A/N: Wow, Celtic Cross. You've gone through my story like crazy! LOL, I'm going to write the Two Towers and Return of the King with Valia in them too, but first I've got to figure out titles for those ones. I'm not going to put them all under A Broken Past. That'd just be too long.
Chapter 13: The Ring Goes South
Valia stood close beside Frodo as they said farewell to Lord Elrond and Rivendell. Frodo kept hold of her hand as they left.
"We must hold to this course, west of the Misty Mountains, for forty days," Gandalf said. "If our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. From there our road turns east to Mordor."
Valia sat beside Frodo watching Boromir teach Merry and Pippin sword fighting. Boromir had apologized and proved he could be trust-worthy. He had been forgiven.
"Two, one, five. Good! Very good," Boromir said.
Aragorn sat nearby smoking. "Move you're feet."
"You look good, Pippin," Merry said.
"Thanks."
"Faster!" Boromir said as the hobbits traded places.
A few minutes later, the hobbits had traded again. Boromir accidentally hit Pippin's arm.
"Ah!" Pippin dropped his sword.
"Sorry." Boromir moved his sword away.
Pippin kicked him in the shin, making him drop his sword. "Get him!"
Pippin and Merry jumped on Boromir and managed to drag him to the ground. Frodo and Valia burst out laughing, and even Aragorn smiled.
"For the Shire!" Merry shouted.
"Hold him. Hold him down, Merry!" Pippin said.
"You've got my arm! You've got my arm!"
Boromir laughed and pulled them off him.
"What's that?" Sam suddenly asked.
Valia looked up and gasped. A dark shape was moving in the sky. She stood slowly.
"Nothing, it's just a wisp of cloud," Gimli muttered.
"It's moving fast." Boromir sat up. "Against the wind…"
"Crebain from Duneland!" Legolas shouted.
Valia grabbed Frodo's hand and pulled him away.
"Hide!" Aragorn grabbed his pack.
"Merry!" Boromir grabbed the little hobbits and threw them under cover of some bushes.
"Hurry, take cover!" Aragorn hid under a rock overhanging.
Valia pulled Frodo under some brush, Sam put out the fire, and everyone hid. The Crebain searched the area then circled around and headed back. Slowly, the Fellowship came out.
"Spies of Saruman," Gandalf muttered. "The passage south is being watched." He looked toward the snowy mountains. "We must take the pass of Caradhras."
The snow was already about a foot deep when the Fellowship began, and the hobbits had to struggle through it. Valia had a far easier time since she could walk on snow.
"How come we can't do that?" Pippin whined.
"You're not part elven." Frodo motioned to Legolas who was also walking on the snow.
"Yes, but Legolas can't do this." Valia took Frodo's hand and pulled him up beside her. Frodo now also walked upon the snow.
Valia and Frodo laughed as Merry and Pippin complained even more. As they continued to walk up it began to snow, and Aragorn and Boromir took the other hobbits and carried them. As they climbed ever higher a blizzard began to tear at them. Frodo and Valia walked close to the mountain so as not to be blown away, and Legolas walked near the edge.
"There is a fell voice on the air," Legolas said.
All heard the strange voice chanting.
"It's Saruman!" Gandalf shouted.
A crack was heard, and boulders fell from the mountain above them. Valia screamed and Frodo pulled her back into his arms. She buried her face in his chest.
"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn said. "Gandalf, we must turn back!"
"No!" Gandalf stood on one of the fallen boulders and held out his staff. "Lasto Caradhras, sedho, hedo, nuitho i 'ruith!" /Sleep Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath./
The voice answered, and a bolt of lightning hit the mountain. The entire Fellowship was buried under snow. Valia and Legolas were the first to escape and helped dig the others out.
"We must get off the mountain!" Boromir shouted. "Make for the Gap of Rohan, or take the west road to my city!"
"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard," Aragorn argued.
"We cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it!" Gimli muttered. (A/N: He always mutters. It's like he can't speak any other way. :D) "Let us go through the Mines of Moria!"
"This will be the death of the hobbits!" Boromir shouted.
Frodo looked over at Merry and Pippin trembling by Boromir and Sam with his teeth chattering.
"Let the Ring-bearer decide," Gandalf announced. "Frodo?"
Frodo turned to Valia. What should I do?
I don't like the idea of the Mines, but we'll die out here, Valia said.
"We will go through the Mines," Frodo decided aloud.
"So be it," Gandalf whispered.
A/N: And so, the near-death experience of Frodo looms closer, and the death of Gandalf draws nearer. Hehehe….