Spike- 'Tell you what I'll do
then. I'll head out, find this girl, tell her exactly where you are and
then watch as she kills you. Can't any one of your damn little Scooby
club at least try to remember that I hate you all?'
Chapter ten
Everyone watched Buffy closely since then. Though, not so oblivious to the Elf compared to the others, she felt kind of crowded. And knowing she was His target did not help her to sleep at night and it troubled her thoughts throughout the day. What kind of dreams was she having, anyway? Messages? Yes, that's what Gandalf had said, hadn't he? And Gandalf is always right, wasn't he? Buffy looked over in the wizard's direction and scowled. He was a wizard, so why wasn't he flicking his magic branch and zapping the evil from this world? Well, Willow tried that once, and look what happened.
Watching the sprinkle of rain from the clouds up ahead made a small tingling sensation tingle in Buffy's stomach. She had to pee, badly, but where?
"Why do you keep looking around like that for?" She asked Legolas, a few days after the attack.
He tore his gaze from the sky and smiled down at Buffy. "I do not want to worry you, so do not fret."
"There is no fretting going on," Buffy retorted. "I'm just wondering."
"Mines of Moria, as far as ye can see." Gimli sung, his voice deep and raspy. "Mines of Moria, I can finally be me! Mines can thy tell the of thy worship, for ye bring joy from thy fellowship!"
And I thought Adam Sandler could sing, Buffy thought sarcastically as she watched the Dwarf sing.
Her mouth hung low when he repeated the verses. For good God, he even had a dance!
Laughing, Legolas reached out with his hand to tuck her chin back up to where it should be. Buffy shook her head to the Elf, and made a face, indicating that his voice was horrible, and the fellowship will strangle him, if not her, if he continued with this… singing.
And while they traveled, they were forced to listen to the Dwarf all the way to the Mines. But then Legolas sang. Some soft, melodic song that made Buffy sad, for his words were of great sorrow between some Elf named Luthien and her broken heart. And at that moment, Buffy was convinced that nothing could brighten up her mood, and the thought of it ever rising was beyond whatever hope left in Buffy's blood.
And then they arrived at the Gates, and Buffy stopped short in her tracks.
"Ooh, look!" Pippin exclaimed, pointing way up in the sky.
Way up high were two very large stone walls covered mostly in green moss and overflowing of water, that leaked down into the rushing river that ran on either side. The place was dark, and the only light that was really provided for them was Gandalf's magic staff and Legolas' inborn glow, which Buffy guessed was just one of the plus sides of being an Elf.
As soon as Buffy saw those dark, towering stone statues, she despised them. It held some sort of evil presence unknown to her, but all together she was an evil expert and this was no beauty. She looked in the direction of the Dwarf and saw his face light up with pride as they traveled under the Gates of Moria and forth towards the Mines themselves.
Buffy wrapped her arms around her chest and stayed close by the others. Something was amiss here, definitely.
She felt Legolas brush next to her in a slow stride, his eyes ever watchful of the darkening sky and the passing, gray clouds. She could feel his body tense and relax as they approached the front park of the flat land, the water in the lake calm and giving Buffy an eerie, danger approaching feeling. She tried to ignore it and leaned closer into Legolas, knowing he wouldn't mind if she accidentally walked close with him.
"There is no life here," Legolas whispered, letting his arm purposely touch Buffy's, a warm and safe feeling washing over his body. "everything is dead to my eyes. And look! Yonder is the tree of old." He sprinted over where a leafless, gray stump stayed, bent and lifeless. Buffy frowned as she followed close by, hoping whatever was left of this tree to ease her worries. Gandalf was chanting to that gate for an awfully long time…
The moon finally shone itself somewhere between the clouds and mirrored its light on the entrance doors.
Gandalf seemed pleased with this, and leaned his staff against them. "Ithilind. It reflects only starlight and moonlight. Now, it shall open on my command." Gandalf took a deep breath. "Annon Edhellen edro hi ammen!"
Nothing…
Buffy turned away and looked up at Legolas. "Why won't the doors open?"
He turned away from the tree and smiled down her. "Because the Dwarves that live here are absolutely preposterous, that's why."
"I heard that, Elf friend!" Gimli barked, leaning against his ax to stroke his beard. "But you just wait, you. Even yourself Buffy, you will see the hospitality of the Dwarves. Kind, heart spirited and friendly as can be! Do not feel intimidated though, for they will not show it in return."
Buffy saw a ghost of a smile on Legolas' face, and said "I think he's warming up with us. Well, maybe just you."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Legolas said, that smile not visible anymore. "Friends? With a Dwarf?"
"Ya'll need to take some racial classes, seriously." Buffy said, exaggerated.
"Racial, indeed, but what about hateful?" Pippin piped up, lifting up a rock and throwing it at the water.
Merry rolled his eyes from beside him. "It's the same thing, Pip. Duh."
"Duh?" Frodo, Sam, and Pippin repeated in unison.
"What? Buffy taught me that!" He cried, flinging a rock into the water.
Buffy laughed. "Tell them the other things I taught you too, Merry."
"How about you stop disturbing the water?" Boromir hissed, grabbing onto Pippin's arm before his rock was thrown into the ruffled water. The rock fell from his hand and they both glared at him. "Do not give me that look."
"He's the most unsocial person I've ever met." Buffy told the Hobbits, walking away from Legolas and sitting beside them, letting the end of her boots touch the water. "And anyway, I don't think he ever had a girlfriend."
"Why would he not have a girl friend? I'm sure there are women in Gondor." Frodo said softly from beside Gandalf.
"No, no, no." Buffy sighed. "I mean, girlfriend as in lover." Legolas strode over to Buffy. "As in someone you love, and vise versa."
"In that case," Merry smirked, looking back at Sam, who started to unpack Bill the Pony. "Sam has a girlfriend."
"Aw, leave him alone Merry." Pippin said. "Rosie's a good Lass, really."
"Rosie, huh?" Buffy said, smiling.
Sam blushed and looked away sadly. "Mind talking about something else then, for Rosie won't ever speak to me again. Ah, there you go Bill, more weight lifted from your back. I suppose that feels better?"
"Good job, Sam." Aragorn said, patting Bill on the back and letting go of the reins. Sam watched the pony go with a low face and trembling hands. Aragorn patted the Hobbit on his back. "He will find the way back."
"Somehow I doubt that." Sam muttered, sulking away to stand beside his master.
Buffy sighed and watched the lake curiously. The water looked so… ill. But it was still water, and she hadn't had a bath for awhile now, almost two weeks, and anything that would rinse out the grime from her hair ought to be good. As tempting as it was, she leaned back against her hands and continued to watch the water, calm and a mud brown. Then, from the corner of her eye, she saw something emerge from it, and she jumped up in surprise. Legolas caught her under her arms in time and looked at her from an explanation.
"Something's in there!" Buffy hissed. Her voice lowered. "Something's moving."
Legolas looked to where Buffy was pointing and shook his head. "I see nothing…"
Buffy groaned. "You're an Elf, you're suppose to see everything!"
"Ah! Gandalf!" Frodo suddenly cried. "What do the doors read?"
"Er- speak friend and enter?" Gandalf replied.
"And Legolas, what is the Elvish word for friend?" Frodo asked.
"Mellon." Legolas answered slowly, releasing Buffy as soon as the stone doors creaked open.
Buffy watched it, amazed and distracted from what she saw in the lake. "That was something Willow would do."
"Willow? As in the tree?" Pippin asked as they all made their way passed the the doors.
As in the lesbian, she wanted to say. "No, my friend. She is a witch-"
"The hospitality of the Dwarves!" Gimli interjected, clapping his hands together. "Soon, Elf, you will find the way of the Dwarves very different than that of the Elves. Roaring fires! Malt beer! Ripe meat off the bone. This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine. A mine!"
Buffy took a step forwards and felt something crunch underneath her boot. She looked down in disgust. "Since when do mines have skeletons in them?"
Gimli looked down in shock and let out a cry of anguish. Buffy quickly regretted ever opening her mouth, but Boromir had to announce the damn place being a tomb, and this made Gimli even more distraught. Buffy took a step back so that she would be away from the dead Dwarf corpses, but she only made matters worse and stepped onto another hideous crack.
Legolas drew out an arrow and suddenly threw it down. "Goblin arrows! They've been here, they've killed everyone."
"Everyone! Everyone!" Gimli cried miserably, clinging to his ax while he knelt down.
"This is horrible…" Buffy whispered, looking down at the hundreds of thousands of dead Dwarves scattered around the mine. "Why would they do this?" A fire burned inside Buffy and she felt immediate hate for these Goblin guys.
"We must make for the Gap of Rohan!" Boromir shouted, taking a step back and grabbing onto Buffy's arm. "We should have never come here. We must get out. Go! Now!"
Buffy wanted to do nothing but oblige, but something stopped her yet she didn't know what it was or where it came from, but something told her not to. So she stayed still, her arm falling limp in Boromir's grasp, and her hearing became alert. Then the people standing in front of her blurred out and she felt her eyes roll back into her head, and the distant voice was becoming clearer… and clearer… and finally, her eyes rolled back the right way.
"Frodo! Move!" She suddenly cried, shoving Boromir out of her way and grabbing onto Frodo's collar.
She thought she made it on time, but from behind Frodo, something gave a large tug and Buffy, along side of the Hobbit, was pulled down against the pebbled rocks and towards the lake. She felt her clothes start to tear and her skin start to bleed when finally she was brought by the water, and before she got dragged in any further, the other Hobbits ran over and started to swipe at the large, slimy tentacles that were holding onto Frodo and Buffy.
Buffy hit the ground hard and grabbed onto Frodo, helping him up to his feet and shoving him towards the mines.
Legolas darted out and made to help Buffy, but as soon as he came too close, another one of the offending tentacles came out and smacked Legolas in the chest. He was flown backwards and into the group of Hobbits, and Buffy could have laughed, but perhaps it wasn't the best time to do so. She turned around and watched as the enemy, obviously some sort of demon, approached her with new sets of dangling arms. Her eyes grew round and she made to run towards the others, but many of them came out at once and they all swapped at the Hobbits and Legolas, and one had grabbed Buffy by the ankle and lifted her off the ground. She struggled to wiggle free, but the grip around her ankle was so tight that it started to turn her leg green. Then, if matters could get worse, her blade begin to sheathe itself from its holder, and Buffy caught it by the handle before it dropped into the water.
"Strider!" Buffy heard Frodo cry, and she turned to see Frodo lifted in the air as well.
He must be after the Ring, she thought, and lifted up the blade.
"Frodo!" Buffy shouted, trying to reach over to him to loosen the tentacle around his leg, but the one holding her begin to fling her around in circles, her body thrashing around like some kind of rag doll, and Buffy certainly felt like one.
"Legolas, make for the eye!" Buffy heard someone cry from below.
"No, don't make for the eye!" Buffy cried down, trying to push herself away from the face of the thing.
But the released arrow flew passed Buffy, merely missing her by an inch or two, and struck the octopus looking thing in the face. Buffy felt it loosen around her and she began to fall, but before exactly falling, she grabbed onto the tentacle holding Frodo and swiped her sword through its flesh. It howled in pain and Frodo was soon released with Buffy, and she found herself falling closer and closer towards the water. She held her nose and quickly put her sword back where it belonged. She smacked into the water with a loud splash and she waited until the bubbles dissolved before swimming to the surface. Air hadn't felt so good until that moment.
She blinked away the water from her eyes and looked up in horror. The thing was thrashing down towards her, and she made to go but, in reaction to the beast's moving, a large wave came and pushed Buffy to shore, and it was there that she crashed into Aragorn and fell back into the mines.
"Thanks." Buffy gasped, letting Aragorn lift her in the air and run with her towards the mines.
"It's following! Quickly, into the mines!" Aragorn shouted and Buffy looked down at the running Hobbits with a raised eyebrow.
"Hey, let go now." Buffy snapped, struggling in his arms, but he tightened his hold around her.
Annoyed, Buffy fell back into his chest and held her arms around his neck, watching as the beast came charging forwards and after the frantic fellowship. The mine gave a tremble and the rocks at the entrance began to tumble down, just as the beast squeezed itself half way through the entrance, and Aragorn had luckily darted out of the way before a tentacle shot down at himself and Buffy. Buffy leapt off from his arms and landed onto the ground, running the rest of the way into the mines before the walls came crashing down together, barricading the entrance and the only way out. With a sickening crunch, the beast had fallen dead.
And they were trapped in absolute darkness, and worse of all, Buffy had to pee.
Chapter ten
Everyone watched Buffy closely since then. Though, not so oblivious to the Elf compared to the others, she felt kind of crowded. And knowing she was His target did not help her to sleep at night and it troubled her thoughts throughout the day. What kind of dreams was she having, anyway? Messages? Yes, that's what Gandalf had said, hadn't he? And Gandalf is always right, wasn't he? Buffy looked over in the wizard's direction and scowled. He was a wizard, so why wasn't he flicking his magic branch and zapping the evil from this world? Well, Willow tried that once, and look what happened.
Watching the sprinkle of rain from the clouds up ahead made a small tingling sensation tingle in Buffy's stomach. She had to pee, badly, but where?
"Why do you keep looking around like that for?" She asked Legolas, a few days after the attack.
He tore his gaze from the sky and smiled down at Buffy. "I do not want to worry you, so do not fret."
"There is no fretting going on," Buffy retorted. "I'm just wondering."
"Mines of Moria, as far as ye can see." Gimli sung, his voice deep and raspy. "Mines of Moria, I can finally be me! Mines can thy tell the of thy worship, for ye bring joy from thy fellowship!"
And I thought Adam Sandler could sing, Buffy thought sarcastically as she watched the Dwarf sing.
Her mouth hung low when he repeated the verses. For good God, he even had a dance!
Laughing, Legolas reached out with his hand to tuck her chin back up to where it should be. Buffy shook her head to the Elf, and made a face, indicating that his voice was horrible, and the fellowship will strangle him, if not her, if he continued with this… singing.
And while they traveled, they were forced to listen to the Dwarf all the way to the Mines. But then Legolas sang. Some soft, melodic song that made Buffy sad, for his words were of great sorrow between some Elf named Luthien and her broken heart. And at that moment, Buffy was convinced that nothing could brighten up her mood, and the thought of it ever rising was beyond whatever hope left in Buffy's blood.
And then they arrived at the Gates, and Buffy stopped short in her tracks.
"Ooh, look!" Pippin exclaimed, pointing way up in the sky.
Way up high were two very large stone walls covered mostly in green moss and overflowing of water, that leaked down into the rushing river that ran on either side. The place was dark, and the only light that was really provided for them was Gandalf's magic staff and Legolas' inborn glow, which Buffy guessed was just one of the plus sides of being an Elf.
As soon as Buffy saw those dark, towering stone statues, she despised them. It held some sort of evil presence unknown to her, but all together she was an evil expert and this was no beauty. She looked in the direction of the Dwarf and saw his face light up with pride as they traveled under the Gates of Moria and forth towards the Mines themselves.
Buffy wrapped her arms around her chest and stayed close by the others. Something was amiss here, definitely.
She felt Legolas brush next to her in a slow stride, his eyes ever watchful of the darkening sky and the passing, gray clouds. She could feel his body tense and relax as they approached the front park of the flat land, the water in the lake calm and giving Buffy an eerie, danger approaching feeling. She tried to ignore it and leaned closer into Legolas, knowing he wouldn't mind if she accidentally walked close with him.
"There is no life here," Legolas whispered, letting his arm purposely touch Buffy's, a warm and safe feeling washing over his body. "everything is dead to my eyes. And look! Yonder is the tree of old." He sprinted over where a leafless, gray stump stayed, bent and lifeless. Buffy frowned as she followed close by, hoping whatever was left of this tree to ease her worries. Gandalf was chanting to that gate for an awfully long time…
The moon finally shone itself somewhere between the clouds and mirrored its light on the entrance doors.
Gandalf seemed pleased with this, and leaned his staff against them. "Ithilind. It reflects only starlight and moonlight. Now, it shall open on my command." Gandalf took a deep breath. "Annon Edhellen edro hi ammen!"
Nothing…
Buffy turned away and looked up at Legolas. "Why won't the doors open?"
He turned away from the tree and smiled down her. "Because the Dwarves that live here are absolutely preposterous, that's why."
"I heard that, Elf friend!" Gimli barked, leaning against his ax to stroke his beard. "But you just wait, you. Even yourself Buffy, you will see the hospitality of the Dwarves. Kind, heart spirited and friendly as can be! Do not feel intimidated though, for they will not show it in return."
Buffy saw a ghost of a smile on Legolas' face, and said "I think he's warming up with us. Well, maybe just you."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Legolas said, that smile not visible anymore. "Friends? With a Dwarf?"
"Ya'll need to take some racial classes, seriously." Buffy said, exaggerated.
"Racial, indeed, but what about hateful?" Pippin piped up, lifting up a rock and throwing it at the water.
Merry rolled his eyes from beside him. "It's the same thing, Pip. Duh."
"Duh?" Frodo, Sam, and Pippin repeated in unison.
"What? Buffy taught me that!" He cried, flinging a rock into the water.
Buffy laughed. "Tell them the other things I taught you too, Merry."
"How about you stop disturbing the water?" Boromir hissed, grabbing onto Pippin's arm before his rock was thrown into the ruffled water. The rock fell from his hand and they both glared at him. "Do not give me that look."
"He's the most unsocial person I've ever met." Buffy told the Hobbits, walking away from Legolas and sitting beside them, letting the end of her boots touch the water. "And anyway, I don't think he ever had a girlfriend."
"Why would he not have a girl friend? I'm sure there are women in Gondor." Frodo said softly from beside Gandalf.
"No, no, no." Buffy sighed. "I mean, girlfriend as in lover." Legolas strode over to Buffy. "As in someone you love, and vise versa."
"In that case," Merry smirked, looking back at Sam, who started to unpack Bill the Pony. "Sam has a girlfriend."
"Aw, leave him alone Merry." Pippin said. "Rosie's a good Lass, really."
"Rosie, huh?" Buffy said, smiling.
Sam blushed and looked away sadly. "Mind talking about something else then, for Rosie won't ever speak to me again. Ah, there you go Bill, more weight lifted from your back. I suppose that feels better?"
"Good job, Sam." Aragorn said, patting Bill on the back and letting go of the reins. Sam watched the pony go with a low face and trembling hands. Aragorn patted the Hobbit on his back. "He will find the way back."
"Somehow I doubt that." Sam muttered, sulking away to stand beside his master.
Buffy sighed and watched the lake curiously. The water looked so… ill. But it was still water, and she hadn't had a bath for awhile now, almost two weeks, and anything that would rinse out the grime from her hair ought to be good. As tempting as it was, she leaned back against her hands and continued to watch the water, calm and a mud brown. Then, from the corner of her eye, she saw something emerge from it, and she jumped up in surprise. Legolas caught her under her arms in time and looked at her from an explanation.
"Something's in there!" Buffy hissed. Her voice lowered. "Something's moving."
Legolas looked to where Buffy was pointing and shook his head. "I see nothing…"
Buffy groaned. "You're an Elf, you're suppose to see everything!"
"Ah! Gandalf!" Frodo suddenly cried. "What do the doors read?"
"Er- speak friend and enter?" Gandalf replied.
"And Legolas, what is the Elvish word for friend?" Frodo asked.
"Mellon." Legolas answered slowly, releasing Buffy as soon as the stone doors creaked open.
Buffy watched it, amazed and distracted from what she saw in the lake. "That was something Willow would do."
"Willow? As in the tree?" Pippin asked as they all made their way passed the the doors.
As in the lesbian, she wanted to say. "No, my friend. She is a witch-"
"The hospitality of the Dwarves!" Gimli interjected, clapping his hands together. "Soon, Elf, you will find the way of the Dwarves very different than that of the Elves. Roaring fires! Malt beer! Ripe meat off the bone. This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine. A mine!"
Buffy took a step forwards and felt something crunch underneath her boot. She looked down in disgust. "Since when do mines have skeletons in them?"
Gimli looked down in shock and let out a cry of anguish. Buffy quickly regretted ever opening her mouth, but Boromir had to announce the damn place being a tomb, and this made Gimli even more distraught. Buffy took a step back so that she would be away from the dead Dwarf corpses, but she only made matters worse and stepped onto another hideous crack.
Legolas drew out an arrow and suddenly threw it down. "Goblin arrows! They've been here, they've killed everyone."
"Everyone! Everyone!" Gimli cried miserably, clinging to his ax while he knelt down.
"This is horrible…" Buffy whispered, looking down at the hundreds of thousands of dead Dwarves scattered around the mine. "Why would they do this?" A fire burned inside Buffy and she felt immediate hate for these Goblin guys.
"We must make for the Gap of Rohan!" Boromir shouted, taking a step back and grabbing onto Buffy's arm. "We should have never come here. We must get out. Go! Now!"
Buffy wanted to do nothing but oblige, but something stopped her yet she didn't know what it was or where it came from, but something told her not to. So she stayed still, her arm falling limp in Boromir's grasp, and her hearing became alert. Then the people standing in front of her blurred out and she felt her eyes roll back into her head, and the distant voice was becoming clearer… and clearer… and finally, her eyes rolled back the right way.
"Frodo! Move!" She suddenly cried, shoving Boromir out of her way and grabbing onto Frodo's collar.
She thought she made it on time, but from behind Frodo, something gave a large tug and Buffy, along side of the Hobbit, was pulled down against the pebbled rocks and towards the lake. She felt her clothes start to tear and her skin start to bleed when finally she was brought by the water, and before she got dragged in any further, the other Hobbits ran over and started to swipe at the large, slimy tentacles that were holding onto Frodo and Buffy.
Buffy hit the ground hard and grabbed onto Frodo, helping him up to his feet and shoving him towards the mines.
Legolas darted out and made to help Buffy, but as soon as he came too close, another one of the offending tentacles came out and smacked Legolas in the chest. He was flown backwards and into the group of Hobbits, and Buffy could have laughed, but perhaps it wasn't the best time to do so. She turned around and watched as the enemy, obviously some sort of demon, approached her with new sets of dangling arms. Her eyes grew round and she made to run towards the others, but many of them came out at once and they all swapped at the Hobbits and Legolas, and one had grabbed Buffy by the ankle and lifted her off the ground. She struggled to wiggle free, but the grip around her ankle was so tight that it started to turn her leg green. Then, if matters could get worse, her blade begin to sheathe itself from its holder, and Buffy caught it by the handle before it dropped into the water.
"Strider!" Buffy heard Frodo cry, and she turned to see Frodo lifted in the air as well.
He must be after the Ring, she thought, and lifted up the blade.
"Frodo!" Buffy shouted, trying to reach over to him to loosen the tentacle around his leg, but the one holding her begin to fling her around in circles, her body thrashing around like some kind of rag doll, and Buffy certainly felt like one.
"Legolas, make for the eye!" Buffy heard someone cry from below.
"No, don't make for the eye!" Buffy cried down, trying to push herself away from the face of the thing.
But the released arrow flew passed Buffy, merely missing her by an inch or two, and struck the octopus looking thing in the face. Buffy felt it loosen around her and she began to fall, but before exactly falling, she grabbed onto the tentacle holding Frodo and swiped her sword through its flesh. It howled in pain and Frodo was soon released with Buffy, and she found herself falling closer and closer towards the water. She held her nose and quickly put her sword back where it belonged. She smacked into the water with a loud splash and she waited until the bubbles dissolved before swimming to the surface. Air hadn't felt so good until that moment.
She blinked away the water from her eyes and looked up in horror. The thing was thrashing down towards her, and she made to go but, in reaction to the beast's moving, a large wave came and pushed Buffy to shore, and it was there that she crashed into Aragorn and fell back into the mines.
"Thanks." Buffy gasped, letting Aragorn lift her in the air and run with her towards the mines.
"It's following! Quickly, into the mines!" Aragorn shouted and Buffy looked down at the running Hobbits with a raised eyebrow.
"Hey, let go now." Buffy snapped, struggling in his arms, but he tightened his hold around her.
Annoyed, Buffy fell back into his chest and held her arms around his neck, watching as the beast came charging forwards and after the frantic fellowship. The mine gave a tremble and the rocks at the entrance began to tumble down, just as the beast squeezed itself half way through the entrance, and Aragorn had luckily darted out of the way before a tentacle shot down at himself and Buffy. Buffy leapt off from his arms and landed onto the ground, running the rest of the way into the mines before the walls came crashing down together, barricading the entrance and the only way out. With a sickening crunch, the beast had fallen dead.
And they were trapped in absolute darkness, and worse of all, Buffy had to pee.