Nine Little Ring Bearers

Now (after a long pause) I´ll try to write the seventh chapter. And we´re going to Moria. . .

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^

Chapter 7

When the gate had fallen not even the light of moon reached the mines. Everything was dark around the Fellowship. They stand still listening for more danger, but nothing was heard. Finally Gandalf lit his staff and a weak ray of light covered them. They were standing in a hall.

"Gandalf," Merry asked wondering when seeing pillars and stairways. "What is this place?"

Gandalf walked slowly further, the rest of the Fellowship following him. "These were great mines of Dwarves. They dig gems and mithril from here. I believe that Balin and his companions still dwell here." Gandalf stopped suddenly. On the beginning of a stairway lied an old rotten body, an arrow on it.

Aragorn pulled the arrow away and examined it. "Or dwelled. This is a goblin arrow," he told grabbing his sword.

Boromir held also his hand on his sword. "There´s bodies everywhere!" he looked around. "This is a tomb."

The companions gathered to a small circle, everyone watching around holding their breath, prepared to act if something attacked from the shadows.

But the hall was as silent as it had been before. Gandalf put his sword down and said: "Here might have been a fight. But a long time ago. I know there are orcs in these dim mines, but not right here." Gandalf set his foot on the stairs next to the death dwarf.. "We will go on. We must try to travel carefully and not to disturb this silence. We have not been seen yet. Let us hope that our dark journey will go unnoticed," he ended starting to walk up the stairway, the others following him.

"I don´t like this silence," Sam muttered rising the stairs. "It´s too silent."

* * *

The company advanced slowly. Gandalf had estimated that it would take three or four marches to approach the Eastern side of the mountains. But walking through the black narrow paths and tunnels with only light that one faint of Gandalf´s staff was difficult. The Fellowship had walked a few hours after they came to the mines and then they had rested for the night. Yet nothing revealed that it was night, only their frail feelings. The next day they continued their journey. No one spoke anything to each other. The darkness filled their thoughts.

Gandalf was leading their way. The corridors he took widened sometimes to small halls like that one by the gate. Somewhere along their journey the Fellowship could see racks and tools left beside the stone walls. When Gandalf put his staff near the walls they glimmered. There was mithril on the stone. That was what the dwarves had mined, because mithril was the most valuable material ever found, Gandalf told. Frodo shivered hearing his words and slightly touched the waistcoat under his shirt that he was wearing. Frodo had not told anyone about the gift that Bilbo had given to him when they left from Rivendell.

The paths went deeper all the time. Just when it felt that they could not go any more lower, there came another stairway downwards. In one crossing the Fellowship stopped.

"We shall keep a halt here," Gandalf informed to Aragorn. Quietly he whispered: "I have no memory of this place. I must think for a while."

Aragorn nodded and raised his voice so that even the hobbits coming behind them could hear him. "We will keep a break here. But we will still continue before we sleep."

Gandalf sat on a rock and lowered his head. Merry and Pippin hurried to the crossing and opened their rucksacks.

"Do you have something to eat, Merry?" Pippin asked hopefully.

Merry searched his bag. "Yes, here is. . ."

"Let me guess," Pippin interrupted him. "Miruvor. But do you have anything else? I remembered I had some dried meat, but probably I´ve eaten them already. . ."

Merry was also disappointed. "Me too Pip. But I think Sam has something left." Merry stood up to talk Sam but he could not see him. "Sam? Hey, where is he?" he asked from Pippin.

Aragorn and Boromir sat beside them smoking their pipes. Aragorn´s face darkened. "Yeah. Where is he?" he looked around and realised something else. "And where is Frodo?" his voice darkened even more. "Frodo, Sam! Where are you?" he shouted.

There came know answer. They had did not know where the ringbearer was. "No, no," Pippin cried desperately. "Not again. This can´t be happening. . . not to them."

Gandalf rose up and started striding back that way where they had came. He´s face could not be seen but the wizard walked round- shouldered like carrying a heavy burden. Soon he disappeared to the shadows.

"We must follow him," Aragorn said and left with Boromir after Gandalf. "Merry, Pippin," he spoke to the hobbits who did not move. "We need you too."

Merry was calming Pippin, who shook uncontrolled. "We cannot come," Merry said looking sadly at his friend. "He won´t move. He says he doesn´t want to see Frodo and Sam. . . if they are. . ." Merry´s voice faded down.

"Let them stay," Boromir said to Aragorn who agreed. "We must hurry now. Stay right where you are!" he finally told to the hobbits and started running with Aragorn to the darkness, leaving Merry and Pippin to fear with one almost burned torch.

After a short run Aragorn and Boromir saw Gandalf. He had kneeled himself to the ground. When the two men came closer they saw that Gandalf was with Frodo and Sam, who seemed to be all right.

The darkness passed from Aragorn´s face. "You are alive! But what took you so long?" he asked.

Frodo sat on the ground and Gandalf was binding his ankle. Sam tried to help as well as he could. "Frodo fell," Sam started. "He hurt his ankle. That´s why we were delayed. I tried to yell to you but probably you just couldn´t here me," he explained a bit regretting.

Boromir looked amused. "Hurt his ankle?" he laughed. "And we though you met a couple of black riders or something. You two almost scared us!"

Sam was annoyed. "Yeah. We almost scared you." Worried he looked at Frodo. "And it´s not worth making fun of this if master cannot walk."

"I´m all right," Frodo said trying to stand with Gandalf´s help. "I´m sure I can walk," he stepped with his hurt leg and grinned. "At least soon."

Aragorn lifted him up. "We can carry you until you can walk. I´m so relieved that you two are still here." And he started walking back towards the crossing.

To this direction the journey was longer, because Sam was tired and he could not advance quickly. Gandalf´s staff lit up their path but the crossing surprised them. They had expected to see the flame of Merry´s and Pippin´s torch and could not believe when Gandalf told that the black place was the crossing.

"Apparently the torch has went out," Gandalf pondered. "I think we should spend the night here, we are all tired," he told then.

Aragorn lowered Frodo hastily to the ground and walked to a dark corner. Gandalf had also seen something there and followed him.

Sam looked after them. "Fro-Frodo," he´s voice shook. "Sho-shouldn´t Merry and Pip be here?"

Frodo closed his eyes realising Sam´s words. When he opened them he look towards the beam of light were Gandalf stood. Quickly he closed his eyes again. Merry and Pippin were lying on the corner beside each other. Red stains widened on their skirts and arrows showed in the middle of the stains.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^

No, this wasn´t a well written chapter, not at all. I´m sorry.

And I´m so evil. I killed Merry and Pippin! How could I?! And this story hasn´t even ended yet. You better watch out, Fellowship!