Disclaimer: I own nothing of The Lord of The Rings. Valora Caley, however, is © to me. There will be legal action if she is used without my express permission.

A/N: My profound apologies to you all. My muse appears to have left me for dead (freakin' useless little son of a...) and I would gladly fire him if I had another muse to spare. I'll tell you this, though: The second I find a new muse, his ass is out on the street unless he gets crackin' with the inspiration.

Thank you to all my reviewers. I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting for... six months. (Glares at Muse. Alexandros, you stupid f(beep)ing creep!) If I could have done better for you, I would have.

Once again, I am skipping out on personalized thank yous to reviewers for the moment. There's so many now. And I figured you'd care more about the new chapter anyway. But thank you to you all. If I didn't know so mmany people were enjoying this, I might have abandoned it. But I promised I'd get it done eventually and I intend to keep that promise.

It was diffucult to tell how long they had been travelling through the mines. It felt like ages, but had probably not been more than a few days. All of them would be glad to leave this place behind.

So far, they had met with no trouble. They stopped to rest every now and then and took time to sleep. All the while, they were careful to be as silent as possible and were constantly alert for any signs of the Goblins.

Since she couldn't sing to them anymore, Valora had taken to telling them stories. Some were stories she knew from books or other sources. Some she had made up as she went. She tried to keep them short and told them as quietly as possible. It hadn't quite the claming effect as singing, but it got the job done.

On what they were reasonably sure was their second day in the mines, Valora had made her way to Frodo while everyone was resting and eased herself into a sitting position next to him. "How are you holding up?" she whispered.

"Well enough, I suppose. I'll feel better once we've reached the other side of the mountain."

"Amen to that." She hesitated. "Listen, Frodo, I really am sorry for not telling you the truth back in the Shire."

He gave her a surprised look. Was she still worried over that? "I know. I've forgiven you for it."

At least one of us has. "I know. But I really should have told you sooner. And I should have told you all of my reasons for volunteering for this..." suicide mission, "thing." She paused and blinked. "Oh, great. I'm starting to sound like Pippin," she moaned.

Frodo smiled and stiffled a laugh.

"I haven't seen you do that in a few days."

"What?"

"Smile. I missed seeing it." She sighed. "Frodo, I just wanted to make sure you know that I'm with you for this. All of us are. And I promise that I am going to do everything that I can to help you do this. No matter what."

He wasn't sure exactly what to say. He knew her well enough to know that she always tried to keep her promises. For some reason or other, it was very important to her, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant the promise. He also knew she didn't give her word lightly. Especially not for something as important as this. It was just as Sam was. Gratitude wasn't strong enough of a word for what he felt knowing that she was pledging herself to him in a way that most people would not. Not when so much was at stake and so much danger was involved.

Frodo's acceptance of her words brought her a sense of peace. Her first in quite a long time. She gave him a soft smile and affectionately rumpled his hair a bit, earning herself a mock-glare.

On what they hoped was their last day in the mines, they reached a vast open chasm. Gandalf fingered a small vein of silvery metal in the wall. "The wealth of Moria came not from gold or jewels, but Mithril," explained Gandalf.

He held the torch out over the ledge. Its light reflected off of the precious metal embedded in the walls of the great mine. The entire place lit up with silvery light. The Fellowship stared in awe.

"What's mithril?" asked Valora quietly. She knew it wasn't illogical that she didn't know these things, but it still made her feel stupid to have to ask.

"It is a highly valued metal," explained Legolas. "It is as light as a feather, but as hard as dragon scales. It is nearly impossible to pierce."

"You mean it's indestructable?"

"Nearly."

"Okay," she said, nodding slightly in understanding. "Kind of like adamantium."

Legolas' brow furrowed. "Ad-a-man-ti-um?"

"Yeah. It's a..." She shook her head. "Nevermind."

Gandalf signalled for them to start moving again. "Bilbo had a shirt made of mithril rings, that Thorin gave him," he told them as they walked.

"Oh, that was a kingly gift," said Gimli.

"Yes," agreed Gandalf. "I never told him, but it's worth was greater than the value of the Shire."

Frodo's eyes widened as he nearly stopped in his shock. The shirt, the very shirt Bilbo had given him, was worth more than he ever could have imagined. It was unbelievable.

Valora stopped and looked down as a small skittering was heard at her feet. At first glance, she thought it was a rock she had kicked. Then she noticed how shiny it was. She quickly picked it up to better examine it. Not entirely sure if it was what she thought it was, she tapped Legolas on the shoulder. She held it up for him to see. "Is this...?"

"That is mithril," he confirmed.

"Cool," she said, pocketing it.

"Are you cold?" he asked, frowning.

She sighed. "No, Legolas. I'm fine. It's just an expression." At his perplexed look, she shook her head. "Forget it. Just try to remember not to take everything I say literally, alright?"

It was at that point that Legolas decided he should just give up trying to figure her out. It was giving him too much of a headache.

The staircase was steep and the steps a bit sharp. That alone made it a difficult climb. The fact that it was littered with stones, Dwarf remains and other bits of junk made it much more difficult. Especially since they were trying to be quiet. At one point, Pippin's foot slipped, sending a few small rocks in Merry's direction. Merry steadied him with a hand on his leg. "Pippin!" he hissed.

When they finally reached the top, they found three tunnels leading in different directions. They awaited Gandalf's verdict on which one to take.

Gandalf looked at each tunnel. "I have no memory of this place," he said finally.

Dismayed, they waited for him to decide what to do.

Gandalf sat on a rock while the others rested not far away. They were unsure how much time had passed since they had stopped. Gandalf was still trying to remember which direction they should take.

"Are we lost?" asked Pippin in a whisper.

"No," Merry whispered back.

"I think we are."

"Shh. Gandalf's thinking."

Pippin stayed quiet for all of two seconds. "Merry..."

"What?" he asked, exasperated.

"I'm hungry."

Seated next to Boromir, Valora let her head drop into her hand and sighed. What else was new?

Frodo looked down into the mines. He was startled to see movement. His eyes widened as the figure moved nimbly and silently about. Getting to his feet, he hurried over to the wizard. "There's something down there!"

Gandalf did not even look to see what Frodo had seen. "It's Gollum," he said simply.

"Gollum?" Frodo asked, taken aback both by the revelation and Gandalf's apparent lack of concern.

"He's been following us for three days."

"He escaped the dungeons of Barad-dûr?"

"Escaped. Or was turned loose." He looked at Frodo at last. "Now the Ring has brought him here. He will never be rid of his need for it. He hates and loves the Ring, as he hates and loves himself. Smeagol's life is a sad story. Yes, Smeagol he was once called," he said at Frodo's look of surprise. "Before the Ring found him. Before it drove him mad."

"It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance," Frodo spat.

"Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo?" He was surprised to hear such words from Frodo. The Hobbit had never been anything but gentle for as long as he had known him. "Do not be too eager to deal out death and judgement. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many."

Frodo sat down, looking miserable. "I wish the Ring had never come to me," he said softly. "I wish none of this had happened."

"So do all that come to see such times," said Gandalf gently, "but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case you were also meantto have it. And that is an encouraging thought." His eyes shifted to one of the tunnels. "Oh, it's that way," he announced.

Everyone else looked at him. "He's remembered," said Merry, sounding relieved. They all began to follow Gandalf.

"No," admitted Gandalf, "but the air doesn't smell so foul down here. When in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."

Valora stiffled a giggle as an image of Tucan Sam fluttered through her mind. Then she nearly groaned. She would kill for some Fruit Loops right about now. And maybe some chocolate pudding.

At the end of the tunnel, they came to a large, seemingly open area. "Let me risk a little more light," said Gandalf. The crystal began to glow brighter as Gandalf held his staff up. There were soft gasps as the light revealed more of the chamber. "Behold the great realm of the Dwarf-city of Dwarrowdelf."

The carvern was vast, seeming almost endless. Pillars with intracately carved designs stretched from floor to ceiling. Even practically in ruins, it was a magnificant sight to look upon.

"There's an eye-opener, and no mistake," said Sam, gaping at the towering pillars.

"Incredable," murmured Valora.

They were moving on soon enough, but none of them completely got over the strange beauty of the place as they walked through it. None could help but look admiringly around themselves. It was then that Gimli spotted a doorway. There were corpses littered around it. Recognizing the door for what it was, Gimli let out a cry and ran toward it. He paid no attention as Gandalf called to him. They had little choice but to follow the dwarf.

Inside the room they had entered, there was a tomb. "No!" said Gimli before falling to his knees before it. "Oh, no! No." He began to weep.

Gandalf came forward and read the engraved stone. "'Here lies Balin," he translated, "son of Fundin, Lord of Moria.' He is dead then. It's as I feared," he admitted sadly.

Balin? Wasn't that what Gimli had said was his cousin's name? A great swell of pity rose up in Valora. She didn't know if Gimli would want her to hug him right now. Not sure of what else she could do, she put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Gimli." Boromir placed his hand on Gimli's opposite shoulder, offering his comfort as well.

Gandalf deftly removed his hat and handed it and his staff to Pippin. Then he bent to pick up a large book, carefully removing it from the grasp of a dwarf corpse, as Gimli began to pray over his cousin's tomb. A great cloud of dust rose from the book as he blew his breath across it. He turned to the last passage written.

Legolas looked around briefly. He would not interupt Gimli now, while he prayed for his dead family member, but couldn't help feeling uneasy. He leaned slightly closer to Aragorn. "We must move on," he whispered. "We cannot linger."

"They have taken the bridge and the second hall," Gandalf read aloud. "We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums... drums in the deep..." He paused and looked at the rest of the group, who were paying close attention. All the while, they were visibly growing more uneasy. "We cannot get out. A Shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming..."

There was a brief silence before, "Pippin, don't-" started Valora in an alarmed voice, running forward.

Too late. Pippin couldn't keep himself from touching an arrow which was sticking out of a dead body that was seated on the edge of a well. Though the Hobbit's touch had been light, the dwarf's head imeadiately fell off and tumbled down the well, making an awful racket as it went. The rest of the body followed closely.

"-touch that," she finished weakly.

A chain attatched to a bucket had also apparently been hooked to the skeletal remains, for it also went down the well. The horrendous chrashing noises echoed through the caves. Every noise caused Pippin and Valora to cringe. Finally, everything fell silent. When it did, Pippin risked a peek at Gandalf, who was glaring at Pippin as none of them had seen him glare before. They waited with baited breath as the silence went on.

After a moment or two, there had been no other sound and the Fellowship visibly relaxed. Boromir let out a sigh of relief.

"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf declared as he slammed the book shut. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" He snatched his hat and staff from the miserable looking Hobbit.

Valora might have defended him, knowing he hadn't meant for that to happen, but she was just as furious as Gandalf. Forget the cat, curiosity just might kill the Hobbit and the Hobbits gonnatake the rest ofus down with him.

Boom.

Everyone froze as Valora looked sharply at the well. That had sounded like a drum. Everyone turned slowly to follow her gaze. More drumbeats were heard. They quickly sped up into a steady rythm. Everyone looked around frantically. They could all hear the screeching that now accompanied the drums. Valora ran to the well and peered down into the darkness. The noise grew in volume.

Sam looked at Frodo's sword and saw a faint blue glow coming from the sheath. "Frodo."

Frodo looked down and unsheathed Sting. Sure enough, the blade was glowing blue.

"Orcs!" said Legolas, alarmed.

"Orcs!" repeated Valora in a somewhat shrill voice as Boromir ran to the doors. "I thought you said they were Goblins!"

No sooner had Boromir peered out of the doors that he jerked back. Two arrows embedded themselves in the wood very close to his head.

"Get back!" shouted Aragorn as he herded the Hobbits and Valora farther from the doors. "Stay close to Gandalf. Be careful," he added quietly into Valora's ear. She gave him a panicked look and he had nothing to say to reassure her. So instead, he threw down his torch and ran to help Boromir close the doors.

"They have a cave-troll," said Boromir as soon as the doors were closed.

"A what!" screeched Valora.

Legolas tossed discarded axes that had belonged to the Dwarves to the two men. They quickly used the weapons to bar the doors. It wouldn't hold for long. The men and the Elf ran back to the tomb and took up defensive positions. Aragorn and Legolas notched arrows in their bows and waited for the orcs to break through. Boromir drew his sword and stood beside them. Gandalf and the Hobbits also drew their swords. Valora thought quickly before notching an arrow in her bow and moving slightly away from Gandalf and the Hobbits so that she had a better view of the door. She knew she would have to use the sword eventually, as her supply of arrows was limited. But she refused to do so until she had no choice.

Gimli climbed on top of Balin's tomb and faced the door, a fierce look on his face. "Let them come!" he growled. "There is one dwarf yet in Moria that still draws breath!"

No one moved as they waited for the battle to come to them. The Orcs were using their weapons to break through the door.

Valora shook slightly, struggling to keep herself steady enough to aim properly. I'm not ready for this, she thought to herself. I'mreally not ready for this.

Legolas fired an arrow through one of the holes that had appeared in the door. He had the satisfaction of hearing an inhuman shriek of pain come from the other side as the arrow lodged itself in a body. He notched another arrow as Aragorn fired his through another hole and was also rewarded with a shriek.

The doors finally gave and the Orcs poured in.

The last thought Valora had before she let loose her arrow was, I am so not ready for this.

But now she didn't have a choice. The battle was on.

I know, I know. I promised you a battle. Next chapter, which we will try very hard to finish soon - right Alexandros? (Aexandros gulps, nods and looks away) - will have the battle, I promise. And yes, I am well aware that it is not healthy that I have named my soon-to-be-fired-if-he-doesn't-get-off-his-lazy-ass-and-help-me-out muse.

And I swear I did not even think about the Ian McKellen reference when I put in that bit about adamantium. It's just the first thing I thought to compare mithril to. I didn't even realize the connection until later.