lillajag11

jshaw0624

chiara.giugliano.cg

Something like me

Marskat2

JennaWest21

Jar–of–puzzles

Antyto–sama

Dreamy–girl2016

Gianna69

LAgrad

ej101

littlerock77

silentmayhem

tabrizia

Thanks to you all for supporting this story with your follows and favorites. Here's a new chapter I hope you enjoy it.

And so they arrived to a lake at the side of a mountain, Leanna felt goosebumps again, the sense of dread was asfixiating, the water was dark as oil and still, so still like a beast in the waiting getting ready to jump over it's pray.

''I sense malice in this place,'' Legolas said as they approached the place, ''I do not like it.'' she sympathized with him.

''Ahh! The walls... of Moria,'' Gimli said in awe, gazing at the mountain side. ''Dwarf doors are invisible when closed,'' he added, before he started knocking his axe against the stone.

''An invisible door. Really?" Leanna asked a bit exasperated for no one had found any trail of such said door.

''Yes!'' Gandalf answered instead. ''Their own masters cannot find them, if their secrets are forgotten.''

''Why does not that surprise me?'' Legolas remarked, to which Gimli just grumbled in protest.

Leanna rolled her eyes and smiled, those two were funny especially when arguing. Finally after what probably was an hour later, yet felt like four, Gandalf found the door.

''Now… let's see... Ithildin...'' he mumbled to himself as he ran his hand over the rock. ''It mirrors only starlight… and moonlight...''

"I really hope the Dagda's pass has a different security system or the children of Danaan are doomed" Leanna mumbled to herself.

Soon enough the Moon appeared through the clouds. It made the silver lines on the Door grow bright. The Door revealed itself, outlined with silvery light. A tree and a star on top of it were carved into the stone. Leanna saw different doors on her mind, one of a memory one were two wolves howled to the new moon over the tree.

''It reads: ''The Doors of Durin — Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter.'''' responded Gandalf.

''What do you suppose that means?'' asked Merry.

''Oh, it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open'' said Gandalf. ''Annon Edhellen, edro hi ammen!''

The doors didn't open.

"I take it he doesn't know the password?" Leanna whispered to Pippin's ear and the little one had to stiff a laugh. "So did the elf who build this door had a pet or something?" She turned to Aragorn this time, the men looked surprised and took her hand to walk a bit appart from the group.

"How do you know this door was built by elven's craftsmanship?"

"Gandalf just said it: Gate of the Elves, open now for me"

"You speak Sindarin?"

"What do you mean? He was speaking in... Common Tongue" she corrected herself as.she almost said English.

"Leanna I am speaking Sindarin at this moment and so are you"

She was baffled. How in the world was that possible even?

"But how?"

''Nothing's happening'' they were interrupted by Pippin who earned Gandalf's registered annoyed glare.

He then proceeded to helplessly push on the doors, but they remained closed nevertheless.

''I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves… Men… and Orcs'' he said.

''What are you going to do, then?'' asked Pippin.

''Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin 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'' Gandalf said.


"Well if those doors won't open for the right words they probably will out of pure boredom"

"Let us hope that they open before Gandalf looses whatever patience he has left or he might see to his menace over Pippin" said Boromir.

Leanna chuckled, covering her mouth and looked at the man, he was also smiling and for a moment watched her intently, so much that she had to look away. A splashing sound surprised her, apparently Merry and Pippin were throwing rocks at the water.

''Do not disturb the water,'' Aragorn ordered, and Merry and Pippin just looked at each other, confused, before they looked away in guilt.

Leanna whispered with relief. For a moment she thought something might move from the deeps and take the little ones. After a while she still felt anxious, in fact it was only getting worse, that's when she remembered her debt and stood from the ground to approach Legolas.

The elf was leaning with his back against a tree, arms crossed over his chest, he was once more vigilant. She had seen this demeanor of his plenty of times before and yet it bewildered her every time. He was the model of far to many of her drawings.

"Legolas" she anounced herself fully aware that he would have sense her coming anyway.

"Lady Leanna"

"There is no actual need to the lady, you know" she said already smiling.

"Of course there is" he said a bit taken aback.

"Do as you want then. I just came to thank you, actually I think I owe you a few of those"

"You are in no way indebted to me" he assured.

"You helped me keep my secret. A few days back. The expression ok is from my world" she explained with a smile and her hands on her hips.

"I had heard you use such expression before it seemed appropriate"

"And you also got me out of that pile of snow if it weren't for you I..." she felt silent because of his expression he seemed almost nervous and there was a slight blush on his face "Oh, I'm sorry, at that time I was so relieved and grateful that I acted without thinking" his face turned a somehow downed expression and she thought the worst, she had surely offended him with te peck "I'm so sorry that I made you feel offended or displeased or maybe both. It wasn't my intention at all I mean I'm so so sorry if I aggravated you somehow I..."

His frown only seemed to deepen and she was starting to panic, Legolas wasn't her best friend or anything but she really wanted to be in good terms with him, he had saved her many times and yet she had offended him somehow. She was so embarrassed for not even knowing what did she do wrong or how to fix it that tears menaced burning at the corner of her eyes.

And that was the time for him to really panic, she was apologizing for such a sweet gesture and he being an absolute dwarf had made her feel this bad. Her arms were around her waist in a protective fashion and she was about to step back he didn't think just acted. He softly grabbed her by the shoulders so she wouldn't leave.

"You have in no way disrespected or offended me in any manner" now she was surprised, surprise was better than shame but not good enough yet "your show of affection was unexpected yet not unwelcomed, Leanna. I was surprised yes, and not offended but... elated"

She blushed fiercely and so did he, suddenly aware of the deepness in her eyes, and those little spots over her nose that adorned her skin, and how her lower lip was a bit fuller that the superior, and how she had such an inviting mouth.

"I... I shall return this to you" he said taking the drawing book from his satchel.

"Oh. Did you saw them?"

"Oh no this seems as something so personal to you, I mean you looked uncomfortable during the meeting with Lord Elrond in Rivendel and..."

"You can, if you want" she smiled, so he could be cute, that was a pleasant surprise.

Legolas stared at her, both still holding the book. It was a sound in the water that brought them back to their senses, they turned towards the sound. Leanna instinctively taking the hand to the sword's hilt. Her eyes scanned the water but she saw nothing and still a part of her screamed danger.

"I can feel something I might be over reacting now but..."

"You are not. I don't know what it is but I can hear it as well"

''It's a riddle'' Frodo's voice sounded in the background but their eyes never turned to look. 'What's the Elvish word for friend?'' he asked.

"Mellon" was the answer.

They heard a loud sound the door had finally opened.

''Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone!'' Gimli said to Legolas, a bit overwhelmed. "This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine. A mine!'' he added, joking light-heartedly.

But the moment Leanna walked inside she knew the dwarf's hopes would be shattered. The place was pitch black and smelled only of death, she was familiar with the stench, memories pricking at her heart as claws. Gandalf made light from his staff and the woman wished he hadn't for the place was covered in corpses. She felt her knees weaken and the heat leave her body. Boromir was again next to her, his hands holding her under her shoulders.

''This is no mine, it's a tomb!'' Boromir exclaimed, she shuddered.

Gimli's desperate cries, were heart breaking and dread settled in her heart with the realization that wathever had killed those people was still in Moria.

Legolas approached a corpse, pulled out an arrow and examined it, before he threw it away in disgust. ''Goblins!''

The men around her drawed their weapons and she follwed suit casting any numbness away and bracing herself for wathever this world's goblin were.

''We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here,'' Boromir insisted.

Suddenly the hobbits were screaming out Frodo's name. Some sort of lake monster reached through the Door and grabbed Frodo by his leg, pulling him to the water. Leanna froze unable to believe her eyes, that thing had to be a sort of kraken, but krakens were supposed to live in the freacking sea.

Merry and Pippin were doing their best to keep Frodo out of water, but the huge creature showed itself and then wrapped its tentacles around them too before throwing them aside.

Aragorn and Boromir ran into the water. Leanna managed to go over Merry and Pippin. Aragorn was aiming for the right tentacle, the one that was now holding Frodo up in the air. He swung his sword as hard as he possibly could and Frodo fell right into Boromir's arms.

''Into the mines!!!'' Gandalf ordered.

As they started running back Leanna felt something approach her, in a second she turned and draw her sword cutting one of the creatures tentacles yet the monster only increased his attacks trying to grab her.

"The hell you are!" she screamed and cut it again something was stirring inside of her and her hands suddenly felt incredibly hot, the sword's hilt felt like a live wire in her hands but it wasn't painful at all. The monster managed to wrap a tentacle around her waist yet she managed to hold to the appendix and stabbed it, the creature screeched in pains a silver flash appeared from her hand and the beast throw her away. Leanna felt the pain as she rolled several times before hitting her back against the wall she gasped when the air escaped her lungs.

"Leanna!" Legolas was next to her in a heartbeat and helped her get back on her feet, the woman hissed in pain while holding a hand to her ribs, the other one sternly holding to her sword.

''Into the cave!'' Aragorn screamed. ''Run!''

So they did barely scaping the still chasing beast's tentacles. The monster tried to reach them but managed only to bring down the entrance, as the rocks and shards were falling Leanna found herself protected by the elf's arms covering her from the debris. Then there was only darkness and the sound of their heavy breaths.

'We now have but one choice'' Gandalf said as he conjured some light with his staff and started walking. ''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.''

Leanna seathed her sword again, swallowing down the pain on her side and readied herself to keep walking.

"Were you hurt?"

"It's probably just a bruise" she dismissed with half a smile.


That wasn't just a bruise, four days later she was certain of it although she kept covering the pain. All she hoped for was to get out of that cursed place, the air smelled horribly to sulfur and the fumes they were breathing were most certainly toxic. So much that at some points she would cough and push back moaning in pain because of her side. There were depths to were no living should step, that idea floated to her mind as a whisper.

The time came when Gandalf wasn't able to remember the path and they were forced to set camp for the night. Leanna distanced herself a little from them, she sat on a rock and rested her back against the cold wall, it wasn't comfortable, in fact it was still painful. She closed her eyes trying to drift off into her thoughts, into those foreign memories that day by day felt more like memories. It was a strange feeling, even though she remembered her world perfectly, her parents, family, friends, growing up, even those horrible memories that she tried to push to the back of her mind. But no memory of a foreign life came, instead there was the face she would never forget, the black small eyes full of rage, the screams, the pain the humiliation of begging him just for him to laugh and keep on destroying everything she loved and then crushing her will.

All the sudden she was back on her childhood house, but it wasn't full of light and live, no more. Shadows crept on the walls, there was a suffocating stench of blood, and the room was so cold that she could see her breathing. That's when she heard the laughter, full of madness and malice an the raspy low voice.

"Sweet little humming bird come out, come out wherever you are, come out, come out so I can cut you down"

She tried to run but the floor was wet and she fall face first in a pool, tried to stand only to confirm her fears, it was blood, and she couldn't get up without falling again, and she was covered in blood and the steps where getting closer and closer, and she couldn't scream no one would come anyway because they were all dead.

"There you are" the monster arrived, grabbed he by the hair, the knife was at her throat.

"Leanna wake up" another voice called her.

Someone was holding her, she had to run, he would get to her again, she was trapped.

"It is nothing but a nightmare, please open your eyes and look at me"

The voice was soothing, that person smelled like fresh cut grass, wood and sandal, it was warm, it was safe and she suddenly started to sob, hiding her tears in his shoulders, she had finally woken up, and was conscious of her surroundings but the tremors wouldnt stop. He caressed her hair tenderly, and whispered words that she couldn't understand at the moment and yet sounded so beautiful and caring. Leanna clang to the elf for dear life, the dread was a tight knot around her heart and he was so warm. When she finally calmed down he spoke, calm and collected.

"Do you wish to speak about the nightmare?"

She denied with her head, still not parting from him or showing her face, Legolas sighed and looked at Aragorn. The elf was the first to notice her uneven breaths and the tears streaming down her eyes, Leanna had not screamed in her sleep not spoken. He had suddenly stood from his seat were he had been speaking to Aragorn and walked to her, the others were already asleep. The ranger had followed him but remained silent only watching his friends.

"Its a memory more than a nightmare" she trembled in his arms.

"You shall not force yourself to speak about it"

"No, its ok, it helps somehow" she added, Aragorn was willing to step away in that moment "you can hear too, Aragorn"

There were a few seconds when none of them said a thing, Legolas took her in his arms and settled her in a sided position between his legs, still allowing her to hide her face away, she was so much like a scared child at that moment that made both of her companions hearts turn in angst.

"I lived with my parents, they had an inn, it was small but we got by pretty well. It was autumn, and there werent many customers, an elder married couple, a young woman who was moving into town and then that man came" her voice trembled again "I… I was twelve years old, but the moment I saw him I was terrified like a six years old. But I didnt tell anyone, maybe I was just imagining things… I should have said something…" she sobbed, the memories were flooding her mind and she knew she had to keep talking "He called me humming bird, his little hummingbird, he called me that over and over again while he cut them, I begged him to stop, I told him I would do anything but he didnt stop"

And she couldnt speak anymore, there were only more tears, and Legolas held her until she drifted into sleep, Aragorn only nodded and gave them space wishing for had been close to her twelve years ago, having been able to protect that little girl.

She woke up, her throat felt dry, Legolas was still holding her and the sheer terror from the night before was replaced by nervousness and a really deep blush.

"I... I'm..." She didn't knew what to say or how to react, so nervous she felt that was unable to notice the slight blush on his face.

"Do you feel better?"

"Yes! Of course!" She tried to stand and a white flash of pain cursed through her.

"Are you still in pain? Four days have passed since the fight it should have healed by this time"

"That's..." she finally managed to stand with his help, fortunately they were both back on their feet before the time the others noticed their position.

"Does it hurt when you breath or move?" He said holding her gently by a hand when she tried to move away.

"Ah!.It is that way!" Gandalf exclaimed and the woman took the chance to escape from the elf's gaze.

"He's remembered!" Pippin voice cut through.

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

"Gandalf's logic one o one, Morrigan guards us. I have a bad feeling about this"


The road ahead was not much different from that they have come from, but eventually they reached a sort of huge cavern, Leanna felt as if standing under the largest cathedral anyone could imagine. She felt small, terribly small, and even if the air wasn't as stall as before the death was as present. They were still in danger.

"Let me risk a little more light," Gandalf himself said. He did something magicky with his staff and suddenly the whole chamber was illuminated. "Behold! The great realm and Dwarf-city of Dwarrowdelf."

"Now there's an eye-opener, and no mistake," Sam breathed.

Leanna stood close to Aragorn a hand on the hilt of her sword, that wasn't a city anymore, but a ghost town. There was destruction, a battle had took place there she was certain of it.

Sunlight entered through small windows on the roof and walls, Gimli and Gandalf spoke of the city but she couldn't bring herself to listen. Instead she muttered a prayer.

" Oh mother of the night,

Your child begs on the raven's wings

Oh Queen in the battle

Guidance for the souls of the warriors

For their time has come.

Oh Judge on the night

May their souls find rest at last"

She had stalled when they ran forward after Gimli, felt the danger at her back when she crossed the gates, and the cold that was taking over her mind was one she had come to be familiar with. She stand in front of the crypt, she read the runes and understood them before Gandalf spoke.

"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria. He is dead hen… It's as I feared"

"We must move on, we cannot linger" Legolas voice was but a whisper said to Aragorn.

Leanna didn't move, just stood there, next to Gimli, her eyes fixed on the stone, remembering the funeral, the graves. And the anger, the blinding anger that rushed through her veins, the one that had both kept her alive for years and killed something inside of her.

Leanna put a hand on Gimli's shoulder bus mustered not a word, he understood however and gave her a slow nod.

''They have taken the bridge… and the second hall,'' Leanna heard Gandalf say ''We have barred the gates… but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums… drums… in the deep.''

He was reading a journal, she took a step back from Gimli and put her hand over the swordhilt.

''We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out… They are coming.''

Just then Pippin knocked a corpse over into a well, altogether with the chain and the bucket and it produced the most strident noise, nothing living or death in Moria wouldn't have heard it.

''Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!'' Gandalf hissed angrily.

That was no time for being angry, it was there, echoing and trembling across the walls, drums, there were drums in the deep, and she could swore to every child of Danaan that she had heard them before.

"Orcs" she announced in a steady voice and readied her sword.

Boromir ran towards the door to have a quick look, but was almost hit by the arrows that passed mere inches from his face; he closed the door quickly.

''Get back!'' Aragorn shouted out to the hobbits as he rushed over to Boromir.

"They have a cave troll" Boromir announced.

Legolas and Leanna throw every dwarf weapon they could find to the men so they could block the door with it, and it worked, gave them enough time for them to step back and ready their oun weapons. The door shook as the Orcs slammed against it, every punch seemed like a countdown. The queen came to her memory once more, the faith her tutor had passed on to her was deeply rooted in her heart and mind.

"Give me the dark of the night,

for I am shadow and the last light,

give me the fang of the wolf,

give me the blade to draw blood

for I am the fang and the wolf"

She paid no attention to Legolas's nor Gandalf's reactions to her words all she cared for was that the adrenaline was kicking in and no longer felt pain, Gimli leaped atop the tomb of his late cousin, axe ready in his arms.

"Argh! Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!"

The doors started coming down, weapons crashed through the holes on the wood. Aragorn used a bow too, and stood next to Legolas, both ready to shoot at any moment. Boromir was right next to them, he gave Leanna a quick glance and she wasnt certain of what he saw in her eyes but there was a sort of wild determination in them.

The Orcs gashed a first gap in the door and Legolas took the first kill. The elf readied another arrow to his bow as Aragorn shot another. They worked quickly but it wouldn't be enough, and then the door hit the floor completely.

So the next part it's really challenging for me to write so please be patient. Thank you for reading ; )

PS: Ej101 Yes I'm still looking for a beta if you are still interested, and I'm really happy you enjoy this story so much.