Chapter Four~The Crows

"If anyone were to ask my opinion, and I know they're not," Gimli was pacing over the rocks where the were resting for lunch. "I'd say we were taking the long way 'round." Beyond him, Rina could hear Boromir teaching Merry and Pippin how to sword fight, with Aragorn throwing out instructions and tips. Frodo and Sam were watching from a rock, eating. "Gandalf, we could go through the Mines of Moria. My cousin, Balin, would give us a royal welcome."

Marina could feel the tension in the atmosphere shift drastically. "No, Gimli...I would not go through the Mines unless I had no other choice."

"What's the matter, Gandalf? Scared of the dark?" She was drawing her knife over a stone, sharpening it.

"Rather, what is in it, dear girl." Of course she knew what he meant, but it was nice to tease him anyway. There was a clang of a sword being dropped, and then a scuffle between the Hobbits and Men. But...something was wrong. She heard Sam ask what something was, confused.

Rina placed a hand on Samora and whispered, "Lend me your eyes, old friend." Immediately, the canine turned her eyes in the direction that everyone else was looking. Legolas stood the farthest away, trying to track the dark mass.

"It's nothing." Gimli assured them. "Just a wisp of cloud."

"It's moving fast...and against the wind." Boromir was out of breath, rising from his play-fight with Merry and Pippin.

"Crebine from Dudland!" The Elf turned and started grabbing up his pack.

"Hide!" Rina felt herself being hauled under a rock, then pushed farther into the crevice. By the smell of him, it had to be Boromir. Gimli was tucked up beside her, with Samora under her head. The dog's scraggly fur gave her comfort. Above them, the sound of a large murder of crows flew in circles around their camp. Upon finding nothing, their wings carried them away.

"Spies of Saruman. The passage south is being watched. We must take the Pass of Caradhras."

"Gandalf," Marina's eyes widened. "That way is nearly impassable this time of year. The path is treacherous, loose rocks alone could be our undoing. That's not including the storms that could blow us off the mountain."

"We have no other choice."

Indeed, it seemed they did not. But, none of them were all to glad to be walking the snow-covered path. Many a time, one of them lost their footing. Frodo managed to roll all the way down to the back of the line, taking Rina with him when she tried to grab the Halfling. She was caught by Boromir, Frodo kept rolling until Aragorn managed to stop him. He helped Frodo up immediately, Rina floundering to get her footing. Samora's cold nose was stuck in her face, her tongue warm on her cheek. Snow was not a conductive surface for a blind woman trying to walk without falling.

"Boromir!" Aragorn's voice rang out, amplified by the snow. "Give the ring to Frodo."

That startled her. If the Man were to get it in his mind to take the Ring for himself, his heart would not stand up against the evil that resided within it. Still, there wasn't much she could do from the ground, since she still couldn't get to her feet. "A little help would be nice, thank you very much." Samora was doing her best, there was only so much the canine could do without hands. As if shaken from his trance, Boromir muttered an apology and helped her up. Her hand slipped down his arm, fingers brushing over the exposed skin on his wrist. She was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea. To anyone else watching, they simply would have seen her lose balance and grasp the man to retain it. But, truly, she was frightened. She saw him running after something, assumingly invisible, cursing to the wind. She could feel the anger burning within him, and then the disgust that followed. And, then, pain. Sharp pain in her breast and belly. Rina was suddenly yanked from the vision, with a death grip on her companion's arm. Pulling away from him, she said nothing, but turned away and picked up Samora's leash. Though she did not know how or when, death was coming. Maybe just for the Gondorian captain, maybe for all of them. Whatever it was, it scared her.

It would take them many days to make it through the pass, weeks maybe. And many a night were spent huddled around a fire, with tents stretched around them as a barrier against the wind. Rina and Samora slept near the Halflings in an effort to keep them warm. The men took turns keeping watch, rotating shifts outside the safety of the camp. Rina could feel the storm brewing as they neared the peak, smelled the ozone, felt the bite of the wind as the temperature dropped the higher they went. They made it to the peak. Gandalf led them in single file, clearing the way through waist deep snow with his staff. Legolas walked on top of the snow, much to everyone's irritation. He moved around them, taking the head. Gimli had taken it upon himself to walk in front of Marina, her hand on his shoulder, Samora close behind her as he cleared the snow away for the second time. Aragorn and Boromir brought up the rear carrying the Hobbits.

"There is a foul voice on the air," Legolas had stopped on a rock jutting out from the cliff.

"I hear it, too!" Rina shouted over the wind that ripped at their clothes.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf yelled, right as there was a loud crack from above them. Gimli pushed Marina against the rock face. Boulders tumbled down from the top of the mountain, barely missing them.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn shouted from the rear. "We must turn back!"

"No!" He had Legolas help him onto the rock, and began shouting spells into the air to combat the malevolent ones of his opponent.

"What's going on?!" Rina was frightened. The crack of lightening. More crashing. They were being buried in an avalanche, snow and rocks falling all around them. In that moment, after the storm settled, Marina was living her worst nightmare. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. On top of being blind, she was now deaf as well, and it scared the hell out of her. In her head, she was screaming, thrashing and trying to get loose. She was frozen in fear. Someone started pulling at her arm, tugging her to the surface. When she broke through, Rina gasped for air, her lungs burning. It was Legolas who had saved her, and held her, trembling, in his arms. "What happened?" She asked shakily.

"Saruman sent lightening to crack the stone. Are you alright?"

"I am fine. It scared me something aweful."

Boromir leaned around her to yell at the Wizard. "We must get off the mountain. Make for the Gap of Rohan, and take the West Road to my city."

"The Gap of Rohan will take us too close to Isengard."

"If we cannot go over the mountain, let us go under it!" Gimli proclaimed. "Let us go through the Mines of Moria."

"You are insane!" Rina shouted, still shaken.

There was a moment of silence, as Gandalf contemplaited. "Let the Ring Bearer decide."

All eyes turned to Frodo, still clutched in Aragorn's arms, keeping him above the snow. He was so scared, even Rina could see it in her darkness, the yellow of fear pulse from his aura.

Another harsh gust blew at them. "We cannot stay here! It will be the death of the Hobbits!" Rina yelled.

"We will go through the Mines." Frodo finally said.