Before she has long to think about the strange conversation the doors are opening and Legolas is ushering her in rolling his eyes as Gimli boasts about the hospitality of the dwarves and how they would be soon feasting when she is suddenly stopped by a shout and a hand on her arm.
"Goblins," Legolas spits and it takes a while for Meduineth to focus on what is happening but when she does it is with a lurching in her stomach and a gasp. Never before had she seen death like this, on such a large scale and it chilled her to the bone. Everywhere she looked there were bodies of dwarves, rotted to no more than skeletons, ugly black arrows sticking out of them, every blackened corner was filled with dead staring faces as soon as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.
"Meduineth, come we must leave," Boromir urges suddenly in front of her and gripping her arm making her flinch violently but before either can say anything a scream and a splash cause them both to whirl around to see Frodo being dragged into the lake by some sort of monster.
"Frodo," she screams darting forward and grabbing at his arms, pulling him to her as soon as he is freed, thanks to Sam hacking at the tentacle that was holding him.
Suddenly, a roar is sounded from the water and she finds herself gasping for breath against the rock face, so strong was the force that threw her away from Frodo.
"Medui," the cry is anguished and she tries desperately to focus on seeing his face, for she knew it was Aragorn calling her but try as she might she could neither get her breath or her vision steady.
"Get Frodo, I have her," Legolas calls and with a growl Aragorn springs into the water as Legolas rushes towards Meduineth dragging her up before pushing her against the wall again so that he can shoot at the creatures eyes.
"Legolas," Boromir bellows and the elf looks to see Boromir with Frodo in his arms and Aragorn by his side rushing back into the caves and so shooting one last arrow he picks up Meduineth and sprints back inside, shielding her from the rock that begins to fall as the beast pulls down the entrance to the mines, trapping them inside.
"Medui, ai er, speak to me," the voice is whispered and tight with barely concealed panic as she opens her eyes to see Aragorn crouching over her, his hands brushing the hair back from her face and examines her intently.
"I am fine Aragorn, don't worry so much or I will start to think that you are going to have a heart attack before this war is over," she smiles and sits up with his help and he laughs too, although a little weakly before pulling her to him and holding her tightly.
"If you continue to worry me so than perhaps I shall," he murmurs into her hairline.
For three days they travel in virtual silence, too scared to speak, less they wake some hidden evil that Gandalf had spoken of. Meduineth knew that she was in over her head, she missed her brothers and sister terribly, she missed her father, she missed being free and happy and comfortable. She could not remember not feeling afraid and it she felt guilty for feeling afraid and feeling like she wanted to be home because she knew that the others all carried the same burden. Aragorn was becoming concerned about her complete silence and made sure to be close to her all the time but he was finding it difficult as she pulled away from him not willing to share with him and worry him or prove him right for wanting to leave her behind.
When they do eventually stop to rest as Gandalf has apparently forgotten the way she sinks quickly down in a corner, pulling her legs up to her chest and resting her forehead on her knees. She doesn't move when she feels Aragorn slide down beside her because she knows it is him, she can sense it, the calm that washes through her, his scent that envelops her and with a tiny sigh she moves her head and rests it instead against his shoulder, feeling him relax instantly and wrap an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer.
"I am worried about you Nin dilthen mysterui," he whispers in elvish to her and she sighs again,
"I am sorry to have worried you, I just do not like the darkness in here," she replies and he pulls her even closer, until she is sitting in his lap and both his arms are wrapped tightly around her.
"Try to get some rest my ai er, I'll watch over you," he murmurs and she huffs at him immediately,
"What about you? You need to rest," she responds shifting slightly to look up at him and he smiles down at her,
"I will find rest soon too, Legolas shall take over the watch shortly," he promises her and she stares at him accusingly for a while before nodding finally and resting her head once again against his shoulder.
"I seem to find myself sleeping on your lap fairly often these days," she says with a little yawn a few moments later and he chuckles.
"Yes you do, I rather like it though," he laughs and she sighs already half asleep,
"That is just because you still like to treat me as the child you found all those years ago," she whispers, her speech slurred slightly with her tiredness and he hums a little as he watches her drift off to sleep.
"I promise you ai er, I do not see you as a child," he whispers to her glancing up as he sees Legolas approaching him with a knowing smile plastered across his face.
"You have not told her," he states and Aragorn shakes his head,
"As I said mellon, now is not the time," he replies and whilst the elf wants to argue this point, wants to tell him that there is no better time but he doesn't instead he rests his hand on his friends shoulder.
"Get some rest mellon, I shall watch," he murmurs, his hand briefly stroking Meduineth's hair before he moves away.
She is glad when Gandalf casts more light around them and gazes around in wonder at the huge chamber they find themselves in,
"I don't think I've ever felt so small," she says and everyone either laughs or grins at her as they too stare in wonder at the great pillars holding up vast ceilings.
"Gimli, no," the shout sends shock rocketing through her as she feels a hand slip into hers and is suddenly dragged behind Aragorn into a smaller chamber, one filled with bodies that cause a shudder to roll through her.
"Breathe ai er, I will protect you, whatever happens," Aragorn whispers fiercely to her in Sindarin and she looks up at him for second before glancing at the hobbits and deciding that she needed to stop being a baby, she needed to be brave and do what she had promised to do when she had first asked to be a part of the fellowship.
"I am well… I promise, we must both protect the hobbits," she says quietly to him squeezing the hand that still held onto my own before jumping in fright as a huge crash causes the whole fellowship to wheel around and face Pippin who is standing with his eyes closed as something falls further and further down the well behind him.
"Fool of a Took," Gandalf roars and Meduineth immediately springs forward to stand in front of the trembling hobbit.
"Gandalf don't, it wasn't his fault," she admonishes and he opens his mouth to retort but a sudden banging and clanging and chanting stops him.
"Frodo, your sword," Sam says in a wavering voice,
"Orcs," Legolas exclaims and Meduineth freezes as absolute terror floods her body, she had never fought before she suddenly realised. Oh how woefully unprepared she was, how right her brothers and sister and Aragorn had been. Sure she had trained, she had worked hard for years to become an expert in shooting with bow and arrow, sword fighting, fighting with her two long knifes and throwing knives but still she had yet to face any real foe, she had never even seen an orc alive before.
"Get back and protect the hobbits," Legolas shouts to her and she nods her head a little, stumbling as she moves further towards the back of the crypt they were in.
"Aragorn," her voice is faltering and she doesn't know what she wants to say but fear was bubbling inside her and somehow she just felt that there was something that needed to be said. Before she has said anything though he is standing inches from her, her face held firmly in his hands.
"It will be okay Medui, stay back and stay strong, we will make it through this," he says with such a fierce intensity that she has no choice but to nod as he leans forward pressing his lips to her forehead, warmth spreading through her as she is left swaying when he lets go of her so suddenly and steps forward being sure to stand directly in front of her and the door.
There is a crash then and Meduineth takes a deep breath as she draws her two long knives, gripping them in shaking fingers, the screaming and screeching of the monsters get louder with every passing second. The door creaks ominously as their axes go to work on it, with every splinter she flinches gripping her knives so tightly her knuckles are white.
And then it starts…