"This biting snow is not something I'm used to," Sam said. "It's quite
lovely when it's falling gently outside your home, but here it whips across
your face and stings!"
"Like it or not, Sam, we are going over this mountain. So I think you had better like it," Gandalf said.
"Uff!" Everyone turned as Frodo fell down the snowy slope, coming to a stop as Aragorn caught him, watching as Boromir picked up the ring and stared at it.
"Boromir, give the ring to Frodo." Boromir did not respond. "Boromir!" Snapping out of his trance, Boromir handed the chain and ring to Frodo, who snatched it away and put it in his pocket, and they continued on. As they were traipsing across a narrow ledge, Gandalf and Saruman (from his tower) were casting random spells against one another.
"Gandalf, be quiet. You'll be the death of us all," Aragorn said. At that exact moment, a huge lightning bolt came from the sky, causing an avalanche of snow to rain down on them.
*~*Legolan and Almaya*~*
"Almaya, look!" Almaya looked up and saw the huge cascade of snow pouring down on the Fellowship. "We must help them!" she cried, and urged Shrift on to greater speed. Legolan was close behind with Alpine. When they reached the Fellowship, Legolas was already hauling himself out of the snow. When he saw Legolan and Almaya dismounting from their horses, anger flickered through his body and he strode over to them.
"What are you doing here?" he hissed through clenched teeth.
"Following you," Legolan retorted indignantly. "What do you think we are doing, traveling over Caradhras simply as a pleasure trip?"
"No, but-" he was cut off by Almaya.
"We followed you because we were bored with our lives back in Mirkwood. We sought adventure, and that seems to follow you everywhere, so we followed along with it. If within the depths of your soul you don't want us with you, we can turn back."
"No, Alm-" Almaya cut Legolan off by brushing past her and mounting Shrift. By then, the Fellowship had unearthed itself and they were watching the three Elves.
"Stay," Gandalf commanded. He strode down to where Legolas was standing and looked him hard in the eye.
"Legolas, these are your kin. They have come all this way seeking adventure, no doubt hoping that you would accept them openly and protect them if the time comes. Do you deny them that?"
"No," Legolas stated. "I could not do that to my sister and her best friend, although the bond between Almaya and me is strong too."
"Then they will come." Gandalf's decision was final.
"Now which way are we going?" Aragorn asked.
"We can go through the caves of Moria," Gimli said. "We will find good friends and a warm fire from my kin there." Gandalf shuddered.
"I will not go through there unless it is our only hope," he said resolutely. Suddenly, a small argument erupted between the members of the Fellowship over which way to go.
"Does the Ringbearer have nothing to say?" Almaya asked loudly. Everyone fell quiet and looked at Frodo. "He should decide, being the reason we are on this quest." Legolas looked at Almaya, surprised. She had barely been with them for a few moments and already she felt part of the Fellowship? He shook his head, remembering how easily Almaya adjusted to everything, and looked at Frodo, who stared at everybody else.
"We shall go through Moria." The simple words fell like leaden weights upon the Fellowship, who merely pushed their feelings aside and pressed on.
* * *At the Gates of Moria* * *
"I don't like it much here," Legolan said, shrinking back with Alpine, who tugged at her lead as if she was scared, too. "It's too eerie and quiet for my liking."
"Then turn around and go back," Legolas said sarcastically. Almaya immediately came between the two.
"Legolas, what has gotten into you? Ever since we came, all you have been is rude and cruel to us. Why can't you be like you were back in Mirkwood? A kinder Elf I never knew there."
"Yes, well we're not in Mirkwood now are we? We're at the doors of Moria, and I will take pleasure in behaving how I like." The rest of the Fellowship was completely astonished, for Almaya was right. They expected her to continue the fight or at least give back some sort of barbed retort, but Almaya simply sighed and turned away. Legolas was too difficult to deal with right now, at a time when even she was confused about her feelings.
"Well," said Gandalf, "Let us get back to the matter at hand. Getting into Moria."
"Like it or not, Sam, we are going over this mountain. So I think you had better like it," Gandalf said.
"Uff!" Everyone turned as Frodo fell down the snowy slope, coming to a stop as Aragorn caught him, watching as Boromir picked up the ring and stared at it.
"Boromir, give the ring to Frodo." Boromir did not respond. "Boromir!" Snapping out of his trance, Boromir handed the chain and ring to Frodo, who snatched it away and put it in his pocket, and they continued on. As they were traipsing across a narrow ledge, Gandalf and Saruman (from his tower) were casting random spells against one another.
"Gandalf, be quiet. You'll be the death of us all," Aragorn said. At that exact moment, a huge lightning bolt came from the sky, causing an avalanche of snow to rain down on them.
*~*Legolan and Almaya*~*
"Almaya, look!" Almaya looked up and saw the huge cascade of snow pouring down on the Fellowship. "We must help them!" she cried, and urged Shrift on to greater speed. Legolan was close behind with Alpine. When they reached the Fellowship, Legolas was already hauling himself out of the snow. When he saw Legolan and Almaya dismounting from their horses, anger flickered through his body and he strode over to them.
"What are you doing here?" he hissed through clenched teeth.
"Following you," Legolan retorted indignantly. "What do you think we are doing, traveling over Caradhras simply as a pleasure trip?"
"No, but-" he was cut off by Almaya.
"We followed you because we were bored with our lives back in Mirkwood. We sought adventure, and that seems to follow you everywhere, so we followed along with it. If within the depths of your soul you don't want us with you, we can turn back."
"No, Alm-" Almaya cut Legolan off by brushing past her and mounting Shrift. By then, the Fellowship had unearthed itself and they were watching the three Elves.
"Stay," Gandalf commanded. He strode down to where Legolas was standing and looked him hard in the eye.
"Legolas, these are your kin. They have come all this way seeking adventure, no doubt hoping that you would accept them openly and protect them if the time comes. Do you deny them that?"
"No," Legolas stated. "I could not do that to my sister and her best friend, although the bond between Almaya and me is strong too."
"Then they will come." Gandalf's decision was final.
"Now which way are we going?" Aragorn asked.
"We can go through the caves of Moria," Gimli said. "We will find good friends and a warm fire from my kin there." Gandalf shuddered.
"I will not go through there unless it is our only hope," he said resolutely. Suddenly, a small argument erupted between the members of the Fellowship over which way to go.
"Does the Ringbearer have nothing to say?" Almaya asked loudly. Everyone fell quiet and looked at Frodo. "He should decide, being the reason we are on this quest." Legolas looked at Almaya, surprised. She had barely been with them for a few moments and already she felt part of the Fellowship? He shook his head, remembering how easily Almaya adjusted to everything, and looked at Frodo, who stared at everybody else.
"We shall go through Moria." The simple words fell like leaden weights upon the Fellowship, who merely pushed their feelings aside and pressed on.
* * *At the Gates of Moria* * *
"I don't like it much here," Legolan said, shrinking back with Alpine, who tugged at her lead as if she was scared, too. "It's too eerie and quiet for my liking."
"Then turn around and go back," Legolas said sarcastically. Almaya immediately came between the two.
"Legolas, what has gotten into you? Ever since we came, all you have been is rude and cruel to us. Why can't you be like you were back in Mirkwood? A kinder Elf I never knew there."
"Yes, well we're not in Mirkwood now are we? We're at the doors of Moria, and I will take pleasure in behaving how I like." The rest of the Fellowship was completely astonished, for Almaya was right. They expected her to continue the fight or at least give back some sort of barbed retort, but Almaya simply sighed and turned away. Legolas was too difficult to deal with right now, at a time when even she was confused about her feelings.
"Well," said Gandalf, "Let us get back to the matter at hand. Getting into Moria."