A/N: I did not update yet because I was at the Homecoming Dance. I won Homecoming Queen! Go me! YAY!

Anyhoo, here's the story!

At the crack of dawn, just like Gandalf promised, we started our journey to the Mines of Moria.

It was nearly noon when I fell. We had been walking all morning with only one rest stop to get water. And it had only been a few moments. The searing hot sun above rained its rays of light on us. The rays got heavier and heavier by the moment. We were walking in single file, not one word uttered all morning.

Gandalf led the procession, Aragorn next followed by Boromir, Gimli, Frodo, Sam, Pippin, Merry, me, and finally Legolas.

I could not take the heat anymore and collapsed. Merry, hearing the thud, spun around and bent down crying, "Ally! Ally!"

Legolas was instantly by my side trying to help me up. I shook my head. "I'm fine, Legolas. I do not need assistance. I am no old woman," I joked tiredly.

Legolas shook his head also. "No, Ally. This is no time to be joking. You have not healed yet. You must rest. I will go speak to Gandalf," he told me and rushed ahead to speak to Gandalf.

In a moment, the hobbits were by my side crowding me. "Oh, Ally! From Merry's cry, I thought the worst had happened to you!" Pippin cried.

"Yes, yes, we are all worried about you," Frodo added frantically checking to make sure that I was unhurt.

I chuckled lightly. "Aye, well, I'm fine, little ones. I am glad to see so many people care for me!"

Sam furrowed his eyebrows. "I do not understand Master Aragorn. It seems that they should at least stop and make sure you are okay, Lady Elf. I am worried for your safety. Suppose you do collapse and die!" he said mournfully.

Merry hit Sam lightly on the side of his head. "What are talking about, Samwise Gamgee. Ally shall not keel over and die! Not if I can help it!" he puffed out his chest defiantly.

I smiled. "Thank you, Merry. Your words comfort me greatly," I said truthfully.

Merry smiled back. "Just take care of yourself and you shall comfort me greatly too."

Pippin hugged me tight. "Oh, Ally! You cannot leave us. If you do, we shall not know what to do. Who will comfort us at night when we have nightmares? Who will sing to us? Who will laugh and joke and play with us then?" he asked desperately.

I hugged Pippin back. "Oh, my dear hobbit friends," I said as I drew all the hobbits into a tight embrace. "I will not know what to do without you either, all of you," tears forming behind my eyes. "I am touched to see I have so many friends among us."

I turned around and saw the other five members of the Fellowship in deep discussion. My head was hurting very badly so I did not bother straining my elven ears to listen. Finally, Legolas started toward me.

"Mellon, Gandalf and Aragorn have decided that it is too dangerous to stay here, for fear of the wargs' attacks again. I shall have to carry you," he said. He did not move though.

I finally understood that he was asking my permission. I knew that I was slowing down the whole group so I nodded my head in consent. He swiftly picked me up in his strong arms. I was tired and decided to sleep a while.

I let my head rest softly against Legolas' chest and fell asleep to the rhythmic beating of his heart. **************************************************************************** ************** "Mellon, mellon, wake up," a voice called softly into my ears. I stirred then awoke from my sleeplike trance. "We are here."

I rubbed my eyes and noticed that we were in a mountain dugout. I looked around and saw a lake of black murky water. I turned around and saw nothing but a stone face of a mountain. I frowned. "Is this what we came here for?" I asked Legolas.

"Nay, Gandalf says that the dwarves hid the door to the Mines cleverly and that only the moonlight can reveal the hidden door," he explained to me.

Suddenly, the moon appeared from behind some clouds. I turned to face the mountain wall again only to find a beautiful design on the face. I gasped. "It's beautiful," I exclaimed.

Beside me, Legolas nodded. "Oh, yes! We dwarves have a keen sense of beauty!" Gimli who standing a bit behind us, said proudly.

"What does the inscription say?" Frodo asked curiously.

"It says "Ennyn Durin Aran Moria: pedo mellon a minno. Im Narvi hain echant:Celebrimboro Erigion teithant i thiew him.. In Elvish it means: 'The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak Friend, and enter. I, Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs'," Gandalf translated.

"What does 'Speak, friend, and enter' mean?" Merry asked.

"Oh, it's simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password," Gandalf explained.

And so it came to be. We sat there for hours on end waiting for Gandalf to say the right password. Pippin and Merry had gotten bored and were throwing rocks in the murky water beside us. Aragorn stopped them. "Do not disturb the water," he hastily said.

I turned my attention back to Gandalf and the Door. "Annon Edhellen edro hi amen Gate of the Elves open for me now" he exclaimed. When nothing happened he tried again. "Edro, edro! Open, open!" in Elvish. When the Door did not open, he repeated the command in every language he knew.

When the Door still did not budge, Gandalf threw down his staff in hopelessness. "Oh, it's useless!" he cried out in distress.

I sighed. 'Stupid dwarves had to have a stupid password blocking the stupid door!' I cursed inwardly. I was already very crabby because of my headache and now I was waiting as patiently as possible.

Suddenly Gandalf jumped up in merriment. "I've got it. The answer's so simple like all the other riddles once you've figured out the answer!" Then Gandalf picked up his staff and stood in front of the door again. "Mellon!" he declared in a clear, demanding voice.

The silver linings shimmered once more before disappearing. Then the gray slab of rock slid open. We stared at the opening before us in wonder.

"We were all wrong, save Merry. He was on the right track. The password was inscribed on the rock the whole time. The translation should have been "Speak 'friend' and enter You need to only speak the Elvish word for 'friend'!" Gandalf explained in merriment.

I smiled at Merry and congratulated him. "Good job, Merry! I am glad that you have accompanied us on this trip!" I leaned down and whispered, "Otherwise Gandalf here would never reach your intellectual level."

Gandalf looked at me with his twinkling eyes. "I heard that, Ally. Elves are not the only ones with sharp hearing."

I smiled at Gandalf then frowned and headed toward Legolas. "I am afraid of that pool," I whispered to him, eyeing the murky water lying on our right side.

Legolas followed my gaze and nodded. "Aye, I do not feel so comfortable about it either. The hobbits don't also," he replied, gesturing to the hobbits in behind us who were also watching the water.

Legolas and I were well into the cave by then. "This is no mine," Boromir whispered loudly. "It is a tomb!"

I looked around and to my horror, I saw dead dwarves laying scattered everywhere. Skeletons, weapons, and bones sprawled across the cave's floor.

Legolas rushed away from my side and knelt next to one of the fallen dwarves. He pulled out the arrow protruding from its chest and examined it quickly. "Orcs!" he spat out as he threw the arrow down.

Immediately I drew my sword and glanced around the cave. The others drew their weapons as well. Then, a shout came from behind.

I whipped around just in time to see Frodo fall to the floor as a giant tentacle wrapped itself around his foot. I dashed toward him to rescue him.

The three other hobbits grabbed his hand and desperately tried to win the tug-of-war. I grabbed Frodo's entire body and pulled with all my might. I felt something heavy slam against me and felt myself fall to the floor.

Legolas quickly rushed to my side and helped me up again. I scrambled toward the octopus-like creature that was now sticking out of the dark waters. I swung my swords as hard as I could at one of the tentacles. My head was pounding with pain but I ignored it. "Stupid thing! Get away from him!" I screamed with all my might.

"Ally! Get into the cave!" a voice shouted as I felt someone pull me away roughly by the waist into the cave.

I swung my arms around as hard as I could. I felt my hand slap across skin and instantly the grip around my waist loosened. I turned around and found myself staring at Boromir's body. He looked up at me with fury in his eyes. "What in Middle Earth was that for?" he shouted at me.

I began to tremble. Never had a feared a man before, and I did not know when I did. "I...I... am sorry. I did not realized it was you," I apologized quickly. I was aware that everyone around us had turned their attention to us two.

Boromir scoffed at me. Legolas came up from behind Boromir. "Boromir!" he shouted at him. Boromir turned around. Legolas glared at him and walked to my side. "Never lay hands on her like that again," he growled in a menacing tone.

"Legolas..." Aragorn warned.

Boromir glared at Legolas back. Aragorn walked up to Boromir and pulled him away. Boromir gave Legolas and I one last look before walking with Aragorn.

Legolas turned to me and asked gently, "Are you all right?"

I smirked and asked, "What was that all about?"

Legolas blushed slightly and answered, "'Twas nothing. I just do not like that man." His eyes became a fierce blue. "I do not appreciate the way he was handling you."

I smiled and touched Legolas cheek gently. "Thank you, my friend for defending me. Though, you know, I do not need defending," I said.

Legolas gave me a flourished bow. "The pleasure was mine."

Gandalf spoke up. "If you two are finished with your performance, I would like to continue on our dark path into Moria. The sooner we start, the sooner we leave."

I gave Legolas one last smile before following the rest of the Fellowship. Pippin and Merry waited for me and took my hands and led me into the darkness of the caves.