Chapter fourteen
The Fellowship had been riding for a few hours, when Frodo spoke up. "What happened Gandalf? Why is it that you chose not to meet us at the inn?"
Gandalf did not look back at Frodo as he led the thirteen companions on. "I already told you, Frodo. I was delayed."
"Gandalf, I understand that, but what I don't understand is…why? You have always been punctual, the fact that you did not come to meet us still scrapes at the back of my mind." Gandalf let out a soft sigh, understanding that Frodo would never be content without a proper answer.
"I do apologize, Frodo, but I cannot tell you. The memory is still too real for me." As he told Frodo this he began to recall the events.
He was riding swiftly to Orthanc tower. Gandalf could hear Saruman as he descended the steps of the tower.
"Smoke rises from the mountain of doom. The hour grows late and Gandalf the grey rides to Isenguard seeking my council." Gandalf dismounted his horse and bowed to Saruman.
"For that is why you have come, it is not?"
The two of them walked the grounds of Isenguard as Gandalf explained everything.
"Are you sure of this Gandalf?" Saruman queried.
"There is no doubt in my mind." Gandalf answered assuredly.
"So the ring of power has been found." Saruman spoke with the slightest hint of malevolent joy.
"All these long years it has been in the Shire, right under my very nose,"
"And yet you did not have the wits to see it. Your love of the Halflings' leaf has clearly slowed your mind." Saruman did his best to act upset with Gandalf's lack of momentum.
"There is still time. We can counter Sauron if we act quickly."
Saruman stopped and looked at Gandalf. "Time! What time do you think we have?! Come with me," Saruman commanded. A few minutes later Saruman and Gandalf were inside of Isenguard discussing the situation of the ring.
"Sauron has regained much of his former strength, he cannot yet take physical form but his spirit has lost none of its potency. Concealed within his fortress the lord of Mordor sees all, his gaze pierces cloud, earth, shadow, and flesh."
Gandalf gave Saruman an afflicted look.
"You know of what I speak. A great eye, lidless, wreathed in flame." Saruman's eyes went wide as he spoke of the dark force.
"The eye of Sauron. We must still try to destroy the ring. It is the only way to save the whole of Middle-earth." Gandalf was practically pleading with Saruman.
"Tell me, what path would you take, you could make for the Gap of Rohan, but from what I have heard orcs are patrolling it constantly. You could also try for the Pass of Caradhras, however not even elves dare to venture that route now. What then, will you seek more dangerous roads?"
"It is possible for us to take the route under the mountain, through the great halls of Khazad-dûm. If we are lucky we can avoid notice and travel through unhindered."
"Moria, you fear to go in there Gandalf. You know what happened on that fateful day in Khazad-dûm. The Dwarves delved too greedily and too deep. They awoke an ancient evil there, a beast from the First Age, a creature of fire and shadow. The Balrog, so named Durin's bane."
"We can avoid the Balrog, if we can avoid notice by the Goblins."
"And still you fail to see the larger picture; Sauron is gathering all forces to him. Soon he will have an army large enough to launch an attack on the free peoples of Middle Earth."
"You know of this? How?" Gandalf gave Saruman a quizzical look.
"I have seen it." Saruman said as he turned to face the center chamber of Orthanc Tower.
"A palantir? That is a dangerous tool to use, Saruman."
"Why? Why should we fear to use it?" Saruman stood up and walked over to the pedestal in the center chamber and pulled off the black cloth covering a cloudy, black glass, orb. Gandalf followed Saruman into the room and grabbed the black cloth out of Saruman's hand.
"They are not all accounted for. We don't know who else might be watching." As Gandalf replaced the black cloth his hand touched the glass orb. For a split second he saw the eye of Sauron flash within his mind, just as it had when he tried to pick up the ring.
Saruman walked up to his black marble throne and sat down. "The hour is later than you think. Sauron's forces are already on the move. The Nine have left Minas Morgul."
"The Nine!" Gandalf's consternation was clear upon his face.
"They crossed the river Isen on midsummers' eve disguised as riders in black. They will find the ring, and kill the one who carries it."
"Frodo!" Gandalf spun around and began to march out of the room only to be stopped by the door slamming shut in his face. As he attempted to leave, the same thing occurred at each of the other doors.
"You did not seriously think that a Hobbit could contend with the will of Sauron, did you? There are none who can. Against the power of Mordor there can be no victory. We must join with him Gandalf, we must join with Sauron."
Gandalf stared in disbelief at Saruman. "Tell me, old friend, when did Saruman the wise abandon reason for madness?"
With that Saruman lost all self-control, picked up his staff, and launched an invisible discharge of energy at Gandalf. Gandalf was not nearly as strong of a wizard as Saruman but he was powerful in his own right. As the wizards' battle escalated, the two men swung their staves in vagrant motions releasing charges of energy with each pass. Using every ounce of strength he could muster, Gandalf retaliated, forcing Saruman back into his study. However, Gandalf's age was getting to him. He paused temporarily to rest, which gave Saruman enough time to gain control of Gandalf's staff. With both his own and Gandalf's staff in hand Saruman began to twist and pull at Gandalf's body with the invisible energy. As Gandalf writhed on the floor in pain Saruman began to walk closer.
"I gave you the chance to aid me willingly, but you… have elected… the way… of pain!" As he finished saying pain, Saruman pointed both staves upwards, launching Gandalf towards the ceiling. The walls of Isenguard blurred as Gandalf flew upwards.
"Gandalf?" Frodo looked at him with concern.
"Hmm?" Gandalf said as he came back from his memories.
"Are you all right, Gandalf? You looked like you were lost." Frodo had always considered Gandalf to be like a father to him. He was always concerned if something was amiss.
"I was, but only within my mind. There is nothing to worry about." Gandalf gave Frodo a smile and a wink then turned forward again to watch ahead of them.
After three hours of riding, Gandalf stopped and dismounted. "Alright, this is where we stop."
Aragorn was confused by this. He had at least seen where Mordor was, and this was nowhere near it. "Gandalf, why do we stop, we must get the ring to Mount Doom."
Gandalf turned around and smiled at Aragorn. "Because, this is where the horses leave, and we continue on foot."
"Continue on… are you mad? With the horses we will make it to Mordor in a matter of months. On foot it will take us at least a year." Boromir said astonishedly.
"Calm yourself Boromir." Ninniachel said in a soothing tone. "Gandalf is right, if we send the horses away then the enemy will have to try and follow foot prints rather than horse tracks, which I can tell you from experience, are much harder to find."
Boromir let out a grunt of disapproval but dismounted and unpacked his horse anyway. Once all the horses were unpacked the thirteen companions sent them on their way and continued on foot. After three more days of walking the group stopped next to the ruins of an old watch tower and rested. While the party was resting Ninniachel and Legolas kept watch for any enemy movement.
Gimli stood up from the rock he was sitting on and walked over to Gandalf. "If anyone was going to ask my opinion, which they're not, I would say that we are going the long way around. Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria, my cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome."
Gandalf gave Gimli a serious gaze before answering. "I would use the Mines of Moria only if the ring-bearer decided to. I am only looking for the safest path for him."
Gimli sighed and walked away, taking his place back on the rock.
While the others were resting Achilles, along with Boromir, were helping to train Merry and Pippin in the ways of combat.
"Come on, little one! I am sure you can do better than that," Boromir taunted Pippin into attacking.
"Watch this Merry, for your friend is about to be beaten." Achilles said watching the contest between Pippin and Boromir. Pippin reacted before he thought and swung wildly at Boromir. Boromir deflected the blade with ease and pushed Pippin back.
"Never let your opponent goad you into attacking them. Wait for them to make the first move." Achilles lectured Pippin. "Alright Merry, your turn, see if you can get me." Achilles gave Merry a sly smile.
"Let's see if I can do better." Merry smiled and charged at Achilles. However, rather than swinging wildly he let Achilles try and strike at him. As Achilles' blade came down, Merry used his small size to run behind Achilles and under his blade. Merry turned around and started to place his sword against Achilles back, only to find Achilles facing him with his brazen bronze blade pointing at his chest.
"It was a good tactic to use your size to your advantage. However, you need to be a bit faster if you want to use your size as a tool. Alright Pippin, try against Boromir again."
Aragorn chipped in with the lesson. "Move your feet Pippin, you're to stationary."
Pippin nodded. "All right, I can do this." This time when Pippin swung he was prepared for Boromir's parry. Just as Boromir brought his blade down to defend against the attack, Pippin pulled his blade back and thrust it forward, above Boromir's blade. In a desperate gambit to beat Pippin, Boromir brought up his blade. As his blade collided with that of Pippin's it slid down the length of the blade and nicked Pippin on the finger.
"Agh!" Pippin shouted as he dropped his blade and grabbed his hand.
"Oh sorry!" Boromir went up to Pippin to try and help him.
"Get him!" Merry shouted. Both he and Pippin tackled Boromir to the ground. As the trio play-wrestled, Aragorn and Achilles watched. Aragorn chuckled slightly as he watch the group play. Understanding that the training was more serious and needed to be continued, Achilles walked over to the trio and tried to break them up.
"Enough, we need to get back to practice." As Achilles grabbed Pippin, both of the two hobbits grabbed his feet and pulled him down to the ground with them. As Achilles fell over Aragorn guffawed at the scene that quickly began to unfold. His laughter was cut short though when Sam spoke up.
"What is that?" Sam pointed to a dark blob on the horizon.
"It's just a wisp of clouds, nothing more." Gimli said as he tried to disregard it.
Boromir stopped play-wrestling with the two Hobbits and looked at the dark blob. "It is moving fast… against the wind."
Legolas looked out with Ninniachel, the two of them nodded to each other in agreement. "Crebain!" Legolas shouted.
"They're coming from Dudland!" Ninniachel completed his statement.
"Hide!" Aragorn bellowed as he ran over to gather his things. The party of thirteen companions gathered everything together and started stuffing it in rocks and under plants in an attempt to avoid detection. Sam poured water on the fire to douse it.
"Hurry! They are almost here!" Boromir shouted as he rushed the Hobbits along.
Just as the thirteen companions found a hiding place for their belongings and themselves, the flock of Crebain flew over their heads. The sounds that the carrion birds made as the flew overhead was like that of the constant moans of people with the plague. The stench from these beasts was ever more horrid. They smelled of the corpses of weeks old animals, of which Aragorn was sure they had been feasting on. After making a single pass, the birds turned and flew back the way they came. As the Crebain flew away, the group came out from hiding.
"The southern pass is being watched, we have only two choices. Frodo, we can either go over the mountain through the pass of Caradhras, or we can go under the mountain, through the mines of Moria." Gandalf watched Frodo carefully as he waited for an answer.
"Let us go under the mountain, through the mines." Gandalf looked solemnly at Frodo, hearing his choice.
"So shall it be. Follow me." Gandalf started walking towards the mountains near a small pass that lead deep into the mountain chain's heart.
Later that evening the fellowship continued their journey through a foggy path in between two large peaks.
"Frodo, come help an old man." Gandalf called to the Hobbit. As Frodo came to help Gandalf, the old wizard placed his arm around Frodo. "How is your shoulder?"
"Better than it was. Why do you ask?" Frodo looked at Gandalf as a child would to a father.
"Can't I take an interest in your health?" Just as soon as the topic was light, Gandalf brought it crashing back to earth. "How is the ring? It is getting heavier isn't it?" Gandalf looked at Frodo's pocket. "I can feel its power grow too. You must be extra careful, Frodo. You need to start looking for enemies outside and, I fear, within the Fellowship." Just as Gandalf said that Gimli, soon followed by Odysseus, passed by the two of them.
As the fellowship cleared the fog, Gimli inhaled slightly at the sight. "There it is!" The dwarf said excitedly. "The Walls of Moria!" As the fog lifted the fellowship laid their eyes on a shear-faced cliff next to a black pool of still water.
"My word, what a sight indeed, if that is the wall then what does the inside look like?" Odysseus asked to no one in particular.
"You know, lord Odysseus, the dwarf doors are invisible when closed." Gimli said proudly as he went about tapping his axe upon the wall trying to find a change in the pitch of the impact.
"Yes, so good in fact at hiding them, that the dwarves themselves cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten." Gandalf said chuckling slightly at the statement.
"Why does that not surprise me?" Legolas stated as he watched Gimli search fruitlessly for the entrance to the hidden chambers.
"Bah!" Gimli grunted as he brushed off Legolas' statement.
As the thirteen companions continued to walk, Frodo slipped and stepped, ever so slightly, into the black pond, only to be saved by Aragorn, who grabbed him by the arm and hauled him away from the water.
"Be careful Frodo. Even the most calm of places can be fraught with danger." Aragorn warned him.
Gandalf walked up to a pair of trees growing ten feet apart and rubbed his hand over the stone, all the while mumbling to himself an ancient riddle of the rock. "Ithildin, it mirrors only starlight…" Gandalf looked up at the sky and waved his hand brushing away the clouds that blocked the light of the full moon. "…and moon light."
As the light of the full moon hit the door a high elven pattern of an archway with two trees growing around it appeared. In the crest of the archway was written Elvish inscriptions.
"Ennyn Durin aran Moria. Pedo mellon a minno - The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter." Achilles read aloud. Everyone, including Odysseus and Patroclus turned around to face the Myrmidon king.
"I had heard stories of this gate from my father, mostly about Celebrimbor the craftsman. Legend says that he was the greatest craftsman of all the elven lands, and Middle Earth, during his day." Gandalf looked stunned to hear that Achilles, a king from a foreign land, knew of legends of Middle Earth.
"Well that is nice and all but um, what do the runes mean?" Pippin asked.
"It is quite simple really, if you're a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open." Gandalf cleared his throat and spoke in a powerful commanding voice to the door. "Annon Edhellen, edro hi ammen!" As he finished speaking nothing happened. Pippin stood back with a large grin on his face expecting it to just take some time. Gandalf cleared his throat once more and tried to open the gate again.
"Fennas Nogothrim, lasto beth lammen!" Yet still the door remained solidly shut to the company.
"Nothing's happening." Pippin whispered to Legolas, unfortunately for him Gandalf could still hear him.
"It is quite clear that nothing is happening. I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves, Men, and Orcs, and I can't seem to open this blasted door." Gandalf leaned in and tried to push on it. Nevertheless, the sheer mass of the gate was too great.
"Well what are we going to do now?" Pippin asked, unwittingly putting himself on Gandalf's bad side once more.
"I intend to knock your head against these doors Peregrin Took! And if that doesn't work then maybe I can finally get some peace and quiet to solve this problem." Gandalf threw his staff and hat down next to a boulder and sat down to smoke his pipe and think about the quandary of the gate.
For a few hours nothing happened. The thirteen companions just sat around doing this and that. Achilles was standing next to the wall sharpening his blade. Ninniachel and Patroclus were sitting together under one of the two trees. Boromir was competing with the Hobbits on who could skip the stones farthest across the black pool, and Legolas was tending to his arrows, making sure that none of the fletching was out of place. For an Elvish arrow, if even one section of fletching is out of place then the entire arrow could fail to hit the preferred target. Gimli was sitting alone brooding over the idea that they might never enter into Moria. Aragorn, along with Sam were checking everything in the packs to make sure that all was in place for the remainder of the journey. As for Frodo, he had joined Gandalf and Odysseus on the boulder to try and crack the conundrum of the door.
Just as Boromir was about to throw another stone, Aragorn grabbed his wrist. "Do not disturb the waters." Aragorn stared at the water for a minute to see if he could find any movement. Seeing nothing he turned away from the black pool.
Patroclus, who had been thinking of a time when he and Achilles were young, shot up from his seat. "I've got it; I know what it is, cousin!" Patroclus shouted excitedly.
"What are you going on about?" Achilles asked curiously.
Everyone, including Gandalf, was staring at Patroclus waiting for an answer. "It is a riddle, cousin! Do you remember when we were kids and you would always hide in a fort and when I found you, you always told me to 'speak friend and enter'. I would always tell you the password but you would never let me in. I could never figure it out until now. You were not looking for a password; you wanted me to say the word friend!"
"Ah! He is right!" Gandalf beamed. "Well I am ready to get going. How about you? Mellon."
As soon as Gandalf spoke the word for friend, the massive stone gate began to open. With the gate opening the group began to enter into the mines of Moria.
Gimli was especially pleased about this. Long had he desired to return to the home of his cousin. "Soon, Elves, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves. A roaring fire, malt beer, and ripe meat off the bone. This, friends, is the home to my cousin Balin, and they call it a mine, a mine!" Gimli was chuckling at the thought of the kingdom of the dwarves being called a mine when he knew that it was so much more than just some mine.
As Gandalf's staff lit up the room the fellowship's eyes were filled with the images of hundreds of dwarven bodies strewn about the entrance, each of the bodies having either an arrow or a blade wound in them.
"This is no mine, it is a Tomb. We never should have come here; we go back and make for the pass of Caradhras, or the Gap of Rohan." Boromir stated as he began to slowly walk backwards, making sure that the Hobbits were still behind him.
"No!" Gimli bellowed as he ran over to one of the corpses. "Nooooooo!"
Legolas knelt down and pulled out one of the arrows. "Goblins!" He said disgustedly and threw the arrow down on the ground.
As they were backing up something wrapped itself around Frodo's leg. The thing pulled on Frodo's leg, causing him to fall down. The thing began to drag Frodo towards the still black pool.
"Ah!" Frodo shrieked as the source of the object came out of the water. "Help!" Frodo yelled.
Everyone turned around to see what was going on, only to be struck by the image of the sickly green-colored creature that was trying to eat Frodo.
"Achilles! Aragorn! Help!" Frodo howled as he dangled above the creature's maw.
While Achilles and Aragorn ran out to help Frodo, Odysseus and Legolas pulled out their bows and fired arrows at the creature. The arrows did little in the ways of harming the creature but they did distract the thing long enough for Achilles to cut the tentacle holding Frodo. As the Hobbit fell Aragorn caught him in his arms. Still carrying Frodo both he and Achilles ran back into the mine, only to be followed by the creature. The gaping maw of the beast snapped at the companions a few times. As it pulled itself forward some of the support rocks came loose and crashed down on top of the beast, sealing it out and the fellowship inside. As the fellowship calmed down, Gandalf blew at the small stone at the top of his staff, creating a small light. Upon slamming the butt of his staff down on the ground the small light grew into a light as bright as a full moon on winter's night.
"We have no choice now but to go through the long, dark depths of Moria. Let us hope our presence here goes unnoticed, for there are far more foul things than Goblins in the deep places of the world." With that Gandalf started walking deeper into the mine, followed closely by the rest of the Fellowship.