The rock that she was using for a seat was cold and damp. She could feel it seeping through the fabric of her travelling trousers but she paid it little mind. She was far to weary to find another rock and the idea of standing after climbing all those stairs was almost incomprehensible. They had been sitting here for almost two hours now, lost in the depths of the mines perhaps never to see sunlight again. But she mentally scolded herself whenever her mind wandered to those dark thoughts.
Gandalf sat on the higher plinth deep in thought. Every so often he would mutter something to himself. This would make everyone look round in unison, hoping that the words were about the correct path to take. But alas it seemed as though the Wizard was no closer to finding the path than when they had originally reached this place.
Whilst he contemplated which of the three to take, the others had used the reprieve to gather their strength. Resting their legs, refreshing themselves with water and taking a few bites of their rations. But they had to conserve them, who knew how long it would be till they could replenish their stocks.
Aragorn had taken charge of dividing the rations up among them and he managed to give them each enough that it would take the edge off the hunger but without depleting much of what they carried.
"Can I just have a little bit more?" Pippin tried to plead with him after he had finished off his last slice of apple.
"You will be thanking me for this later I assure you," Aragorn answered ending the debate before it had begun.
Pippin said no more, he just sat sullenly rubbing at his half full stomach and looking at the floor.
No one wanted to disturb Gandalf while he was thinking, so they left his rations in a piece of cloth, ready to be given to him when he wanted them.
"Do you think we should have taken another path back there," Boromir asked Gimli. But the Dwarf merely gave a shrug.
"Perhaps even if we have taken the wrong one, the paths will meet up again through one of those doorways," Sam offered up optimistically.
"I hope so Sam," Arwen said with a smile, trying to reassure the Hobbit even though his suggestion was highly unlikely in this labyrinth of corridors and hidden passages.
Legolas took a small bite of a piece of apple every so often, trying to savour what little he had. He stayed alert though, constantly checking over the edge or down the stairs that they had come from, never letting himself rest for too long.
Once Aragorn had returned the food to his pack he came over to sit by her on the rock.
"Its damp," she said looking up at him just before he began his descent.
" I don't mind," he said with a small smirk, gesturing to the rest of the dreary setting around them. "He has not moved from that spot since we got here, should we be worried?" Aragorn asked quietly next to her so only she could hear.
"He is probably just working it through, double checking before he commits to one of them," she answered, leaning towards him slightly so her arm rested gently against his.
"Could you hear any of what he was muttering about?" Aragorn questioned, leaning towards her in response so that their arms were pressed as close as they could be.
"Not really, just ramblings," she answered, glancing back over to the defeated looking wizard.
"Frodo , why dont you go and take Gandalf his rations?" Aragorn softly asked the Hobbit who was sat next to Merry.
She could see Frodo hesitate, glancing with uncertainly at the old man, not wanting to be the one to intrude upon Gandalfs' private thoughts. She also knew he would be the best one to do it. He got up from his position on the floor and picked up the folded cloth containing the rations that they had set aside for Gandalf. He walked slowly over before sitting down beside him handing him the package. They talked quietly and she felt it almost rude to listen in, so she changed her attention back to the rest of the group.
"Gimli you really should eat something," she said to the Dwarf when she realised he had not touched any of his rations and was just pushing them around on the cloth before him.
"I don't feel like them, someone else can take them if you want," he replied pushing the cloth away and leaning back.
"Who are you and what have you done with Gimli?" Boromir laughed trying to lighten the Dwarfs dark mood. But he merely smiled and resumed his brooding.
" You need to eat to preserve your energy," Legolas said, always the voice of reason. "We still have far to go".
"Whats the point?" Gimli spat back loudly, causing Pippin to jump beside him. "If all these Dwarves were killed here, what hope do ten of us have?" He said his voice returning to its normal level.
"A small company such as us have the element of stealth, we can navigate the mines silently. We have a hope, a good one," Aragorn replied to him in a serious tone.
Gimli did not reply, he simply shook his head and then dragged the cloth back towards him, taking up a piece of dried meat in his gloved hand and bit into it.
Although she felt the utmost sympathy for Gimli at the loss of his kin, he should have been more wary. His negativity and doubt might rub off on the other members of the fellowship, and that was the last thing that they needed in this godforsaken place.
"Oh it's that way!" Gandalf said standing up more spritely than a regular man of his age.
She felt relief wash over her, this was just the good news that the company needed right now. The sooner that she could be out under the stars again the better.
"He's remembered," Merry said, whilst getting up from his place on the floor and packing up his water-skin in his pack.
"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here," Gandalf replied, which did not seem like the most credible answer that she had hoped for.
She picked up her own pack and slung it over her shoulder as they all moved to the middle doorway where Gandalf waited for them.
He rested his hand on Merry's shoulder, his earlier doubts seemed to have been washed away and the old Gandalf that she knew was returned to them.
"If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose," he joked, and it brought a smile to all of them, including Gimli.
He led the way, staff of light in hand down a crumbling stairway. They all remained silent except for the thud of their boots on the stone floor and the soft padding of the barefooted Hobbits. As they came to the bottom she was aware that the room had opened up. She could no longer see the walls through the gloom and Gandalfs staff only lit up a few broken columns around them.
"Let me risk a little more light," He said, elevating his staff away from him, the crystal at the top growing brighter like a beacon in the dark.
She let out a gasp that was mirrored by most of the company as the chamber that they now stood in was revealed. A grand hall of stone, that seemed to go on for miles. Arched ceilings and rows of pillars for as far as the eye could see. There was too much to look at and she found her eyes wandering off surveying everything she could, her mouth agape. She had not expected such grandeur in the mine, Gimli had not been exaggerating when he had spoken of Moria.
"Behold, the great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf!" Gandalf introduced, giving the sight the proper introduction and respect that it deserved.
"Now there's an eye opener and no mistake," Sam mused beside her as he span full circle taking in all the sights he could.
They carried on walking on through the hall, pillars flanking their sides. Although she was in awe of this place there was an unease to it as well. After what had happened to the Dwarves here, it would be foolish to let their wits slip now. She often found herself double checking behind columns and in the dark recesses for some unseen foe.
As they travelled they soon saw a room over to their right. There was a light coming from within, extremely strange since they had not seen any natural light for some time now.
They halted. From where they stood she could see that the room was filled with yet more corpses and the light was coming from a window up high. The ray of light that fell through was directed to a large stone tomb that lay in the centre.
Gimli let out a cry of something inaudible before running off towards the doorway.
"Gimli!" Gandalf cried out after him hoping to stop the dwarf who was clearly motivated by his grief rather than reason.
Gimli did not stop. Nor did he respond to Gandalfs cry, instead he barreled through the doorway and only halted once he had reached the tomb.
The rest of them followed him, uneasy about veering off of the path but as understanding of their friend as they could be. Once inside the room she wrinkled her nose at the smell, it smelt of death. There were more bodies here than there had been in the antechamber and the air felt heavy with the stench.
"No , No!" Gimli cried over the surface of the tomb, sliding down into a crouch to kneel before it. Coming to his side Boromir laid a hand on his shoulder, showing his silent support for his grieving comrade.
On the other side of him Gandalf pushed the dust that lay on top o the tomb away so he could better see the runes that were etched there.
"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria," He translated to the rest of them. "He is dead then. It's as I feared".
Letting out a wail Gimli let the sobs take him. They seemed to echo off the walls around them making her feel claustrophobic. She looked to Legolas who seemed to be as uneasy as her, his eyes kept darting back to the door that they had entered checking to see that they had not been followed.
Giving his staff and hat to Pippin, Gandalf bent down to a fallen Dwarf and prised an old tome from his skeletal hands. He blew at the dust that had settled on the cover and it swirled into the ray of light like a thousand shimmering diamonds .
"We must move on, we cannot linger," Legolas said quietly to her and Aragorn, whilst still surveying the area for any threats. Aragorn nodded, looking back to the sobbing Dwarf and seemed perplexed as to how he could get he company moving once more.
"They have taken the bridge…and the second hall," Gandalf read from the tome, making everyone in the room turn towards him. "We have barred the gates…but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes". The hairs on the back of her neck began to rise at the words, fearing what they would say next.
"Drums...drums…in the deep," Gandalf continued, coming to the last part of the tattered book, the fellowship held their breaths as he spoke. "We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark,We cannot get out… They are coming," he finished meeting there gaze.
A clattering from over at the far side of the room which echoed all around and reverberated in her chest made her jump. Instinctively she raised her hand to grab at the hilt of her sword. Only it was not some foe that she was met with. Instead it was the guilty face of Pippin over near a well. He stood next to a skeleton that was propped up there, its final resting place. Only the skeleton had a lack of a head. That she assumed was what had fallen down into the mouth of the well, ricocheting off of everything that it came into contact with underneath. She could still hear it falling below them now.
Pippin turned fully towards them slowly, not wanting to meet their steely gazes. As he did his cloak knocked the rest of the skeleton and it too toppled backwards into the abyss, dragging a bucket and chain along with it. The sound made her feel sick, all hope of travelling through the mine unnoticed now seemed like a faint glimmer of hope. It crashed and banged all the way down and she closed her eyes willing it to stop.
Silence.
It finally ended but they all still stood frozen, no one daring to make a sound or even breathe.
Silence.
Boromir was the first to let go, exhaling. His shoulders noticeably relaxing as he believed that they had averted the danger.
Slamming the book shut, Gandalf too let out his breath turning to Pippin with a face more angry than she had ever seen it.
"Fool of a took!" He spat at him "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity," he finished grabbing both his hat and staff from the now quivering hobbit.
Boom.
Her heart almost skipped a beat as she heard from the depths below the sound of a drum. She had hoped she had misheard it. Perhaps just the skeleton or the bucket continuing its descent.
Boom.
Another hit, she looked into the faces of the others .Terror was all she saw there.
Boom, Boom, Boom , Boom. It continued like a heartbeat with a beat much slower than her own, but it soon picked up the pace.
"Frodo," Sam cried pointing to the scabbard that hung from Frodo's belt. lifting Sting from the sheath and seeing the blue hue emitted from the enchanted blade confirmed it.
"Orcs!" Legolas shouted and then her heart began to thud as loudly as the drum.
Thanks for reading, I hope to update the next chapter soon :)