Guess what? I got my first flames!!! Yes!! *Does happy dance* LoL. *
Legolas rolls his eyes* *Trista stops dancing and lowers her head*
Anywho, back to the stuff that REALLY is important; Chapter 12!!!!! Whoohoo!!! I know I didn't get it up Monday or Tuesday,...or anytime during this past week, but some things came up, and I couldn't type fast enough. But oh well. Anyway, I wanted to forewarn you all about something first. At the beginning of this chapter, Legolas might seem a little bit out of character, in the movie context anyway. But I tend to think of Legolas as kinda playful and participating in jokes and such. When I read the books, that's how I kind of imagined him. A young elven prince serious about the quest and trained to be there, yet a mischievous elf who makes fun of the rest of the Fellowship because they can't do what he can. I'm sorry if it really isn't what you think of Legolas. I just really like to think he is a bit different than he is in the movies. But I love the movie Legolas too!! Especially in the TT and RotK.
All right, now that that is out of the way, thank you to all my reviewers. You guys are hella cool!! Your input helped me out a lot in writing this chapter. I even want to thank my two flamers!! Though you didn't offer great insight, you did add to the tally!!! LoL.
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~*Chapter 12: Into the Darkness*~
Kenzie groaned, her eyes blinking open only to white nothing-ness. She shifted her eyes, not daring to move. How long she had been down in the depths of the snow, she didn't know, but she had a feeling she didn't have too much time left.
Kenzie knew that she had two opinions; blast/dig her way out or wait.
If she started to dig herself out, she would risk the collapse of the little bubble of air that she had. She could blast the snow off of her, but who was to say that she was facing up?
The young witch took two, small deep breaths.
Okay, so she had to wait. That wasn't so bad was it?
'Who am I kidding!' she thought, 'I'm stuck in several feet of snow hoping that a bunch of men will find me.'
Kenzie squeezed her eyes shut and sighed. Okay, that was a little harsh. But she was panicky!! It was totally understandable, right?
"Don't panic, they'll find you," she said softly, her eyes roaming around the white snow, "They'll find you."
~*~*~*~
Legolas' hands were starting to turn red, but he didn't feel the cold. He had dug the most and was still not finding any trace of her. The elf set his jaw and started in a new place. It couldn't end like this. He was going to find her; he wasn't going to let her die like this.
"Legolas!" Aragorn cried from behind the elf.
Legolas looked up and quickly made his way over to the hole that the Ranger, Sam, and Frodo had made. Relief washed over him as Frodo and Sam took one arm and Aragorn the other, hauling the young, snow covered witch out of her cold prison.
"Oh, snow is bad," the young witch cried, shivering violently.
The elf immediately grabbed a hold of her when he reached her, clutching him close to her.
"Are you all right?" he asked, plucking the clumps of snow from her golden curls.
"I'm a little breathless and really cold, but otherwise in one piece," she answered, chuckling breathlessly.
Legolas smiled as well and pulled her to him again, giving her some of his warmth.
"Come, the sooner we get under this mountain the better!" Gimli cried, turning back down the path.
"Good to know that someone was concerned about me," Kenzie said sarcastically, her teeth chattering as she watched the dwarf pass her.
Legolas took the cover out of her pack and wrapped it about her, still holding her close, "Yes, he was quite beside himself with worry," the elf joked.
Kenzie laughed, clutching the cover around her tighter and leaning in to him. If she didn't know any better, she might have said that she was wearing off on the elf.
~*~*~*~
"Whoohoo!" Pippin's voice echoed as he and Merry slid down the slope covered lightly in snow.
"Be careful!" Gandalf cried, "The last thing we need is a hobbit with a broken leg," he mumbled.
Kenzie smiled as she carefully picked her steps. The hobbits were enjoying the freedom of less snow, and the young witch was as well, but she was still weary.
Kenzie now looked at snow in a different light. She was scared of it. And not just of snow in large quantities, oh no. She was cautious of the light dustings of the white stuff as well. Hell, one wrong step and she could end up sliding down the rest of the way on her butt.
"Whoa!" Pippin cried as his feet flew out from underneath him.
'Like that,' she thought.
Legolas looked back up at Kenzie as she slowly stepped her way down the path and laughed at her.
"Are you having trouble, Ai'er?" he asked.
Kenzie pulled her lower lip between her teeth as she concentrated on stepping and answering Legolas at the same time.
"I'm quite fine, thank you," she replied.
"We would move faster if someone carried her down," Gimli grumbled as he walked around the girl, slipping slightly in his rushed pace.
"That is not a bad suggestion, Master Dwarf," Legolas replied, smirking as he looked back up to Kenzie.
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no," the young witch said, holding her hands up in an effort to keep the elf away.
"It would be easier," the elf chimed, still walking toward her.
"No, Legolas, don't," Kenzie pleaded, taking a step backwards.
But the elven prince would not heed her pleads.
"I swear Legolas, I will freeze you!" Kenzie warned, her voice holding a hint of amusement.
"Now, Ai'er," Legolas started, but never finished his sentence.
Kenzie flicked her wrists and the elf froze in his tracks. Moving as quickly and carefully as she could, she moved around the motionless elf and down the hill.
The entire Fellowship, except Gimli, chuckled as the young witch scurried down the hill.
"Now, don't you think we should not use our magic on our companions?" Gandalf asked, smiling brightly at the young girl.
"Desperate times call for desperate measure, Gandalf," Kenzie replied.
It was then that Legolas slowly began to shift out of Kenzie's powers. Once the power fully wore off, the elf looked around for a moment, confused as to where he, and Kenzie, was. He then turned to find the young witch dashing away from him, slipping now and again.
The elven prince caught up with her in three swift strides and wrapped his arms around her waist, easily lifting her up.
"Legolas!" Kenzie cried as she was thrown over the shoulder of the elf.
"I am hurt, Ai'er," Legolas began, ignoring her pleas, "You felt threatened enough to use your power on me!"
"Come on, Legolas. You can put me down now," Kenzie forced through her laughter.
After the elf passed the rest of the Fellowship, the companions turned to follow.
"They are getting along better than I expected," Aragorn stated to Gandalf.
The wizard sighed as his smile disappeared, "Yes, almost too much."
The Ranger looked over at him in confusion.
"You don't approve?" he questioned.
Gandalf smiled softly, "I just do not want Kenzie's judgment to be clouded when the time comes."
"When the time comes for what?" Aragorn asked.
"Legolas, do be careful!" Gandalf called suddenly, quickening his steps away form the curious Ranger.
Aragorn sighed, staring after the wizard, thoughts swarming around in his mind. Shaking his head and putting his questions aside, the Ranger continued down the path after the two inquisitive hobbits.
"I wonder how he keeps his balance," Pippin wondered out loud, watching the elf.
"Pip," Merry started, looking at his friend skeptically, "he's an elf."
"Oh, I know, but it is quite interesting and very funny at the same time," Pippin replied, continuing the conversation as the bottom of the mountain neared.
~*~*~*~
Kenzie frowned, looking disapprovingly at her surroundings. The darkness that was settling over the land gave everything an eerie edge. She really wished that Middle Earth as a whole had the same beautiful glow as Rivendell did. In the elven city, the young witch always felt safe and, she even ventured to say, filled with a happy and carefree feeling that she had yet to find anywhere else.
But now, hundreds of miles away from the warmth of Rivendell, Kenzie began to see what Sauron's war was doing to the world. And when she thought about it, even Rivendell carried a slight trace of the evil Lord's dark cloud over its land.
She was suddenly startled out of her thoughts when the sound of Gimli's axe clanking on the rock face echoed in her ears.
"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed," the bulky dwarf pointed out as he tapped the wall again.
Kenzie rolled her eyes. Would this dwarf ever get over himself and his race?
"Yes Gimli, even their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten," Gandalf called back as he searched the wall further ahead.
Legolas leaned forward to Kenzie, "Why doesn't that surprise me?" he asked, his voice loud enough for the whole company to hear.
Kenzie, who had her opened her mouth to throw some of her sarcasm at the dwarf, just to see how much she really could irritate him, closed her mouth abruptly and looked back at the elf.
She smiled proudly at him, "Well done, Legolas. Spoken like a true smartass."
Gimli growled and rolled his eyes, ignoring the onslaught of insults form the witch and elf.
"It has to be official now," Kenzie started as the company continued in their search.
"What is that?" Legolas asked, his eyes wondering over the surface next to them.
"My sarcasm is rubbing off on you," she replied, turning around to smile at him.
The elf smiled and shook his head, "Maybe a little. But my father might disagree and say that I was born with my sarcasm."
This made Kenzie laugh even more.
The Fellowship continued around the lake, each searching for anything that looked like a door in the surface of the rock. Finally, Gandalf began to trace the outline of something and Kenzie sighed, thankful that someone had found the accursed door. She walked toward the wizard, thinking about how he was going to illuminate the door.
"Now, let's see," the wizard started softly.
"What is in it?" she whispered, studying the beautiful shapes that were on the rock.
"Ithildin," Gandalf replied, running his hand over the door, "It mirrors only starlight and moonlight."
He then turned, gazing at the sky and mumbling under his breath. Kenzie barely caught the words, but knew immediately that it was a spell. The dark clouds that blotched the sky suddenly parted, revealing the full moon to the Fellowship. The light engulfed them as well as the door and the gorgeous figures began to light up in the glow of the moon.
"You are definitely going to have to teach me that one," the young witch marveled, enjoying the light.
Gandalf smiled at her and turned back to the door.
"It reads," he started, stepping back to study the elven words more, "The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak friend and enter."
Merry cocked an eyebrow, "What do you suppose that mean?"
"Oh it's quite simple," the wizard started, looking at the hobbit, "If you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open."
Kenzie bit her lower lip, 'If you only knew how simple it REALLY is.'
Merry and Pippin looked at each other and smiled brightly as Gandalf turned back to the door to open it.
"Annon Edhellen edro hi amen!" he cried, holding his arms out wide as he chanted to the door. ¤Gate of the Elves, open now for me!¤
The Fellowship remained silent, waiting, but the door didn't move. Gandalf then sighed and pressed the end of his staff to the door.
"Lasto beth.....," he began, his voice softer than before. ¤Listen to...¤
Kenzie sighed, suddenly feeling compelled to hum the Jeopardy! Theme. Knowing Gandalf would not approve, she opted to look back at Legolas, who stood by Pippin. She shrugged and then looked to the small hobbit. Legolas looked down at his small companion as well.
"Nothing's happening," Pippin stated, looking up at the elf.
Kenzie couldn't hide her smile as she turned back to Gandalf. The wizard sighed in frustration and looked at the wall.
"I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves, Men, and Orcs," he said out loud.
"What are you going to do then?" Pippin asked, his curiosity shining through at its best.
"Knock your head against these doors Peregrin Took! And if that does not shatter them," The wizard started, his voicing hinting to anger, "then I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions,...." he trailed off, his voice lowering.
"I will try to find the opening words." Gandalf finished, looking back to the door.
Kenzie bit her lower lip and turned back to Pippin, who looked slightly ashamed that he had asked a question at all. She really wanted to give him a huge hug and tell him that everything would be all right. It wasn't his fault he was so curious! The poor hobbit was born with some damned curiosity gene!
"Well," she started, trying to deter the focus from Gandalf's outburst, "I suppose we should get comfortable."
~*~*~*~
"Ando Eldarinwa a lasta quettanya, Fenda Casarinwa!" Gandalf called harshly. ¤Gate of Elves, listen to my word, Threshold of Dwarves!¤
Kenzie ran her hand over face and took a deep breath. During the passage of time, she was starting to feel Gandalf's frustration. If someone didn't say something soon, she was going to scream the answer, just so that she wouldn't have to sit on that damn rock anymore!
'Ok, breath,' she told herself, trying to calm down.
She looked around, attempting to find something to take her mind off of the fact that they were not in the mountain yet. Kenzie's face fell somewhat with sadness as she watched Aragorn unhitch Bill's bridle, speaking in a low voice to Sam. The hobbit patted the pony lovingly before the Ranger forced the pony back the way they had came.
The young witch looked above her and smiled slightly at Legolas perched in the tree above her. The elf smiled back and then looked over to the lake suddenly when he heard a splash. Kenzie followed his gaze and shook her head as Merry picked up a rock and Pippin pulled his arm back, ready to toss one in. He didn't get far before Aragorn grab his arm.
"Do not disturb the water," he warned, his eyes gazing out to the surface of the lake.
"One of these days, those two hobbits' curiosities are going to get them in a lot of trouble," she breathed and then cringed, noticing how she was foreshadowing.
Kenzie then let her eyes wander over the surface of water, mimicking Aragorn and Boromir, knowing very well what lurked underneath. At that thought, she shook her head, pushing the images of the man-eating sushi from her mind. As Boromir walked up beside Aragorn to stare out at the lake, Gandalf let out an exasperated sigh.
"Oh, it's useless!" he mumbled, sitting down next to Frodo.
Kenzie's leg bounced up and down in anticipation. 'Come on and say it already,' she pleaded in her mind. That was when she unconsciously starting humming.
Frodo slowly rose to his feet, studying the door intently. His eyes wandered over the door several times before he spoke.
"It's a riddle," he stated out loud, causing Gandalf to look over at him.
Kenzie stopped humming the Jeopardy! Theme and looked over at the hobbit as well.
'Okay, that's good, now finish it,' she coaxed with her mind, hoping that that would make the small hobbit think faster.
"Speak 'friend' and enter," Frodo read, rolling over the sentence in his head.
"Come on, Frodo," Kenzie said under her breath, watching the hobbit.
"What's the Elvish word for friend?" he asked, looking over at Gandalf.
The wizard looked at the hobbit curiously, "Mellon," he pronounced.
The large, stone doors of Moria creaked and groaned, almost refusing to the yield passage to the Fellowship, but soon gave in and slowly swung open. Kenzie threw her pack back on her back as Legolas jumped down from the tree beside her.
"It's about time. I was getting to the point of yelling out the answer myself," she stated softly.
"If you knew the answer, why didn't you say anything?" Legolas asked, hiding a small smile from her.
The young witch looked over at the elf. Reiteration of mental note number one: Elves have really good hearing. Remember that next time!
"Because I can't lead you boys by the hand all the time, now can I? I have to make you feel useful once and a while," she replied, smiling at him.
Legolas smiled as well and shook his head, following Gandalf into the mountain. The rest of the Fellowship began to file in behind them. Kenzie decided to hang back by the hobbits, hoping to help Frodo out when the time came. Her right hand resting on the top of her right knife as she entered the mine in front of the hobbits, looking around waiting for something to jump out at her.
"Soon Master Elf you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone," Gimli started, looking back at Legolas with excitement.
"Oh yeah, that sounds appetizing," Kenzie said to Merry and Pippin.
The hobbits laughed with the young witch as Gimli choose to ignore Kenzie and continue.
"This, my friend," the dwarf spoke to the elf, "is the home of my cousin, Balin. And they call it a mine. A mine!"
Kenzie suddenly crinkled in her nose in thought. She never really did understand why the dwarf said that; the meaning of it was eluding her now as it had done before. She opened her mouth to question Gimli about this, but Boromir beat her.
"This is no mine," he started, looking around the Fellowship, "it's a tomb!"
Kenzie looked around as well, taking notice to the large number of dead corpses that riddled the floor and cringed. She looked back up to the front of the line at the panicky look of the rest of the Fellowship.
Gimli looked around franticly at the bodies and then rushed over to one of the corpses, "Noooo!" he cried.
Kenzie looked around and felt a pain in her chest as she saw all of the bodies. How incredibly awful it must have been to die in that closed mountain, knowing that there was no escape.
Legolas bent down and drew an arrow from one of the bodies. He examined it and then threw it away in repulsion, "Goblins!" he hissed.
Quickly, Aragorn and Boromir drew their swords and Legolas his bow and arrow as their gazes scanned the area around them, waiting, as Kenzie had earlier, for something to suddenly attack.
"We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here," Boromir stated to the company, slowly backing toward the doorway.
Kenzie slowly drew her knives out, waiting for the hobbits' cries of help. She was almost inclined to push them all into the mine and force them to stay there, but she knew she couldn't do that. The huge squid was going to attack and try to eat Frodo no matter what she tried to do to prevent it. It was saddening to know that the only real thing that she could stop was the demon, or at least she was hoping to stop the demon. Kenzie took a deep breath. Now was not the time for that discussion; there were more important things at hand.
She could hear the four hobbits shuffling their feet against the cold rock floor as they back out of the mines of Moria.
"Now get out of here, get out!!" Boromir cried.
Whether he was trying to instill fear into the Fellowship or not, Kenzie didn't know. What she did know was that it really was scaring her and she gripped her knives tighter with dreading anticipation.
The entire company was backing toward the door, watching the dark that loomed in front of them. That was when the Watcher struck. Taking advantage of the fact that its prey was not facing it, the Watcher lunged out and snaked it's slimly tentacle around Frodo's leg, pulling him to the ground. The hobbit cried out as Merry, Pippin, and Sam reached for their friend, feverously attempting to pull him back.
"Strider!" Sam called back, cutting the tentacle from Frodo's leg.
The Watcher withered away, back into the water. Then, as quickly as it had disappeared, a dozen tentacles appeared out of the water to take its place. The Watcher smacked away all of the hobbits aside and grabbed Frodo once again with one swift motion. As it pulled its victim into the air, Kenzie dashed out of the cave and toward the Watcher, slicing at its tentacles with her knives. A tentacle suddenly came out of the water, blinding her with drops of liquid and knocked the young witch into the water. It then proceeded to pick her up and throw her back to the shore of the lake.
Legolas then appeared in the doorway of the mountain and released an arrow from his grasp, which struck the tentacle holding the hobbit. Aragorn and Boromir emerged and rushed the Watcher, their swords in hand. The two men slashed away at the creature as it began to lower Frodo toward its mouth. Finally, Aragorn hit the right tentacle and Frodo fell into Boromir's waiting arms.
"Into the mines!" Gandalf cried, pushing the hobbits back into the mountain.
"Legolas!" Boromir cried as the two men rushed toward the door, "Aim for his eye!"
Legolas quickly brought up an arrow and released, striking the Watcher directly in its eye. The creature bellowed in pain as it withdrew somewhat. The elf turned back to the door and stopped when he noticed Kenzie wasn't in front of him, rushing into the cave.
He quickly turned back and saw her lying in the water, barely conscious. Legolas quickly pulled her up by her shoulders and dragged her back into the mines with him. The Watcher recovered from its wound and lashed out, slamming the doors of Moria shut. The force of the impact caused the roof of the entrance to cave. Once he reached the others, Legolas whipped Kenzie around and shielded her body with his as the debris rained down on them. When everything finally settled, the elf pulled away and forced the young witch to sit up. She immediately began to cough up water and shiver violently with a new cold that had found her. Instinctively, Legolas wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up onto her feet.
Kenzie was now more tired than ever and all thanks to that giant piece of sushi. And on top of all that, she was wet and cold again.
"Are you all right?" Legolas whispered, pushing her wet hair back from her face.
Kenzie nodded and then remembered that they were in the dark, "Yes, I'm just really, really cold."
At the mention of this, the elf pulled her close to him and she leaned against him, thankful for the rest and warmth that he was offering her.
Kenzie suddenly heard a loud thumping sound and realized that it was Gandalf lighting the stone in his staff. The glowing rock cast a bright light around the company and Kenzie had to turn her head away for a moment to adjust to the brightness of it. She did lift her head back in the wizard's direction, however, when he began to walk past. The young witch's eyes followed his path and noticed the stairs and suffocating darkness that loomed in front of the Fellowship. She shuddered, noting to the fact of how unwelcoming the whole place seemed.
"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," the wizard stated as softly as possible as the Fellowship began to follow.
"Quietly now. It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed," Gandalf advised as they started up the stairs.
"Oh, I'm prayin'," Kenzie whispered, clutching Legolas' hand as he led her up the stairs and into the darkness.
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Next chapter: We get some history lessons from Gandalf, Kenzie turns up the heat, and we get to read the first real battle of the Fellowship.
Yay! The plot bunnies are plentiful and my muses are sooooo excited!!
Review, because you are hella awesome if you do!!
Anywho, back to the stuff that REALLY is important; Chapter 12!!!!! Whoohoo!!! I know I didn't get it up Monday or Tuesday,...or anytime during this past week, but some things came up, and I couldn't type fast enough. But oh well. Anyway, I wanted to forewarn you all about something first. At the beginning of this chapter, Legolas might seem a little bit out of character, in the movie context anyway. But I tend to think of Legolas as kinda playful and participating in jokes and such. When I read the books, that's how I kind of imagined him. A young elven prince serious about the quest and trained to be there, yet a mischievous elf who makes fun of the rest of the Fellowship because they can't do what he can. I'm sorry if it really isn't what you think of Legolas. I just really like to think he is a bit different than he is in the movies. But I love the movie Legolas too!! Especially in the TT and RotK.
All right, now that that is out of the way, thank you to all my reviewers. You guys are hella cool!! Your input helped me out a lot in writing this chapter. I even want to thank my two flamers!! Though you didn't offer great insight, you did add to the tally!!! LoL.
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~*Chapter 12: Into the Darkness*~
Kenzie groaned, her eyes blinking open only to white nothing-ness. She shifted her eyes, not daring to move. How long she had been down in the depths of the snow, she didn't know, but she had a feeling she didn't have too much time left.
Kenzie knew that she had two opinions; blast/dig her way out or wait.
If she started to dig herself out, she would risk the collapse of the little bubble of air that she had. She could blast the snow off of her, but who was to say that she was facing up?
The young witch took two, small deep breaths.
Okay, so she had to wait. That wasn't so bad was it?
'Who am I kidding!' she thought, 'I'm stuck in several feet of snow hoping that a bunch of men will find me.'
Kenzie squeezed her eyes shut and sighed. Okay, that was a little harsh. But she was panicky!! It was totally understandable, right?
"Don't panic, they'll find you," she said softly, her eyes roaming around the white snow, "They'll find you."
~*~*~*~
Legolas' hands were starting to turn red, but he didn't feel the cold. He had dug the most and was still not finding any trace of her. The elf set his jaw and started in a new place. It couldn't end like this. He was going to find her; he wasn't going to let her die like this.
"Legolas!" Aragorn cried from behind the elf.
Legolas looked up and quickly made his way over to the hole that the Ranger, Sam, and Frodo had made. Relief washed over him as Frodo and Sam took one arm and Aragorn the other, hauling the young, snow covered witch out of her cold prison.
"Oh, snow is bad," the young witch cried, shivering violently.
The elf immediately grabbed a hold of her when he reached her, clutching him close to her.
"Are you all right?" he asked, plucking the clumps of snow from her golden curls.
"I'm a little breathless and really cold, but otherwise in one piece," she answered, chuckling breathlessly.
Legolas smiled as well and pulled her to him again, giving her some of his warmth.
"Come, the sooner we get under this mountain the better!" Gimli cried, turning back down the path.
"Good to know that someone was concerned about me," Kenzie said sarcastically, her teeth chattering as she watched the dwarf pass her.
Legolas took the cover out of her pack and wrapped it about her, still holding her close, "Yes, he was quite beside himself with worry," the elf joked.
Kenzie laughed, clutching the cover around her tighter and leaning in to him. If she didn't know any better, she might have said that she was wearing off on the elf.
~*~*~*~
"Whoohoo!" Pippin's voice echoed as he and Merry slid down the slope covered lightly in snow.
"Be careful!" Gandalf cried, "The last thing we need is a hobbit with a broken leg," he mumbled.
Kenzie smiled as she carefully picked her steps. The hobbits were enjoying the freedom of less snow, and the young witch was as well, but she was still weary.
Kenzie now looked at snow in a different light. She was scared of it. And not just of snow in large quantities, oh no. She was cautious of the light dustings of the white stuff as well. Hell, one wrong step and she could end up sliding down the rest of the way on her butt.
"Whoa!" Pippin cried as his feet flew out from underneath him.
'Like that,' she thought.
Legolas looked back up at Kenzie as she slowly stepped her way down the path and laughed at her.
"Are you having trouble, Ai'er?" he asked.
Kenzie pulled her lower lip between her teeth as she concentrated on stepping and answering Legolas at the same time.
"I'm quite fine, thank you," she replied.
"We would move faster if someone carried her down," Gimli grumbled as he walked around the girl, slipping slightly in his rushed pace.
"That is not a bad suggestion, Master Dwarf," Legolas replied, smirking as he looked back up to Kenzie.
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no," the young witch said, holding her hands up in an effort to keep the elf away.
"It would be easier," the elf chimed, still walking toward her.
"No, Legolas, don't," Kenzie pleaded, taking a step backwards.
But the elven prince would not heed her pleads.
"I swear Legolas, I will freeze you!" Kenzie warned, her voice holding a hint of amusement.
"Now, Ai'er," Legolas started, but never finished his sentence.
Kenzie flicked her wrists and the elf froze in his tracks. Moving as quickly and carefully as she could, she moved around the motionless elf and down the hill.
The entire Fellowship, except Gimli, chuckled as the young witch scurried down the hill.
"Now, don't you think we should not use our magic on our companions?" Gandalf asked, smiling brightly at the young girl.
"Desperate times call for desperate measure, Gandalf," Kenzie replied.
It was then that Legolas slowly began to shift out of Kenzie's powers. Once the power fully wore off, the elf looked around for a moment, confused as to where he, and Kenzie, was. He then turned to find the young witch dashing away from him, slipping now and again.
The elven prince caught up with her in three swift strides and wrapped his arms around her waist, easily lifting her up.
"Legolas!" Kenzie cried as she was thrown over the shoulder of the elf.
"I am hurt, Ai'er," Legolas began, ignoring her pleas, "You felt threatened enough to use your power on me!"
"Come on, Legolas. You can put me down now," Kenzie forced through her laughter.
After the elf passed the rest of the Fellowship, the companions turned to follow.
"They are getting along better than I expected," Aragorn stated to Gandalf.
The wizard sighed as his smile disappeared, "Yes, almost too much."
The Ranger looked over at him in confusion.
"You don't approve?" he questioned.
Gandalf smiled softly, "I just do not want Kenzie's judgment to be clouded when the time comes."
"When the time comes for what?" Aragorn asked.
"Legolas, do be careful!" Gandalf called suddenly, quickening his steps away form the curious Ranger.
Aragorn sighed, staring after the wizard, thoughts swarming around in his mind. Shaking his head and putting his questions aside, the Ranger continued down the path after the two inquisitive hobbits.
"I wonder how he keeps his balance," Pippin wondered out loud, watching the elf.
"Pip," Merry started, looking at his friend skeptically, "he's an elf."
"Oh, I know, but it is quite interesting and very funny at the same time," Pippin replied, continuing the conversation as the bottom of the mountain neared.
~*~*~*~
Kenzie frowned, looking disapprovingly at her surroundings. The darkness that was settling over the land gave everything an eerie edge. She really wished that Middle Earth as a whole had the same beautiful glow as Rivendell did. In the elven city, the young witch always felt safe and, she even ventured to say, filled with a happy and carefree feeling that she had yet to find anywhere else.
But now, hundreds of miles away from the warmth of Rivendell, Kenzie began to see what Sauron's war was doing to the world. And when she thought about it, even Rivendell carried a slight trace of the evil Lord's dark cloud over its land.
She was suddenly startled out of her thoughts when the sound of Gimli's axe clanking on the rock face echoed in her ears.
"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed," the bulky dwarf pointed out as he tapped the wall again.
Kenzie rolled her eyes. Would this dwarf ever get over himself and his race?
"Yes Gimli, even their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten," Gandalf called back as he searched the wall further ahead.
Legolas leaned forward to Kenzie, "Why doesn't that surprise me?" he asked, his voice loud enough for the whole company to hear.
Kenzie, who had her opened her mouth to throw some of her sarcasm at the dwarf, just to see how much she really could irritate him, closed her mouth abruptly and looked back at the elf.
She smiled proudly at him, "Well done, Legolas. Spoken like a true smartass."
Gimli growled and rolled his eyes, ignoring the onslaught of insults form the witch and elf.
"It has to be official now," Kenzie started as the company continued in their search.
"What is that?" Legolas asked, his eyes wondering over the surface next to them.
"My sarcasm is rubbing off on you," she replied, turning around to smile at him.
The elf smiled and shook his head, "Maybe a little. But my father might disagree and say that I was born with my sarcasm."
This made Kenzie laugh even more.
The Fellowship continued around the lake, each searching for anything that looked like a door in the surface of the rock. Finally, Gandalf began to trace the outline of something and Kenzie sighed, thankful that someone had found the accursed door. She walked toward the wizard, thinking about how he was going to illuminate the door.
"Now, let's see," the wizard started softly.
"What is in it?" she whispered, studying the beautiful shapes that were on the rock.
"Ithildin," Gandalf replied, running his hand over the door, "It mirrors only starlight and moonlight."
He then turned, gazing at the sky and mumbling under his breath. Kenzie barely caught the words, but knew immediately that it was a spell. The dark clouds that blotched the sky suddenly parted, revealing the full moon to the Fellowship. The light engulfed them as well as the door and the gorgeous figures began to light up in the glow of the moon.
"You are definitely going to have to teach me that one," the young witch marveled, enjoying the light.
Gandalf smiled at her and turned back to the door.
"It reads," he started, stepping back to study the elven words more, "The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak friend and enter."
Merry cocked an eyebrow, "What do you suppose that mean?"
"Oh it's quite simple," the wizard started, looking at the hobbit, "If you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open."
Kenzie bit her lower lip, 'If you only knew how simple it REALLY is.'
Merry and Pippin looked at each other and smiled brightly as Gandalf turned back to the door to open it.
"Annon Edhellen edro hi amen!" he cried, holding his arms out wide as he chanted to the door. ¤Gate of the Elves, open now for me!¤
The Fellowship remained silent, waiting, but the door didn't move. Gandalf then sighed and pressed the end of his staff to the door.
"Lasto beth.....," he began, his voice softer than before. ¤Listen to...¤
Kenzie sighed, suddenly feeling compelled to hum the Jeopardy! Theme. Knowing Gandalf would not approve, she opted to look back at Legolas, who stood by Pippin. She shrugged and then looked to the small hobbit. Legolas looked down at his small companion as well.
"Nothing's happening," Pippin stated, looking up at the elf.
Kenzie couldn't hide her smile as she turned back to Gandalf. The wizard sighed in frustration and looked at the wall.
"I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves, Men, and Orcs," he said out loud.
"What are you going to do then?" Pippin asked, his curiosity shining through at its best.
"Knock your head against these doors Peregrin Took! And if that does not shatter them," The wizard started, his voicing hinting to anger, "then I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions,...." he trailed off, his voice lowering.
"I will try to find the opening words." Gandalf finished, looking back to the door.
Kenzie bit her lower lip and turned back to Pippin, who looked slightly ashamed that he had asked a question at all. She really wanted to give him a huge hug and tell him that everything would be all right. It wasn't his fault he was so curious! The poor hobbit was born with some damned curiosity gene!
"Well," she started, trying to deter the focus from Gandalf's outburst, "I suppose we should get comfortable."
~*~*~*~
"Ando Eldarinwa a lasta quettanya, Fenda Casarinwa!" Gandalf called harshly. ¤Gate of Elves, listen to my word, Threshold of Dwarves!¤
Kenzie ran her hand over face and took a deep breath. During the passage of time, she was starting to feel Gandalf's frustration. If someone didn't say something soon, she was going to scream the answer, just so that she wouldn't have to sit on that damn rock anymore!
'Ok, breath,' she told herself, trying to calm down.
She looked around, attempting to find something to take her mind off of the fact that they were not in the mountain yet. Kenzie's face fell somewhat with sadness as she watched Aragorn unhitch Bill's bridle, speaking in a low voice to Sam. The hobbit patted the pony lovingly before the Ranger forced the pony back the way they had came.
The young witch looked above her and smiled slightly at Legolas perched in the tree above her. The elf smiled back and then looked over to the lake suddenly when he heard a splash. Kenzie followed his gaze and shook her head as Merry picked up a rock and Pippin pulled his arm back, ready to toss one in. He didn't get far before Aragorn grab his arm.
"Do not disturb the water," he warned, his eyes gazing out to the surface of the lake.
"One of these days, those two hobbits' curiosities are going to get them in a lot of trouble," she breathed and then cringed, noticing how she was foreshadowing.
Kenzie then let her eyes wander over the surface of water, mimicking Aragorn and Boromir, knowing very well what lurked underneath. At that thought, she shook her head, pushing the images of the man-eating sushi from her mind. As Boromir walked up beside Aragorn to stare out at the lake, Gandalf let out an exasperated sigh.
"Oh, it's useless!" he mumbled, sitting down next to Frodo.
Kenzie's leg bounced up and down in anticipation. 'Come on and say it already,' she pleaded in her mind. That was when she unconsciously starting humming.
Frodo slowly rose to his feet, studying the door intently. His eyes wandered over the door several times before he spoke.
"It's a riddle," he stated out loud, causing Gandalf to look over at him.
Kenzie stopped humming the Jeopardy! Theme and looked over at the hobbit as well.
'Okay, that's good, now finish it,' she coaxed with her mind, hoping that that would make the small hobbit think faster.
"Speak 'friend' and enter," Frodo read, rolling over the sentence in his head.
"Come on, Frodo," Kenzie said under her breath, watching the hobbit.
"What's the Elvish word for friend?" he asked, looking over at Gandalf.
The wizard looked at the hobbit curiously, "Mellon," he pronounced.
The large, stone doors of Moria creaked and groaned, almost refusing to the yield passage to the Fellowship, but soon gave in and slowly swung open. Kenzie threw her pack back on her back as Legolas jumped down from the tree beside her.
"It's about time. I was getting to the point of yelling out the answer myself," she stated softly.
"If you knew the answer, why didn't you say anything?" Legolas asked, hiding a small smile from her.
The young witch looked over at the elf. Reiteration of mental note number one: Elves have really good hearing. Remember that next time!
"Because I can't lead you boys by the hand all the time, now can I? I have to make you feel useful once and a while," she replied, smiling at him.
Legolas smiled as well and shook his head, following Gandalf into the mountain. The rest of the Fellowship began to file in behind them. Kenzie decided to hang back by the hobbits, hoping to help Frodo out when the time came. Her right hand resting on the top of her right knife as she entered the mine in front of the hobbits, looking around waiting for something to jump out at her.
"Soon Master Elf you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone," Gimli started, looking back at Legolas with excitement.
"Oh yeah, that sounds appetizing," Kenzie said to Merry and Pippin.
The hobbits laughed with the young witch as Gimli choose to ignore Kenzie and continue.
"This, my friend," the dwarf spoke to the elf, "is the home of my cousin, Balin. And they call it a mine. A mine!"
Kenzie suddenly crinkled in her nose in thought. She never really did understand why the dwarf said that; the meaning of it was eluding her now as it had done before. She opened her mouth to question Gimli about this, but Boromir beat her.
"This is no mine," he started, looking around the Fellowship, "it's a tomb!"
Kenzie looked around as well, taking notice to the large number of dead corpses that riddled the floor and cringed. She looked back up to the front of the line at the panicky look of the rest of the Fellowship.
Gimli looked around franticly at the bodies and then rushed over to one of the corpses, "Noooo!" he cried.
Kenzie looked around and felt a pain in her chest as she saw all of the bodies. How incredibly awful it must have been to die in that closed mountain, knowing that there was no escape.
Legolas bent down and drew an arrow from one of the bodies. He examined it and then threw it away in repulsion, "Goblins!" he hissed.
Quickly, Aragorn and Boromir drew their swords and Legolas his bow and arrow as their gazes scanned the area around them, waiting, as Kenzie had earlier, for something to suddenly attack.
"We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here," Boromir stated to the company, slowly backing toward the doorway.
Kenzie slowly drew her knives out, waiting for the hobbits' cries of help. She was almost inclined to push them all into the mine and force them to stay there, but she knew she couldn't do that. The huge squid was going to attack and try to eat Frodo no matter what she tried to do to prevent it. It was saddening to know that the only real thing that she could stop was the demon, or at least she was hoping to stop the demon. Kenzie took a deep breath. Now was not the time for that discussion; there were more important things at hand.
She could hear the four hobbits shuffling their feet against the cold rock floor as they back out of the mines of Moria.
"Now get out of here, get out!!" Boromir cried.
Whether he was trying to instill fear into the Fellowship or not, Kenzie didn't know. What she did know was that it really was scaring her and she gripped her knives tighter with dreading anticipation.
The entire company was backing toward the door, watching the dark that loomed in front of them. That was when the Watcher struck. Taking advantage of the fact that its prey was not facing it, the Watcher lunged out and snaked it's slimly tentacle around Frodo's leg, pulling him to the ground. The hobbit cried out as Merry, Pippin, and Sam reached for their friend, feverously attempting to pull him back.
"Strider!" Sam called back, cutting the tentacle from Frodo's leg.
The Watcher withered away, back into the water. Then, as quickly as it had disappeared, a dozen tentacles appeared out of the water to take its place. The Watcher smacked away all of the hobbits aside and grabbed Frodo once again with one swift motion. As it pulled its victim into the air, Kenzie dashed out of the cave and toward the Watcher, slicing at its tentacles with her knives. A tentacle suddenly came out of the water, blinding her with drops of liquid and knocked the young witch into the water. It then proceeded to pick her up and throw her back to the shore of the lake.
Legolas then appeared in the doorway of the mountain and released an arrow from his grasp, which struck the tentacle holding the hobbit. Aragorn and Boromir emerged and rushed the Watcher, their swords in hand. The two men slashed away at the creature as it began to lower Frodo toward its mouth. Finally, Aragorn hit the right tentacle and Frodo fell into Boromir's waiting arms.
"Into the mines!" Gandalf cried, pushing the hobbits back into the mountain.
"Legolas!" Boromir cried as the two men rushed toward the door, "Aim for his eye!"
Legolas quickly brought up an arrow and released, striking the Watcher directly in its eye. The creature bellowed in pain as it withdrew somewhat. The elf turned back to the door and stopped when he noticed Kenzie wasn't in front of him, rushing into the cave.
He quickly turned back and saw her lying in the water, barely conscious. Legolas quickly pulled her up by her shoulders and dragged her back into the mines with him. The Watcher recovered from its wound and lashed out, slamming the doors of Moria shut. The force of the impact caused the roof of the entrance to cave. Once he reached the others, Legolas whipped Kenzie around and shielded her body with his as the debris rained down on them. When everything finally settled, the elf pulled away and forced the young witch to sit up. She immediately began to cough up water and shiver violently with a new cold that had found her. Instinctively, Legolas wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up onto her feet.
Kenzie was now more tired than ever and all thanks to that giant piece of sushi. And on top of all that, she was wet and cold again.
"Are you all right?" Legolas whispered, pushing her wet hair back from her face.
Kenzie nodded and then remembered that they were in the dark, "Yes, I'm just really, really cold."
At the mention of this, the elf pulled her close to him and she leaned against him, thankful for the rest and warmth that he was offering her.
Kenzie suddenly heard a loud thumping sound and realized that it was Gandalf lighting the stone in his staff. The glowing rock cast a bright light around the company and Kenzie had to turn her head away for a moment to adjust to the brightness of it. She did lift her head back in the wizard's direction, however, when he began to walk past. The young witch's eyes followed his path and noticed the stairs and suffocating darkness that loomed in front of the Fellowship. She shuddered, noting to the fact of how unwelcoming the whole place seemed.
"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," the wizard stated as softly as possible as the Fellowship began to follow.
"Quietly now. It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed," Gandalf advised as they started up the stairs.
"Oh, I'm prayin'," Kenzie whispered, clutching Legolas' hand as he led her up the stairs and into the darkness.
____________________________________________________________________________ ___
Next chapter: We get some history lessons from Gandalf, Kenzie turns up the heat, and we get to read the first real battle of the Fellowship.
Yay! The plot bunnies are plentiful and my muses are sooooo excited!!
Review, because you are hella awesome if you do!!