"That day the weather changed again, almost as if it was to the command of
some power that had no longer any use for snow, since they had retreated
from the pass, a power that wished now to have a clear light in which
things that moved in the wild could be seen from far away. The wind had
been turning through north to north-west during the night, and now it
failed. The clouds vanished southwards and the sky was opened, high and
blue. As they stoop upon the hillside, ready to depart, a pale sunlight
gleamed over the mountain-tops."
At last, the Company came upon the 'mighty' Sirannon River, now a deep, narrow channel without a drop of water in its bed.
'This is where the stream ran: Sirannon, the Gate-stream, they used to call it. But what has happened to the water, I cannot guess; it used to be swift and noisy,' said Gandalf as he led onward, following the dried up stream to the mountainside.
'It has been dammed,' said Anna. 'There is an eerie, evil lake at the end of this road.' She first though she would be ignored once again but they all stopped and turned to look at the girl at the word evil. 'I am not saying the white wizard will be around this corner but I am not at ease with the path you are taking.'
Aragorn stepped closer to the she-elf so that the rest could not hear him. 'Next time, if it is not about Saruman, keep you comments to yourself.'
Anna grinded her teeth. 'As long as you stop mentioning my master's name. It grates on my nerves," she said to his back for he was already following the others again. Of all the place she traveled, Hollin was her home and anyone questioning her knowledge on the lands would surely pay.
'After you, master.' Anna beckoned the hobbits to go in front of her. 'Best to put some distance between us.'
They made their way to the lake. No one mentioned Anna's earlier prediction or warnings but Anna was still did a little jig in her head seeing how the lake proved her right.
Gandalf gave details of the Walls of Moria in earlier years. 'Thos were happier days, when there was still close friendship at time between folk of different race, even between Dwarves and Elves.'
'It was not the fault of the Dwarves that the friendship waned,' said Gimli.
'I have not heard that it was the fault of the Elves,' said Legolas.
'I have heard both,' said Gandalf; 'I beg you two, Legolas and Gimli, at least to be friends, and to help me. I need you both.' Anna said nothing, as if she was not even involved I the fight, which, to her, was true. While Gimli tapped on the stone of the cliff and Legolas listened to the walls, Anna was as lost to finding the doors as the others. They were obviously closed by the time she traveled here.
Finally, Gandalf found the engraved markings and they are illuminated through the moon and starlight. 'It says: The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter. And underneath small and faint is written: I, Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs,' Gandalf recited as he pointed to each marking in turn.
Without anyone noticing, Anna had made her way to the front, close to the doors. All her long years of traveling, she had never seen them before. She reached out a hand and her fingers barely brushed against the markings. Frodo could have sworn all the markings flashed slightly brighter then, and Gandalf wasn't one to miss this either.
'What does that mean, Speak, friend, and enter?' asked Merry.
'Well, it is simple enough. If you are a friend, you speak, the password and the doors will open,' Gandalf replied. 'Now stand back.' Everyone followed the command while Gandalf touched with his staff the silver star in the middle. 'Annon edhellen, adro hi ammen! Fennas nogothrim, lasto beth lammen!' he said in a commanding voice. They all waited but the grey stone did not stir.
'It's not working,' Pippin said to Boromir. 'What are you going to do now' Pippin asked Gandalf.
'Knock your head against this wall, Peregrin Took, and if that doesn't work, maybe I'll at least have some peace from your foolish question enough to think,' Gandalf retorted harshly. Anna covered her mouth to suppress a laugh.
Gandalf took a step back and raised his arm. 'Edro, edro!' he shouted. 'Open, open!' He followed it with the same command in every language that had ever been spoken in the West of Middle-Earth. Ann was the only one to notice this except for Legolas who at least caught the elvish and common speech commands. This time, Ann's giggles could not be concealed beneath her hand, so she turned away.
'You think this is funny?' Boromir asked her. She looked over her shoulder at him. 'We are trapped between howling, hungry wolves and doors that will not open.'
Anna just tilted her head. 'I still think its funny." Gimli rolled his eyes and Legolas smiled. It was better to live by finding humor in the most unlikely of places than to live never to laugh, he thought. He considered the legends of Oirebian. Travelers that claimed to have seen her would hear the jangling of charms and, every once in awhile, giggles with in the treetops. Yes, this was her. A legend told to little elf children to suppress their fears of traveling and now, she was walking beside him on the same path.
Aragorn left the argument, not wanting to give in to the urge to strangle the girl. Aragorn leaved by restraint. It was the discipline, he decided, that would lead him to success. He went to unload Bill the pony. Sam gave him a last pat before setting him off to find a home.
Gandalf threw his staff on the ground and sat heavily down on a rock beside the doors, seemingly giving up. He ignored the rest, staying amongst his thoughts and letting the others entertain themselves. Anna was once again playing with her bracelets and rings. Only two of her fingers did not wear rings and some of her fingers had two on them.
'I'm guessing you have your sticky fingers to thank for those,' said Sam. Anna held her hand in front of her as if noticing the jewelry for the first time. She shrugged her shoulders.
'I get bored. The people who had these did not need them anymore. Especially the corpses,' she said, nonchalantly. Pippin looked up at her, his eyes wide and bugging out. Sam inched away from her. 'They did not die by my hand,' she assured. They were not sure if they believed her. 'I give something back as well. Mostly things I've taken before and no longer needed.'
The conversation ended with a plink sounding in the lake. 'Stop!' Anna cried to Merry. He looked at her. He had decided to believe Aragorn and take his stance at her being just a nuisance, so he ignored her. He pulled his arm back to let another rock loose before Aragorn grabbed his arm.
'Do not disturb the waters,' he warned. Anna gave a thankful grin to Aragorn but he turned away with one look at her smug face.
'It's a riddle!' Frodo jumped up. 'Speak "Friend" and enter. Gandalf, what is the Elvish word for friend?'
'Mellon,' Gandalf uttered and a crack appeared on the doors as they slowly moved and opened into the path for Moria.
Anna waited for the others to go in first. She walked in quickly, passing the hobbits in the doorway. She wanted to get away from that lake behind them though the hobbits were wary of the caves before them. They were not used to massive, dark places and nothing to light the way.
'Soon, you will see the hospitality of the Dwarves. Roaring fires, warm meat right off the bone,' Gimli described as he led the Company inside. 'This is the Hall of Durin. And they call it a mine. A mine!' he scoffed.
Anna tripped on something as she followed but instead of staying still or moving aside, it cracked, like dry wood or. She bent down and touched it. decayed bones.
'This is no mine. It's a tomb,' Boromir said as the light shown on the skeletons. 'Everyone out. We should not have come here. We go south, to Gondor.'
Suddenly, Frodo shouted. Around his ankle was wrapped a serpent tentacle. The arms coming out of the water looked like gigantic snakes with groping fingers at the end. Aragorn and Boromir chipped at the snakes until they found the real problem coming out of the water. A massive head, like that of an old walrus that was all skin and bones opened its mouth, gaping at the hobbit in its hands. Aragorn heaved his sword through the arm that held Frodo and carried him into the cave while Legolas let loose an arrow that hit the monster right in its face, allowing the rest to get to safety.
The reaching arms followed them and grasped the sides of the door, crumbling the entrance so that no light would shine through again.
'There is only one way out now. Follow closely. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world,' said Gandalf after their hearts had subsided their unnatural beating. 'Let us hope that our presence here may go unnoticed.'
The sound of metal scraping against stone made Gimli turn around. In the faint light given off by Gandalf's staff, Anna could be found putting a Dwarvish belt on over her maiden dress. Two daggers with knotted designs on the handles were on the belt, one on each side. It was comical seeing such a plain dress adorned with such heavy weapons. As she buckled it, Gimli protested.
She narrowed her eyes at the dwarf. 'He does not need it,' she said, gesturing to the body on the floor. 'Let me take what protection I can, duragnul.' She said this as she passed Gimli to join the others and Gimli huffed in anger as his own language was used against him. She stopped suddenly seeing as how Aragorn was standing right in her path. Everyone stopped, as if time stopped, as if this moment would decide everything else. It wouldn't be the last time the tension could break something, or someone.
'Let her keep the daggers. She was not prepared for the dangers we will be facing,' Gandalf said quietly, releasing time to once again tick away each second.
At last, the Company came upon the 'mighty' Sirannon River, now a deep, narrow channel without a drop of water in its bed.
'This is where the stream ran: Sirannon, the Gate-stream, they used to call it. But what has happened to the water, I cannot guess; it used to be swift and noisy,' said Gandalf as he led onward, following the dried up stream to the mountainside.
'It has been dammed,' said Anna. 'There is an eerie, evil lake at the end of this road.' She first though she would be ignored once again but they all stopped and turned to look at the girl at the word evil. 'I am not saying the white wizard will be around this corner but I am not at ease with the path you are taking.'
Aragorn stepped closer to the she-elf so that the rest could not hear him. 'Next time, if it is not about Saruman, keep you comments to yourself.'
Anna grinded her teeth. 'As long as you stop mentioning my master's name. It grates on my nerves," she said to his back for he was already following the others again. Of all the place she traveled, Hollin was her home and anyone questioning her knowledge on the lands would surely pay.
'After you, master.' Anna beckoned the hobbits to go in front of her. 'Best to put some distance between us.'
They made their way to the lake. No one mentioned Anna's earlier prediction or warnings but Anna was still did a little jig in her head seeing how the lake proved her right.
Gandalf gave details of the Walls of Moria in earlier years. 'Thos were happier days, when there was still close friendship at time between folk of different race, even between Dwarves and Elves.'
'It was not the fault of the Dwarves that the friendship waned,' said Gimli.
'I have not heard that it was the fault of the Elves,' said Legolas.
'I have heard both,' said Gandalf; 'I beg you two, Legolas and Gimli, at least to be friends, and to help me. I need you both.' Anna said nothing, as if she was not even involved I the fight, which, to her, was true. While Gimli tapped on the stone of the cliff and Legolas listened to the walls, Anna was as lost to finding the doors as the others. They were obviously closed by the time she traveled here.
Finally, Gandalf found the engraved markings and they are illuminated through the moon and starlight. 'It says: The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter. And underneath small and faint is written: I, Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs,' Gandalf recited as he pointed to each marking in turn.
Without anyone noticing, Anna had made her way to the front, close to the doors. All her long years of traveling, she had never seen them before. She reached out a hand and her fingers barely brushed against the markings. Frodo could have sworn all the markings flashed slightly brighter then, and Gandalf wasn't one to miss this either.
'What does that mean, Speak, friend, and enter?' asked Merry.
'Well, it is simple enough. If you are a friend, you speak, the password and the doors will open,' Gandalf replied. 'Now stand back.' Everyone followed the command while Gandalf touched with his staff the silver star in the middle. 'Annon edhellen, adro hi ammen! Fennas nogothrim, lasto beth lammen!' he said in a commanding voice. They all waited but the grey stone did not stir.
'It's not working,' Pippin said to Boromir. 'What are you going to do now' Pippin asked Gandalf.
'Knock your head against this wall, Peregrin Took, and if that doesn't work, maybe I'll at least have some peace from your foolish question enough to think,' Gandalf retorted harshly. Anna covered her mouth to suppress a laugh.
Gandalf took a step back and raised his arm. 'Edro, edro!' he shouted. 'Open, open!' He followed it with the same command in every language that had ever been spoken in the West of Middle-Earth. Ann was the only one to notice this except for Legolas who at least caught the elvish and common speech commands. This time, Ann's giggles could not be concealed beneath her hand, so she turned away.
'You think this is funny?' Boromir asked her. She looked over her shoulder at him. 'We are trapped between howling, hungry wolves and doors that will not open.'
Anna just tilted her head. 'I still think its funny." Gimli rolled his eyes and Legolas smiled. It was better to live by finding humor in the most unlikely of places than to live never to laugh, he thought. He considered the legends of Oirebian. Travelers that claimed to have seen her would hear the jangling of charms and, every once in awhile, giggles with in the treetops. Yes, this was her. A legend told to little elf children to suppress their fears of traveling and now, she was walking beside him on the same path.
Aragorn left the argument, not wanting to give in to the urge to strangle the girl. Aragorn leaved by restraint. It was the discipline, he decided, that would lead him to success. He went to unload Bill the pony. Sam gave him a last pat before setting him off to find a home.
Gandalf threw his staff on the ground and sat heavily down on a rock beside the doors, seemingly giving up. He ignored the rest, staying amongst his thoughts and letting the others entertain themselves. Anna was once again playing with her bracelets and rings. Only two of her fingers did not wear rings and some of her fingers had two on them.
'I'm guessing you have your sticky fingers to thank for those,' said Sam. Anna held her hand in front of her as if noticing the jewelry for the first time. She shrugged her shoulders.
'I get bored. The people who had these did not need them anymore. Especially the corpses,' she said, nonchalantly. Pippin looked up at her, his eyes wide and bugging out. Sam inched away from her. 'They did not die by my hand,' she assured. They were not sure if they believed her. 'I give something back as well. Mostly things I've taken before and no longer needed.'
The conversation ended with a plink sounding in the lake. 'Stop!' Anna cried to Merry. He looked at her. He had decided to believe Aragorn and take his stance at her being just a nuisance, so he ignored her. He pulled his arm back to let another rock loose before Aragorn grabbed his arm.
'Do not disturb the waters,' he warned. Anna gave a thankful grin to Aragorn but he turned away with one look at her smug face.
'It's a riddle!' Frodo jumped up. 'Speak "Friend" and enter. Gandalf, what is the Elvish word for friend?'
'Mellon,' Gandalf uttered and a crack appeared on the doors as they slowly moved and opened into the path for Moria.
Anna waited for the others to go in first. She walked in quickly, passing the hobbits in the doorway. She wanted to get away from that lake behind them though the hobbits were wary of the caves before them. They were not used to massive, dark places and nothing to light the way.
'Soon, you will see the hospitality of the Dwarves. Roaring fires, warm meat right off the bone,' Gimli described as he led the Company inside. 'This is the Hall of Durin. And they call it a mine. A mine!' he scoffed.
Anna tripped on something as she followed but instead of staying still or moving aside, it cracked, like dry wood or. She bent down and touched it. decayed bones.
'This is no mine. It's a tomb,' Boromir said as the light shown on the skeletons. 'Everyone out. We should not have come here. We go south, to Gondor.'
Suddenly, Frodo shouted. Around his ankle was wrapped a serpent tentacle. The arms coming out of the water looked like gigantic snakes with groping fingers at the end. Aragorn and Boromir chipped at the snakes until they found the real problem coming out of the water. A massive head, like that of an old walrus that was all skin and bones opened its mouth, gaping at the hobbit in its hands. Aragorn heaved his sword through the arm that held Frodo and carried him into the cave while Legolas let loose an arrow that hit the monster right in its face, allowing the rest to get to safety.
The reaching arms followed them and grasped the sides of the door, crumbling the entrance so that no light would shine through again.
'There is only one way out now. Follow closely. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world,' said Gandalf after their hearts had subsided their unnatural beating. 'Let us hope that our presence here may go unnoticed.'
The sound of metal scraping against stone made Gimli turn around. In the faint light given off by Gandalf's staff, Anna could be found putting a Dwarvish belt on over her maiden dress. Two daggers with knotted designs on the handles were on the belt, one on each side. It was comical seeing such a plain dress adorned with such heavy weapons. As she buckled it, Gimli protested.
She narrowed her eyes at the dwarf. 'He does not need it,' she said, gesturing to the body on the floor. 'Let me take what protection I can, duragnul.' She said this as she passed Gimli to join the others and Gimli huffed in anger as his own language was used against him. She stopped suddenly seeing as how Aragorn was standing right in her path. Everyone stopped, as if time stopped, as if this moment would decide everything else. It wouldn't be the last time the tension could break something, or someone.
'Let her keep the daggers. She was not prepared for the dangers we will be facing,' Gandalf said quietly, releasing time to once again tick away each second.