Author's Note: This is a chapter that has absolutely no purpose other than
getting to Oleron and such. So, I hope you enjoy this next chapter of what
I consider to be space-filling fluff, for those of you who were looking
forward to this (I won't mention any names *cough *ARYA*) and for those of
you who don't even know why I'm writing this.
Disclaimer: See Chap. 1
Chapter 5: The Doors
"Pink," Sam grumbled. "It HAD to be pink." He crossed his arms against himself, skulking as they walked quickly through the caves.
"It's not that bad, Sam," Frodo said, smiling. "No one can see it, considering how Gandalf hid them."
"That's true, Mr. Frodo. But before when everyone could see it, it was horrible! I saw everyone smile when they woke up!"
"Come on, Sam! Pink stands for love and friendship and a gentle soul," Frodo replied. "I think that describes you perfectly."
Sam shook his head. "It's still not right," he protested. "You got yellow. Merry got brown and Pippin got orange! AND I GOT PINK!"
"Be honored you got pink," Aragorn called back. "Even though it isn't the most flattering color for you, Frodo was right in saying that it describes you perfectly. Pippin got orange because orange stands for energy. Do you disagree with that match?"
Pippin grinned devilishly. "I think pink suits you very well, Sam," he said.
"Enough talk!" Gandalf scolded. "We only have a half an hour to reach Oleron, and then his caves will be swarming with goblins and who knows what else!"
The hobbits quickly silenced themselves and picked up the pace. Once they had woken from the spell that Rimor had performed, Gandalf had at once started them out. He had seen the Color Keys and become very quiet for a moment. But he did seem pleased that they had been granted them, even though he covered them up to hide them from prying eyes. When Gimli had asked what they would do, Gandalf had replied, "They will do what keys naturally and obviously do. Open doors." He refused to answer all other questions, for some obvious reasons and others more obscure. They all knew the danger that followed them and would break in after moonrise, so the Fellowship accepted that as the answer as to why Gandalf wouldn't say anymore.
No doors that needed unlocking had crossed their path. Yet. He was afraid of what they would have to do in order to use the Keys, so Sam hoped that they wouldn't need them at all. Magic was something that the gardener never dabbled in, considering the fact he was a very plain hobbit. It wasn't that he was afraid of magic. He was just afraid of what magic did to people. The stupid Ring that Bilbo had found, the stupid Ring that Frodo was now carrying, was obviously a magical, bewitched item. Seeing as what they'd been through with the Ring certainly gave Sam clearance to hate it and fear what he had chosen to fear.
The cave was still silent. The feeling of protection seemed to be leaking out of the air, a warning of what was coming. Sam shivered slightly. The warm air was not so warm now. A slight wind had started to build up, strange since the entrance of the cave was so far behind and the end even farther. The walls seemed to be getting closer and closer together and the lights weren't as bright now. Everything was turning darker. Soon it was all faded. Sam couldn't see past Gandalf at the head of the line and when he turned back Boromir was the last thing he could make out. The darkness seemed to be following them, but never swallowing them whole in its shadow.
Abruptly, Sam stumbled. He protested, only to be silenced quickly. The Fellowship had stopped, seemingly in front of a wall. Inwardly, Sam groaned. This was the part that he'd been dreading. The way was locked, and the only way to get through was to obviously unlock it. The door was a solid dark red with no keyhole, only a small, round hole that was about three feet from the ground in the dead center. The door filled the width of the hallway, a perfect roadblock.
"Lovely," Sam muttered.
Gandalf peered at the door carefully, scrutinizing it. Finally he stepped back. "What did Rimor say to you, Boromir, right before he left?" Gandalf asked.
"Only to use the right key on the right door," Boromir replied. "And then we would know what to do."
Gandalf sighed. "All right, then," he said. "We'll improvise. Who had red?"
"That would be me," Gimli said gruffly. He glanced at the door apprehensively, but made no move to get any closer to it.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Gandalf said impatiently. "Walk up to it!"
Gimli looked at Gandalf, then shook his head and mumbled something indignantly as he stalked towards the door. He planted himself right in front of the hole and crossed his arms over his chest. "Now what?"
"Get closer," Aragorn advised. He turned to Gandalf and saw that the wizard was deep in thought, his brow furrowed. It was all very well that Gandalf was thinking, but now wasn't exactly a good time. If something happened they would need the wizard to do.whatever it would take to avert the new calamity.
Gimli started to walk towards the door. As soon as he took his first step, a strange, eerie humming echoed through the silent hall. Gimli froze. So did the humming.
A deadly silence filled the air, one worse than it had been to start with. This time the stillness seemed to stretch all the way behind them, reaching back to the entrance and beyond. Suddenly, Sam felt as if he would go insane if nothing was said.
"Keep going!" Legolas hissed sharply. The Elf seemed to be as agitated as Sam had been. "Gimli, there's no time for your Dwarf wits to be overcome by awe at the simple sound of humming!"
"Why, I don't suppose an Elf-"
"Just open the door!" Frodo exclaimed in a panicked whisper. The hobbit's face was sheet white and he was trembling, clutching at something around his neck.
Gimli was startled at the tone of the hobbit's voice. The dwarf turned to the door again with determination on his face. "All right then, Door," he muttered. "It's just you, me, and my Key. I do believe that you'll be the one to face the awful fate of opening the way for us." And with that, he charged the door.
Red light exploded everywhere, and time stopped.
Everything was frozen. Gimli was stuck in midair, his mouth opened in a challenging shout. Frodo was still grasping at the Ring around his neck and Sam was right next to him, supporting his friend. Pippin was huddled at the ground, a single tear stopped on his cheek. Merry had been moving towards his cousin. Gandalf was still in his thoughtful position and Aragorn beside him with a surprised look on his face. Boromir was standing as still as a tree and Legolas had his face turned slightly away from the door, his hand frozen as it moved to cover his eyes. Silence smothered the cave, and the bright orbs that had been glittering on the walls were caught between pulses. The area by the door was enveloped in an electric red light. But just beyond in the shadows, eyes could be seen gleaming. Goblins had reached the caves. The hour of moonrise had come.
Then, as abruptly as time had stopped, it started again.
Gimli dropped to the ground with a thud and an undignified shout. "Stupid door! I'll show you - "
A creaking noise cut him off. The door was moving. It slowly swung open, rock grinding against rock. The Fellowship scrambled backwards as the door was unlocked. A dim red light danced around the edges of the walls like deadly fire. Once the door was fully opened, Gandalf leaned through the doorway to peer down the passage. It was pitch black, no orbs along the walls. A cold wind whistled through the corridor. It looked almost as long as the one that they had just journeyed down, but Merry fancied that he could see another door at the end of the tunnel.
"Come on," Gandalf said. "Time to go." He hustled them into the hallway with a furious air of urgency. No one was keen to venture into the darkness, but where else was there to go?
Aragorn was the last one to pass through. Just as he was about to step into the new hall, he stopped. A faint whispering noise reached his ears. Aragorn turned back. His eyes widened, and he threw himself back into the darkness, crashing into Boromir. The door slammed shut and pitch black tumbled down on them. A lone screech could be heard. Something started to scrape at the door, scratching noises that barely penetrated the thick rock. Aragorn stood back up. "I suppose it's moonrise," he commented rather calmly.
"Yes, it would appear to be so," Gandalf replied, his brow furrowing. "Well, since Rimor gave us nine keys and we just used one, I do believe that we must do that eight more times."
"Oleron really likes flashy spells, doesn't he?" Pippin commented.
"He always did like to overdo it," Gandalf said. There was a rustling noise as he reached for his staff, and then a loud SNAP.
"What did you do?" Frodo asked.
"I tried to get us some light so we could see where we are going," Gandalf replied. "But there must be some sort of block. We have to go on without it."
"But what if there's a fork in the path?"
"What if the goblins get through?"
"What if something is following us and we can't see it?"
"What if we miss the door?"
"What if - "
"BE QUIET!" Gandalf roared. "Keep all of your what ifs to yourself and in the dark places in your mind! Have your mind on lighter thoughts!"
No one said a word. All they could hear was their breathing.
"Lead on Gandalf," Legolas said softly.
"All right then," Gandalf said in a tired voice. "Everyone, stay close to the person in front of you. Hold on to them with one hand and keep the other hand on the wall. I will have both hands on the wall, so we will know if the path divides. My staff will make sure that nothing will trip our feet." He didn't say how he was going to manage that, since he only has two hands. But no one mentioned that. They could hear Gandalf place his staff in front of him and put his hands on the walls. They all followed suit and started the long trek in the dark.
* * * * * *
Legolas felt the wall with his hand blindly. His eyes had not yet grown accustomed to the darkness and he didn't expect them to at any time. They hadn't been walking but ten minutes and it already felt like an eternity. Their footsteps made no echoes. The only sound was the tapping of Gandalf's staff and the quick, frightened breath coming from the hobbits. Legolas grasped Aragorn's cloak more firmly. The Ranger and the Elf were the rearguard, listening carefully for anything that could be sneaking up on them.
Legolas shook his head and let his mind drift a little to thoughts of the woods and sunlight. He almost didn't hear Aragorn whisper, "Stop!"
"What's going on?" Legolas whispered back.
"Poor Elf, not knowing what happens," a voice said sadly that was not Aragorn's voice at all. "Must tell him, someone. Elf needs to know."
Legolas froze. He could feel something circling him slowly, feel dark eyes stare at him. The strange sensation of fear and the unsettling feeling that he was trapped started to overcome him. He could feel his breathing quicken and his heart start to pound.
"No need for Elf to get excited!" the voice said in an amused tone. "No danger, nothing fearful here. Except mayhaps the dark and next door. If only they could see."
"Rimor, this is no time to play word games!" Aragorn said. "How far to the next door?"
"Why tell when I can show?"
Legolas felt a brush of air as something tapped his chest. Green light exploded from nowhere along with a strong surge of propulsion. Legolas slammed into the cave wall and sank to the floor, curling up into a tight ball. His head throbbed and it felt like he was on fire. He couldn't breathe and coughed as he tried to suck in precious air.
"Now they can see," Rimor's voice hissed softly in his ear before fading away.
Someone grabbed his shoulder. "Are you all right?" Aragorn demanded.
Legolas didn't answer. He just coughed again and let his body go limp. Dark lights danced in front of his closed eyes as he felt hands run over his back, gently feeling his ribs for any breaks or cracks. He felt those same hands slowly pry him out of his ball and force him to lay flat on his back. Sharp gasps sounded in the hall. The hands finished their search and left Legolas to himself.
"Is that light from the Key?" he heard Sam whisper.
"Of course!" he heard Gandalf exclaim. "I should have realized the Keys could show us the way!"
"Can you stand?" Aragorn asked him.
Legolas shook his head slightly. "Can't move," he whispered. It was true. It seemed that all his energy had left him and went to keeping the light on. He could barely summon enough energy to blink, let alone breathe. Hands grabbed him and lifted him upright. He sagged against whoever was holding him.
"Keep him so the light still shines, Boromir," Gandalf ordered.
Legolas could faintly sense Boromir nodding as he was dragged through the tunnel.
"Look! There's the door!" Merry exclaimed.
"And it is about time," Gimli said. "Who knows if the goblins are still following us?"
"It's not the goblins I'm worried about," Sam murmured.
"What color is the door?" Aragorn asked.
"Well, it looks green," Gimli commented. "But that could just be because of our Elf's light over there."
"Black," Legolas whispered.
"What did he say?" Frodo asked.
"He said black," Boromir replied, shifting Legolas slightly. "But how could he know? He's practically asleep as it is."
"Well, I certainly don't think it's yellow," Pippin put in. "Black's a good a guess as anything."
"Black it is then," Gandalf decided. "Who had black?"
"I did," Boromir said hesitantly.
"There's nothing to it, Boromir," Gimli said confidently.
Boromir handed Legolas off to Aragorn and slowly approached the door. The door didn't even look like a door. It seemed to be a gigantic hole in the middle of the path. No keyholes were visible. He reached out his hands and leaned toward the door. His hands hit cold, solid rock.
As soon as he touched the door, something sucked him towards the rock. Boromir slammed into the wall of rock, seemingly glued in place. He struggled a bit, futilely pushing against the wall. "Well, now what?" he cried.
"That certainly is different," Gimli muttered. He walked up next to the man and pressed his ear to the stone.
"What's that going to do?" Boromir exclaimed. "Listening to the door isn't going to get me off it!"
Gimli hushed him and resumed his listening. Finally he stepped back. "Something is clicking in there," he said quietly. "It should be opening."
As if on cue, Boromir dropped to the ground and rolled away from the door. The stone opened noiselessly, bright light sweeping in as it opened. They shielded their eyes from the glare. The door opened all the way. Once eyes had adjusted, they dared taking a look at the new hallway.
It was bright orange. Once more there were orbs of light yellow that flitted from wall to wall across the path, but barely seen as they were outshone by the brilliance of the hot orange. The ceiling no longer seemed to go up forever, but only a short way. This hall was only about twelve feet long and a short, thin door that covered about a third of the end wall stood as the way out.
As before, the door swished shut when the last person had entered. This time they all hurried quickly down to the other end of the hall, eager to get on. Aragorn no longer carried Legolas. The green light had disappeared as soon as the next door had opened and the Elf had regained his strength. As they ran through the hall, the flitting orange lights bounced by them, occasionally hitting a person. The lights did not hurt, but only gave an intense tingle that made the receiver shiver for a few seconds. Energy. That's all that it was.
Pippin reached the end of the hall before the others and stood in front of the door. It was just his size and height. He took a deep breath and walked towards the door. Nothing happened when he approached it. But when he reached to touch it, a small brass knob melted out of the surface. Curious, Pippin held out his hand over the knob. A small bolt of orange light shot from his palm and hit the knob. Pippin jumped and retracted his hand as if he had been burned.
The door disappeared.
"Well, that was easy," Pippin said brightly. He marched through the small opening with Merry, Sam, and Frodo on his heels. Gimli ducked his head a little and followed, bursting into a world of pink and nothing else.
The scent of roses drifted through the air, rustling the petals of flowers that were walls raised about six feet. Pinks and magentas and roses and rouges filled the field that was really a hall. The ground was the crushed rose petals which had already fallen from the wall. Up high above the sky was blue and the sun was shining softly. Gimli could swear he saw the tops of willow trees far over the flower walls, their boughs trailing down with endless coils of pink lianas.
"Well," he heard Merry mumble, "I think we know who has the key to this door."
"But where do we find a door?" Pippin asked.
"At the end of the tunnel, Pip."
"But we're outside."
"No, I think we're still in the tunnel."
"Does this look like a tunnel to you? Merry, I do believe I know what outsides look like."
"But you obviously don't know what enchanted tunnels look like."
"How do you know it's an enchanted tunnel? What if we were led outside of a building and this path leads us to another?"
"Do you see any building behind us Pip?"
"No, the walls are blocking my view."
"We've been walking straight for five minutes!"
"So?"
Frodo walked close to the wall, his hand carefully drifting over the flowers. It felt so peaceful here, even if this here wasn't a real place. For the first time in days, Frodo let his mind wander to other things than regrets, fears, and uncertainties.
Close behind the hobbit, Sam was also walking. But his mind wasn't at ease. No, he was worrying about how to open this door that was certain to be coming soon. So far each door had been opened differently. How was his to be unlocked? Sam sighed and pressed on. He could still hear Pippin and Merry bickering about what exactly they were walking in, with Gimli and Aragorn occasionally throwing in their opinions and Gandalf giving them all reasons why they were wrong. Boromir of course would be listening, taking in all these new and strange opinions that probably made no sense. Sam knew that Frodo was content with his thoughts right now, and he suspected that Legolas was basking in nature's presence also, enchanted nature or not.
A shadow fell over him. Surprised, Sam looked up. On both sides of the path were two of the willow trees that he had seen over the walls. The pink lianas still hung from the branches, drifting quietly in a gentle breeze that struck up. The lianas were hanging directly in the path, blocking it, so Sam mindlessly pushed them away and strode through the gap he had created. When he passed through the flowers, he stopped. It was no longer pink that he could see. Everything seemed to be a different shade of brown. Tree trunks surrounded the path now, towering high and blocking out the sun. Leaves on the treetops couldn't be seen and there was no grass or random foliage sprouting from the ground. It was the color of dusk that had strained every other color out.
Sam turned around. The gap in the trees led back to the bright pink world of flowers. The lianas seemed to be held back by something. It was almost like a door. A door! He had opened his door as simple as that! No falling down, no violence, no sparks, nothing. Just push through and be on your way! Now Sam was suddenly glad that he had been walking first. He didn't want to imagine the possibilities of things that might've happened if Frodo had been leading, or anyone else.
The rest of the Fellowship ducked beneath the swinging lianas and entered a new hall.
* * * * * *
Aragorn breathed in deep. This new place smelled of pines drying out, their sharp scent lifting into the air. Smells did wonders to how you saw things. Aragorn had always been slightly partial to forests of pine trees.
But as much as he loved to just breathe in the air, something was troubling him. There had been no sign of the goblins since the first hall. Rimor had practically assured them that nothing could get through without a key. But he also said that the defenses would be at a minimum after moonrise. They were making good time and speed, although they had no idea how long it had actually been since they first arrived in the valley. The hobbits seemed to be holding up well with good spirits. Going by what Gandalf had commented on, they had to reach five more doors and pass through four more halls. There was a lot that could go wrong.
The path turned sharply right. Aragorn found himself face-to-face with a gigantic tree. It out-loomed everything that had ever loomed over him before and he backed up a little. Merry eagerly pushed past him and looked up at the tree. "Is this my door?" he asked.
"Since it is in our way, I believe that is a safe bet," Gandalf commented.
Merry gently placed a hand on the trunk. He felt around the bark for a while, and then his face lit up completely. He yanked at something that was beneath his hand and then let go. A large portion of the bark peeled away to reveal a simple brown door. Excited, Merry laid his hand on the door to try to unlock it.
There was a billowing puff of white smoke and with a frightening explosion, Merry got blasted backwards in Legolas, sending them both flying to the ground. The smell of something hot and burning leaked in, covering the scent of pine. The brown door literally melted into a pile of slush and brilliant white light flooded through the hole. A cold, steely wind gusted out with the light.
"Wow," Merry breathed, completely unfazed by the fact that he had just been blown out by a door. He struggled to get up, tripping over Legolas since he was still on top of the Elf. Legolas gently shoved Merry free and pushed himself off the ground, getting a better look at the opened door. The smell had faded, but the wind and the light had not.
Gandalf approached the door. He peered into the new hall, and smiling a hidden smile to himself. "Well, we should press on," he said and launched himself forward. Everyone followed him rather warily, wondering that since the door had exploded, could that possibly be a good sign? Pippin had completely thrown himself behind Aragorn while Aragorn had tried to hit the ground. Gimli, much to his shame, had ducked behind a tree instead of facing his "doom" while Sam had bravely stood in front of Frodo to protect his master, but not knowing that Frodo had taken Gimli's idea of hiding behind a tree. Boromir had done the most sensible thing out of all of them; he used his shield. Gandalf's idea just couldn't be called sensible at all, really. He had started walking towards the door as it exploded. And now he just vanished into a world as bright as the clouds.
But the world wasn't full of clouds. White-hot lightning zigzagged through the air, crackling with false intensity as it vanished into the ground. Almost impossibly, freezing snow was falling from above but never collecting on the ground. The hall seemed to have no boundaries, the only marking white stones outlining an invisible path. Their clothes, which had seemed dull before, stood out vibrantly against the stark landscape.
"Can we go through this one real quick-like, Mr. Gandalf?" Sam shouted over the buzz of lightning.
"This lightning doesn't seem to be harmful," Boromir shouted back. "Look, it hits nowhere near the path."
A bolt slammed into the ground right before Boromir's feet. He froze, then looked up. "Maybe Sam's right, Gandalf," he yelled. "Quick would be better."
Gandalf merely chuckled at this, but did pick up the pace slightly. Frodo hurried behind him, feeling that it was safer closer to the wizard. 'Gandalf has become extremely jolly all of a sudden', he noted to himself, 'like he knows something we don't.' But Frodo shrugged that thought away and focused on following the white stones.
Green flashed before his eyes. Frodo cried out and buried his face in his arm. After all that white, as bright as it was, it hurt to see another color. When the spots before his eyes had disappeared, he cautiously peeked out. The colorless hall had vanished, replaced with something else entirely. But Frodo didn't remember seeing a door anywhere. All he knew was Gandalf walking before him, plowing forward.
It was like a jungle, a rainforest. Ferns and leaves, gigantic umbrella leaves, and grass stalks that were impossibly tall surrounded them on all side. The tree trunks should've been brown, but instead were a dark, deep green. Blue flowers were scattered throughout the plants, nestled safe in their havens. Frodo was surprised at seeing two different colors in one hall, but quickly dismissed it. The air was thick and moist. It felt like you were breathing water.
Legolas carefully picked his way through the forest. He could feel so many different thoughts whispering through this place, and he knew that these plants and trees were real and not spelled. And yet, even though the whispers were only peaceful whispers, he could dimly sense some form of malice, tainted thoughts trailing through the air. He quickly worked his way up the Aragorn. "Do you sense it?" he whispered when he reached the Ranger.
"Yes," Aragorn murmured, his eyes measuring their surroundings.
"Could the goblins have broken through?"
"Rimor did say that the defenses would fall after moonrise. I think, in all possibilities, they got through at least the first three doors."
"Aragorn, nothing can feel like a goblin except for a goblin. They passed the doors."
"All right. We will just have to be on our guard and make haste to the next doors."
A cry reached through the forest. They froze. Aragorn looked at Gandalf and Gandalf immediately picked up on his thoughts. "The goblins have broken into the halls," he said. "Run!"
Legolas took off in front of the group, not knowing what his door would look like. Even though the forest had grown quiet, there was something out there. And at the moment the arrows started flying from the trees, Legolas knew that unless they reached the door quickly the goblins could easily pick them off one by one from the cover of the foliage.
"There!" he heard Gimli yell. "Up ahead!"
Legolas looked for his door. What he found surprised him. It was no door, but a pit. And when he reached the edge of it, its black depths stared out at him. He thought he could see the glinting points of sharp spears far away at the bottom. "Are you sure this is it?" he asked in desperation.
"It has to be!" Boromir said. "The forest virtually ends right here!" And true enough, there was a solid green wall in front of them.
An arrow whizzed by Legolas' shoulder. He ducked and quickly grabbed his bow to shoot, but before he could let an arrow loose felt Gimli shove him into the pit. Legolas still shot his arrow as he fell, and felt grim satisfaction when he heard a dying shriek. But he couldn't see anything. The black had engulfed him, drawing him into the gaping gorge. Legolas struggled to hold onto his bow as wind whipped by him. He struggled a little too hard and ended up plunging down headfirst. Surprisingly, he felt no fear when he saw the bottom rushing up on him. The spears that he had imagined were there but started to slowly melt away when they were replaced with a rapidly growing pool of water. Groaning slightly to himself, Legolas steeled himself for the shock of water as he plunged closer and closer to the bottom.
* * * * * *
"Hey, wake up!" a voice whispered. "No time for sleeps. Time comes later."
Boromir slowly opened his eyes. When he had blinked away sleep and glanced around at the unconscious forms around him, he groaned. Not again. He seriously needed to get everyone working on waking up simultaneously.
"Hey! No time for sightseeing!"
Boromir started at the voice and turned towards it. He groaned again and buried his head in his hands.
"Not happy to see old Rimor, aren't you? Poor Rimor is tired of shun. Mayhaps he should deliver his message elsewheres." The creature paced by Boromir's side, his purple eyes flashing and raven hair swishing over his thin grey shoulders. "Mayhaps goblins would care to know Master's message!"
"No!" Boromir exclaimed. "Don't go telling them. I'm listening."
Rimor sniffed at the man. "Yes, listening, but you thinking as well?" Rimor stopped pacing and stood up straight, smoothing his dark green robes with a slim hand. "One, goblins right above your head and trying to break through to us. Two, Master of the Caves wishes Fellowship to know that only one door lies ahead, not two. But will you know which color to use? Tis a test. Can't be too trusty these days. Observe carefully surroundings and meanings. Make wise decisions, you must."
"Are there any hints or clues you can give us?" Boromir asked, hoping that this creature would help them
"Hmmm." Rimor thought. "Ah, here..no, won't do.maybe this would. no, wrong clue.."
He stood pondering for a minute, then suddenly leaned in to Boromir's face. Boromir jumped. "No cheating in test," Rimor hissed dangerously. He slowly stood up. "Must warn Master about this one," he murmured to himself before slithering over the stone floor towards a heavy oak door. A door! Boromir sat up straighter and watched as Rimor neared the final door. The creature glanced over his shoulder, and winked at Boromir knowingly. Then he reached playfully for the doorknob, and disappeared into thin air.
Growling in frustration to himself, Boromir crawled over to the nearest person's side. He was tired, he was wet (the water had been real), he was hungry, he was sore, and he was sick of falling down and walking. They needed to crack the riddle that would open the last door and then they could get some answers for.whatever questions they had about.whatever they were here for.
With one last grumble to himself, Boromir reached out to shake Legolas. As he waited for the Elf to become coherent, he thought back to the pit. After they had realized that Legolas had opened the pit door, Boromir remembered that they all hurled themselves into the gaping darkness. The goblins had followed them, falling so close behind them. He could still feel the water's icy fingers when he hit it and dimly remembered being sucked into some kind of vortex and spun around a lot. And then everything had gone dark, but not before he hit the ground hard.
"Did the door open?" Legolas asked dazedly, obviously coming out of his sleep.
"Unless you think the Halls of Mandos involve lying in a puddle for all eternity," Boromir commented. He looked around. "Though I can see where you get the whole Halls idea."
Legolas snorted and carefully picked himself up. He and Boromir shared the duty of awakening everyone else, which has become rather like a routine. Once everyone could understand what other people were saying, Boromir related the news that had been brought.
"So, I was thinking," Boromir said offhandedly, "that maybe we should try and open this door rather quickly, seeing as how the goblins are most likely trying to get through to us."
"No clues and two colors," Gandalf murmured. "Yellow and purple. What are we supposed to use to distinguish between the two?" He walked up to the wooden door, looking closely at it. "The crown is circling the sun. What is that supposed to mean?"
Merry glanced at the walls. The same sun and crown were etched in patterns over the walls, neither seeming to be more important. There was no defining color in the hall, just neutral brown. But wait.brown. Didn't purple and yellow make brown? At that instant Merry heard a soft laugh in his ear and thought that he had just seen an eye wink at him from the door. He knew that he was right.
While Gandalf was busy puzzling over this and the rest of the Fellowship taking the advantage of a break, Merry casually strolled up to the door. He pretended that he was just examining the images on the door, and then he shot a quick glance at Gandalf. The wizard was paying him no attention. Merry grinned devilishly, and then grabbed the doorknob and twisted.
"MERIADOC BRANDYBUCK!" Gandalf bellowed, smacking the hobbit's hand away from the doorknob. "WHAT DO YOU THINK- "
The door slowly creaked open. Gandalf trailed off and looked at the door in disbelief. He turned to Merry, and then back to the door. He glanced at Merry again, then broke out in laughter. He ruffled Merry's hair and kept laughing, almost hysterically. "Come on then," Gandalf said merrily, still chuckling. "Off we go!" With that, he disappeared through the door, his laughter echoing back to them. Merry grinned again, and then rushed to follow Gandalf to meet Oleron the Blue.
*Yay! Wasn't that exciting? Probably not. Anyhow, I liked describing all those things. It was jolly good fun. Well, if you like or if you hate, please review. It's the nice thing to do.*
Disclaimer: See Chap. 1
Chapter 5: The Doors
"Pink," Sam grumbled. "It HAD to be pink." He crossed his arms against himself, skulking as they walked quickly through the caves.
"It's not that bad, Sam," Frodo said, smiling. "No one can see it, considering how Gandalf hid them."
"That's true, Mr. Frodo. But before when everyone could see it, it was horrible! I saw everyone smile when they woke up!"
"Come on, Sam! Pink stands for love and friendship and a gentle soul," Frodo replied. "I think that describes you perfectly."
Sam shook his head. "It's still not right," he protested. "You got yellow. Merry got brown and Pippin got orange! AND I GOT PINK!"
"Be honored you got pink," Aragorn called back. "Even though it isn't the most flattering color for you, Frodo was right in saying that it describes you perfectly. Pippin got orange because orange stands for energy. Do you disagree with that match?"
Pippin grinned devilishly. "I think pink suits you very well, Sam," he said.
"Enough talk!" Gandalf scolded. "We only have a half an hour to reach Oleron, and then his caves will be swarming with goblins and who knows what else!"
The hobbits quickly silenced themselves and picked up the pace. Once they had woken from the spell that Rimor had performed, Gandalf had at once started them out. He had seen the Color Keys and become very quiet for a moment. But he did seem pleased that they had been granted them, even though he covered them up to hide them from prying eyes. When Gimli had asked what they would do, Gandalf had replied, "They will do what keys naturally and obviously do. Open doors." He refused to answer all other questions, for some obvious reasons and others more obscure. They all knew the danger that followed them and would break in after moonrise, so the Fellowship accepted that as the answer as to why Gandalf wouldn't say anymore.
No doors that needed unlocking had crossed their path. Yet. He was afraid of what they would have to do in order to use the Keys, so Sam hoped that they wouldn't need them at all. Magic was something that the gardener never dabbled in, considering the fact he was a very plain hobbit. It wasn't that he was afraid of magic. He was just afraid of what magic did to people. The stupid Ring that Bilbo had found, the stupid Ring that Frodo was now carrying, was obviously a magical, bewitched item. Seeing as what they'd been through with the Ring certainly gave Sam clearance to hate it and fear what he had chosen to fear.
The cave was still silent. The feeling of protection seemed to be leaking out of the air, a warning of what was coming. Sam shivered slightly. The warm air was not so warm now. A slight wind had started to build up, strange since the entrance of the cave was so far behind and the end even farther. The walls seemed to be getting closer and closer together and the lights weren't as bright now. Everything was turning darker. Soon it was all faded. Sam couldn't see past Gandalf at the head of the line and when he turned back Boromir was the last thing he could make out. The darkness seemed to be following them, but never swallowing them whole in its shadow.
Abruptly, Sam stumbled. He protested, only to be silenced quickly. The Fellowship had stopped, seemingly in front of a wall. Inwardly, Sam groaned. This was the part that he'd been dreading. The way was locked, and the only way to get through was to obviously unlock it. The door was a solid dark red with no keyhole, only a small, round hole that was about three feet from the ground in the dead center. The door filled the width of the hallway, a perfect roadblock.
"Lovely," Sam muttered.
Gandalf peered at the door carefully, scrutinizing it. Finally he stepped back. "What did Rimor say to you, Boromir, right before he left?" Gandalf asked.
"Only to use the right key on the right door," Boromir replied. "And then we would know what to do."
Gandalf sighed. "All right, then," he said. "We'll improvise. Who had red?"
"That would be me," Gimli said gruffly. He glanced at the door apprehensively, but made no move to get any closer to it.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Gandalf said impatiently. "Walk up to it!"
Gimli looked at Gandalf, then shook his head and mumbled something indignantly as he stalked towards the door. He planted himself right in front of the hole and crossed his arms over his chest. "Now what?"
"Get closer," Aragorn advised. He turned to Gandalf and saw that the wizard was deep in thought, his brow furrowed. It was all very well that Gandalf was thinking, but now wasn't exactly a good time. If something happened they would need the wizard to do.whatever it would take to avert the new calamity.
Gimli started to walk towards the door. As soon as he took his first step, a strange, eerie humming echoed through the silent hall. Gimli froze. So did the humming.
A deadly silence filled the air, one worse than it had been to start with. This time the stillness seemed to stretch all the way behind them, reaching back to the entrance and beyond. Suddenly, Sam felt as if he would go insane if nothing was said.
"Keep going!" Legolas hissed sharply. The Elf seemed to be as agitated as Sam had been. "Gimli, there's no time for your Dwarf wits to be overcome by awe at the simple sound of humming!"
"Why, I don't suppose an Elf-"
"Just open the door!" Frodo exclaimed in a panicked whisper. The hobbit's face was sheet white and he was trembling, clutching at something around his neck.
Gimli was startled at the tone of the hobbit's voice. The dwarf turned to the door again with determination on his face. "All right then, Door," he muttered. "It's just you, me, and my Key. I do believe that you'll be the one to face the awful fate of opening the way for us." And with that, he charged the door.
Red light exploded everywhere, and time stopped.
Everything was frozen. Gimli was stuck in midair, his mouth opened in a challenging shout. Frodo was still grasping at the Ring around his neck and Sam was right next to him, supporting his friend. Pippin was huddled at the ground, a single tear stopped on his cheek. Merry had been moving towards his cousin. Gandalf was still in his thoughtful position and Aragorn beside him with a surprised look on his face. Boromir was standing as still as a tree and Legolas had his face turned slightly away from the door, his hand frozen as it moved to cover his eyes. Silence smothered the cave, and the bright orbs that had been glittering on the walls were caught between pulses. The area by the door was enveloped in an electric red light. But just beyond in the shadows, eyes could be seen gleaming. Goblins had reached the caves. The hour of moonrise had come.
Then, as abruptly as time had stopped, it started again.
Gimli dropped to the ground with a thud and an undignified shout. "Stupid door! I'll show you - "
A creaking noise cut him off. The door was moving. It slowly swung open, rock grinding against rock. The Fellowship scrambled backwards as the door was unlocked. A dim red light danced around the edges of the walls like deadly fire. Once the door was fully opened, Gandalf leaned through the doorway to peer down the passage. It was pitch black, no orbs along the walls. A cold wind whistled through the corridor. It looked almost as long as the one that they had just journeyed down, but Merry fancied that he could see another door at the end of the tunnel.
"Come on," Gandalf said. "Time to go." He hustled them into the hallway with a furious air of urgency. No one was keen to venture into the darkness, but where else was there to go?
Aragorn was the last one to pass through. Just as he was about to step into the new hall, he stopped. A faint whispering noise reached his ears. Aragorn turned back. His eyes widened, and he threw himself back into the darkness, crashing into Boromir. The door slammed shut and pitch black tumbled down on them. A lone screech could be heard. Something started to scrape at the door, scratching noises that barely penetrated the thick rock. Aragorn stood back up. "I suppose it's moonrise," he commented rather calmly.
"Yes, it would appear to be so," Gandalf replied, his brow furrowing. "Well, since Rimor gave us nine keys and we just used one, I do believe that we must do that eight more times."
"Oleron really likes flashy spells, doesn't he?" Pippin commented.
"He always did like to overdo it," Gandalf said. There was a rustling noise as he reached for his staff, and then a loud SNAP.
"What did you do?" Frodo asked.
"I tried to get us some light so we could see where we are going," Gandalf replied. "But there must be some sort of block. We have to go on without it."
"But what if there's a fork in the path?"
"What if the goblins get through?"
"What if something is following us and we can't see it?"
"What if we miss the door?"
"What if - "
"BE QUIET!" Gandalf roared. "Keep all of your what ifs to yourself and in the dark places in your mind! Have your mind on lighter thoughts!"
No one said a word. All they could hear was their breathing.
"Lead on Gandalf," Legolas said softly.
"All right then," Gandalf said in a tired voice. "Everyone, stay close to the person in front of you. Hold on to them with one hand and keep the other hand on the wall. I will have both hands on the wall, so we will know if the path divides. My staff will make sure that nothing will trip our feet." He didn't say how he was going to manage that, since he only has two hands. But no one mentioned that. They could hear Gandalf place his staff in front of him and put his hands on the walls. They all followed suit and started the long trek in the dark.
* * * * * *
Legolas felt the wall with his hand blindly. His eyes had not yet grown accustomed to the darkness and he didn't expect them to at any time. They hadn't been walking but ten minutes and it already felt like an eternity. Their footsteps made no echoes. The only sound was the tapping of Gandalf's staff and the quick, frightened breath coming from the hobbits. Legolas grasped Aragorn's cloak more firmly. The Ranger and the Elf were the rearguard, listening carefully for anything that could be sneaking up on them.
Legolas shook his head and let his mind drift a little to thoughts of the woods and sunlight. He almost didn't hear Aragorn whisper, "Stop!"
"What's going on?" Legolas whispered back.
"Poor Elf, not knowing what happens," a voice said sadly that was not Aragorn's voice at all. "Must tell him, someone. Elf needs to know."
Legolas froze. He could feel something circling him slowly, feel dark eyes stare at him. The strange sensation of fear and the unsettling feeling that he was trapped started to overcome him. He could feel his breathing quicken and his heart start to pound.
"No need for Elf to get excited!" the voice said in an amused tone. "No danger, nothing fearful here. Except mayhaps the dark and next door. If only they could see."
"Rimor, this is no time to play word games!" Aragorn said. "How far to the next door?"
"Why tell when I can show?"
Legolas felt a brush of air as something tapped his chest. Green light exploded from nowhere along with a strong surge of propulsion. Legolas slammed into the cave wall and sank to the floor, curling up into a tight ball. His head throbbed and it felt like he was on fire. He couldn't breathe and coughed as he tried to suck in precious air.
"Now they can see," Rimor's voice hissed softly in his ear before fading away.
Someone grabbed his shoulder. "Are you all right?" Aragorn demanded.
Legolas didn't answer. He just coughed again and let his body go limp. Dark lights danced in front of his closed eyes as he felt hands run over his back, gently feeling his ribs for any breaks or cracks. He felt those same hands slowly pry him out of his ball and force him to lay flat on his back. Sharp gasps sounded in the hall. The hands finished their search and left Legolas to himself.
"Is that light from the Key?" he heard Sam whisper.
"Of course!" he heard Gandalf exclaim. "I should have realized the Keys could show us the way!"
"Can you stand?" Aragorn asked him.
Legolas shook his head slightly. "Can't move," he whispered. It was true. It seemed that all his energy had left him and went to keeping the light on. He could barely summon enough energy to blink, let alone breathe. Hands grabbed him and lifted him upright. He sagged against whoever was holding him.
"Keep him so the light still shines, Boromir," Gandalf ordered.
Legolas could faintly sense Boromir nodding as he was dragged through the tunnel.
"Look! There's the door!" Merry exclaimed.
"And it is about time," Gimli said. "Who knows if the goblins are still following us?"
"It's not the goblins I'm worried about," Sam murmured.
"What color is the door?" Aragorn asked.
"Well, it looks green," Gimli commented. "But that could just be because of our Elf's light over there."
"Black," Legolas whispered.
"What did he say?" Frodo asked.
"He said black," Boromir replied, shifting Legolas slightly. "But how could he know? He's practically asleep as it is."
"Well, I certainly don't think it's yellow," Pippin put in. "Black's a good a guess as anything."
"Black it is then," Gandalf decided. "Who had black?"
"I did," Boromir said hesitantly.
"There's nothing to it, Boromir," Gimli said confidently.
Boromir handed Legolas off to Aragorn and slowly approached the door. The door didn't even look like a door. It seemed to be a gigantic hole in the middle of the path. No keyholes were visible. He reached out his hands and leaned toward the door. His hands hit cold, solid rock.
As soon as he touched the door, something sucked him towards the rock. Boromir slammed into the wall of rock, seemingly glued in place. He struggled a bit, futilely pushing against the wall. "Well, now what?" he cried.
"That certainly is different," Gimli muttered. He walked up next to the man and pressed his ear to the stone.
"What's that going to do?" Boromir exclaimed. "Listening to the door isn't going to get me off it!"
Gimli hushed him and resumed his listening. Finally he stepped back. "Something is clicking in there," he said quietly. "It should be opening."
As if on cue, Boromir dropped to the ground and rolled away from the door. The stone opened noiselessly, bright light sweeping in as it opened. They shielded their eyes from the glare. The door opened all the way. Once eyes had adjusted, they dared taking a look at the new hallway.
It was bright orange. Once more there were orbs of light yellow that flitted from wall to wall across the path, but barely seen as they were outshone by the brilliance of the hot orange. The ceiling no longer seemed to go up forever, but only a short way. This hall was only about twelve feet long and a short, thin door that covered about a third of the end wall stood as the way out.
As before, the door swished shut when the last person had entered. This time they all hurried quickly down to the other end of the hall, eager to get on. Aragorn no longer carried Legolas. The green light had disappeared as soon as the next door had opened and the Elf had regained his strength. As they ran through the hall, the flitting orange lights bounced by them, occasionally hitting a person. The lights did not hurt, but only gave an intense tingle that made the receiver shiver for a few seconds. Energy. That's all that it was.
Pippin reached the end of the hall before the others and stood in front of the door. It was just his size and height. He took a deep breath and walked towards the door. Nothing happened when he approached it. But when he reached to touch it, a small brass knob melted out of the surface. Curious, Pippin held out his hand over the knob. A small bolt of orange light shot from his palm and hit the knob. Pippin jumped and retracted his hand as if he had been burned.
The door disappeared.
"Well, that was easy," Pippin said brightly. He marched through the small opening with Merry, Sam, and Frodo on his heels. Gimli ducked his head a little and followed, bursting into a world of pink and nothing else.
The scent of roses drifted through the air, rustling the petals of flowers that were walls raised about six feet. Pinks and magentas and roses and rouges filled the field that was really a hall. The ground was the crushed rose petals which had already fallen from the wall. Up high above the sky was blue and the sun was shining softly. Gimli could swear he saw the tops of willow trees far over the flower walls, their boughs trailing down with endless coils of pink lianas.
"Well," he heard Merry mumble, "I think we know who has the key to this door."
"But where do we find a door?" Pippin asked.
"At the end of the tunnel, Pip."
"But we're outside."
"No, I think we're still in the tunnel."
"Does this look like a tunnel to you? Merry, I do believe I know what outsides look like."
"But you obviously don't know what enchanted tunnels look like."
"How do you know it's an enchanted tunnel? What if we were led outside of a building and this path leads us to another?"
"Do you see any building behind us Pip?"
"No, the walls are blocking my view."
"We've been walking straight for five minutes!"
"So?"
Frodo walked close to the wall, his hand carefully drifting over the flowers. It felt so peaceful here, even if this here wasn't a real place. For the first time in days, Frodo let his mind wander to other things than regrets, fears, and uncertainties.
Close behind the hobbit, Sam was also walking. But his mind wasn't at ease. No, he was worrying about how to open this door that was certain to be coming soon. So far each door had been opened differently. How was his to be unlocked? Sam sighed and pressed on. He could still hear Pippin and Merry bickering about what exactly they were walking in, with Gimli and Aragorn occasionally throwing in their opinions and Gandalf giving them all reasons why they were wrong. Boromir of course would be listening, taking in all these new and strange opinions that probably made no sense. Sam knew that Frodo was content with his thoughts right now, and he suspected that Legolas was basking in nature's presence also, enchanted nature or not.
A shadow fell over him. Surprised, Sam looked up. On both sides of the path were two of the willow trees that he had seen over the walls. The pink lianas still hung from the branches, drifting quietly in a gentle breeze that struck up. The lianas were hanging directly in the path, blocking it, so Sam mindlessly pushed them away and strode through the gap he had created. When he passed through the flowers, he stopped. It was no longer pink that he could see. Everything seemed to be a different shade of brown. Tree trunks surrounded the path now, towering high and blocking out the sun. Leaves on the treetops couldn't be seen and there was no grass or random foliage sprouting from the ground. It was the color of dusk that had strained every other color out.
Sam turned around. The gap in the trees led back to the bright pink world of flowers. The lianas seemed to be held back by something. It was almost like a door. A door! He had opened his door as simple as that! No falling down, no violence, no sparks, nothing. Just push through and be on your way! Now Sam was suddenly glad that he had been walking first. He didn't want to imagine the possibilities of things that might've happened if Frodo had been leading, or anyone else.
The rest of the Fellowship ducked beneath the swinging lianas and entered a new hall.
* * * * * *
Aragorn breathed in deep. This new place smelled of pines drying out, their sharp scent lifting into the air. Smells did wonders to how you saw things. Aragorn had always been slightly partial to forests of pine trees.
But as much as he loved to just breathe in the air, something was troubling him. There had been no sign of the goblins since the first hall. Rimor had practically assured them that nothing could get through without a key. But he also said that the defenses would be at a minimum after moonrise. They were making good time and speed, although they had no idea how long it had actually been since they first arrived in the valley. The hobbits seemed to be holding up well with good spirits. Going by what Gandalf had commented on, they had to reach five more doors and pass through four more halls. There was a lot that could go wrong.
The path turned sharply right. Aragorn found himself face-to-face with a gigantic tree. It out-loomed everything that had ever loomed over him before and he backed up a little. Merry eagerly pushed past him and looked up at the tree. "Is this my door?" he asked.
"Since it is in our way, I believe that is a safe bet," Gandalf commented.
Merry gently placed a hand on the trunk. He felt around the bark for a while, and then his face lit up completely. He yanked at something that was beneath his hand and then let go. A large portion of the bark peeled away to reveal a simple brown door. Excited, Merry laid his hand on the door to try to unlock it.
There was a billowing puff of white smoke and with a frightening explosion, Merry got blasted backwards in Legolas, sending them both flying to the ground. The smell of something hot and burning leaked in, covering the scent of pine. The brown door literally melted into a pile of slush and brilliant white light flooded through the hole. A cold, steely wind gusted out with the light.
"Wow," Merry breathed, completely unfazed by the fact that he had just been blown out by a door. He struggled to get up, tripping over Legolas since he was still on top of the Elf. Legolas gently shoved Merry free and pushed himself off the ground, getting a better look at the opened door. The smell had faded, but the wind and the light had not.
Gandalf approached the door. He peered into the new hall, and smiling a hidden smile to himself. "Well, we should press on," he said and launched himself forward. Everyone followed him rather warily, wondering that since the door had exploded, could that possibly be a good sign? Pippin had completely thrown himself behind Aragorn while Aragorn had tried to hit the ground. Gimli, much to his shame, had ducked behind a tree instead of facing his "doom" while Sam had bravely stood in front of Frodo to protect his master, but not knowing that Frodo had taken Gimli's idea of hiding behind a tree. Boromir had done the most sensible thing out of all of them; he used his shield. Gandalf's idea just couldn't be called sensible at all, really. He had started walking towards the door as it exploded. And now he just vanished into a world as bright as the clouds.
But the world wasn't full of clouds. White-hot lightning zigzagged through the air, crackling with false intensity as it vanished into the ground. Almost impossibly, freezing snow was falling from above but never collecting on the ground. The hall seemed to have no boundaries, the only marking white stones outlining an invisible path. Their clothes, which had seemed dull before, stood out vibrantly against the stark landscape.
"Can we go through this one real quick-like, Mr. Gandalf?" Sam shouted over the buzz of lightning.
"This lightning doesn't seem to be harmful," Boromir shouted back. "Look, it hits nowhere near the path."
A bolt slammed into the ground right before Boromir's feet. He froze, then looked up. "Maybe Sam's right, Gandalf," he yelled. "Quick would be better."
Gandalf merely chuckled at this, but did pick up the pace slightly. Frodo hurried behind him, feeling that it was safer closer to the wizard. 'Gandalf has become extremely jolly all of a sudden', he noted to himself, 'like he knows something we don't.' But Frodo shrugged that thought away and focused on following the white stones.
Green flashed before his eyes. Frodo cried out and buried his face in his arm. After all that white, as bright as it was, it hurt to see another color. When the spots before his eyes had disappeared, he cautiously peeked out. The colorless hall had vanished, replaced with something else entirely. But Frodo didn't remember seeing a door anywhere. All he knew was Gandalf walking before him, plowing forward.
It was like a jungle, a rainforest. Ferns and leaves, gigantic umbrella leaves, and grass stalks that were impossibly tall surrounded them on all side. The tree trunks should've been brown, but instead were a dark, deep green. Blue flowers were scattered throughout the plants, nestled safe in their havens. Frodo was surprised at seeing two different colors in one hall, but quickly dismissed it. The air was thick and moist. It felt like you were breathing water.
Legolas carefully picked his way through the forest. He could feel so many different thoughts whispering through this place, and he knew that these plants and trees were real and not spelled. And yet, even though the whispers were only peaceful whispers, he could dimly sense some form of malice, tainted thoughts trailing through the air. He quickly worked his way up the Aragorn. "Do you sense it?" he whispered when he reached the Ranger.
"Yes," Aragorn murmured, his eyes measuring their surroundings.
"Could the goblins have broken through?"
"Rimor did say that the defenses would fall after moonrise. I think, in all possibilities, they got through at least the first three doors."
"Aragorn, nothing can feel like a goblin except for a goblin. They passed the doors."
"All right. We will just have to be on our guard and make haste to the next doors."
A cry reached through the forest. They froze. Aragorn looked at Gandalf and Gandalf immediately picked up on his thoughts. "The goblins have broken into the halls," he said. "Run!"
Legolas took off in front of the group, not knowing what his door would look like. Even though the forest had grown quiet, there was something out there. And at the moment the arrows started flying from the trees, Legolas knew that unless they reached the door quickly the goblins could easily pick them off one by one from the cover of the foliage.
"There!" he heard Gimli yell. "Up ahead!"
Legolas looked for his door. What he found surprised him. It was no door, but a pit. And when he reached the edge of it, its black depths stared out at him. He thought he could see the glinting points of sharp spears far away at the bottom. "Are you sure this is it?" he asked in desperation.
"It has to be!" Boromir said. "The forest virtually ends right here!" And true enough, there was a solid green wall in front of them.
An arrow whizzed by Legolas' shoulder. He ducked and quickly grabbed his bow to shoot, but before he could let an arrow loose felt Gimli shove him into the pit. Legolas still shot his arrow as he fell, and felt grim satisfaction when he heard a dying shriek. But he couldn't see anything. The black had engulfed him, drawing him into the gaping gorge. Legolas struggled to hold onto his bow as wind whipped by him. He struggled a little too hard and ended up plunging down headfirst. Surprisingly, he felt no fear when he saw the bottom rushing up on him. The spears that he had imagined were there but started to slowly melt away when they were replaced with a rapidly growing pool of water. Groaning slightly to himself, Legolas steeled himself for the shock of water as he plunged closer and closer to the bottom.
* * * * * *
"Hey, wake up!" a voice whispered. "No time for sleeps. Time comes later."
Boromir slowly opened his eyes. When he had blinked away sleep and glanced around at the unconscious forms around him, he groaned. Not again. He seriously needed to get everyone working on waking up simultaneously.
"Hey! No time for sightseeing!"
Boromir started at the voice and turned towards it. He groaned again and buried his head in his hands.
"Not happy to see old Rimor, aren't you? Poor Rimor is tired of shun. Mayhaps he should deliver his message elsewheres." The creature paced by Boromir's side, his purple eyes flashing and raven hair swishing over his thin grey shoulders. "Mayhaps goblins would care to know Master's message!"
"No!" Boromir exclaimed. "Don't go telling them. I'm listening."
Rimor sniffed at the man. "Yes, listening, but you thinking as well?" Rimor stopped pacing and stood up straight, smoothing his dark green robes with a slim hand. "One, goblins right above your head and trying to break through to us. Two, Master of the Caves wishes Fellowship to know that only one door lies ahead, not two. But will you know which color to use? Tis a test. Can't be too trusty these days. Observe carefully surroundings and meanings. Make wise decisions, you must."
"Are there any hints or clues you can give us?" Boromir asked, hoping that this creature would help them
"Hmmm." Rimor thought. "Ah, here..no, won't do.maybe this would. no, wrong clue.."
He stood pondering for a minute, then suddenly leaned in to Boromir's face. Boromir jumped. "No cheating in test," Rimor hissed dangerously. He slowly stood up. "Must warn Master about this one," he murmured to himself before slithering over the stone floor towards a heavy oak door. A door! Boromir sat up straighter and watched as Rimor neared the final door. The creature glanced over his shoulder, and winked at Boromir knowingly. Then he reached playfully for the doorknob, and disappeared into thin air.
Growling in frustration to himself, Boromir crawled over to the nearest person's side. He was tired, he was wet (the water had been real), he was hungry, he was sore, and he was sick of falling down and walking. They needed to crack the riddle that would open the last door and then they could get some answers for.whatever questions they had about.whatever they were here for.
With one last grumble to himself, Boromir reached out to shake Legolas. As he waited for the Elf to become coherent, he thought back to the pit. After they had realized that Legolas had opened the pit door, Boromir remembered that they all hurled themselves into the gaping darkness. The goblins had followed them, falling so close behind them. He could still feel the water's icy fingers when he hit it and dimly remembered being sucked into some kind of vortex and spun around a lot. And then everything had gone dark, but not before he hit the ground hard.
"Did the door open?" Legolas asked dazedly, obviously coming out of his sleep.
"Unless you think the Halls of Mandos involve lying in a puddle for all eternity," Boromir commented. He looked around. "Though I can see where you get the whole Halls idea."
Legolas snorted and carefully picked himself up. He and Boromir shared the duty of awakening everyone else, which has become rather like a routine. Once everyone could understand what other people were saying, Boromir related the news that had been brought.
"So, I was thinking," Boromir said offhandedly, "that maybe we should try and open this door rather quickly, seeing as how the goblins are most likely trying to get through to us."
"No clues and two colors," Gandalf murmured. "Yellow and purple. What are we supposed to use to distinguish between the two?" He walked up to the wooden door, looking closely at it. "The crown is circling the sun. What is that supposed to mean?"
Merry glanced at the walls. The same sun and crown were etched in patterns over the walls, neither seeming to be more important. There was no defining color in the hall, just neutral brown. But wait.brown. Didn't purple and yellow make brown? At that instant Merry heard a soft laugh in his ear and thought that he had just seen an eye wink at him from the door. He knew that he was right.
While Gandalf was busy puzzling over this and the rest of the Fellowship taking the advantage of a break, Merry casually strolled up to the door. He pretended that he was just examining the images on the door, and then he shot a quick glance at Gandalf. The wizard was paying him no attention. Merry grinned devilishly, and then grabbed the doorknob and twisted.
"MERIADOC BRANDYBUCK!" Gandalf bellowed, smacking the hobbit's hand away from the doorknob. "WHAT DO YOU THINK- "
The door slowly creaked open. Gandalf trailed off and looked at the door in disbelief. He turned to Merry, and then back to the door. He glanced at Merry again, then broke out in laughter. He ruffled Merry's hair and kept laughing, almost hysterically. "Come on then," Gandalf said merrily, still chuckling. "Off we go!" With that, he disappeared through the door, his laughter echoing back to them. Merry grinned again, and then rushed to follow Gandalf to meet Oleron the Blue.
*Yay! Wasn't that exciting? Probably not. Anyhow, I liked describing all those things. It was jolly good fun. Well, if you like or if you hate, please review. It's the nice thing to do.*