It's been awhile. I ended up editing this chapter several times because I wasn't happy with the results. This is a big chapter since we will be covering Moria in this one. Also, there's a bit more of Ricky's backstory here. Enjoy and leave a comment on the review board.
Saruman was fuming. His plan to stop Gandalf and the others on Caradhas had failed. It did not help that the boy had a hand in it. He could not understand how a normal boy could make him falter in his spell. It should not have been possible.
It did not really matter. Saruman had changed their course to take them through Moria. If the goblins did not take care of them, Durin's bane would. And nothing Gandalf and that boy could do would stop it.
But Saruman was still troubled by the boy. When he first saw him, Saruman knew the boy was special. However, there was no magic in him. He was not an Istar from some foreign land and he was no magician. So why was he able to cause Saruman to falter?
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."
The boy's words echoed in Saruman's head.
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."
It was not the boy who was the problem, but his words. They could be persuasive. There was little the boy could do to influence people as long as he stayed ignorant of this knowledge. He was not a threat at the moment. Saruman would have to eliminate the boy. But how?
Perhaps it was not a matter of eliminating the boy, but turning him against Gandalf. The chances were slim they would survive Moria, but if they did, Saruman had plans for the boy.
The Fellowship went back to where their camp was at Hollin. They had almost lost the light. Gimli got a fire going and Sam began cooking supper. The Hobbits were still very cold and gathered around the fire. Ricky took his usual seat on the edge of camp, able to look at everything.
"Ricky, give an old man some company," Gandalf called to him.
Ricky got up from his seat and came to sit next to Gandalf.
"That was a very brave thing you did on the mountain," Gandalf said.
"And what you did was stupid," Ricky told him. "Climbing out on the edge of the ledge like that. Crazy old man." Ricky elbowed Gandalf. It was only a love tap, but it got his point across.
Gandalf glared down at him.
Ricky looked up. He wasn't wearing his goggles and it was easy to see his green eyes. He had been worried about Gandalf.
"What you said today was very true," Gandalf continued.
Ricky nodded. "Lived it," he whispered. He swallowed hard. "I've been around monsters all my life. They may look human, but those are the worst monsters."
"And you?" Gandalf asked. "Have you become a monster?"
Ricky clenched a fist and looked down at it. "Not sure anymore." He got up and went to his bedroll. He didn't eat his supper that night.
After a couple hours of sleep, Ricky woke up to a noise. Aragorn was on watch. Ricky took his flashlight out of his pack and went over to Aragorn.
"Did you hear that?" Ricky asked Aragorn.
"No," replied Aragorn. "What did you hear?"
"Not sure," Ricky muttered, his eyes scanning the area. His finger hovered over the switch on the flashlight.
A loud howl sounded. Ricky flipped on his flashlight and caught a set of eyes charging out of the rocks.
Aragorn drew his sword. "Wargs!"
Ricky jumped up and was shocked to see the massive twisted wolves that were Wargs. But shock gets you killed and Ricky knew it. He immediately drew his Elvish daggers, dropping the flashlight. He cut the tendons of one Warg before stabbing it in the chest.
Legolas was up and firing his arrows into several of the Wargs. Gimli slammed his axe down into one with a yell. Aragorn, Boromir, and Gandalf slashed them with their swords. The Hobbits were shoved by the fire to keep them safe.
Bill the pony was in a panic. A Warg was creeping up on what it thought was an easy meal. Ricky saw the stalking Warg and threw one of his daggers at it. The Warg howled in pain. Legolas quickly put an end to it with an arrow.
Gandalf shouted something and slammed his staff on the ground. A blast of magic sent the Wargs running.
Ricky retrieved his dagger out of the body of the Warg.
"Be aware where you throw your daggers," Legolas told him. "Your form is sloppy."
Ricky twitched his nose. "It works." He also retrieved his flashlight.
No one got much sleep. They packed up and moved on after burning the bodies of the Wargs they killed.
It was another two days before their next incident. Ricky had woken up early. Sam was also awake and preparing breakfast. Legolas had last watch and was sitting on a rock. The sky was lightening in the east.
Ricky moved over to Sam.
"Good morning, Mr. Weiss."
"You know you can just call me Ricky."
Sam nodded. "I was only being polite."
"Sam, if you haven't figured it out yet, being polite isn't something I'm used to. If you gotta get my attention, yell my name. The Mister-Master stuff is just a waste of breath."
"Yes, sir," said Sam.
"And 'sir' suggests that I deserve respect," Ricky added. "I don't."
"Oh, Mr. Weiss, you may be coarse, but you deserve respect, sir," Sam sweetly argued.
Ricky blinked. "Thanks."
Ricky suddenly jumped up and started looking around. "Hey, Legolas, did you hear something?"
Legolas drew an arrow from his quiver. "Wolves!"
Everyone jumped up, grabbing their weapons. The wolves, as typical predators do, went after the weakest. The Hobbits were quickly pushed to the fire once again so the others could keep track of them.
Ricky kicked a wolf in the jaw. The wolf snarled at him. Ricky snarled back. The wolf charged and so did Ricky. Ricky was knocked back, being the smaller opponent, but he flipped the wolf so it was on the ground. He snarled and pinned the wolf, going as far as biting its ear. The wolf yelped. Ricky punched it in the head a couple of times before letting it up. The wolf decided he wasn't worth the aggravation and ran off.
Gandalf scared the rest of the wolves with a burst of magic.
Ricky grabbed his flashlight and shined it around the area, looking for eyes. There were none.
"That was foolish!" Boromir scolded Ricky. "That wolf could have killed you!"
"They weren't that hungry," Ricky said, putting his flashlight away. "I've seen starved dogs fight harder for food. Probably tryin' to run us off. Besides, what do you care?"
Ricky went back to his bedroll and laid down.
A few minutes later, Frodo crawled over to Ricky's bedroll. "Ricky, are you sleeping?"
"If I was, I'm not now," Ricky responded. "Whadiya want?"
"Do you think I'm a monster?"
Ricky nearly knocked Frodo down as he whipped around to face him. "What da hell makes you say dat?"
Frodo reached up to touch the Ring under his shirt.
Ricky sighed. "God. Frodo, what do you think?"
"I am not a monster," Frodo replied.
"There's your answer," Ricky told him.
"What if you do not know?"
"Frodo, there is no way you've done all the stuff I've done," said Ricky. "I've done some stuff that would get me a twenty year prison sentence. I'm here with you to destroy the Ring. I think it's safe to say if I'm not a monster, you're not a monster."
"Really?" Frodo looked down at Ricky with large blue eyes.
"Yeah," said Ricky.
From across the camp, Gandalf overheard Ricky say he wasn't a monster. He gave a small smile and went back to his pipe.
After breakfast, they continued on. Gandalf told them they should reach the west entrance to Moria by the end of the day.
It was dusk when they saw the ruins of an aqueduct in the mist and ice of the mountains.
Gandalf beckoned to Frodo. "Frodo, come and help an old man."
Frodo hurried up to Gandalf and let him lean on him.
"How is your shoulder?" Gandalf asked.
"Better than it was," Frodo answered.
"And the Ring?" Gandalf and Frodo stopped. "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 rest of the Fellowship was passing them by. Boromir passed them at that moment. Gandalf and Frodo glanced at him.
"Who then do I trust?" Frodo asked Gandalf.
"You must trust yourself," Gandalf told him. "Trust your own strengths."
Frodo frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
"There are many powers in this world for good and for evil. Some are greater than I am. And against some I have not yet been tested."
"Ricky once told me I have to make a judgment call," Frodo said.
Gimli came up to them and stopped, staring in wonder. "The Walls of Moria."
A sheer cliff loomed in front of them.
Ricky was reminded the sky scrapers back in New York. The size was impressive and inspired awe. However, Ricky felt he didn't appreciate it as much as the others. He grew up around sky scrapers. But perhaps it was nature that impressed him in a different way. He was still amazed by the mountains, the clean air and water, and the vibrant plants even in the wintertime. Ricky never got to see anything like that unless he was in Central Park, which he got there every few weeks.
To get to the Walls they had to walk across a narrow path made up of slippery rocks, thanks to the lake in front of the Walls.
"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed." Gimli tapped his axe on the rock.
Gandalf spoke up from the front. "Yes, Gimli, their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas asked from behind Gimli.
Gimli gave a disgusted sniff at the Elf's comment.
Frodo slipped and one foot went into the water. A hand shot out and pulled him back onto the ground and on his feet. Frodo looked behind him and saw Ricky. Ricky released Frodo and they kept walking.
Gandalf stopped at a smooth place in the wall framed by two gnarled and twisted trees. There were very faint lines on the wall.
"Isilden," he murmured. "It mirrors only starlight and moonlight."
The moon came out from behind thick dark clouds.
The lines on the wall glowed brightly and became clearer and bolder. The image was an arched doorway with lettering in another language at the top. There were also seven stars and a crown that Ricky could see from the place he was standing.
"It reads, 'The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak friend and enter.'"
"What do you suppose that means?" Merry called.
"It's simple," Gandalf told them confidently. "If you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open."
Gandalf raised his arms. "Annon Edhellen, edro hi ammen!"
A cold wind blew, causing Frodo to shiver. Other than that, nothing happened.
Undaunted, Gandalf tried again. "Fennas Nogothrim, lasto beth lammen."
Again, nothing happened.
Gandalf dropped his arms.
"Nothing's happening," Pippin said.
Gandalf pushed against the walls. "I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves, Men, and Orcs."
"What are you going to do then?" Pippin asked.
"Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took!" Gandalf angrily replied. "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."
Ricky raised his eyebrows. "Gonna have to remember that one."
They sat outside the Mines for two hours as Gandalf tried to find the opening words. Ricky knew it was two hours because he had checked his pocket watch. It wasn't as accurate as he wanted it to be, but it still kept track of how many hours went by.
In all honesty, Ricky had forgotten about the pocket watch. He had lifted it a while back and was going to sell it, but had forgotten about it. He had hid it where he hid all of his other valuables – in his first aid kit – and found it during the journey when he needed bandages. The gold pocket watch had been wrapped up in a roll of bandages.
Aragorn and Sam unpacked Bill.
"The Mines are no place for a pony," Aragorn told Sam, taking the last of his stuff off. "Even one as brave as Bill."
"Buh-bye, Bill," Sam told the pony sorrowfully.
Aragorn got the pony turned around. "Go on, Bill. Go on." He gave him a slap on the rump and Bill trotted off. "Don't worry, Sam. He knows his way home."
Pippin began throwing rocks into the water out of boredom. Aragorn came around caught his arm as Pippin was about to throw another rock.
"Do not disturb the water," Aragorn said ominously.
Gandalf threw his staff down with a muttered surrender and sat beside Frodo. He took off his hat in his despair.
Ricky had a pessimistic thought about the Doors. "This is gonna suck if these doors are like some of the stuff back home."
"Why do you say that?" asked Frodo.
"Well, some stuff with passwords lock you out permanently after so many tries," replied Ricky. "It keeps people who aren't supposed to be in it out. Though if you do forget the password, there's usually another way to get it."
"And if there isn't one?" Frodo asked.
"You're S.O.L."
Frodo and Gandalf frowned at Ricky in confusion.
"Shit outta luck," Ricky elaborated.
Meanwhile, Aragorn and Boromir were looking at something moving the water.
Ricky kept talking. "Then again, if Dwarves are as stupid as the some of the Elves have told me, I don't think there's a lockout. And I think that the answer would be staring us right in the face. Probably would have bit us if it had teeth."
At Ricky's words, Frodo looked up at the inscription. "It's a riddle," he said quietly. "Speak friend and enter. Gandalf, what's the Elvish word for friend?"
"Mellon," Gandalf replied.
The rock divided and two large doors swung outward.
Gandalf chuckled in triumph.
The Fellowship gathered their things and entered.
Gandalf placed a crystal on his staff.
The Mines were pitch black and what little moonlight came through the doors was not enough to light the threshold. Ricky, used to dim light and using only shadows to find his way, noticed something wrong. He immediately got in front of the Fellowship and smelled the familiar scent found in forgotten tunnels.
Gimli couldn't help but boast. "Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves; roaring fires, malt beer, red meat off the bone."
Gandalf cupped his hand to the crystal and breathed a few words. The crystal began to give off a white light that lit up the chamber.
"This, my friend, is the home of my cousin, Balin," Gimli continued. "And they call it a mine. A mine," he added amused.
"Oh, damn," breathed Ricky.
Skeletons of Dwarves were scattered around the chamber in rusting armor. Axes and arrows stuck out of their corpses.
The Fellowship looked on in horror.
"This is no mine," Boromir said grimly. "It is a tomb."
"No," Gimli cried, running over to a skeleton. "No! No! NO!"
Legolas went to another skeleton and pulled a crude arrow out of it. "Goblins." He threw the arrow down and drew one of his own.
Everyone else drew their swords and began to back away to the entrance.
Ricky hurried to the Hobbits, looking over his shoulder at the darkness as he went.
"We make for the Gap of Rohan," Boromir told Aragorn quietly. "We should never have come here."
The Hobbits scrambled back to the door, their backs to the water.
"Now, get out of here," Boromir ordered. "Get out!"
Ricky stopped looking behind him. He saw that there was something moving in the water behind the Hobbits.
"Move!" His voice cracked harshly as he yelled at them. He grabbed Pippin and Sam and pushed them behind him.
Frodo was pulled to the ground. A thick tentacle was wrapped around his leg. Pippin, Merry, and Ricky all grabbed Frodo.
"Strider!" Sam yelled before joining them.
Ricky started hacking at the tentacle with one dagger. However, his dagger wasn't enough to cut through.
"Get off him!" Sam swung his own sword down on the tentacle, slicing it off where Ricky had started cutting.
The wounded tentacle retreated below the surface.
Merry and Pippin hurried to pull Frodo away from the water.
More tentacles burst out of the water. The Hobbits and Ricky were beaten back while the creature in the water grabbed Frodo again. Frodo was flung up in the air, a few more tentacles wrapping around him.
Legolas ran out of the Mines and shot one tentacle.
Aragorn and Boromir jumped into the water and started hacking away at the tentacles.
The creature's head emerged from the water, showing its giant humanlike face.
"What da hell is dat t'ing?" Ricky shouted.
It opened its mouth and held Frodo over it.
Boromir sliced a tentacle off. Aragorn cut another one. The creature was startled and dropped Frodo into Boromir's arms.
"Into the Mines!" yelled Gandalf.
"Legolas!" shouted Boromir.
Legolas shot the creature in the eye to give them time to get out of the water.
"Run!" Aragorn yelled.
They rushed into the Mines. Behind them, the creature followed them, climbing out of the water.
Ricky knew the sound of crumbling rock when he heard it. He didn't need to look behind him to know the creature was causing a cave in. The others were getting ahead of Ricky.
The Fellowship heard a high pitched scream of pain as the rocks came tumbling down. They were plunged into darkness.
"We now have but one choice," they heard Gandalf say ominously. He slammed his staff on the ground and lit up the chamber with his crystal. "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."
Gandalf began leading the way up a flight of stairs. "Quietly now. It's a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence will go unnoticed."
On the other side of the stairs was a massive cavern with narrow bridges that led to different areas.
Ricky was amazed. The tunnels were nothing like this.
They travelled on a narrow ledge with ladders and ropes running the height of the cavern. No one spoke.
Gandalf ran his hand over the rock. The rock had veins of silver running through it. "The wealth of Moria was not in gold or jewels, but mithril."
Gandalf held his staff over the edge of the ledge. The entire depth was lit up in a silver light. The Fellowship looked down in awe. It was beautiful, but anyone could see the area had been abandoned for a long time.
"Bilbo had a shirt of mithril rings that Thorin gave him," Gandalf said.
"Oh, that was a kingly gift!" Gimli exclaimed.
"Yes," Gandalf agreed. "I never told him, but its worth was greater than the value of the Shire."
They went on until the Hobbits were stumbling over their feet in exhaustion. They made a little camp, but they didn't dare start a fire. The Hobbits had a cold supper and went to sleep. They had a double watch. Aragorn and Ricky took the first watch.
Aragorn noticed Ricky's right arm hanging awkwardly at his side. "Are you injured?"
"Just a bruise," Ricky muttered.
"Let me see."
Ricky took his shirts off, leaving on the tight Under Armour and a loose undershirt over top of it. There was no blood and the cloth was completely intact. Aragorn ran his hands over Ricky's too thin arm.
"You must eat more," Aragorn said.
"I've always been small," Ricky told him.
"You should have told me you were hurt," Aragorn continued.
"I thought I screamed."
Aragorn looked up from Ricky's arm.
"Yeah, I know," Ricky said, rolling his eyes. "I scream like a girl. My balls haven't dropped yet; whadiya expect?"
Aragorn placed one hand on Ricky's shoulder and gave the arm a tug. There was a pop and Ricky let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks."
"Try to keep it still," said Aragorn. "I will make a sling for it."
"It's my right arm," Ricky said. "I can keep it still when I need to."
"Avoid using it," Aragorn ordered. "It soon should be time to change watch."
Ricky perked up and started searching his pockets. "What did I do with it? I thought I had it. Here it is!" In his hand was a gold pocket watch. "Found it when I was checking through my first aid kit a couple nights ago. I thought I pawned it ages ago."
He popped it open and checked the time. "Only been about an hour."
Aragorn looked at Ricky pocket watch. "That is a very useful device. Horology is a rare and expensive craft. Few own such pieces of work."
"I know you don't like hearin' this, but I stole this." Ricky gave a half grin to Aragorn and shrugged his good shoulder. "Picked it off some stock broker. Heard him braggin' about it to his coworkers. When he wasn't lookin', I picked it right out of his pocket. It was so easy. People don't watch what is around them, even if they think they do. You get a whole new level of awareness when you have to search for food and a safe place to sleep."
"It must have been difficult," Aragorn said.
Ricky gave a small shake of his head. "Once you know what to look for, you're somewhat safe for the most part. Things could have turned out much worse for me. I keep tellin' myself I could be workin' for a drug dealer."
"Where will you go when this is over?" asked Aragorn.
"I never thought about it," replied Ricky. "Honestly, I don't see myself getting out of this alive."
"You can always stay in Rivendell," Aragorn offered.
"The Elves are leavin', remember?" Ricky pointed out.
"There are many places to stay," Aragorn continued. "I have traveled all over Middle Earth. You could stay in Gondor. It is a very large city, something you are used to. There is Rohan, the home of the horse lords. Gimli could take you to Erebor to see the Dwarves. And the Hobbits like you. I am certain you would receive an invitation to visit them in the Shire."
Ricky hummed. "Still be wanderin' around, but instead of New York, it'd be Middle Earth. I can live with that."
"Do you like wandering?"
"Eh, I'm used to findin' the same landmarks and stuff. It would be nice to know that somethin's waitin' for you. But I can live without it. At least now I don't have to worry about a bullet in the back. And I've better chances learnin' a trade here than back in New York." Ricky became silent. "I can actually have a life here," he whispered in amazement.
"What would you like to do?" Aragorn asked.
Ricky was silent again and dropped his head. "I don't know. I'm not really good at anythin' useful."
"You would make a fine groom," Aragorn suggested.
Ricky frowned in confusion. "Huh?"
"A stablehand," Aragorn clarified. "The horses in Rivendell seemed to like you enough."
"They tolerated me, like everyone else does. And I know nothin' about horses."
"You are a quick study. I watched you learn how to handle a bow in a week."
"I'm not that good."
"Ricky, you are smarter than you believe yourself to be. You have talent. You can learn anything if you apply yourself."
The corner of Ricky's mouth twitched. "I like animals. I guess I could do that. It'd be a lot of work. I never rode before. We don't use horses like you guys use."
"Then what do you use for travel?"
Ricky knew he couldn't properly explain cars and planes. "We use machines."
"Your world sounds very different from ours."
"Very." Ricky looked down at his pocket watch. "Our watch is almost over. Who has the next one?"
"Gimli and Boromir. Gandalf and Legolas will finish and then we will move on."
Ten minutes later, they woke their relief and went to bed themselves.
It was during his sleep that Ricky remembered.
He was walking back to the alley behind the Chinese restaurant where he was staying. One of the employees took pity on Ricky and would save some leftovers that would have been throw out in the garbage and keep them hot in a bowl for him.
He was two blocks from the restaurant when he heard a little girl screaming.
"Shut up!" a man snapped.
Ricky stopped and turned back around. The screaming was coming from the alley that he had just passed. He ran back and saw two men trying to force a girl into the back of a car.
Ricky dashed forward and punched out the man holding the girl. He dropped like a stone. The little girl screamed and ran.
"What da fuck?" the other man shouted. He was young, a few years older than Ricky with blonde hair and buck teeth. He smiled. "Where da hell did you come from?"
Ricky said nothing and attacked the blonde. The blonde hopped back, avoiding Ricky's attack completely. He hopped on his toes with a silly grin.
"Wuzdamatta?" he mocked. "You suck!" He laughed.
Ricky lunged for the blonde and was drop kicked in the stomach. They both ended up on the pavement. Ricky sat up and was kicked in the stomach again. He sat up again and was kicked again. This happened three more times before the blonde got to his feet.
"Sorry, man," the blonde laughed. "You're gonna have to do better than that to beat Jack Rabbit."
Ricky sat up, coiled his legs up in front of him, and launched himself at Jack Rabbit using his hands to push off. He kicked out, hitting Jack Rabbit in the knee. Jack Rabbit's leg gave out and he dropped to his injured knee.
"Screw you!"
Ricky was caught off guard when Jack Rabbit used his good leg to kick Ricky in the back of the knee. Ricky yelled and collapsed. He grabbed his injured leg.
Jack Rabbit got to his feet, trying not to put weight on his own injured leg. "How do you like it, bitch?" he crowed with a laugh. "You think you can actually out kick me? Dude, I'm a rabbit. You can't keep up with that."
As Jack Rabbit gloated, Ricky reached into his pocket and flicked open his straight razor. He pushed himself up and slashed Jack Rabbit's face. Jack Rabbit staggered back, swearing horribly.
Jack Rabbit went for Ricky. Ricky ducked and Jack Rabbit ended up jumping over him. Jack Rabbit turned around and grabbed Ricky. Ricky twisted out of the grip and slammed his elbow into Jack Rabbit's shoulder. Jack Rabbit grabbed his arm again and Ricky twisted out of it again and punched him in the back.
Jack Rabbit turned around, but Ricky wasn't where he thought he was. Ricky appeared on the other side of Jack Rabbit and kicked him in the stomach.
Jack Rabbit gasped, doubling over. "What are you – a magician? Houdini wannabe. Yo' good. But not good enough!"
Jack Rabbit kicked Ricky in the stomach again. Unable to maintain his balance, Ricky tumbled back. There was a broken board from a wood pallet at the side of the alley. Ricky picked it up and cracked Jack Rabbit in the head with it. Jack Rabbit fell like a stone.
"Shut da hell up," muttered Ricky. He rubbed his injured leg. He tried to stand up and put his weight on it, but he couldn't even straighten it properly. "Dammit. Dat's not good."
Something fell in the alley.
"Come out, kid, I know yo' dere," Ricky called.
The little girl came out of hiding. She looked down at the two men. "Are they dead?"
"Nah, just knocked out. Let's get you home."
Ricky took the little girl's hand and took her to the first police cruiser he found. They must have been getting coffee because no one was there. He told her to wait at the car while he crossed the street. He watched and waited for the cops to find her and then left. He limped back to the sewers instead of going back to the restaurant.
He mulled over the name Houdini. Houdini, the great illusionist and escape artist. Ricky was a bit proud to be compared to the great man. Through his pained grimace, he smiled.
Ricky woke up. He looked over at who was on watch and saw it was Gandalf and Legolas. They had a small fire going, probably for a little heat and to have a hot breakfast. Gandalf's staff was glowing faintly, not enough to put off a decent amount of light, but enough that it was a small beacon.
Ricky learned something in that moment. As he looked over at Legolas, he noticed the Elf was glowing. He always thought it was a trick of the light, but he was in fact glowing. There was no denying Elves had an ethereal beauty. He also appeared nervous to Ricky, like he wanted to be anywhere but here. Ricky remembered what Legolas said about how precious light is to Elves.
Legolas turned to the camp site when he heard someone moving around. It was Ricky. The boy walked over to him.
"Here." Ricky held up his flashlight. "You pull the handle out, crank it for about a minute, push the handle back in and turn it on." Ricky acted out the steps, pulling a small handle out of the back of the cylindrical device and cranking it up for a few seconds. He pushed the handle back into the cylinder and flipped the switch. He aimed the beam at the ground for a split second and turned it back off. Ricky handed the flashlight to Legolas. "I know you don't like the dark. At least now you have the choice to turn on a light."
Legolas took the flashlight and stared at it. He looked back up at Ricky. "But this is yours. This is the only device of its kind. Why are you giving it to me?"
"If you don't wanna keep it, think of it as a loan," said Ricky. "You can give it back when we get out of here. Besides, I'm used to bein' in the dark. It doesn't bother me."
Ricky went back to his bedroll.
Gandalf smiled softly around his pipe.
Boromir was awake and watched Ricky return to his bedroll. This boy was a puzzle.
They packed up after a quick warm breakfast and moved on. Again they said very little and everything was said in hushed tones. Ricky was completely fine with being in the Mines along with Gimli. The others wished for sunlight. More than once Ricky noticed Legolas fingering the pocket he had tucked the flashlight in. He also felt Boromir drilling holes into his back.
Aragorn often asked Ricky how long they had been travelling. Gimli had a good sense of time for being underground, but Ricky had the pocket watch to give an exact time. They stopped for another night.
Ricky was put on first watch again, however he was sharing it with Boromir. They didn't look at each other as they sat on watch. Ricky was aware of someone having a nightmare; Frodo.
Ricky got up and sat next to Frodo. He began to hum, stroking Frodo's curls. Frodo settled down and Ricky went back to his seat. He could feel Boromir watching him.
"Okay, Pretty Boy," Ricky finally said. "You've been watchin' me since we got up this mornin'. What is it?"
"I do not understand you," Boromir said. "Have I done something to offend you that you hate me? Or is it you have feelings for the Hobbits and the Elf?"
"I thought you didn't like me," Ricky said. "Honestly, it's not that I don't like you. I don't like your attitude. You sound like you're above everybody and they're less important than you. You showed that in Rivendell when you wanted to use the Ring. You showed that when you called me a child and that I knew nothin'. Yeah, I don't know much about this world, but I do know what power does to people. I also know what pride does. And if we want a chance to defeat Sauron, you're gonna have to swallow that pride of yours, 'cause the Ring is bankin' on usin' that against you. And it's gonna get someone killed."
"You are right."
Ricky wasn't expecting Boromir to admit it.
"I am the son of the Steward of Gondor. Certain things are expected of me."
"Like being a complete dick?" Ricky quipped.
"My father expects much from me," Boromir continued, wincing slightly at Ricky's comment. "He is a proud man. He loves Gondor and wishes for her to be safe. As do I. He wants the Ring so he is able to defeat Mordor."
"At what price?" Ricky asked. "Gandalf said there is only one thing the Ring will submit to and that's Sauron. Your father would be doomin' everybody."
Ricky stood up and walked to the shadows.
"Where are you going?" Boromir demanded.
"I gotta take a piss," answered Ricky.
"Stay in sight," Boromir called after him.
Ricky looked over his shoulder. "I never pissed in front of you before. Why should I start now?"
Boromir said nothing more. Throughout the entire journey, Ricky always ran to the bushes out of sight of the others to relieve himself or change his clothes. The rest of them used a nearby tree while someone could still see their head or were within speaking distance. They told him if it was a matter of being ashamed for being underdeveloped, they did not care. Ricky said it had to do with how he grew up. He didn't want to be caught with his pants down in front of anybody and if he was in danger, he could yell.
With a shake of his head, Boromir thought about how much of a puzzle the boy could be. He spoke his mind and had quite the mouth on him, but he never spoke much about his life, only giving the minimal details when asked. He was ready to fight at a drop of a boot, yet would run when things did not go his way. His boldness could be taken as cruelty, but he had soothed Frodo and given comfort to Legolas in the form of his light making device.
The boy was a contradiction, but there appeared to be an innate power about him. Boromir wondered if Ricky could truly contribute something to the journey and not something that appeared to be coincidence or luck.
Ricky woke up to someone shaking his shoulder. "What?" He looked over at Gandalf. "What?"
"I have a special job for you," Gandalf told him.
"Couldn't've waited?" Ricky grumbled. He sat up. "What?"
"I believe there is something following us," Gandalf told him.
"Which way?" Ricky asked.
Gandalf glanced back at the way they came.
Ricky got up. "Give me twenty minutes."
Ricky disappeared into the darkness. He made a loop around the camp and climbed behind several rocks and down part of a shaft. He noticed something crawling around behind them. He wasn't sure what he was looking at, but it wasn't human. Then again, anything attacking them that was human was the least of their worries.
Ricky reported back to Gandalf.
"Thank you, Ricky," Gandalf said when Ricky finished telling him what he saw in the shaft. "We have little to worry about from that creature at the moment."
Ricky nodded and went back to his bedroll. He looked around and saw everyone else sleeping. "Thought Gimli was supposed to be keepin' watch with you."
"But you kept watch with me," Gandalf said innocently. "Go back to sleep, Master Weiss. I apologize for waking you so early."
Ricky grunted and went back to sleep for another hour.
Their path took them up a flight of steep stairs. There were skeletons littering the area and graffiti on the broken walls.
Ricky frowned. "What is this place?"
"A Dwarf cemetery," Gimli replied quietly.
Ricky took another look at the Dwarf skeletons. "Damn goblins."
At the top of the stairs was a small landing with three doorways. Gandalf stopped and looked at the doorways for several moments. "I have no memory of this place."
They got a fire going to keep warm and have some light on the landing. Gandalf sat on a fallen rock, looking at the doorways.
"Are we lost?" Pippin quietly asked Merry.
"No. I don't think we are. Shhh, Gandalf's thinking."
"Merry."
"What?"
"I'm hungry."
Ricky rolled his eyes. He glanced up from his seat on the landing to see Frodo standing above him and looking at the tunnel below them. Ricky had heard the sound of whatever was following them, but wasn't sure if anyone else did. Apparently Frodo had. The Hobbit quickly turned around and went to Gandalf.
"There's something down there," he whispered urgently to Gandalf.
"It's Gollum," Gandalf quietly said, not turning to face him.
"Gollum?" Frodo repeated.
Ricky tilted his head back so he was able to hear their conversation.
"He's been following us for three days," Gandalf continued.
"He escaped the dungeons of Barad-dûr?" Frodo asked disbelievingly.
"Escaped." Gandalf turned to face Frodo. "Or was set loose. And now the Ring has drawn him here. He will never be rid of his need for it. He hates and loves the Ring, as he hates and loves himself. Sméagol's life is a sad story."
Frodo must have looked bewildered because what Ricky heard next was, "Yes, Sméagol he was once called before the Ring came to him, before it drove him mad."
"It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance," Frodo said grimly.
"Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand," said Gandalf. "Many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. 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."
"I wish the Ring had never come to me," Frodo said. "I wish none of this had happened."
"So do all who live to see such times," said Gandalf. "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."
Ricky's mouth twitched slightly at Gandalf's words.
"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 also were meant to have it, and that is an encouraging thought."
Ricky gave a small nod of his head.
"Ah!" Gandalf exclaimed brightly. "It's that way."
"He's remembered!" Merry said, jumping up.
"No," replied Gandalf. "But the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meridoc, follow your nose." He gave a small laugh.
Everyone quickly gathered their things. Aragorn made a torch for some extra light before dousing the small fire.
They walked through the passage and through an arched doorway.
"Let me risk a little more light," Gandalf said. He tapped his staff and the cavern lit up. "Behold! The great realm and Dwarf-city of Dwarrowdelf."
Massive columns rose into the air to support a ceiling that was in shadow.
"Well, there's an eye opener and no mistake," said Sam.
The place was massive. Ricky had seen apartment buildings that could fit in here and have no chance at touching the ceiling.
Gandalf began leading them again. They didn't get too far before Gimli suddenly let out a cry and ran to a chamber off to the side. The doors of the chamber were open and had black arrows embedded in them. Skeletons were scattered in front of the doorway, but none of them appeared to be Dwarves.
"Gimli!" Gandalf called after him.
They followed him in to see a mostly empty chamber. There were more skeletons littering the floor, several of them Dwarfish. In the far corner was a stone walled well with a skeleton sitting on it.
Gimli was kneeling in front of what appeared to be a low stone table with a white slab on top. An opening in the ceiling allowed a shaft of sunlight to illuminate the room and the sunlight was directly on the stone slab.
Gandalf came up behind Gimli. "'Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria,'" he read. "He is dead, then. It's as I feared."
Gimli sobbing quieted a little. "Kilmin malur ni zaram kalil ra narag. Kheled-zâram . . . Balin tazlifi."
Gandalf looked down and saw one of the skeletons against the tomb. The skeleton was holding a thick book in his hands. Gandalf removed his hat and handed it and his staff to Pippin. He moved the skeleton's hands aside and picked up the book.
Ricky took a place beside Gimli. He noticed Gandalf fiddling with the skeleton. "Really, Gandalf?" he muttered.
Legolas turned to Aragorn. "We must move on. We cannot linger," he whispered urgently.
Gandalf opened the book and blew the dust off the pages. "'They have taken the Bridge and the second hall: we have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long.'"
Ricky couldn't help but think that it sounded like some dark poetry.
"The ground shakes. Drums, drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming.'"
There was a loud crash.
Everyone turned in the direction of the sound. They had been focused on Gandalf and no one had noticed Pippin backing up, unnerved by what Gandalf was reading. Pippin had bumped the skeleton sitting on the edge of the well. The head fell off. Pippin winced. The rest of the skeleton followed along with the long chain and the bucket attached.
Ricky dashed forward to try to save one more thing from falling down the deep well. He just missed grabbing the bucket.
They stood in stunned silence as the armor clattered down the well. The echoes were loud! It was impossible for anything else in the mines not to hear it.
Finally everything came to a stop. Several let out sighs of relief when they heard nothing afterwards.
Gandalf slammed the book shut angrily. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" He snatched his staff and hat away.
Pippin looked down at his feet.
Boom!
They turned back to the well.
There were more drumbeats and they were answered around Moria. Screeches were added to the drums along with the sound of many running feet.
The Fellowship turned to the doors.
Sam turned to Frodo, glancing down at his belt. "Mr. Frodo!" He pointed to Frodo's scabbard.
Frodo pulled his sword out. The blade was glowing a cold blue.
A high pitched ululating echoed throughout the halls.
"Orcs!" Legolas said darkly.
Aragorn whirled around to the Hobbits. "Get back! Stay close to Gandalf!" He threw the torch he had been carrying down and began helping Boromir to barricade the doors.
Boromir was almost shot in the face by two black arrows. A loud roar echoed over all the other sounds.
"They have a cave troll," Boromir announced drily, closing the doors.
They used rusty war axes to bar the doors.
Gimli jumped up on Balin's tomb. "Let them come!" he yelled. "There is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!"
Legolas and Aragorn stood at the front with their bows, while Boromir stood at their side with his sword and shield. Gandalf had thrown down his hat and drawn his sword. The Hobbits mimicked him.
Ricky was at the back of the chamber, a dagger in his right hand. He was digging through rubble and skeletons for something. His face lit up when he found a length of heavy chain, similar to the one that had been attached to the bucket and Dwarf skeleton. He wrapped part of it around his left hand and let it hang down. He gave his arm a few experimental swings and found it was perfect for what he wanted it for.
The Orcs began breaking through the doors. Aragorn and Legolas shot them through the holes they made. The doors only held for a few more moments before the Orcs burst in and swarmed the chamber.
The whole Fellowship was forced to fight. Swords, axes, and knives cut through armor and flesh. The Hobbits were kept back from most of the fighting, Gandalf acting as a buffer for the brunt of the Orcs' assault. Aragorn, Legolas, and Boromir were at the front of the chamber while Gimli was on top of Balin's tomb to gain some extra height. Ricky was at the back, but was slowly making his way to the front of the chamber.
Compared to the other members of the Fellowship, Ricky's fighting style was unorthodox. The boy was using what he had at his disposal to win. With the length of chain in his left hand, he beat down his opponents, aiming for the head and knees. Once they were down, he used the dagger in his right hand to slit their throats. It was a deadly dance: cut left, cut right, swing chain, cut left, swing chain right, cut right, spin away from their blades.
Ricky looked over his shoulder and saw Frodo almost back to back with him. An Orc was slashing wildly at the little Hobbit. Ricky whirled around, letting out a few extra inches of chain. The chain whipped over Frodo's head and struck the Orc in the face. Frodo took the opportunity to run the Orc through.
There was another loud roar. An Orc led in a massive, misshapen creature by a chain. Ricky guessed that was the troll Boromir was referring to. In the troll's hand was mace and it began to beat away at anything it moved.
Legolas took a shot at it.
Ricky saw the shot out of his peripheral vision. "Aim for the eyes," he said, stabbing his dagger into the eye of the Orc he was fighting. The rest of the Fellowship was concerning themselves with the troll. Ricky focused on the Orcs. Twice the troll took a swing at him, but Ricky dropped to the floor and got back up to avoid it and kept fighting whatever Orcs were still on their feet. Ricky was aware the tomb had been destroyed and Boromir had to pick himself off the floor. Aragorn was also missing his sword.
Legolas had made his way up on the narrow ledges around the room and was taking down the Orcs from there. The troll used the chain around his neck as a whip much like Ricky was doing. Legolas ducked and the chain got wrapped around a pillar. He jumped onto the troll's shoulders and shot it in the head. This only enraged the troll more. The chain snapped and Legolas jumped down to avoid being thrown off the troll's shoulders.
Ricky punched an Orc in the face with his chain covered knuckles. He finished it with a stab to the throat. He looked around and noticed the Orc ranks were thinning out. Ricky threw the chain at an Orc and hit it in the face. He pulled his other dagger and continued slashing.
"Aragorn! Aragorn!" Frodo was screaming.
Ricky turned around and saw the troll had grabbed Frodo.
"Frodo!" Aragorn ran to Frodo's aid.
Frodo slashed the troll's hand and the troll dropped him.
Aragorn came in with a yell and stuck a spear in the troll's stomach. Merry and Pippin were up on the second level. They started throwing rocks at the troll's head. The troll became annoyed and swept his arm across the ground. Aragorn was thrown against the wall and fell unconscious.
Frodo ran to Aragorn's side and tried to shake him awake.
The troll pulled the spear out of its stomach and stabbed at Frodo. Frodo ducked out of the way. He tried to run, but the troll blocked his path and shoved him back into an alcove. The troll stabbed Frodo in the stomach with the spear.
Gandalf whirled around at Frodo's cry.
Merry and Pippin stood there in shock for a split second. With twin battle cries, they jumped onto the troll's head and started stabbing.
"Frodo!" Sam yelled.
A scream of rage and anguish echoed around the chamber and Ricky nearly decapitated an Orc with just his dagger.
Everyone finished off whatever Orcs there were and turned their attention to the troll.
Frodo collapsed to the floor.
The troll grabbed Merry and began to shake him.
Gimli came in with two battle axes and slashed at the troll's legs. Gandalf joined him. The troll dropped Merry. Legolas readied his bow. Pippin made one more stab and the troll threw back his head in a roar of pain. Legolas fired an arrow right in the troll's throat.
The troll moaned and wobbled on its feet. It fell forward and threw Pippin to the floor. Pippin was grabbed by the scruff of the neck and pulled away from the dead troll. He looked up and saw Ricky still had his dagger up to defend himself, looking around the area, mostly concentrating on the troll.
Aragorn got up and crawled over to Frodo. "Oh, no," he breathed. He turned Frodo over.
Frodo let out a gasp and coughed.
Sam ran to his side. "He's alive."
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
Frodo sat up and looked at Aragorn. "I'm all right. I'm not hurt."
"You should be dead," Aragorn said in disbelief. "That spear would have skewered a wild boar."
"I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye," said Gandalf.
Frodo unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a shimmering white shirt of metal rings.
"Mithril," breathed Gimli. "You are full of surprises, Master Baggins."
They heard the drums again, heard the Orcs, and saw the shadows they cast on the wall.
"To the Bridge of Khazad-dûm," Gandalf ordered.
They ran back into the great chamber.
"This way!" Gandalf called to them.
Ricky looked behind them and saw the Orcs. They were literally crawling out of the stonework.
They were almost at the other end of the massive chamber when the Orcs surrounded them. Ricky got a good look at the Orcs, not having done so while they were fighting them the first time. They were ugly beyond words.
There was a loud boom that shook the Mines. The Orcs looked up and around, chattering fearfully. At the opposite end of the chamber was an orange light, like something was on fire. A second boom sent all the Orcs scattering into hiding. Ricky thought of it like cockroaches hiding from the light.
Gimli let out a laugh at the fleeing Orcs.
The light got brighter and there was a loud, low growl.
"What is this new devilry?" Boromir asked.
Gandalf gripped his staff and closed his eyes.
Ricky took a shaky breath. "One t'ing I learned, Pretty Boy, if da rats a' scatterin', you get da hell out."
There was another low growl, this one much louder than the previous one. Whatever was making it was getting closer.
"A Balrog," Gandalf answered quietly. "A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you."
"Shit," breathed Ricky.
"Run!" yelled Gandalf.
They started running again. As they did, they heard the Balrog chasing after them.
They ran out of the massive chamber and came to a broken stairway. Boromir almost fell down into the deep glowing fires below, but Ricky grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him away from the edge. Ricky saw how far down the fall was and wondered how deep they were that they could see the earth's fire.
Ricky turned around to see Gandalf leaning against the wall, Aragorn at his side.
"Gandalf," said Aragorn, supporting the Istar.
"Lead them on, Aragorn," said Gandalf. "The bridge is near."
Aragorn hesitated.
Gandalf gave him a push. "Do as I say! Swords are no more use here."
There was a second stairway that started at the cavern's side. They took that stairway and made their way down.
Farther down, there was a large chunk of the stairway missing. The others slowed down to make the jump. However, Ricky got ahead of Boromir, who was in the lead.
"Ricky!" they yelled.
Ricky jumped the gap and twisted midair. He flopped down on his stomach on the other side. He got to his feet ignoring the pain in his knees where he scraped them.
Legolas jumped over and joined him. "Gandalf!" He waved to the wizard.
Gandalf jumped the gap.
An arrow bounced off the stairs.
The Orcs had decided to take up trying to kill them from a safe distance. Legolas and Aragorn took out their bows again and returned fire.
Boromir picked up Pippin and Merry and jumped across. The stairs they were standing on crumbled away.
"Sam!" Aragorn called. He picked up the Hobbit and threw him to Boromir. Aragorn turned to Gimli.
Gimli put his hand up. "Nobody tosses a Dwarf."
Gimli jumped over, but came up short. Legolas reached out and grabbed Gimli at the only place he could.
"Not the beard!" yelled Gimli.
More of the stairs crumbled, forcing Aragorn and Frodo back up the stairs.
The rest of the Fellowship could see the Balrog coming to the doorway they came from. The Balrog roared and the Mines shook again. Sections of the ceiling broke away, one large piece destroying the stairs behind Aragorn and Frodo, leaving them stranded. Aragorn grabbed Frodo as the stairs under their feet began to crack and sway.
"Hang on!" Aragorn yelled. "Lean forward!"
The stairs swayed forward and crashed into the stairway holding the Fellowship. Legolas caught Aragorn and Boromir caught Frodo. They were running again before the damaged stairway collapsed.
At the bottom of the stairway, they were greeted by another large chamber that glowed with the fires of the Mines.
"Over the bridge!" yelled Gandalf, stopping for the others to get ahead of him. "Fly!"
There was the loudest roar yet and everyone turned around. Rising from the flames was a gigantic shadow. Ricky's first thought went to gargoyle. It was a flaming gargoyle the size of five story building. It had large bat wings and ram horns.
The bridge was now in front of them. All it was was a narrow stone arch over a chasm. It was so narrow they had to cross it in single file.
Everyone got across, except Gandalf. He stood in the middle of the bridge and faced the Balrog.
"You cannot pass!" yelled Gandalf.
"Gandalf!" cried Frodo.
The Balrog stood up to its full height, setting itself on fire.
"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor." Gandalf raised his glowing staff, surrounding himself with a white shield. "The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn."
The Balrog brought down a flaming sword on Gandalf's shield. The shield held, but crumbled after the attack. The Balrog snarled at Gandalf.
Aragorn took a step forward as if to help Gandalf.
Ricky grabbed him. "He's on his own."
Aragorn knew Ricky was right.
"Go back to the Shadow!" Gandalf told the Balrog.
The Balrog stepped out on to the bridge. Its next weapon was a fire whip with many thongs.
"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" Gandalf slammed his staff on the ground.
The Balrog ran out on the bridge. The half of the bridge the Balrog was on crumbled beneath its feet and it fell into the chasm.
Gandalf let out a sigh of exhaustion and turned away. As he did, the Balrog's whip snapped up and wrapped around Gandalf's leg. It pulled him over the bridge. Gandalf manage to catch the edge to stop his fall.
Frodo ran forward and was caught by Boromir. "Gandalf!"
Gandalf tried to pull himself up. He looked at Frodo's horrified face. "Fly, you fools!" Then he was gone.
"NO!" yelled Frodo.
Boromir picked up Frodo and started to run for the exit.
Aragorn stared in horror at where Gandalf had been.
"Aragorn!" Boromir yelled.
Ricky pulled on Aragorn's arm.
The Orcs had caught up with them and were now shooting at them again. Aragorn and Ricky were ducking arrows as they brought up the rear.
Daylight was shining through a large doorway. The Fellowship ran out and were greeted with the sun and clear skies. They only went about fifty yards before they stopped.
Boromir had to hold Gimli back from running back in for Gandalf. Merry was sitting with Pippin, who was lying down in his lap, sobbing. Sam crumpled to the ground and cried. Legolas looked heartbroken.
Aragorn wiped his sword off with a rag. "Legolas, get them up."
Legolas mechanically went over to Merry and Pippin.
"Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" cried Boromir.
"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs," Aragorn told them. "We must reach the woods of Lothlórien." He sheathed his sword. "Come, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them up." Aragorn walked over to Sam and pulled him up. "On your feet, Sam. Frodo?"
Frodo was slowly walking away from the group.
"Frodo!" Aragorn yelled.
Frodo sluggishly turned around to look at them. The expression on his face was one of numbed shock and he had a look of hopelessness in his eyes.
"Like hell!" hissed a voice.
Aragorn watched Ricky race passed him and over to Frodo. The boy knelt down in front of the Hobbit with his hands on his shoulders. Aragorn didn't know what Ricky said, but a second later Ricky was shrugging his pack off and putting Frodo on his back. He then hung his pack off his front to be balanced.
Ricky briskly walked back to the Fellowship. He locked eyes with Aragorn. "Let's go."
He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. – Friedrich Nietzsche (Was also used in the previous chapter)
So I was going through my legacy stats and noticed that Quote the Pauper Forevermore is now part of a community! Yay! That's my first story to be part of a community. Thank you for whoever nominated my story to be added to it. It's now part of the Maidens and Mayhem in Middle-Earth community founded by TrollingTauriel!