AN: Unfortunately my Beta reader is at camp, so chapters 13, 14 and 15 in not edited. Bear with me people.

To Become a Ranger

Chapter 14

In To Moria

The Fellowship passed south for several days before coming to a now dry channel cutting through the old bedrock of the mountains.

In the shadow of the ruins of a great bridge in the mist and ice of the mountains, Gandalf turns and beckons to Frodo.

"Frodo, come and help an old man." He said to the young hobbit who came up beside him. He draped his arm around the boy and brought him close so he could speak with him with out being over heard. "How's your shoulder?"

"Better then it was." said Frodo rubbing the shoulder lightly.

"And the Ring?"

They caught each others eye.

"You feel its power growing, don't you? I've felt it too. You must be careful now. Evil will be drawn to you from outside the Fellowship. And, I fear, from within."

The shadowy shape of a Fellowship member passed by as the two conversed. Gandalf looks up with suspicion, Frodo with fear.

"Who then do I trust?" asked Frodo fearfully.

"You must trust your self, my dear Frodo. Trust your own strengths and use your heart to judge."

Frodo nodded uncertainly.

"You will know when the time comes, Frodo, you will know." Gandalf said comfortingly. "Now there is another matter I must discuss. I must ask you to keep your distance from Alyssa."

"What do you mean Gandalf; I thought I could trust her." said Frodo fearfully.

"Oh you can, you can with your vary life. But it is not for your well being I ask for this but for hers. You see, the ring we believe is trying to kill her as she holds a threat to both the wraiths and the Dark Lord Sauron. I believe that every time you bring it out into the open it focuses all of its energy and power on to the poor girl burning her and even when it's hidden I feel that it is wearing on her energy she just refuses to show it out in the open."

Frodo gasped. "I will then keep my distance from her Gandalf, though it is a pity for I liked her as a friend."

"Then friends you shall be when this is all over." said Gandalf with a kind smile. He then looked up when he heard Gimli gasp in wonder when they walked around a bend in the channel.

"The Walls of Moria." Gimli breathed. The Fellowship stood still and looked upon a vast cliff face, sheer and brooding, rising above them and before them, away into the mists. In front of them was a small lake that seemed to be all that was left of the channel. The entire place was dark and eerie making the bottom impossible to see.

The Fellowship made there way around the lake quietly most taking extra care not to disturbed the water.

In front of Alyssa Pippin jumped onto a small rock one foot missing and hitting the water with a small splash. Alyssa quickly caught him and pulled him up before he could make any more noise. Who knew what was in the water and if there was anything she defiantly didn't want to disturb it.

They came to a stop beside two holly trees. Alyssa furrowed her eyebrows, there was no door there and there was still plenty of time before they could stop for the night.

"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed." stated Gimli while tapping quietly on the wall.

"Isn't that kinda stupid." Alyssa asked. She looked over at Legolas who came up to stand beside her; he only shrugged and rolled his eyes.

Alyssa had come to appreciate the silly antic between the elf and dwarf as it had become a source of entertainment on cold and wet dreary days.

"Yes, Gimli, their own masters cannot find them, if their secrets are forgotten." stated Gandalf adding fuel to the conversation.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Said Legolas with sarcasm laced deep in his voice.

Gimli grumbles. "Well us dwarves don't like it when unwanted strangers come wandering into their halls unlike the Elves."

Gandalf approaches the rock between two twisted, gnarled trees. The wizard ran his hand over the cliff face. "Now…let's see. Ithildin." He brushes away some dirt and looked closely at a star gently laid into the rock. He then looked up and the sky and stood back just as the full moon cleared the clouds; Framed by the sharp shadows of the two trees, the silvery lines starting from the star grew bright, shining with a sheer white light. They outlined a door formed of two columns beneath an arch with a star in the center. Writing in a strange tongue appeared in the arch. Gimli stares in awe at the gate of his forefathers.

"It reads "The Doors of Durin - Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter."" Gandalf explained, pointing with his gnarled staff.

"What do you suppose that means?" asked merry in aw.

"Oh, it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open." stated Gandalf simply. He then set the top of his gnarled staff upon the star in the middle of the doors. "Annon Edhellen, edro hi ammen! (Gate of the Elves, open now for me!)"He commanded.

"Maybe you have to be a bit kinder." stated Alyssa with a smirk when the doors didn't open.

Gandalf didn't answer he just shot a glare over his shoulder at her before trying another one.

"Fennas Nogothrim, lasto beth lammen. (Doorway of the Dwarf-folk, listen to the word of my tongue.)" cried Gandalf raising his arms above his head.

They waited a moment but nothing happened.

"Nothings happening." said Pippin as he stated the obvious.

Gandalf glances at him at him, looking slightly annoyed. He begins to push on the doors, but they remain fast. "I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves...Men...and Orcs." He muttered as he gave up.

"What are you going to do?" piped up Pippin.

"Knock your head against these doors, Peregrine Took! And if that does not shatter them, and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions, I will try to find the opening words." stated Gandalf Angrily.

Time passed. The rest of the Fellowship where all seated around the doors near the lake, waiting for Gandalf to open them. Night was deepening soon it would be morning.

Gandalf, sounding weary called out, "Ando Eldarinwa…a lasta quettanya, Fenda Casarinwa… (Gate of Elves…listen to my word, Threshold of Dwarves…)"

Aragorn was with Sam and Bill unhitching the pony's bridle. "The mines are no place for a pony Sam, even one so brave as Bill."

Sam sniffed. "Buh-Bye Bill."

"Go on, Bill, go on. Don't worry Sam, he knows the way home." Said Aragorn placing a hand on Sam's shoulder as they watched Bill walk off into the distance the same way they had came.

Merry began to throw stones into the water but Alyssa stops him. "Do not disturb the water." She said before letting go of his arm.

Gandalf threw his staff down in anger and sat down heavily beside Frodo. "Oh I give up." Meanwhile Alyssa and Boromir watch as a large ripple runs though the lake.

Frodo stands up and looks at the writings of the glimmering gateway intently. "It's a riddle!" he exclaimed.

The water continued to ripple anomalously.

"Speak "friend" and enter. Gandalf, what's the Elvish word for friend." Said Frodo trying to explain to those of the Fellowship who where watching.

"Mellon." said Gandalf slowly.

The great stone doors swung open with a great groan before coming to a stop beside the gnarled bushes.

The wizard placed a rough-hewn crystal into the gnarled roots topping his staff while leading the fellowship into the cavern in the mountain side; Alyssa follows last, casting a last suspicious glance at the waters.

"Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone. This, my friend, is the home of my cousin, Balin." stated Gimli joy evident in his voice.

Gandalf brings his hand around his staff, blowing upon the crystal as though to kindled the rock into light. It glows, as though from some inner strength. With its light glimmering like stars in his eyes, Gandalf leans the staff towards the dark halls ahead, throwing into relief dirty, broken stairs and columns, upon which are tumbled many dark forms...

"And they call it a mine, a mine." finished Gimli his voice echoing off the cavern walls.

"This is no mine… it's a Tomb." stated Boromir breathlessly.

The wizard's light reveals rotted, broken and battered bodies strewn about, casting long shadows across the room. A strangled cry is heard.

"Oh! No! Nooo!" cried Gimli in sadness and anger.

"Legolas pulls out an arrow from the body of a fallen Dwarf, examines it and casts it away in disgust. "Goblins."

Alyssa, Aragorn and Boromir draw their weapons while Legolas fits his bow with an arrow.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here." stated Boromir angrily.

The four hobbits start backing towards the door not noticing something stirring in the water behind them.

"Now get out! Get out!" his cries echoing through the dead, hollow hall.

The company started for the door. Suddenly, Frodo was grabbed from behind and pulled off his feet. It was a long, snaking tentacle pulling him down.

Sam, Merry, and Pippin all cry out, "Frodo!"

Sam turns to look behind him. "Strider!"

"Help!" cried Frodo as he gets dragged away from the frantic Hobbits.

"Get. Off. Him." yelled Sam as he hacked at the green slimy tentacle that had Frodo.

The Hobbits clutched at Frodo, attempting to keep him away from the water as the tentacles wrapped around him. The watching creature at the gate releases Frodo for a split-second, and feigns disappearance under the water. Suddenly, many tentacles come boiling out of the water, slapping the other Hobbits aside and grabbing Frodo around the leg. He is yanked out over the water and into the air.

"Frodo!" cried Merry his voice cracking a bit.

Legolas runs out onto the shore and shoots. His arrow pierces a three-pronged tentacle which had been wrapping itself over Frodo's face.

"Strider!" yelled Frodo fearfully as he was dangled around in the air like one would do when catching a fish.

"Argh." cried Aragorn as he slashed at a tentacle that came at him.

Boromir and Alyssa rush to the water with their swords swinging, and attack the beast. It flings Frodo wildly and dangerously in the air.

Despite the Fellowship's best efforts, the Hobbit is lowered towards a gapping maw in the water, ringed by fangs, set in a gilled face akin to some ancient kraken with wild, old eyes glistening fish-like from its head. Alyssa reached the tentacle holding Frodo and gave a mighty swing at it slicing through it and catching the shaking hobbit in her arms.

"In to the Mines!" cried Gandalf as he and the Hobbits retreat into them.

"Legolas!" cried Aragon as he saw a huge tentacle coming for Alyssa and Frodo.

Legolas quickly took aim and sent an arrow deep into the creature's eye. It recoils for a moment with a roar before backing up for a full scale attack.

"Run!" cried Aragorn.

As the Fellowship race into Moria, the sea creature reached out and grabbed hold of the doors taking them down along with most of the roof at the front of the cavern. The Fellowship stares back in fear as the last rays of moonlight are obliterated. Total darkness engulfs them.

Alyssa was breathing heavily Frodo still in her arms. Suddenly a piercing pain shot through her arms and her chest farcing her to drop Frodo in shock; she could smell her own flesh burning.

She scooted back away from Frodo turning her back towards him and then cradled her burned arms and hands to her chest silent tears of agony running down her face in the dark.

She faintly herd Gandalf tap his staff and light bleared into the chamber he then quickly ran over to her. "Oh my dear child." He breathed when he saw the damage done. Her left side of her neck was burned severely from where Frodo's head had rested when she had caught him. Her right hand had been saved for that was the side that she had opted to where the gauntlet she had gotten in Rivendale so really only her fingers and the base of her palm where burnt; her left hand and arm was another matter entirely. The burns looked like actual fire licking her arms and the only reason they could tell she had a hand was that she could still move her fingers.

Aragorn quickly dropped his pack and dug threw it hoping beyond hope he brought a burn slave. He did plus lots of bandages, unfortunately he didn't know how well it would work since most of her burns looked like second to third degree burns. He then sat down in front of Alyssa and started to tend to her left arm; it was defiantly going to scar there was no doubt about that, he just hoped that she would retain at least some feeling in it and would be able to move her finger properly after it was fully healed.

After carefully wrapping up the burns on her arms in bandages he moved to her neck. He carefully pulled down the thick neck line of her clothing a bit and only found a bad sunburn but nothing more.

Boromir blew out a low whistle, "you where lucky that you where wearing such thick clothing, Lady Alyssa, for I fear it might have saved your life."

Alyssa only grunted in response as she let Aragorn apply the Slave to her neck and around her collar so it wouldn't rub on her sunburn and infect it. He then rapped bandages around her neck which she had to smile at; she probably looked like a lunatic dressed up as a mummy.

Aragorn sat back and looked her over; he then shook his head and smiled in relief a small chuckle escaping his lips.

She smiled back and attempted to wipe away her tears with her semi good hand. "I'm an idiot." She declared. "Though I'm glad I did it." she said smiling at Frodo who was sitting across the cavern his back to her.

Frodo turned to her in shook the self hate evident in his eyes.

"No I do not regret it at all." She said softly.

"Well you are one lucky lass, but I must say we better get going." stated Gimli his eyes twinkling like mad.

"As much as it pains me to say it but I agree with the Dwarf." stated Legolas as if he swallowed a lemon.

"Yes, 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." stated Gandalf looking each and every one of them in the eye.

Aragorn got up and took Alyssa under her armpits and hoisted her up with out touching her burns. "Can you walk?" he asked before letting her go.

Alyssa smiled at him though it looked more like a grimace and nodded her head.

He let go but basically shadowed her making sure she didn't trip or fall as they made there way along the winding paths of the mines.

The Fellowship carefully picked its way over the floor and up the set of broad steps. The silhouettes of skeletal remains and black-fletched arrows frame them as they move away by the light of Gandalf's staff.

"Quietly now. It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed." stated Gandalf in warning.

After a while, the Fellowship entered a great cavern with a serpentine walkway running down through the middle. The path was rough-hewn and narrow, and rocky arches and boulder-like lumps appear in the half-light of the caverns.

Frodo's eyes dart about him. A ladder hangs on his right. Crossing the path past a dark stony doorway, the Fellowship comes to a narrow, curving stair. Ladders and iron chains rise from a dark pit to their right. On their left, rock walls rise sheer. A chain swung slowly, clinking. The noise reverberates. The light of the wizard's staff moves beyond the chains, glinting like some pale will-o'-the-wisp.

Gandalf rested his hand upon a rock with a dark, silvery vein running through it. "The wealth of Moria was not in gold...or jewels..." The wizard tilted his staff down towards the pit. "…but Mithril."

The lights illuminated the Fellowship's faces, and they stare in awe at what is below them. A vast, seemingly endless rock wall drops into the depths below. Row upon row of ladders and scaffolding, old and disused; disappear into the mining shafts below. Merry leans forward slightly to look closer. Pippin puts a warning hand in front of him. Frodo stares down until the light fades the vision of a forgotten realm gone.

"Bilbo had a shirt of Mithril rings that Thorin gave him." stated Gandalf with amusement.

"Oh that was a kingly gift." Said Gimli in aw, his eyes almost as bright as the Mithril itsself.

"Yes! I never told him, but its worth was greater than the value of the Shire." exclaimed Gandalf.

Frodo looks faintly surprised but does not say anything and continuded trudging on.

---------

Aragorn watched Alyssa as she warily trudged along. He knew her strength was waning and that she was in a lot of pain. What bothered him most was the fact that she hadn't told him that the ring held that great of threat to her. He just hoped that her hands would heal properly before they had another fight that had to deal with swords or they would risk permanent damage.

Suddenly he saw Alyssa trip for a third time knocking him out of his thoughts as he automatically lurched forward and caught her. "That's enough Alyssa." he said to her quietly. "There is no need to carry on this senseless act. You are in pain and exhausted. I will carry you until we stop for rest whether you like it or not."

Alyssa nodded weakly into his shoulder as he picked her up. Aragorn looked up and found that the rest of the fellowship hadn't noticed them stop and jogged to catch up to them.

Legolas looked back worriedly when he heard Aragorn's foot steps. Aragorn nodded that every thing was ok and continued walking. Aragorn looked down at Alyssa and saw her struggling to keep her eyes open. "Go to sleep Mellon." He whispered softly to her. In answer she just closed her eyes and heaved a deep sigh before drifting off to sleep.

Alyssa was a lot lighter then what he remembered her being, they all where but this was worrisome. He knew she had been giving up some of her rations to the Hobbits who where not used to the lack of food but even so she needed the food especially if she was fighting off the pain of the ring every time Frodo was near her like he suspected. He pierced his lips; he would have to talk to her about that.

Suddenly after climbing a whole lot of stairs they stopped. He furrowed his blurry and tired eyes to look up to where Gandalf was standing. In front of him there where three stone door ways each leading in a different direction. Legolas came up beside him. "He doesn't seem to know where he is."

Aragorn just nodded and carefully set down Alyssa. He then got out his bedroll and laid it out on the ground the rest of his companions following suite. He then placed Alyssa on one side of the roll before he too laid down beside her wrapping his strong arms around her while making sure her burned arms weren't underneath either of them; after that he wrapped his heavy cloak around them both before drifting off to sleep, the last thing he heard was Pippins voice.

"Merry?"

"What!"

"I'm Hungry."

AN: Wow I'm on a roll, two really big chapters in one day and I'm going to be starting chapter 15 soon. Woot.

Now I need every ones opinion. Should I:

Stop this story where the Movie stops and continue on with a sequel.

Or 2) don't stop till all the books are covered in one telling which will be really long.

Anyhoo, hoped you like it and please Review!

Lyssa Snape