Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR.
None Can Hear You in the Dark
Pippin and Merry were already at the bottom. They thanked Laura as they were lifted off the horse, and thanked Epona especially. Aragorn informed them that they could not take Epona into the mines and she would have to find her way back to Rivendell. Laura put Frodo down and embraced the horse.
"Thank you, my friend." She kissed the horse on the nose and took her sword from beneath the blanket. No one noticed except Frodo. He took her hand.
"Thank you," he said, handing her back her cloak. "I know you were cold without it."
She was touched. "Frodo, you've got a long journey ahead of you. It's the least I can do."
She walked by his side, until they reached the walls of Moria. It was nighttime, and they walked along a body of murky water. Laura was very tired, and she knew they couldn't stop. She was getting an apprehensive feeling about that murky water. Finally, they made it to a set of doors with writing on it. "Speak friend and enter" was all she could hear Gandalf saying as she yawned. It was some time until Frodo finally solved the simple riddle and the door was opened by an Elvish word, "mellon", meaning friend.
They made their way into the entrance, looking around at the eerie silence before them. The air was stale, and she could feel her guts churning like she did when something bad was about to happen. "Guys, I'm not too sure we should be in here," she warned.
"You're right," Boromir said. "This is no mine. This is a tomb," he realized. There were skeletons with spears in them everywhere. The Dwarves in this mine had been murdered! Legolas took a spear out of one.
"Goblins!" he cried, readying his bow and arrow. They began exiting the mines, and Laura heard Frodo cry out. The water! Pippin had been throwing rocks in it, he must've woken something up!
This large, grey octopus-looking thing was holding Frodo in one of it's tentacles as the rest of the Hobbits were trying to face it. More tentacles knocked them out of the way, and Laura was able to grab onto on of them. Frodo was hanging awkwardly, his wrist and his ankle caught. "Frodo, don't let go!" she commanded as she took his hands. The creature wrapped a tentacle around her legs and she screamed in disgust. She kicked, but she couldn't get free. But she pulled Frodo with all her might to try and at least free him from the monster's grip.
Boromir and Aragorn had finally waded out into the water and were attacking with their swords. With a thump, Laura had landed in Aragorn's arms and Frodo in Boromir's. She quickly got to her feet as Legolas aimed at the creature, her heart sinking knowing that she had been a nuisance. They all made their way back into the mine as the creature tried to follow them. That caused the doors to crumble, trapping them in.
Gandalf lit the end of this staff, warning them that they had to let their trip to the other side go unnoticed. They would be in there for four days, and Legolas already looked terrified. Laura felt a bit nervous herself as she watched him sweat. He put his hand on her shoulder. "Stay close to me," he commanded. She winced. Now they were definitely getting rid of her the first chance they got.
She followed quietly, trying to stumble on the rocks. The paths were crumbling and twisted and narrow, and there were a lot of small cliffs and dropoffs which scared her most of all. She was a severe acraphobic, meaning she was afraid of heights.
By the third night, she was still afraid to go to sleep. Her eyes couldn't even adjust, because it was so dark in there. It was so deathly silent, she hated it. No crickets or stars. The thing was, if any sounds were heard, it would be even worse than the silence because they'd be surrounded by things called Orcs she had learned. So she sat huddled into a corner, her knees drawn up to her chest.
She didn't want to sit all curled up all night, so she slowly felt her way down a few steps, to where she didn't recall anyone sleeping before the lights had gone out. But she did hear breathing right beside her. She stiffened, then saw a strange glow start. It was Legolas.
"Legolas!" she whispered. "You can't sleep either, huh?"
He looked nervous. "Not in here. An Elf fears caves above all other things," he said calmly, though she could see he was agitated. Good. So she wasn't the only one really scared.
"Legolas," she began, "I'm sorry about that creature back there. I didn't mean to worry you."
His eyes stopped darting everywhere. "My child, you were only trying to protect Frodo. We understand that. Certainly you don't think that is why I took such a harsh tone with you?"
She nodded timidly.
He looked around again. "Nay, it is the request your father made of me. I am intent on protecting you until you can find a haven."
She hesitated, leaning closer and making her voice lower. "Legolas, what if I don't want to find a haven? What if I want to continue to Mordor with the Fellowship?"
He narrowed his eyes at her. "But you cannot expect to find safety if you remain with us. I do not think it would be in your best interest, nor in the best interest of those in the Fellowship."
She could see that this Elf was going to need some convincing. They both heard a noise in the distance. She didn't know where, but it sounded like something being dropped. She jumped. Legolas focused all his attention in the direction of the sound. His breathing became just as shaky as hers.
"You know what comforts me, Legolas?" she asked. "That you're just as scared of this place as I am."
She didn't know if he was being sarcastic or serious, but he replied. "I'm glad to be some comfort, my lady."
She must've fallen asleep, because she remembered Merry shaking her awake, telling her they needed to move on. Still obeying Legolas, she did not leave his side. They even had to wait awhile for Gandalf to remember the way to go when they came to a set of doorways. He led them down to a great hall, full of many pillars. Even Legolas was amazed at the sight of it.
A sudden glow came from a nearby room. Laura gasped. "Sunlight!" she exclaimed as she ran towards the room. The rest ran after her, Gandalf calling her name. She jumped up on the stone and stretched her arms out, looking at the light. She looked down to see what she was standing on, and let out a cry of horror. She quickly jumped down and stood next to Boromir. She had stood on someone's tomb.
None Can Hear You in the Dark
Pippin and Merry were already at the bottom. They thanked Laura as they were lifted off the horse, and thanked Epona especially. Aragorn informed them that they could not take Epona into the mines and she would have to find her way back to Rivendell. Laura put Frodo down and embraced the horse.
"Thank you, my friend." She kissed the horse on the nose and took her sword from beneath the blanket. No one noticed except Frodo. He took her hand.
"Thank you," he said, handing her back her cloak. "I know you were cold without it."
She was touched. "Frodo, you've got a long journey ahead of you. It's the least I can do."
She walked by his side, until they reached the walls of Moria. It was nighttime, and they walked along a body of murky water. Laura was very tired, and she knew they couldn't stop. She was getting an apprehensive feeling about that murky water. Finally, they made it to a set of doors with writing on it. "Speak friend and enter" was all she could hear Gandalf saying as she yawned. It was some time until Frodo finally solved the simple riddle and the door was opened by an Elvish word, "mellon", meaning friend.
They made their way into the entrance, looking around at the eerie silence before them. The air was stale, and she could feel her guts churning like she did when something bad was about to happen. "Guys, I'm not too sure we should be in here," she warned.
"You're right," Boromir said. "This is no mine. This is a tomb," he realized. There were skeletons with spears in them everywhere. The Dwarves in this mine had been murdered! Legolas took a spear out of one.
"Goblins!" he cried, readying his bow and arrow. They began exiting the mines, and Laura heard Frodo cry out. The water! Pippin had been throwing rocks in it, he must've woken something up!
This large, grey octopus-looking thing was holding Frodo in one of it's tentacles as the rest of the Hobbits were trying to face it. More tentacles knocked them out of the way, and Laura was able to grab onto on of them. Frodo was hanging awkwardly, his wrist and his ankle caught. "Frodo, don't let go!" she commanded as she took his hands. The creature wrapped a tentacle around her legs and she screamed in disgust. She kicked, but she couldn't get free. But she pulled Frodo with all her might to try and at least free him from the monster's grip.
Boromir and Aragorn had finally waded out into the water and were attacking with their swords. With a thump, Laura had landed in Aragorn's arms and Frodo in Boromir's. She quickly got to her feet as Legolas aimed at the creature, her heart sinking knowing that she had been a nuisance. They all made their way back into the mine as the creature tried to follow them. That caused the doors to crumble, trapping them in.
Gandalf lit the end of this staff, warning them that they had to let their trip to the other side go unnoticed. They would be in there for four days, and Legolas already looked terrified. Laura felt a bit nervous herself as she watched him sweat. He put his hand on her shoulder. "Stay close to me," he commanded. She winced. Now they were definitely getting rid of her the first chance they got.
She followed quietly, trying to stumble on the rocks. The paths were crumbling and twisted and narrow, and there were a lot of small cliffs and dropoffs which scared her most of all. She was a severe acraphobic, meaning she was afraid of heights.
By the third night, she was still afraid to go to sleep. Her eyes couldn't even adjust, because it was so dark in there. It was so deathly silent, she hated it. No crickets or stars. The thing was, if any sounds were heard, it would be even worse than the silence because they'd be surrounded by things called Orcs she had learned. So she sat huddled into a corner, her knees drawn up to her chest.
She didn't want to sit all curled up all night, so she slowly felt her way down a few steps, to where she didn't recall anyone sleeping before the lights had gone out. But she did hear breathing right beside her. She stiffened, then saw a strange glow start. It was Legolas.
"Legolas!" she whispered. "You can't sleep either, huh?"
He looked nervous. "Not in here. An Elf fears caves above all other things," he said calmly, though she could see he was agitated. Good. So she wasn't the only one really scared.
"Legolas," she began, "I'm sorry about that creature back there. I didn't mean to worry you."
His eyes stopped darting everywhere. "My child, you were only trying to protect Frodo. We understand that. Certainly you don't think that is why I took such a harsh tone with you?"
She nodded timidly.
He looked around again. "Nay, it is the request your father made of me. I am intent on protecting you until you can find a haven."
She hesitated, leaning closer and making her voice lower. "Legolas, what if I don't want to find a haven? What if I want to continue to Mordor with the Fellowship?"
He narrowed his eyes at her. "But you cannot expect to find safety if you remain with us. I do not think it would be in your best interest, nor in the best interest of those in the Fellowship."
She could see that this Elf was going to need some convincing. They both heard a noise in the distance. She didn't know where, but it sounded like something being dropped. She jumped. Legolas focused all his attention in the direction of the sound. His breathing became just as shaky as hers.
"You know what comforts me, Legolas?" she asked. "That you're just as scared of this place as I am."
She didn't know if he was being sarcastic or serious, but he replied. "I'm glad to be some comfort, my lady."
She must've fallen asleep, because she remembered Merry shaking her awake, telling her they needed to move on. Still obeying Legolas, she did not leave his side. They even had to wait awhile for Gandalf to remember the way to go when they came to a set of doorways. He led them down to a great hall, full of many pillars. Even Legolas was amazed at the sight of it.
A sudden glow came from a nearby room. Laura gasped. "Sunlight!" she exclaimed as she ran towards the room. The rest ran after her, Gandalf calling her name. She jumped up on the stone and stretched her arms out, looking at the light. She looked down to see what she was standing on, and let out a cry of horror. She quickly jumped down and stood next to Boromir. She had stood on someone's tomb.