Chapter Thirteen

"We now have but one choice." Gandalf said, slamming his staff on the ground. The light filled the space. "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." We walked forward. I grabbed Frodo's hand.

"Are you scared?" Frodo whispered to me. I shook my head no. "Liar."

"A little." I said.

"A little?"

"A lot."

Frodo gave me a peck on the lips. "Don't be. I'm here with you."

"That makes me a lot less scared, actually."

"Quietly now." Gandalf said, sending us a glare. I smiled. "It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed.

Later on, we reached a narrow ledge. "Oh gosh. I hate heights..." I muttered. Frodo grasped my hand tighter.

"The wealth of Moria is not in gold," Gandalf said. "Or jewels, but Mithril."

Everyone looked over the side. Merry must've gone too far because Pippin held him back. Gandalf continued to talk as we started to walk again. "Bilbo had a shirt of Mithril rings that Thorin gave him."

"Oh, that was a kingly gift!" Gimli exclaimed.

"Yes. I never told him, but its worth was greater than the value of the Shire."

Frodo's eyes widened.

Later

We climbed up some steep stairs. Frodo had to let go of my hand, and we literally were on our hands and knees climbing. Pippin slipped, and Merry caught him.

"Pippin." He hissed, in a low voice. We finally reached the top and stopped. Gandalf stopped and looked around.

"I have no memory of this place." He said.

"Great..." I muttered to where no one could hear me. I gave him one of Bilbo's famous glares (that I mastered on the first try). If you think about it, I'm like Bilbo in more ways than one. Actually, as we were walking, I was hoping to have a walking stick somewhere. Like take one from Rivendell. Or, to at least find one.

Later

We were just sitting around as Gandalf was thinking.

"Are we lost?" Pippin asked.

"No." Merry replied.

"I think we are."

"Shh. Gandalf's thinking."

"Merry?"

"What?"

"I'm hungry."

Frodo looked back, and looked at something closely. I looked at him.

"What?" I asked.

"Look. Over there. You see it?" Frodo asked me in a whisper. If he hadn't, Pippin would've looked around and yapped like there was no tomorrow. I looked where Frodo was looking, and saw a small, greyish figure climbing up towards us, although it was far away. We walked over to Gandalf, terrified.

"There's something down there." Frodo said.

"It's Gollum." Gandalf said.

"Gollum?"

"You mean, the guy that Bilbo and Mom saw back...during their adventure?" I asked.

"The same." Gandalf said to me. "He's been following us for three days."

I grabbed Frodo's hand.

"He escaped the dungeons of Barad-dur?" Frodo asked.

"Escaped...or was set loose. Now the Ring has brought him here." Gandalf looked at us. Frodo and I looked behind us. Although it was a good distance away, I could see a piercing pair of big grey eyes. "He will never be rid of his need for it. He hates and loves the Ring, as he hates and loves himself." I looked back at Gandalf. Frodo was already looking at him again. "Sméagol's life is a sad story. Yes, Sméagol he was once called. Before the Ring found him. Before it drove him mad."

"It's a pity Bilbo and Mimosa didn't kill him when they had the chance." Frodo spat, looking over his shoulder again.

"A big pity." I agreed.

"Pity?" Gandalf asked, looking at him. Frodo looked back at him. "It is pity that stayed Bilbo and Mimosa's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Rowan? Do not be too eager to deal out death and judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before this is over. The pity of Bilbo and Mimosa may rule the fate of many."

Frodo and I sat down. "I wish the Ring had never come to me." Frodo said. "I wish none of this had happened."

"So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo and Rowan, besides the will of evil. Bilbo and Mimosa were meant to find the Ring, even though it was more Bilbo's than Mimosa's. In which case, Frodo, you also were meant to have it."

"Was I meant to help, then?" I asked.

"Yes. And that is an encouraging thought." Gandalf smiled. "Ah!" he suddenly said. Everyone looked at us. "It's that way."

"He's remembered." Merry said, smiling and getting up.

"No. But the air doesn't smell so foul down here." Gandalf stood at an opening. We all followed. He put his hat on. "If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."

We walked down some more steps. A ways down, I heard Gandalf mutter, "Let me risk a little more light."

A brighter light came from his staff. Everyone's mouths dropped open. "Behold," Gandalf said. "The great realm and Dwarf-city of Dwarrowdelf."

"There's an eyes opener, and no mistake." Sam said. We walked forward, and saw an open room. Gimli gave a short cry, and ran forward.

"Gimli!" Gandalf called. But Gimli just ran forward.

"No." we heard him say. "No!" he knelt in front of some type of tomb or coffin or something. "Oh, no. No." He bowed his head. We came in soon after. All around were just skeletons. Everywhere. Gandalf looked at the epitaph, which was in a language I couldn't understand.

""Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria." He is dead, then. It's as I feared."

Gimli began crying more. Gandalf handed his staff and hat to Pippin, and picked up a book, that seemed to be falling apart, from a skeleton. Gimli began speaking in Dwarvish. Gandalf opened the book, and a page fell out, along with dust. He blew some off of the page that he was looking at.

"We must move on. We cannot linger." I heard Legolas say to Aragorn.

""They have taken the bridge and the second hall."" Gandalf read. ""We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums, drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A Shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming.""

There was a cracking sound, and then the sound of something hitting rocks. It was like BANG! Everyone jumped, and looked towards the source. It was that stupid Pippin, of course. He always got into trouble. Problem is, I can never stay mad at that kid. It turns out that the head of the skeleton that sat on the well was gone. About a second later, the body fell as well, along with some chains and the bucket. The sounds echoed all around us, and every time one was made, Pippin winced. Then, there was silence. A silence that was so dead, it freaked me out.

Gandalf looked at him. He slammed the book shut, making me jump. "Fool of a Took!" he exclaimed. "Throw yourself in next time, and rid us of your stupidity!" Gandalf yanked his hat and staff away from him. He turned, and then we heard drums.

""Drums, drums in the deep.""

"Oh no." I muttered. We all looked at the well. Screeching soon followed the drums. Sam looked at Frodo's sword.

"Frodo!" he exclaimed quietly. Frodo pulled his sword out a bit to find it glowing blue. My eyes widened.