For two days the Fellowship traveled on full alert towards the pass, following the ancient paved road from Hollin. Aerlaer who walking with the group, currently leaving the scouting to the Woodland Elf, turned to Gimli. "This road was built a very long time ago when the Elves and Dwarves once traded in peace." The Dwarf looked up at her amazed and she nodded to confirm her words. "Elves and Dwarves were not always enemies." She turned back to face the growing white peaks as the road slowly climbed higher into the mountain range.
The company stopped to rest when the daunting summit and great white sides of Caradhras loomed before them. Aerlaer stood from a high perch, taking note of the chilling wind on her face and stared off into the distance. "Bad weather is following us. Let us hope we can navigate the pass safely." She murmured as Aragorn passed below the rock.
In no time at all, they began the tedious trek into the foothills; climbing single file along the twisted, rocky, narrow path. The Elves led the party, picking the safest part of the paths and the others followed them exactly as they climbed ever higher and higher. Finally, they reached the foot of the greater mountains. Their treacherous path now winding to the left, under sheers cliffs. The wind was bitter cold and relentless. Beside Frodo, Aerlaer steadied the cold and exhausted Hobbit. Since leaving Hollin, Gandalf had driven them on relentlessly and she had taken to carrying the Hobbits often as they wearied so quickly.
"Is that snow?" Frodo suddenly asked as Aerlaer felt the first cold flakes land upon her face.
"Feels like it. I fear our journey through the pass will only get harder if this weather continues to build." She whispered and he looked up at her, the feathery flakes already settling in his dark, curly hair. "Put your hood up Frodo." She instructed as they moved on.
Their journey soon became all the more difficult for the others save her and Legolas as they fought against the wind and snow. They now trekked along a narrow path; all too aware of the deep ravine falling into darkness on one side and the sheer side of the peak on the other. The snow had been falling in earnest for the past two hours and it obscured rock, root and shrub. Aerlaer heard a sudden cry of shock and snapped her head back in time to see Frodo stumble and fall forward into the snow. Aragorn was by his side immediately and, with the Ranger's aid, Frodo scrambled back to his feet.
Aerlaer watched, her heart dropping in fear, as the Hobbit quickly reached into his shirt to discover the ring was gone. Ahead of him, just before she and Legolas, Boromir bent down, picking up the ring where it had fallen. He was mumbling to himself but the wind carried his words away and she could not determine what it was he spoke of. She felt Legolas tense beside her, his entire posture changing to that of a warrior ready to leap into action if need be.
"Boromir! Give Frodo the ring!" Aragorn commanded, hand resting on his sword hilt. They had all paused now and Aerlaer held her breath, also ready to spring to action.
"As you wish." The Gondor man chuckled in a disconcerting manner as he walked slowly to Frodo and held the ring out to him. Frodo snatched it back saying nothing. "I care not." Boromir shrugged and turned to continue their journey through the snow. The exchange did not bode well with Aerlaer and she noticed, as they continued, Legolas remained more so on guard, warier than he had been before.
…
"I don't like this at all! Gasped Sam as the icy wind took his breath away. The snow was now more than ankle deep and the group were moving slower and slower. The blizzard only grew stronger, and soon even Boromir was having trouble pushing through it. He was at the back of the line, to Legolas's relief. He was all the more unsure of him now he had handled the Ring of power. He had seen the greed in the man's eyes at Elrond's council and he wondered if the man had an ulterior motive for joining the Fellowship. He was too young to know of the true wrath of the Ring.
Yes, he fought the darkness of Mordor but, he had not fought it for as long as Legolas had, as long as all Elves had. He walked up ahead, Gandalf only a few paces behind him and Aerlaer and Aragorn with the Hobbits, behind the Wizard.
They were exhausted, the Hobbits, bent over double trying to ward off the wind. Aerlaer he knew was now afraid if she carried them, they might fall off and over the ledge and into the ravine below. Another strong gust of blizzard air hit him and he caught words almost like they chanted on the wind. He glanced back in confusion to Gandalf but the Wizard's lips were in a tight, thin line. "There is a fell voice on the air!" He called back to him.
Gandalf too listened, his snow-covered face turning into a concentrated frown before his eyes widened. "It is Saruman!" He cried out to the others. With a sudden crack, rocks tumbled down from above them. Legolas instinctively pressed himself hard against the cliff face to avoid being crushed, glancing anxiously back to the others, glad they too did the same.
"He's trying to bring down the mountain," Shouted Aragorn. "We must turn back!" Legolas wholeheartedly agreed. They could not possibly thwart the White Wizard's corrupt power.
"No!" Gandalf replied. The Wizard began to chant up towards the peak, asking it to rest as they all stood in hesitation. Saruman's voice was stronger. There was another loud crack and a jagged bolt of lightning struck the jagged precipice, sending snow and ice plummeting down toward them. Legolas grabbed Gandalf, who had walked forward alone, and pulled him to the cliff face just as the snow and ice crashed down upon them and he was knocked down under its cold weight.
Swiftly he pushed and hauled his way up and through the hard snow and ice to emerge, hauling Gandalf up beside him. He glanced warily about and felt a wave of relief as Aerlaer broke from the ice, back in horse form, hauling Sam up with his cloak between her teeth and, Pippin seeming to hang off her mane. Aragorn next emerged with Frodo and Bill. Gimli, growling in anger with Merry and lastly Boromir, using his shield to push the snow and ice away.
"We must get off the mountain, head for the gap of Rohan!" The Gondor man yelled out over the blizzard.
"The gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn shouted back and Aerlaer looked to be nodding in agreement as she shook snow from herself.
"For all we know, Saruman controls Rohan too." She added.
Gimli spoke up. "If we cannot pass over the mountain, then let us go under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria." Legolas physically paled at this idea. He gazed to Gandalf beside him, finding the Wizard to be conflicted. He turned to Frodo.
"Let the ring bearer decide." Is he mad? They all turned to the Hobbit, waiting for his decision.
"We will go through the mines of Moria." The Frodo decided.
Gandalf nodded stiffly. "So be it." Legolas felt a knot of unease begin to slowly tie itself within his mind. He could not very well question the decision, what choice did they have?
…
Boromir had encouraged them all to carry firewood and, while they waited the storm out huddled against the cliff wall, they pilled all their collected wood together. "You risk us being seen", warned Gandalf gruffly but the company were too cold and miserable to care if they were seen or not. Neither Gimli nor Aerlaer could light a fire and the Hobbits continued to shake uncontrollably. Even Legolas felt the cold as Aerlaer did and, he approached a stoic Gandalf.
"If you would perhaps aid them, Gandalf?" He murmured and received a grunt. Holding in an inward sigh, he tried another tactic. "We will hardly reach our destination if we should all freeze to death." The Wizard eyed him in annoyance before making his way to the small pile of wood and muttered out a low phrase as he pointed his staff and ignited the wood.
"Now everyone knows where I am." He huffed out as green and blue flames roared and the Hobbits huddled around to warm themselves. Legolas sent him a grateful smile but did not receive one in return. Gandalf was worried and that was never a good thing.
Now the small fire was burning slowly but in earnest; Legolas joined the others in huddling around the flames; finding Merry and Pippin huddled to his left and Aerlaer and Aragorn sitting silently to his right. Even hunched in the bitter cold, the elleth carried a grace about her and it brought a small smile to him. They would make it through this. All of them.
Night set in fully and even for Legolas, it dragged out and none slept for the weather forbade it. As light struck the mountain side the next morning, the blizzard had finally died down and, they discovered going back was going to be nearly as hard as going forward. To go forward was impossible. The peaks had ominous amounts of snow just waiting to fall onto the weary travellers. To go back was the only choice they had and, try pass through the mines instead.
The going was slow. Boromir, Aragorn and Aerlaer, as her horse self, used the strength of their bodies combined to push a path back through the snow drifts that were as high as Gimli. The Dwarf and tired hobbits could then walk on the path the other three made. Legolas, walked lightly ahead over the snow, navigating their way back down the mountain path though the still swirling snow. As the day neared to an end, the company sheltered on top a small hill among large, craggy rock and small trees. They were no more than about seven miles from a back entrance into Moria Gandalf spoke of.
The idea of entering the mines did not sit well with him. He could not imagine their kind welcoming him openly. Aerlaer, perhaps they would for Gimli seemed to like her but not he. There was no small amount of bad blood between his Woodland kin and the Dwarves. He just hoped he would not be introduced or, recognised.
…
Aerlaer ran. Wargs were on the hunt and she was their prey. Their great howling call of the hunt drove her galloping relentlessly along rocky paths until they had her cornered against the steep cliff side of a towering snow covered mountain. The lead Warg howled and then eyes glinting, opened his mouth in a terrifying growl…
She snapped her eyes open, sitting up as an enormous Warg leapt, snarling and spitting into the campsite. Within moments she was on her feet, blades in hand, trying to remain calm as Gandalf tried to drive the fell beast off. Suddenly the Warg cried out painfully and its body dropped heavily to the ground, an arrow piercing its throat. Legolas leapt down from the rocks and removed the arrow from the wolf and she felt immensely satisfied it was dead. She did not like Wargs.
The camp fell back into silence now the threat had been dealt with but Aerlaer did not go back to sleep. Instead she stayed up with Aragorn keeping watch. "I don't think any Wargs will return, Aerlaer." She turned to him to see warm concern in his eyes.
"I hope not." She sighed. "I had been dreaming of them chasing me and I awoke from this evil dream to find it lurking in our campsite." She paused before admitting, "Wargs and other wolves are a horse's greatest enemy and fear. Even I have inherited the instincts of my horse forbearers. I am just lucky I do have the means to fight back as an Elf. "
"Then all Wolves should fear you." The Ranger said with a smile. She grinned back and they sat in the cold silence, wrapped in their cloaks, waiting for the sun to announce the beginning of a new day.
Just as the campsite felt safe again, a chorus of howling startled them all. Aerlaer leapt up, deftly knocking an arrow to the bow she'd already had in her hand, trying to keep her fear controlled. Aragorn had his sword ready and she could hear somewhere to her left, Boromir drawing his. It was still terribly dark, only the camp fire giving off a shadowy, flickering light. Unseen, the Wargs approached, growling and snarling menacingly and leapt over the rocky outcrop bordering their campsite. Swords flashed in the red light as Aragorn and Boromir leapt towards the shadowy Wargs, the Ranger immediately slitting the throat of one.
Remaining higher upon the rocks, Aerlaer loosed arrow after arrow, toward the eyes glinting in the firelight; never missing her mark. Behind her, facing the other direction, Legolas made fast work taking down any Wargs advancing from behind. The Hobbits hid under the rocks she and Legolas stood on and, Aragorn and Boromir fought as a shield before them. Gimli swung his axe valiantly, a near consistent sound of heavy metal on skull. Aerlaer was glad for his strength and skill for the Dwarf ensured no Warg could stealthily take either her or Legolas unawares from behind.
"A little help!" He suddenly yelled up to them. Aerlaer whirled and, seeing two Wargs advancing on the Dwarf, she carefully yet quickly knocked two arrows, splaying them slightly and released them towards the separate sets of gleaming eyes. Two cries told her she'd hit her marks.
"Nice." Legolas complimented as he took out another Warg attempting to leap up at them. Aerlaer glanced around. There were so many. A sickening thought took root in her mind and froze her heart; she'd been in such a situation only weeks before and, no one had survived. No, no, do not think like that! Fear lanced through her regardless, she truly did not like Wargs.
There was a sudden bright light and she caught sight of Gandalf below, a large branch raised high in his hands. The Wizard hurled it at the pack and in the same instant, his voice boomed and the light ignited twice as brightly upon the branch, the other shrubby trees also became engulfed in the white flames and suddenly the Wargs were both snarling and yelping in confusion and fear. As pure fire burned around them, Legolas let off one last arrow towards a large Warg who seemed not to notice the flames as he advanced towards Aragorn and Gandalf. With a cry, the great Warg fell, engulfed within the white flames.
Aerlaer did not realise she was slightly shaking until she felt eyes on her. She turned to find it was Legolas, a slightly worried frown upon his face.
"Tolo na naur." He simply murmured and, with a nod, she followed him down off the rocks to where the original campfire still flickered before the Hobbits.
"Well that should have fixed them filthy mutts." Gimli rumbled decidedly as he cleaned off his axe head before standing to her left.
"I do hope so." Legolas murmured quietly.
"Thank you for covering us Gimli." Aerlaer gazed down gratefully at the Dwarf and he nodded stiffly.
"Yes, right, couldn't have something happening to our pointy eared archers." He muttered and his no fuss attitude finally brought a small smile to her. She did not mind Gimli.
"Yes, thank you." Legolas added stiffly and Aerlaer nearly laughed for it sounded as if the simple gratitude was not in any form, easy for the Wood-Elf to express.
"Soon we'll be safe and sound in the halls of Khazad-dûm." Gimli instead declared brightly and the Hobbits nodded from where they huddled closer to the fire. Aerlaer caught an expression on Gandalf's face however which made her hesitate in agreeing with the Dwarf. There was plain uncertainty in the Wizard's eyes. What does he know and possibly keep secret from us?