I don't own Lord of the Rings. I only own Edleneth and any other characters I make up along the way, as well as the twists I put into the basic story.
Edleneth paused only twice on her race to Moria, and not for long. Both she and Suldal were exhausted by the time they saw the pack pony that the Fellowship had taken with them traveling back to Rivendell.
As they drew closer to the entrance, Edleneth heard combat. She quickly dismounted and sent Suldal on his way home before running towards where she heard splashing in the water. She arrived to see the Fellowship battling a huge sea monster. Aragorn and Boromir were slashing at its tentacles, while Legolas fired arrow after arrow at the creature. "Into the mines!" Gandalf shouted over the commotion.
Edleneth ran after the Fellowship as they passed through the entrance just as the monster tore it down. The darkness swallowed them until Gandalf lit his staff. "We now have but one choice: We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard," he instructed gravely, "There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world." He started down the hall before pausing and turning back to stare at Edleneth in surprise.
The rest of the Fellowship looked at where he was staring and blinked. "Lady Edleneth!" Legolas exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"
Edleneth took a shaky step forward. She had thought she could handle the fact that she would die here, but she was wrong. "I-" she began before the Fellowship's faces blurred at she crumpled to the floor.
When she awoke, there was a hobbit in her face. "Are you alright, miss?" he asked in a friendly tone.
Edleneth looked around her. The cavern she was in was dark, and filled with skeletons. She jumped up as she realized she had fallen on one. "I'm fine," she said quickly, brushing herself off. "I must speak with Mithrandir."
"There will be time for that later," Gandalf said, "We must get moving. It is a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope our presence will go unnoticed."
Edleneth nodded and followed as he and the Fellowship continued down the hall. She continually looked around her, keeping an eye out for any danger. She knew that her death was coming soon, but she wouldn't go down without a fight. She glared at Frodo for a moment, trying to catch a glimpse of the object that would possess her. The hobbit's eyes widened when he saw her and quickly turned away from her.
Aragorn walked up to Edleneth, making her jump. "What are you doing here?" he asked, "You know your prophecy. You could die."
Edleneth shook her head. "I know," she said quietly, glancing at Frodo again, "But I must speak with Gandalf. It's important."
Gandalf paused and shone his light on the walls of the cave. Thin white lines were running through the rock. "The wealth of Moria was not in gold or jewels, but Mithril," he said. Pointing his staff downwards, the caverns glowed with the tendrils of Mithril and abandoned mining equipment.
"What's Mithril?" one of the hobbits asked.
"It is sometimes called true-silver. It is lighter than a feather and stronger than a dragon's scales," Gimli stated proudly. Edleneth glared at the dwarf.
"Bilbo had a shirt of Mithril rings that Thorin gave him," Gandalf said.
"That was a kingly gift," Gimli gasped.
Gandalf nodded. "I never told him, but its worth was greater than the value of the Shire."
At that, they reached three stone doors. Gandalf looked around him with worry. "I have no memory of this place," he admitted.
The rest of the company began setting up camp as Gandalf puzzled over what to do. The hobbits talked quietly, and Edleneth glanced nervously at Gandalf before taking a step towards him.
"May I speak with you?" she asked quietly.
Gandalf sighed. "Might as well. What do you need?"
Edleneth glanced at Frodo. "I've spoken with the Lady Galadriel."
"What did she say?" he asked urgently.
Edleneth took a deep breath before she explained everything. "What should I do?" she finished.
He looked at Edleneth sadly. "The lady is right," he said, "You cannot escape it. You must go to Mordor."
"Why?" Edleneth asked.
"The Ring can only be destroyed by being thrown into Mount Doom," Gandalf explained, "I'm sorry, but you will have to throw yourself in."
Edleneth didn't want his sentence to make sense. "How will I do that?" she asked, "What if it takes complete control over me?"
"You will have to fight it," Gandalf said, "Don't tell anyone about this yet. I promise I will help you if I can."
Edleneth nodded solemnly.
Suddenly Gandalf smiled. "Oh! It's that way," he addressed the Fellowship.
"Great! He's remembered!" a hobbit cried.
"No," Gandalf answered, "But the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."