Help From another World

by Scribe of Worlds

Gandalf's plea from Isengard Tower reaches farther than he could ever imagine. Even to four demigods relaxing in a park after the Battle of Manhattan. Naturally, they respond. The Fellowship of the Ring is formed. A grand adventure from the dark of Moria to the beauty of Lorien. Dark paths, epic battles, annoying demigods. Middle Earth will never know what hit it.

6. Troubles on the Road

Heh heh heh. Sorry for my extremely long absence. :) My house has WiFi now, though, and that's extremely good news. :D

So, I updated this chapter, thought it was too short, along with chapter 7, so I combined them both and deleted some unnecessary stuff. I hope you like it better this version!

Troubles: Danger, obstruction, annoyance

Road: Pathway, a means to a destination

Please leave a review!

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Aragorn

The courtyard was cold and windswept. On it, several figures wrapped in warm woolen clothes moved around, checking their preparations one last for a long journey. The Company took little gear of war, for their hope was in secrecy, not in battle. Aragorn took only his sword, which had served him well for many years. For a moment, he had caught himself looking longingly at the blade lying in pieces in the hands of the statue, but had quickly shaken himself out of it. It was not yet time, and he still doubted his worth to carry it. The only other thing he carried was his pack, which was laden with provisions. He clad himself in rusty green and brown, the usual garb of a Ranger. He leaned against one of the pillars of the courtyard, conversing with his beloved Arwen in quiet tones, saying their goodbyes.

Boromir had a long sword, and he also carried a round shield and a war-horn. He was dressed in the same rich robes he had worn when he had arrived. Legolas had the traditional bow of the elves, complete with a quiver, and two long knives at his belt. He dressed himself in forest green. Gimli alone openly wore a short shirt of steel rings, for dwarves make light of burdens. He had a new axe, presumably given to him by his father, as the one he had brought was still in pieces after striking the Ring. The hobbits bore the short swords they had acquired at the Barrow, and Frodo carried an elvish knife that Bilbo had given him. The Ring hung by a thin chain around his neck.

The four young 'wizards' were dressed most strangely of all. All wore trousers made of a strange, tough blue material he had never before seen, and save for Annabeth, they seemed to carry no visible weapons. Annabeth's pack seemed to be the heaviest, with some jars filled with an glowing green liquid, some bars of strange food wrapped in silvery packages, and a very curious slab of iron that she called a 'laptop'. It ran on a magic called 'electricity' and would light up and hum when she split it open into two halves. On top of that, she had packed her bedroll and three books written in a language he had never before seen in all his travels. Her bag had been so heavy that Perseus had been forced to relieve her of some of the items, causing her to give him a kiss in thanks.

All of the Fellowship had also been well furnished by Elrond with thick warm clothes, and they had jackets and cloaks lined wit fur. Spare food and clothes and blankets and other needs were laden on a pony that Sam had brought from Bree. The pony, dubbed 'Bill' by Sam, seemed to be the only one not depressed by the imminent departure. They had already said their farewells in the great hall by the fire, and now were only waiting for Gandalf to come out of the hall.

At that moment Elrond came out with Gandalf, and he called the Company to him. "This is my last word," He said in a low voice. "The Ringbearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom. On him alone is any charge laid; neither to cast away the Ring, nor to deliver it to any servant of the Enemy, nor indeed to let any handle it, save members of the Company and the Council, and only then in gravest need. The others go with him as free companions, to help him on his way. You may tarry, or come back, or turn aside into other paths, as chance allows, The further you go, the less easy will it be to withdraw; yet no oath or bond is laid on you to go further than you will. For you do not yet know the strength of your hearts, and you cannot foresee what each may meet upon the road."

"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens." Gimli snorted. Aragorn spotted Perseus nodding in agreement.

"Maybe." Elrond agreed. "But – "

" – Let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall." Annabeth quoted. Elrond turned to her in surprise, raising an eyebrow, causing her to blush. "Sorry, I read it in one of the books in your library." Elrond chuckled in approval.

"Yet sworn word may strengthen quaking heart" Gimli countered.

"Or break it." Elrond sighed. But then he looked up again. "Look not too far ahead! But go now with good hearts! Farewell, and may the blessing of Elves and Men and all Free Folk go with you. May the stars shine upon your faces!"

"Good…good luck!" Bilbo called from the doorway, stuttering with the cold. "I don't suppose you will be able to keep a diary, Frodo my lad, but I shall expect a full account when you get back! Don't be too long! Farewell!"

Looking back, Aragorn exchanged one last glance with Arwen Evenstar, and once more they conveyed their unspoken thoughts through their eyes. He sent her one last smile, before a nudge from Perseus brought him back to his senses. "Come on lover boy, you're supposed to lead, aren't you?" Perseus teased.

Aragorn found himself blushing like a youth once more, and sending a mock glare at the grinning youth, took his place at the front of the Fellowship beside Gandalf.

Behind him suddenly rang a loud horn blast, almost making him jump. Gandalf and Aragorn whirled, to see Boromir with the horn still on his lips. "Loud and clear it sounds in the valleys of the hills." He proclaimed. "Let all the foes of Gondor flee!"

"Jeez, I thought we were on a secret mission!" Thalia pointed out.

Gandalf gave a slow sigh. "Slow should you be to wind that horn again, Boromir, until you stand once more on the borders of your land, and dire need is on you."

"Maybe." Boromir answered, "But always I have let my horn fly at setting forth, and though thereafter we may walk in the shadows, I will not go forth as a thief in the night." Though his actions were brash, Aragorn found himself agreeing with Boromir's sentiment.

They reached the Ford of Bruinen then left the Road, and turning southwards went on by narrow paths among the folded lands. Aragorn had conferred long with Gandalf and Elrond, and they had decided to set a course west of the Mountains for many miles and days, The country would be much rougher and more barren than in the green vale of the Great River in Wilderland on the other side of the range, and their going would be slow; but they hoped in this way to escape the notice of unfriendly eyes. The spies of Sauron had hitherto seldom been seen in this empty country, and their paths were little known except to the people of Rivendell. Slowly, the fellowship melted into the grey mist.

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For a fortnight they traveled. The East wind blew mercilessly al l through the journey, and though Thalia claimed she could command the winds, she could only slow them. The icy blast continued to pierce through their clothes, chilling the entire Company. Though the company was well clad, they seldom felt warm, either moving or at rest. They slept uneasily during the middle of the day, in some hollow of the land. Well, most of them slept uneasily. The young wizards slept like logs when they got the chance, no matter where they were. In the afternoon they would take their chief meal, which Aragorn prepared from the provisions that Elrond had given them, rubbed down with herbs and spices he scavenged from the area. Even so, the meals were often cold, as they could not risk the lighting of a fire. In the evening they went on again southwards.

The journey would have been hard and dreary, except for the intervention of the young people. The four of the strangers had to be the youngest of the group, with Perseus, the oldest, only sixteen winters, and the youngest, Nico, only fourteen. But between them, they kept the cheer alive during the long, cold trek. They never really revealed much about themselves, and beyond their names and the knowledge that three of them could manipulate the elements to an extent, he knew nothing about them. Gandalf, too, could often be seen watching them carefully, as if trying to understand them. Through the darkest night and coldest winds, they stayed cheerful, and their mood was often infectious.

But finally, the weather changed. The winds suddenly fell and then veered around to the sough. The swift-flowing clouds lifted and melted away, and the sun came out at long last, pale and bright. That day they reached Hollin, a land that Aragorn had often crossed on his travels. The Elves had lived here on happier days, and there was still a more wholesome air around the place. They made camp in a low ridge crowned with ancient holly trees whose grey green trunks seemed to have been built out of the very stone of the hills.

Gandalf smiled, addressing the Fellowship. "We have done well!" he said approvingly. "Five and forty leagues as the crow files we have come, though many more miles further out feet have walked."

"You're telling me!" Percy quipped. "My feet still ache!"

Gandalf ignored him. "The land and the weather will be milder now, but perhaps all the more dangerous."

"Dangerous or not, a real sunrise is mighty welcome" Frodo laughed, throwing back his hood and allowing the sunlight to fall on his face.

"Look!" Legolas called. "The mountains are closer now!"

"Aye." Gimli gazed at the mountains in the distance, a strange light in his eyes. "That is the land where our fathers worked of old, and we have wrought the image of those mountains into many works of metal and of stone, and into many songs and tales. They stand tallk in our dreams; Barak, Zirak, Shathur. I have only seen them once before. Under them lies Khazad-dum, the Dwarrowdelf. "

"Moria." Aragorn spoke the Elvish name for the underground city. He exchanged a meaningful glance with Gandalf. The name filled him with dismay, and he had absolutely no wish to brave the darkness of the mines. No, even the Pass of Caradhras would be better than the Mines of Moria.

"Younder stands Barazinbar, the Redhorn, cruel Caradhras;" Gimli continued to name the peaks, "and beyond him are Silvertine and Cloudyhead; Zirakzigil and Bundushathur. There the Misty Mountains divide, and there lies the deep-shadowed valley we cannot forget."

"A real jawbreaker, the dwarven language." Sam commented.

Gimli ignored him, a faraway look in his eyes. "Azanulbizar, the Dimrill Dale. There lies the Mirrormere, Kheled-zaram. My heart trembles at the thought of seeing it again."

"May you have the joy of that sight, my good dwarf." Gandalf chuckled.

Aragorn shot Gandalf a look, Don't encourage him. I have no intention of taking the Mines.

Legolas seemed to share his thoughts, shuddering a little at the thought of the Mines.

The rest of the company set up their camp, finally able to light a fire in a deep hollow. The mood was at the merriest of the entire journey thus far, and there were smiles all around. Thalia and Aragorn managed to hunt and capture some fresh meat, and they all dined well that night. Finally, the settled down to have their first good rest in weeks.

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Aragorn kept watch, still as a statue, until the first ray of dawn touched his face. He stood up and stretched leisurely, then went around waking the rest of the company. Gandalf and Boromir woke up at the lightest touch. The others took considerably longer. Legolas and Gimli would only wake after a few hefty kicks, and Aragorn was seriously considering throwing a bucket of water over the unwakeable hobbits. The children were also difficult.

"Five more minutes mom." muttered Perseus. Aragorn rolled his eyes, a habit he had picked from the children, and dumped a bucket of water over him. Surprisingly, that did the trick. He seemed very alert, even more than usual. Strange.

"Goway…" groaned Thalia. "M'sleepin". She was given the same treatment.

Nico was unresponsive to the bucket and was only woke after a violent shake. He looked at Aragorn groggily, realized he was soaking wet, and cursed in a language Aragorn had never heard of, but the meaning was abundantly clear.

He tried to shake Annabeth, but as soon as he touched her she was awake and pointing a dagger at his throat. "Whoa, Annabeth, it's me". She calmed down and told him to consider it a warning.

So far, the hobbits were still comatose. He proceeded to cook breakfast and sure enough, the hobbits woke at the smell. Hobbits. Always thinking with their stomachs.

After a hearty breakfast, Boromir stood up. "Now that we have the time, I suppose I should teach the younger ones how to fight. They would need to use the knowledge soon, I think."

Aragorn eyed him with interest. "What do you propose?"

Boromir grinned and called out a name at random. "Annabeth, do you know how to use that knife?"

Annabeth cocked an eyebrow and gave her friends an incredulous glance. "Well enough." She answered simply.

Boromir pulled out his own knife. "Would you consent to spar with me? It would tell me the extent of your experience."

Annabeth shrugged, standing up and pulling out her own knife. Perseus and Thalia immediately started sniggering, while Nico shook his head in pity. Aragorn raised an eyebrow and turned to the centre of the clearing where both parties were ready. This was going to be interesting.

Boromir raised his knife. "Begin!"

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Annabeth

Annabeth almost rolled her eyes, but she kept herself in check. Boromir had severely underestimated them, and she intended to take full advantage of that and teach him a lesson at the same time. Barely had the word come out of Boromir's mouth when she had burst into motion.

In a single fluid motion, she was already right in front of Boromir, then she ducked lightly under his guard and administered a sharp tap with the flat of her blade to Boromir's wrist. She watched in satisfaction as the knife clattered to the ground, then swiftly dropped to her feet before Boromir had time to react. Her right leg swept against Boromir's heel, causing him to crash to the ground. In another second, her knife was at his throat. Boromir never even had a chance to swing his own blade.

The clearing burst into a round of uproarious laughter, with her friends cheering loudly for her. She grinned, tamping down the burst of pride, and slowly removed the knife from Boromir's throat. He raised a hand to his throat, still staring at Annabeth, his jaw slack. Annabeth laughed. "Don't be deceived by appearances, Boromir. Don't underestimate us." Boromir could only nod, still speechless. She flashed him another grin and returned to her group, leaving him staring at her back. She tried her best not to smirk.

Aragorn chuckled, getting to his feet. He unsheathed his long sword, then beckoned to Percy. "Well, I suppose it's my turn. Perseus, would you do me the honor of sparring with me?" Annabeth smiled. From what she had observed, Aragorn was a well-experienced fighter. This would be an interesting match.

Percy wiped away a tear of laughter from his eye. "Please, Aragorn, Percy will do. And sure, why not?" He reached into the pocket of his jeans, pulling out Anaklusmos. Slowly, he flicked the cap off with his thumb. Annabeth laughed silently at the Fellowship's cries of surprise, knowing Percy was also relishing their expressions. Percy gave the sword a few practice swings, then activated his wristwatch shield that Tyson had made to replace the one he lost. The newer one had adventures from all four of his years etched on them, even the ones of the Battle at Manhattan, and Percy was extremely proud of it. Finally, he turned to face Aragorn, raising the sword into guard position. "Ready?"

Their swords clashed with a loud clang, and then they were fighting. The Fellowship gave suitable exclamations of awe as both fighters clashed in a spectacular flurry of swords. Annabeth had been right, Aragorn was a seasoned fighter. Percy seemed to be holding his own well, though, and for the moment they seemed equally matched. They continued to circle each other, swords continually flashing in the morning light. Percy smashed his sword downwards, forcing Aragorn's sword down also, then twisted his sword. If Aragorn had not had an iron grip on his sword he would have been disarmed, but he managed to recover just in time, twisting his sword around with him and suddenly thrusting to his left. Percy immediately spun to the right to avoid it.

Annabeth's heart stopped. Without realizing it, Annabeth was already on her feet, horror filling the depths of her being. Percy's move had left his back exposed, and Aragorn's sword was making its way straight for the small of his back. The Achilles spot. The move had been perfectly timed, with no way for Percy to move out of the way. She was too far away. Desperately, she screamed

"NOOOOOO!"

Her scream rang across the clearing. Aragorn's sword stopped its deadly descent, and Annabeth collided into Aragorn, tackling him to the ground. Percy remained frozen where he was, chest heaving with shock at how close he had been to death. Slowly, he turned to face Aragorn. Annabeth heart ached to see naked fear in his eyes. To shocked to do anything else, he gave a slight bow, as if acknowledging Aragorn's victory, then slumped on a rock, recovering from the near death encounter. Thalia quickly ran over to him, taking out a square of ambrosia and shoving it into his mouth. Slowly, he began to recover. A hush fell over the entire fellowship, as all turned to stare at him.

Annabeth faced Aragorn, seething. The Man looked confused, frightened by what had happened. Inwardly, Annabeth knew she was being unfair. She knew that he hadn't meant anything by it. It was just going to be a touch to claim victory. Unfortunately, Percy couldn't risk that touch.

"Perseus… I'm sorry for frightening you. I wouldn't have stabbed you! I was only going to touch you." Aragorn tried to apologize.

Percy held up his hand. "Don't apologize. You couldn't have known."

"Known what?" he asked.

Annabeth continued to watch Aragorn, analyzing him, then relented. She spoke softly. "A curse protects Percy's body. On any other spot, your sword would have done no damage, except for one spot that anchors him to the mortal world. If your sword had even touched Percy there, he would have been dead." The veiled accusation hung in the air.

Aragorn was horrified. "I'm sorry."

Annabeth's features softened. "No, Percy's right. You couldn't have known. Just…don't do it again." She quickly walked over to Percy, taking his hand.

"I'm alright, Wise Girl." Percy forced a grin, trying to reassure her. "Hey, that's the second time you saved me, eh?"

She snorted. "At least I didn't have to take a poison blade to the arm this time." They shared a small smile.

Aragorn walked over to Percy. "While I almost managed to kill you, I have to admit… You're the best swordsman I've ever met."

Percy nodded and smiled at the compliment. "Thanks."

Aragorn then turned to Annabeth, bowing low. "I apologize for this little scare, Annabeth."

She nodded, sighing softly. "It's all right, it wasn't really your fault. It's a mistake anyone could have made."

"Nevertheless, if we are to function as a Fellowship, we must have complete faith in each other." He maintained. "And I wish you to have your faith in me that I will not do such again."

She smiled. His words were wise. "Alright, Aragorn. I trust you."

"Thank you." He smiled.

An awkward silence was upon the entire fellowship, until Nico decided to break the silence by challenging Boromir to a swordfight, "Don't worry, I don't have any certain death spots" He reassured.

Percy and Annabeth decided to sit the rest of the sparring session out, leaning against a rock. Thalia and Legolas had a brief archery contest. Legolas won, of course, to Thalia's chagrin. When it came to knife fighting though, Thalia easily disarmed Legolas. Boromir won the fight with Nico, though it was also very hard won. Gimli had no one to spar with, but he impressed the group with his axe throwing skills, embedding his axe deep into the trunk of the tree he was aiming for every time. The final highlight of the sparring session was when Boromir challenged all four of the hobbits to a fight, and the hobbits had all abandoned their knives, choosing instead to tackle him to the ground and sit on top of him, yelling their war cries all the while. Even the old wizard Gandalf had a good chuckle at the sight.

"Learn to choose your battles, Boromir!" Annabeth teased. "Never underestimate your opponents!"

Suddenly, Aragorn stiffened. "Something is wrong." He muttered. He leapt on top of a high rock, taking a sweep of the surrounding area. "Legolas, tell me what you see."

"Something is coming." Legolas pointed towards a dark cloud in the sky, the only cloud for miles around. It was moving fast.

Aragorn wetted his finger and held it up. "It's moving against the wind." He frowned.

Suddenly, the wizard Gandalf yelled. "Hide!"

"What is it?!" Percy called, raising his sword. Aragorn motioned for him to put down his weapons and hide. Reluctantly, he obeyed, sliding into one of the many cracks and crevices on the ridge. Annabeth slid into the small space beside him. The rest of the fellowship also scrambled to find suitable hiding spots. Nico shot them a wink and vanished into the nearest shadow. Soon they were all hidden.

Suddenly, Percy cursed. Looking forward, she groaned. Her knife lay glinting on the rock. She must have dropped it in her haste. Quickly, Percy moved to run forward to grab it, but Annabeth held him back, instead going herself. "Trust me, Percy" She glanced up at the sky worriedly. There was simply not enough time for her to grab the knife and get back in time to avoid detection. She wasn't going to make it.

She didn't. Upon reaching the knife, Annabeth quickly shoved it into her belt. The cloud approached closer, revealing itself to be a flock of large black birds, flying swiftly in formation and at great speed. They traversed the land as if they were searching for something; wheeling and circling. Just as they were about to fly within range, Annabeth yanked her cap over her head. Slowly, she crept back into their hiding spot. "See? Nothing to be worried about" She reappeared grinning right next to him, holding her invisibility cap in her hands.

The dark birds wheeled over the area, searching out the ground below them. Their hoarse cries pierced the sky. Finally, after several tense minutes, they finally continued on their way, flying north, dwindling into the distance. The fellowship breathed a collective sigh of relief, climbing back out of their hiding places.

"They were flying from the west." Observed Aragorn. "Crebain from Fangorn and Dunland."

"Yes… Spies of Saruman, no doubt." Muttered Gandalf.

Suddenly Gandalf turned on Annabeth. "Now, child, how were you able to vanish from sight? Hmm?"

Annabeth looked confused. "What?"

Aragorn frowned. "You turned invisible, Annabeth. There are very few items in Middle Earth that can grant the gift of invisibility. Elven cloaks can provide a measure of cloaking, and so can wizard spells. But the most well known of these items would be the Rings of Power."

Annabeth's eyes grew wide. Percy stood forward. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, are you implying that she stole the Ring?"

Aragorn shook his head. "No, but the Ring that Frodo carries is not the only Ring of Power that was made. Perhaps it's time you reveal just where your power comes from."

Annabeth glared at them. "If that's your attitude towards us, then we're not going to tell you. Here, feel my fingers. Any ring? No?" She turned away in a huff.

Percy gave Gandalf a steady glare. "We came on this quest of our own free will to help Frodo. If you can't trust us, I don't see how we are going to do that." He said simply. Thalia and Nico stood by his side, supporting him. "Didn't you say something about faith to Annabeth earlier?" He challenged. Annabeth gripped his hand gratefully. Percy could be so thoughtful sometimes.

Gandalf sighed, turning to Annabeth. "I am sorry, child. I have been overly hasty, and perhaps jumped to unfair conclusions. You are right, if we are to work together, we must have complete trust in each other. I apologize."

Annabeth nodded tightly, relaxing. "Alright. Thank you."

Legolas brought them back to the problem at hand. "Those crebain were searching for us. We are being watched for sure."

Gandalf nodded. "We have to move. We will need to pass through the mountain range through the Redhorn Gate."

"Wouldn't that be watched as well?" Aragorn frowned.

"We will think of that when we must. We will have to move as soon as it is dark." Gandalf replied.'

"Why not take the Gap of Rohan?" Boromir questioned.

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard. I do not trust that way since I learned of Saruman's fall. Who knows which side now the marshals of the Horse lords serve?" Aragorn answered.

Boromir nodded assent. "We will take the mountain pass, then."

Gandalf nodded. "Be prepared for anything. We will arrive at the Pass of Caradhras in two days."

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Thalia

Two days later.

Thalia struggled through the snowdrift, cursing in Greek as more snow blew into her face. The wind howled, blinding snow flew everywhere, hail flew from the sky. It was the greatest snowstorm she had ever experienced in her life. This place was crazy. It was summer, for Zeus's sake. Why would there be a blizzard in the middle of summer? The mountain had obviously forgotten what season it was.

They had arrived at the foot of the mountain range yesterday. According to the old wizard Gandalf, there were three ways across this range. The Mines of Moria, which didn't sound appealing to anyone but Gimli, The Gap of Rohan, which Gandalf was determined to avoid, and the Pass of Caradhras, which they were trying to use now.

The first day had been fine. The snow was deep, but not too deep, probably about waist deep for most of them except for the hobbits and Gimli. The men had to wade through the snow, using their strong arms to push aside the snow, making a small path for the little ones. Percy had experimented for a while, trying to manipulate the water in the snow, but he had only been partly successful. Only Legolas seemed to have no problem. The light-footed elf simply walked over the surface of the snow. Showoff. Thalia and the hobbits hatched a plot to launch a snowball at him, but unfortunately Aragorn got wind of it and glared at them. What a pity.

But then night fell, and the trouble started. A blizzard suddenly roared to life, and snow had blown around them unrelentingly the whole night. Nothing could keep the snow out, and they would all have frozen to death had Gandalf not reluctantly decided to light a fire with his magic. With a great "Naur an edraith ammen!" His staff flared to life, and fire warmed the fellowship through the night. "If there are any watching, then I have revealed myself to them" He grumbled. "I might as well have written Gandalf is here in signs that can be read from Rivendell to the Anduin"

The blizzard lasted all night, and continued blowing into the morning. Thick blankets of snow continued to sweep over the mountain pass, making it impossible to see more than a few feet in front of them. To make it worse, there had been an ominous rumbling in the mountain for hours. Thalia dearly hoped that there wasn't going to be an avalanche.

Thalia groaned as yet another blast of wind blew snow into her jacket. "This CANNOT be natural." She cursed.

Legolas agreed. "There is a fell voice in the air." He muttered.

Now that he mentioned it, she heard it too. A voice was chanting something, repeating something over and over again. Someone is behind this! Someone is trying to kill us! She realized.

"It is Saruman!" yelled Gandalf. Apparently, he had heard it too. He raised his staff and started chanting also, a counterspell, probably. It didn't seem to be working.

"His arm has grown long, if he can draw snow down from the North to trouble us here three hundred leagues away!" Gimli complained.

"His arm has grown long." Gandalf agreed, furiously chanting and waving his staff.

Thunder rumbled. Hail started falling. The blizzard seemed to double in strength. Rocks suddenly dropped from the sides of the mountain, often very nearly knocking a traveler off the sides of the pass. The rumbling grew louder. Thalia grew increasingly worried. If this continued for any longer, there was going to be an avalanche for sure.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" yelled Aragorn. He was desperately gathering the hobbits to himself, as if trying to shield them. Thalia really admired his bravery.

"Thalia!" she whirled to find Percy behind her. His face was grim with determination.

Percy grasped her arm. "We have to stop this. Together."

She realized what he was saying and nodded. "Together."

This was a crazy idea, but it might work. Percy could manipulate the snow to a small extent. She could control the winds. What if they combined their powers? They both raised their arms and concentrated, shutting out everything around them. Thalia focused on the winds. She was the Daughter of Zeus, King of the sky. The winds will obey her. Beside her, the Son of Poseidon forced the water in the snow to slow and stop. She focused hard, and the wind started slowing, bending. The snow, instead of flying into their faces, slowed also, starting to form a curved wall in front of them. Thalia continued to command the blasts of wind to blow more snow into the wall, and Percy compacted them, forming a solid shield of ice. Thalia grinned. The Daughter of Zeus and Son of Poseidon made a brilliant team. They should do this more often. More snow blew into the icy wall, but it merely strengthened it, making the wall thicker. Thalia was exhilarated. They were doing it!

Soon, a curved wall of ice had formed, A half-dome of compacted snow, providing a shelter from the winds. Thalia released the winds and sank to the ground with relief, Percy right beside her. That act had really drained them. Annabeth and Nico ran up to them. Annabeth took out a few squares of ambrosia and offered them to her. The rest of the Fellowship seemed to be in shock.

"Thanks, Annie." She croaked. Annabeth shot her a mock glare, then gave some ambrosia to Percy.

"Thanks, Wise Girl," he smiled.

Annabeth kissed him. "I knew you could do it."

Nico looked green. "I appreciate you saving us and all, but get a room!"

Percy grinned at him, then glanced at Thalia. "We should do this more often. " She agreed wholeheartedly. Wearily, she raised her fist for a fistbump.

Thalia's gaze wandered to the rest of the company. Gandalf seemed to have recovered. He walked over and looked at them in amazement. "How…How did you do that?" How was she to answer that?

Percy answered for her. "Can we discuss this later, when we're not freezing to death?" He pleaded.

Gandalf looked troubled. "I had been considering going through the Pass, but Saruman is evidently getting too powerful. We cannot risk going further. We have only earned a temporary reprieve. " As if to prove his point, the mountain rumbled again. Gandalf sighed. "We shall have to go another way."

Boromir spoke from his end. "Apparently we are not to use the Gap of Rohan."

Gimli stood up. "What of Khazad-Dum?" he questioned. "The Mines of Moria also lead through this mountain range." There was a smoldering fire in his eyes.

"Yes." Gandalf sighed. "That is the third, darker way I have considered."

A sense of dread seemed to fall upon the company at that name. Even Thalia paled slightly. Underground?

"It is a name of ill omen." Boromir commented. "In Gondor, the name of Moria is black."

Gandalf sighed. "I would not lead you into Moria if there were no hope of coming out again. The Eagles report that Orcs are gathering again from afar, but there is hope that Moria is still free."

"Why, there is even a chance that my kin will be there!" Gimli laughed. "Balin left for Moria years ago. He might have reestablished the kingdom there. I will tread the path with you, Gandalf! I will go and look on the halls of Durin, whatever may wait there – if you can find the doors that are shut."

"Good, Gimli" said Gandalf. "You encourage me. We will seek the hidden doors together. I have passed through the Mines once, and I came out again alive!"

"Still, are you sure you want to tempt the fates by going in a second time?" Thalia groaned.

"I too have passed through Moria once." Aragorn spoke. "but though I also came out again, the memory is very evil. I do not wish to enter Moria a second time."

"Ugh, underground?" Percy muttered. "Brings back bad memories of last year, eh?" He nudged Annabeth.

Gandalf sighed. "The question is, who will follow me there?"

The general mood of the company was dark. None wished to go, except for Gimli. But finally Frodo spoke. "I do not wish to go to the Mines, but neither do I want to ignore the advice of Gandalf. I do not wish to return without completing my mission." He sighed. "We will go through the Mines."

Thalia sighed, slinging her pack behind her. They were all going to die.

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=

Percy

Percy walked down the mountain tiredly, half leaning on Annabeth. Holding the storm had taken a lot more energy than he'd expected. The wizard Saruman was evidently not someone to be messed with. As he looked back, the mountain rumbled, and a boulder fell down, crashing through the shelter of ice they had made. The blizzard calmed down immediately, and the mountain looked as calm and peaceful as before. Saruman was probably gloating over his victory now. He cast one last glare at the benign mountain, then followed the rest of the Company.

Two hard days of walking took them back to the foot of the mountain. Four days wasted. Gandalf begin discussing with Gimli about the exact location of Moria. Apparently, from what Legolas had told him, the mines used to be a magnificent palace, which even the elves had respected. It had been an amazing place, caverns of gold, diamonds, precious stones and mithril, it was the pride of the dwarves. But as the dwarves grew mightier and richer, they delved ever deeper and woke an ancient evil, which had killed all the dwarves there. Ever since then, the Mines have been infested by orcs. So, another dark labyrinth underground filled with ugly monsters and some other, more ancient evil. This just keeps getting better and better. He thought sourly.

Finally, Gandalf led them to a small clearing. In front of them was a sheer rock face covered with vines and moss. Behind them was a huge dark lake. The ground was smooth paved stone with no grass growing. There was no sign of any life. Gandalf seemed sure that this was the place, and so they had settled down to wait. According to him, dwarf doors were well hidden, and not even their makers can find them again if they forget the location. They had to wait until night for the moon to reveal the door.

It had been five hours now. The sun was setting slowly, very slowly. Hour after hour slipped by. Percy couldn't sit still. He fidgeted, checked his pockets, twirled Riptide around, tapped his foot and ran hands through his hair. Stupid ADHD. Annabeth shot him a look of fond exasperation. She was smugly reading the books she had brought along with her. The hobbits were having a hard time sitting still, too. Pippin caught up a rock and threw it into the water. It skipped across the surface and sank. Ripples fanned through the dark water. Suddenly, Percy gripped the hobbit's arm. There was a strange, almost scared look in his eyes. "Don't disturb the water." He sensed something inside. Something cold and dark and ancient.

Thalia shot him a concerned glance, he returned it grimly, looking uneasily at the water. He shifted far away from the water and warned the rest of the Fellowship. "There is something in the water. Do not go near it. There's something evil."

The Fellowship scooted as far away from the water as possible, watching it uneasily for any disturbances. Aragorn exchanged a worried look with Boromir. Their hands went to their swords. The time passed slowly, and nothing happened. Thalia and Percy started to relax. Maybe the thing wasn't interested in attacking them after all. The moon rose high into the cloudless night sky, casting a silvery bright light on everything.

Gandalf stood and walked over to the door. He started chanting and feeling the wall with his hands. Suddenly, bright lines of blue light appeared. The lines of light raced across the stone, luminous veins of silver tracing intricate patterns: a star, an anvil, trees, intricate lines of interlocking elvish writing. It formed a glowing arch of interlacing letters and symbols. Percy stood, slack-jawed. The rest of the Fellowship seemed to have similar reactions.

Gandalf translated the elvish runes. "The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria, Speak, Friend, and enter. And underneath them in smaller lines are I, Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs."

"Pfft, manufacturer's marks. Even Middle Earth has them." Nico quipped.

"What do you suppose the first line means?" asked Merry.

Gandalf answered confidently. "It's very simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password and enter." He raised his staff and tapped on the stone.

"Annon edhellen, edro hi ammen!

Fennas nogothrim, lasto beth lammen!"

. A chill wind blew, and the doors did...nothing. Gandalf frowned, then tried again, repeating those words in a different order or varied them. He spoke many lines of elvish, some fast, some slow, he tried speaking loud, and soft. Nothing happened, The cliff towered into the night, the wind blew cold, and the doors stood fast.

Gandalf growled, striking the rock with his staff. "Edro! Edro!" He cried, then "Open! Open!" He then followed it with the same command in every language that had ever been spoken in the West of Middle he threw his staff on the ground and sat down in silence, muttering under his breath. Thalia facepalmed. Percy and Annabeth exchanged quiet snickers.

"Do you not know the word, Gandalf?" Pippin piped up. Gandalf made no answer.

"Apparently not." Thalia commented.

"So what is he going to do then?" Pippin asked.

"Knock on the doors with your head, Perengrin Took, and if that does no shatter them, and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions, I will seek for the opening words." Gandalf answered irately.

Gimli trudged over to Gandalf and they started talking. Legolas strung and unstrung and unstrung his bow. Sam said a tearful goodbye to his pony. Percy contacted to the pony for a moment, giving it his blessing.. The hobbits, Thalia and Nico played a card game that Nico had in his pockets. Boromir and Aragorn were still on edge, their swords half out of their sheaths. Annabeth was staring at the doors, a look of fierce concentration on her face. Percy went and sat beside her.

"What's on your mind, Wise Girl?" he asked.

Annabeth stared at the inscriptions on the door. She mumbled "Speak, Friend and enter...Talk, friend and enter, Shout, friend and enter.". Suddenly, a look of total comprehension dawned on her face. "SAY friend and enter! It's a riddle! Gandalf! What's the elvish word for friend?"

Gandalf stared at Annabeth with a look of confusion. A look of understanding dawned. He laughed, " Of course! Oh, the ingenuity of the creators! So simple that a suspicious lore master would never have found the answer. It was staring in my face all the time! MELLON!" There was a great crack. The doors opened slowly, a large, dark cavern was revealed.

Percy grinned at Annabeth. "You're a genius!"

Before Annabeth could reply, though, something happened. The shriek of a Ringwraith sounded. A dark dragonlike shape hovered in the darkness. Percy gasped, Riptide springing to life in his hand.

"Watcher! Awake! "It shrieked. "Watcher of the Waters, The Dark Lord commands thee! Awake and Attack!"Suddenly, the lake was churning, something was coming up. The Nazgul then flew away, satisfied.

"Take cover!" Percy screamed. " Boromir! Take the Ringbearer and the hobbits to safety! Legolas, aim for his eyes! Annabeth, Nico, run! Thalia, cover me!" His friends jumped as his authorative tone, doing as he commanded.

"What do you have in mind, Kelp Head?" Thalia called as she aimed for the lake.

Percy watched the lake churn. A huge, thick green tentacle shot out, then another, then another. The tentacles snaked around, trying to grab something. A monstrous head emerged. It was some kind of giant octopus! Percy reached out to his mind, and immediately recoiled upon touching it. It was so old, so ancient, and so alien. It was utterly malevolent.

Kill, Slaughter, Drown, Feast. Kill, Slaughter, Drown, Feast.

I'm the Son of the Sea God, and I command you to go back! Return!

I recognize no authority, mortal. Kill, Slaughter, Drown, Feast. Kill, Slaughter, Drown, Feast!

Percy reeled back. "I can't do anything about that, it's utterly bent on destroying us."

Thalia took a deep breath and summoned her strength, then raised her spear. A bolt of lightning lanced through the sky and struck the octopus' head. Beside her, Legolas fired arrows towards the monster's eys. Percy furiously tried to come up with a plan. Thalia's lightning bolts only managed to hit the surface of the water, the charge dissipating harmlessly as the creature ducked underneath. An idea came to him. A totally insane, might-be-suicidal idea.

He closed his eyes and concentrated. He had done this once, and he had only gotten stronger since then. He could do this. He raised his arms. He commanded the water. The water obeyed.

Thalia gasped behind him. That would mean it's working, he supposed. She had seen him do this before, he recalled wryly. He opened his eyes.

The water floated up in a gigantic blob, leaving the creature writhing behind. Slowly, Percy emptied the lake, ignoring all the gasps of astonishment behind him. Soon, the lake was completely lifted above the monster. The monster seemed to gasp and wheeze at the absence of the water it needed. Percy's arms shook at the strain. Percy wrapped the water in ropes around the monster, and nodded to Thalia. She understood immediately and summoned a bolt of lightning. The lightning hit the watery rope and was instantly conducted through its length. The monster hissed in pain as it was slowly electrified. The monster was dying. Thalia gritted her teeth, continuing to send the lightning coursing through the water. She released the power, gasping heavily.

Percy released the water. The water crashed on top of the monster, and Thalia added another bolt of lightning for good measure. A smell of burned flesh reeked, and the monster disappeared below the waves. Percy smiled and fainted.

KABABABABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The explosion knocked him back to reality, gasping. He was in total darkness. All around him, the walls were rumbling from the force of the blast, the rocks still falling. "What the Hades?" He cried.

"Percy!" Nico grumbled.

"The Fellbeast attacked us after Thalia and you dispatched the Watcher. We ran into the Mines and I had to collapse the entrance." Annabeth explained.

"What was that stuff?" a voice sounded in the dark. Perengrin Took.

"Greek fire. Very dangerous." Annabeth replied.

"Can we have some light?" Grumbled Thalia.

"What the Hades just happened?" He muttered groggily.

Gandalf stroked the top of his staff and whispered a few words. The top of his staff started to glow with a soft blue light.

"So where are we going now?" Annabeth whispered.

Gandalf hesitated. "Into darkness." (hee hee hee, couldn't resist XD) We have but one choice, to face the long dark of Moria."

Suddenly occurring to him, he pointed his gnarled staff at her. "You, have a lot of explaining to do."

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So what did you think? Review!

A couple of reviewers have expressed skepticism on Percy losing the battle to Aragorn. Here's my reasoning. You have to remember that Percy isn't some kind of swordfighting god. He did lose battles to both Luke and Chrysaor. He is a very good swordfighter, but even the best swordfighters can be disarmed by a trick they don't know or don't expect. Aragorn is both strong and has several decades of training. I felt it would be more realistic to have them lose some battles instead of being overpowered characters that automatically win everything.

On another note, updates may not be as frequent now, as my major exam is coming up. (IGCSE, if you want to know) I will do my best, but no promises. Please continue to leave reviews as they really really help me to post faster.

Oooh! Doctor Who reference!

That's about all, i guess. Leave a review!

PJCrazy signing out