Oooh, Thank you so much, PrincessofRain!
just a side note...i don't know why but fanfiction always removes my punctuation! lol...i put question marks, exclamation points, everything to show emotion and fanfiction takes them out...oh well, i'm sure you guys know where they go! lol!
The story of Elenion is based on the Lord of the Rings movies, directed by Peter Jackson. The characters, with the exception of Elenion, belong to J.R.R. Tolkien. Elenion is a character all my own. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 17: The Ring bearer's Decision
Some time later, they had reached a higher destination point on the mountain and the weather had grown increasingly worse. No longer was it simply snowing in the high altitude of their environment, but the winds grew stronger, circulating more snow, resulting in a heavy blizzard. Gandalf walked ahead of the group, using his staff to carve a path in the snow. Gimli followed, while Boromir and Aragorn carried two hobbits each. Only Legolas and Elenion were worry free when it came to trudging through the heavy snow. They walked along the surface as if it were solid as the rock surface of the mountainside. Legolas walked ahead of the entire fellowship, keeping an eye out for any other perils.
The wind was whistling loudly in her ears, but Elenion thought she faintly heard words upon it. She looked around for a second, but the looks on her company's faces showed her she was the only one hearing things. She yelled for Legolas.
"Legolas! Listen carefully to the wind," she said, blocking her eyes from the heavy snow that was blowing into them. Legolas appeared to listen for a second, then looked back at her as if he was beginning to hear it too.
"There is a fell voice on the air…," he said, looking about, studying the clouds blowing swiftly in the mountain's direction. Gandalf shouted from his trench in the snow.
"It's Saruman," he yelled. Overhead, they heard the loud crunching of snow, despite the strong winds. Elenion and Legolas shot their eyes upwards, spotting a descending avalanche. Legolas grabbed her arm and moved her against the rock wall of the cliff they were previously standing on. Aragorn yelled at Gandalf after the avalanche had settled.
"We cannot stay here! We have to get off the mountain," he said, struggling to look at Gandalf through the whirling snow that was pegging him directly in the face.
"No," Gandalf yelled, stepping up onto the cliff's edge. He looked out determinedly into the storm and began to chant a counter spell.
"Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith," he cried out over the cliff. Saruman's words seemed to rebound off of the mountainside, causing more rocks to come crashing down, bringing snow with them. Legolas pulled Gandalf away from the cliff as an even bigger avalanche than the first came crashing down on them. No matter how close they got to the rock wall , they could not dodge the avalanche the second time, and within seconds were completely engulfed by the snow.
Moments passed before any members of the fellowship dug themselves out. First was Legolas, then Elenion. They both began to help the others. Legolas pulled Gimli up out of the snow in a frustrated and snarling state. Elenion dug down to find Aragorn and Boromir, who helped the hobbits up out of the snow. As soon as he was situated, Boromir began yelling.
"We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city," he shouted. Aragorn yelled in protest. Soon enough, they were all yelling at Gandalf about what to do. Gimli spoke up, speaking the words Elenion and Gandalf both hated to hear.
"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it! Let's go through the Mines of Moria," he suggested. Gandalf shot Elenion a frustrated look. He looked as if he were in thought for a second. Soon enough, Boromir began yelling again.
"We cannot stay here! This will be the death of the hobbits," he said. Elenion looked wide-eyed at Gandalf, wondering what his decision would be. He looked at Frodo.
"We'll let the ring bearer decide…," he said grimly. Elenion's eyes got huge and she turned to face Frodo, her mind racing with thoughts of both his and her own. There was not a true thought in his head that she could decipher, and she had to wait for his response just like the others. The snow hit her in the face and the wind whipped her hair about as she sat heavily on the surface of the snow, folding her legs underneath herself, hoping with all of her heart that Frodo would not choose Moria. Gandalf pressured Frodo once more.
"Frodo," he asked. Frodo looked about, first at Sam, and then back at Gandalf.
"We will go through the mines," he said. Elenion whipped around to look at Gandalf, hoping that he would stand against the decision. He looked into her eyes and she felt her heart sink as she saw his decision in his eyes. She mouthed the word 'no' to him, but he seemed to look right through her in his own misery.
"So be it," he said, looking sadly at her. She closed her eyes and turned away from him slowly. Her heart felt like it had settled beneath her feet. She had not wanted to go to Moria, and now she had no other choice. She stayed seated on the snow for a while as the others passed her to descend back down the mountainside. She stared out into the receding clouds of Saruman's storm and wondered just what horror awaited them in the mines. Gandalf turned to look at her as she stayed behind, seeing the tortured look in her mismatched eyes.
"Elenion," he said, pleading with her to follow him through the tone in his voice. She turned her head to look at him.
"You could have said no! You should have said no. Why are we following as though we have no other choice," she demanded to know. He looked sadly at her.
"The hobbits could not have continued to follow this path. At least in Moria, they stand a chance," he said, but Elenion sighed heavily before he could finish.
"We had said we'd avoid Moria no matter what the cost," she said stubbornly. He looked at her in disbelief.
"Would you really sacrifice the hobbits," he asked. She turned her head sharply to look at him, her hair flying in the wind as she did so.
"What do you think I am? Of course not," she said. He looked at her and the smile returned to his eyes.
"I am sorry. I did not wish to go there either, but it appears now that we don't have a choice, Elenion. Do you wish to continue helping Frodo in his task or do you wish to quit," he asked, looking at her. She sighed and closed her eyes for a few moments.
"I will never quit. I will follow him and support his task until the end," she said, looking in her father's direction and relaxing the crease in her brow.
"I am sorry I yelled at you," she said softly, rising to her feet and jumping down into the trench he had previously dug on their way up the mountain. He chuckled softly.
"What could be so bad about Moria anyway, especially when we still have each other," he asked, looking into her eyes and smiling gently at her. She smiled back at him and sighed.
"Nothing, I suppose. If you put it that way," she said, smiling even bigger and walking around him. He was right on her heels and they began to follow the rest of the fellowship down the mountainside.