Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings. If you see any characters or any of that stuff that you don't recognize, it's mine. The rest belongs to Tolkien.

Chapter Ten

About a day and a half later, the Fellowship reached the gate of the Mines of Moria. Ali barely talked during that time period. She was mad at everybody, Gandalf in particular. He took Frodo's advice over everybody else's. Didn't he care what was going to happen to him? And plus, Gandalf took a hobbit's advice. A hobbit didn't know much about anything; they didn't care what happened beyond their borders. Ali didn't know much Middle Earth-wise but she WAS a level above a hobbit.

"The walls of Moria," Ali heard Gimili say.

She looked up to look up. It wasn't much, but Dwarves were proud of it. Ali knew if she said anything, she would regret saying it later so she decided to keep her mouth shut. Ali was determined not to make one more mistake and not speak up until she was certain she it would work. Or at least, she would hope. Everything would be perfect.

"Let's see. Ithilidin. It mirrors only starlight and moonlight," Gandalf suddenly muttered to himself, but it seems to echo off the walls.

Ali glanced over and saw that a door suddenly appeared out of nowhere, shining like the moon's light. She looked up. The moon WAS shining on it. Magic, that was.

Gandalf stood away from the doors, looking up at the strange language on the door. Then he used his staff to follow the letters as he read.

"It reads: The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria, speak friend.and enter," Gandalf said.

"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked.

"It's quite simple. If you are a friend, just speak the password and the doors will open," Gandalf explained.

Ali looked at the door again. Speak friend and enter? Well, that's quite simple.

"Wait a minute," Ali said. "It says speak friend, and enter. So don't you just say the word friend and the doors will open? It's a riddle."

Everybody turned to look at her silently. They couldn't believe that Ali just knew that in an instant.

Ali looked around at everybody. "What? I always loved doing riddles and puzzles while I was growing up. And this looks like a riddle to me. And anyways, I already knew what word you had to say. I told you once about it. Or perhaps you forgot as quickly?"

"I never doubted you, Ali," Frodo spoke up.

"Nor I. I saw the sincerity in your voice when you talked about that. Nobody can talk about home without that," Sam stated.

Ali smiled gratefully at the two hobbits. She had suddenly felt better when they said that. She had just about given up and went into isolation like she usually did when she was angry or upset. And if that had happened, she might have changed something about the story. Sauron might've gotten the Ring back, and Ali wouldn't have been able to live with herself with that in mind.

"Please trust her, Mr. Gandalf, sir," Sam pleaded.

Gandalf looked at Ali quietly, studying her. Ali told herself to keep herself still and not say anything to change Gandalf's decision.

"I think I believe you, Alexandria Wimund," Gandalf said quietly.

Ali just nodded and tried to be calm and collected on the outside, but on the inside, she was leaping for joy. 'I finally did something right!' she thought excitedly.

Gandalf turned back to the doors. "It would be in Elvish. The Dwarves always wrote in Elvish in formal things such as this. Mellon."

As Gandalf said the word, the doors slowly opened. Gandalf chuckled slightly.

"I do believe you were right, Ali." Gandalf turned to look at Ali and smiled at her. Ali smiled back, feeling relieved.

"Well, in we go," Gandalf said. He went in and everybody followed after him.

Ali gasped quietly to herself. Ali would never have thought there would such a huge place behind such a small door. Now she knew the meaning of the saying things aren't what they seemed and it's just the tip of the iceberg.

"Soon, Master Elf, you'll be joining in the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves. Roaring fires, malt beer, rrreeed meat of the bone. This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin," Gimili said.

Ali smiled quietly to herself and swallowed a chuckle. Gimili always made her want to laugh.

"This is no mine," Boromir said suddenly. "It's a tomb."

Ali heard Gimili cry out no as she looked around her in horror. There were skeletons everywhere. Ali felt queasy. She never liked anatomy with all that blood and gore, nor looking at skeletons. She didn't like looking at what held her body up. Ali saw Legolas look at an arrow in a skeleton.

"Goblins," Legolas spat out. He quickly stood and pulled out his bow and nocked an arrow into it.

"We should've made for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here. Now get out of here, get out!"

Ali didn't seem to be able to move. She felt sick. Ali couldn't move.Just then she heard Frodo yelling and making a racket. Ali turned around. Some kind of monster.sort of like a squid.had wrapped its tentacles around Frodo's legs.

"Strider!" Sam yelled.

Ali decided to move quickly. She forced her feet to move at her will and was soon with the hobbits in a heartbeat. She pulled out her sword and hacked off the monster's tentacle that was gripping Frodo.

"Frodo, move, gosh darn you! It'll get you again if you just sit there like a baggart! Move, darn you!" Ali shouted at Frodo.

Frodo didn't hesitate and quickly got up and ran in the mines, followed by the hobbits and Ali. Legolas was behind them quickly shooting at the monster.

"Legolas! Come back in here!" Ali yelled.

"Do as she says, Legolas!" Aragorn yelled, also. The monster was making a heck of a lot of noise.

Legolas shot one more arrow before running swiftly back into the mines and just in time, too. The monster had stretched out it's tentacles and pulled down the door, making thousands of rocks fall down around the entrance, the only way out of the place unless you wanted to walk through Moria. The last rays of light flickered out as the rocks piled up. Everybody stood panting, trying to catch their breath.

"Now which way would you like to go, everybody?" Ali asked sarcastically.

"You have now but one choice. You must take the long, dark of Moria," Gandalf said. "Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world. And walk quietly now, it's a four day journey to the other side."

Ali suddenly clutched her stomach, her sickness returning once she remembered the skeletons lying everywhere.

"Ooo, I think I'm going to be sick," Ali groaned. She rushed behind a rock and threw up. She felt better and returned to the Fellowship, whom were all staring at her, gaping.

"What, you've never seen anybody get sick before?" Ali asked.

"You just don't seem like the type to get sick after all you've done so far," Merry said.

"Yes, well.dead bodies," Ali said pointing to a skeleton, "and me don't exactly mix. Me and blood and gore don't exactly mix either."

"Well, Mistress Ali, I think you're gonna have to mix. I would bet you there's plenty of these things around here," Gimili reproached.

Ali nodded. "Well, I guess we should get going, then."

Gandalf nodded. "Let's go, then."

Everybody soon started off. Sam walked up next to Ali.

"You'll be alright, won't you, Miss Ali?" Sam asked worriedly.

Ali smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry about me, Sam. It's the one thing that I have to help myself."

Sam nodded and fell back to walk next to Frodo. Ali just shook her head and continued walking. Well, they were in the Mines of Moria and they couldn't turn back. Now Ali had to concentrate on thinking of how to save Gandalf from his fate. There just had to be something. Ali wouldn't let Gandalf fall, not if she could help it.

A/n: Well, there's chapter ten for you. This is where it gets interesting, I think. But that's just me. I hope you alls like it so far. By the way everybody's reviewing, they are. Keep reviewing, it always helps me ^^. But never mind; I'll stop talking now.

Brilover- Thanks for the review! I was really touched when I read your review. I still don't know what I'm going to do with the Pippin and Legolas thing. I'm just writing as I go right now. And thanks again for the review!

Ashes Kittyhawk-Thanks for the review! Ali's isn't as pitiful as she seems, I can assure you on that one. No, it's not a bad thing that they can be nice, no? I don't even know what Big Bear is. Makes me think of the store when you said that, but I suppose that's not what it was. I'm not an idiot. But I'm glad you love the fic and missed it while you were away. I hope you keep reading. Thanks again for the review!