Hey guys! Hope you had a happy new year! Here's the next chapter and I hope you guys enjoy it. If you have any suggestions feel free to review or PM me.

As the doors of Moria opened, Melody shifted her gaze back to the elf that once stood in front of her. All traces of their conversation had vanished in that single moment and she was left to try and comprehend why he had spoken to her in such a reprimanding tone. The woman's hands still stiffened by her side and her head began to pound slightly due to the anger and stress she experienced seconds prior.

Various emotions flitted through her mind and she stalled momentarily to collect herself. He had spoken to her like one would to an enemy, someone they had no speck of trust for. She had no answer as to why, save for her sudden appearance in the group which he had made evidently clear he was not too fond of. However, there was something else that lurked behind his forced stoic gaze. There was a millisecond where traces of what she thought might be pain pass through the icy stare.

And what was even more odd was that she had felt guilt wash over her.

Legolas had taken his leave of her to inspect the safety of the mines at its entrance and Melody sighed at the sight. She was beyond confused and decided that it wasn't worth the headache to try and understand the ways of elves. But even if she did rid their altercation from her thoughts, there still abode an eeriness within. Her eyes flitted back to the pond where the ever growing darkness began to escalate. The overbearing stillness of the smooth black water bore into her soul. Melody was sure that everyone could hear her heart thumping erratically within her chest, so she sped up to catch the rest of the company. She could have sworn though, as she left the bank of the pond, that a small ripple tore through the glasslike surface.

Taking cautious steps, she made her way into the cave. The stifling black air of this eve clouded all of their vision, save for the fraction of moonlight that found its way into the mine's entrance. With a wary mind, she entered and the uneasiness that swirled inside was all but quelled. The very air around them was foul and brought a wave of nausea upon her body. She had never felt such an ambience of evil. Gimli was raving about how splendid their time would be within these halls and the woman tried to distract her feelings by listening to him for comfort; but it was folly. As she carefully maneuvered her feet, a sickening crunch arose from below. Melody did not move an inch due to the fear that sent a tremble through her limbs. It seemed as if her whole being was frozen in that singular spot and she did not dare look below where her feet had fallen.

To her horror, these were not mere leaves or twigs. A voice she presumed to belong to Legolas confirmed her fears as he lifted an arrow out of a skull.

"Goblins!" He exclaimed in a whisper. Any step they took would crush the bones of at least five beings who had perished beneath their feet. A small gasp threatened to escape her throat, but what interrupted by the company's frantic actions.

Warning latched onto the hearts of all as the wails of Gimli were drowned out by yet another conversation targeted towards the road they would take next. Melody could not help but wince at the sudden surge of evil as they all moved towards the door once more. Boromir vouched for his city again, but was caught off guard by something slithering past them. It moved in silence, but latched onto Frodo's leg before he was thrashed out of the cave.

Melody's eyes did not deceive her. There was an enormous sea creature whose power was surely above hers to defeat or escape from. Of course, she had never had the pleasure of experiencing such a foe besides the causal predator at a bar. Nevertheless, she would have taken that enemy versus the one she beheld in this moment tenfold.

Her breath caught in her throat and she shuffled back as her body tensed greatly. Energy was conserved for the purpose of survival and she felt adrenaline replacing the blood that once flowed freely within her veins. The same tremble returned yet again; this time more violent and unavoidable. She did not know how to help the situation, so her fear continued to chisel away at her mind. There were only two options, she deduced, take refuge in the cave filled with dead goblins and dwarves or try and help fight the monster with the miniscule self-defense skills she attained.

Neither sounded brilliant to her.

So, she remained horror-stricken as she took in the scene that unfolded before her. The monster roared and gurgled as it held Frodo in its' grasp; hoping to capture what he held. Sick and slimy tentacles wriggled in the air as Frodo's shrieks were barely heard over the guttural sounds that erupted from the monster. Aragorn and Boromir bravely raised their swords and charged towards it. Hacking and slashing at the beast's numerous appendages, they finally struck a nerve quite literally. Enraged, the monster lengthened the tentacle that held Frodo and revealed it's unsightly mouth. Line after line of sword-like teeth were bared to the world and just as the creature was about to enjoy its' meal, it released a deafening roar.

The tentacle that previously entangled Frodo was severed by Aragorn and luckily for the Hobbit, Boromir outstretched his arms in time to recapture him from the beast.

"Into the mines!" Exclaimed Gandalf, as everyone hurriedly made their way inside.

Melody followed the men deeper into the cave while disregarding the jolts of fear that electrified her body as several bones were crushed underneath her feet. She heard Borormir yell at Legolas and her head whipped around to see the Elf aiming his arrows at the fell beast.

She watched him for a split second, but that was enough to know his skill. Taut muscles of immense strength strung and released three arrows before the monster made a sort of lunging motion for the cave. Melody felt the whole mine begin to disassemble at the motion of the gargantuan creature; its slick tentacles desperately weaving for prey. She fell backwards on one of the skulls that managed to trip her during this distraction. As a result a plume of dusk and smoke clouded her vision and she could only hear the barrage of rocks clambering to seal them inside of the cave. Suddenly, worry for the Elf kindled in her belly at the sight. She did not see him anywhere, nor anything else for that matter. The black light consumed all in this moment and the woman scrambled to her feet after receiving a few small abrasions from the slightly sharp bones and rocks.

Wincing slightly, her eyes tried to find any source of light, but to no avail. That was until Gandalf's staff emitted a soft glow and around it shone the faces of despair and bewilderment that the company shared. It was because their only refuge at this time proved to be anything but delightful, but the alternative would have surely been the source of their demise. The smell of death alone permeated the woman's nostrils as she yet again recognized the light throbbing inside her skull from earlier. No doubt from the eeriness of the setting; it indeed felt more like a tomb than a place of merriment.. She softly brought a hand to her temple in order to ease the dull pulsation.

Out of the corner of her eye, a flash of blonde appeared in the dimmed light and a faint sense of relief trickled through her. However, his irises held a hue of obsidian that she had never beheld from him before. Cocking her head involuntarily, she studied him a bit more. How could he be so unaffected by what had just taken place? They were surely about to be slaughtered by that beast!

The slight movement of her head caused an eruption of pain to explode through her temples. Oh, how she tried to cover her pain. But a gasp escaped her lips and did not go unnoticed by all of the fellowship. A Hobbit's hand softly grasped her own and she fell to her knees within seconds of experiencing the sensation of impending doom. Eyes rolling back within her head, Melody succumbed to yet another strange and curious episode; much like the one she had during their encounter with the Crebain.

Was it from the anxiety she had experienced? Surely, this had been the most terrifying event the woman had ever witnessed, but what came next might have been even more chilling. Slowly but surely, the small glow of light derived from Gandalf's staff faded from her vision


A glow, so clear and pure that mortal eyes would have burned to look upon. The plains of some distant and ethereal land were present before her. She shrouded her gaze with the edge of her sleeve until its brightness was able to look upon. That was when she saw him.

The same small child from the first vision. However, he looked older and his hair had caught a fairer hue. A similarity so obvious yet undefinable. Melody's eyes scanned the premises and the child beckoned to her.

"Tolo," He spoke and she followed without question. For her legs moved without her own mind's permission. His face was so captivating that she could not find the strength to look away. Instead, she gave into her temptations.

The small child led her to a large forest that emanated vibrant hues. Again, her mind bid her to tear her gaze from this beauty, but she did not have the heart to. So, instead, she continued to let herself fall into this magnificent view and see all what he presented her.

He was playful, and exposed his small teeth through a grinning smile as they ran through the great foliage. Eyes dancing with wonder, Melody again caught herself admiring the greenery of this alluring place. It was much more ethereal than anything she had seen before. Bark of the deepest amber and the most saturated leaves were bidding her to stay in this dreamlike state for an eternity. And she would have, if it was not for what came next.

A similar dark energy clouded her thoughts as she watched him run a bit too far in front of her gaze. Caution spread through her being like wildfire and she began to tremble slightly as her movements slowed. The sun had been overtaken by a skirt of clouds that resembled ash and oncoming thunder. With a shaky breath, she resumed her pursuit of the boy, but he had already turned around.

A lopsided smile came and went as soon as he saw that her features had lost their spark of joy. She noted that the boy seemed to care for her, and might be a little bit older than her current state because she was forced to lift her chin to meet his azure eyes. Flaxen hair splayed about his shoulders as she saw them draw upwards in a signal of worriment. His dark brows creased ever so slightly to also indicate his fierce need to protect her.

"What is it Vanya?

She knew her face must look bewildered. It was beyond her ability to construe a sentence towards the boy. He lifted a hand as if to calm her and when it rested upon her cheek, she felt warmth muster in the gloom of her heart. Lips parting, she casted around for something sensible to say in order to explain this utter dread that festered throughout.

"We should leave now," Her voice quivered.

Glancing around their surroundings, the boy must have been confused by her antics. The forest appeared to be safe. Why the sudden dismay? They had been enjoying running amidst the trees together after all, but he sensed something was amiss with her. So he obliged to her previous statement by taking her hand in his.

"So be it, but I fail to understand what has upset you so?"

She felt his gaze searching her own, trying to decipher what had occurred. When he found nothing but despair, he straightened. Silence filled the time that passed between the two and she tried to collect her own thoughts again. Shifting her vision to the trees, more anxiety began to gnaw at her. The once bewildering brightness was losing its usual saturation rather quickly. Leaves fell and became one with the deciduous floor; marking it with the omen of a great chill.

Feeling her skin prickle, she saw that the boy had also beheld the same sight. It was confirmed by the tightening of his grip on her smaller hand. He clenched his jaw in a way that she knew to be familiar, but could not place.

"It seems there might be something here. We must go fast if we are to reach the halls before nightfall."

She had given a slight nod in his direction and with that, they were sprinting again. But this time, with purpose instead of playfulness. Images of trees splicing together clouded her vision as their speed quickened beyond anything she was used to. Her lungs burned as her body willed itself to go on just a bit further. She knew these surroundings…

"Come on, Vanya. Just a few more miles until we reach the guard."

She found his tone to be as unsettling as the sensations that surrounded her. And with that, she gave one final push; forcing her body to comply with a task that was simply too much for her small, young frame. All the while, she did manage to catch a glimpse of the boy and his ever sharpening features. The intricate braids that fell beside his cheeks whipped with their incessant, but swift movements. A small pointed ear also appeared on him, one that she knew she had seen before.

But the girl had been too distracted, a stray tree root had caught her between steps and caused her to fall to the ground with a loud thud. And the darkness grew closer. She desperately wanted to set off again; as the halls would offer her refuge and comfort, but she was unable to do so.

The boy stopped immediately when he saw his companion had fallen and quickly strode to her side. A nasty, and unsightly gash presented itself upon her shin and glowed a bright red even in the now muted hue of the sky. His hands went to do something, anything to take the pain away and bring them to safety. But he knew this would not happen, she would be unable to run, nor walk with this type of injury.

She softly gasped as hot tears mixed with physical pain and fear ravaged her existence.

"It will be alright, do not worry."

The boy's words did nothing to quench rid the searing sensation, but she felt a sharp sting as he lifted her into his arms deftly. He was going to carry her?! She thought incredulously. Of course, he was a bit taller than him, but not by much and to heave such a weight for miles was surely not their best option.

But he surprised her with his litheness, or rather determination for that matter. He mustered such a strength that wrought utter shock upon her features in between small sobs of anguish.

And soon enough, she found everything to be too much and yet again the view of this new place vanished from her sight.


Melody's eyes opened drowsily to the feeling of a cool cloth dampening her forehead. It took a few minutes for her to surroundings. Walls reflecting silvery light and a navy undertone blurred together and she blinked again to gain a clearer view. Finally, someone pressed their hand to the cloth above her brow. Wet droplets cascaded down her temples and eased the dull residual ache which forced her eyes to lid themselves once more.

The flashes of what had she had just experienced crossed through her brain in a hot white sequence. Grimacing, she reopened and adjusted her sight to the cave she laid in. The hand that had been atop her head belonged to none other than Aragorn, and it seemed they had not traveled far after the fight with the Watcher. She wondered how much time had passed since she fell? And at this thought, a twinge of guilt struck her in the gut.

"Are you alright?"

"I-I think so, yes. I'm fine," She said trying to find her own voice.

The Ranger's words had startled her from her thinking and she made to stand on her feet. He steadied her, but once he saw she was fully balanced, he made his way to Gandalf who was not far from them. After dusting the dirt from her knees and backside, she made her way towards the rest of them. Melody assumed at this point they would rather be rid of her than to deal with these mysterious occurrences. It was definitely not acceptable during such a quest and could very well cost them their lives if it happened at the wrong time.

Their faces were more of a mixture of annoyance and concern—the latter made her feel slightly comforted. At least they did not seem like they were going to arrange her own mutiny.

"You took quite the fall back there," Boromir noted, he eyed her in a way that conveyed the tiniest hint of suspicion, "You should trust that there will be fouler things in these mines and keep your fear at bay."

She could only nod in agreement, words were far from achievable and she knew his statement to be true. Whatever lurked in these mines and that had killed all those people could not be what attacked them from the water.

The woman had a feeling it would be something much worse.