A/N: I am sorry for the misspellings, English is not my main language.
The Fellowship reached a humid environment, along the far shore of a lake directly below great looming cliffs, it was dark and everyone could feel the exhaustion of each other, the path was treacherous on the narrow strip of gray and greasy stones and Nìniel could feel her boots wet, she didn't like at all the feeling of it.
She asked Legolas to carry her until they reached a dry ground.
From her new height, she could see the rest of the fellowship often slip on their feet into the lake, at that moment she was glad she was safe and dry in her father's arms.
"The walls of Moria!" Stated Gimli in awe as they stood in from the great sheer flat cliff face "dwarf doors are invisible when closed" tapping the rock facade with his ax, trying to hear a different sound and led them to the door.
Gandalf was leading the group, he had told them that in his mind he could remember that place, he had been there before and he could maybe find the entrance of the mines "Yes, Gimli, their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten."
"why doesn't that surprise me?" asked Legolas with sarcasm under his breath.
They interrupted their path by Gandalf who was now standing in-between two very dead trees, he touched the smooth rock wall between the trees slowly moved his old hand to remove some dirt that covered tiny inscriptions on the wall.
faint lines appeared like slender veins of luminous silver running through the stone.
"Itidin...it mirrors only starlight and moonlight," he whispered.
A large moon raised over the mountains, the lines grown broader and clearer, forming a glowing arch of interlacing ancient letters and symbols.
"It reads, 'The door of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter'."
Everyone looked amazed at the glowing incision, but one of the hobbits was more confused than ever.
"What do you suppose that means?" asked Merry.
"It's quite simple. If you are a friend, speak the password and the doors will open." Gandalf said confidently as he raised his arms to chant a spell "Annon edhellen, edro hi ammen!" *Gates of the elves, open now for me* he spoke.
Nothing happened.
"Fennas nagothrim, lasto beth lammen" *Doorway of the Drawf-folk, listen to the word of my tongue*
Silence...
Nìniel, who was now on her feet, turned her head to face Pippin, and together they exchange a look of confusion "nothing is happening" he told her before turning back at Gandalf which was pushing the walls.
"I once knew every spell in all the tongues of elves, men and orcs" Gandalf hummed to himself frustrated.
"What are you going to do then?" Pippin asked rather loudly.
"Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took!" Gandalf replied fairly quickly "And if that does not shatter them…and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions..." He shouted which made the youngest Hobbit wince at the loudness of the grey Wizards voice.
Gandalf inhaled and quietly said "…I am trying to find the opening words."
The group sat in different parts of the area, minding their own business in silence helping Gandalf to concentrate to remember the password of the entrance.
Frodo, Gimli, and Boromir remain near the wizard, waiting patiently for the doors to open, Aragorn and Sam were freeing Billy the pony, in which the hobbit wasn't really happy about it. Merry and Pippin were bored and decide to throw rocks at the lake as a game and Legolas was protecting the group by using his elven sight to search for enemies in the distance, sitting by his feet there was Nìniel with eyes shut, Legolas didn't bother her much because he thought she was safely sleeping under his guard, but what he didn't know was she was quietly speaking with Sauron in her mind.
*･゜ﾟ･✿･゜ﾟ･*
"Treneri- nin ad-Manke naa lle?" *tell me again where are you* The Deep voice echoed in the darkness of her mind.
"Nev a ael a ha na- dúr" *Near a lake and it is dark* she answered again.
"Manke lle lindua?" *what do you see?*
"Karka" *rocks*
There was a pause, Nìniel could hear and feel him sigh of disappointment, she didn't want to make him angry again, she had faced him in what she believed was his rage.
If only she knew what he was really capable of.
"Treneri- nin ad- nia i fen" *tell me again about the door*
She snorted, she really didn't want to repeat him what she kept telling him "Ennas naa helme a tehta bo i rammas" *there are drawing and writings on the wall*
"Ennas naa limb nauka rotele !" *there are many dwarf mines!* he shouted angrily that he couldn't track their position "parm i tehta!" *read the writing!* he ordered with a hateful scream making the surrounding tramble.
Nìniel yelped and cried "Im ceri- ú-hanya!" *I do not know!*
"DAMN YOU CHILD!" he once again shouted making Nìniel yell in fear and crawl away from him.
Sauron knew he wasn't going to get more information if they kept going this way, he knew she had all the answers and he was going to retrieve them from her.
He took some deep breaths and finally lower his voice.
"Treneri- nin i osteka" *tell me the details*
*･゜ﾟ･✿･゜ﾟ･*
Frodo sighed and glanced up at the doors of Moria. "The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak 'friend' and enter" He heard Gandalf's voice in his head and thought about his words. 'Speak 'friend' and enter?' Frodo thought. Finally, something clicked in his head and he unexpectedly stood up and said:
"It's a riddle," Frodo spoke and the others turned to him in confusion. Frodo continued, "Speak 'friend', and enter. What's the Elvish word for friend?"
"Mellon," Gandalf said slowly, the word rolling in his mouth as he spoke it. He turned in surprise as the door opened behind him.
Gimli stared, into the now open Mines of Moria. He was simply fascinated and excited to be finally seeing his cousin again. It had been a long time since he had last seen Balin.
Everyone was joyous to finally get inside the mines, Legolas without thinking picked up his daughter and carried inside the cave along the other fellow members.
With a loud gasp Níniel opened her eyes, she felt her body get lifted from the ground and when she looked at the surroundings she found herself on the arms of Legolas.
"Soon, master elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves," Gimli said, addressing Legolas. "Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone! This, my friends, is the home my cousin Balin restored. And they call it a mine. " he announced.
As soon Nìniel realized where they were going she shrieked and screamed trying to break free from her father's arms "nay!" *no!*
Legolas was unbelievable of his daughter attitude, she had never in her life fought to get out from his grasp, he tried his best to hold her still without harming her or drop her on the stone floor.
The fellowship watched surprised at the uncommon behavior of the child, but they couldn't do anything but watch the scene.
"Nìniel! Dár, cin naa negr- cin" *Stop, you are going to hurt yourself" he struggled to put her on the ground without harming her.
Once on her feet, she ran outside the mine, Legolas with his heart on his throat followed her, reaching her and grabbed her shoulders to hold her still.
"Cin tur- ú- glenn- ennas " *you can not go there* he told her as he fought to forbid her to run away.
"Mín tur- ú- glenn- in i felag!" *we cannot go into the cave!" she argued raising her voice desperately to be heard.
Legolas was stun by her reaction and the fear and the conviction of her voice, he was going to question her the reason of her behavior but he was cut by Boromir's hushed whisper, "This is a tomb," then his voice became panicked. "Get out, all of you, get out!"
Aragorn drew his sword which Boromir saw and also drew his. Gimli was shouting curses into the air and tiny tears rolled down his cheeks and onto his red beard.
"We make for the Gap of Rohan, we should never have come here." Boromir shouted "Now, get out of here. Get out!" his voice became panicked.
A scream.
Legolas turned around and pulled his bow, prepared for any attacks, only to see Frodo dangling in the air, held by a giant tentacle.
Merry and Pippin hurried a hold of Frodo from the lake creature while Sam drew his sword and chopped at the tentacle.
The tentacle finally let's go and Merry and Pippin drew Frodo back to safety. Suddenly more tentacles appeared from the lake and threw Sam, Merry and Pippin out of the way before once more lifting Frodo.
Frodo was pulled higher up as more tentacles appeared from the lake. Soon the entire lake was roaring with tentacles.
Legolas pushed his terrified daughter aside and fired at them with his arrows.
Frodo cried out in horror while Aragorn attacked the tentacles with his sword. The enormous muzzle of the lake creature suddenly appeared in the middle of the dark lake and Frodo's fear increased.
Aragorn hacked at a tentacle releasing Frodo making him fall into Boromir's arms.
"Into the mines!" shouted Gandalf. Even tho it was dangerous in there, it was the only choice they had at the moment.
Legolas shoot some last arrows into the creature's head, gaining a few vital seconds for Aragorn and Boromir to race out of the water with Frodo.
As they ran past him, Aragorn rushed to pick up the screaming child and took her to safety into the mines.
"Nay!" Nìniel shouted back again, but what power did she had on them?
The fellowship hurried back away from the Creature, retreating into the Moria Chamber as many coiling arms crashed into the large doors.
With a shattering echo, the creature ripped the doors away, creating a rock slide that crashed down the cliff face.
Within seconds, tons of rock sealed the doorway throwing the Fellowship into Pitch Blackness.
They all stood breathing heavily as everything went quiet, only the faint cry of Nìniel in Aragorn's arms, no light was around except for a bright light risen from Gandalf's staff, throwing a creepy glow across the old wizards face.
"We now have but one choice," Gandalf's voice said slowly. "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."
Legolas silently took Nìniel from Aragon's arms and protectively squeezed her small body.
"Amin hiraetha" *I'm sorry* He heard her quietly whispered "Mani?" *What?* he asked as soon he hear her whimper.
*･゜ﾟ･✿･゜ﾟ･*
"Amin hiraetha" *I'm sorry* she quietly answers Him when he asked her if she left Moria.
"ER NAD IMCONN- CIN NA CERI!" *one thing I asked you!* He gave the child pain in her head "Er nad!" *One thing!*
Nìniel cried in pain as she tried to run away from him, but running was useless, it was like a nightmare, she ran and ran but she tripped on her tiny feet, when she turned she realized that she hasn't got anywhere, she didn't move at all.
She didn't hesitate to try again, she got to her feet to ran but, as like before, she wasn't moving!
"FOOL CHILD" he yelled in the language she didn't understand "YOU CANT HIDE IN YOUR MIND!"
When he spoke she felt the air shake around her, everything rumbled around her, it was like she was inside a loud ringing bell and she couldn't leave!
"YOU CAN DIE AND ROT IN MORIA BY THE BALROG" he shouted "YOU SHOULD HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME! NOW YOU WILL PAY YOUR CONSEQUENCES!"
*･゜ﾟ･✿･゜ﾟ･*
Legolas heard Nìniel whisper in his arms for forgiveness, confused he looked at her and as like a knife stabbed his heart he saw his daughter in the state the most feared him.
"Nìniel?" he shook her hoping to wake her up.
Then a twitch, she was in pain. "Nìniel!" he called her louder "koiva or" *wake up* his heart was beating fast.
Pippin stopped his tracks when he heard Legolas' fanatic voice behind everyone, he saw him shaking his daughter worried, something was wrong, he didn't hesitate a second to stop the group.
"Gandalf!" he called.
The wizard turned behind to face Pippin, ready to scold him for already making loud sounds to wake up what it was hopefully still sleeping in the mines, but his eyes moved over him to see Legolas panicking to his unresponsive daughter, he ran past everyone, pushing them out of the way to reach her.
He handed his staff to Pippin to free his hands and forced open Nìniel's eyes.
Black as the night.
What he suspected was real, he rested his hand on her forehead and murmured a spell.
Every one of the fellowship watched tensed the scene, hoping for Gandalf to give them good news.
"there is nothing I can do," he said removing his hand from her "she is in contact"
Legolas helplessly looked at his daughter in his arms, he hated that he couldn't do anything for her, he just had to let her suffer the pain the creature gave her.
Gandalf turned around and walked "I am sorry," he said full of compassion for the elven father, he paused "It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence will go unnoticed".
The Fellowship advanced cautiously. Gandalf led them in vast feeling caverns and narrow and slippery pathways around, which if one made a wrong step he would fall into a great void at the center of the hallowed room.
Until they came to a series of steps.
It wasn't easy climbing steep stairs with a child in the arms, but he was sure he was keeping her close to him in his arms, he was aware that even a step as light as his in the wrong place will cause both of them to fall in the shadow beneath him. Those mines were dangerous even for a Dwarf.
All that could be heard was their labored breathing in the gloom.
Finally, Gandalf grunted as he reached the top. He stopped and stared at the three doorways carved into the rock before him and walked a little closer to inspect them.
The wizard gazed about in bewilderment.
"I have no memory of this place."
He sat on a rock in deep thought. The others took the opportunity to rest; sitting on the various rocks scattered around them.
"Are we lost?" Pippin asked.
"No" Merry replied in reassurance.
"I think we are." Pippin persisted.
"Shh! Gandalf's thinking." Sam hissed at him.
"Merry?"
"What?"
"I'm hungry" Pippin complained.
Legolas could hear the hobbits, he was sitting on the wall, using his chest as a rest for Nìniel's head.
She was still unconscious. Legolas couldn't not notice that the contacts with the dark lord were getting longer and longer each time, Nìniel would always insist she was okay afterward, but the more time went past, the less believable that became, she just wanted to keep everything she was going through to herself, she understand what was happening to her was indeed serious and she sensed the fear of the adults around her.
She was the most caring child Legolas had ever met, she did her best to hide the truth from him because she didn't want him to feel sad.
Now she laid on him, finally coming to; once awake, she yelped and scurried back cowered.
"Nìniel ha na-nin, cín Ada" *Nìniel it is just me, your Dad* Legolas cooed, slowly reaching out his arms; Nìniel only threw herself back further.
She had all the eyes of the fellowship on her, Gandalf had told Legolas to keep her voice down for fear of being heard to whatever creatures infested those mines.
"Heui, all ha na- tríw, ha na- nin" *Hey, everything it's fine, it's only me" Legolas decided not to try and approach Nìniel again.
"Im ceri- ú- anír- na rinn-!" *I do not want to go back!* She shouted, she was now huddled in a corner of the cave, she began to cry, loud.
Legolas turned to his companions, their expressions were equally as filled with dread. Nìniel's sobs stopped and began to crawl towards her father.
Legolas picked her up in his arms, massaging her back to calm her down.
"Ada" She croaked from the crook of Legolas' neck where his head was rested.
"Ya nin mel, ha na- nin" *Yes my love, it's me* his arm around her shoulders, keeping her close. Nìniel was whimpering a little, she had finished her tears, but she was still scared and the only thing she needed was the warmth of her father's arms;
Legolas wanted to ask her what had happened but she was so shaken that he wasn't sure if it was a good idea.
Everybody watched helplessly at the child, most of them didn't understand her language, but they didn't need to know it for interpreting what she was feeling, obviously she was terrified of what she had experienced in her mind.
No child should suffer this.
"Amin hiraetha" *I'm sorry* Nìniel said quietly.
Legolas removed her from his chest and moved her in front of him so he could watch her in the eyes "Mani? Ha na- ú- cín hyanda" *What? It is not your fault*
"Ya" she cracked a whisper of voice "Ho treneri- nin na ú- tul- mii" *he told me to not come in" She took a few breaths. "Ho negr- nin" *he hurted me* She looked up at her father and the fellowship, saw their extreme worry and looked back down. "ala im ú- vedui- hon" *because I did not listen to him*
Legolas took quickly Nìniel into an embrace, he held her close to him.
He tried to be strong for her, he had to, he fought to hold his tears back, he didn't want her to see him like that, he didn't want her to worry, he feared he would lose her innocence by looking him weak, she was way to young to know the pain of the world. she was still an infant in the eyes of an elf.
One tear slipped out from his eye, he was shaking so bad he could barely speak. All he could do was holding her.
Aragorn felt torn up inside seeing his friend hurt, but he forced himself to keep it together. He needed to be strong for Legolas and his daughter, there was too much suffering between them, Elves were week hearted creatures and he feared for the family.
Nìniel sensed something different on her father, the way he breathed and the strength in the hug.
Legolas could feel his insides burning with anger. What kind of 'person' does this to a child? why it had to his child, his baby.
He was feeling a mix of emotions, hurt, anger, frustration.
He felt useless because the person he loved most was suffering and he couldn't do anything.
"naa sin kotya?" *Are you angry?* Nìniel asked quietly, looking down worried, he hadn't said a lot, She was beginning to worry because she had no idea what it was happening. he really feared it was her fault, she thought that she could have been silent about it.
"ya" he confessed "nan ú- lanne cin" *but not at you* Legolas could feel his insides burning with anger. What kind of human does this to a child? He could only imagine the things he called her, the things he would have said to her.
He removed her from his chest and rested his hands on her tiny red cheeks "Thír lanne nin" *look at me* he requested her.
The child didn't look at him right away, she looked around her in a childlike way, but then eventually moved her gaze to him.
"Vedui- na nin" *listen to me* he began "Im n'nauva, oiale na nat foeg mart-na cin oiale ad-. Manioiale naa wanya bo in cin, mín r nauva peni- ha."*I will never, ever let anything bad happen to you ever is going on in you, we're gonna fix it*
He looked her hopeful eyes and give him the determination of what he was saying was real "Im nauva peni- ha." *I will fix it.*
"Im ber." *I promise.* Legolas hugged her again, cradling the back of her head "Im hi." *I'm here.*
NEXT CHAPTER: The Bridge Of Khazad Dum