Loving Allegra
Chapter Seven: Trapped in Moria
The day went by smoothly. Pippin and Allegra spent more time together than they had the day before. As darkness started to fall over Rivendell, Allegra and Pippin went out of doors for a walk. They strolled through Rivendell, poking fun at each other and arguing over their petty differences. Allegra could hear voices not far ahead of them. They approached the voices carefully, trying not to disturb whomever they belonged to. Allegra recognized them. Mithfalien and Legolas. They spoke to each other in Elvish.
"What are they saying?" asked Pippin. Allegra listened. She heard Legolas speak first, his voice comforting yet melancholy. Mithfalien's voice was sad and worried.
"He says that he must leave her...but she says that he just arrived to Rivendell yesterday. He says.... he says that he will not be leaving for a while, and that she mustn't worry about him...She does not want him to go," she said. Allegra felt sad for the both of them. She listened again so she could translate for Pippin." He says he loves her and nothing will ever change that. She says that if he does not come back soon, she will come find him." Pippin looked sad as well.
"Come on. We shouldn't be listening in anymore," he whispered. He took Allegra's hand and led her away from them. "I think I'm lucky," he said when they were sure they were out of earshot of the Elves.
"How so?" she asked.
"Because you get to come with me," he said with a happy smile. She chuckled and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked hand in hand back to find out what the rest of their friends were doing. By the time they got back, however, they found that Merry, Sam, and Frodo were already asleep.
"Well, that's that, then," said Allegra when they were outside the room that Pippin shared with Merry.
"I'll see you in the morning," said Pippin. He kissed the top of her hand and grinned.
"You're not as suave as you think you are, Peregrin Took," said Allegra skeptically.
"Hey, I'm trying," he said. "That should count for something," She smiled at him.
"G'night," she said. He let go of her hand and she turned to leave. He turned the knob of the door and looked back at Allegra who was already a little ways down the hall.
Allegra shut the door of her room and turned up the lamp to let more light into the room. She changed into her nightgown and brushed her hair out. She braided it loosely and got into bed. As she reached over to turn down the lamp, she wished that Pippin were there with her.
The month of October slipped past them and faded into November, and yet the Fellowship still lingered in Rivendell. The days were growing colder, the weather more gloomy. The grey clouds passing lazily by had not succeeded in dampening Pippin and Allegra's spirits. Although they did not spend most nights sleeping 'next' to each other, their walks became longer and their talks sometimes lasted for hours. It was hard to tell sometimes by the way that they bickered that there was much of anything going on between them at all. By the middle of November, Mithfalien and Allegra had become closer. They usually played chess every other afternoon (Allegra lost constantly) unless Legolas stole Mithfalien away for the day.
By the middle of December, Allegra had met and chatted with a few of the Dwarves, finding them to be an interesting people, though a little rough around the edges. She had heard from Gandalf that they planned to depart from Rivendell in the afternoon of December the twenty-fifth. That left a little more than a week to say goodbye to her temporary home. She wondered more often what her family was doing back home in the Shire. She wrote many letters to them, which she discarded in the wastebasket shortly after writing each time.
December the twenty-fifth came too quickly for Allegra's liking. She packed her bag and changed back into Pippin's clothes. Despite Mithfalien wanting her to take some of her Elven dresses with her, Allegra declined. They would slow her down and she would never get to wear them. Mithfalien promised to keep them safe in Rivendell for when she came back. Before the Fellowship was about to leave, she helped Allegra cut her hair a little shorter and braid it.
"We shall meet again," said Mithfalien. "I'm sure of it."
"I think so too. But until then," said Allegra, embracing Mithfalien in a hug that would have looked comical to passerby. The top of Allegra's curly head only came up to Mithfalien's waist. Mithfalien smiled at her little companion.
"Go on, I hate good-byes," she said with a smile shooing Allegra away with her hand. Allegra chuckled and waved goodbye to Mithfalien. She joined her friends outside and followed them to where the Fellowship was gathering. The Elves said their good-byes and wished them good luck. Mithfalien came down and shared one last kiss with Legolas before they departed from Rivendell.
"It's strange that Lord Elrond let you come," said Gimli, the Dwarf that had offered Frodo his axe. Allegra had spoken with him on a few occasions, but did not know him very well at all.
"Why is that?" asked Allegra, taking no offense.
"You are a woman, are you not?" said Gimli.
"I am," Allegra said.
"Then why aren't you at home taking care of children?" asked Gimli.
"Well, for one thing, I have no children. Secondly, I'm not a sit at home woman," said Allegra.
"I have much to learn about you then," growled Gimli.
"Yes, you really should reconsider assuming things about people," said Allegra.
"Perhaps you're right," he said. "I should much like to see if you survive out in the wild."
"Well, don't you worry your pretty head about it," said Allegra with a grin. "I'll manage." Gimli snorted in frustration, as Dwarves sometimes do. Hardly a word was spoken for miles. Gandalf occasionally gave small speeches explaining the history of the land they traveled over, but aside from that, absolutely nothing. Allegra wondered how men could stand to not talk to each other for this long. The silence was itching to be broken, but she hadn't a thing in her head to say.
"So," she said slowly, trying to dig up something to say.
"So what?" asked Merry.
"Erm..." Allegra muttered. "Wait, I know this one..." Merry raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, I remember. Where are we going again?"
"Mordor," said Strider from the front.
"Well I know that, but we're stopping sometime in between...aren't we?" she said, afraid of the answer.
"We will cross that bridge when we come to it," said Strider.
"Oh, come on, now!" Allegra cried. "Don't any of you have anything to say? Or talk about?"
"It is amazing to me that no matter what race you're dealing with, women always have to talk," said Gimli. Legolas grinned and stifled a small laugh, though he looked as if he were trying his best to hold it back.
"What else would you do when there's silence?" asked Allegra feeling quite singled out.
"Not talk," said Gimli.
"Men are weird," sighed Allegra, giving up.
"Am I weird?" asked Pippin.
"Yes," said Allegra bluntly. Allegra gave up trying to make everyone talk during their journey, though she felt many times as if she were about to shout something random just to break the silence. The rest of the day went by and darkness fell. They set up camp, and when Allegra laid down, wrapped up in her thin blanket, she wished she were back in Rivendell.
The Fellowship traveled for days on end, going at a slower rate than they had when it was only the Hobbits and Strider (who's real name was Aragorn. Allegra was irritated that no one ever told her this.) They stopped earlier, and slept in later. They also stopped for two meals each day. Pippin and Allegra had no time to be alone.
They trekked across the land of Hollin for a week or so, the Misty Mountains constantly at their left. Allegra loved the scenery, but hated the aching feeling in her feet. They had been taking less breaks (Aragorn's brilliant idea, of course,) and had been making better time. The landscape began to get rockier as they neared the mountains. Patches of snow littered the ground, and a cold winter wind whipped through Allegra's hair making her eyes water and her nose run. Her lips were chapped and the flesh around her nose was dry. Had she known that she was going to be going on a journey, she would have packed her lip balm. Around mid-day, they found a rocky patch of land where they decided to stop. Sam got out his cooking ware and put the last of his sausages and bacon over the fire he made. Sam was becoming quite a skilled fire maker. Legolas kept watch with his keen Elf eyes, scanning the landscape for any possible enemies. Aragorn, Gimli, and Gandalf sat and smoked their pipe-weed and watched Merry, Pippin, and Allegra practice swordplay with Boromir. Frodo sat by and watched his friends, laughing at their antics. Both Pippin and Merry were showing great signs of improvement. Allegra on the other hand was a completely different story. She fought against Boromir like she was born with a sword in her hand.
"How are you doing that?" asked Boromir surprised. She was using all of his moves against him.
"I don't know, I saw you do it, so I just...did it," said Allegra.
"Extraordinary...oops!" he muttered as Merry charged him with his sword. Boromir deflected all of Merry's blows.
"Move you feet," called Aragorn from his seat. Merry nodded without looking over. Pippin joined in and moved his feet more than he had been.
"That's good, Pippin," said Merry.
"Thanks," said Pippin with a grin. Boromir went to attack Pippin again and accidentally nicked Pippin with the flat of his sword. Pippin dropped his knife and shook his hand. "Ouch!" he yelped.
"That's not very nice!" cried Allegra with a fake look of anger on her face. Merry and Pippin dove onto Boromir shouting, "For the Shire!" Allegra laughed and tackled Boromir as well. They brought him to the ground, laughing. Allegra was becoming quite attached to Boromir (in a friendly sense only.) Frodo was laughing at them.
"You're all doing very well," said Boromir.
"Thanks," said Pippin and Merry.
"Especially you, Allegra. Truly amazing," he said. Allegra grinned.
"Thank you," she said. She picked up her knife and slid it back into its hilt before climbing the rocks to see what everyone else was doing. She sat down near Gandalf.
"If anyone were to ask my opinion, which I know they're not," said Gimli in his pessimistic way.
"What's you're opinion, Gimli?" asked Allegra.
"I think we're going the long way 'round!" he answered. "Gandalf, we could go through the mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome."
"No, Gimli. I would not go through Moria unless I had no other choice," said Gandalf.
"Why, what's wrong with Moria?" asked Allegra.
"There's nothing wrong with Moria," growled Gimli.
"Sorry," she said, feeling that it was probably a mistake to anger a Dwarf.
"What's that?" wondered Boromir, staring off into the distance. A strange dark mass was moving towards them.
"Nothing, 'tis a wisp of cloud!" announced Gimli.
"It's moving too fast to be a cloud," said Gandalf. Legolas stared at it.
"Crebain! From Dunland!" he cried. Aragorn, realizing what it was turned to the Fellowship.
"Hide!" he cried. Everyone took cover between rocks and under bushes. Allegra dove into a crevice between two rocks and watched the sky as hundreds of ravens flew by, shrieking and squawking angrily. She wondered if Merry and Pippin were all right. She couldn't see them from where she was. The ravens circled once and finally, satisfied with what they did or did not see, they flew off in a southern direction. Everyone emerged from their hiding spots and looked at Gandalf as if to say 'now what?'
"The Eyes of Saruman...Our passage south is being watched," he said. "We must make for Caradhras." He looked up at the icy mountain that loomed above them. It looked dark and ominous despite the white snow that covered it. Nevertheless, they began their ascent immediately. They hiked up the mountain for days, sleeping little and taking few meals. On the second day, Frodo began to grow weak and once toppled over, rolling down the slope until Aragorn stopped him. Frodo got up and brushed himself off. He felt in his shirt for the Ring, but couldn't find it. Allegra spotted it in the snow, winking to them in the sunlight. Boromir stooped down and picked it up. Allegra watched Boromir stare at the Ring, dangling from a chain with his mouth ajar.
"To think that the fate of Middle Earth...depends on so small a thing," said Boromir quietly. He stared at the Ring for a while before Aragorn broke his daze.
"Boromir," he barked. "Give the Ring to Frodo." Boromir looked up, his jaw hanging slightly. He shook his head and smiled.
"Here," he said, giving it back to Frodo. "I care not." Allegra was frightened. She knew that Boromir wanted the Ring. Or rather the Ring wanted him.
The weather grew steadily worse as they neared Caradhras's peak. Snow fell down on them in sheets and gale force winds were intent on pushing them back from whence they came, but still the Fellowship trudged on through the deep snow. Legolas was fortunate. Being an Elf allowed him to walk on top of the snow rather than through it. Sometime during the day (Allegra could not tell what time, as the churning black clouds that hung overhead blocked out the sun completely) Legolas stopped to listen. On the wind, he could hear an evil voice echoing from a distant land.
"There is a fell voice upon the air!" he informed the Fellowship. Gandalf listened as well.
"It's Saruman!" he cried as the mountain shook, down to its very roots. Allegra tried to keep her balance, but could not. She toppled over into the snow and watched as boulders began raining down from the top of Caradhras. When the boulders passed, Gandalf regained composure and shouted to the wind something in a language Allegra could not understand. This time, she could hear the evil voice of Saruman, chanting in the same language. A bolt of lightning struck a cliff above, sending snow and large rocks down towards them. Aragorn pushed Allegra against the wall of the mountain. She looked up and saw a wall of white cascading down towards her. She had no time to cry out before she was buried over her head in snow. She tried to breathe but could not. She couldn't hear anything. Snow was packed into every orifice. Allegra began to panic. She squirmed around in her cold white grave until one of her arms was free. She waved it in the air and a large hand seized it. She was yanked out of the snow by her arm. Boromir set her down and brushed her off, an expression of concern washing over his face.
"Are you alright?" he asked. Allegra coughed and sputtered, spitting slushy snow nearby. She twisted a finger in her ear until the snow inside melted away. Her hair was wet and matted with ice.
"Not really," she said, her teeth chattering.
"Gandalf, we must go back!" shouted Aragorn through the wind.
"No!" cried Gandalf.
"If we cannot go over the mountain, let us go under it!" Gimli suggested. "Let us make for the mines of Moria!" Gandalf looked helpless, something Allegra never wanted to see from Gandalf.
"Let the Ring barer decide," said Gandalf. They all looked at Frodo, who felt very much put on the spot. Being cold, tired, and wet, Frodo sighed.
"We will go through the mines," he said.
"Very well," said Gandalf. They trekked as fast as their cold, shivering legs could carry them down the mountain, which only took them two days. The snow faded as they reached the base, and Allegra finally felt dry. Warmth crept back to her body and she was happier. Though now that the feeling in her lips and nose came back, she discovered that her lip was cut and bleeding. That night they made a fire and ate a bigger meal than they had had all week.
"You're holding up well, Allegra," said Gimli.
"Thanks," said Allegra through some Lambas that she'd pulled out of her pack.
"I doubt if any woman I have ever met could use a sword and climb mountains," he said.
"I was a blacksmith for several years, you know," said Allegra. "My dad made me do it. I haven't really had a chance to learn anything about being a woman. I can't cook and I don't clean. I'm not really sure if I have any maternal instincts, either." Gimli laughed and grinned.
" A blacksmith! You're full of interesting surprises!" said Gimli.
The next day they hiked along the mountain's base. By nightfall they reached a vast wall, which was actually a cliff face to their left. To their right was a body of water too small to be a lake, but too big to be a pond. Its waters were dark and murky. Fallen logs and slimy bits of plant life littered the surface. The banks were gravely and rocky which was not at all comfortable to tread on for the Hobbits.
"The walls of Moria," said Gimli almost in awe as he gazed up at the cliff face.
"Massive," murmured Allegra.
"This is the Western Wall of Moria," Gimli said to Allegra, who he felt was the only one in the Fellowship that really paid any attention to him. "The Doors should be close," said Gimli. "They are hidden, you know. When shut, they are not meant to be seen."
"But they were not made to be a secret only known to the Dwarves," said Gandalf looking skyward. The gray clouds that were blocking out the light of the moon parted. The wall of Moria was bathed in a bluish-white glow. "Look now!" said Gandalf pointing at the rock with his staff. The outline of a door caught the moonlight, which made it glow gold. Thin, golden lines traced over the rock, reveling Elvish text, two trees surrounding a pair of pillars, a crown with seven stars above it, an anvil and hammer, a large star near the middle, and the Elvish run for 'D'.
"There are the emblems of Durin!" said Gimli.
"And there is the tree of the High Elves!" cried Legolas.
"And the Star of the House of Feanor," said Gandalf. "It is made of ithildin, which mirrors starlight and moonlight. It is lucky we have arrived on a relatively clear night."
"It looks hardly like a door," said Merry skeptically. "It still looks like part of the cliff to me."
"What does the writing say?" asked Frodo.
"It says The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak friend, and enter," said Gandalf, following along with his staff.
"What do you suppose that means?" asked Merry.
"It's obvious," said Gandalf. "If you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open." He pressed his staff against the Star of the House of Feanor and spoke in a commanding voice, "Annon edhellen edro hi ammen! Fennas nogothrin, lasto beth lammen!" The doors did not budge. Gandalf tried several more incantations in Elvish, sometimes mixing the same phrases up. "Edro!" he said. Allegra recognized this word as 'open,' but still nothing happened. He finally resorted to pushing on the doors with his shoulder, but as the doors were made of stone, they did not give. Allegra, Merry, and Pippin sighed in unison and went to find something more exciting to do. After a while, Sam was made to let Bill the pony, their faithful, fearless beast of burden go. Aragorn helped Sam and Boromir lift their belongings off of Bill's back. Aragorn removed Bill's lead and swatted the pony's backside to get it going.
"Bye, Bill," sighed Sam, unhappy to see his friend leave.
"The mines are no place for a pony. He'll find his way home, Sam," said Aragorn.
"I hope so, and that he doesn't run into wolves, or snakes," said Sam in a melancholy voice. Pippin and Merry picked up a few rocks and began to see how far they could throw them into the murky pond.
"You guys are going to get in trouble for making so much noise," said Allegra, who was sitting on a large rock, watching her two friends act like their normal, blockhead selves. Just then, Aragorn looked up. He walked over to them quickly and caught Pippin's arm before his threw another rock.
"Do not disturb the water," he warned. "There's no telling what may lay beneath the surface." Merry and Pippin looked at each other with frightened grimaces as Aragorn strode off. Allegra smirked at them and they sat down on either side of her with their hands stuffed firmly down inside their pockets.
"Wait," Allegra heard Frodo say behind them. Allegra turned to see what the matter was. "It's a riddle," he said. "Gandalf, what's the Elvish word for friend?"
"Mellon," Gandalf said. The outlines of the door shone brightly and the rock cracked open into two double doors.
"Good detective work, Frodo," said Merry. Frodo smiled weakly as he gazed into the thick darkness that seemed to be spilling out of the doorway. As they entered Moria, Gimli turned to Allegra and Legolas above all the rest.
"Soon, Master Elf and Miss Hobbit, you will experience the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, red meat right off the bone!" he announced. "This, my friends is the home of my cousin, Balin. And they call it a mine," he said with amusement. "A mine!"
"This is no mine....it's a tomb," Boromir muttered, looking about him. Allegra looked now around their feet and discovered the ground to be riddled with the decayed bodies of Dwarves.
"No...," Gimli muttered. "No!" he shouted in despair.
"Goblins!" Legolas observed as he picked up one of the arrows. He threw it away as quickly as he had snatched it up.
"We make for the Gap of Rohan," said Boromir. "We should have never come here." Just as they turned to leave, Frodo something grab him round the ankle, and he let out a cry of surprise. He was pulled onto his stomach and was dragged by a long, sickly green tentacle that was tipped with a three-fingered hand towards the water's edge. Sam drew his knife and cut at the tentacle shouting,
"Let go of him! Let him go!" He finally severed the tentacle, and the three-fingered hand let go of Frodo. As Sam helped him up, at least twenty more of the same slimy appendages flew out of the water, intent on seizing Frodo. Aragorn unsheathed his sword and cut madly at the tentacles. The water writhed, and out of it came the most monstrous looking water dwelling creature Allegra had ever laid eyes on. One of the monster's tentacles carried Frodo high into the air.
"Aragorn!" he cried out. The monster gazed up at Frodo hungrily and out of its head emerged a pair of snapping jaws.
"Frodo!" cried Allegra, her mouth ajar and her eyes wide. Legolas took aim, then, sending an arrow straight into the beast's ugly head. A horrible, unearthly sound issued from that terrible mouth and the creature dropped Frodo in surprise. Boromir caught him.
"Into the mines!" shouted Aragorn. The Fellowship ran towards the doors, looking back to see what the monster was going to do next. When it recovered from the shock of the arrow, it pulled itself onto the shore, angrily grasping the doorway, looking for his lost meal. With great strength, the beast pulled down the doorway, causing the stone above it to cave in as well. Allegra clapped her hands over her ears, shielding them from the great groaning and crumbling sounds the falling rock made. All was quiet, then, and all was dark. Allegra opened her eyes, but could not tell. Darkness pressed in around her, and she could not be sure if all of them were still accounted for.
"Is everyone alright?" she asked, her voice trembling. A light suddenly shone out of the darkness. The light that Gandalf's staff gave off now illuminated all the faces that were there before.
"Our passage is blocked," said Gandalf, looking back at the heap of rubble that blocked their exit. "We now have no choice but to face the long dark of Moria. Be on the look out. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world. Quietly, now! It is a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed." There was a long, steep staircase ahead of them, which Gandalf, to Allegra's great disappointment, began to climb. The others followed the light of Gandalf's staff, trying their best to avoid weak spots in the stone. Gimli walked up front with Gandalf, hoping to be of some assistance, but could offer none. Legolas looked about them constantly. After all, he would be the first one to spot any foes that might attack them in the dark. Sam made sure that Frodo made it up the stairs in one piece, and Merry and Allegra were doing the same for Pippin, who had a habit of nearly falling on top of them every couple of minutes. Both were getting rather annoyed with him and threatened to make him climb behind them so that he could not fall on them anymore. Pippin was more choosy about his foot and hand holds after that, for he did not want to be made to fall on top of Aragorn, who took up the rear and was most likely less tolerant of Hobbits raining down upon him than Merry and Allegra.
They walked for several hours, stopping once for food and drink, when Gandalf halted in front of three passageways. He examined each of the archways with a furrowed brow.
"I have no memory of this place," he said. "I am too weary to decide as of now, and I expect all of you are as well. We shall rest here until I remember." They sat down on a flat place below the three passages and brought out pipes.
"I'll bet there are loads of spiders in here," grumbled Allegra, disgusted.
"I wouldn't be so worried about spiders if I were you," said Boromir.
"Yeah, well...spiders make me scream like a girl," said Allegra.
"That's what you are," said Legolas.
"But it's embarrassing," Allegra protested.
"Merry," Pippin whispered.
"What?" asked Merry.
"I'm hungry," he replied.
"You're always hungry!" Merry accused, feeling miserably hungry himself. Pippin was not making the matter any better.
"What did they used to mine here?" asked Allegra.
"Mithril, mostly," said Gimli. "Gold, jewels. There's plenty of it down here, I'll tell you that." Allegra looked over at Pippin, who was smoking his pipe.
"What's so fun about smoking, anyway?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.
"It's relaxing!" Pippin cried defensively. "And look what you can do if you get really good at it..." He inhaled and a few seconds later, he exhaled a perfect smoke ring.
"What do I care about smoke rings?" Allegra asked.
"You should care," said Pippin with a teasing smile.
"Well, I don't." After a few more minutes of waiting in the dark, they finally heard some good news.
"Ah! It's that way," said Gandalf.
"He's remembered!" said Merry happily, putting away his smoking utensils and getting up.
"No," replied Gandalf as the company joined him at the three passageways. "The air down here doesn't smell as foul. Remember, Meriadoc, when in doubt, always follow your nose!"