Chapter 7

Jenavive shot up in her bed. She put her head in her hands and wiped the sweat out of her eyes, and blinking a bit shook the dream off. She figured she had been sleeping for about an hour. Many of the others were already awake and were eager to go on. She got up and stretched. As soon as the rest of the group woke up they set off. As they walked away from their resting spot, Jenavive transfigured the pillows back into rocks. The passage they were walking twisted a bit then began to drop. It went constantly down for a while before becoming level again. There were many obstacles in the way, like cracks in the floors. The largest one was about seven feet across, and the hobbits just barley made it across. It was after nightfall when they arrived at the mines. They had been going on for hours with only short halts, when Gandalf came to his first serious check. There were three passages. they chose the left passage and went forward. Merry and Pippin pushed forward, happy that they had found a place to rest.

"Steady! You do not know what is inside, I will go first" Gandalf said to them.

He went in and the others walked behind. The haflings went on hastily, but Gandalf pushed them back and shone his light upon the floor. There was a well directly in front of his feet.

"See you could have fallen in if I weren't here" Gandalf said sternly
they passed the well and walked on. As Jenavive passed the well she saw a flash of light and a vision of many orcs attacking them, and a troll, the whistle of arrows soaring through the air, and an evil firey monster near a bridge. When her vision ended she took a deep breath and went on with the others. Pippin stayed behind, drawn to the well. as others made their beds on the stony floor, he creeped to the edge and peered over. He picked up a rock and looked down once more. It seemed to go on forever. He put his hand over the edge and let his grip on the rock loosen.

Jenavive noticed this and called, "no pi---"

to late, pippin let the stone fall.
"---ppin" she finished.

After a few seconds they heard a magnified plunk from the well as if the stone had hit some water far down.

"What's that?" cried Gandalf. He was relived when pippin confessed but yet angry. "You fool of a took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity"

every thing was silent for a while when they heard a faint knocking: tom- tap, tap-tom it subsided for a moment then began again tap-tom, tom-tap, tap-tap, tom. They sounded a lot like siganals, but they were not heard again. Everyone laid down to rest, except for pippin who was put on watch as a punishment. Gandalf got up and told pippin to get rest. He could not sleep so he took over the duty of watching over the company. After a while he roused every one from sleep. They got up and walked to a fork and took the right hand passage as Gandalf instructed.

They traveled for a long time on a long and winding passage. The hobbits began to get too tired to go on when the walls to the left and right vanished.

Gandalf was pleased "I chose the right way" he held his glowing staff up and with a flash the entire room was lit. It rose high above their heads and was held up by many pillars.

They sat and rested and talked about Moria. Gimli sang a song for them also. Gandalf to them about mithril, a very valuable type of dwarvish silver. After they talked everything was silent as the others fell asleep one by one.

Everyone woke in the morning and breakfasted. As soon as they finished their food they set off. They passed under the northern arch. As they walked along the corridor they could see light. When they entered the room they blinked from the light. When they had adjusted to the light, they saw that the shaft that let in the light shone directly on a table in the middle of the room.

"It looks like a tomb" Frodo muttered.

"Balin son of Fundin Lord of Moria" Gandalf translated from the runes on top of the tomb.

"He is dead then," said Frodo. "I feared it was so." Gimli began to weep.

They stood in silence for a moment then looked around. There were many thins lying about. Near a wooden chest on the floor there was a book, slashed and burnt. Gandalf picked it up and set it on the tomb.

He opened the book and read what he could understand "we drove out orcs from the great gate and guardroom we slew many in the bright sun in the dale. Flói was killed by an arrow. He slew the great--there is a blur here-- Flói under grass near mirror mere. We have taken the twenty first hall of north end to dwell in. there is----shaft---Balin has set up his seat in the chamber of Mazarbul.---I cannot read any more except for, gold, durin's axe, and something helm---Balin is now lord of Moria----we found true silver----wellforged----mithril-óin to seek for the upper armouries of third deep,---go westwards---to Hollin gate."

Jenavive saw another flash of light and the same vision she had seen the day before. This time she blinked, shook her head, and backed off to the wall behind her.

"Is something wrong?" Harry whispered to her.

Jenavive swallowed and took a deep breath, "yeah, I had a vision."

"Really? What was it? Was it bad?"

"yeah, orcs, they were attacking, and a troll.."

"The first word is sorrowbut the rest of it is lost," Gandalf began again. "unless it ends in estre, it must be yestre day being the tenth of novembre Balin lord of Moria fell in Dimrill Dale.He went alone to look into mirror mere. An orc shot him from behind a stone. We slew the orc, but many more.up from east up the Silverlode.-----we have barred the gates-blur- --can hold them long if----horrible---suffer. We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They have taken the bridge and second hall. Frar and Lóni and Nali fell there.-----went 5 days ago. The pool is up to the wall at Westgate.the Watcher in the Water took óin. We cannot get out. The end comes, drums, drums in the deep. They are coming."

A few moments after Gandalf had finished saying these words they heard the Boom of drums being sounded. A few seconds after the first drum had been heard there came a few Doom Dooms. The sound of a horn came afterwards, followed by answering horns and harsh cries. Doom Doom the drums were once again heard.