Chapter 14: Drums
Gimli was quiet, worried if anyone was still alive as we made our way through the silent corridors in the darkness. Gandalf had made light on his staff but otherwise, it was deathly dark only hearing the echo of our footsteps as we walked.
Eventually, we hit a fork in the path leading into different directions as Gandalf looked both ways saying, "I have no memory of this place…"
"Gimli do you know the way?" Legolas asked hearing Gimli grunt replying, "I haven't been here in ages, so no I don't."
"Figures a dwarf would forget." Legolas said hearing Gimli growl replying, "Why don't you use your fancy elf ears to hear the way out."
Legolas flashed him a glare whilst Gandalf put his hand out saying, "Enough… I just need some time to remember."
"We rest here for now, but stay quiet we still don't know what lurks in these ruins." Aragorn said as we all nodded knowingly.
The hobbits instantly fell to the ground exhausted and I had to admit I was too feeling my feet pulse. I looked around at everyone seeing most of them quiet wanting to get at least a few minutes nap in before we headed off again. I could hear Merry and Pippin talking in hushed tones turning my gaze as they stopped once my eyes hit theirs.
I tilted my head towards them until Legolas came to sit beside me saying, "They were talking about you."
"What were they saying?" I asked curiously seeing him smile replying, "Pippin was wondering if you were alright while Merry told him not to bother you again otherwise you may chase him with your daggers... again."
I smirked replying, "At least one of them thinks I can handle myself."
"You shouldn't hold it against him for wanting to protect you." Legolas said making me shrug replying, "He hasn't fought real foes before, it's too dangerous for him to think he can protect me."
I saw him smile for a moment saying, "Perhaps he means to protect you in other ways."
I cried out as the lightning strike lit up my room covering myself with the blanket.
"Momma!" I yelled as thunder boomed in the room feeling the walls shake as the door opened seeing my mother look at me worried.
"Hush my love it's okay…" she said coming over to me as I wrapped my small arms around her form whimpering.
"Why won't it go away…" I said quietly hearing her say, "We just have to wait till it passes."
"Why can't you just fight it away." I said grumpily hearing her laugh loudly saying, "Some things my love you can't just fight away."
"It scares me though…" I said looking out the window seeing her smile warmly slipping into the bed beside me saying, "Then I shall watch over and protect you till it passes… I won't let it hurt you."
I hugged into her form feeling her arms slip around me shielding me from the loud cracks and rainstorm that continued to rage through the night.
I blinked gazing over at them for a moment, perhaps I was being a little too harsh sometimes… only sometimes though.
"Oh." We all heard Gandalf say looking towards us smiling saying, "It's that way."
We began walking again as there was still no sign of life inside the ruins of Moria ending up in a large grand hall staring at it in wonder. Gandalf warned us to stay quiet in the hall since everything echoed not wanting to disturb whatever could be hiding within the broken walls.
Gimli walked ahead seeing him look into a room that had light pouring into it running forward towards it despite Gandalf's protests to stop. We all followed him seeing the moonlight fall over a tomb while dozens of skeletons cascaded around him.
Gimli began crying learning the man in the tomb was his kin as I put my hand to his shoulder trying to comfort him. Gandalf grabbed a book that one of the dwarves had been holding as I began looking around feeling uneasy.
"This belonged to Ori…" Gandalf said sadly as I looked up saying, "I remember his name…"
Gandalf turned to me saying, "He traveled with your parents with the other dwarves, he was the one who sketched the picture of your parents."
I looked down at his skeleton sadly crouching down saying softly, "I am sorry, may you find peace in the afterlife."
"They have taken the bridge and the Second Hall. We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes… drums, drums in the deep." Gandalf began to read from the book as we all looked around fearful but was met with silence as he said, "We cannot get out. The shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming…"
Suddenly out of the silence we heard something fall all of us turning to see Pippin had touched a skeleton watching it fall down the well. Just when we thought that was it the chain and bucket fell along with it sending a loud clanking noise deep down into the pits of the well echoing throughout the halls. Once the clanking stopped seeing Pippin look around embarrassed we were met with silence letting go of the breath I was holding.
Gandalf slammed the book closed saying angrily, "Fool of a Took! You can throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity."
I sighed rolling my eyes knowing I shouldn't have been surprised by it but felt my body tense up… hearing the drums begin to drum in the deep.
