Chapter 9
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last Chapter:
"Frodo." Gandalf say's gently, looking at him expectantly.
"We will go through the Mines."
Gandalf's eyes darken once more, "so be it."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Cave--
The group of four huddled together around a fire, blazing in the middle of them.
"The Fellowship would be coming soon." Alejandro said, looking out of the cave.
"We'll leave in 10 minutes, don't worry." Ailish said, rubbing her hands together.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two days has passed since the incident Alejandra had. The group of four were now waiting for the Fellowship to come around the corner and on to Moria.
"Where do you think the horses went?" Alejandro asked, hating the silence that swept over them since that morning.
"Probably out roaming around, or found a small village near by." Ailish said, not looking up from the ground.
"Ailish? What's the matter?"
Alejandra's voice faded, as Ailish was in deep thought.
"Gandalf!" Frodo tried to run to Gandalf, but Aragorn stopped him.
"Fly you fools...." Gandalf's voice faded.
Ailish growled in frustration, her head in her hands.
'I hate this part! Why do we have to go through it! This is the only part I hated to watch, and now I'm going to see it in real life.'
"Ailish, they're coming." Saul's voice broke through her thoughts, as she looked up from behind the boulders they were hiding to see the Fellowship walking from around the corner.
"And the journey begins." Alejandra said, looking at the trio behind her.
"With little hope, desperation attempts, and a lose of a loved one." Ailish mumbled, watching Gandalf leading the way as usual.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another two days pass, as the Fellowship looked up ahead of them, climbing over rocks that were broken from unknown wars of the past and had fallen over the path. The sun was setting, when Gandalf called over Frodo.
"Frodo, come help an old man." Gandalf said, while climbing over some rocks.
He bent his head, as in conspiracy, towards Frodo. They slowed down and veered to the side of the road, so others had to pass them.
"How's your shoulder?"
"Better than it was."
"And the Ring?" Frodo stops and turns to look up at Gandalf. "You feel it's power growing, don't you? I've felt it too. You must be careful now. Evil will be drawn to you from outside the Fellowship. And I fear, from within." One of the Fellowship than passes by them, both Frodo and Gandalf immediately shut their mouths.
"Who then do I trust?"
"You must trust yourself. Trust your own strengths."
Frodo looked at Gandalf confused. "What do you mean?"
"There are many powers in this world.... For good or for evil. Some are greater than I am. And against some I have not yet been tested."
Everyone than looked up at Gimli's outburst.
"The walls of Moria!" he said, excitedly, pointing at a sheer rock wall in the distance and the lake along it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ailish looked up dreadfully at the wall ahead of them, as Gimli's voice was echoed back to them. Alejandra hugged Ailish briefly and continued to walk.
'Of all I've seen, why do I have to see this come to life? If I change it, Gandalf the Gray will never became Gandalf the White. And we need him as Gandalf the White.'
Ailish took the rear of their little group, not wanting to go any further.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An hour has past when they finally reached the wall.
"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed." Gimli said, taping his ax against the wall.
"Yes, Gimli, their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten." Gandalf's voice could be heard of a distance as he was in the front of the group once again.
Legolas rolled his eyes, "why doesn't that surprise me?"
Gimli huffed and continued to tap the wall.
Frodo than slipped into the water and looks about the lake. Gandalf than looks at a particular wall and starts muttering to himself and brushing dirt off the stone face.
"Well, let's see..... Ithildin. It only mirrors starlight and moonlight," Gandalf glanced up to the clouds, which were covering the moon.
Suddenly, the moon appeared behind its nest of clouds and shone a friendly halo down upon them, as if Gandalf had commanded them to move. But the lake's sullen surface remained dark and foreboding.
As if by magic, a faint line began to glow on the mountain wall and steadily spread like threads, growing brighter. I could soon distinguish a huge arch, with what I guessed to be Elvish, written on the top, up as high as Gandalf stood. Below that, though some bits were broken or blurred, I could see a crown surrounded by 7 stars and below that a hammer and anvil. Beneath this, were two trees entwined around the columns of the arch and each bearing a crescent moon. But what stood out the most was a magnificent star in the middle of the door, which shone with many rays reaching out. It was a sight to behold.
Gandalf points to the inscription on top. "It reads: The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak friend, and enter."
"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked, confused.
"Well, it's quiet simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open." Gandalf puts his staff on the star, and starts saying different sayings in different languages.
"Nothing's happening." Pippin said, a bit bored.
Gandalf than mutters to himself, "I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves, Men, and Orcs."
"What are you going to do, then?" Pippin asked, looking at Gandalf.
Gandalf looks back at Pippin irritated. "Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took! And if that does not shatter them and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions. I will try to find the opening words." Gandalf looked back to the outline.
Pippin was taken back, a hurtful look on his face.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aragorn and Sam take off all the extra packs from Bill's back, as well as his reins.
"Mines are no place for a pony. Even one as brave as Bill."
Sam pets Bill on the neck. "Bye-bye, Bill."
Aragorn than turns Bill the way they came from. "Go on, Bill. Go on. Don't worry, Sam, he knows the way home." Aragorn than turns to look at both Merry and Pippin throwing rocks into the lake.
He stops Pippin in mid throw. "Do no disturb the water." He says, looking about the lake.
Gandalf than sits next to Frodo on a boulder. "Oh, it's useless."
Legolas walked over to Aragorn, staring towards the lake, but really looking at the corner of their eyes.
"Do they keep following?" Aragorn asked, not taking his eyes off the water.
"Yes." Was Legolas quick response.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"He's never going to open that damn door!" Saul said bitterly, sulking down on a boulder.
'Maybe that's a good thing.' Ailish thought darkly.
Bill than came around the corner and swished it's tale happily, similar like a dog. He nodded his head towards us, than started pushing one of the packs nearest to him, which happened to be the food.
"Guess he's hungry." Alejandro stood up and kneeled, opening the pack. He took out an apple and held it in his hand for Bill to eat. "Come on boy. You probably have a long journey back home."
Bill took the apple in his mouth and begin to eat it. Once he was done, Bill nodded his head to Alejandro's shoulder and begin walking again.
"Your welcome." Alejandro said, waving bye to Bill.
"It's a riddle. Speak 'friend' and enter."
The group turned around to the Fellowship.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frodo stands up suddenly, "it's a riddle. Speak 'friend' and enter. What's the Elvish word for 'friend'?"
Gandalf looked up, "Mellon."
Suddenly the star on the door grew brighter, then dimmed, and for a split second nothing happened. But suddenly, and silently, a great doorway was outlined, though there wasn't even a slight crack beforehand. Slowly the outline divided in the middle and two stone doors, a few feet thick, swung open inch by inch, until they lay back against the wall.
Through the opening could be seen a shadowy staircase and the darkness beyond. Everyone stared in wonder, as if their eyes were tricking them, but everyone felt nothing but unease. If a place was lived in by a whole city of people, wouldn't there be better upkeep and a grander welcome?
Gandalf was the first one to approach the stairs into the dark, for they all hung back tentatively. Gimli, seeing Gandalf's bravery, walked forward.
"Soon, master elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone! This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine. A MINE!" Gimli boasted proudly.
Boromir shone his torch around, eyeing the ground with horror and disgust. "This is no mine," he whispered. "It's a tomb."
The ground was littered with dwarves' corpses. Some badly angled ones, it's neck was altered and an arrow protruded out of it's neck. Legolas walked to a near corpse and took out an arrow.
"Goblins!" He spat, he threw the arrow to the ground before notching his own arrow and glancing around in alert mode.
He gave me a relieved nod.
"No... NO. NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Gimli cried in despair.
The Hobbits were out of the mine, thinking they were out of danger, and how wrong they were.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The adults saw the water ripple, and knew something bad was about to happen. Than, as slowly as it can, a green-color tentacle was making it's way towards Frodo.
"Come on!" Ailish yelled, taking her sword out.
They quickly stood, grabbing their packs and ran towards the Fellowship.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soon, the tentacle wound around Frodo's leg, than whisked him off the ground.
"Strider!" Sam cried. He tried rushing out, but Boromir pulled him back, to keep him out of danger, before running in himself.
"Frodo!" Pippin cried.
"Frodo!" Merry echoed, "Help!"
Alejandro, Alejandra, and Saul pushed the Hobbits back in the mine, as Ailish sliced through the tentacle that had Frodo. Ailish helped Frodo up, than pushed him to Saul. But at least 20 more tentacles shot out of the water, throwing everyone back, one grabbing Ailish's ankle. When the tentacle whisked her away, her sword slipped out of her hands.
Ailish was now helplessly dangling around 20 feet in the air. Ailish looked down, her arms hanging, and saw a huge monster's head out of the water. It opened its mouth and razor-sharp teeth grinned wickedly at her.
"Oh, HELL NO!" Ailish screamed, as she made a reach to grab her daggers but another tentacle grabbed her wrists.
Saul, Aragorn, and Boromir started fighting off the tentacles, trying to help Ailish.
The monster than started lowering Ailish. "Somebody cut these damn tentacles now!"
Aragorn and Boromir, hearing the desperate cry, ran to the tentacles holding Ailish and, at the same time, sliced threw them.
Boromir caught Ailish, and started dashing out of the water, Aragorn right behind.
"Legolas!" Boromir yelled.
"Into the cave!" Aragorn yells.
"Primos!" Saul yelled. (Cousins!)
Legolas, Alejandra, and Alejandro each shot an arrow into the monster's head, jerking it back.
"Run!" Aragorn yelled.
The monster than crawls out of the water and hangs on to the wall, only to bring it down. The Fellowship and the adults run far into the mine, just as a tremendous crumbling and crashing followed. Dirt and small rocks rained down on everyone's face.
A/N: How was it? Good I hoped. Please review!!!