Chapter

For several days we walked down another road, all the while Gandalf was leading us, with a serious look.

That really concerned me.

Now Gandalf was already a very serious person, but today he was much more so; he wouldn't talk to any of us, he would only give some excuse before turning away.

Granted I never tried.

However as rocks began to get taller, my own apprehension grew; Meghan and specifically written about Gandalf, and about how dangerous he could be. So whatever could scare him should definitely scare me.

So I decided to approach Gandalf that night.

I still kept my things away from the others, which helped me as I snuck around them; that and Pippin's snoring seemed to help tremendously. From there I climbed up a rock to where Gandalf was sitting, the older man's back was facing me, and a ring of smoke surrounded his head.

Clearing my throat, I was about to speak when instinct kicked in. In a swift motion I grabbed the cane before hooking it into the staff that was rushing towards my head.

"Calder," Gandalf started, "You shouldn't sneak up on someone like me. It will get you injured, or worse."

"I think I am beyond the whole 'or worse' thing," I say as I holster my cane and sit beside the wizard, "I've seen a few things."

"I believe that I have seen more that you," he replied.

"I don't doubt it."

And I will be seeing more.

"So, why is it that you approach me tonight?" Gandalf asked as he took a puff from his pipe.

I look at the wizard, "Moria."

Gandalf stiffened.

Not wanting to beat around the bush I continued, "You're terrified of Moria; I saw that look on your face when Gimli offered it again, my only question is-"

"Why am I afraid?" Gandalf asked, "That's none of your concern."

"No," I say, "People get scared, I know you're scared about going to Moria; however, I want to know what it is I should be afraid of."

Gandalf puffed on his pipe. For several minutes we sat in silence, with the wind blowing around us and the occasional sound of burning tobacco.

"A Balrog of Morgoth," Gandalf said finally.

I blinked, "A what?"

"A scourge of fire or a demon of terror. In the First Age, there were a large number of them in Middle Earth, all commanded by the first Dark Lord Morgoth, Master of Sauron. When Morgoth was defeated, the Balrog's slipped into the cracks of the earth, never to be seen again…"

"The dwarves found one, didn't they?" I asked.

Gandalf nodded sadly, "Yes. The dwarves of Moria were to…hasty in their search of the riches in the earth. They disturbed the creature, and it drove them out from the mountain."

"Drove them out?"

Gandalf looked at me.

…

…

Oh no…

"There isn't anyone in Moria, is there?" I asked softly.

Gandalf shook his head, "Let us hope that Moria is just an abandoned mine."

I glare at the distance and gritted my teeth, "Damn it…and I was the one who-"

"No Calder," Gandalf started, "You made a decision that you felt would be beneficial to the group. If we did take the mountain pass, there would have been a good chance we would have been forced to turn back. Whether the elements, or Saruman."

I felt Gandalf clap a hand on my shoulder, "You…are not what I expected Calder, and I am glad."

I nodded my head, and we sat together in silence, with the occasional ring of smoke as the horizon brightened up.

I thumbed the straps on my bag as the group walked down a slope, and deeper into the canyon; I made up the back of the group, Gandalf was still leading the group, with Legolas right behind him. Gimli was talking with Pippin while Merry was with Sam, Boromir was rubbing his hand along the white horn he had hanging on his waist; Aragon was in front of me, and Frodo in front of the Ranger.

Then something happened.

Frodo tripped on a rock and fell forward; Aragon quickly followed the rolling Hobbit as the group turned at the sight. I was about to follow when something caught my eye, a brief flash from a reflection.

Stooping down, I see what it was.

The One Ring.

I heard the whispering again.

Swallowing, I chose to grab the chain rather than the Ring as I stood back to my feet.

I felt a strong urge to take the Ring of the chain. To put it in my pocket and escape from the Fellowship, why did Frodo have to-

I shook my head. No. You decided to destroy this, it doesn't control you.

Can't I?

I nearly jump I surprise, my free hand shooting to my own ring.

It was like a hot coal, and as my hand tightened around the leather covered ring, I felt the power of the Ring and its works.

It was…immense.

"Calder!"

I blinked before looking up.

Everyone was staring at me, however Aragon had a serious look, and I noticed how his hand was over and wrapped around the pommel of his sword.

"Give the Ring to Frodo."

It was more of a command than suggestion.

I nodded my head; I walked up to Frodo, who looked very nervous.

I heard the whispers beg me, demand me not to let go; but I knew my place.

I reached out the chain and Frodo whipped it from my hands.

"I am…sorry, Frodo," I say to the Hobbit, looking up at Aragon, I say, "I'll go up…there."

I quickly moved away from the duo and down to where Gandalf was, trying to ignore the stares given to me by the others.

As I approached Gandalf, the wizard gave me a cautious look, "Are you-"

"Yes. I have a good resistance," I say.

Gandalf nodded, "That is good to-"

"No it's not Gandalf; I'm one of the few among these people."

I couldn't forget what I had seen…or felt in any case.

I knew that the Ring was very influential, seeing on how it messed with the Council; and it was putting everything it had into us.

All of our minds were being warped and twisted; the Ring wants conflict so it can be free again. It showed that this wasn't going to last, the Fellowship would be breaking apart sooner or later.

The other part that worried me was that Boromir was being influenced the most. The man was eyeing the Ring when I examined it; I think that if Aragon wasn't focused on me, he would be more concerned about the other man.

"I feel it too," Gandalf said, "It is growing stronger as we go."

"You should tell Frodo," I say, "He needs to be on guard."

Gandalf nodded his head, but either way, this was going to spell disaster for us all later.

"-then they all ran back to the main camp, terrified out of their wits, in nothing but their underclothes, from a tiny rabbit."

I chuckled as Aragon recounted one of his hunting trips to me; it was near the evening and we were very close to Moria. According to Gandalf it was only ten more minutes.

"I sadly do not have that many great tales to tell," I say to the Ranger.

Aragon grinned, "I do not expect you to match me in tales, only to enjoy each other's company."

"Come now laddie," Gimli cut in, appearing beside me, "You must have something."

I shook my head.

"Drunken tales?"

Nope.

"Humorous adventures?"

Shake.

"Scandalous women?" Gimli's voice sounded slightly suggestive.

I blinked, "Well…"

I pinch my chin, wondering how to phrase this. On the bright side, it was very easy to tell as the worlds were similar.

"I was once in a village for several months. Now, there was a shield-maiden or female warrior, who had a constant quarrel with me; now one day I accidently insulted her honor, not to mention I was keeping an important secret from, and she demanded answers. So the next day, she had knocked me out and when I came to, she had hoisted me upside down, on a tree in the middle of a forest, at night."

Aragon was grinning as the dwarf began to laugh heartily.

"Oh dear," Aragon said, "That must have been-"

"It gets better," I say.

I could tell that the four Hobbits behind us began to get closer.

"She left me there, and so relying on my wits, I managed to escape but she was waiting for me; which led to a very long chase around the woods, and it wasn't long until she had me pinned at a lake. However, a friend of mine was looking for me when I didn't show up, so he stumbled across us by accident in his search. So guess what the logical thing for this person to do to the shield-maiden?"

"What?" Gimli asked between laughs.

"Shove her into the lake."

They all laughed at the tale.

"I was not expecting that," Aragon stated.

"I wish I could 'ave seen that!" Gimli exclaimed.

As they began to quiet down, I then noticed where we were.

We were just entering a sort of grotto, with a large stone wall high above us.

"The walls of Moria," Gimli whispered.

We crossed a small bridge, and were facing a jagged rock wall, opposite of a lake. As we walked to the other side, Gimli started tapping his axe against the stone, before I could ask what the heck he was doing, he said aloud, "Dwarf doors are invisible when closed."

What?

"Yes Gimli, their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten."

"Why doesn't that surprise me," Legolas muttered.

"Why wouldn't they write it down or something like that?" I asked.

"Dwarves are very protective over their secrets. Otherwise many seekers of treasure would be breaking into dwarven cities," Gandalf explained.

Doors…

I jogged ahead of Gandalf, nearly slipping into the lake as I did. If there was a hidden door, then it would have to be in a sensible place; so when I saw smooth stone on the rock wall I took a closer look.

There was…carvings in the rock, shaped like a vine.

"Found it!" I shouted.

"Ah!"

Gandalf quickly strode towards the wall.

"Well done Calder," Gandalf said.

"It's in my blood, part of my family has a special…talent of finding things that others seem to look over."

Gandalf rubbed his hand against the stone, "Ithildin…only seen in starlight, and moonlight."

I guess it was just coincidence that the moon had come out, turning the outline into bright silver, which was a large doorframe with vines creeping up the sides.

Gandalf raised his staff and pointed at the runes, "It reads, 'The Doors of Duin, Lord of Moria. Speak friend and enter."

I secretly reached into my leather pouch hanging on my neck and slip my ring onto my right hand, a few seconds wouldn't hurt.

The runes on the door shifted until they formed the sentence.

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

"Simple. If you are a friend then simply speak the password and the doors will open."

While Gandalf pressed his staff against the door and began to speak, I closely examined the lettering.

Wait…

There was a mark after the word 'speak' then again after 'friend' before it finished, like commas.

"Gandalf you're doing it wrong."

As the old wizard looked at me, I drew my cane and tapped the rune/words.

"When it says 'Speak friend and enter.' It's not fluid, there's a mark here, and here," I tapped in the respective spaces. "Meaning that it's supposed to sound like-"

"How do you know that?" Gandalf asked.

"My Ring," I say quickly, "it translates words for me. It's how I was able to understand Elvish, and shifts the writing into a language I understand. Anyway, it's supposed to go-"

"Speak 'friend' and enter!" Frodo exclaimed.

I made sure to leave space between the words.

"Meaning that the password to get in, is the word friend! Which is…"

I snapped my fingers a few times, while subtly removing the Ring from my finger

"Mellon," Legolas said.

With a loud cracking noise, the doors split open. Grinning, I look at Gandalf, who gave me an appreciative look.

"Bravo!" Merry exclaimed as Pippin clapped his hands.

"Let us get the supplies off of Bill," Aragon said, "Then we enter the mines."

Aragon went with Sam to quickly unload the pony while Gandalf sat down on a rock near Frodo. I would have sat down to but Legolas pulled me aside.

"What in the name of Elendil were you thinking?!" he demanded.

I blinked, "Wha-"

"That ring of yours is dangerous! You told me of how it has Sauron's influence, and you use it anyway."

"It was only a few seconds Legolas," I explain, "I wasn't going to wear it for a long period of-"

"It doesn't matter, it. Is. Dangerous!" Legolas jabbed my chest with his finger to excess the point.

"Look. I did what I did to speed up time, I don't regret what I did because it wasn't that long."

Legolas glared at me one last time before walking away, "Why must humans be so stubborn." he said in Elvish.

I sighed before walking back to the others, where Merry and Pippin were tossing stones into the water, or they were until Aragon stopped them.

He muttered something to them before moving on, with Sam in tow. After that everyone began to walk inside the mine, Gandalf first before Legolas and Gimli; then Aragon and Boromir, the Hobbits, and myself.

"Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves. Roaring fire, malt beer, ripe meat of the bone."

Gimli's voice echoed off the walls; however I was looking at the lake, which was rippling slightly.

"This is the home of my cousin Balin. Yet they call it a mine. A mine!"

"This is no mine. It's a tomb."

What?

I whip my head around, to see Gandalf with a glowing crystal on his staff, revealing numerous decomposing corpses with empty eye sockets, and bony hands curled into a claw.

As Gimli wailed in despair and I look in horror, Legolas pulled a shaft from the chest of a dead dwarf, "Goblins!" he exclaimed.

Goblins?!

I quickly drew my bow and notched an arrow, as the others drew weapons.

"We make for the gap of Rohan," Boromir says, more like a command. "We should never have come here."

I place a hand on Frodo's shoulder, "Come on."

I began to pull the Hobbits out as the others scan the mines. We needed to get out of here right now.

Then something cold, wet, and slimy tightened around my boot, and pulled.

Letting out a noise of surprise, I hit the ground to see a tentacle pulling me towards the lake; my bow slipping from my grasp.

"Calder!"

"CALDER!"

"NO!"

"STRIDER!"

Clutching the rocks on the ground, I try to stop the pulling from the tentacle as Frodo draws his sword, "LET HIM GO!"

He hacks of the tentacle and backs away, Merry and Pippin clutching my upper arms as the tentacle sank back into the lake.

…

…

Then all hell broke loose.

Several more tentacles breached the surface of the lake; I instinctively pushed Frodo aside as several knocked the other Hobbits back while another wrapped around my legs and pulled me over the lake. My arrows slipping out from the quiver.

Flailing my arms, I reached for the daggers on my belt as another tentacle reached for my face. Quickly drawing the weapon, I slashed at the approaching appendage, causing black blood to spill from the wound and the tentacle to retreat. An arrow pierced another tentacle and I heard the sound of swords, as I continued to swing at any tentacle that got close to me; the monster appeared from the water. It looked like a giant squid, only with very sharp teeth, as seen when its jaws opened up.

Swearing loudly, I attempted to slash at the tentacle still around my boots; however it was futile as I was still being whipped around like a baby rattler.

Then everything went limp, and I started falling towards the ground; quickly flipping my body so I would land on my feet, I see Boromir with his arms outstretched. I turned my body a little more so he caught me in a bridal carry.

Quickly getting out of his grip, I heard Gandalf shout, "INTO THE MINES!"

I did my best to quickly wade through the water, Boromir shouted, "LEGOLAS!"

I understood what the man was trying to do, "AIM FOR THE EYE!" I shout.

I heard the familiar twang of a bow before the monster let out a cry.

By then I had hit the shoreline, I then sprinted towards the door where Gandalf, Gimli and the Hobbits were waiting. Us four began to push them inside, while the monster tried to pull itself out of the water and to the doorway. However it didn't account for its weight, and then pulled the stone down around us, we managed to clear it but we all watched as the rocks blocked the passage way, leaving us all in the pitch black darkness.

For a minute, there was nothing but heavy breathing, rocks moving, and water dripping to the floor.

"We have but one choice."

Gandalf slammed his staff against the ground, causing the crystal on his staff to glow brightly, "We must face the long dark of Moira."

Looking at all of us, he then said, "Be on your guard," Gandalf looked at me. "There are older and…fouler things then Orcs in the deep places of the world. We have a four day journey to the other side of Moria, let us hope we remain unnoticed."

Read, Have a Great Day and God Bless

Review