, as he attempted to train Merry and Pippin in the use of short swords. After several exchanged blows Pippin and Merry teamed up to tackle Boromir, as Aragorn attempted to help they took his legs out too, all four of them fell to the ground laughing.
"Ok, best three out of five," I said, challenging Legolas to yet another task to prove my archery skill."
"But I have already bested you four times," he said calmly, the hint of a smirk upon his face.
"What's the matter elf," jumped in Gimli. "Afraid the lad may best you the fifth?"
The two exchanged dirty looks, I laughed softly knowing how much the two hated each other, yet they would soon become the best of friends.
That was when I remembered what was to come.
I saw the dark cloud far in the distance, somehow even though I didn't have my contacts or glasses with me I could see better than I had ever known.
"Crebane from Dunland!" I shouted, everyone began to scatter, searching for a hiding place within the rock formation where we had made our camp; I simply dropped into a small hole between two larger rocks.
The crows circled overhead before returning to their previous course, Gandalf stood up, obviously troubled.
"I know not if they saw us, but the passage south is being watched. We must brave the pass of Charadras."
As we moved toward the cold mountain I looked back at the crows, "They saw us," I whispered to myself before continuing behind the company.
As we headed up the snowy slopes of the mountain, Frodo slipped and fell, rolling all the way down before Aragorn finally caught him, which was when he noticed the ring was gone.
I saw it, laying in a lump of snow, it looked so beautiful, o how I would look wearing that I thought, leaning down to pick it up.
Boromir's hand found it first, grabbing the ring and holding it up, getting a good look at it.
"To think, we go through so much terror for so small a thing." He said, his eyes fixated on the ring.
"Give it back to Frodo," Aragorn said, stepping up to Boromir.
"Of course," Boromir chuckled, handing the ring back to Frodo, ruffling his hair. "I care not."
Looking over I noticed that Aragorn had his hand upon his sword hilt, and once I finally snapped out of my trance, I realized that my hand was upon my sword as well, the blade slightly drawn.
What did I almost do? I thought, before finally rushing to catch up with the rest as they had began to move on.
After our passage up the mountain I would never love snow blizzards again.
"As a child I used to welcome the coming of snow," I shouted through the blizzard to Boromir, attempting to relieve the tension of our situation. "How ironic is this?"
The blizzard swarmed around us, burying the hobbits completely so that Aragorn, Borormir and I had to carry them.
As we continued I could swear that I heard a ghostly whispering all around us, the voice of what seemed to be an old man.
"There's a fell voice in the air," said Legolas, as a lightning bolt struck the mountain, causing a small avalanche of snow to fall towards us.
"It's Sauruman!" Shouted Gandalf before the snow fell upon us.
I lifted my head above the snow, pulling Sam who I had been charged with up with me.
"Let us pass through the mines of Moria, my cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome," said Gimli, trying to shake snow from his beard.
"No!" I shouted, though my voice was lost amongst the raging snow and no one heard me.
"Let the ring bearer decide," muttered Gandalf.
After several tense moments Frodo finally whispered, "We shall go through the mines."
Terror struck my heart, I had faced ringwraiths and heard of the ferocity of orcs, but the thought of facing the beast of shadow and flame left me with more fear than I had ever felt.
After short travels off the mountain and traveling across the passes, we made it to the wall of Charadras, where somewhere the door of Moria awaited us.
"Have you heard of the fabled hospitality of the dwarves master Dunedan?" asked Gimli, walking alongside me as Gandalf searched for Moria's hidden door.
"I have heard many tales my friend, but somehow I doubt we shall find it in Moria's shattered halls," I replied glumly, hoping he wouldn't be offended by this.
"No need to fear, my cousin Balin led a vast host of my people here over fifty years ago, I'm sure he's conquered the mines by now."
"Gimli's assurances did nothing to avert my fear, for I knew what lurked within the halls of Khaz adum.
Gandalf's swift halt brought the company to a standstill. "Wargs!" he shouted, drawing Glamdring.
The company formed a circle as numerous beasts encircled us from the darkness. They had the look of wolves, only much larger, and I sensed semi-intelligence about their eyes, though they still seemed savage all the same. I took a position in front of Frodo, protecting him from the pack.
"Go back to your master vile beasts!" shouted Gandalf, holding his staff and Glamdring high. "You shall find no meal here!"
His threats did nothing to deter the beasts, they inched closer still.
Legolas loosed an arrow, burying itself in the closest warg, the remainder rushed us swiftly.
For the first time I unsheathed my new sword in a true battle, a single strike was sufficient to relieve the first warg in my path of his head, I readied myself for another wave.
My readiness was unnecessary, for a great fire erupted from Gandalf's staff, setting a nearby tree and several wargs aflame, they turned and fled back into the night.
I sheathed my sword, pondering our situation. Thus far, with the exception of Glorfindel, what is happening to me has resembled the movie, yet the wargs only attacked the company in the book. Were the two somehow different parts of the true story?
Whatever the case, we continued down the rock face, forever weary of more wargs, until Gandalf finally found his goal, the moonlit gates of Moria.
"What does it say?" asked Pippin.
"The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak friend and enter," I said, chuckling to myself, none of them knew I knew the inscription before I read it, even though I could read elvish quite well now.
"What does that mean?" asked Merry.
"Quite simple my dear boy, if you're a friend you speak the password and the doors shall open." Gandalf began to chant strange codes and spells of opening, to no avail.
"What do we do now?" asked Pippin from the back.
"Knock your head against them Peregrin Took," Shouted Gandalf, obviously frustrated. "And if that does not shatter them, then at least I shall be free from foolish questions!"
"It's so simple friend," I said to Gandalf, doing my best to hold in my laughter at Pippin's expense. "It literally means speak the word 'friend.' I turned to the door and clearly said, "Mellon," the doors slid open with a sharp grating sound as the rocks moved against one another. I felt sure of myself, smiling as we walked towards the gates, I did not hear the plunk as a pebble from Pippin's hand struck the water behind me.
"Impressive Dunedan, there is more wisdom in you than you let on." Said Gandalf as he picked up his hat, and we entered the dark tunnels of Moria.
"Now you shall receive the fabled hospitality of the dwarves Master Dunedan," Gimli stated. "Roaring fires, malt beer, and meat fresh off the bone," he cheered. "And they call it a mine…A MINE!"
"This is no mine," whispered Boromir. "It's a tomb."
Gandalf's staff had illuminated the chamber, revealing dozens of dwarf skeleton, many of the covered in cobwebs, still holding their weapons. The company drew their swords, fearful of what they had stumbled into.
Legolas removed an arrow from one of the fallen dwarves, studying the craftsmanship of the arrowhead.
"Goblins," he hissed, throwing the arrow to the ground.
"We make for the gap of Rohan," Boromir quickly stated as the company backed out the door. "We should not have come here, GET OUT!"
But as we turned to flee a mighty tendril seized my leg as well as Frodo's, pulling us into the air. I looked down to see what had us, but the tentacles disappeared into the water and I could not see their source.
Aragorn and Boromir did their best to rescue us, slashing at the tentacles, lopping them off one by one. However in the end it was Legolas's well placed arrow to the tendrils that held us that caused the beast to release us. With all the speed I could muster I raced behind the fellowship into the mines. The tendrils pulled apart the tree which stood at the gates, causing them to collapse, sealing the entranceway.
For several agonizing moments it was pitch black, I could not see my own hands, however Gandalf's staff illuminated the chamber once again as he spoke.
"We now have but one choice; we must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard, there are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world."
"Hope you're not afraid of the dark," I whispered to Boromir, trying to hide my worry. What truly troubled me was that out of our whole company, the watcher in the water attacked only Frodo…and myself. I contemplated this as we walked into the dark nothingness of Moria.
Well thats it for chapter 2, I'll probably be able to upload the chapters pretty quickly, keep the reviews coming and I hope you enjoy the future chapters.