"Will you stop complaining?" Sam snapped.
I took a deep breath and followed Aragorn close by. We were near the west Gate of Moria, wherever that was, and the atmosphere wasn't all that breathable. Turning to Aragorn, I saw him struggle with Bill since the bloody scoundrel wouldn't stop neighing and thrashing his head from side to side.
"Maybe if you stopped stepping on my boot." Pippin hissed.
"How about you all just stop talking all together?" I suggested, running my hand across my damp forehead.
Sam looked to Pippin, then to me and lowered his head. "I'm just a little tired, my Lady."
I sighed. "Sure."
I suppose we all were tired, but Legolas seemed the most uncomfortable. There were strangely a lot of noises running through Moria and at every little snap he would grab his weapon and keep a strained gaze on the large tower Gandalf was leading us through. Gimli let out a gasp and tapped my arm.
"T-The walls of Moria!" He breathed, his eyes large and running over the large stone walls.
"If it were my choice I would choose the path of Rohan." Legolas told me, his hand hurrying me in front of him. "This place is odd and closed in. The air is thick and no earth grows here."
"Because, Elf, this is a Dwarfs dwelling!" Gimli said, grunting randomly and rubbing his chest. "My cousins will treat the fellowship like one of their own, but I better watch out Master Elf. They aren't as happy as I may say."
"Somehow I do not doubt that." The Elf scowled and I grinned.
As we passed the great walls, we were splashed with a running river up ahead and I barely got away from becoming completely soaked and accidentally bumped into Boromir, would tumbled back and became drenched in water. Realising what happened, my grin widened and I reached out to help him up.
"No worries." He said, grabbing my hand and tripping over his feet, nearly crushing his large body against my own. "My apologies, my Lady." He stared down at me and smiled.
"You are dripping onto me." I said with a laugh, moving aside his long hair from my face. "But as you said, no worries."
"Ah, but you look very splendid wet." He removed himself from me and flashed me a grin, moving aside Pippin and Merry and heading towards the front of the line. I watched him leave but jumped when I hand touched my forearm.
Legolas moved in front of me, glaring after Boromir. He then turned to me. "I do not trust him Lara."
"Why the bloody hell not?" I laughed, moving my arm away from his warm touch.
"I see the way he looks at you when you are fingering that contraption of yours." He whispered, moving me aside so we wouldn't lose sight of the others. "Not to mention Frodo and his Ring. He has something planned, and I plan on figuring it out."
"Oh please." I waved him off and walked away. "Like I said before, you are paranoid!"
We made our way through the little river between some round shaped rocks that the Hobbits and Bill kept slipping over. I, lucky to have on my thick boots, lifted the Hobbits on their feet before they came in contact with the hard, wet rocks.
"Thank you, Lara." Frodo said softly, getting lifted up by his collar.
"Don't mention it." I looked down at the swamp that we were passing along a set of pebbled rocks. "What is this place?"
"This is Moria, my Lady." Boromir said in a hush tone. "It is where we want to enter."
"What's Gandalf trying to do?" Pippin asked, brushing me aside to get a better look. "Why won't the doors open?"
"Now, let us see." Gandalf hummed thoughtfully for a few moments before laying his hands against the stone door, which was suddenly illumined by the reflection of the moonlight, which peered through a set of dead trees. I frowned. "Ithilidin.. It mirrors only starlight and moonlight."
"No kidding." I mumbled, making my way over to Legolas, who was touching a dead tree. "Legolas?"
"This place is dead to me." He whispered, not bothering to turn to look at me. "This tree just died at my touch. This water provides nothing for them."
"It reads," Gandalf continued. "The doors of Durin- Lord of Moria. Speak friend and enter... Hmm."
"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked, picking up a rock and kicking it into the water.
"It's really simple, isn't it?" I observed, sitting myself on the edge of the water. "You have to obviously speak friend and the bloody door will open and magically disappear. Now.. Does anyone know the password?"
"Lara is correct." Gandalf said, giving me a smile before turning back to the illumined door. "Now, let us try." He cleared his throat and handed his staff to Frodo, then laying his hands against the doors firmly. "Annon Edhellen edro hi ammen!"
When the doors didn't budge, I turned to Legolas, who sat besides me and watched the water thoughtfully.
"What did he just say?" I whispered, unconsciously letting my leg touch his.
Legolas sighed and turned to me. I let out a small gasp as the moonlight reflected not only off the doors but also off his pale complexion and his smooth, creamy blonde hair. His eyes seemed a dark shade of blue, grim and towering over my body like a bird's gaze. I bit down on my lip and watched as he watched me thoughtfully.
"Gate of the Elves, open for me." He whispered back, smiling now and turning back to the water. It suddenly stirred and we both turned to see Merry and Pippin throwing rocks into it. "They are disturbing the water."
"Hey, knock it off!" I hollered, just as Aragorn grabbed Pippin's arm to stop him from throwing a rock.
"Do not disturb the water, Master Hobbit." Aragorn muttered, letting go of Pippin and moving back towards Bill.
Gandalf grunted. "Ando Eldarinwa a lasta quettanya, Fenda Casarinwa!"
"Do not ask." Legolas mused before I asked what it meant.
"Ah- ha."
"This may be a while." Gimli sighed, leaning against his ax and staring up at the moon. "Ah, the moon Goddess shines down on us while we bask in the beauty of Moria."
"Go on Bill, go on." I heard Aragorn say and I turned to see Aragorn letting Bill wander off.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"The mines are no place for a pony." He said grimly, giving Sam a pat on his back. "He knows the way home Lara, do not worry your heart."
"Oh this is useless." Gandalf shouted.
"Wait a second Gandalf." Frodo said, standing from a log aside the great door. "Speak.. Speak friend and enter? Legolas, what is the Elvish word for friend?"
"Mellon." He answered, a little skeptically.
As if on answer to the word mellon, everyone turned to see the both doors slide open in a rumble that stirred the water twice as roughly as Pippin and Merry's rock throwing. Legolas stood quickly, helping me up and walked with me inside the darkened mines of Moria.
"This place is--" I began.
"Creepy." Aragorn finished for me, coming to my side.
"I was about to say dark, but creepy is another good one." I breathed.
"Ah!" Gimli huffed, patting his chest once again. "Soon master Elf, you will know the true hospitalities of the dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone! This, my friends, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine! A mine!"
"Thank you for the introduction." I said, flashing the Dwarf a smile. I walked forwards and suddenly stepped on something, cracking it in half and making a rather gruesome noise. "What the hell?"
I picked my foot up and could barely make out the outline of a skull. Grimacing, I kicked back my foot and turned to see the entire mine illumined by the moonlight outside.
"This is no mine, master Dwarf!" Boromir cried. "This is a tomb!"
"For dead people?" Merry squeaked.
"Looks like they've been dead awhile." I whispered, bumping into Boromir as I backed up.
"D-Dwarves?" Gimli cried. "Dwarves! No! No!"
Legolas moved me aside and picked an arrow from one of the Dwarves eye sockets. "Goblins, Gandalf!"
Boromir, Aragorn and Legolas drew out their weapons. They're over reacting over little, bad ass goblins? Honestly, they have no idea what kind of trouble I've gone through. Boromir was saying something about leaving for his road and I was ready to oblige, but something grabbed onto my leg and threw me off guard, not to mention on the ground.
I looked down just as I was being dragged closer and closer to the water. It was a bloody tentacle! I looked over and saw Frodo getting pulled in as well, the Hobbits trying to pull him loose. Well, thanks! I thought bitterly, my body getting raised into the air and thrashed around limply. Annoyed, and hanging upside down, I pulled my guns out and aimed it against the tentacle holding me, pulling the trigger back and firing.
The ugly bugger emerged from the lake, rising from about eighty feet into the air, its tentacles thrashing around as the one I shot let me go. I landed in the water, which rose to my ankles, and went to run back into the mines but another one emerged and grabbed onto my waist. Crying out with annoyance, I started pounding my guns against it roughly.
"Ugly bloke!" I shouted, firing at its head. "Let. Me. Go!"
"Lara no!" I turned my head to see Legolas firing his arrows at the thing repeatedly.
Why wasn't my guns doing any damage to this thing? Taking a deep breath and feeling my bag lean into my back, I suddenly realised that I couldn't breathe right because the tentacle around my waist tightened and my chest blew out like a bubble. My hands were swelling up and I watched in horror as they both slipped from my grip and fell into the water below and making a big splash.
"No." I hissed, my teeth gritted.
Something getting flung in the air caught my eye and I watched Frodo fell from one of the beast's tentacles and into Boromir's arms. Great. No one was going to help me? Wait- I didn't need help! I'm Lara Croft, after all. But this bloody thing was so strong. I knew my face was changing colors and I could feel the blood pumping to my brain.
"No you don't!" I heard Aragorn shout and the tentacle holding me loosened and I fell from its hold and into the water. This time the water was towering over my neck and I threw back my braid, attempting to swim to the surface.
A set of hands grabbed my arms and was pulling me forwards. I was able to get my head out from under the water and saw Legolas' horrified face look at mine all the while trying to pull me out. I shoved him off, dragging myself the rest of the way out and turning to see the thing swap another one of its balls at me. Crying out, Legolas shoved me away and was hit by the thing instead. I tumbled across the pebbles, feeling the flesh above it getting cut, and turned to see the beast coming out of the water and towards me.
Short of breath, I pushed myself back and leaned against the side of the wall for support. I shot my head to the side just as Legolas was struggling to get on his feet. Aragorn was shouting at both of us to enter the mines, but Legolas was having trouble standing. I growled furiously and flipped into the air, landing in front of Legolas and pulling him up on his feet.
"Come on you stupid bugger!" I shouted up at the thing. "You want to take my guns from me? Fine!"
It swapped its tentacle at me but I ducked and threw my arm against it. It cried out a hideous cry and went to attack me again, but I grabbed it with both my hands and twisted in an angry, screwed up indian burn. I was able to tear it in half just as a dozen tentacles came flying at me, but Legolas grabbed my waist and lifted me in his arms, running with me inside the mines just as the rocks behind us tumbled and crashed down on the beast.
I let out a cry. "Ha!"
There was a moment of silence as we all caught our breaths. Gandalf moved ahead, his staff shining bright, and said firmly, "We now have but one choice. We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world."
"Like goblins?" I asked, my head shaking. "Or great big octopuses?"