Author's Note: I've posted two chapters that I worked incredibly hard on, but I haven't gotten a single review, which is kind of depressing so, I would greatly appreciate a review even if it's something simple like "hey, good chapter". Thanks.

CHAPTER 9

We had been traveling for quite a few hours already, when the mountain of Caradhas came into view. We continued riding, but not for long. The mountain was behind us now. Legolas was explaining the geography and places that we would travel through. My mind spun at the thought of all these places.

I laughed as I watched Boromir give the hobbits Merry and Pippin a lesson in swordsmanship. Aragorn sat next to me and laughed along with me. Legolas seemed intent on watching something far in the distance. I could not be sure if he was watching something, or thinking, for he seemed strangely distant to me, which made me uncomfortable.

"If anyone was to ask my opinion, which I note they're not," Gimli said, making my chuckle slightly. "I'd say we were taking the long way 'round. Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome."

Gandalf slightly lowered the pipe he was smoking at the mention of Moria. "No, Gimli," he said. "I would not take the road to Moria unless I had no other choice." The way Gandalf spoke, made me nervous. From his tone, it seemed that there was a doom upon the mines. I did not want to travel there if we had another choice.

I narrowed my eyes. There was a black cloud traveling quite quickly towards us. I noticed then that it was not a cloud, but a group of black birds! Legolas jumped up upon seeing this. He had just realized what I had. No one else had noticed. I forgot that as an elf, my eyes were much keener than theirs. "Crebain, from Dunland!" Legolas shouted.

Aragorn sword and yelled, "Hide!" We scrambled to find places to cover ourselves and Sam, thinking quickly doused the fire. Legolas pulled me towards me and laid on top of me because we could not both fit next to each other in the small space under a shrub.

Gandalf came out of his hiding spot as soon as the birds were gone. 'The passage South is being watched. We must take the path of Caradhas,' he said, gesturing to the large mountain behind us.

As we climbed further up the mountain, the wind picked up speed greatly and snow started to fall quite heavily. Gandalf walked in front of us. He was attempting to make a path in the snow for us, using his staff to clear our way.

As we trudged on, I heard something in the air. "Legolas, do you hear that?" I asked.

"There is a fell voice on the air," Legolas announced. Gandalf listened intently, then yelled out.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf yelled. As he yelled, rocks broke off from the top of the mountain and tumbled towards us at a startling pace. We pressed ourselves to the side of the mountain. The large boulders barely missed us.

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

Gandalf was determined not to turn back. "No." Saruman's voice filled the air again, and more rocks fell from the top of the mountain. We were not quick enough. They fell and buried us in a pile of snow.

"We should travel through the Gap of Rohan. We can take the West road from there to my city, Minas Tirith," Boromir suggested.

"No. That will take us far too close to Isengard. Do you want Saruman sending every creature in his power after us while we travel. No, it would be better to avoid that path," Aragorn said.

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

Gandalf contemplated this for a few moments until he finally said, "Let the Ringbearer decide."

I saw Frodo's eyes fill with fear. He looked around at us, trying to make a decision that would be the best for all of us. "We will go through the Mines," he said at last.

"So be it," Gandalf replied, his voice oddly quiet.

The walls of Moria became visible to us soon after we had made our decision. Gandalf ran his hand over a section of rock and told us that the door only mirrored starlight and moonlight. As he moved away from it, a full moon appeared from behind the clouds and lit up the dark rock. An incredibly beautiful door appeared, shining white in the darkness. Along the top was Elven writing. "It says," Gandalf said, "The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak friend and enter."

"What do you suppose that means?" asked Merry, confused.

"Oh, it's quite simple. If you are friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open," Gandalf answered, and began experimenting with different passwords. "Annon edhellen, edro hi amen (Great Door of the Elves, open for us!)!"

Nothing happened.

Gandalf tried again. "Fennas nogothrim, lasto beth lammen (Doorway of Dwarf-Folk, listen to the words of my tongue!)!"

Still nothing happened. "Oh, it's useless," Gandalf said, throwing down his staff and hat in frustration as he sat on a rock to think.

Meanwhile Merry tried to amuse himself by skipping stones across the lake nearby. Pippin picked up a stone and began to do the same, but Aragorn grabbed his hand. "Do not disturb the water," he told them.

Frodo had been sitting on a stone nearby, thinking. He suddenly stood up and walked over to the door. "It's a riddle," he told us. "Speak 'friend' and enter." He turned to Legolas. "What's the Elvish word for friend?" he asked.

"Mellon," Legolas replied. There was a loud rumbling as the door slid open.

"Well that was easy," Pippin commented. I chuckled as we entered the cave.

"Soon Master and Lady Elf," Gimli told Legolas and I. "You will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves. Roaring fires, malt beer, and red meat off the bone!" I exchanged a quick, amused glance with Legolas. "This, my friend," Gimli continued speaking, "is the home of my cousin, Balin. And they call it a mine...a mine!"

Boromir looked down as he stepped on something that cracked. "This is no mine," he said, "It's a tomb." The cracking sound that he heard was made by a bone. My stomach churned and I felt the urge to be sick. The thought of such a wonderful place turned into a tomb was frightening. I now understood why I was so apprehensive to come here.

"NO!" Gimli cried, looking around at the piles of bones.

Legolas bent down to examine an arrow protruding from a skull. "Goblins!"

The sound of us unsheathing our swords filled the air.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here," Boromir said. "Now get out of here, get OUT!"

Frodo did get out, though not at all in the way he expected to. Unnoticed, a large tentacle had emerged from the water and into the cave, having wrapped itself around Frodo's ankle. It pulled him to the lake and dangled him in the air. Then, a large, gruesome creature sprang forth from the water. "Help, Aragorn!" Frodo yelled.

We ran out to help poor Frodo. I slashed at its tentacles, trying to wound it. It roared, but lowered Frodo closer to its mouth. My fiancé carefully shot arrows at the creature. It did not work. He shot one into mouth of the creature. It only flinched slightly.

Boromir charged forward, hacking through the tentacle holding Frodo. He caught Frodo as he fell and shouted, "Get back into the caves!"

I watched as Legolas took one last shot at the beast before running to join us in the caves. Legolas barely slipped in before the creature started banging on the door of the cave. It used so much force that the wall caved in, trapping us in darkness.

"We now have but one choice," Gandalf said in a detached voice, lighting his staff. "We must face the long dark of Moria."