Chapter 1: Haunting Past Returned

Slowly, the fellowship made their way through the Mines of Moria, alert to the slightest movement. There was one, however, who seemed edgier and more anxious than other.

Legolas walk cautiously behind the wizard Gandalf, the only one who knew why Legolas was so anxious. He knew this was not easy for the elf, but it was their one and only way to get to other side, as the Watcher had destroyed the entrance. Slowly, he glanced at the elf, his eyes either shifting nervously from left to right or else staring strait ahead of them with an unfocused gaze. He sighed and redirected his attention to the task at hand: getting them out safely.

Suddenly Legolas' eyes darted to his left. He could have sworn there had been some creature there. Legolas sighed to himself. Automatically, his hand went to the beautiful necklace around his neck. It was on a chain of deep blue-gold, which seem to glow when hit by the moon's rays. Hanging from it was a pendant, shaped as the inside of a rose, the four petals held dark blue stones in the centers. In between these there were small light blue gems. Then in the center was a magnificent jewel, which seemed to reflect the colors gold, blue, and red. When hit by the rays of the moon, it glows a soft blue-gold. When in the sun, it glows a red-gold. It was a gift from his love, Arianea Phoenixea, when they left from Rivendell. She was a beautiful elf, almost as tall as him and just as skilled with a bow. Last he had seen she had been wareing a long, flowing dress a blue silk, her long blonde hair at its full length behind her. She had pulled him to the side before he had left and put the necklace around his neck. (Now I will be with you no matter where you go. Please be careful and come back to me soon. I love you always.) Suddenly Legolas' muses were shattered when there came a cry from Gimli the Dwarf. When the elf looked up, the dwarf was sprinting away from them, towards what looked like an abandon room, the first they had seen. Quickening his pace, he followed the others to see where Gimli had gone. They slowly entered the room and immediately realized what it was. Gimli was kneeling In front of a rectangular stone coffin. Gandalf moved forward, reading the writing on the stone lid. " Here lies Barlin, Son of Durin, Lord of Moria. He is dead. It is as I feared." Slowly he bent over and picked up a dusty, rotted book. He opened it and dusted off the pages. " We must not linger here Aragorn. We need to keep moving." The elf whispered to the exiled king. Aragorn glanced quickly at Legolas to let him know he acknowledged him, but turned back to the wizard who was now reading from the book. " We can not get out" he read, " we have bared the doors, but they will not hold. They are monsters. They have slaughtered, even eaten, many of us. We can not get out. We can not get out. Our time is coming, the doors shall fall soon. He is coming. The." Here Gandalf paused, an expression of deep confusion on his face. " Gandalf?" questioned Aragorn. " What dose it say?" Gandalf said nothing, but studied the page closely. Legolas bent down to pick up an odd looking object. It looked like a claw of some animal. Suddenly, Gandalf's expression changed to a very grim one. He raised his head and looked strait at Legolas, who, upon sensing that someone was looking at him, turned his attention from the claw to Gandalf. The others looked from one to the other, puzzled expressions on their faces. " He is coming. The Belroth has returned."