Disclaimer: the ONLY thing I own is Jacqueline, and some of the plot but
not all. Majority of the plotline belongs to Tolkien and Jackson, most of
the LOTR character lines are credited to Peter Jackson and his assistant
scriptwriter(most of the character's lines are from the movie), and all
LOTR characters belong to Tolkien.
Chapter 6 - The Seeds of Friendship
They travelled through cavern after cavern, walking along twisted paths and up near-vertical staircases. When they rested, nearly everyone took turns keeping watch except for Jacqueline; Gandalf and Aragorn would not allow it saying that she needed rest more than anything. She questioned Gandalf while he took watch on the second night.
"I don't understand why I'm not considered able enough to stand watch."
"This place, I can tell, is not something you're used to. You tire out quicker than Boromir and Aragorn and I worry about you as much as I worry about Frodo." Gandalf explained. "Besides, Elrond expressed to me of your insecurities, and I felt it wise to not obligate you to some of the tasks this journey entails."
"Gandalf, I know you mean well, and perhaps I am not able to keep up due to a lack of experience. But when we were fighting outside of Moria it awoke something in me that I didn't believe I possessed." Jacqueline said, uncertainy in her voice.
"Really?" Gandalf's brow crinkled in confusion.
She nodded. "Yes. I had lost all sense of fear, and I was driven by a determination that I would not be caught again. It was almost like I had the strength and courage of someone else." Silence between them as Gandalf pondered her words. "What do you suppose it means Gandalf?"
"I don't know," he answered regretfully. "You are a riddle that I have not been able to answer entirely ever since we met. It's obvious that you are here to help properly destroy the Ring; the question now is, why can't it be done without you?"
The question caught Jacqueline a bit off-guard, but she quickly recovered and sighed. "I had hoped that this journey would be much easier since I knew what would become of it. But Fate, it seems, makes nothing easy for me."
"Such times are not easy for anyone whether they be an old whithering wizard or a woman who has been thrown into a place where she can do and know so much, yet know so little. But fate as you call it brings about just as much good. Things will always look up child, but you must have the strength to see through the misfortunes to get there." Gandalf replied, reassuringly. A stirring in the camp caught their attention, and they looked on as the company awoke. Gandalf passed her a small flask with an odorless liquid. "Drink this," he said. "It will help to keep your strength up."
She took it and drank. The liquid had no taste, but she could already feel the energy building up in her muscles. She passed the flask back to Gandalf as the rest of them had a quick breakfast. He smiled, hid the flask in his robes and got up.
"We should move," he said. "The journey ahead is still long."
On the fourth day in Moria......
They climed up to a platform and stopped. Three passages stood in front of them, and only one would lead them out. Gandalf looked at all three, confusion on his face.
"I have no memory of this place."
The four hobbits turned and looked at Jacqueline, hopefully. Part of her wanted to reveal the right path and get out of Moria, but another part told her that this part of the story(like so many other parts of the story) had to happen. She was beginning to realize that things had to happen, if not for her benefit for the benefit of others in the Fellowship or Middle Earth. She shook her head, and they rested while Gandalf pondered.
She sat between Gandalf and Legolas. She overheard the hobbits converse about whether they were lost and their imminent hunger. She looked over at Frodo, and followed his gaze down to the caverns. Jacqueline too, saw Gollum leaping from rock to rock skillfully. Fear built up in the hobbit as he ran to Gandalf, while her gaze didn't move. She watched as the creature hopped from the depths of the caverns to quite close where the company sat. She saw as Gollum gazed at Frodo as Gandalf explained that Gollum loved and hated the Ring as well of himself; he would never be rid of his need for the Ring. A mix of bravado and underlying fear laced Frodo's voice as he said what a pity it was that Bilbo didn't kill the creature.
"Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo?" Gandalf asked, almost challengingly. Frodo snuck a quick look at Jacqueline and she nodded, her face telling him that Gandalf was right. The wizard continued. "Do not be too eager to deal out death and judgement. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many."
Frodo sat down beside Gandalf despairingly, and Jacqueline got up to sit beside him.
"I wish the ring had never come to me," Frodo said. "I wish none of this had happened."
Jacqueline sat beside the poor hobbit, taking his hand as an offering of comfort as Gandalf spoke.
"So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the ring, in which case you were meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought." Gandalf smiled, then turned his gaze to the middle passage. "Ah! It's that way."
Merry grabbed his things and got up excitedly. "He's remembered!" Jacqueline laughed to herself quietly, and like the rest of the Fellowship was relieved to be moving again.
"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here." Gandalf said, returning his hat to his head and leading away. "If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."
They walked down the passage with caution, trusting Gandalf's judgement. After some distance, the passage opened up into a great hall.
"Let me risk a little more light," Gandalf muttered, dusting off the quartz some more. Its light grew brighter to reveal a large room with arched ceilings supported by incredibly tall pillars. They all looked on in awe, even Gimli who had grown up in such places.
"Behold the great realm of the dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf." Gandalf said.
"That's an eye opener and no mistake," Sam commented, speaking their thoughts.
They continued on walking through the hall, their hearts lighter now that they were nearing the end of Moria. Suddenly Gimli paused, seeing a stream of sunlight in a chamber they passed. He gasped, and ran into the chamber. Jacqueline followed closely behind.
"Gimli!" Gandalf called after them.
Gimli stopped in front of a large stone tomb, and fell to his knees sobbing. Although Jacqueline could not read what was on the tomb, she knew it to be Balin's. Gandalf, as well as the rest of the Fellowship, came slowly into the chamber. Jacqueline wrapped her coat tightly around her, memories of her mother's funeral flooding her mind. She pushed them away as Gandalf translated the runes.
"'Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria'. He is dead then. It's as I feared."
Gimli wailed in despair, and Jacqueline placed a hand on his shoulder as reassurance. Now was a time for compassion, regardless of how much Gimli disproved of her. Both Boromir and Legolas marvelled at her actions, surprised that she would feel anything for a dwarf, especially one who didn't like her. Gimli took notice of her hand and turned slightly.
"Why do you pretend to care about my loss?" he asked quietly. There was a thread of anger in his voice.
"Because I once lost someone close to me as well, and I know how much it hurts." Jacqueline answered softly. She could see Boromir's expression soften for a moment, then it went neutral when he realized that he was being watched. Legolas, who also showed compassion in his own face, apparently heard something and moved to Aragorn as Gandalf picked up a book.
"We must move on, we cannot linger!" Legolas said. It was meant to be quiet, but it reached Jacqueline's ears.
"They have taken the bridge, and the second hall. We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums, drums in the deep." Gandalf read. Gimli looked back at the tomb upon hearing what Gandalf was saying. He placed a hand on top of hers as Gandalf flipped the page and continued.
"We cannot get out. A Shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out....They are coming."
A crash caught them all off-guard, and everyone looked over at Pippin just in time to see a half-decayed body fall down the edge of the well it sat on. He winced at every crash, a guilty look on his face. Silence soon followed and they began to relax. Except Jacqueline, who knew what was coming next. Her hand grasped the hilt of her sword as Gandalf slammed the book shut.
"Fool of a Took!" he exclaimed angrily. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!"
Drums echoed from below.
Chapter 6 - The Seeds of Friendship
They travelled through cavern after cavern, walking along twisted paths and up near-vertical staircases. When they rested, nearly everyone took turns keeping watch except for Jacqueline; Gandalf and Aragorn would not allow it saying that she needed rest more than anything. She questioned Gandalf while he took watch on the second night.
"I don't understand why I'm not considered able enough to stand watch."
"This place, I can tell, is not something you're used to. You tire out quicker than Boromir and Aragorn and I worry about you as much as I worry about Frodo." Gandalf explained. "Besides, Elrond expressed to me of your insecurities, and I felt it wise to not obligate you to some of the tasks this journey entails."
"Gandalf, I know you mean well, and perhaps I am not able to keep up due to a lack of experience. But when we were fighting outside of Moria it awoke something in me that I didn't believe I possessed." Jacqueline said, uncertainy in her voice.
"Really?" Gandalf's brow crinkled in confusion.
She nodded. "Yes. I had lost all sense of fear, and I was driven by a determination that I would not be caught again. It was almost like I had the strength and courage of someone else." Silence between them as Gandalf pondered her words. "What do you suppose it means Gandalf?"
"I don't know," he answered regretfully. "You are a riddle that I have not been able to answer entirely ever since we met. It's obvious that you are here to help properly destroy the Ring; the question now is, why can't it be done without you?"
The question caught Jacqueline a bit off-guard, but she quickly recovered and sighed. "I had hoped that this journey would be much easier since I knew what would become of it. But Fate, it seems, makes nothing easy for me."
"Such times are not easy for anyone whether they be an old whithering wizard or a woman who has been thrown into a place where she can do and know so much, yet know so little. But fate as you call it brings about just as much good. Things will always look up child, but you must have the strength to see through the misfortunes to get there." Gandalf replied, reassuringly. A stirring in the camp caught their attention, and they looked on as the company awoke. Gandalf passed her a small flask with an odorless liquid. "Drink this," he said. "It will help to keep your strength up."
She took it and drank. The liquid had no taste, but she could already feel the energy building up in her muscles. She passed the flask back to Gandalf as the rest of them had a quick breakfast. He smiled, hid the flask in his robes and got up.
"We should move," he said. "The journey ahead is still long."
On the fourth day in Moria......
They climed up to a platform and stopped. Three passages stood in front of them, and only one would lead them out. Gandalf looked at all three, confusion on his face.
"I have no memory of this place."
The four hobbits turned and looked at Jacqueline, hopefully. Part of her wanted to reveal the right path and get out of Moria, but another part told her that this part of the story(like so many other parts of the story) had to happen. She was beginning to realize that things had to happen, if not for her benefit for the benefit of others in the Fellowship or Middle Earth. She shook her head, and they rested while Gandalf pondered.
She sat between Gandalf and Legolas. She overheard the hobbits converse about whether they were lost and their imminent hunger. She looked over at Frodo, and followed his gaze down to the caverns. Jacqueline too, saw Gollum leaping from rock to rock skillfully. Fear built up in the hobbit as he ran to Gandalf, while her gaze didn't move. She watched as the creature hopped from the depths of the caverns to quite close where the company sat. She saw as Gollum gazed at Frodo as Gandalf explained that Gollum loved and hated the Ring as well of himself; he would never be rid of his need for the Ring. A mix of bravado and underlying fear laced Frodo's voice as he said what a pity it was that Bilbo didn't kill the creature.
"Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo?" Gandalf asked, almost challengingly. Frodo snuck a quick look at Jacqueline and she nodded, her face telling him that Gandalf was right. The wizard continued. "Do not be too eager to deal out death and judgement. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many."
Frodo sat down beside Gandalf despairingly, and Jacqueline got up to sit beside him.
"I wish the ring had never come to me," Frodo said. "I wish none of this had happened."
Jacqueline sat beside the poor hobbit, taking his hand as an offering of comfort as Gandalf spoke.
"So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the ring, in which case you were meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought." Gandalf smiled, then turned his gaze to the middle passage. "Ah! It's that way."
Merry grabbed his things and got up excitedly. "He's remembered!" Jacqueline laughed to herself quietly, and like the rest of the Fellowship was relieved to be moving again.
"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here." Gandalf said, returning his hat to his head and leading away. "If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."
They walked down the passage with caution, trusting Gandalf's judgement. After some distance, the passage opened up into a great hall.
"Let me risk a little more light," Gandalf muttered, dusting off the quartz some more. Its light grew brighter to reveal a large room with arched ceilings supported by incredibly tall pillars. They all looked on in awe, even Gimli who had grown up in such places.
"Behold the great realm of the dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf." Gandalf said.
"That's an eye opener and no mistake," Sam commented, speaking their thoughts.
They continued on walking through the hall, their hearts lighter now that they were nearing the end of Moria. Suddenly Gimli paused, seeing a stream of sunlight in a chamber they passed. He gasped, and ran into the chamber. Jacqueline followed closely behind.
"Gimli!" Gandalf called after them.
Gimli stopped in front of a large stone tomb, and fell to his knees sobbing. Although Jacqueline could not read what was on the tomb, she knew it to be Balin's. Gandalf, as well as the rest of the Fellowship, came slowly into the chamber. Jacqueline wrapped her coat tightly around her, memories of her mother's funeral flooding her mind. She pushed them away as Gandalf translated the runes.
"'Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria'. He is dead then. It's as I feared."
Gimli wailed in despair, and Jacqueline placed a hand on his shoulder as reassurance. Now was a time for compassion, regardless of how much Gimli disproved of her. Both Boromir and Legolas marvelled at her actions, surprised that she would feel anything for a dwarf, especially one who didn't like her. Gimli took notice of her hand and turned slightly.
"Why do you pretend to care about my loss?" he asked quietly. There was a thread of anger in his voice.
"Because I once lost someone close to me as well, and I know how much it hurts." Jacqueline answered softly. She could see Boromir's expression soften for a moment, then it went neutral when he realized that he was being watched. Legolas, who also showed compassion in his own face, apparently heard something and moved to Aragorn as Gandalf picked up a book.
"We must move on, we cannot linger!" Legolas said. It was meant to be quiet, but it reached Jacqueline's ears.
"They have taken the bridge, and the second hall. We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums, drums in the deep." Gandalf read. Gimli looked back at the tomb upon hearing what Gandalf was saying. He placed a hand on top of hers as Gandalf flipped the page and continued.
"We cannot get out. A Shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out....They are coming."
A crash caught them all off-guard, and everyone looked over at Pippin just in time to see a half-decayed body fall down the edge of the well it sat on. He winced at every crash, a guilty look on his face. Silence soon followed and they began to relax. Except Jacqueline, who knew what was coming next. Her hand grasped the hilt of her sword as Gandalf slammed the book shut.
"Fool of a Took!" he exclaimed angrily. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!"
Drums echoed from below.
