"Arwen is having her worries about Aragorn of course." I say, walking from the window up to Legolas on his bed. For maybe the last time here in Rivendell.
"Of course, he is still against his blood being strong enough to unite the kingdoms." Legolas replies, turning to me, wearing his undershirt and leggings. He kisses me on the forhead.
"Melamin, I wish we could stay here, or anywhere, away from this madness." He whispers.
"And I more than any other… this will end well for us." I reply, reaching up to kiss him. To touch him. To smell him. To hear his heart beat. To taste his lips. To kiss him, for most likely the last time, like this, till the war is over. I'm laid down on the bed, taking in the pleasure of him. My prince.
His lips encircle mine, and my fingers tug lightly on his shirt. His arms around me, holding me protectively, even with no one around. His kisses fall to my neck, and my back arches. I will remember this. I will remember him.
I am in my usual travelling gear, bow slung around my back, this time my own crafted weapon sheathed safely away. My hair is half up, small intricate plaits trailing up to the hair tie, my fringe still hanging perfectly. I stalk up to the leaving party, where the hobbits are chatting talkatively, waiting for some of the adults to arrive. I spot Arwen and Aragorn not too far away, and head slowly towards them. I mustn't interrupt them. I see Arwen walk up closer to Aragorn, before he turns away, towards the fellowship. Arwen looks crestfallen.
"Quel amrun" (Good morning) I say gently, walking up to her. She turns, a worried expression on her face. I walk up to her and hug her, before stepping back. "I will look after him Arwen. I will die before he is even scratched."
"Azthryth, look after yourself as well. Middle Earth would perish without you." Arwen replies, knowing I speak the truth.
"He is my younger brother Arwen, it is nature." I reply, smiling. "Besides, I have my own protector." I end, and she follows my gaze to Legolas, striding confidently towards Aragorn. I walk away, leaving her with a comforting smile.
"The ring-bearer is setting out on the quest to Mount Doom. For you who travel with him, no oath, nor bond is laid to go further than you will. Farewell, Hold to your purpose." Lord Elrond tells us, with the rest of the council standing around him. " May the blessings of Elves, men, and all Free folk go with you."
"The fellowship awaits the ring-bearer." Gandalf says from next to me, and I see Frodo looking doubtful. But I am sure he won't turn back.
He walks through the fellowship to the front, Gandalf and myself behind him.
"Mordor, Gandalf, is it left or right?" Frodo asks, and I smile.
"Left." Gandalf answers.
We walk further and further, after seeing Rivendell disappear into the distance, just like it had so many times for me.
We travel for days, and I am surprised how sturdy the hobbits are. Maybe their eating habits are slightly unusual, but they always carry on going. I often go slightly ahead of everyone, to make sure the path is stable, and nothing has been changed. We are taking the road through the gap of Rohan, but I have an unusual feeling in my stomach. We must be lucky.
We have set up camp on some rocks on our way to Rohan, and Boromir is teaching Merry and Pipin how to use their daggers.
"2, 1, 5, good! Very Good!" Boromir says to Merry. He then turns to Pipin. They start to parry.
"Move your feet." Aragorn chips in.
"You look good Pipin" Merry remarks.
"Thanks!" He replies. They carry on, while I sit further back, closer to Gandalf.
"If anyone was to ask my opinion, which I note they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way 'round." Gimli remarks, and he catches my attention. Gandalf turns as well. "Gandalf, we could pass through the mines of Moria. My cousin Balin, would give us a royal welcome."
"We cannot pass through there." I say, almost as soon as he finishes.
"No, I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice." Gandalf finishes for me, and relief floods through me. I travelled through there once, Balin remembered me from passing through Rivendell, but I had to leave soon, as there was a darkness there that made me very much ill.
Past me, Legolas walks up to stand upon a rock. A dark grey cloud catches my attention. I have only seen such a cloud a few times.
"Ow!" Boromir accidently cuts Pipin, and is apologising relentlessly. I walk up beside Legolas.
"Get him!" Merry yells, and the two hobbits tackle him to the ground. "For the shire!"
"Hold him! Hold him down Merry!" Pipin yells, but my face is set.
"Gentlemen that's enough." Aragorn walks up to help Boromir, but is pulled into the fight as well.
"What is that?" I hear Sam's voice behind me.
"Nothing. Just a whisp of cloud." Gimli replies.
"It's moving fast, dark coloured but sparse." I say.
"And against the wind." Legolas adds. "Crebain from Dunland!"
"Hide!" Aragorn says.
"Hurry!"
"Take cover!" We all scramble into our hiding places, fires out, out of sight. I roll under an overhanging rock next to Aragorn, Frodo slightly further back.
The dark birds snap past us, and they caw loudly, and I know even though we're safe from them, they had already seen us. They turn around, flying away.
"Spies of Sauraman, the passage south is being watched." Gandalf says. "We must take the pass of Caradhras." Gandalf says grimly, and I know it won't be an easy task. That mountain is perilous.
We are trekking up the mountain, when Frodo falls, rolling down to Aragorn. His ring however, is sat in the snow, and Boromir picks it up by its chain. I see a sour look on Frodo's face.
"Boromir." Aragorn says.
"It is a strange fate that we must suffer so much fear and doubt, over so smaller thing." Boromir's voice washes around, not quite clear. "Such a little thing."
"Boromir!" Aragorn brings Boromir back, but he looks startled. "Give the ring to Frodo." I move closer from behind Boromir, my hand on my double sided sword. He pauses.
"As you wish. I care not." Boromir says, but hands it to Frodo reluctantly. He is one to be careful of.
We are now caught in a heavy snow storm, but it has an unnatural air to it. I tread lightly atop the snow like Legolas, while the rest are almost waist deep in it. Aragorn and Boromir help the hobbits. I go up front with Legolas.
"There is a fell voice in the air." Legolas notes, and my eyes widen at the speech.
"It's Saruman!" Gandalf yells. Rocks start falling from above, and we press ourselves to the side of the mountain.
"He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!" Aragorn yells.
"No!" Gandalf shouts back stubbornly. He walks forward in front of Legolas and I, and starts chanting back. The booming voices of the two wizards mix, and all we can do is hold to the mountain. Then an idea pops into my head. I could bend the ice. I've done it a few times before, but if I do it now, Saruman will be able to see my powers. But then, I have no more time to think. Lightning from Saruman's storm hits the top of the mountain, and huge blocks of snow and ice come falling down. I stat to see Legolas move to protect me, but I step forwards and swipe my hands across the landscape.
I deflect the large blocks of ice that would've killed us for certain, but we still get covered with snow. The snow starts to melt around my warm body, and I pull myself up over the snow rather easily. I see Legolas has surfaced not far from me, and I see a hand come out of the snow and help Pipin out.
"We must get of the mountain!" Boromir yells over the resounding sound of the storm. " Make for the gap of Rohan and take the road west to my city!"
"The gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn argues.
"We cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it! Let us go through themines of Moria." Gimli suggests. My heart sinks and I close my eyes. I know which path I would choose. I would choose this path, and go over the mountain. But the hobbits are so small they won't be able to get through. What happened in Moria… I would never go there again. The gap of Rohan seems like my choice. Unlucky for me it isn't.
"Let the ring-bearer decide." Gandalf breathes out. Frodo freezes at the sight of all our eyes on him.
"We cannot stay here!" Boromir shouts, "It will be the death of the hobbits!"
"Frodo?" I ask tenderly.
"We will go through the mines." He settles on. Of course he would. My body grows stiff, and we start heading back the way we came.
"So be it…" Gandalf murmurs.
As we come up to the entrance to the mine, I remember the lake opposite the entrance. My jaw tenses and I fight not to shiver.
"(This water is polluted, every inch of it is dead with poison.)" I remark in Sindarin, to Aragorn and Legolas.
"Lle tyava quel? (Do you feel well?)" Legolas asks me concerned.
"Thanga yassen temple alu!(cursed water)" I say frightfully, moving away from the water.
"It would be helpful if you would all speak in a language we all understand." Boromir says out loud.
"There are no words in westron for the curses I speak." I murmur.
"Dwarf walls are invisible when closed." Gimli says, knocking his axe against the walls of Moria.
"Yes Gimli, their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten." Gandalf remarks, rolling his eyes as usual.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas says dryly, and I give him a look, Gimli looking around on the floor. Ahead I see Frodo accidently step in the water, and I know he sees at least some of it too.
"Now, let me see… Ithildin… it mirrors only starlight and moonlight." Gandalf says, letting his fingers run over the rock. The moon appears from behind the dark clouds and light shines through the rock as I remember it. However, the runes on it have changed.
"It reads "The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak friend, and enter." Gandalf reads for us.
"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asks from the back.
"Oh it's quite simple, if you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open!" Gandalf answers. But I don't believe it's that simple. Otherwise the runes wouldn't have changed, just the password. There's something more to it.
Gandalf begins chanting, staff held to the doors. As he finishes, the doors do not open as they did the last time I visited. Gandalf starts pushing against the doors, but I think he already knows something has changed.
"I once knew every spell in all tongues of elves, men and orcs…" Gandalf mutters grumpily.
"What are you going to do then?" Pipin asks naïvely.
"Knock your head in against these doors Perigrin Took! And if that does not shatter them then I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions!" Gandalf replies irritated. "I will try to find the opening words."
We set up camp around the doors, but I cannot relax as the others do. My eyes are fixed on the water, my eyes darting to ripple or disturbance. Legolas stands upon the roots of a small tree near me. Suddenly, I hear a splash, and my eyes shoot to the source, alarmed. I see Merry and Pipin skimming stones, and I am holding their wrists in seconds, hissing slightly.
"I wouldn't dare to disturb the waters. You know not of what lurks there." I exclaim tensely. The two hobbits look at me awkwardly, before stepping away. I feel something moving in the water, but not enough of the water is pure for me to determine what it is.
I hear Aragorn and Boromir come up behind me, their gazes also on the ripples in the water, that are getting bigger. I hear the faint words of Frodo and Gandalf speaking, but still don't relax when Frodo solves the riddle. I back into the dark mines, my hand firm on my sword.
"Soon Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves!" I hear Gimli boast, but suddenly my head bursts with pain and I feel all the liquid around me. All through the mine. Tearing my mind apart.
"Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat of the bone! This my friend, is the home of my cousin-" Gimli continues, but Legolas is now at my side, supporting my weight that's failing.
"Arghhh!" I gasp out, and Aragorn is near me as well, and Boromir is looking at me confused. The hobbits are looking at me concerned, while Gandalf is looking pensive, Gimli still talking of the mines.
"This is no mine… it's a tomb." Boromir exclaims, and suddenly everyone else takes notice of the corpses surrounding us, death everywhere. They finally see the dirty poisoned blood which I have been feeling in pain for.
"No…Noooooo!" Gimli starts wailing, and Legolas leaves my side to examine an arrow protruding from a skeletons skull.
"Goblins." He exclaims. Everyone begins to draw weapons, and suddenly my eyes are wide open, and I'm standing, my double sided sword in my hands. I hear the shuffling of feet from the hobbits.
"Get out. Get out! Now!" Boromir shouts to the hobbits, but I am pushing them forward.
"No! Stay inside!" I yell, and my double-sided sword calls for my naming.
"Pantië !(Revealer!)" I call its name out, and the elven runes begin to glow.
"What are you doing we need to get out!" Boromir starts, but is interrupted by Frodo, being hauled away by a tentacle from the waters.
"Go back to the shadows, 'Ksher (Evil one)" I shout, as the dark beast emerges from the water, holding Frodo by two tentacles over its mouth.
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