Hey, everyone! I'm baaack! And you know what that means- this chapter decides the fate of Edwiris. Le gasp. So, thanks to edwiris4ever, horseyyay, and TheFlyingHobbit for reviewing this week! Oh, and to edwiris4ever: Sadly, my real-life Eddy and Iris are not dating, though Liz and I are so hoping they will eventually find their love for each other.
Hallie - The Deep and Dark Places of the World - June 19th
My friends are missing in Moria. I'd freak out, but this is all starting to seem so... normal. I mean, really. We're in a mine, running from a Shadewalker of unknown power who has a personal vengeance against Liz, searching for a Secret that may or may not exist to try to save Middle Earth. And then Iris and Eddy go missing. Yeah... welcome to my normal, everyday life since April. I might as well stay calm, since freaking out doesn't help.
I must be going insane.
Or maybe that's how Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli are so calm all the time. They've done this before - having the safety of Middle Earth threatened, fighting constantly and running away from evil forces of unforeseen power. I finally understand.
So here we are, running through Moria (I wonder what memories that brought back for the three members of the original Fellowship. I'm pretty sure Gimli was checking over his shoulder every so often to make sure a balrog was not right behind him.). We hit the West hallway, where Eddy and Iris had been looking.
While everyone else was busy looking through the rooms for any sign of Iris and Eddy, I ran on ahead. I had this nagging feeling that that rumbling that had drawn the rest of us back to the meeting place had something to do with Eddy and Iris' disappearance. I stopped short when I found it. A pile of rocks, five times taller than me, blocking an ornately carved door.
I shouted, sending everyone running in my direction. "I bet this is where they're trapped."
As if sending us an answer, the door bulged outwards ever so slightly, sending some of the smaller rocks tumbling towards us.
"If this is where they are trapped," Aragorn started, "We may never be able to retrieve them. There's no way in, and there is also a chance that they may be dead."
"No," Liz said, voice trembling. "They can't be dead. They just can't." Liz was losing it. I didn't want to think about what would happen if Iris and Eddy were really dead, or I would lose it too.
"Wait," said Legolas, as if remembering something. "When Liz and I were here earlier, she found another entrance to a tunnel. It led right underneath the King's Chambers. Unfortunately, we weren't able to explore it to its full extent because Liz was attacked by a spider and then there was a cave-in."
"That must have been the same cave-in that trapped Iris and Eddy," I mused, doing the math in my head. "Well, we'd better hope that the tunnel didn't actually cave in. It's our only possible way to find our friends."
"Then we must make haste and find them as soon as possible," Aragorn said.
"But it was covered during the cave-in!" Liz wailed. I wanted to slap her upside the head for not using her brain, but I figured it wouldn't really help.
I stopped. "What if that tunnel connects to the one I found yesterday?"
Aragorn mused for a second. "It's worth a try."
So we wandered back to the North Hall, finding the room where I had fallen into the tunnel. One by one, we crept down the hole, using my little ball of magic light to illuminate our steps.
I don't like tunnels. Well, I do, when they're at Disneyland. It's fun to explore the paths through the mountains on Tom Sawyer's Island. But creepy, dark, and old tunnels that are filled with giant, acid-spitting spiders are not on the top of my list of Fun Places. Who knew what was down here?
I led the group, holding my magic ball of light in front of me to light the way. I'd been practicing with my magic, and I was able to get the light to come up at will (obviously). I could also determine whether I wanted to fire it or not (still working on that). But my real trouble, it seemed, was making the light stay lit... or actually do some damage. It still took a lot of thought to conjure up the light (Iris said that it shouldn't), and the light didn't stay with me for very long. As if reading my thoughts, the light went out. Muttering under my breath about stupid lights that seemed to have a mind of their own, I lit another one and we continued down the tunnel.
It's a long tunnel. I mean, sheesh. Plus, there were a lot of twists and turns, and we kept getting lost, because we didn't know which direction to go in. We tried to move in the general direction of the chamber, but sometimes there were two or three tunnels going in the same direction. It would have been really really helpful if Eddy wasn't one of the people who was trapped. His sense of direction and navigation skills would have made life a whole lot easier.
And we also had to be on constant alert for spiders and other creatures. The last thing we needed was another injured member of our company. Liz, for once, wasn't saying anything, but I could tell that she was not doing well. Inside, she was hysterical because she was worried for our friends, and the poison in her system didn't help either.
Finally, we reached the opening that Liz and Legolas had found the other day. The cave-in hadn't covered the hole, it seemed, only the area around it. What luck. So all this walking was for naught. Great. Legolas poked his head out and told us that he could see the door, so we were on the right track. We continued forward.
The tunnel started slanting up. There was an opening that was lower than the others. We didn't have to climb anything to reach it. We had found the opening into the king's chamber. Well, at least we thought it was. It had a covering over it, sort of like a manhole cover. I guess it was there so that none of the dwarves would fall when they were trying to serve the king, or whatever.
"How are we going to get it open?" Haldir wondered aloud.
"Well, there has to be a way to open it," I said. "The king probably used this to get in and out of the chamber when he needed too, or his advisors or soldiers and whatnot probably came through here too."
"True," Aragorn mused. "We'll just have to figure out how."
We tried everything. First, we tried to find some sort of button or catch that would make it pop open. Then we had Liz try to use shadewalking to push it open. Nothing worked. I was so frustrated. I wished that I could just blast the darn thing open but I figured that wouldn't be such a great idea...
Our torches were starting to go out. Time was running short. I banged my hands on the wall in frustration. And then something brushed my cheek. A small shadow tendril, barely visible, stretched out above my head and slipped into a barely visible hole. There was a quiet, almost indiscernible click, and the cover slid open. Everyone looked up in surprise as light filled the corridor.
"Hey, Liz!" I called. "Great job!"
"Huh?" she looked confused.
"How'd you figure out that you could use shadows to open the lock?" Honestly, it didn't really make sense, but Liz was smart too, so I guess she somehow figured it out. When she's desperate, she gets pretty good ideas.
"Oh, um," she paused. "I thought maybe the holes had some purpose, I guess."
Something in her tone of voice was suspicious...but before I could think much of it, a voice called, "Hallie? Liz?"
"Iris?" I hopped out of the hole as fast as I could. In the dim light, I saw her sitting in front of a huge pile of boulders. I ran towards her, and as I got closer, the view did not get better. Eddy was lying on her lap, with what looked like a gash down his side from his armpit to the top of his waist. It was bleeding. His legs, I could tell, had been broken. As I drew closer, I noticed that his eyes were closed. Iris' face was pale and covered in sweat. Her hands were shaky and she looked like she was going to pass out. "Something... I need to tell..." she muttered, but I stopped her.
"Quiet. We have to get you feeling better. Let's get you out of this dusty room." I hoisted her up and tried to think of a way to get Eddy back without losing too much blood.
She grabbed my hand, her grip surprisingly strong and her voice firm. "No. The Secret... is here." Well...that was just a great stroke of luck there. Thanks, Gandalf. Did you know that one of the important components of the quest of yours almost died?
Just then, Liz ran up, eyes wide with horror. "Oh God. What happened to you guys?" Her voice bordered on the edge of hysteria.
Iris started crying. "Eddy pushed me out of the way of the rocks. W-we were r-running out to tell you guys that...that the secret is hidden here. We...we figured it out. But now -" Iris couldn't finish her sentence because of her sobs.
"I don't think we can move him," I said, trying to keep from crying of frustration and desperation. "He's bleeding too much. There's no way he could survive until he could get medical assistance."
By now, the rest of our party had joined us. Haldir looked horrified and he was probably just as hysterical as Liz, although he did a better job of hiding it. Aragorn looked upon Eddy with sadness, along with Legolas. Gimli had his head bowed, like he was preparing himself. Seeing their faces, my resolve strengthened. I was not going to let Eddy die. We had gone through so much, and he had so much ahead of him. I was going to figure out how to save him, not for Middle Earth, but for our friendship.
"Iris," I said, my voice slightly trembling. I didn't even know if there was a way, but I was going to try. "I know you're weak, but is there any way that you could strengthen yourself?"
She seemed to not even hear me. She just kept crying. Something inside me snapped.
"Get a hold of yourself!" I cried, pushing away all my doubts and fears. There was a way to save Eddy and he was going to live. "You're not doing Eddy any favors by crying. There is a way to save him! I know it! Didn't Arwen ever teach you anything? If anyone can save Eddy, it's you, Iris. You're a powerful healer. There has to be a way!"
My words shook her. Her tears cleared, and she thought for a moment, then said. "You...you're right. There is a way. It's - it's dangerous."
"We're already in danger. This won't be much different," I said.
"Let's do it," Liz spoke up. My words had gotten to her too, it seemed. She stood up stronger.
"I"m going to b-borrow your energy. I can't take too much though, or you'll die," Iris explained.
"There are many of us here," Aragorn said. "And you and your friends are quite strong in your own right."
Iris nodded, trying to be brave. Closing her eyes, she held out one hand. "Ama poldora," she said, her voice strong and sure. A small, dim light appeared in her hand. She held it out to me. I took a deep breath, and linked my hand with hers.
I don't know how to describe the feeling of lending my energy to someone. It's kind of like...something's being pulled out from deep inside you. There was this enormous pressure, and I felt myself go weak, like I had just run a marathon. My legs grew weaker, and I knelt on the ground. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw the light grow brighter and I knew it was working.
I felt Liz grab my hand, and the pressure alleviated a little. With each new person that joined our chain, the pressure lifted a little more. Eventually, the pulling stopped. Iris closed her eyes again, spoke something indiscernible, and the light dissolved into her skin. She seemed to glow for a little bit, and then the light disappeared.
"Tanka tel' taurnin," she said. Her hands began to glow green. With her renewed energy, I watched as Eddy's tissue started to mend. Then his legs seemed to straighten. And then the glow faded. We all held our breath. Then Eddy coughed, and sat up.
"Eddy!" Liz and I shrieked. Even though we felt pretty weak, we hugged him with all our strength.
"Can't...breathe...," he panted, but I could hear the smile in his voice.
"Sorry," we apologized and moved away. All the rest of the guys in the group went and patted Eddy on the back. He winced slightly - the wounds hadn't all disappeared, but he wasn't bleeding anymore.
"Glad to have you back in the land of the living," Haldir said.
"Glad to be back," Eddy replied. And then his eyes fell on Iris, who was grinning ear to ear with happiness and relief. And then, to our surprise, he grabbed her hand, and drew her closer for a kiss.
Iris let out a little squeak, and her face turned bright red. "Eddy," she said, moving away. "People are watching." Oh, come on, Iris... you just ruined the moment.
"I don't care," Eddy said, and drew her back for a passionate kiss.
Liz - June 20th - King's Chamber
So my friends didn't die. If they had died... I don't know what I would have done. What would we have told their parents? Oh, by the way, we went on a mystical journey to Middle Earth, where we were sent on a quest to save Middle Earth by Gandalf and then your children got crushed by a cave-in in Moria.
Yeah...that wouldn't go over so well.
Right now though... they were making me want to gag. Now that Eddy had evidently "confessed his love", they kept giving each other sappy looks. They were also holding hands and happily oblivious to the world around them.
We had decided to wait a day before we went back into the King's Chamber, to give Eddy and Iris a chance to rest. Not that they really needed it...Iris did a good job of healing Eddy. But it was still nice to have a rest after the emotional trauma we all went thorough.
Eddy and Iris had been feeding each other during dinner last night and breakfast this morning. I had to resist the urge to facepalm or roll my eyes. I mean...I'm glad they're happy, but really? Excessive PDA makes their friends sick! I was getting major Oogies just looking at them (if you don't know what Oogies are...shame).
Anyways...back to the point. We were now venturing down into the tunnels again. I hoped this would be the last time. This secret that Gandalf hid for us better be good.
Along the way, Iris and Eddy took turns explaining the whole button system thing. I had to admit, it was pretty ingenious. Something only the king could see, and something only the four of us could unlock. Or so we assumed. I mean...if the buttons didn't require the actual people they were meant for to open them, then the secret would have probably been found a long time ago.
We finally got to the King's Chamber. It was slightly creepy...especially with the blood stains on the floor. When Eddy saw them he kinda paled a little bit and looked at Iris with relief. Anyways. Aragorn sat on the throne, looking as regal as ever. He thought the button symbols were pretty ingenious too. Great minds think alike. Ha... right...
For the actual "procedure", if you will, Aragorn let Haldir sit on the throne and direct us, just for kicks. At first... he was pretty incompetent. He told us to go left when we were supposed to go right. He also couldn't figure out which symbol went with which person at first so nothing happened and that worried us until he realized his mistake (our theory was correct). Luckily, he got the hang of it before Aragorn got exasperated and kicked him off the throne. Even though Aragorn would have been more efficient in giving directions, it was fun to let Haldir have his "moment of fame".
When all the buttons clicked in place there was a scary rumbling and I freaked out because I was afraid that if we moved, then we wouldn't be able to get the secret, but if we didn't move, we might get crushed by crumbling boulders. But...nothing happened. Thank goodness.
The floor opened up and there was this compartment type thing, and lying inside, was a rolled up parchment and a blue, glowing stone sitting next to it.
The secret was...kind of disappointing. It was a map. I mean, it was pretty well drawn and all that but...really? What if it had disintegrated before we got there? It was just a rolled up sheet of paper, and that was it. The stone was more interesting, but we had no idea what it did (Again. No explanations, no hints, no nothing. Thanks Gandalf), but we knew that it probably had some significance. We gave it to Iris for safekeeping.
We headed back to the spot where we'd stashed our things. When we arrived, the smell of smoke was thick in the air and where our fire had been burning was a large pile of charred backpacks and cloaks. All of our supplies had been burnt.
I'd say we salvaged what we could, but there was nothing that was even remotely worth saving. So we walked back to the entrance of Moria with naught but the clothes on our backs. Luckily, the dwarves took pity on us when they heard what had happened and gave us some new packs filled with food and supplies.
"Who would do something like that?" asked Iris as we walked towards the entrance.
"The real question is: who would have been able to sneak past the dwarves and do something like that?" Hallie replied. "I don't think that one of the dwarves did it... unless they're working for Raordell."
Raordell. Sometimes, in my dreams, I heard his voice. He wanted me to do terrible things. Murder my friends. Help him. I ran away, but there was always something to chase me. A warg. A vulture. They grabbed at me, dragged me down, bringing me pain as I continued to struggle.
I tore my thoughts away from my former mentor.
Iris flinched, ever so slightly, when she heard the name. Eddy put his arm protectively around her and glared at us. Needless to say, that was the end of our conversation.
When we finally got outside into fresh air again, I vowed never to go into underground caves again unless there was mortal danger or something.
Aragorn arranged a meeting for the next day so that we could look over the map and figure out what we had to do. We had a great feast. We ate well and out in the fresh air, which was really nice after eating meals underground for a couple of days.
Now that Eddy and Iris were "together", Hallie and I told Eddy about what happened when he had been drunk, much to the couple's mortification. Then Hallie told Eddy about my dare, and that made him feel better, because I had to suffer at his expense. Great friends I have...although I guess I sort of deserved it, with the whole Raordell incident and all.
Hallie turned to talk to Aragorn about something or another. I zoned out. Something had been bugging me since yesterday. When the door was opened by a shadow and Hallie thought it was me...well, it wasn't. I don't know what happened, but I had been distracted because a worm had crawled onto my foot and I was trying to get it off without screaming and making as scene. I had just gotten the disgusting worm off my foot when Hallie congratulated me on "figuring out" how the mechanism worked. I had been quite confused. That hadn't been my shadow.
So if it wasn't mine...whose was it?
There was only one other person I knew who was a Shadewalker. But...how could it have been Raordell? How could he have followed us? The more I thought about it, the more it made sense that it was Raordell in the mines. By becoming invisible, he could have easily slipped past the dwarves and followed us without us noticing. He'd said that I'd be sorry for choosing my friends over him, and by destroying our stuff (luckily Aragorn hadn't let Elrond's and Gandalf's letters out of his sight), he'd started to make good on that promise. I almost felt like I was the one who had drawn him here.
But...what did he want with us in the first place? I mean, I knew he'd been looking for a powerful Shadewalker for a long time... but still. Why me? And what did he need me for?
*Big Collective Sigh of Relief* Edwiris survives Moria, and their love grows ever the stronger. So... where to next? And what does Raordell need Liz for? Dun-dun-dun... one of these questions will be answered... next time. So stay tuned!