Chapter 5 is up ! Enjoy !

They were right in front of it. The mighty doors of Moria. Well… Apparently, they were. Because at the moment, it just seemed to be a regular mountain wall, perfectly flat, with nothing on it. Boromir had to admit he was quite confused. How were they supposed to get in there ? By walking through the mountain, maybe ? Turning into ghosts ? Seeing the questioning look on his brother's face, Faramir couldn't suppress a small laugh.

"The dwarven doors are invisible when they're closed." he explained, "I thought you knew about that." he added, teasingly, knowing his brother didn't have the reputation of being the most studious man in Gondor.

"Well… Er… Maybe I did, yes… But it was long ago, you know…"

"Or maybe you weren't listening when Lord Baranon taught you that, as usual." he retorted.

Even with his light tone, Boromir could easily sense that there was something off. Faramir was worried about something even if he didn't want to show it…

"Gandalf ? How are we supposed to enter if the doors are invisible ?" the voice of Pippin rose next to them. Apparently, he had heard the two men discussing.

"Patience, young Took." answered Gandalf, "You will see."

"Is it true that the dwarves of Erebor didn't remember how to find the doors ?" asked again Pippin, curious and maybe slightly worried.

"It is true, indeed. But Bilbo found them, eventually. There is no need to worry, Peregrin Took. Wait and see." Gandalf answered him again, comfortingly.

"Why doesn't that surprise me ?" Legolas muttered under his breath at the mention of the dwarven company, which owed him a scold from Gimli :

"How dare you, you impertinent, disrespectful, showing-off, silly elf !"

"You are the one telling me about respect ? Gimli, son of Glòin ? I…" the Elf started, but was cut off by the voice of Faramir :

"Gentlemen, please ! Now is not the moment !"

Oh, Valar, he couldn't stand this anymore. Couldn't they just ignore themselves and stop arguing about nothing every five seconds ?

They both looked about to retort him something, but Aragorn interfered :

"He is right. Now is hardly the time for that kind of debate. Please."

The two fell silent, ashamed by their own behaviour but not less angry at each other.

"Dihenalir nin." Legolas still apologised to both men.

"Yeah…'m sorry…" added Gimli, more for good mesure than in a real apology.

After a few moments, the moon finally broke through the thick amount of clouds and enlighten the walls of the mountain. Every companion took a step back in amazement as the pale light revealed the fine contours of high doors adorned by a dwarven crown, hammer and anvil, under seven stars and two beautiful trees surmounted by crescent moon. The doors were formed by an arch, with a text on it.

"The emblems of Dùrin !" Gimli exclaimed, quickly followed by Legolas :

"And the Trees of the High Elves !"

Faramir took a closer look, slowly deciphering the writings. 'Tengwar…' he thought in recognition of the strange symbols. Hopefully, he had learned this writing well enough to be able to read it. 'Ennyn Durin Aran Moria. Pedo Mellon a Minno. Im Narvi hain echant. Celebrimbor o Eregion teithant i thiw hin.' it said. Slowly, the young man's mind began translating it, very slowly. It had been a long time.

"The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter. I, Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs." Gandalf translated out loud for him.

"What does it mean ?" asked both Merry and Pippin in the same time, looking perfectly lost.

"It seems to mean that you have to speak a password to enter." answered Faramir.

"Exactly, young man." Gandalf agreed while he walked to the doors, put the head of his staff on the dark stone and began shouting some kind of Elvish spells.

The entire company were staring intently at the silver lining, expecting them to open at any minute. Gimli seemed especially enthusiastic at the idea of finally getting inside. But Faramir was just frowning. Something was amiss, he felt it. And as nothing happened and the mighty doors remained perfectly closed, he was without a doubt the least surprised of the whole Fellowship. A look of disbelief passed on every of the other's face, for they were all blindly entrusting the Wizard to clear the way, while Faramir's one only wore a look of intense reflection.

It had to be more simple. The dwarves didn't speak Elvish, or at least not anymore. They could know a few words at most, but not the kind of long spells Gandalf had just declaimed and was still trying. What would be the use for dwarves to build a door none of them could open ? There had to be something else. Something easier to remember, or to find, so that if a friend in need of help or shelter came here, he would be able to find a way to enter… A friend… 'Speak friend and enter'... Something easy… 'Speak friend'... Celebrimbor had traced the lines… Friend…

"Mellon !" he cried as every piece of the puzzle eventually found its place into his mind. Immediately after, they heard a huge crack into the mountain and slowly, the great stone doors opened, revealing a dark corridor.

"Mellon, yes !" Gandalf spoke, "The Elvish word for 'friend' ! 'Speak friend and enter'... Congratulations Geliadan !" he continued, calling Faramir by the old nickname he had given him when he was younger.

The man bowed his head under the thankful looks of the rest of the Fellowship and smiled as Boromir pattes his shoulder and he felt Gimli's hand on his upper leg.

"Well done, lad." he told him in gratitude.

Merry and Pippin were dancing around him, filled with joy and relief, while Frodo and Sam nodded him their thanks. He even got a bright smile from both Legolas and Aragorn and smiled back. Still, it quickly faded as he noticed Mithrandir's face darken even more. The King and Elf noticed it too this time and their brow furrowed. That was enough now. He had to talk to him. Aragorn and Legolas nodded at him and so, has they entered the Mines, he silently walked next to the Grey Wizard and asked, almost whispering :

"Mithrandir, I see something is troubling you. What is wrong with this place ?"

Gandalf glared at him in mild surprise before answering :

"I didn't remember you were that good an observer, Faramir."

But the man wasn't a fool.

"That did not answer my question, I am afraid." he retorted.

"And I am afraid I cannot give you an answer at the moment, young man." the Wizard replied back, sounding rather irritated. The Gondorian stopped walking and frowned. Whatever was wrong, he would find out eventually.

"He won't tell you, will he ?" Aragorn's voice broke.

"I'm afraid not, Sire."

"Stop calling me this way. Aragorn is enough"

"What are you two talking about ?" Boromir interrupted, still not showing a great respect to Isildur's heir.

"Nothing important." Faramir lied, smiling.

Boromir was about to ask him something, but was cut off by the joyful voice of Gimli who had been telling Legolas all about the Mines, his cousin and the dwarves of Moria, without arguing too much, just as Gandalf lit his staff :

"This is the house of my cousin Balin ! And they call it a mine ?!"

But with the light Gandalf's sceptre now offered, they didn't discover the warm, joyful dwarves with the dozen barrels full of shining dwarven beer Gimli had described them all journey long, but dozens and dozens of corpses and skeletons covering the stone floor.

"I'm sorry, but this is not a mine," Boromir began, taking a step back, "It's a tomb."

And as the red-headed dwarf discovered the slayed bodies of his brothers lying on the floor, he could only yell out a terrible scream and fall on his knees. Aragorn grabbed his shoulders in comfort, the Hobbits held themselves tightly in horror and fear, Frodo looking deathly pale (even if this was surely not only because of the slaughter he was contemplating), and Legolas was already investigating the bodies, searching for the cause of this misery.

Faramir covered his mouth with his hand in shock. But not only. He felt a wave of nausea and dizziness slowly creeping in his body, but that wasn't because of the dead bodies in front of him. Black dots were beginning to fill his visions. He knew that all too well. 'No, no ! Please ! Not again !'. He tried to resist it, he didn't want this anymore, but it was useless.

'Forseeing may be a gift as well as a curse.' he heard the Lady's voice ring into his ears. Well surely it had to be a curse. He couldn't bear it anymore. Why were they becoming so violent lately ? What had he done ? He tried to make it go away, but it was useless, he knew it.

"Boromir ?" his voice was barely a whisper as he gripped his brother's arm tightly as he felt himself fading more and more.

"Faramir ?" he asked in return and surprise. "Faramir !" his voice quickly turned into a worried cry as he saw his brother was deathly pale and sweating.

"I think… I might pass out…"

And with this sentence, he felt as if the floor under his feet suddenly disappeared and he fell. Then all went black… Again.

"You. Shall not. Pass !" Gandalf cried, the white light illuminating his entire body. The Balrog took a step forward, but the bridge broke, making the beast fall with it. The Wizard turned around and began to head back. Faramir felt an immense relief washing all over his mind. But this was short-lived, as the saw the beast throw his whip to the old man and wind it up around his ankle, pulling him back to the edge of the broken bridge and forcing him to grab the stone by his arms to avoid falling into the abyss. The young man held his breath. He wanted to run for him, to grab his arms, to pull him up, but the bridge would have no doubt broken under his weight. 'No… Not like this… It cannot end this way…'

"Fly, you fools !" Gandalf shouted at them. Then everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The Wizard slipped, opened his hands and… And fell into an endless darkness…

"Nooooo !" cried Frodo.

"Faramir !" a voice called from a far away place. Like it did the last time, his vision blurred and he was surrounded by only darkness.

"What is happening to him ?" a weeping voice Faramir recognized as Pippin's asked.

"Wait ! He's coming back !"

"Faramir ? Squeeze my hand if you hear us." a gentle voice asked as he felt a strong hand being put into his own. He squeezed it weakly

"Good. Now can you open your eyes for me ?" the same voice asked.

Slowly, the man opened his eyelids and met the concerned faces of the Fellowship above him.

"Very good. Are you feeling alright ?" the voice he now recognised as being Aragorn's asked

"Y-Yes…" he weakly answered.

He tried to straighten himself but had to be helped by both Legolas and Boromir, who was completely white from concern.

"Was it a foresight, son ?" Gandalf worried voice asked gently. And here again, all of a sudden, everything came back to him.

"Mithrandir ! I know what's in the Mines ! I saw it ! It will kill you ! We have to go back !"

"We cannot go back, Geliadan. This is the only way. You know that."

Faramir lowered his head. Yes, he knew that. But he could not let Gandalf walk to his death knowingly.

"Brother ? What was it you see ? What's in the Mines ?" his brother asked, sounding both curious and concerned.

"A Balrog of Morgoth."

Thanks again for all the reviews and thanks to actina13 for the suggestion (I'll probably keep it). If you have any other wishes or ideas, tell me !

Also, Geliadan's litteral translation would be "Learning man"