Welcome back to another chapter with our lovely fellowship. This will be a more serious chapter!
I hope you enjoy it :)
They had travelled for almost a fortnight when the weather changed much to their relief. After days and days of wind and rain, the clouds finally parted above their heads and allowed the pale, white sun to warm their faces. They had walked the entire night and decided to stop on a low range of hills, speckled with holly trees. Deep red berries hung from their thin branches, glinting richly in the sun.
Elena dropped her bags and weapons and slumped down onto the ground. "I'm so tired," she said and yawned. She looked around and saw Frodo gazing at the horizon.
"Looks like we have to climb these mountains soon," Pippin said as he lowered down next to her. "Did we turn east in the night?" he asked and tore a chunk of bread and washed it down with water.
Gandalf turned and smiled lightly at the young hobbit. "No, Master Took. Behind these hills, the range will turn to southwest. There had been numerous maps in Lord Elrond's house, but I assume you never found time to take a look at them."
Elena chuckled and leaned her head back against the stone. She closed her eyes and tried to find some sleep, but the constant chatting of the others made it near impossible for her. Finally she got up and joined Aragorn at the fire where he was smoking his pipe.
"Can't sleep?" he asked and draped his cloak around her shoulder and offered her the pipe.
"Not really. Thanks," she took the pipe and puffed from it twice before she handed it back. "Do you know which way we are taking?"
"Gandalf said we'll take the pass of Redhorn Gate," he pointed at the high peak in the distance.
"Oh, I know these lands of old," Gimli joined them with a dreamy glance in his eyes. "I have never been there, though, only seen from afar. But their names and history are well known in my culture. Under them lies Khazad-dum. Moria it is called in the elvish tongue. Then there are Barazinbar, the Redhorn and the cruel Caradhras. And if you look closely you can see Silvertine and Cloudyhead behind him. Aye, these mountains are beautiful at sight, yet treacherous and tragic in history."
"And there lie the Misty Mountains, right?" Frodo asked, remembering the stories Bilbo had told him from crossig that mountain range all those years ago with Gimli's father, Gloin, and the company of Thorin Oakenshield.
"Indeed, young master hobbit," Gimli said with a sigh. "There also lies the deep-shadowed valley which no dwarf can forget: Azalnubizar."
"And this is the way we are taking," Gandalf joined into the conversation.
The sudden clang of swords waved through the air. Elena looked up and saw Pippin sparring with Boromir a bit apart from the group. She smiled lightly and winced as she felt Aragorn shoving her gently. "What's the meaning of that smile?"
"I just think it's good to see that Pippin is willing to learn the use of different weapons. I taught him a bit archery, but I think swords suit him better."
"Right—"she chuckled and got up to join them. Elena hesitated for a moment before she followed him. They lowered down on a boulder and watched Boromir and the hobbit.
"Get away from the blade, Pippin—on your toes—good, very good—I want you to react, not think," Boromir said, panting just a little while the hobbit was a bit more out of breath already.
"Shouldn't be too hard," Sam mumbled and earned a hearty laugh from Elena.
"Move your feet," Aragorn called.
"You're doing good," Elena added. Pippin looked over at her with a proud smile. "Pippin, look out!" she called and thanks to his quick reaction he managed to duck from the blow.
"Never take your eyes off your opponent," Boromir said a bit more stern. "In battle that blow might have cost you your head."
"And in battle you often fight more than one enemy at once," Elena suddenly said, grabbed her own sword. She approached them and raised her sword a bit. "Come—try and strike me." Steel kissed steel as Pippin's blade met hers.
"Left," Boromir said and the hobbit turned and met his sword.
"Right," Elena called. "Left," and "Low" and "Right" and "Left" again in a constant rhythm with Boromir. She saw that Pippin grew better and faster. Suddenly he ducked and rolled aside and laughed as Boromir's sword met hers in a loud clang. They looked at each other quite surprised, both panted heavily. Another moment passed when Elena grinned cheekily, pushed his sword back, stepped sideways and touched his shoulder lightly with the tip of her sword.
"I think I won," she chuckled and stepped back.
Aragorn chuckled and puffed from his pipe again. Pippin sneaked up behind Boromir, kicked him against his leg and tackled him to the ground. Merry watched for a second and laughed as he joined, the two hobbits rolling around the ground with the taller man. Elena chuckled and cast a glance at Legolas as she saw him stepping on one of the higher boulders.
"What is that?" Sam suddenly asked and looked into the same direction of Legolas. The others stopped doing what they were doing and got up, watching the sky where they spotted a massive dark cloud.
"It's just a cloud," Gimli said and cast a glance at Gandalf, hoping for a sign of reassurance. But there was only doubt on the wizard's wrinkled face. Boromir stepped up next to Elena,
"It's moving fast—against the wind."
She sensed the worry in his voice and turned her head to look at him. His eyes met hers for a second when suddenly Legolas exclaimed,
"Crebain from Dunland!"
That was the moment Aragorn and Elena realized that the fellowship was in danger. "Hide!" they called and scrambled their bags and weapons. Elena grabbed Frodo and Sam and pulled them to cover. Once they were all hiding under an overgrown rock and a few bushes, they remained silent, waited anxiously.
A moment later the sky above them turned darker as a large group of black crows flew over their heads like a swarm of buzzing bees. One crow croaked and within a second the dark winged animals turned and flew back south. Elena felt Sam shiver and took his hand, squeezed it gently to calm him. She cast a glance at Frodo and then to Gandalf as she saw him staggering back to his feet. One by one they crawled out of their hide and patted dust and dirt from their clothes.
"What was that?" Pippin asked and looked up at the wizard.
"Spies of Saruman," he replied highly concerned. "The passage south is being watched," he turned and exchanged a meaningful look with Aragorn. The ranger nodded lightly. Gandalf looked back towards the mountains and pointed at the highest peak. "We must take the pass of Caradhras!"
After a more or less sleepless night, the fellowship moved on early on the next morning. They could walk with good speed for a while until the path became steeper and trickier.
"Take my hand," Elena said and helped the four hobbits to climb over a massive rock blocking their way.
The path wound under a wall of cliffs to their left and a sheer drop into darkness to their right. Above them they could see the grim flanks of Caradhras towering over them like a giant of stone and ice.
Night fell upon them as they started climbing a steep slope. Once they reached the top, they stopped and tried to regain a bit of their strength and drink some more water.
"We shouldn't linger here for too long," Aragorn called as he looked up. Snowflakes began to fall and cover their hair and clothes.
"Are you certain we should move on? There could be a snowstorm!" Elena said. "We have at least a bit protection here," she pointed at an overgrowing of rock a few steps to their left.
"Aragorn is right," Gandalf called. "We should hurry."
And so they continued their way. Elena fell back a bit until she walked with Boromir. "This is madness," he grumbled while the snow grew more fierce and swirled into their eyes. "The higher we get, the heavier will it be and that could mean the death of them hobbits."
She nodded. "Finally something we agree on. But it seems Gandalf knows more than we do. He fears something worse than a snowstorm could come upon us up here. I wish he would talk more about his plans—ah," she stumbled over a snow covered rock and dropped on her knees. Boromir reached down and helped her up. "Th—thanks," she smiled lightly at him.
"You're welcome," he smiled back and let go of her. "And, talking about Gandalf's fears, I actually have the feeling this snow could be a contriviance of the enemy. We are not even high up the mountain and this is already thick snow. These lower paths are normally free of snow and ice most of the times even in winter."
"What enemy? Sauron?" she asked confused and saw that Gandalf had stopped at the head of the group. She heard Sam complaining, muttering that he liked snow but only as long as he could snuggle in bed back in his hobbit hole under a warm blanket in front of a fireplace with some hot tea and a good book. She smiled lightly, wishing to be back in Rivendell right now, enjoying the warmth and silence of the library or the Hall of Fire.
"Yes, Sauron. In Gondor they say that he can govern the storms in the Mountain of Shadow that's upon the borders of Mordor. He has strange powers and many allies," Boromir replied as they made their way towards the others. The storm had risen a lot more and even Boromir had a hard time to stand against it.
"Can you hear that?" Merry suddenly called and caused them to fall silent. And just in that very moment they were aware of a strange noise around them. It was as if a deep, chanting voice was carried by the wind. Stones began tumbling down on them and just with a good potion of luck they managed not to get hit by them. The mountain seemed to rumble and crumble, like a growling monster.
"Oh, there's not one of them stone giants breaking out of the mountainside like that time my father was in the Misty Mountains, right?" Gimli called annoyed and jumped back as another boulder crashed down in front of them.
"That voice—that is Saruman!" Gandalf called furiously.
"He's trying to bring to mountain down! We have to do something!" Aragorn replied urgently. "We must turn back!"
"No!" the wizard shook his head and turned away from them, facing the horizon. He rose his staff and began chanting some elvish spells.
"What if we push the snow aside, create a path?" Boromir suggested. "The hobbits sink into that snow. We have not many options left."
"Is there no other way to cross this mountain?" Pippin called, shuddering in the cold air. Their breath steamed in the blizzard cold.
"There is. We should leave and make for the Gap of Rohan and then take the west road to my city!" Boromir replied determined. "It's the safest way, trust me!"
Aragorn shook his head. "The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard."
"Well, one thing is certain. We cannot cross this mountain through the snow," Elena exclaimed. "We need a miracle or-"
"Or go under it," Gimli added. "Let us go through the mines of Moria."
They all watched Gandalf expectantly and concern was clearly written on his face. Whatever happend on top of the mountain at this very moment, the wizard seemed to consider this as far more safe than whatever might await them underneath.
"Gandalf—"Elena said pleadingly. She shivered violently. All the layers of linen, leather and fur began failing to keep her warm anymore.
The wizard sighed in defeat. "Fine. Let the ringbearer decide."
All eyes shot to the young hobbit and just now Elena saw Boromir holding Merry and Pippin close against him to keep them warm and protected. Despite all the coldness and the wind tugging mercilessly at her, she felt a bit warmer at the sight of this.
"Frodo?" Gandalf said expectantly.
The hobbit looked up at them all, the ring dangling around his neck and he felt as if the weight of the entire world lay on his shoulders once more, dragging him down again. He sighed and finally, with a flash of determination in his big, blue eyes he declared,
"We will go through the mines."
Gandalf nodded slowly. "So be it."
The spirits were low and Gandalf still brooded over the fact that the Caradhras had defeated them. They had stumbled down the slope in the night and walked the entire night and day. Finally they stopped in the evening. All of them were terribly tired and exhausted. Even though the snow was gone, the wind was still cold.
"I know the events on the pass had tired us out and so we will stay here for the night. Gimli, get a fire going. We should all eat a warm supper and then get as much rest as we can," Gandalf announced and strode a bit apart from them and vanished from their sight for a while.
They huddled together around the fire and it didn't take long after their warm supper that one by one the hobbits fell asleep as well as Gimli, Aragorn and Legolas. Boromir had volunteered to take the first watch.
"That was nice of you keeping Merry and Pippin protected and warm up on the pass," Elena said quietly as she shifted closer to him.
"I swore to protect this fellowship. I am not an oathbreaker," he replied with a weak smile.
"I didn't say you are. Tell me—what do you think about this new route? Do you think it's safe?"
He shrugged and rubbed his hands close to the fire. "The road to Moria? Honestly, I do not know what to think of it. All I know is that it may be just as dangerous as the pass over the mountain. Personally I think we should take the Gap of Rohan."
"I have never been close to that place. I always planned to, but—I know it might sound silly, but not far from there my parents had lived. Lord Elrond told me. Even though I am quite adventurous, but I never found the guts to go and see the ruins of the place I might have called my home."
"That's not silly. You said you never got to know your parents? What happened?"
"I only know what Elrond told me. Orcs were swarming the lands. The town was burned down. My mother was heavy with child while she and my father and several other townpeople travelled across the country until they were close to Rivendell. They fell under another attack. My father died there, but the elves managed to safe my mother. She brought me to life in that night, but—she didn't make it. That's all I know."
"That's quite a troublesome past."
"Well, as a child I had not understand that I am not really Arwen's or Aragorn's sister. But the older I got the more I understood and the more questions burned in my soul but—it makes no sense to seek for anwers. My childhood was wonderful and I have the best friends and something like a family. I can't imagine a life without Aragorn and the elves anymore while on the other side I can't imagine my life with my actual parents for I never knew them."
They fell silent for a while, enjoying the warmth and sound of the crackling fire. Finally Elena patted on her thighs. "I should get some sleep, too. I think Aragorn will take the next shift if I'm not mistaken. Good night, Boromir."
He nodded and watched her snuggling under her blanket near the fire close to Aragorn and Legolas. "Good night,Elena," he whispered, took his sword and a whetstone and began working the steel quietly until Aragorn took the next shift and finally Boromir had the chance to catch some sleep as well.
And sleep was what they all needed the most. Little did they know what was waiting for them in the depth of the mountains.
Thanks for reading my story and for all your wonderful reviews! Keep 'em coming :)
You might have noticed it, but I will say it officially that this story will be based mainly on the book version with some movie verse scenes and later, of course, a lot lot more independent stuff! I hope you enjoy it and please feel free to comment or send PMs if you have any questions or suggestions.
I am certain I'm able to update within next week again!
