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A Friend Lost
"Drifter!" Aragorn called to the girl behind him.
"What is it?" she asked, disrupted from her thoughts.
"Did you think that no one noticed your little trek on top of the snow earlier?" he interrogatingly questioned, getting a surprisingly cocky smile from Drifter.
"The snow was thickly packed from its fall. That's why I was able to walk on top of it."
They suddenly came upon a huge stone wall. Gimli gasped.
"The Walls…of Moria!" he breathed. The group had finally left the snow, although the thick mist was still rather cold. "Dwarf doors are invisible when closed," he went on after a few minutes, clearly over his shock as he tapped the stone with his axe.
"Yes, Gimli," Gandalf confirmed, "their own masters cannot find them, if their secrets are forgotten."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas sarcastically asked.
At last, they arrived at what appeared to be a hidden door. Drifter scanned the dark lake suspiciously until the moon appeared and the lines of the door lit up.
"It reads," Gandalf interpreted, "The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter."
"What do you suppose that means?" Merry idiotically queried.
"Oh, it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open." Drifter had never been to Moria, so she could not help. When she had traveled south from Rivendell the last time, she had taken the Gap of Rohan to Minas Tirith. Therefore, she sat down on a nearby rock, warily glancing at the lake. Meanwhile, Gandalf put his staff against the door, saying,
"Annon Edhellen, edro hi ammen! (Gate of the Elves, open now for me!)" When that did not work, he went on. "Fennas Nogothrim, lasto beth lammen. (Doorway of the Dwarf-folk, listen to the word of my tongue.)"
"Nothing's happening," Pippin pointed out.
"I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves…Men…and Orcs."
"What are you going to do, then?"
"Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took! And of that does not shatter them, and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions, I will try to find the opening words."
Some time passed. Drifter took advantage of the situation and leaned back against the rock, closing her eyes. Hearing a rippling in the water nearby, she opened her eyes to see both Aragorn and Boromir staring at a disturbance in the lake.
"What is it?" she asked the Gondorian.
"I don't…" He was interrupted as the gate opened. The Fellowship moved into the dark chamber, with Gandalf's glowing staff as the only light in the gloom. Drifter was near the entrance with the hobbits as Gimli bragged,
"Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, red meat off the bone. This, my friend, is the home of my cousin, Balin. And they call it a mine. A mine!"
"This is no mine," Boromir pointed out as everyone noticed the corpses lying about, "it's a tomb!"
"Goblins!" the elf informed them after studying an arrow from a body. Drifter instantly began pulling Merry and Pippin out of the room. When she reached the entrance, a thick tentacle reached out and grabbed Frodo's ankle, dragging him towards the water.
"Strider! Drifter!" he screamed. The woman quickly drew her sword and rushed at the beast which emerged from the lake. She was able to cut a few of its thrashing arms before it grabbed her by the waist. Other than letting out a small squeak of alarm, the ranger was silent as she lashed out at the constricting arm. Finally, her instinct took over.
"Legolas!" she cried out. Drifter soon found herself in the elf's arms and instantly struggled out of his grasp to grab Merry and Pippin in her retreat back to the cave.
"Into the cave! Run!" Aragorn called as everyone ran to the cavern. The weight of the chasing creature caused the entrance to collapse on top of it. Silence followed until Gandalf brought his light back.
"We now have but one choice," the wizard declared. "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world. Quietly now. It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."
(Gandalf)
Hours had passed since they had entered Moria, and all was quiet except for the foot-falls of their own group. The wizard was concerned for Falathiel. The girl had been more silent than ever since they embarked on this journey. To him, she had always seemed ready to break down since Arathorn's death. The only reason he had withheld the information from her of Legolas' unfaithfulness, or whatever it could be called, was because he knew that it was one of a very few things which she had used as an anchor to her past. To break the Fellowship's icy silence, he fingered the white-veined wall, saying,
"The wealth of Moria was not in gold…or jewels…but Mythril." At this, he reached his staff out to illuminate the cavern below. "Bilbo had a shirt of Mythril rings that Thorin gave him."
"Oh, that was a kingly gift," the dwarf commented.
"Yes! I never told him, but its worth was greater than the value of the Shire."
After climbing a steep flight of corpse-covered stairs, they came upon a crossroad.
(Frodo)
"I have no memory of this place," the hobbit heard Gandalf ponder. When the wizard sat down to figure out where they were to go next, the rest of the Fellowship followed in suite, except for Drifter, who stared into the abyss below. A few minutes later, a movement caught Frodo's eye somewhere deep in the cave at the same time that Drifter went to sit next to Gandalf. She tried to hide her elvish heritage by covering her ears and other subtle things, but the way she walked and fought seemed almost like she was dancing…not nearly as much as the full-blood elves, but it was still there. The halfling decided to quietly inform Gandalf of the creature's presence.
"There's something down there," he whispered, once sitting by the wizard on his perch.
"It's Gollum," was the unruffled reply.
"Gollum?"
"He's been following us for three days. What amuses me is that Falathiel noticed him and Aragorn didn't."
"He escaped the dungeons of Barad-Dûr!"
"Escaped? Or was set loose? And now the Ring has drawn him here. He will never be rid of his need for it. He hates and loves the Ring, as he hates and loves himself. Sméagol's life is a sad story. Yes, Sméagol he was once called. Before the Ring found him…before it drove him mad."
"It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance!"
"Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life." At that, he glanced at the silent Drifter on the other side of him. "Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise can not see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many."
"I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened," Frodo mournfully stated.
"So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."
"And we cannot fruitfully regret what has already happened," Drifter suddenly added. "What's done is done. There is no going back."
"There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo," Gandalf went on, "besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you also were meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought." Suddenly, he looked at one of the doorways. "Oh! It's that way."
"He's remembered!" Merry exclaimed.
"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose." Frodo found Drifter's hand on his shoulder as they descended the stairs.
(Drifter)
The woman slightly gasped as Gandalf brightened his staff light to reveal the massive expanse of the chamber in front of the group. The light reflected off of the gigantic columns and the Mythril which threaded through them.
"Behold: the great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf," the wizard introduced. Suddenly, Gimli cried out and ran to a chamber to the side. "Gimli!"
When Drifter entered the room along with everyone else, she noticed the bodies strewn about the tomb. Gimli was sobbing, something that the ranger did not expect to come from a Dwarf.
"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria," Gandalf read. "He is dead then. It's as I feared." He then casually grabbed a dusty old book from the arms of a skeleton.
"We must move on, we cannot linger," Legolas warned.
Meanwhile, Gandalf sat down to read.
"They have taken the bridge…and the second hall. We have barred the gates…but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums…drums…in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out…" he finished reading as Drifter stood next to the door, staring into the darkness. "They are coming!" A loud crash sounded, causing everyone to look at Pippin in alarm, who was, in turn, staring at the skeleton and chain falling down the nearby well. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!"
All of a sudden, drums began echoing from somewhere. Drifter backed away from the door and drew the two daggers from her belt, ready to throw them at whatever came through. Boromir raced to close the gate with Aragorn aiding him. Once it was shut, he lightly said,
"They have a cave troll."
"Let them come!" Gimli growled from on top of the tomb. "There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!"
As their enemies pounded on the barred door, Drifter glanced at Boromir, who was looking right back at her, worry written on his face. It made her realize that he really did care for her.
-When we get out of this, I will give him a chance. I can't go on mourning over Legolas. It's time to move on-
Drifter was desperately longing for her bow while Legolas and Aragorn shot at the foes bashing through the entrance. Soon, however, the orcs burst in, giving the ranger the opportunity to throw her daggers, killing two attackers before she drew her sword. The cave troll smashed through the doorway as she killed three more foes. There was thrill in fighting that she almost enjoyed.
"…seven…eight…" she counted, receiving a confused look from Legolas not far away.
The troll had cornered Sam, to which Drifter quickly responded by pulling the hobbit out of the way, while Aragorn and Boromir grabbed a hold of the creature's chain. Sam began hitting the orcs with his pan.
"I think I'm getting the hang of this," he said just as the troll began attacking the other three hobbits, Frodo in particular. Drifter grabbed a dagger from her boot and threw it into the creature's neck, by to no avail.
"Aragorn!" the hobbit cried out as the troll began dragging him by the leg. She breathed a slight sigh of relief when the other ranger stepped between the Ring-bearer and the troll, but found herself running to Aragorn's side after he was thrown aside by the giant hand. He did not appear injured, just stunned from the impact. Everyone stood still as Frodo was stabbed by the troll with a spear. Drifter ran to the poor halfling, unnoticed by the troll, who was being occupied by the others.
"Frodo," she whispered. Then something caught her eye, a silvery shirt peeking out from underneath his normal clothes. She instantly had an idea of what it was since it looked exactly like the material her rope was made out of, so the ranger settled for killing the orcs advancing upon her. Moments later, their enemies were all dead. While the rest of the Fellowship sorrowfully approached Frodo's limp form, Drifter casually collected and cleaned her daggers.
"Final count: eighteen," she lightly said to herself. "Not bad, considering that it was only a troop of scouts." Merry and Pippin looked at her as if she was crazy until Aragorn turned Frodo over, revealing that the hobbit was perfectly alive.
"You should be dead!" the man wondered. "That spear would have skewered a wild boar."
"I think there's more to this hobbit than meets the eye," Gandalf suggested as Frodo displayed the Mythril shirt.
"Mythril!" Gimli exclaimed. "You are full of surprises, Master Baggins."
"You knew?" Aragorn half stated and half asked, bringing the attention to Drifter, who was calmly replacing the dagger in her boot. "And yet you did not have the heart to tell us? You just let us believe that he was dead?!"
"Aragorn," was the casual reply, "I knew that you would figure it out on your own, so was there any real reason for me to waste my breath?"
The persistent drums once again took up their beating.
"To the Bridge of Khazad-dûm!" the wizard ordered.
The Fellowship then proceeded to race out the back entrance of the room, once again finding themselves in the giant, pillared cavern. They were closely followed and soon surrounded by a countless amount of orcs. With resolve, the group formed a tight circle with the hobbits in the middle. Drifter could tell that Boromir wanted to put her behind him with the halflings, but she was glad that he did not. Suddenly, they heard a deep rumbling from the next chamber along with seeing a fiery light. Even the orcs ran off screeching.
"What is this new devilry?" Boromir quietly queried.
"A Balrog," Gandalf regretfully replied, "a demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. Run!" Even though she had never entered the caves of Moria before, Drifter knew what was chasing them. She had never encountered one, but she read about them in a book from Rivendell. "Quickly!" the wizard was insisting from just behind Drifter. They ran through a small corridor, but cut short when Boromir nearly fell over the edge into the precipice beneath due to the missing steps.
"Gandalf!" Aragorn worriedly began.
"Lead them on, Aragorn!" the wizard snapped. "The bridge is near!" When the ranger did not immediately respond, he yelled, "Do as I say! Swords are no more use here." They began running down a broken set of stone stairs. Nothing was holding them up except for the straight continuation of stone ending somewhere in the deep expanse of the place. The Balrog roared behind them as the group reached a large gap in the stairs. Legolas easily leaped to the other side, followed by Gandalf. Next, Boromir made Drifter go. Once on the other side, she again found herself in Legolas' arms, which rather irritated her. After her came Boromir, Merry, Pippin, Sam and a stubborn Gimli. Before Aragorn or Frodo could jump, the Balrog bashed against the other side of the wall, causing a large piece rock to fall and cut the gap between even bigger. A second slab made the section completely separate from its support. Luckily, Aragorn managed to reach them with the hobbit. Continuing their flight, they finally reached the bridge. Drifter, the last one across other than Gandalf, stopped directly on the opposite side after realizing that the wizard was not following her. She saw that he was attempting to make a stand against the fiery black creature which had just appeared.
"You cannot pass!" the old wizard was yelling. "I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udûn!" The Balrog tried to kill Gandalf with giant sword of flame, but happily to no avail. It then produced a long whip. "Go back to the Shadow," Gandalf then growled. "You…shall not…pass!!" The bridge shook as the creature took a step forward.
"Gandalf, come on!" Drifter yelled. "The bridge won't hold it!" Finally, the bridge collapsed, along with the Balrog. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief until the whip shot up and caught Gandalf's ankle. Drifter ran to his aid as he tried clinging to the broken rock. When they made eye contact, the ranger could tell what the wizard was thinking.
"No…no, Gandalf," she whispered, her hand only an inch away from his, though she knew that he would deny her help.
(Aragorn)
Drifter was kneeling directly in front of Gandalf. He couldn't understand why she wasn't trying to help.
"Fly, you fools!" the wizard demanded prior to letting go of his grip and falling into the abyss.
"No!!" Frodo was screaming as the rest of the Fellowship retreated into the nearby corridor.
"Aragorn!" Boromir called while dragging Frodo along. Aragorn was staring at Drifter. Right as Gandalf had fallen, she had put her head in her hands, probably crying. He had never seen the woman look so helpless, so vulnerable until then. As he broke from his reverie, the girl ran past him, pursued by the orc arrows whizzing by. They soon found themselves in the sunlight on hills of stone. Sam, Merry, and Pippin sat down crying, Gimli was attempting to run back to the cave with Boromir restraining him, and Legolas was looking around, disbelieving of what had just happened. Aragorn began to clean his sword. If he was the group's leader, he would have to be strong for their sakes.
"Legolas," he ordered, "get them up."
"Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" Boromir pleaded.
"By nightfall, these hills will be swarming with orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlórien. Come, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them up. On your feet, Sam," he insisted before looking around. "Frodo? Frodo!" The hobbit in question was off at a distance with his back to the others. He looked back at hearing his name called. It was then that he realized the lack of Drifter's presence. "Where's Drifter?" Everyone simply looked at him blankly, so he looked turned around to face the direction of Lothlórien. The other ranger could be seen some ways off, staring in the direction of the Golden Wood. Aragorn wondered why he was surprised that she knew its location. Seeing that the rest of the Fellowship was nearly ready to depart, he ran up to Drifter. All evidence of her moment of weakness was completely gone and her boots were slightly wet from the creek in front of her.
"You know where Lorien is?" he queried.
"It was one of the places I traveled to some time ago," was the emotionless answer. Aragorn took the time to study her face. At first glance, she couldn't have been more than twenty, but the worry in her eyes, the seriousness of her face, and the rigidness of her stance made her seem older. Everyone else soon caught up and they began running towards the elf sanctuary.
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