Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait between updates, I was taking finals at school and they took up all my time. But, school is out and I'm in grade 12 now! I'm a little scared about this new grade and I now my updates will be really messed up in the coming year but whatever. Well, here's the next chapter, enjoy!

Active Mind of a Quiet Elf

Chapter 5

Mines of Moria

A wide, dark lake stretched out beside them. Legolas looked straight ahead, trying to ignore the nagging feeling of being watched from its depths. Dimly, he hoped that if anything was to suddenly spring from the lake, it would start at the back and work it's way up to him. He could certainly outrun any of his companions, even Aragorn.

Smiling evilly, and knowing he'd never do anything of the sort…well, maybe to the Dwarf…Legolas continued to walk steadily along the rocky path. Frodo, who was directly in front of him, slipped, his large foot falling into the lake with a loud splash.

Legolas glanced nervously out at the dark lake but nothing stirred save for the ripples of the disturbance Frodo had caused. Cursing the Halfling under his breath, Legolas tried to ignore the nagging feeling that something bad was going to happen.

They reached a smooth place in the high stone wall and Legolas watched Gandalf curiously as he approached the wall. There was nothing there that he could see. It was simply a rock wall, grimy and dirty from years of wear and weather. Why did Dwarves have to make their halls so complicated and hard to find? They weren't a complicated race, mentally. It boggled Legolas' mind how they could be so infuriating.

"Now, let's see. Ithildin," Gandalf whispered the last word. Legolas squinted through the dark and could now see what the wizard could see. There were etched markings in the door and the old man was running his fingers along them, trying to clear them off. "It mirrors only starlight and moonlight." Turning, he looked up at the clouded moon.

As the clouds shifted and the moon was revealed, Legolas heard quite distinctly the sound of wolves howling close by. Tensing, he hoped the wizard could get done what ever he was doing, and fast. Legolas couldn't believe that wolves could be worse then Dwarves and Moria but he had to believe that the other members of the Fellowship wouldn't be too pleased. At least no one would protest to him shooting a wolf.

The etches in the doors began to glow. Legolas gazed at it in dim wonder that something so beautiful could guard a home of Dwarves. It was sick irony, really. Gandalf gazed at it proudly, as though he himself had etched it. Gimli stared opened mouthed at the shinning doorway before him. Legolas, on the other hand, was a little pissed off that it was here and not guarding an Elven home!

Aragorn, who was some distance behind him, could obviously sense Legolas' anger because he whispered, "Peace, Legolas." Though no one else heard him, Legolas certainly did.

Gandalf approached the wall and lifted his ugly staff. Pointing out each rune with his spoke word, Gandalf told them what the wall said. "As though we are children." Legolas thought dryly.

"It reads "The doors of Durin - Lord of Moria. Speak friend and enter."" Gandalf announced. Legolas' brow furrowed.

"Damn Dwarves and their cryptic ways." Shifting on his feet, he rubbed his hands on his leggings, staring at Gandalf who stilled looked overly smug as though he knew more then they did…which he probably did.

"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked, voicing but everyone, but obviously not Gandalf, was thinking.

Gandalf…good old Gandalf, knew right away. "Oh it's quite simple. If you are a friend you speak the password and the doors will open."

"Simple enough…if you know the password." Legolas thought, looking back at Aragorn who seemed to be thinking the same thing. They shared a look before Legolas returned his gaze the Gandalf. If he knew what he was doing…?

"Annon Edhellen edro hi ammen!" (Gate of the Elves open now for me) Gandalf said in a booming voice. Legolas nervously glanced at the lake but nothing moved on the calm water.

Legolas felt Pippin shift below him and glanced down. The Hobbit looked up, disappointment and boredom shinning in his eyes. "Nothing's happening." He said simply, indicating the doors. Legolas swallowed blandly.

"Thank you, Lord of the Obvious." Legolas sighed and walked away from the group as Gandalf pitifully tried to open the doors with the force of his small body. It was a sad sight and Legolas wished not to be present at it.

As he climbed onto the roots of on the trees standing guard over the door and the lake, he unhooked his bow and an arrow, while listening to Gandalf complain dully. "I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves, men and Orcs."

Legolas whistled under his breath and stared out at the water. Gandalf was certainly older then he had believed. No wonder his brain had gone flat.

For at least an hour they waited, Gandalf trying every spell he could think of. Legolas, whose eyes were still on the water, tense and waiting, listened dully to the conversations all around him.

"Ando Eldarinwa a lasta quettanya, Fenda Casarinwa!" (Gate of Elves listen to my word, Threshold of Dwarves!) Why did it have to be a gate of the elves but a threshold to Dwarven halls? The humiliation. Somewhere further away, Aragorn was unsaddling Bill and whispering words of comfort to Sam.

"The mines are no place for a pony, even one so brave as Bill." He told Sam comfortingly. Legolas knew how close anyone could grow to a horse and pittied the small Hobbit immensely.

"Bye, bye Bill." Sam said quietly, obvious tears in his eyes. Legolas heaved a deep sigh and kept his eyes on the water, listening. Farther away then before, the woves still howled in their midnight dance.

"Go on, Bill, go on. Don't worry Sam, he knows the way home." Aragorn announced. Legolas wished the Ranger wouldn't tease the poor Hobbit.

"He might know the way home," Legolas thought glancing over at the pony who was dissolving away into the dark, "But, with those wolves out there, Bill is probably going to end up as the evening meal."

Suddenly, a loud splash shook Legolas from his musings about the pony meat and turned it to the water. The two younger Hobbits had handfuls of rocks and were chucking them far out into the lake.

"Do not disturb the water." Aragorn hissed at them. Even as he spoke, Legolas watched ripples forming on the lake. Glancing over at the bank, he saw the Dwarf had taken no notice of this, which was good.

Gandalf's words had faded. He'd given up. Legolas was happy because his incessant chanting had become most tiresome. Unfortunately, the lake now worried him more then the threat of little hairy men and women in the caves behind him.

"It's a riddle." Frodo said suddenly. Legolas wasn't listening; he'd tensed, watching the ripples moving across the lake. Why hadn't he stayed home? Why! "Speak "friend" and enter. What's the elvish word for friend?" Oh, don't ask the Elf or anything. He asks the wizard, who can't even remember a password to a mine!

"Mellon" Gandalf answered. A loud creaking, grinding sound bounced off the walls around them. Legolas turned swiftly and watched as the doors slid open. "Gandalf couldn't remember a simple word such as friend! Friends Dwarves and Elves are not but he should have remembered friend!"

Walking carefully across the roots, Legolas fell in step with the rest of the Fellowship, right behind Gimli who, again, wouldn't shut up.

"Soon master elf you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves." Gimli announced. Legolas rolled his eyes, he couldn't wait, truly. "Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone." Sounded gross. "This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin." Legolas bristled at the word 'friend'. Not only was it the reason they had waited so long outside, but also Gimli had directed it at him. "And they call it a mine. A mine!"

"Well…if it smells like a mine and has Dwarves in it then…" Legolas held his thoughts and stared around. There were bodies everywhere…Dwarf bodies and they were no where near fresh. They looked as though they had been dead for a long time. The mine reeked of death; Legolas had just thought it had been the Dwarves.

"This is no mine, it's a tomb!" Boromir announced. Gimli began rushing around, saying 'no' over and over again. As he gave a particularly painful scream, Legolas placed his foot on one of the bodies and yanked out an arrow protruding from it.

Holding it up so he could see, he felt his heart clench. "Damn it! We've been led into a trap! I knew the Dwarf was no good!" Throwing the arrow away from him in disgust, Legolas pulled out his bow and notched an arrow. "Goblins!"

Everyone was tense now. "We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here." Boromir announced. Legolas had to agree. This had been a bad idea from the beginning. His panicked mind turned to Frodo. That little Hobbit… "Now get out, get out!"

Legolas began backing up slowly, staring through the dark at the stairs near by. It was when he heard a panicked cry that he turned, "Strider!"

There was something wrong with the Hobbits and, as a large tentacle rose out of the water, Legolas saw why. Rushing towards the commotion outside, an outstretched skeletal Dwarf hand snagged on his boots. With a protesting cry from Gimli, Legolas kicked at it and it broke off with a loud snap.

His first arrow hit the creature in the tentacle holding Frodo above the water. It didn't even flinch so Legolas aimed another arrow as Aragorn and Boromir jumped into the fray.

Shooting soon became difficult. Though he let one arrow fly after another, he couldn't be sure of exactly where the creature was going to position itself and where Boromir, Aragorn and Frodo were going to be at any given time.

Suddenly, with a powerful thrust from Aragorn the creature let go and the Ranger caught the Hobbit. Gandalf, who stood as uselessly as the Hobbits at Legolas' side, called out, "Into the mines!"

From the water, the two men now tried to get back desperately. Legolas shot over their heads holding off the creature. "Legolas!" Boromir called out.

"Yes, yes, I'm shooting!" Legolas growled in his mind as Aragorn yelled, "Get into the caves!" Once the men had made it to the shore, Legolas hightailed it into the mines at the creature crawled onto the open door, pulling down pieces of rock with it's weight.

When everyone was far enough back, they turned, Legolas grabbed onto Aragorn's arm as the light from the moon was replaced with suck a rich black, not even he could see through it.

The sound of heavy breathing told him he was alive. Legolas stood perfectly still until Gandalf said, "We now have but one choice." The light from his staff came on and Legolas closed his eyes briefly from the pain it flared in his head. He could have warned them, "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world." Legolas agreed. Maybe some Dwarves had survived after all.

Clutching his bow, Legolas followed directly behind the wizard, glancing back at Gimli, then the Hobbits, then the men. "Quietly now." Gandalf said, even though everyone was silent. Great, he was losing his hearing to. "It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed." Legolas reached back and checked his quiver, counting the arrows he found there.

Good, there was enough! A four day journey, in the dark…with the Dwarf! He'd need at least one to shoot himself.

To My Reviewers:

KYO19: (Chapter 4 and 2) He could still smell them because his nose is so sensitive and the Dwarves lived there for a while. I can still smell the people that lived in my new house before me (mainly because they smoked) so it's not unbelievable.

Megara: Thank you and thanks for the review.

morph Hey! Thanks and thanks for the review!

Faerlas: Thanks and thanks for the review!