BTW I should mention "Italics" are the elves speaking in their native tongue Sindarin. "Bold Italics" is when they are speaking in Khuzdul. Italics without the "-" is thoughts either thinking to one another or general thought.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the twilight series and I really don't own any of Tolkien's amazing work.
Third POV
The Fellowship made their way down the treacherous mountain as quickly as they could though Legolas stayed glued to his wife's side. The closer they got to the mines the quieter she had gotten and it worried him and from the glances of Aragorn and the vampires, it worried them too though the latter didn't fully understand.
"Frodo, come and help an old man," Gandalf called, placing his arm around his young charge's shoulder as the continued to walk before the others. "How's your shoulder?"
Frodo blinks and casts a weary gaze up at Gandalf. "Better than it was."
Pausing Gandalf leans down to the hobbit beside him. "And the Ring? You feel its power growing, don't you. I've felt it too. You must be careful now. Evil will be drawn to you from outside the Fellowship and I fear from within."
Fear laces through Frodo at Gandalf's words, at the caution he hears under them all and glances around nervously for any sign of danger, flinching back when Aragorn steps past. "Then who do I trust?" He whispers.
"You must trust to yourself. Trust your own strength." Gandalf whispered gently making sure that none but Frodo could hear him, hoping that none but he could hear them.
Frodo swallowed hard at that but confusion welled within him "What do you mean?"
"There are many powers in this world for good or for evil. Some are greater than I am and against some, I have not yet been tested." Gandalf admits, pausing when he sees Canadriel step past him, a faraway look in her eyes but pauses for a brief moment as she turns back to glance at him, a flicker of fire in their depths before they're gone in a blink of an eye.
"The walls of Moria." Gimli's awed voice breaks through the spell and casting away the silence.
Those who had not seen Moria before blinked and looked up and up in wonder. It looked like a regular mountain but they could see where the Dwarves had built into the side, what would have been lookouts and bridges now lay tattered from wear, war and age.
But the mountain seemed to loom over them and the closer they got the more unsettling it began to feel.
"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed," Gimli uttered as he tapped the wall periodically with his axe, trying to hear the sound of a different stone.
Gandalf who leads them at the front chuckled. "Yes, Gimli! Their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten!"
Legolas smothered a smirk as his wife's eyes lit up for the first time in hours, the story of the Door of Erebor flickering to the forefront of his mind thanks to his wife, a teasing whisper following it of how even in a different quest it seems a Durin would always struggle to find a door. "Now why doesn't that surprise me?"
A cold hand grasps Frodo by the arm as he slipped into the lake, his mind flashing back to when he was a faunt, the death of his mother, his father. He like most hobbits had a strong fear of water and it took uncle Bilbo many years to help him overcome it to take just a simple bath and then to freely admire it but this lake was unlike the rivers of the shire, it was pitch black and cold… an empty maw ready and waiting to feast all who go near.
"Easy now," The strange drawl of the man whispered as his fear begins to ebb into a sense of calm. "Don't want ya to slip now."
Canadriel turns her eyes away from the doors as Gandalf brushes away the dirt but regretted it immediately as she gazed into the depth of the water. Unease settled in the pit of her stomach the longer she stared at it, something niggling at her that it wasn't right.
A warm hand on her shoulder had her turning abruptly away to face her beloved, his eyes questioning if she was well. "I am fine, what is the matter?"
"Doors won't open," Peter explained with a raised brow from the rock beside her, his and Jasper eyes narrowed on the water too.
Raising her brows Bella turned her attention back to the door and to Gandalf who had his hands raised before them. "Fennas Nogothrim, lasto beth lammen."
Gimli grunts disappointed from his spot by the door as nothing happens once more and it takes all of Bella's restraint to not laugh or show her amusement as she reads the riddle and recalls what her sister told her long ago about Celebrimbor and Narvi had done and what the riddle truly was and here Gandalf was stumped and ignoring the obvious.
Pippin moved to stand next to the blonde elf. "Nothing's happening."
"I once knew every spell in all the tongues of elves, men and orcs," Gandalf grunted as he stomped up to the door and tries to push it.
"What're you gonna do then?" Pippin asked blinking as Gandalf turned dark eyes upon him.
"Knock your head against these doors Peregrin Took! and if that does not shatter them and I'm allowed a little peace from foolish questions I will try to find the opening words." Gandalf snapped agitatedly causing the young hobbit to step back in surprise.
Legolas quickly ushered the hobbit away. "Best we get settled then."
The others settled in various states, pulling out their pipes to smoke while Aragorn made his way over to Samwise that had not left the pony's side since arriving. He casts the hobbit a sad smile as he begins to unpack the gear from the pony's saddle and placed them at the hobbit's feet.
"Mines are no place for a Pony, even one so brave as Bill." He whispered to the hobbit as he began to lift off the saddle. "Go on, Bill, go on. Don't worry, Sam he knows his way home."
The sound of a splash has all heads jerking to the water and then over to where what caused it came from, just in time to see Aragorn stop Pippin mid throw. "Do not disturb the water."
Legolas watched his wife whose eyes never left the water, the unease – both his and her own – churned in his stomach as his own eyes flick back to the water to see it ripple again in the opposite direction of what should have been but saw no cause for it.
"I can sense somethin'," Jasper muttered as he and Peter moved to stand beside their friend.
"It's a riddle!" Frodo cheers excitedly as he scanned the cursive before him once more. "Speak, friend, and enter. Gandalf, what's the Elvish for friend?"
Gandalf's brows rose as he replied. "Mellon."
At the sound of rock moving and shifting against stone had the others on their feet in and instant, their packs quickly hoisted on their shoulders as Aragorn rushed them away from the water's edge. The smell of decay hit the two vampires immediately and caused them to pause a silent conversation of emotion rippling between them both as they glanced at their friend who stared down into the darkness.
"Soon Mr Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves. Roaring fires! Malt Beer! Red Meat off the bone!" Gimli explained with pride. "This my friend is the home of my cousin Balin and they call it a Mine! A Mine!"
A soft mutter from Gandalf had his staff burn bright with a white light that illuminated the room around them.
"This isn't a mine, it's a tomb," Boromir whispered horrified.
The sharp pain that struck Bella as her eyes landed on the corpses caused Legolas to double over at the sudden emotion. Ever since they entered the valley of Moria she had receded into herself, he could sense the memories on the edge of his own conscious and knew that she thought of the battle long past and now they grew tenfold as she eyed the corpses of Durin Folk within the lights grasp.
Jasper doubled over at the pain, causing Peter to practically hold his brother up as they eyed the death around them and the grief that rested on Bella's face.
Bella felt the world blur around her as she saw the familiar sigils on the warrior's armour of Erebor, she felt grief grip her heart and pull her closer to despair. She felt the calm try to wash over her but it was of no use, could hear someone call for her but she was lost in darkness.
"LEGOLAS!" at the sound of someone screaming her husband's name had her snap out of it enough to see that Peter and Jasper crouched before her while the others fought off a Watcher. A scream left her lips as power rippled out of her and slammed back the Watcher into the water, giving the others enough time to stumble back into the caves and with a shaky hand she used her power to yank the earth down and cause the stone door to crumble, trapping them in the tomb.
"We now have but one choice; 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. Quietly now, it's a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed." Gandalf's voice rings in the silence, his gaze lingering on his old friend for a brief moment and began to lead on.
The others followed slowly behind him, careful of where they stepped and did so in silence, many gazes flickering to the elves behind them who had not uttered a word since she screamed
"He could be alright my love," Legolas murmured soothingly after many hours of silence.
Bella cast him a look, stopping. The others stopped casting their eyes around for any sign of trouble that the she-elf may have sensed.
"It feels dark as death; there is no hope here Legolas. I feel dread and grief. I cannot lose another brother caun nín. I hope Balin listened to me when I saw the stones and ruins but... I fear he did not." She whispered pained.
Aragorn and Gandalf winced causing the others to snap their mouths shut and not question what was uttered in such a mournful tone before continuing on. Many hours they walked with only Gimli being able to tell them where they were and the passage of time and had many stops along the way with only one mistake of Gandalf nearly getting them lost till Canadriel pointed the way after hours of rest.
The Fellowship pass under an arched doorway into a black and empty space. Gandalf pauses once he descended down the stairs. "Let me risk a little more light."
The light from his staff burns brighter, casting back shadows and revealing the large columns and high arches far above their head.
"Behold! The great realm and Dwarf City of Dwarrowdelf!" Gandalf exclaimed as his staff lit up a room, showing the others the beauty.
"Well, there's an eye opener and no mistake!" Samwise gasped in awe from beside Frodo.
Bella let her eyes roam over the halls remembering them when life was still in these halls, bright and joyful as the people thrived under Durin.
"I remember these halls when Durin Folk lived here, I had only been here once but they're still as beautiful as I recall." She whispered when her husband shot her a look, her words only heard by he, Jasper and Peter.
They continued to walk forward, Gandalf's light still as bright and showing them all the unique carvings till they came to a corner, corpses littering the floor.
"STOP HER!" Legolas yelled panicked as his wife ripped herself from his arms and rushed towards the shattered doors.
Everyone tried to stop the elf-witch except Gimli; he too took up to running with her towards a lit room with dread. Though, he regretted not stopping her instantly as a scream pierced the tomb. The others ran after them at the scream, coming to a halt at the door as they took in the corpses of orcs and Dwarrow's around the room and in the middle rested a tomb. Pain beyond anything Jasper has felt tore through him, winding him as he tried to push through it and cast out calm towards his friend and the dwarf.
"No...no...oh, no!" Gimli moaned as he collapsed at the end of the tomb.
"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria. He is dead, then. It's as I had feared." Gandalf sighed, his eyes casting to Canadriel in worry.
Bella stared in disbelief, refusing to believe it, her knees collapsing from under her in grief. He promised, both of them promised. Her eyes cut to the body at the side as Gandalf took the book, knitted gloves and tarnished beads but she could see the familiar shapes and patterns… her symbol glinting under the cobwebs... Ori... it was Ori... Where was Dwalin?
"We must move on, we cannot linger," Legolas uttered urgently to Gandalf as he moved to his wife's side. He could feel the crippling sadness and despair easily; he needed to remove her from this room from this tomb of her brothers and his own.
"Gimli," The sound made all in the room jerk and the dwarf in question to look up at the call of his name. "Where is my Nadadith?"
Gimli blinked as the word escaped her lips. He didn't know who she was asking for, but how could she know his tongue? The silence continued and the others cast their gaze between the two in question but still, Gimli did not answer for he did not know who she spoke of.
"Dwalin. Where is Dwalin, son of Fundin?" She hissed. "He should be here with Balin. I told him never to let him leave his sight! I told Balin to not come to this cursed place for his death laid here! So where is my brother?" She hissed out through clenched teeth.
Understanding began to draw on Gimli's face as he took in the elf's features, the braids that now hung free and then horror. How could he have been so blind to miss what was obviously glaring at him, the jokes and teasing taunts… how sometimes he could have sworn Khuzdul slipped from her lips with ease. Oh Mahal, how could have he been so blind?
He eyed the blonde elf critically, watching as he nodded and took a step back letting him know that what he was about to do was accepted. A softness in his blue eyes that he had refused to see before, he didn't even give thought to the others as he pulled her into his arms. "Dwalin is back at the mountains. It has been many years since we heard of Balin, we lost contact. I cannot tell you more than that namadaz'adad."
"Why did they not tell me? They lied to me when I asked for Balin's whereabouts… I should have pushed." She whispered back softly her hands clenching in Gimli's cloak. "They all lied to me… they said that Ori and Óin had accompanied Balin to the east…"
Legolas frowned and pulled Gandalf back towards the corpse that held the book, he too could see the familiar markings of Ori. He should have told her sooner when he found out about the loss of contact with Moria but he knew she would have come here alone, would have risked her life to rescue corpses no matter how much he too would have joined her but Thorin, Nori and Dwalin begged him not to, begged all of them not to tell her.
"We need to move him." He stated simply, drawing the attention of the others. "It's bad enough that she has seen him and Balin's tomb but she won't rest or move on if Ori is not given some burial rites."
Boromir frowned and took a step closer. "She knew them?"
"Lady Canadriel is loyal to the Durin line, has sworn her fealty to the King Under the Mountain and claim he and his kin. You know the tale of Erebor yes?" This was from Aragorn.
The hobbits piped up then. "Yes, Mister Bilbo tells us stories of the quest. Took us a might time to accept that she's the elf who 'elped since we know her as Canadriel and it was Moriel that Bilbo spoke of."
"I too was under this impression; the tales have reached my home many times from passing caravans. All know the story of the reclaiming of Erebor and the Company of Thorin Oakenshield." Boromir hummed, his eyes not leaving the strange sight of a dwarf comforting an elf.
"My wife is known by many names and titles: Lady Canadriel Daughter of Night, Isabella the Wanderer, Lady of Lothlórien and Rivendell and my wife but the title she bares the most pride in is Moriel Dwarrowfriend HealerOfKin, sister of Durin Folk," Legolas explained softly, turning his eyes to lock onto Gimli's red rimmed ones as he clutched Moriel tighter. "Two brothers lie in tombs in this room, one at our feet."
"Then we best give him the rites he deserves," Aragorn stated firmly before moving towards the body that Gandalf had taken the book from. "We will do this and then when the time comes we will talk more."
Gandalf nodded and somehow stashed the heavy tomb somewhere on his person and none dared to question how he did it. Each one including the hobbits and vampires who didn't really understand helped moved the body, wrapping it in the cloths of ruined tapestries, each one bowing their heads in respect as they watched Legolas lay the bound cloth atop of the middle tomb above Balin's head.
It was not his tomb but belonged to another but for now, this was the best they could do, there was no time to create one and Legolas agreed with Aragorn when he said it would be disrespectful to lay him with another.
With shaky legs Bella got to her feet and made her way to where they laid Ori with the aid of Gimli, her heart tearing as she recalled everything about the young scribe and thought of his brothers. By the valar she only saw Nori not long ago and yet he held together well…
"Did you know?" She asked her husband, her voice flat that had all who knew her to cringe.
"I did," Legolas admitted. "They didn't wish to tell you because we knew what you would have done Meleth nín and none of us wanted to lose you to this place as well."
Anger burned brightly in her eyes as she cast him a look before her shoulders sagged as it vanished just as quick as it appeared. They had every right to worry about that because she knew that if she had any indication that Balin, Ori and Óin were in this wretched place she too would have fought her way in through the orc infested gates just to reclaim them, dead or alive… she would not have stopped and would have probably died trying.
With a sigh, she grasped her husband's hand while resting the other on Gimli's shoulder. "Be at peace Ori, son of Kori, may Mahal welcome you into his halls and may you dine with those that came and left before you until the reawakening of the world."
"Find peace with our Kin." Gimli finished before placing his helmet on once more and turning away.
Bella chose to stare at the body of her brother as Gandalf began to read from the tome he acquired from Ori, reading the last words that were ever written as anger burned up within her once more.
"...drums in the deep...we cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. Will no-one save us? They are coming." The words set everyone on edge just as a loud clatter echoed. As one they all snap their heads to Pippin and watch as the skeleton that rested on the edge of the well behind him clatters down the deep well loudly, relaxing with a sigh after it faded and silence remained.
Gandalf turns angrily on Pippin and snatched back his staff and hat. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!"
The relief gained was yanked from them as a deep rolling boom echoed up from the well, growing louder and louder till it was accompanied by horns and harsh cries. Cries that were familiar to few and unknown by terrifying to the others.
"Mister Frodo!" Samwise called as he pointed to the glowing sword at Frodo's him, causing he hobbit to yank it out in surprise.
The screams grow louder and harsher, feet against stone and the echo of dark laughter and war drums fill the room once more.
"What is that?" Peter asked as he eyed the well and cringed at the sound.
Bella snarled as she withdrew her blade. "Orcs."
Author Note: Well… this was a surprise? I had a good chunk of this written for months actually since before chapter two of this and I had to butcher it as I didn't intend for Jasper and Peter to be in this originally but here!
Nadadith - Little Brother
namadaz'adad - Sister-of-Father