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Chapter 16: A Battle Begins

They climbed up to the pass and as the snow deepened all but Legolas seemed to have difficulty trudging through the snow. Suddenly, Frodo tumbled down the hill, but was stopped and helped by Aragorn who had taken the rear of the party. Boromir turned to see if he could be of any aid when a flash of gold caught his eye in the snow. He looked down on it and once again heard the hissing voice make the promises to save Gondor to save his people from their doomed fate. He leaned down and picked up the shining gold from the ground by the chain it hung on.

"You know the voice gives you false promises," came Ellethwen's voice. "You know the ring will not give you what you want. It only wishes to take you from me and if you listen to it, it will take you, my love." There was pain in her voice and he frowned as he looked at the ring.

"It is a strange fate we should suffer so much fear and doubt…over so small a thing. Such a little thing," Boromir said quietly. He found himself having the urge to touch it and he was ready to raise his hand when Ellethwen's voice sounded once more.

"No, do don't do that, Boromir," she said quickly. "Please, fight its lies. You must not give in to it. Think not of its promises to you for the White City or Gondor. It only wants to bring it to ruin. Think of me and our future. Think of our child." He faltered then and shook his head clear before he handed the ring back to the ring bearer quickly.

"Do your best to keep that away," he said gently. "It's too dark a power," he finished in a whisper and Frodo and Aragorn both looked at him confused and surprised. Boromir turned and adjusted his shield on his back before he trudged up the snow once more. However, his thoughts were far from the deep snow or the high mountain pass they had yet to reach but of the last words Ellethwen's voice had said to him. "Think of our child," he thought to himself as he walked and he wondered if in fact Ellethwen was with child, or if it was his imagination creating thoughts to keep his mind free of the darkness that threatened it.

Éowyn walked down the corridor with Ellethwen. The two were going to go outside. Despite the mid-winter weather it was a warm day for the time of year and they were well wrapped in their heavy cloaks. Underneath her cloak, Ellethwen rested her hand on her stomach and sighed. "What is it?" Éowyn asked and Ellethwen looked at Éowyn.

"I don't know," she said quietly. "I have this feeling that something is happening."

"Here?" the shield maiden asked and Ellethwen shook her head.

"No," she sighed again as the cool breeze hit their faces as they stepped outside. "But I feel that something is happening with Boromir, that he is going into danger. I don't know why, but I cannot shake the feeling," she said softly and Éowyn put her hand on the slightly shorter woman's shoulder.

"Lord Boromir is a strong warrior; he's faced many battles and lived to tell a tale. I'm sure he'll be fine," Éowyn reassured her friend as she lowered her hand and they walked down the stairs. Ellethwen only nodded, but she couldn't shake the feeling of Boromir facing something terrible.

After their attempt to take the pass failed, they turned back and had begun a journey through the mines of Moria; one Boromir did not want to take. They had spent what seemed like eternity in the dark. Boromir followed the others as they chased after Gimli who had run for a room that provided the first natural light they had seen in over two days. He entered the room and stopped next to Legolas as Gimli kneeled next to a tomb and said something quietly. "'Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria'," Gandalf read. "He is dead then. It's as I feared." He finished and Gimli said a prayer for his fallen cousin.

"We must move on, we cannot linger!" Legolas said quietly to Aragorn but Boromir looked at him and then ahead. He knew something was coming. So far their only battle had been the wargs near the forest and if his estimation was right there would be many more.

"'They have taken the bridge…and the second hall'," Gandalf read from the book he had picked up. Boromir sighed and shook his head as he watched the wizard. "'We have barred the gates…but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes'," Gandalf continued to read. "'Drums...drums…in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out…They are coming!'" he finished quietly. Suddenly a loud noise broke out and all eyes turned to Pippin who had knocked a dwarf corpse down a well shaft the noised echoed for eternity before silence fell. All held their breath in wait for any sign of anything coming there way. When nothing sounded, Boromir let out a heavy breath. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" Gandalf shouted as he slammed the book shut and walked over to Pippin and took his hat and staff.

Gandalf turned away and the sound they did not want to hear suddenly echoed. Drums. Like a heartbeat the sounds get faster and louder. They got closer and terror slowly took hold of them all.

"Frodo!" Sam said quickly and all looked to the small hobbits to see Frodo pull Sting from its holster and all their eyes saw the blue glow to the old sword.

"Orcs!" Legolas hissed and Boromir moved quickly to the door, to see just how close the orcs were. As he looked into the darkness the sound of hissing arrows met his ears and he jerked his head back to see two arrows strike the door in front of his face. He looked off into the darkness and saw the mass moving closer and a large form being dragged along. He shook his head and stepped back and closed the door.

"Get back! You stay close to Gandalf!" Aragorn shouted to the hobbits as he tossed his torch aside and helped Boromir with the doors.

"They have a cave troll," Boromir said dryly to Aragorn who looked at him with a sigh as Legolas tossed them axes that the two men used to brace the door with. The two men moved away and joined the others as they all readied their weapons.

"Aarrgghhh! Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!" Gimli shouted as he jumped on top of Balin's tomb and adjusted his grip on his axe. Boromir drew his sword and pulled forth his shield. He was ready, and he would not go down easy if at all.