Lord of the Rings: An Outlaw's Redemption

…

Chapter 4: The Journey Begins

Arthur awoke early and looked out the window. The tangerine fingers of sunlight were slowly creeping over the horizon, indicating the dawn of a new day. And today was different as the quest to destroy the One Ring was beginning. Arthur had spent most of the night preparing what he needed for the journey. Eibear had gladly given the cowboy some throwing knives and an elven bow with a quiver of arrows, along with some cleaning oil for his guns. The Dwarves had gifted Arthur a well-made dwarven hatchet that had a glistening bearded blade with a short blunt spike on the back. Arthur also stocked up on some medicines and tonics in case there were any injuries or illnesses to be gained during the quest. He also procured a flask of dwarven ale and a pouch of tobacco for some relaxation purposes. Besides that, Arthur had been given some gifts by Lord Elrond, such as a shirt of mail to wear underneath his jacket and astoundingly, the Elf lord had bequeathed the sword the Dwarves had returned to the elves; Orcrist the Goblin Cleaver.

Arthur had tried to refuse the blade, saying he wasn't a trained swordsman, not like Aragorn or Boromir, but Lord Elrond had been insistent upon it. After some debate back and forth, Arthur reluctantly agreed to take Orcrist to use. The cowboy had also taken the time to read some of the maps of Middle-Earth to get an idea of their route and just how long it would take to reach their destination. And from the looks of it, they had quite a ways to go from Rivendell to Mordor, and no doubt Sauron would send his forces to recover his ring.

Getting up from the bed and sighing to himself, thinking to himself that it would be a good while before he slept in a bed again, Arthur dressed himself before gathering his equipment, making sure to leave nothing behind.

Leaving his room and walking down the corridors to reach the meeting point where everyone would gather to begin the journey, Arthur rubbed his eyes clear of sleep and adjusted his hat and rolled his shoulders to try and wake himself up more. Reaching the meeting point, Arthur found some of the Fellowship already there. Legolas looked bright and alert, with his bow in his hands, a quiver of arrows on his back and a pair of long curved knives on his back as well. Three of the hobbits, Merry, Pippin and Sam were there, each of them looking as though they were still half asleep, the first two more so due to spending the night previous drinking and smoking. Well, those two would be in for a rude awakening, and Arthur would make sure they learned and remembered it. The dwarf Gimli was leaning against the archway, his axe resting in his hands, the pommel touching the ground. Boromir was adjusting the sword that was sheathed by his side; catching each other's eye, Arthur and Boromir glared at each other momentarily.

Pippin suddenly noticed the cowboy standing there and greeted him. "G'morning, Mister Morgan, sir," he said in a sleepy voice.

"Morning to ya," Arthur replied to the Hobbit. "Still asleep there?" he asked.

"We're awake! Just not used to waking up this early," Pippin protested.

"Well, you better get used to it," Arthur said to him sternly. "This ain't fun and games. This is serious business." Looking around, Arthur did not see Aragorn, Frodo or Gandalf anywhere, and he asked, "Where're the others?"

Sam spoke up. "Mister Frodo's visiting his Uncle Bilbo, saying his goodbyes. Gandalf's speaking with Lord Elrond. I don't know about Strider," he said shrugging his shoulders. Arthur nodded his head before walking over to a nearby tree and leaned against, digging out from his satchel some tobacco and papers to roll himself a cigarette. Using one of the few matches he had on him, Arthur lit the end and breathed in a lungful of tobacco smoke before exhaling it out in a stream of grey vapour. Sticking the end between his teeth, Arthur looked at the people he would be travelling with and what he had learnt about them.

Legolas was the son of Thranduil, the Elf King of Mirkwood Forest, thus making him a prince. Mirkwood also had its share of dangers so the elves of the woodland realm were fierce warriors and exceptional archers, and Legolas was one of their best. Elves also had excellent hearing and keen eyesight that was far superior to that of men, and Legolas was no exception to the rule.

The dwarf Gimli was a hardy warrior who favoured an axe to fight with and was skilled in the use of such a weapon. Besides the long-axe he had, Gimli also possessed a throwing axe should he need it, although Arthur could tell that the stout dwarf preferred close-up fights.

Boromir was the eldest son of Denethor, the Steward of Gondor, and was a veteran of combat having fought the forces of Mordor for quite some time and held the rank of Captain of the White Tower and was heir to the Stewardship of Gondor. And from what Arthur gathered during the Council meeting, Boromir was desperate to save his people, given how he vocalised that Gondor be given the Ring to use against Sauron. Arthur could understand the man's desire to save his people, much like how Eagle Flies wanted his people to have a better life, but using a weapon of the Enemy that would answer to no-one save its master/creator and had corrupted people who tried to use it before was only inviting trouble.

Aragorn was something of a mystery for Arthur. Aragorn was a ranger of the North, a people who roamed the wilds, fighting fierce beasts who would dare encroach on settlements and fought bandits and the like. But Arthur had a good judge of character to tell that Aragorn was a fierce warrior and could be a reliable ally in a fight. And given that the Ranger was also the Heir to Gondor added to that, but if the conversation with Arwen yesterday told Arthur anything, it was that Aragorn had chosen exile rather than claim his inheritance.

After a few minutes, Frodo and Aragorn joined the group. "There they are!" Arthur said with a smile, stubbing his cigarette out with his boot. "Thought we'd have to leave without ya," he joked.

Aragorn nodded with a slight grin on his lips. Frodo looked troubled by something and Arthur wanted to ask the Ringbearer what the matter was, when Gandalf and Elrond entered. Gandalf was wearing an almost stereotypical wizard's hat along with a long wood staff with a crystal set into it, and a sword sheathed by his side. Aragorn wore his ranger outfit and had a longbow and longsword as his weapons. Frodo possessed a sword that looked to be of finer make than his friends' own blades. Soon the Fellowship prepared to leave Rivendell. As they prepared to leave, the elves of Rivendell came to bid farewell to them. Elrond then spoke.

"The Ringbearer is setting out on the quest to Mount Doom. On you who travel with him, no oath or bond laid, to go further than you will," the elven lord said. "Farewell. Hold to your purpose and may the blessings of Elves, Men and all free folk go with you."

"The Fellowship awaits the Ringbearer," Gandalf announced. Looking nervous and uncertain, Frodo began walking past the group and Gandalf walked beside him and the rest began to follow. Arthur took note of how Aragorn lingered behind and stared back. Arthur then saw Arwen looking at Aragorn, her expression one of sorrow. Aragorn gave a slight smile and nodded to her. The Ranger then saw Arthur who nodded and they then left catching up the Fellowship quickly.

The next few days were spent traversing over hill and dale, through forests, open plains and hillsides. The nights were spent around small campfires, sharing their provisions. Arthur was quickly surprised to see the vast appetite of the Hobbits, and he was told by Gandalf and Aragorn that the average hobbit ate at least several times a day. While Frodo showed some moderation, as did Sam to a degree, Merry and Pippin complained a little at the lack of usual number of meals. Arthur had turned around to them and said to the two hobbits that they couldn't stop for seven meals a day when time was of the essence, and stopping for even something as elevenses may risk them getting caught by the enemy who would no doubt be looking for them. Thoroughly chastised, Merry and Pippin fell in line and did not complain. But in contrast, they ate large meals to make up for it which Arthur sighing and shaking his head; he could only hope that they did not run out of food because of two gluttonous hobbits.

Arthur also asked Gandalf of the route they were taking, and Gandalf had told him, "We must hold this course west of the Misty Mountains for forty days. If our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will be open to us. From there, our road turns east to Mordor," he said to Arthur.

A few days later, the group stopped to rest on an outstretched arm of the mountains. Sam made a small fire and was cooking some sausages and other food on his cast iron skillet over the crackling flames. Serving some of the food onto tin plates, Sam handed one plate to Frodo as they sat and watched Merry and Pippin learn sword fencing from Boromir and Aragorn. Arthur had sat down to watch the sparring. Gandalf sat higher up on a ledge, watching over the group while Gimli sat with him and Legolas stood watch, scanning the horizon.

Boromir clashed his sword against Pippin's. "Two, one, five!" the Gondorian man called out each strike against Pippin's sword. "Good. Very good," he said.

"You look good, Pippin," Merry said to his friend.

"Thanks!"

"Faster!" Boromir ordered getting Pippin's attention back.

"Move your feet," Aragorn advised Pippin. Arthur called out his own encouragement.

"Don't take yer eye off him. And don't be afraid to fight dirty if ya have to," the cowboy said.

Gimli meanwhile was speaking with Gandalf. "You know, if anyone were to ask my opinion, which I note they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way around," the dwarf stated. "Gandalf, we could pass through the mines of Moria," he said with a reverence and hopefulness in his dark eyes. "My cousin, Balin, would give us a royal welcome!" he added.

"No, Gimli," Gandalf replied sternly as he took his pipe out from his mouth to look at the dwarf. "I would not take the road through Moria, unless I had no other choice," he declared.

"Mister Morgan, sir?" Sam said to Arthur, getting his attention. "Do you mind if I asked a couple of questions?" he asked.

"Oh, uh, sure, what'chu wanna know?" replied Arthur.

"Where is it you come from?"

"Ah, well, I come from a place far away from here, a world away even," Arthur said. "Coming here was… a one-way trip for me," he added uneasily.

"You are from another land?" Frodo asked. "What is it like?"

"Well, it's different from what you're used to, that's for sure," said Arthur scratching the back of his neck. "We don't have things like elves, dwarves, hobbits or anything like that," he added.

"Truly?" Aragorn asked.

"Yeah, stuff like that's fairy tales fer kids to read," replied Arthur. A slightly nostalgic looked crossed over the cowboy's face as he said, "Little Jack loved to read stories about that sorta stuff with Abigail."

"Little Jack and Abigail? Who were they?" Sam asked.

A slightly pained smile was on Arthur's face as he said, "Friends, hell, they were family of mine. Abigail was the… well, I don't know if she'd be called a wife, but she was the mother of Jack and John's girl."

"John? Who was he?" Frodo asked.

"John? He… heh, he was a goddamn idiot, but he was my brother. He deserved a better life than what we led," Arthur said bitterly.

"What life did you lead?" Boromir asked as he paused sparring with Merry and Pippin.

"Well, let's just say I got a certain skillset that's only good for a few things," Arthur replied cryptically. "And more often than not, that skillset ain't good for much," he then said with a shake of his head as if trying to shut out the memories of the not so distant past.

Aragorn looked at Arthur for a moment before nodding his head in understanding.

"What skillset do you have?" Boromir asked, his grip on his sword tight.

"A few things. Hunting, fighting, tracking, and riding. To name a few," Arthur replied, not wanting to share everything with the Fellowship.

"So you're like Strider?" Sam asked. "Because that's what rangers do, isn't it?" he added.

"Maybe, but not entirely," said Arthur. "Depends on what I use those skills for," he added.

"Tracking… what would you typically track?" Boromir asked.

"Animals, wanted criminals, that sort of thing," replied Arthur, not quite telling a lie because it was true he could track animals and wanted criminals, but he also tracked down those who owed money to the gang for Herr Strauss and extracted the money by whatever means at hand, typically with his fists to their faces.

"And what of your weapons?" Boromir asked indicating Arthur's guns. "I've not seen such weapons before," he remarked.

"Oh, these? Pretty common where I'm from," replied Arthur. "In fact, guns sorta replaced the stuff you fellers often use," he said.

"Indeed," Aragorn said. "They seem useful, but they aren't suited for quiet engagements," he commented.

"Naw, they ain't," Arthur conceded with a chuckle. "But luckily, I can use stuff for a quiet approach," he said modestly.

"Can you?" Boromir asked with a condescending smile. "How good are you with a sword?" he enquired.

"Well, I ain't a swordsman like you or Aragorn, but I follow the basis of sticking 'em with the pointy end," replied Arthur with a humourless chuckle.

"Perhaps you'd like some lessons?" Boromir offered. "Or are you too afraid to face your better?" he asked with a taunting look in his eyes. Arthur fixed the man with a flat look before saying, "Well, since you so kindly offered."

Standing from his seat, Arthur drew Orcrist, getting a feel for the weight and handling of the elf blade, holding it in a low stance to the side. Boromir had an amused look on his lips as he adopted what Arthur would say was akin to a fencer's pose, the blade pointed straight out towards him. After a moment of staring each other down, Boromir thrust the tip of his sword forward with one swift movement. Arthur avoided the lunge and swung his own blade at Boromir who casually deflected the strike with a sneer. Arthur grunted, feeling a little out of his element against a more trained swordsman, but like he said to Merry and Pippin earlier, don't be afraid to fight dirty.

Boromir almost lazily swung his sword at Arthur who ducked under the swing, before getting under the man's guard and with his free hand, he socked Boromir in the jaw with a light punch. Boromir gave a grunt of pain and stumbled back slightly, nursing his slightly bruised jaw with one hand, a look of surprise and anger on his face. Arthur shot him a shit-eating grin and held Orcrist ready. Aragorn had a slightly amused look in his eyes as though he had expected such a tactic from the cowboy. Boromir shrugged off the pain before making faster swings at Arthur with his sword. Arthur managed to avoid the strikes and swung his own sword at Boromir who parried aside the strike before shoving Arthur back with his shoulder. The cowboy stumbled back a little, his footing a little uneasy, but he quickly righted himself and threw another punch at Boromir who avoided it this time.

"Same trick doesn't work twice!" Boromir said to Arthur who shrugged and said, "Forgive me fer trying then."

Boromir snorted before thrusting his sword towards Arthur who managed to deflect the blow. Grabbing Boromir's wrist, Arthur threw the man to the ground. Boromir gave a growl of pain and frustration as he hit the ground. Arthur gave a laugh before offering a hand to Boromir. Boromir suddenly yanked Arthur down to the ground and they tussled, rolling around as they tried to gain the upper hand on one another. Arthur had greater experience with this sort of thing and kneed Boromir in the stomach, making the man give a pained wheeze as the wind was driven from him. Pushing the man off of him, Arthur got to his feet and looked at Boromir who was getting to his own feet, a look of frustration on his face.

"Stay down, partner," Arthur advised the man. "Don't make me do summat I'll regret," he added.

Boromir gave a grunt before relaxing. Arthur relaxed as well before turning around to resume his seat, when suddenly he heard a yell and he turned around to see Boromir charging towards him. Boromir's thick arms wrapped around Arthur as he tried to tackle the Cowboy to the ground. Arthur luckily held his ground and with two quick knees to the face, Arthur brought Boromir to face level and punched the man in the jaw hard. The Gondorian man fell to the ground, nursing a more bruised jaw and groaned in pain. Arthur panted hard before sighing and held out a hand to help Boromir up. This time Boromir did not attempt to pull Arthur down and got to his feet and nodded his head.

"I'm… sorry," the Gondorian man said. "I let my temper get the better of me," he added abashedly.

"Don't worry about it," Arthur dismissed. "Just don't do it again," he suggested and Boromir nodded in acceptance.

Aragorn then chose to speak. "You must've been in your share of brawls to fight in such a manner," he observed calmly.

"I've been in my share," Arthur admitted. "And while there ain't much honour in how I fight, only people who observe the rules in the fight often end up in pine boxes," he said cynically.

"True enough, even if it isn't all that aspirational or inspire ideas of glory," Aragorn said.

"Well, when the chips are down, if it's you or them, you better make damn sure it ain't you," said Arthur and he looked at the four hobbits and said to them, "That's a life lesson you four should all learn. I know it ain't nice, but it's better than being dead."

"I suppose so," Frodo said sombrely. "But surely you believe in showing mercy to your enemies?" he asked Arthur.

Arthur sighed and said, "I wish I could show all my enemies mercy, but a lot of 'em didn't deserve mercy in the first place. You'll find out that life ain't a fairy tale. I learned that the hard way."

Arthur then looked at Merry and Pippin. "Get back to practicing, you two," he said to them. "Unless of course, you'd rather fight me?" he asked.

"I think we'd rather spar against Boromir," Merry replied as they then resumed sparring with Boromir.

Arthur sat down beside Aragorn who said to him, "What was life like back in your lands?" he asked.

"Well, the life I lead wasn't the noblest, but other people had more honest lives. Some were just trying to get by in life," replied Arthur. "But some folk liked to make others' lives hard for them, imposing laws and taxes on them," he said grimly.

"You speak as though you have no love for the law," Aragorn noted.

"I ain't got too much against the law, but most lawmen I found were nothing but a rich man's tools," said Arthur. "Don't get me wrong, I worked for the law from time to time, bringing in wanted criminals and bounties, but that was mostly for the money," he added.

"You're a mercenary then?" Aragorn asked.

"Summat like that, sure," Arthur said uneasily.

Aragorn nodded and didn't press the issue as they watched Merry and Pippin spar against Boromir. Then suddenly, Boromir put in a wrong strike and accidentally nicked Pippin's hand, causing the hobbit to yelp in pain.

"Sorry!" Boromir cried out. Pippin kicked the man in the left shin making him hold his left foot and Merry kicked his other leg, causing Boromir to fall to the ground. The two hobbits then pounced on Boromir trying to wrestle him. Boromir was laughing the whole time. Aragorn had an exasperated grin on his face at the two hobbits' antics. Arthur was chuckling as well, watching the two hobbits try to wrestle Boromir.

"For the Shire! Hold him! Hold him down, Merry!" Pippin shouted.

Getting up from his seat, Aragorn strode over to them. "Gentlemen, that's enough!" he ordered sternly laying a hand on Merry's shoulder. The two hobbits then grabbed the Dunedain's legs and pulled them out from under the man, causing him to fall over onto his back. Arthur chuckled as he walked over and with little effort, he hoisted the two hobbits into the air.

"I think you two have had enough fun for one day," he said loudly.

"Whoa!" Merry cried out as his legs flapped a little as he dangled in the air.

Legolas then looked south and saw something that caught his eye. With a few easy bounds, he perched on a nearby rock, looking at something on the horizon. Sam noticed where the elf was looking and saw some dark looking cloud.

"What is that?" Sam asked out loud for everyone to hear.

Gimli looked to where Legolas and Sam were looking. "Nothing. Just a whiff of cloud," he dismissed.

Boromir and Aragorn stood back up, looking at this "whiff of cloud." Arthur set Merry and Pippin back onto the ground and looked as well.

"It's moving fast, against the wind," Boromir stated as he watched the cloud move towards them.

Arthur strained his senses and for some reason, he heard the distant flapping of wings and cawing of birds.

"Birds," the cowboy said in confusion.

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas shouted.

"Hide!" Aragorn yelled.

"Hurry!" Boromir urged.

Arthur grabbed his guns as everyone scrambled for cover or a hiding spot to hide in. Sam quickly put out the fire. Arthur hid beneath a large bush as the rest of the Fellowship hid in various spots. Then a burst of darkness enveloped the area, blotting out the light and Arthur glimpsed black crows, cawing and screeching in a deafening volume, their eyes darting to and fro as if searching for something. The flock of birds circled the area twice before turning and flying back the way they came. As the birds flew away, the Fellowship came out of their hiding places.

Gandalf spoke in anger. "Spies of Saruman!" he exclaimed. "The path south is being watched. We must take the Pass of Caradhras," he said looking up towards the snowy mountains.

"Better dress warmly then," Arthur commented.

…

A few days later, the group was traversing the snowy slopes of the mountains, each of them dressed as warmly as they could for the cold climate. As they climbed up the slope, Frodo suddenly lost his footing and tumbled backwards, going end over end towards Aragorn and Arthur who caught the young hobbit.

"You okay there, kid?" the cowboy asked the Ringbearer who nodded and felt at his neck for the ring. Suddenly noticing it was not around his neck, Frodo searched around and saw the Ring on its chain, but a few meters away. The Ring lay in the white snow, gleaming gold in the light. Boromir walked towards it, his face was mournful. Arthur's hand twitched towards his Schofield as the Gondorian man picked up the ring by its chain and looked at it.

"Boromir," Aragorn called out to him to get his attention, but he was not paying attention to the ranger.

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing," Boromir said in almost a whisper. "Such a little thing," he added softly, his hand reaching towards the Ring.

Arthur then heard that sinister little voice in his head. "Arrthur…" Shaking his head to expel the voice, Arthur strode towards Boromir and grabbed his wrist. "Don't do it, partner," the cowboy threatened the man who looked at him in surprise. The cold glare Arthur gave Boromir made the man come to his senses.

"Give the ring to Frodo," Aragorn said to Boromir who looked at Arthur who released his hold on him.

"As you wish," Boromir said offering the Ring to Frodo who almost snatched it from his hand, an anguished look on his face. "I care not," the Gondorian man added before giving a chuckle and ruffling Frodo's hair. Arthur then saw Aragorn's hand on his sword as Boromir walked back up the slope.

"Would you have done it?" Arthur asked Aragorn indicating his grip on his sword. Aragorn relaxed his grip on his sword before giving his answer.

"Perhaps."

"Yeah, if you wouldn't, I would've," Arthur said grimly. "That feller's gone go mad over that ring. Just you wait," he added.

…

Two days later, the Fellowship had reached the Pass of Caradhras, the winds whipping and lashing their faces with intense cold. The snow banks were high enough to be chest height with the likes of Arthur and enough to swallow the Hobbits and Gimli in them. Gandalf used his staff to try and drive a path through the high snow. Arthur looked out across the area and saw that they were walking through a blizzard; such a thing was madness in the cowboy's eyes, but Gandalf had been insistent on going through the Pass. Legolas was walking atop the snow banks, his footstep light and sure as he moved with nimble ease. The elf looked out across the blizzard and spoke.

"There's a fell voice!" the elf shouted over the howling winds.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf shouted as a rending echo that Arthur would swear there was a voice speaking in some language was followed by a slab of rocks and boulders tumbling down from the mountain's arms.

"Back! Against the wall!" Arthur shouted and everyone did as the cowboy said and they flattened themselves as best they could against the rockface of the mountain to avoid the deluge of snow, rocks and debris.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn shouted to Gandalf. "Gandalf, we must turn back!"

"No!" Gandalf bellowed as he climbed to stand on top of the snow banks and began to chant some incantation to quell the storm. Arthur didn't know what spell Gandalf was chanting, but it didn't seem to be doing any good as lightning suddenly struck the tip of the mountain, sending down an avalanche of snow and ice. Legolas pulled Gandalf back against the wall before the avalanche hit. The snowfall buried the Fellowship near completely. Arthur punched his way free of the snow, his face nearly blue as he attempted to pull himself out. The others pulled themselves out from the snow as well.

"We must get off the mountain!" Boromir shouted. "Make for the Gap of Rohan, then take the west road to my city!" he yelled.

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn argued.

Gimli then spoke up. "If we cannot go over the mountain, let us go under it! Let us go through the mines of Moria!" he declared.

"Either way, we gotta get off this damn mountain!" Arthur put in. "We can't stay here!" he stated.

Gandalf had a conflicted look in his eyes, as if there was something he was afraid ofbefore he spoke.

"Let the Ringbearer decide."

Frodo looked shocked at this being put on him and he looked around. Samwise was nearly blue in the face and shivering. Merry and Pippin looked the same as well.

"We cannot stay here! This will be the death of the hobbits!" Boromir said.

"Boromir's right! These Hobbits could freeze to death up here!" Arthur agreed.

"Frodo?" Gandalf looked at the Ringbearer intently, waiting for an answer.

"We will go through the mines," Frodo announced.

"So be it," Gandalf said sombrely. Arthur caught onto the way Gandalf said it, as if there was something the Grey Pilgrim wasn't telling them and was afraid to. Arthur was tempted to ask Gandalf what reason he had for wanting to avoid Moria, but it seemed there was no alternative but to take the road through Moria.

…

Taking the passage southward, the Fellowship saw signs of civilisation as they came across a large aqueduct that loomed in the mist and ice of the mountains. Arthur was tempted to take a drawing of the aqueduct, but he realised he didn't have his journal on him, something he hoped to remedy the first chance he got. As they neared, a vast cliff face, Gimli spoke reverently.

"The Walls of Moria!"

Arthur saw a large rock face with a large lake in front of it. He then said, "Really? Looks like a big cliff face to me."

"Aye, that may be, Mister Morgan, but these are the Walls of Moria. We built our homes deep inside the mountains, deep underground," replied Gimli.

"So, where's the door then? I don't see none," Arthur said.

"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed, lad," Gimli said in a matter-of-factly voice and he began tapping his axe against the rock face, as trying to find the door to Moria.

"Yes, Gimli. Their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten," Gandalf said dryly as they moved along the shore of the lake.

"Why doesn't that surprise?" Legolas said and Gimli glared at the elf. Arthur gave a chuckle at the sudden humorous words from Legolas.

"I guess I could see the benefits of a hidden door," the cowboy then said. "It'd be hard for anyone that find if they didn't know where to look. But it'd a pain in the ass if you didn't where to look neither," he added.

Frodo suddenly stumbled, his foot splashing into the waters of the lake. The lake was vast in size and dead tree branches bearded with most stuck out from the waters. Arthur glanced at the lake and he felt a sudden chill run down his spine; he did not like the look of that lake. Something about it set off his sense of doom.

Gandalf approached a space of rock between two gnarled trees, his hand running over the surface of the granite. "Ithildin," the Grey Pilgrim muttered. "It mirrors only starlight, and moonlight," he said to himself as he looked at the night sky to which the pale silver moon revealed itself from behind the darkness. Then the space between the two trees then slowly lit up in silvery white light, forming the outline of a door of two columns and an archway with a star in the centre. Strange runes that Arthur could only describe as being close to Viking in nature similar to the boulder of runes he found in his travels back home, lit up. Gimli stared at the door of his forefathers in awe. Gandalf then pointed at the runes with the tip of his staff, reading them out to the Fellowship.

"It reads, 'The Doors of Durin – Lord of Moria. Speak friend, and enter.'"

"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked.

"Oh, it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open," replied Gandalf as he pressed his staff against the glowing star and spoke in a strange tongue.

But the door stayed closed. Gandalf looked at the door in confusion before raising his hands in the air and spoke in another tongue. But the door remained closed.

"Nothing's happening," Pippin remarked and Gandalf glared at him in annoyance before attempting to push open the doors, grunting as he did so, but the doors remained fast.

"I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves, Men… and Orcs," the wizard said to himself.

"What are you going to do then?" Pippin asked him.

"Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took! If that does not open them, then I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions! I will try to find the opening words," Gandalf grumbled.

Hours passed by as the Fellowship waited for Gandalf to try and find the right incantation to open the doors to Moria. Gandalf was looking quite weary, while Aragorn was unhitching the horse they had brought with them from Rivendell. Sam was looking unhappy at seeing Bill being made to leave.

"The mines are no place for a pony, even one so brave as Bill," Aragorn said to Sam.

"He's right, horses don't do well in a place like a mine," Arthur put in. "He's a good horse, but he'd probably end up falling down a mineshaft somewhere," he said sadly.

"Bye-bye, Bill," Sam said softly to the pony.

"Go on, Bill. Go on," Aragorn urged the horse who began to slowly make his way through the night. "Don't worry, Sam, he knows the way home," Aragorn comforted Sam.

"Yeah, horses have got a good sense of direction, they know where home is," Arthur said with a nostalgic smile as he remembered all the horses he ever own. Leaning back, Arthur looked at the doorway to Moria. If he had some dynamite on him, he could perhaps open the doors by blowing them, but he figured that the dwarves within mightn't appreciate their door being blown up and would sour relations between them and Fellowship.

Then Merry began throwing stones into the lake, causing the water to ripple and splash with each stone thrown in. Pippin began to follow suit when Arthur grabbed his wrist. "Don't do it! Just cause yer friend is doing, don't mean you have to!" the cowboy said to the Hobbit sternly. Pippin gave a weak smile in response.

Gandalf then apparently gave up. "Oh, it's useless!" he bemoaned throwing his staff down and sat on a rock, pulling off his hat. Then Arthur, Aragorn and Boromir watched as the waters of the lake rippled ominously. Arthur fixed Merry and Pippin with a glare to which the two quailed under it. Frodo stood up and looked at the writings on the door.

"It's a riddle," the Ringbearer said. The lake continued to ripple as if something was moving towards them, causing Arthur to take out his Lancaster, ready to cock and fire at whatever was coming towards them.

"Speak friend, and enter," Frodo read the last part of the inscription. "What's the elvish word for friend?" he asked Gandalf.

"Mellon," Gandalf said without thinking twice. Then with a rumble, the dwarf doors swung open. The rest of the Fellowship took their attention off the lake as they made their way into Moria. Gandalf placed a rough-hewn crystal into the head of his staff, blowing on it making a soft white light emanate from it. Arthur followed last, casting a wary glance at the lake. Moonlight flooded the interior of the entrance as the Fellowship made their way in.

"Soon, master elf, you'll be enjoying the fabled hospitality of the dwarves!" Gimli said proudly. "Roaring fires! Malt beer! Meat ripe off the bone!" he added. Arthur had to admit that some part of him was looking forward to that.

"This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin," Gimli then said. Gandalf tapped his staff on the ground, making more light shine from the crystal, throwing a relief onto the dirty and broken stairs, upon which lay dark forms. "And they call it a mine. A mine!" Gimli joked.

Boromir looked at the forms and he spoke in dread. "This is no mine, it's a tomb!" he said.

Gandalf's light then revealed broken and battered skeletons with arrows stuck in them. The Hobbits leapt back startled when they were standing near a dwarf skeleton with an arrow stuck in its chest.

"Jesus!" Arthur swore as he looked at the dwarf corpses, lifting the lever of his Lancaster, ready to fire it at a moment's notice.

"Oh, no… Nooooo!" Gimli cried in anguish as he saw the dead forms of what could be his kin. Legolas yanked out an arrow from one of the skeletons, examining it.

"Goblins!" the elf hissed in anger, dropping the arrow and pulling out one of his own to nock to his bowstring. Boromir and Aragorn drew their swords.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan," Boromir said. "It was a mistake to come here!" he added.

"He's right. These fellers looked like they were slaughtered like pigs!" Arthur stated.

The hobbits were backing towards the door as Boromir shouted, "Now get out of here! Get out!"

Then something yanked Frodo towards the lake, causing him to yell out in surprise. What was pulling Frodo towards the lake was a long thick snaking tentacle.

"Frodo!" Sam, Merry and Pippin shouted as they immediately tried to free their friend. Sam drew his sword and flashed at the offending limb that was pulling Frodo towards the lake. "Get off him!" Sam shouted angrily as he hacked at the limb. That seemed to do the trick as the tentacle slipped back into the water, but then three more tentacles lashed out and knocked Sam, Merry and Pippin back. Another tentacle then grabbed Frodo and began lifting him into the air.

"Strider! Mister Morgan!" Sam shouted. Arthur, Legolas and Aragorn rushed out to rescue Frodo who was screaming in fear. Arthur fired a shot from his Lancaster at a three pronged tentacle that was trying to wrap itself around Frodo's face and suffocate him.

"Strider! Arthur!" Frodo screamed.

Pulling out his dwarven hatchet, Arthur hacked at one of the tentacles that lashed out from the waters of the lake, the sharp axeblade slicing the offending appendage in half. Aragorn and Boromir joined the fray as well, slashing at the tentacles with their swords. A tentacle flew towards Arthur who slashed at it with his axe, bisecting it in half. Then rising from the depths of the large was a large monstrous looking creature from which the tentacles belonged to. Frodo was hovering over the creature that soon opened its mouth filled with sharp milky white fangs.

"Shit!" Arthur cursed as he aimed his Lancaster at the beast's head and fired a shot. The bullet hit the creature in one of its many eyes, disturbing it. Boromir then cut off the tentacle that was holding Frodo. The Ringbearer fell and Boromir caught him. "Run!" the Gondorian man shouted.

"Into the mines!" Gandalf bellowed.

Arthur, Aragorn and Boromir then began to retreat.

"Into the cave!" Aragorn yelled.

Then the creature then tried to haul itself onto the ground, pursuing the Fellowship. Arthur spun around, time seemingly slowing down, his Lancaster held at the hip. Then with thunderous cracks, a steady stream of bullets flew out from the blackened steel barrel of Arthur's repeater, each bullet hitting the beast in the face, making it recoil in pain and roar.

"Arthur!" Aragorn shouted. Arthur quickly turned back around and ran in to join the others, just as the beast's limbs began to pull on the doorway, causing part of the cave to collapse. Slabs of rock missed Arthur by inches as he sprinted into the cave and he narrowly avoided one boulder that nearly fell on his head when he flung himself to the ground, skidding across the stone floor, his hat fluttering off.

"Arthur? Arthur?! Are you alright?" Aragorn asked the cowboy who coughed and replied, "I'm still alive, so that's something."

Picking himself and dusting himself off. Arthur then picked up his hat and placed it back on his head before looking at Frodo. "You okay, kid? Almost lost you there," the cowboy said to the Hobbit.

"I'm alright, thanks to you," replied Frodo.

"Don't mention it."

"Gandalf? What now?" Pippin asked suddenly.

"We have now but one choice," replied Gandalf grimly as he tapped his staff, causing brighter light to gleam. "We must face the long dark of Moria," he said.

…

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: There! The fourth chapter of this crossover done and dusted! I hope it makes the grade, and that there was a little original content with Arthur speaking a little about himself and where he comes from, so that this isn't a carbon copy of the LOTR movies which is pretty hard to do, and something that many people on this site don't like. Naturally the Fellowship is curious about Arthur and who he is and where he comes from, but aside from Gandalf who knows Arthur's background, they are unaware of Arthur's life as an outlaw, which if they did find out, they mightn't take kindly to, since they have a somewhat black and white view of things. But maybe they realize that Arthur is a good man deep down who fell in with the wrong crowd of people, But we'll get to that stage later.

In other news, I'm working on the rewrite of my Justice League of Amazons/Elder Scrolls crossover and I'm dealing with the whole Corona Virus nonsense that's been happening around the world, as well as job loss due to Corona Virus. On a slightly more happier note, yesterday was my birthday! 28 years old… I didn't think I'd survive this long, given all that I've been through in life, but somehow I'm proud I made it this far. On the other hand… I'M OLD! OH GOD! MY HAIR WILL BE TURNING GREY AND BALD! WHY ME?! *Inconsolable crying in the corner*

Anyway, that's that, not much to be said, so I'll just leave this here and I'll see you all in the next one.

Be kind to one another,

Angry lil' elf.