The early morning sun peeked almost sleepily over the mountainside and sent its pale light into the basin where the Fellowship had set their camp in the previous night.

The hobbits had been the first up on their feet, busily preparing breakfast for everyone. Elena jerked awake as a warm, soft something nudged her face. Her eyes flew open and she stared up at the nostrils of Bill the pony.

"Oh, it's just you," she said and chuckled lightly as she patted the pony's snout. She sat up and met Boromir's gaze. "Morning—"she mumbled still a bit sleepy and pushed herself up from the ground.

"Are you always so easy to scare in the morning? I'm just asking—not that I wake you one day and die with a dagger in my eye," he said teasingly. And yet she spotted the hint of a smile on his face. And much to her own dismay she had already realized that it was almost impossible for her to be angry at him whenever he smiled at her like that.

She shrugged and gathered her few belongings. "Could have been an enemy."

"Do you think the Nazgul poke you before they kill you?"

Aragorn sighed. "Enough now. Both of you. We should break our fast and move on. There are still several leagues separating us from Moria," he strode along the camp. "Merry, Pippin, put the fire out if you don't need it anymore. Sam, prepare the pony."

The hobbits did what they were told to do and soon after they had their breakfast, the Fellowship left the basin and continued on their way which led them over hills and through muddy swamp-lands until they reached the grassy plains again with the mountains always looming up before them.

"Master Gimli? Can you tell us a bit more about those mines? What can we expect in there?" Pippin called while he walked together with Elena. "Do the dwarves have lots of food and drinks there? I could use some warm meal now."

The dwarf turned his head and smiled brightly at the young hobbit. "Oh, you will enjoy the mines very much, Master Hobbit. Its ancient halls of stone, crackling fires, the scent of meat and mead. Lots of delicious food and drinks. My cousin, Balin, will make us a warm welcome and fill our growling bellies and warm our weary bones."

"To put it plainly: We can eat and drink 'til we pass out," Elena replied amused and earned a hearty laugh from Gimli.

"I wouldn't mind that," Pippin said and smiled at her.

Elena looked along the company and realized that Gandalf was strangely quiet whenever Gimli began to speak about the glorious and magnificent mines. Something was on his mind. Something he did not dare to tell them. Was there truly a prosperous fortress waiting for them or were they just stepping into another evil trap of the enemy? An evil he definitely did not chose as his first route option. The wizard had insisted they should climb over the mountain instead of taking the normally easier route underneath it where they wouldn't have to face piles of snow and slippery ice or tricky cliffs and falling rocks. What was it that plagued Gandalf's mind?

She cast a glance at Boromir and saw he was walking silently and close behind Merry and Pippin. He seemed to be deep in thoughts as well. She approached him and whispered,

"What's on your mind?"

"I am still reluctant about those mines. The dwarf has never been there. And if I remember correctly, his father had spoken about Moria when we met him in Rivendell and he had said they haven't heard a word for many years from those who had settled there."

"Well, maybe it's abandoned. For whatever reason. But it is still the best route to take now, since we cannot climb the mountain. I bet the enemy won't expect us taking the road through Moria. I believe he will now focus on the gate of Rohan," she replied thoughtfully.

He cast a quick glance at her. "We don't know what the enemy expects. It is highly likely that he spies all the possible routes. The obvious and the less obvious ones. Entering the mines could mean we are stepping right into one of his traps," he said and added quite bitterly, "That is as if we go and knock at the door of the Dark Tower and ask Sauron to come out to play. Moria—even the sound of it is bitter on my tongue."

She was just about to reply, but Gandalf suddenly appeared next to her. "You have no idea what you are saying if you compare the mines of Moria with Sauron's fortress. I have been there, in the depths of the dark Lord's dungeons—even though it was just his former and weaker fortress of Dol Guldur. But hear me out—whoever steps through the gate of Barad-Dûr, will never return."

They kept silent until the wizard added more lightly, "I wouldn't accept leading you through the mines if there would be no hope. Certainly, if there are Orcs lurking in the dark, we might have a hard time in there. But most of the orcs who lived in the Misty Mountains have been wiped out or expelled in the Battle of the Five Armies. The Eagles told me that some Orcs are gathering again in faraway places; but there is still hope that Moria is free of them."

"Well, whatever is waiting for us, it is the only way we can take now. We shouldn't give up hope, you are right," Elena replied determined. And she tried to keep her hopes up.

She really did.

The light of day was fading as they reached a small hill which Aragorn had decided would be the best to set their camp again. Old trees were growing on the top and much to their relief it was secured by a half circle of stones and boulders. Sam secured the pony at one of the trees while Elena helped Pippin to get the fire going. Even though they had been aware of the howling of wolves around them, but Gandalf was certain that even darkness would not protect them and so it would make no difference if they made a fire or not.

"I wish we could reach the other side of the mountain quicker," Pippin mumbled sleepily. He had just finished his meal and snuggled up on his sleeping roll.

"Maybe you should grow a pair of wings to carry us over the mountain then. Otherwise keep quiet and sleep," Merry grumbled and rolled onto his side to try and catch some sleep.

"You should sleep, too," Elena stepped closer to Aragorn. "You are restless since we left the mountain and I don't like that. You need your strength like all of us do. Let me take the first watch tonight."

"There are still wolves and probably wargs hunting us. I prefer to stay awake with you then," he protested and looked down into her eyes. They held gaze for several seconds until he sighed in defeat. "Fine. But if you see or hear anything nearby, wake me up. Maybe we don't need to startle the entire camp and can take them out together. The hobbits are weary and dead tired, they should try and get as much sleep as possible. Who knows when we'll get the next chance to take a rest."

She stifled a laugh and patted his shoulder. "You seem to forget that I'm a ranger just like you. I learned from the best—"she winked at him. "And now go and sleep. I will wake you if I need help, I promise."

Once the others were all asleep, Elena rummaged in her bag and pulled out a small knife and a piece of wood and lowered down under one of the trees. She scanned the surrounding for a moment and finally started carving the wood. The warmth of the fire and the fresh breeze caused her eyes to grow heavier with each passing hour and just as she was about to doze off, she suddenly dropped her knife and the wood and got up. She blinked again, as if making sure she hadn't just hallucinated but there she saw them again. A pair of glowing eyes watching her from the darkness outside the stone circle. She snatched her bow and quiver from the ground and notched an arrow, it's tip glinting dangerously in the light of the fire as she aimed into the looking away from the pair of eyes she suddenly realized that there were more. A lot more. At least ten or fifteen pairs of glowing red eyes. And a snarl. A chant of deep growling and she immediately knew the wolves had finally found them. She tried to reach Aragorn but she knew she would wake the hobbits as well by trying to reach him and that would only cause chaos. She quickly looked down and kicked Boromir softly into the back in an attempt to wake him. He grumbled sleepily and turned around. She nudged him again with her boot and hissed quietly, "Wake up."

With a frown he opened his eyes and looked up at her. It took a few seconds for him to realize that she was aiming at something and he knew something wasn't quite right. Quickly he staggered to his feet and drew his sword. Before he could ask what was wrong he already heard the growling surrounding them. He swore quietly and stepped closer to her. "You don't plan to take on them alone?"

"No, I'll have you by my side, won't I?" she replied without looking at him. And she didn't need to look at him to know he was rolling his eyes and shaking his head in disbelief.

"We are two. We cannot fight them alone. There are at least fifteen surrounding us," he hissed again which only caused Gandalf to suddenly snap awake. Quickly, the wizard grabbed his staff and immediately walked towards the wolves.

"Listen, Hound of Sauron! Gandalf is here! Fly, if you value your foul skin! I will shrivel you from tail to snout, if you come within this ring!" he cried out, raising his staff higher.

Just as the wizard had assumed, the big wolf growled and snarled again before he finally pounced at him, but he didn't make it to reach Gandalf when two arrows crossed in mid-air and dug deep into the beast's heart and lungs. Elena looked around and saw Legolas drawing another arrow. He winked at her for a second and she smiled lightly at him, notching an arrow again as well just in case the other wolves would dare to attack, too. Aragorn had woken and joined Gandalf as the two of them strode along the hill, checking if the wolves were still lurking somewhere, but they couldn't see any of them at the moment and so they returned to the camp.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Aragorn asked her a bit irritated but Elena scowled at him as she replied,

"I wanted to avoid chaos by waking the entire camp at once. Boromir and I could've taken on them easily together."

"I still highly doubt that, though," Boromir said quietly and sheathed his sword again, ignoring the angry twinkle in her mismatched eyes.

"Well, we are all still alive. That is the most important fact, but we should be on guard even more now. The wolves might be gone for now, but that doesn't mean they won't return later," Gandalf intervened and cast a glance down the hillside.

Elena cast a glance at the hobbits, making sure they were all still asleep. And they were indeed. She strapped her quiver and bow on her back to keep it close and ready to use if necessary. Boromir bent down and picked up a knife and a carved wooden eagle. He examined it quite intently until Elena snatched it from him.

"That is mine," she said sharply and pushed eagle and knife back into her bag. She felt the man's eyes on her back, but she tried to ignore him as best as she could. He had made her appear like a fool in front of the others. Even though she knew Aragorn and Gandalf didn't take her for a fool, but the fact that Boromir still had a bit of doubt in her made her feel angry. She sighed and slumped down on the ground close to Merry and Pippin. "I will try and catch some sleep now. Maybe our Lord Boromir would like to take the next watch for he seems to know best what to do in a situation like this. Good night," she said sarcastically and lowered down onto her side, facing them with her back.

Boromir thoughtfully looked down at her for a moment until he huffed and strode to the opposite side of the camp. Aragorn and Legolas exchanged a quick amused glance before they decided to join Boromir for the next watch. Six eyes would definitely be better than two tonight.

"One thing you should know about Elena," Aragorn said quietly once they lowered down next to Boromir, "Never underestimate her and never let her know you doubt in her. Which you shouldn't at all. She is a ranger just like me and her decision to let the hobbits and the rest of us sleep was exactly what I would have done."

"I don't underestimate her. And I did not mean to offend her, but I have learned the more weapons you have the higher the chance of success. Two against fifteen would've been madness."

Aragorn chuckled quietly and leaned in closer. "And never tell her this, either."

"Do you think I have a death wish?" he asked amused and cast a glance at the girl again as she rolled onto her stomach, snoring very lightly. He chuckled and finally unglued his eyes off her again to scan the surrounding, but the rest of the night was rather quiet except the ever waving howl of the wolves in the distance.

First of all I wish you all a very merry Christmas! I wanted to update this story before the holiday season and I will try and update before New Years again!

If you enjoyed this little "filler" chapter, please leave some positive feedback! :) That would make me very happy!

And, regarding the chapter, what do you think will Elena do with the little wooden eagle she had carved? Any ideas? ^^