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Phases written with italics; Elvish or Athélèrn

Phrases written with bold; thoughts


The next morning Gandalf hurried to continue. As when they had went to examine the bodies of the last wolf attack, they had realized the wolves had not been usual wolves, but indeed Wargs. Legolas found all his arrows intact except one which had burnt, but they didn't even notice a sign of any wolves being there at all. Only as they didn't find the carcasses of the dead animals the horrible truth was revealed to them. The bodies had been eaten by their alive comrades. So after eating a quick breakfast themselves, the fellowship hurried down from the hill and started to journey toward the Mines of Moria.

Gimli had moved to the head of the company, walking now next to Gandalf, as he was very excited to see the halls of his forefathers. And when Shakiiya had made a small question about the Mines, which still interested her as a place she had never been, he ended up talking hours about the magnificence of Moria. But all of a sudden he let out as excited cry and rushed forward.

Shakiiya followed him with her gaze and saw him point to the right, shouting back at them and they also now hurried up the low hill, then seeing their destination in front of them. There they were. Beholding the walls of Khazad-dûm, currently also known by the name Black Pit according to Gimli, but commonly referred by many as Mines of Moria in Elvish.

They were now walking along a small road after entering a valley of rocks, mist hanging heavily around the dull landscape of plain stone. Shakiiya gazed at the grey cliff while walked forward, casting her eyes to examine a sturdy piece of a broken bridge high above their right, until she heard someone come beside her. She turned her head back forward and saw Legolas from the corner of her eye.

"I heard you were attacked by a Warg when you were young", the Elf started all of a sudden. Shakiiya did indeed turn to look at him surprised and lifted her brows slightly until nodded.

"You mean, you eavesdropped while I mentioned it to the Hobbits", Shakiiya retorted, but not rudely, giving the Elf a remarkable look which made him freeze due the truth. But she then looked amused. "Are you to point out that I am not as invincible after all, as we Athélèrn claim to be?" she asked now sarcastically, even smiling slightly at the end. Legolas then smiled himself and shook his head.

"No. But I have to say that after I've seen you fight now more than once, I was slightly amazed of the thought you to have been defeated by someone", he answered, Shakiiya looking at him again remarkably.

"If you can call a Warg someone", she noted. Legolas tilted his head, and as Shakiiya saw him clearly expect a definition from her, she sighed. Giving up to his silent inquire she had noted in his eyes as long as their travel together had lasted.

"Well, as I said I was young. And I was too carefree, very much like Píríel is now. I thought to be skillful enough to face whatever there was outside the borders of our kingdom and not be harmed. But I had to learn the reality the hard way, almost losing an arm and my life for that lesson", Shakiiya continued, now more seriously looking into Legolas' eyes, him seeing that guarded being of her to return. "I do not want my sister to be like me, because that would mean she'll go through the same mistakes I did. And that would mean her to be too overconfident against much stronger opponents that she could handle."

"That is why you opposed her to come to defend your village", Legolas noted.

"Píríel would've done exactly what I in that age. She isn't ready, and I want her to understand that there'll be a day she knows when she is strong enough to face all the evils of the world. But now it is too soon. This war isn't hers, or not maybe even the next if the time isn't right."

"There might not be a next war for her to fight", Legolas answered, now also more serious. Shakiiya directed a gloomy look forward.

"I can't afford to think that. My tribe has lived all the decades for the thought of war, and been forced to defend itself against enemies like Gâshem… Same kind of fate cannot happen to my people ever again. That is why our might to fight shall never fade, was there a time of war or peace. It is implanted in our lineage, flowing in our veins with the blood. The will to fight. That is who we are."

Legolas examined Shakiiya and saw her serious expression. He saw in her eyes that said fire to protect what was important to her and to her tribe, it being so strong in her that it awoke respect in him. Shakiiya took her responsibility as the leader of her tribe in all of its importance. She after all had left her home and broken against their oldest of old traditions by riding to an open war in the name of her people, leaving behind everything, even she could lose her life and never return. But eventually Legolas only smiled to himself and turned his eyes away.

"If your sister is anything like you, I am sure you don't have to worry about her so much", he then said. "I'm sure she'll do the right choices in life, as she indeed is your sister."

Shakiiya smiled at first gently, but then her expression turned amused. "My sister has quite a crush on you, you noticed that?" she inquired then and looked at Legolas. Legolas then did get surprised by her sudden remark, and Shakiiya lifted her brows.

"You did not? Well, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable", she then continued and looked away. But she had still that amused look on her face, smirk making its way on her lips. Then Gimli leant toward her.

"Our Elf might have a certain other person in his mind to notice such things!" he cut in grinning amused in turn, and Legolas' confused look was wiped away by the slight glare he gave to the Dwarf. Shakiiya lifted her brows again.

"Oh really?" she asked, then turning her attention back to the Elven prince. "Does this mean you are engaged, Legolas? Or even married perhaps?"

Legolas now met Shakiiya's eyes somewhat dumbfounded for a brief moment. She was measuring his reactions, but he then sighed and shook his head. Seeing Gimli smirk at the sight of him before turned away again.

"No, I am not", he then replied after the moment of confusion. Shakiiya nodded as answer but then she smiled again, though not apologetically, her tone next polite.

"I'm sorry for that. But I'm sure that whoever it is you are to marry will be a lucky woman."

Legolas smiled and nodded back. "Thank you."

Shakiiya then looked forward, again casually jumping on a low cliff and walked on it, until dropped back down next to the Elf when it ended. That amused Legolas, as she had reminded him of a young Elleth just now.

"What about you then?" Legolas then suddenly continued the subject. "Did your mother betroth you to some fine man?"

Now it was Shakiiya's turn to get surprised, but Legolas saw her jaw clench, her face turning expressionless momentarily as she then she shook her head. "What a peculiar question", she stated and Legolas regretted it a bit, now seeing it had indeed sounded somewhat odd. But Shakiiya then looked at him.

"You should know the answer to that, Legolas. No, my mother did not do such thing. That is not usual custom in our tribe, as you know our policy when it comes to men. I could marry, but my husband could not step into our lands and would have to live far away from me. And what kind of a marriage would that be I wonder? And more importantly, if I were to give him a girl child as an outcome of that marriage, he would not be able to see her as she would automatically be part of Athélèrn. And besides I am the queen now. I reckon I can never have the privilege to love a man, even if I would want to…"

Shakiiya stopped then and Legolas looked at her a bit sorry. Yes, he knew that. And that was why his question felt even more wrong. But then something else came into his mind.

"What about your father?" he then asked, also using now Elvish which Shakiiya had suddenly changed back into. "Do you know who he was?"

Shakiiya's face darkened slightly, but she still smiled after a while, looking soon normal. She then made a brisk nod. "Yes, I know who my father is", she answered.

"Did you ever meet him?" Legolas inquired.

"I did. A long time ago."

Legolas took a break as he smiled. "Did not you mother stop you from meeting him?" he questioned. Shakiiya looked up briefly and turned to look at him. She had surprisingly gentle look in her eyes.

"My mother loved him", she said back truthfully, then turning her eyes to her side and letting them wander around thoughtfully. "She loved me just because I was his daughter, and couldn't bear to ban him seeing me. So I met my father and knew him. But that is now part of the past…"

Legolas now saw Shakiiya look down in some kind of sadness, remembering something old and forgotten for a brief moment. He wrinkled his brows in wonder.

"What do you mean? Where is you father now?" he still asked. Shakiiya sighed slightly and met his eyes.

"His spirit is with Manwë now. He died as well long time ago."

Legolas' steps slowed for surprise, as he exchanged that look with Shakiiya. Her father had died? But if he was an Elf then how could that be? But Shakiiya saw that question in his eyes and sighed again, now closing hers momentarily.

"He died in a war", she revealed then. "But that is the last thing I'll share with you now, son of Thranduil, before I know you better. I might've already told too much of myself."

Shakiiya then fastened her steps and walked before Legolas, ending their conversation. And so the company fell into silence again. Legolas pondered Shakiiya's words for a moment, until returned his thoughts back to their mission and mostly to the Mines of Moria. Legolas didn't feel very comfortable of going there.

Shakiiya walked forward now alone, but then she slowed her pace as happened to overhear Gandalf who had just called Frodo to him, taking support from him.

"How's your shoulder?" Gandalf asked him as they walked forward.

"Better than it was", Frodo answered.

"And the Ring?" Gandalf queried then, Shakiiya's head now snapping up. He and Frodo had now stopped and so did Shakiiya, examining the Wizard's back as waited to hear Frodo's answer.

"You feel Its power growing, don't you?" Gandalf continued, his voice now serious. "I felt it too. You must be careful now. Evil will be drawn to you from outside the fellowship. And I fear… from within…"

Gandalf and Frodo both glanced at Boromir, who passed them at the same moment. Frodo looked wary.

"Who then do I trust?" he asked, his perplexity visible on his face, as he gazed up at the Wizard who had so far always been there to guide him.

"You must trust yourself", Gandalf responded. "Trust your own strength."

"What do you mean?"

"There are many powers in this world for good or for the evil. Some are greater than I am. And against some I have not yet been tested", was Gandalf's answer. His words made Shakiiya think until then Gimli pointed forward again, now a hint of smile on his lips.

"The walls…of Moria", he breathed, now everyone gathering together to stare at the majestic cliff spreading in front of them.

There was uncomfortable sensation at the back of Shakiiya's head and her fingers squeezed the hilt of her sword, her eyes flickering on the grey stone walls in suspicion. Another kind of premonition was there to haunt her, and unknowingly she felt as reluctant to go into those mines as Legolas, even she was interested to see this leir of Dwarves. But something deep within told her to stay away.


It was again late before they arrived at the long path, which led toward the said doors of Moria between the long cliff wall and pretty vast lake, which had formed there due years at the right side of the fellowship. They glanced at the calm waters from time to time, but kept on following Gandalf as he walked forward. Gimli was knocking the rock with his axe.

"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed", he told his companions, as was now again the first to walk forward the narrow path with Gandalf.

"Yes, Gimli, their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten", Gandalf said, also examining the wall they were passing, stopping by a crack formed into the stone.

Legolas lifted his brows unnoticeably. "Why doesn't that surprise me?" he questioned out loud, clear mock in his voice, Shakiiya giving him a hard look he could not read but which he understood soon enough later. Also Gimli stopped for a brief moment looking rather irritated, but ignored Legolas as continued his way after the Wizard.

As Frodo slipped and his leg was dipped into the cold lake water, Shakiiya grabbed his collar and lifted him back onto the sturdy ground. Frodo glanced around the eerie place they had arrived, reflecting his kin's dislike toward this path into the Mines. But all of them now saw Gandalf stop once more, and he turned to look at the wall in front of him. There were two lone trees standing next to the spot and Gandalf was now standing between them, letting out a satisfied sound as smoothed the cliff's surface.

"Here we are at last!" he announced. "Here ends the Elven road of Eregion. The emblem of the people who lived there was buckthorn, and these trees were planted here as a sign of the boundary of the kingdom; because the Western door was made above all for the inhabitants, when they were trading with the Lords of Moria."

"I remember those times", Shakiiya noted, more to herself as looked up the high cliff, earning odd looks from the men. Gimli turned to look at her.

"You lass?" he asked doubting, Shakiiya then smiling slightly amused due the disbelief in his voice.

"Wait, how old was she again?" Merry asked from Pippin, eventually looking at Frodo and Sam, but didn't get an answer as Gandalf then continued.

"They were happier times", he said. "Back then there still were sometimes close friendship between different races, even between Dwarves and Elves."

Gandalf looked at Shakiiya for some reason. But Gimli and Legolas looked rather sour due that last remark, Legolas hiding it better though.

"It was not the fault of the Dwarves that friendship faded", Gimli declared. Legolas made a gloomy smile.

"And I haven't heard it was the fault of the Elves either", he shot back.

"And I have been taught it was the fault of the both", Shakiiya then cut in with bored voice, and Gandalf smiled amused as saw her annoyed expression. Both Legolas and Gimli now gasped and they turned their eyes on Shakiiya's back, who then turned around her arms crossed, giving them slight glares.

"But still, no matter who was at fault, could I ask you two not to bring up old grunges and that way insult both of my races?"

Shakiiya's words sank in, and the rest of the fellowship actually noted amused that both of the representatives of the said fallen out races looked somewhat embarrassed.

"Forgive me", Legolas bidded then, and bowed his head a bit to Shakiiya apologetically. But she actually only lifted her brows slightly, serious and nodded toward Gimli.

"Don't apologize to me but to Gimli. And likeways you should be apologized by him. That kind of bickering between the lines about happenings which you never were to witness, is childish in my opinion."

The two looked even more embarrassed but said nothing, nor apologized to each other. But their companions got even more amusement by Shakiiya's quite straight manifestation, until Gandalf cut it off.

"I have also heard both of those claims", Gandalf commented then after a pause. "… and will not say my opinion of the matter right now. But also I ask that even you two, Legolas and Gimli, would be friends and help me. I need both of you. The doors are shut and hidden and quicker we find them the better. Night is falling!"

Gandalf then stepped next to the wall and let his hands smooth the cliff more. "Well, let's see", he mumbled, clearly searching for something, then finding it under the dirt and grime he brushed away from the wall. "Ithildin…"

Shakiiya turned her attention to Gandalf in interest after hearing the word, and now saw some faint lines on the cliff as the Wizard's fingers were smoothing them.

"…It mirrors only starlight and moonlight", Gandalf mumbled again to himself staring at the wall. Others stared at him in wonder as he now turned around, looking to the sky expectant.

The clouds moved away, revealing the moon behind them, and next what the fellowship saw was something amazing. Something started to shimmer on the rock wall and soon by the sheds of the moon revealed behind the clouds, there was a door appearing behind Gandalf. Those thin lines Shakiiya had noticed starting to shine. Shakiiya stepped in front of it and touched the rock, letting her fingers now trace the lines of the Ithildin door as well. She smiled intrigued.

"That is truly Elven writing, though the language is what Dwarves use", she noted as read the text in the arch of the door, under it appearing two trees similar to these by their side, having crest moons on their branches. She had given a settle glance at both Legolas and Gimli, but who of course didn't know that.

Gandalf placed his other hand on his hip satisfied, as Gimli only stared at the door with wide eyes.

"There are the emblems of Durin!" he breathed.

"And there is the tree of the High Elves!" Legolas realized.

"It reads; The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter", Gandalf then said in turn, pointing at the Elven letters with his staff he just translated. The companions examined the writing.

"What you suppose that means?" Merry asked.

"Oh, it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open", Gandalf answered without a hesitation, and stepped forth to the appeared gate.

Shakiiya instead disagreed, and she wondered how the Wizard did not notice the hastiness of his conclusion. But she let it go, giving the glory to Gandalf to get them in sooner or later. He was the Wizard after all.

Gandalf now placed the tip of his staff on the door, on top of the star in middle of it. "Annon edhellen, edro hi amen!" he said the words. But nothing happened.

Shakiiya lifted her brows again and then only walked to the side, sitting on the roots of the tree and took out her daggers. Starting to cleanse them properly, even she again earned some weird looks from the others. After gazing at the door in confusion Gandalf tried again, now lifting the staff and his free hand up, bowing his head.

"Fennas nogothrim, lasto beth lammen!" he exclaimed. But still nothing happened.

Everyone were now as confused as the wizard, and they glanced between him and the door of Durin. Gandalf lowered his hands in momentary defeat. Gimli sighed and Legolas looked to the side, his gaze then traveling to Shakiiya who sat relaxed on the roots, leaning her back against the tree and not paying any attention to the rest of them. For some reason he was quite amused by that.

"You're sure you spelled it right?" Shakiiya then asked in her language, giving the Wizard a look. Gandalf only sighed.

"This is not the time for you to say anything sarcastically childish as that, Shakiiya", he only said back and Shakiiya tilted her head, then returning her attention back to her daggers. Even though she was amused inside. She had always liked teasing the old Wizard when his bottomless knowledge sometimes failed him.

"Nothing's happening", Pippin then stated all of their thoughts out loud, meeting Legolas' eyes which now looked down at him. That increased Gandalf's frustration.

He then tried to move the doors, but they didn't give even an inch away. The door was still shut. "I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves…Men and Orcs", he then mumbled, pondering hard what had gone wrong.

"Any Orc word is unlikeable to open anything in here", Merry pointed out, Gandalf sighing.

"What are you going to do then?" Pippin inquired.

"Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took!" was Gandalf's irritated answer, his voice loud and echoing from the cliffs. "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."

"Leave him be", Shakiiya then said and looked over at Pippin and the others. "Leave him with his tongues, and he'll soon figure out the right ones."

"Yes, in fact while I search for the right words, you can prepare to go inside the Mines. Because this is where we have to say goodbye to our good load pony. You have to leave out much of that equipment we took with us in case of the cold weather. Inside the Mines you will not need them, and hopefully not after we have gone through them to south. Instead each of us has to take a share of the pony's load, above all the food and waterskins", Gandalf instructed. Sam got horrified.

"But surely you cannot leave poor Bil to this deserted place master Gandalf!" he exclaimed, a bit accusing even. "I won't have it, that's flat! After he has gone so far with us!"

"I am sorry, Sam. But when the door opens, I don't think you are capable of pulling your Bil inside the darkness of Moria. You have to make a choice between Bil and your master", Gandalf answered.

"He will follow Mr. Frodo even to the dragon's den if I take him!" Sam insisted. "It would be a murder to let him loose when there are wolves somewhere out there too!"

"I hope not a murder", Gandalf replied and then went to the pony, looking into his eyes and spoke to him, told him to go there where the grass was green and eventually back to the house of Elrond. Then he turned his attention back to the Hobbit. "Well Sam! He has as high possibilities to run away from the wolves and get to home as did we!"

Shakiiya lowered her weapon and now looked at Sam in pity, as saw how hard it was to him to let Bil go. He then started to cry helpless, holding the reins of the animal as he smoothed his head against Sam's comforting, before Sam finally started to take the packages of his back and removed the reins. Gandalf then returned to his remembrance of the possible passwords, and eventually all of the comrades then took their places at the narrow shore. Waiting the Wizard to conclude his memoirs.

Legolas had placed himself on the roots of the same tree Shakiiya leant against, standing toward the lake staring at it. He didn't like the feel of it. It felt somehow… alive but in a wrong way. As if the still water would have had eyes, which observed them endlessly. Something lingered in it and around it, and Legolas disliked that presence, but kept it to himself as always.

"Mines are no place for a pony", now Aragron also agreed with Gandalf's earlier words, standing next to Sam, who was now smoothing the animal calmed down. He gave Bil a sad look. "Even one so brave as Bil."

"Bye-bye, Bil", Sam said as Aragorn then sent the pony away, he starting to walk away after giving Sam one more friendly look.

"Go on, Bill. Go on", Aragorn urged and pushed the pony. "Don't worry Sam. He knows the way home just as Gandalf said."

Sam didn't answer to him. Shakiiya directed one more compassionate look over him, until startled Merry by slipping the daggers into their sheaths with fast moves, creating a screech of metal and breaking the silence. She smiled at him a bit apologetically, taking out the knife in her boot, first testing its tip before threw it into the ground. She always seemed to tend to play with her weapons while unoccupied.

"Do you sense something odd in this place?" Legolas then asked, Shakiiya turning to him questionable. She thought, pulling the knife out and threw it again.

"I feel a bit restless, but I cannot actually decide whether it's this place or me myself", she answered truthfully and Legolas nodded. Shakiiya examined him, then standing by his side. "Do you sense something, Legolas?" she questioned in turn. But the Elf did not answer immediately.

"There is something in here I don't like", he admitted eventually, speaking now in Elvish for others not to understand. "It bothers me. Has bothered me ever since we stopped."

Shakiiya gazed at the lake in thoughts. But then they were interrupted as a rock was thrown in the water by Merry, Pippin throwing in the next. Shakiiya looked over at them and saw Aragorn now grab Pippin's arm.

"Do not disturb the water", he said seriously, after also giving the lake a bit wary glance. Gandalf then let out a sigh of frustration and threw his staff on the ground, sitting on a rock.

Shakiiya looked at him in disbelief. Really, he still didn't figure it out, and he was supposed to be the Wizard of second rank? She then just sighed and threw the knife once more into the stony sand.

Boromir and Aragorn were now staring at the lake as did Legolas, doubt increasing all the time in their minds, as suddenly some ripples started to appear on the crystal clear lake. Frodo was examining the writing himself looking thoughtful, until finally he came up with something, and said the exact thing Shakiiya had awaited the Wizard to say the last hour or so.

"It's a riddle", he stated, Shakiiya's head now turning around, and she saw him stand in front of the door. She smiled. Finally someone was making progress.

"…Speak friend and enter. What's the Elvish word for friend?" he finally asked. Shakiiya's smile widened. Gandalf's eyes brightened for realization.

"Mellon", he replied. And immediately there was a sound of something scraping against rock, and the doors of Durin opened. They had found the password.

Everybody's attention was now drawn to the door, away from the suspicious lake. Legolas leapt down from the roots and he walked after Gandalf, who had stepped under the doorframe and lit the tip of his staff to create some light in the darkness, everyone following him with no moment of delay. Glad to get away from that horrid lake. Shakiiya was the last one to enter.

"Soon Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves", Gimli said then, clear satisfaction in his voice again. Shakiiya peered to see something in the dark, leaving his comment without attention, but even the light of the moon coming from the open doors didn't make the visibility any better. If there were someone living here, why wasn't this room lit despite being the back door? It was strange.

"…Roaring fires, malt beer, red meat off the bone!" Gimli continued, glancing at Legolas who also was looking around suspiciously, as if not listening. "This my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a Mine. A Mine!"

Gimli's voice echoed from the stone walls. Shakiiya took another step forward, but she was startled by a loud crunch as she stepped on something. She whipped her head down to see what it was, but didn't see anything. Then Boromir spoke and his words awakened the panic in each of the companions.

"This is no Mine", he stated, looking serious. "It's a tomb."

Immediately after hearing that Shakiiya frowned and lifted the object she had stomped on to the moonlight, only gasping. She was holding a cut off head of a Dwarf. With another slight gasp she dropped the skull, then everyone else also realizing the room was filled with the long dead bodies of Gimli's kin. Scattered everywhere, many pierced by black arrows. Legolas examined them, and soon spotted one of the arrows sticking out one of the late Dwarves, grabbing it. Gimli stared around in shock, until grief took a hold of him.

"No... No... NO!" he eventually exclaimed, kneeling beside one of the dead Dwarves as Legolas pulled out the arrow. He turned serious as well, disgust visiting his features.

"Goblins", he stated tensely, immediately tossing away the enemy arrow and taking a hold of his bow.

Shakiiya swung around her staff, now gazing to the empty path of the Mine in suspicion. As if waiting something to dash from there and attack. Was this place swarming with Goblins then? How was that possible? The others pulled out their swords as well.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here", Boromir said. The Hobbits stared at the bodies in horror, tripping as they were retreating backwards toward the door. "Now get out of here. Get out!" Boromir exclaimed.

Shakiiya was about to also turn to leave as quickly as possible, but then froze. There was something. Waiting, outside.

"I feel it", she stated to herself, but then whipped around. "No! Do not go out!" she shouted, getting confused gazes from her companions.

But then after Shakiiya had taken only a couple of steps, she froze again as at the same moment Frodo let out a cry of fright. And the fellowship saw as he was now suddenly dragged by something toward the lake. Shakiiya narrowed her eyes, and saw a tentacle reached out from the dark stalking water. It was the being which Legolas had sensed. They had been watched.

"Frodo!" the Hobbits called out, Frodo calling for help in fear, as Shakiiya was the first running toward the door. Sam turned around.

"Strider!" he exclaimed. And instantly Aragorn also finally turned to see the danger, dashing after Shakiiya.

Shakiiya jumped high out of the door just as countless new tentacles then flew toward Sam, who had cut the one grasping his master. Shakiiya leapt over the Hobbits and landed on couple of the limbs, pulling out her sword and cut two of them in half just like Sam. But there were still more as Aragorn arrived, and even Shakiiya tried to swing at the flying limbs of the invisible creature, it still managed to grasp Frodo again. Hitting Shakiiya on her chest so that she and the other Hobbits flung backwards. Her hitting straight to Aragorn, as the tentacle pulled Frodo with it.

"Frodo!" Merry shouted, Legolas firing an arrow at the tentacle, but it didn't loosen its grip.

Shakiiya was quickly back on her own feet, and she ran forward into the low water of the lake. Cutting the tentacles all she could with Aragorn and Boromir, as Frodo called out Aragorn in panic. Shakiiya then took a moment of break and gazed up, next sheathing her sword and took an opportunity to grab one of the rising tentacles, then loosening her grip as now jumped and slid from one tentacle to another with amazing agility. Trying to reach the one holding Frodo, as the men tried to cut down the limbs from down, Legolas firing random arrow from the distance.

Shakiiya then heard a hissing noise of some kind. And as she happened to glance at the lake, she now noticed a disfigured head surfacing. The creature of the abyss now staring at Frodo with its black eyes. Frodo let out another shout of fear as it then opened its jaws, ready to swallow him.

Boromir also let out a cry of frustration as cut one tentacle, Aragorn also launching a hard hit on the one holding Frodo. And finally he managed to cut it, Shakiiya immediately jumping forward as Frodo started to fall and caught him, making a somersault in the air with him and landed in the water. Without a hesitation she started to run toward the door with the Hobbit in her arms, passing Gandalf who had taken her staff from where she had thrown it. Legolas shot an arrow to pierce the tentacle which was about to fly after them to get back its prey.

"Into the Mines!" Gandalf exclaimed. Aragorn and Boromir turned to retreat.

"Legolas!" Boromir called for help, Legolas firing yet another arrow very serious look on his face.

"Into the cave!" Aragorn also ordered as ran forward, escaping the tentacles following behind. "Run!"

Legolas shot the third arrow and it hit the creature's head, making it utter a sound of pain and prevented it to try move closer to the shore after the men. But still it grabbed the wall and pulled itself toward the doors, as the last of the fellowship ran inside away from the beast. But luck was on their side as accidentally it made the wall collapse, and soon the door was shut by huge piles of rock, keeping the creature and danger outside. But also now the company was closed into the pitch black darkness.

"Frodo, where's Frodo?" Aragorn's voice called out from the dark, others starting to call out to him too.

"He's here!" Shakiiya's voice then said loudly in middle of the commotion and the men silenced, then seeing a sudden flame spark into life in middle of the room. And Shakiiya now stood there, holding a torch she had found from the floor as Frodo was next to her. Looking fine but he still shivered a little, slouched on the floor. The Hobbits hurried over to him.

"Frodo!" Merry called.

"You're alright!"

Shakiiya left them with themselves, walking forward a bit absentmindedly, again examining the room full of corpses.

"What now?" Pippin asked. Gandalf gazed at the room too, until lit up the crystal at the tip of his staff again.

"We now have but one choice. We must face the long dark of Moria", he answered, and everyone looked at him. His face had darkened as well. "Be on your guard. There are older and fouler creatures than Orcs in the deep places of the world…"

Gandalf now walked past the others, eventually stopping next to Shakiiya, and gave her a slight smile with her fighting staff. "Maybe it was a good thing after all to bring you along!" he remarked and patted her on the shoulder, Shakiiya not answering as the Wizard then also passed her.

Frodo, who was exchanging a couple of words with Aragorn and Boromir now turned to look at her too. "Thank you Shakiiya for catching me", he said, waking her from her thoughts as she met his gaze. "I would've drowned if it weren't for you."

"Nonsense!" she responded indifferently, putting the torch into her other hand. "You'd do the same for me I'm sure."

"Everyone here knows that to be impossible", Merry cut in. Shakiiya made that sideways smirk.

"You're probably right", she stated, then also turning around and became again serious. "I guess that you don't owe me anything then, Frodo."

She had been excited of some sort to be able to visit one of the Dwarf kingdoms, which was also a part of her distant history. But now she wasn't so sure. Gandalf's words had awoken the same restlessness she and her people felt while talking of this place. She now remembered it. The ancient terror in the heart of Moria. She had shivers.

"Are you alright?" Legolas' clear voice then asked, and it made her gasp. Legolas looked at her oddly as she gave him a startled look instead, until let out a breath.

"Of course. Just have to get accustomed to the darkness", she replied, smiling a bit to him. Legolas then smiled back.

"I know what you mean. This is not a beech forest full of light."

Shakiiya said nothing for a moment, until eventually let out amused breath. "No. It is not."

"Quietly now. It's a four-day journey to the other side", Gandalf then said quietly, giving the Elf and Shakiiya a look. Both of them looked up at him nodding, then exchanging a quick look with each other, until walked up the stairs now in silence.

"Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed", Gandalf finished.


A/N: A bit longer chap this time. Well, the biggest cliché ever or something different? Give me a piece of ur minds!