**The Mountain**
The next few days were about the same as the first, just different terrain. They stopped to make camp on a rocky hilltop, and Miranda once again found a quiet place away from the main group to sit and rest. Gimli was arguing with Gandalf about the route they were taking, and Boromir was teaching Merry and Pippin swordsmanship. Miranda smiled at how quickly the two hobbits were picking up on it. Boromir was laughing and playing with them, and she couldn't help frowning. He still didn't seem to like her, and she found it annoying.
"Elrohir told me you could use archery lessons," Legolas said as he came to sit beside her.
"If you have the patience, I would appreciate it," Miranda said quietly.
Legolas smiled. "I have patience enough," he said. "Bring your bow, I'll find us a target."
They found a half rotten tree stump, and Legolas took a position about twenty feet away. "Here, show me what you know," he said.
Miranda smiled shyly and pulled an arrow from her quiver. She set the arrow and pulled the bow back. Taking aim, she released the bowstring and her arrow hit in the middle of the stump. Everyone stopped to look, dumbstruck.
"Elrohir was wrong," Legolas said smiling. "You've used a bow before."
"Once or twice," she said quietly, blushing. "But I'm out of practice," she added quietly. She was never as thankful to have been in the archery club as she was now. She hadn't been the best shot, but she was fair. She wondered if Gandalf had known she would someday have need for the skill when he suggested she join the archery club in the first place. She walked over to retrieve her arrow and tried to go back to her quiet spot, but Boromir intercepted her retreat.
"You are full of surprises, seer," Boromir said.
"My name is Miranda," she said, barely masking her annoyance.
"I know your name, my lady." he said. Boromir followed her to her spot and sat beside her. He seemed to be trying to think of something to say.
"Was there something you wanted?" she asked, trying not to sound sarcastic.
"I have been rude to you, Miranda," he said softly. "I am sorry."
"You have nothing to apologize for," Miranda said, surprised by his sudden change in attitude. She decided it was a good sign and decided to put him at ease. "Where I am from, my friends call me Randi."
"Randi," he repeated thoughtfully. "I like that."
"Your students need a little more instruction," Miranda said looking at Merry and Pippin with a smile.
"So they do," Boromir said laughing as he stood to return to his sparring. "Until later then…Randi."
Legolas was looking out at the horizon when he spotted something. He and Aragorn were immediately alarmed, and apparently with good reason. It was a flock of crows, and they were spies for Saruman.
"Take cover!" Aragorn and Boromir were shouting.
Everyone grabbed their luggage and any other signs of their presence and hid under rock ledges and bushes. Sam quickly doused the fire, and Miranda dove for a tiny cave hidden by bushes, followed by Boromir. Everyone held their breath until the danger passed.
"This road is being watched," Miranda heard Gandalf say as she crawled out of her hiding place.
Boromir offered her his hand to help her up, "Randi?" It was almost a peace offering, and she decided to accept. She took his hand, and climbed out of the hole. Boromir smiled and reached up to pull a leaf from her hair. Miranda blushed and rejoined the group.
"We will have to take the pass of Caradhras," Gandalf said.
Miranda looked up at the mountain before them and sighed. She did not like the look of that option. She did not like that at all.
*****
It was cold, very cold now. Miranda kept moving, but it was an effort. She envied Legolas as he gracefully skipped across the snow. He probably doesn't feel the cold, she thought. But as bad as she felt, she knew it was worse for Frodo and the Hobbits, trudging through the snow bare foot. She put a brave face on her discomfort and kept moving. She may not be the bravest or the strongest member of this group, but she was determined to never earn the title of 'whiniest.'
The climb was getting steep, and Frodo lost his footing, tumbling a good twenty feet back down the mountain. Aragorn was there to help him up, but he dropped the ring. Boromir retrieved it for him, but a sudden tension fell over the group until the ring was safely back in Frodo's care. Miranda was confused by this strange behavior. It was only a ring after all.
They continued their climb with no further incident, but the closer they came to the summit, the fouler the weather became until it was a full blown blizzard. Boromir had unceremoniously shoved Miranda up against the cliff with the Hobbits where there was a little less exposure. He and Aragorn sat on either side of the group to help shield them from the wind. Gandalf and Legolas surveyed their chosen route to see of continuing was possible.
"Gandalf, we cannot go on in this storm," Boromir protested. "It'll be the death of the Halflings."
"I can hear a fell voice on the air," Legolas shouted over the wind.
"It is Saruman!" Gandalf shouted as lightening struck the cliff above them. He immediately started chanting counter spells. The blizzard was harsh, but they weathered the night, huddled against the cliff. Boromir had wrapped his cloak around Miranda, trying to keep her warm.
Despite the harshness of the weather, Miranda fell asleep against Boromir's shoulder. Her dreams were becoming consistent now, and she had learned to just try to observe what was happening. But this dream terrified her. There was something very scary about this dream and she knew it was going to come true, she just knew it. Her whole body jerked involuntarily as she woke suddenly. Boromir put his arm around her and tried to calm her.
"Shhh. It was a dream," he said quietly.
"Sorry to wake you," Miranda said.
"You have these dreams often," he said. "I have watched you wake like this before, but this time you are shaking."
"It is the cold," Miranda lied. "I am fine."
"What did you see, Randi?" Boromir asked insistently.
"I do not know how to explain it," she said. "Go back to sleep, Boromir."
He didn't like her evasive answer, but the lady was exhausted, so he let her sleep. Perhaps tomorrow he would speak to her again about her dreams. He knew she was supposed to be a seer, but they had yet to take advantage of her gift. He wondered if Gandalf was keeping something from them. Boromir looked back down at Miranda and sighed. She was very pretty, and had a gentle heart. He couldn't deny it anymore, he liked her. He pulled his cloak around her and went to sleep.
*****
Continuing over the pass had been ruled out as too dangerous, so two other options were left. Boromir wanted to head for a place called the Gap of Rohan, but that brought them too close to Isengard, the home of Saruman who was also an enemy. The other option was to go through the Dwarf mines of Moria. Neither option sounded overly wonderful. Gandalf left the decision to Frodo. Despite Gandalf's protest for the new road, Frodo decided to go through the mines of Moria, much to Gimili's delight. The dwarf went on and on about his cousin Balin and how grand a welcome they would get. Miranda was just glad to be leaving the snow covered pass with all of her fingers and toes. They had traveled back down the mountain and were now camped by a sheer cliff staring at a starlit door that was firmly shut.
Gandalf and Frodo sat debating on what the password for the door might be. Miranda sat and rested her travel weary feet. No one but Gimli seemed to be overly excited about going into the mines. Legolas came to sit beside her while they waited.
"Your dreams have been troubling you," Legolas said.
"Yes," she said quietly.
"Have you spoken to Gandalf about them?" he asked.
"Gandalf has enough on his mind," Miranda explained.
"He is your friend, and you two have hardly spoken since we left Rivendell," he said.
"Gandalf is keeping something from me," she said. "He is evasive when I speak of it, and I have been angry with him. I know I'm being childish, I just don't feel like talking to him right now." Miranda admitted.
Legolas smiled. "You are very honest," Legolas said.
"Often to a fault," she admitted.
"There is no fault in honesty," Legolas said brightly. "You should talk to Gandalf about your dreams. They may be important," he said seriously, and then left to talk to Aragorn.
"Ah! I have it," Frodo said. "It is a riddle! 'Speak friend and enter.' What's the elvish word for friend?"
"Mellon!" Gandalf said firmly as he stood before the doorway. It immediately opened.
The group gathered their things and headed inside. Gandalf placed a stone on his staff and it started glowing brightly. The sight was not what they had expected. There had been a battle here, and the armor clad skeletons of the fallen soldiers littered the entrance way. Before anyone had a chance to voice a protest about going through Moria, something grabbed Frodo. It looked a little like a squid tentacle, and Aragorn, Boromir, and Legolas ran to Frodo's aid immediately. Suddenly, twenty more tentacles sprang out, followed by their owner, which looked nothing like a squid. After a lot of tentacle hacking, everyone ran back inside. The creature tried to follow, but its attempt at the door brought a collapse of rock, and the entrance was blocked.
Their path was decided now; they had to go through Moria. Gandalf led the way, stating that their journey through the mountain would take three or four days. Miranda cringed. Now that she was inside the mountain, she didn't like it either. The darkness was so heavy it was almost tangible. The sooner they got out of this place the better.