A/N: Yay, another update! Spring Break is almost here so I will most likely be updating all fics this month. They should be decently sized chapters. Enjoy!


Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; nai yarvaxea rasselya: Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your horn be bloodstained!

Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith! Sleep, Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!

Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; Nai yarvaxea rasselya; taltuva notto-carinnar: Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your bloodstained horn fall upon enemy heads!

Chapter Seven: The Pass of Caradhras

It didn't take long for us to pick up camp. Gandalf had said to put on our cloaks as we were beginning to climb the Misty Mountains. The mountains weren't far off in the distance. I could see the snowy peaks from where were had camped. Gandalf had mentioned that we would be at the base of the mountains in a matter of hours.

Through out the morning I spent the journey in silence. I didn't know anyone and I must admit I am a little shy about talking to anyone. I was far back in the line. Aragorn was bringing up the rear and I was near him.

We were nearing the base of the mountains now. It grew a bit colder but I hadn't really noticed much. Actually I didn't until Merry and Pippin had begun complaining to each other about it. I could barely hear them as they were further up in the line, but they were going on and on about the cold. I couldn't help but smile a little. They are quite amusing.

Catching something out of the corner of my eye I looked over to my left, seeing Legolas standing, waiting. I kept walking, thinking he was waiting for Aragorn. I paid him no heed as I walked by, until I realized he was walking next to me. I glanced at him, trying to be inconspicuous.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, clearly seeing that I had glanced at him.

"I'm fine," I said quietly. What do I say? No one has ever talked to me. At least not nicely.

"I was thinking about what you said last night," he said. I looked over at him confused. I didn't say much, so what is there to think about? "About you not speaking elvish." he said seeing that I hadn't remembered that I had said that.

"Oh," I said. What's there to think about?

"I thought that I could teach you. That is if you want to learn," he said.

I looked over at him. "You would really do that?" I asked. He nodded. "That'd be great."

He smiled. "But there is one thing that I want to know," He said. "How come you don't know any? Didn't your guardian teach you?"

I shook my head. "I didn't have much of a guardian. He hardly ever said a nice thing to me. In fact he's never been nice to me," I muttered.

"What do you mean?" Legolas asked.

I looked away from him. A fine situation I've gotten myself into now. Why didn't I just say 'no, I don't want to learn'?

"Milady?" he asked.

"I wasn't left with anyone after my parents were gone," I said quietly. "I was taken by the orcs who killed my parents. They took me back to Isengard. I was Saruman's slave until a few months ago, when I escaped."

"I-I'm sorry. I did not know," Legolas tried.

"It's okay," I said, quickly. "I'm okay now. I just don't want to think about Saruman and what he's done."

"Okay," he said, agreeing. "We won't talk about that."

I looked over at him again. He wants to talk? "You want to talk?" I asked.

"Well I don't know a lot about you. I thought I should get to know you. And you seemed pretty lonely back here," He said.

I smiled. It'd be nice to get to know someone from the group. "I am kind of lonely," I muttered.

"How old are you, milady?" he asked.

I looked over at him. "Please don't call me that. I'd prefer to be called Belle," I said.

"I'm sorry. How old are you, Belle?" he restated.

I couldn't help but giggle. "I-I'm not sure, really… I must have been very young, for I don't know how to read or write," I was saying this more to myself than to Legolas. "I must've been, oh I don't know." I glanced at Legolas. He had a look of surprise on his face. "What's the matter?"

"You don't know how to read or write?" he asked.

"When I was taken I must've been just learning or, too young to. And Saruman never taught me," I said.

"You must've been there a very long time," he said.

"I don't know," I replied. I looked down at my feet, a little upset that I couldn't answer his question. I looked around at the ground. Snow. I hadn't realized we were walking on snow. I looked all around at everyone.

I couldn't see their feet but Legolas' and mine were still visible above the snow. "What?" Legolas said seeing that I was looking around at the ground. He noticed I was looked at everyone's feet. He chuckled. "It's an elven quality," he said.

"I guess I have a lot to learn about the elven… uhm…" I began.

"I believe 'culture' is the word you're looking for," he said.

"Yes, culture," I said smiling at him.

Hearing a yelp of surprise Legolas and I turned to see that Frodo had slipped and was rolling down the slope toward Aragorn. "Frodo!" Aragorn called, everyone else stopped to look back to see what was going on.

Aragorn helped him to his feet. I watched as Boromir picked up something. Frodo and Aragorn looked over at him too, seeing that he held a ring on a chain. "Boromir," I hear Aragorn say quietly.

Boromir seems oblivious to him. I heard Boromir begin speaking softly. "It's a strange thing that we should suffer so much fear and doubt… over so small a thing. Such a little thing," he said.

He reached out his other hand to touch the ring. I glanced around at everyone. They all seemed worried. "Boromir!" Aragorn said, angered. Boromir looked up at him, pulled out of his trance. "Give the Ring to Frodo."

Boromir slowly walks down the slope toward them. "As you wish…" Boromir said holding the Ring out to Frodo. Frodo quickly snatches it from him. "I care not." Boromir tousles Frodo's hair and continues climbing up the mountain. Both of them look after him suspiciously.

As we resumed walking I looked over at Legolas. He had fallen quiet. "What was that about?" I asked. He looked over at me, drawn out of his thoughts. "Is that ring evil?"

"Yes," Legolas replied.

"I heard Saruman talking to Gandalf about it, just before I escaped," I said. "I think Saruman wants it."

~~~***~~~

We go on and on up the mountain. Gandalf creates a path through the snow with his staff. He guides us along a narrow ledge on the pass.

As we labor onwards through the high snow banks, Legolas runs out ahead. Both of our steps were light on the snow and barely left tracks. He easily went to the edge of the path we were on and stared out into the blinding storm. I could hear a cruel voice on the wind. It sounded like Saruman and made me shudder. It was one of his spells: "Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; nai yarvaxea rasselya!"

"There is a fell voice on the air!" Legolas said.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf replied, confirming my thoughts.

With a rending echo, a horde of rock slabs and boulders falls from the mountain's arms. We shove ourselves flat against the sheer cliff wall to avoid the onslaught of stone.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!" Aragorn yelled through the storm.

"No!" Gandalf yelled back.

Gandalf steps out onto the ledge, rising on the snow, chanting out a counter command to the mountain. The old wizard's voice bellows into the air, attempting to calm the rage of the mountain.

"Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith!" Gandalf yelled out into the storm.

"Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; Nai yarvaxea rasselya; taltuva notto-carinnar!" There was another counter spell worked by Saruman.

Lightning strikes the tip of Caradhras, sending a second avalanche of sheer white ice onto us. As the storm of snow falls, Gandalf continues to command the mountain, to no avail. Legolas snatches Gandalf from the edge, pulling him against the cliff. Just before the ice-fall hits he grabs me and pulls me against the rock face as well. The avalanche cascades over us and snow buries us completely. With assist from Legolas I'm dug out and join the rest of them as we stood there waiting to agree on what should be done.

"We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!" Boromir yelled over the storm.

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn argued.

"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria," Gimli offered.

I look over at Gandalf. He his debating. In Gandalf's eyes there is a shadow of doubt, of fear that lies unsaid. He is conflicted.

"Let the Ring bearer decide," He decided.

Boromir shouts through the snowstorm, holding Merry and Pippin to him. Both are cold and extremely pale. "We cannot stay here! This will be the death of the Hobbits!" He yelled over the storm. I was cold, sure, but not like Merry and Pippin were. I felt a stab of guilt. Those two were so happy earlier today.

"Frodo?" Gandalf asked. I looked over at Frodo. I wanted to go through the mines like Gimli had offered. Anything sounded better than staying on this forsaken mountain.

"We will go through the mines," Frodo said finally.

"So be it," Gandalf said grimly.


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