Chapter 4
Walking through the Mines of Moria for two days had not been Paige's favorite experience. Not by a long shot. For two days they had been trekking through the dark, occasionally stumbling on a loose rock.
At the end of the second day, they fell across a great hall.
'We shall rest here tonight', said Gandalf, his voice echoing loudly around the room, 'It is quiet and safe.'
As Paige walked in, her boot hit a rock and it fell into the well that was centered in the room. Far below, as if the stone had fallen into deep water in some cavernous place, there came a plunk, very distant, but magnified and repeated in the hollow shaft.
Gandalf rounded on the group.
'What was that?'
Paige winced.
'Sorry, that was me. I did it by accident,'
Gandalf stalked over and pushed Paige to the floor. Then he drew his sword and pointed it at her throat. Paige threw her hand out in front of her, her eyes burning. Piper saw what she was about to do.
'Paige!'
Paige glared at her sister then glared at Gandalf. Slowly and reluctantly, she lowered her hand. After a few moments, Gandalf sheathed his sword and walked away to talk to Aragorn. They muttered to each other in low voices so no one could here what they were saying.
Paige stalked over to Piper.
'Why did you stop me?'
'We just can't go running around using our powers against a bad-tempered wizard just because he pushes us around! Blowing our cover is the worst thing we can do. He already doesn't trust us. If he sees us use our powers, were dead.'
'But Gandalf does magic!' said Paige, 'He'll understand!'
Phoebe shook her head.
'No Paige, I don't think he would. If you had orbed that sword into your hands, his suspicions would be confirmed, and he would most likely blow us half way across Middle Earth. He's not a guy who trusts easily.'
'Quiet!' hissed Piper, 'Listen.'
Far off in the depths of Moria, a sound echoed the stairs and the well. Tam-tom, tam-tom.
'What's that', squeaked Pippin, who was the youngest of the hobbits, and the fellowship.
The dwarf Gimli spoke up. It was the first time he had spoken in front of the Charmed Ones.
'That sounds like a drum, unless my ears deceive me.'
'Young Paige has probably disturbed something that would have preferred to have been left alone,' said Gandalf coldly.
He looked at Paige and sneered.
'You can take the first watch as a reward.'
Paige walked over to her sisters and sat down.
'Piper, freeze them,' she hissed
Piper flung out her hands and froze time.
'Now what Paige', asked Phoebe.
'How long can your freeze hold?' asked Paige
'Quite a while', answered Piper, 'Why?'
'Maybe I can get us out of this by trying to orb home.'
'Then if we get home', said Phoebe catching on, 'we can check the Book of Shadows for that creep that sent us here in the first place and vanquish him. Man I hate that thing. What ever it was, I don't want to meet it again.'
Piper shrugged.
'Sounds like a good plan to me. Let's try it. Leo's probably wondering were we are by now.'
The still frozen hall disappeared as the blue lights began to surround the three.
I hope this works, thought Piper.
