Sorry for the long wait. I've been working on my Transformers story which I am going to update later today. Hope this long chapter makes up for the wait. This is my Thanksgiving gift to all of you even though it's a day late. Enjoy!

I suddenly became aware of movement behind me and I could hear again. Legolas got off Evenstar and pulled me off. "Aragorn, help me please. You've known her longer than me," Legolas asked.

"Of course Legolas," Aragorn said. Legolas sat down cross legged and propped me up against him so that Aragorn could give me a drink of water. I could feel the cold liquid slide down my throat. I then felt myself being laid down in someone's lap. I felt someone else brushing the hair out of my face.

Gandalf said, "Now…let's see. Ithildin." Beneath his hand ran spidery silver lines, faint beneath the dirt of ages. "It mirrors only starlight…and moonlight." He looked up at the black night sky; the moon appeared. Framed by the sharp shadows of the two trees, the silvery lines grew bright, shining with sheer white light. They outlined a door formed of two columns beneath an arch with a star in the center. Writing in the Elvish tongue appeared in the arch. Gimli stared in awe at the gate of his forefathers. Gandalf explained, pointing with his gnarled staff. "It reads "The Doors of Durin - Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter.""

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

Gandalf explained, "Oh, it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open." Gandalf set his staff's end upon the glimmering star. Gandalf continued trying to get the doors to open, "Annon Edhellen, edro hi ammen!" (Gate of the Elves, open now for me!) The Doors remained closed. Gandalf tried again raising his hands, "Fennas Nogothrim, lasto beth lammen." (Doorway of the Dwarf-folk, listen to the word of my tongue.)

Pippin stating the obvious said, "Nothing's happening." I started to wake up, my mind's eye having allowed me to see my surroundings while I tried to wake up.

"Aragorn, she's waking," I heard Legolas's voice say. I heard someone approaching and felt a hand on my forehead.

"She'll be awake shortly," I heard Aragorn's warm voice say.

Gandalf glanced at Pippin, looking slightly annoyed. He began to push on the doors, but they remain fast. Gandalf grumbled, "I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves...Men...and Orcs."

Piping up Pippin asked, "What are you going to do, then?"

Angrily Gandalf said, "Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took! And if that does not shatter them, and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions, I will try to find the opening words." I finally opened my eyes to see Aragorn and Legolas above me.

"Well look who woke up," Aragorn said.

"Ha ha ha," I said trying to sit up and nearly falling over. A strong pair of arms caught me, but they weren't Aragorn's. I looked to see who caught me, it was Legolas. "Hannon le Legolas," I said.

"You're welcome Allie. I just wanted to help you, you don't seem to be very fond of me," Legolas said.

"No Legolas, I just didn't trust you. I need a reason to dislike someone, besides I have a knack for pissing off royalty," I said smiling, now able to sit up on my own. Aragorn tossed me an apple, "Hannon le Aragorn."

Time passed. We were all seated around the doors near the lake, waiting for Gandalf to open them. Night was deepening. Gandalf was starting to sound weary, "Ando Eldarinwa…a lasta quettanya, Fenda Casarinwa…" (Gate of Elves…listen to my word, Threshold of Dwarves…)

Aragorn was unhitching the pony's bridle with Sam, "The Mines are no place for a pony, even one so brave as Bill." I knew I had to let my horse go to.

Sam sadly said, "Buh-bye Bill."

I tried to get up and almost fell, "Help me up Legolas?" I asked.

"Sure," he said getting me on my feet.

"Thanks," I said. I went over to my horse. "Go with Bill and make sure he gets home safe Evenstar. I will call when I need you." He whinnied in protest. "The mine is too dangerous for you Evenstar, my friends will take care of me, go," I said holding his face to mine. "You too Danaë, stay close to Evenstar, come when I call him." She too protested, "I won't risk your life Danaë, I want you safe."

Aragorn pushing on Bill said, "Go on, Bill, go on. Don't worry Sam, he knows the way home." Bill clip-clopped down the shore through the night, Evenstar not far behind. Tears fell down my face; I had never been without my horse or Danaë. Merry began to throw stones into the water. Pippin followed suit but Aragorn stopped him. "Do not disturb the water," he said in a low voice.

Gandalf exasperated said, "Oh, it's useless!" He dropped his staff and sat down beside Frodo, pulling off his hat. Aragorn, Boromir, and I watched as a ripple ran through the water. Frodo stood up and looked at the writings of the glimmering gateway intently.

"It's a riddle," Frodo said. The water continued to ripple ominously. The others started to take notice. Frodo said, "Speak "friend" and enter. What's the Elvish word for friend?" The water shivered again.

Gandalf replied, "Mellon…" The stone doors slowly swung open, rumbling deeply and we entered Moria. The old wizard placed a rough-hewn crystal into the gnarled roots topping his staff; Aragorn followed last, casting a last suspicious glance at the waters.

"You too have heard the rumors of this lake?" I asked. He nodded. Moonlight flooded into a shadowy rock chamber. Led by Gandalf, hat and staff in hand, we moved towards the inky blackness at the far end of the chamber.

Gimli bragging about his family's home said, "Soon, Master and Miss Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone. This, my friend, is the home of my cousin, Balin." The meat sounded good, but I would prefer water to the malt beer. I wasn't much of a drinker. Gandalf brought his hand around his staff, blowing upon the crystal as though to kindled the rock into light. It glowed, as though from some inner strength. With its light glimmering like stars in his eyes, Gandalf leaned the staff towards the dark halls ahead, throwing into relief dirty, broken stairs and columns, upon which are many dark forms... I gasped, this was no better than the mountain! Gimli just kept going, "And they call it a mine. A mine!"

"This is no mine, it's a tomb!" Boromir said. The wizard's light revealed rotted, broken and battered forms strewn about, casting long shadows across the room. A strangled cry from Gimli was heard.

Gimli cried, "Oh! No! Noooo!" The forms were corpses. Legolas pulled out an arrow from the body of a fallen Dwarf, examined it and cast it away in disgust.

Legolas in disgust said, "Goblins!" Aragorn and Boromir drew out their swords. Legolas and I fitted an arrow to our bows.

Boromir said, "We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here."

"I fear it's too late for that Boromir," I said. The four Hobbits were backing up towards the door. My ears picked up something stirring in the water behind them. Boromir voice was echoing through the hollow, dead hall, "Now get out of here, get out!" We started for the door. Suddenly, Frodo was grabbed from behind and pulled off his feet by a long, snaking tentacle.

Sam, Merry, and Pippin were all yelling, "Frodo!"

Sam turned and yelled, "Strider!" Aragorn spun around as well did I.

Pippin yelled, "Allie!"

Frodo yelled, "Help!"

Sam was hacking at the tentacle yelling, "Get off him! Strider!"

Merry yelled, "Aragorn!" The Hobbits were grabbing at Frodo, attempting to keep him away from the water as the tentacles wrapped around him. The wretched creature released Frodo for a split-second, and feigned disappearance under the waters. Suddenly, the water erupted with many tentacles, slapping the other Hobbits aside and grabbing Frodo around the leg. He was pulled out over the water and into the air.

"Put him down," I said in a strange language. It was one I was born knowing, one that controlled such creatures like this ancient kraken. Though it wasn't working, perhaps because my father wasn't dead.

Merry and the other hobbits continually called, "Frodo!" Legolas ran out onto the shore and shot. His arrow pierced a three-pronged tentacle attempting to wrap itself over Frodo's face.

Frodo yelled, "Strider! Allie!" I started to use my bow and arrows.

Strider he drove his sword through a tentacle yelling with the effort it took to drive his sword through the tentacle. Boromir and Aragorn rushed to the water with their swords, and attacked the beast. It flung Frodo wildly in the air. Despite our efforts, the Hobbit was lowered toward a gapping maw in the water, ringed by fangs, set in a gilled face akin to some ancient kraken with wild, old eyes glistening fish-like from its head. Aragorn sliced through the tentacle holding Frodo, who fell into Boromir's arms.

Gandalf yelled, "Into the Mines!"

Boromir called, "Legolas!" Aragorn and Boromir retreated. Boromir ran for the gates with Frodo as a huge tentacle uncoiled a hand-like appendage, snaking after them. Legolas took aim.

"Legolas, hurry!" I called starting to retreat.

Aragorn yelled, "Into the cave!" Legolas fired. His arrow ran deep into the beast's right eye, and it recoiled for a moment with a roar. Legolas hadn't moved. I ran out after him.

Aragorn shouted, "Run!" I grabbed the leather straps around Legolas's back that held his quiver. As soon as I had a good hold I ran dragging Legolas with me. As we raced into Moria, the sea creature reached out and slammed the gates shut. Slabs of rocks fell and the roof of the passageway collapsed, crumbling. I saw rocks start to fall as the creature reached above us, I could see only one of us had a good chance of making it. I shoved Legolas into Aragorn and leapt, but I was hit by the rocks and fell. I did my best to protect myself.

My friends stared back in fear as the last rays of moonlight were obliterated. Total darkness. I could hear gasps and heavy breathing echo in the inky blackness. "Allie?" I heard Legolas's voice in the dark. I uncoiled myself, I was alive but I feared I had broken a bone or two.

"I'm alive," I said. I started to work on freeing myself. "You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up."

"No way!" Aragorn said.

"Then get over here and help me!" I said annoyed. Legolas and Aragorn came over and started to work my leg free. They soon had a big enough gap that I could pull it out. "Thanks," I said standing, it hurt but I could deal.

Gandalf tapping his staff on the ground said, "We now have but one choice." Light appeared from Gandalf's staff. He knocked it on the floor once more and the light brightened; now I could see the startled and frightened faces of my friends. "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than Orcs, in the deep places of the world."

I tried to take a step and fell into Legolas. "You all right?"

"I'll get back to you on that," I said as he helped me walk.

We carefully made our way over the floor and up the broad steps. The silhouettes of skeletal remains and black-fletched arrows frame them as we moved away by the light of Gandalf's staff. Gandalf continued, "Quietly now. It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."

I lost track of time and soon we entered a great cavern with a weaving walkway through the center. The path was rough and narrow, and rocky arches and boulder-like lumps appeared in the half-light of the caverns. I struggled to walk in this narrow pathway, still hanging on to Legolas for support. Frodo's eyes darted about him. A ladder hung on his right. Crossing the path past a dark stony doorway, we came to a narrow, curving stair. Ladders and iron chains rose from a dark pit to our right. On our left, rock walls rose above us like giants. A chain swung slowly, clinking. The noise reverberated. The light of the wizard's staff moved beyond the chains, glinting like some pale will-o'-the-wisp.

Gandalf rested his hand upon a rock with a dark, silvery veins running through it. Gandalf said, "The wealth of Moria was not in gold...or jewels..." The wizard tilted his staff down towards the pit. "…but Mithril." The lights illuminated my friends' faces, and we stared in awe at what was below us. A vast, seemingly endless rock wall dropped into the depths below. There were ladders and scaffolding as far as the eye could see, old and disused; disappeared into the mining shafts below. Merry leaned forward slightly to look closer. Pippin put a warning hand in front of him. Frodo stared down until the light faded the vision of a forgotten realm. Gandalf continued, "Bilbo had a shirt of Mithril rings that Thorin gave him."

Gimli said, "Oh, that was a kingly gift."

Gandalf replied, "Yes! I never told him, but its worth was greater than the value of the Shire." Frodo looked faintly surprised. We then climbed up steep steps on the side of a cavern with many rows of tombs, it was completely silent, all of us were quiet now. A vast graveyard. I struggled to climb the stairs, my leg now really hurting. It was getting so bad I could barely move. Pippin lost his footing and slipped onto Merry.

Merry said exasperated, "Pippin!" We climbed another flight of stairs to a crossroads in the mine: three openings loomed before us. Gandalf held out his staff. He glanced from one to the other and back. His eyes slowly turn towards the left hand passage. He whispered, "I have no memory of this place." We rested beneath a peak of rough stone, while Gandalf tried to decide our course, sitting alone at the top. Aragorn sat beside Boromir. I just found a place to sit, I chose a spot next Aragorn and Legolas.