Hey, I'm back from Blenheim and ready to update. Thanx so much to my reviews and readers, you guys are awesome. Story News: Emeril's name has been changed from Emeril to Istalri. (Thanks to WishingOnMyStar for the name.)

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Chapter 7 Moria, Darkness and more Birds

We soon were near the bottom of the mountain. There was a cold wind behind us and we stopped to think about what to do next.

Snow swirled around us and the wind howled angrily.

"Enough, enough Caradharas, we are departing as quickly as we may." Gimli called to the mountain.

"We will have to stop here. It'll be night soon and we cannot do much in this snow." Aragorn shouted over the wind.

We all agreed with him and decided to stop for the night. I volunteered to take the first watch, as an elf I didn't need to sleep as often as mortals. I sat cross-legged in the snow with my back to the fire, staring out into the night, past the snow.

I froze, what was that? I gazed intently at the shape I was watching. Surely there aren't Shrrg here! For that was what I appeared to be watching. I half stood, wondering whether I should alert the others. The wolf looked up and I froze. It's eyes, glowing palely in the moonlight, seemed to pierce me, seeing into my soul. We stared at each other, eyes locked. I shivered as something touched my mind. Then the wolf turned and walked away.

I blinked and slowly sat back down. What was that? It was like a Shrrg, only it was definitely magical. It was bloody creepy, that's what it was. I gave a quiet laugh. Me, a powerful elf, ambassador of my people, scared of a wolf. It couldn't harm me or my companions, even if it was magic. But what if- I jumped as a twig cracked close by. I turned and looked at the others. They were all sound asleep, even Legolas and Gandalf. Looks like I would be watching all night, not like they're going to wake up in a hurry. What time was it anyway? I looked back at the moon. Just after 1 am. I sighed and placed my elbow on a rock and lent against my arm, my face resting on my hand. This was going to be a long night.

The sun peeked through the thick covering of clouds as I stood and stretched. I had been sitting in the same position all night. I hadn't bothered to wake Aragorn for his watch when mine was over. He needed to rest, they all did. I walked over to the fire and stoked it, making small embers catch light again. I smiled as I looked at them. I had only known them a short while, but already we were great friends. Time to wake them though, we needed to be on our way. I walked over to Aragorn and gently shook him awake.

"Huh?" He said blearily, blinking in the light. "Arya what time is it?"

"Just after 6 in the morning." I whispered, carful not to wake the other yet.

"What!" He demanded angrily. "You kept watch all night and didn't wake me for my turn."

"Yes. You needed to rest, Aragorn. You all do. I was happy to keep watch, I didn't need to sleep. I-" I stopped remembering the wolf.

"Arya?"

"Aragorn are-" I paused, then continued anyway. "Aragorn, are there types of very large wolves here? Like Shrrg?"

"Yes. There are Wargs, they're very large and Gandalf told me about some very strange wolves that he has seen recently, almost magic. Why?"

"Last night, when I was keeping watch, I saw...something. It looked like a huge wolf, but when it looked up I saw that it's eyes glowed. It stared at me and it was almost like it could see into my soul. I felt something touch my mind and I shivered and then the wolf left. I have never seen anything like it before."

Aragorn frowned. "It would be best, Arya, that you do not tell the others of what you saw, not yet anyway. Tell Legolas if you want, as elves I do not think you should keep this from him. Go wake the others."

"And Gandalf?"

"I'll tell him, when I wake him. We should keep moving."

I turned and walked over to the others. I gently woke Gimli, the Hobbits and Boromir before going to Legolas. I gently shook him awake and he shot upright, staring around.

"Light sleeper?" I teased.

"You could say that," He retorted as he stood. "I prefer to call it good reflexes."

As the other got breakfast ready, I noticed Aragorn talking to Gandalf. Both men looked very worried. I remembered what Aragorn had said about telling Legolas and gently grabbed his arm as he walked past.

I led him over to where I had been keeping watch and examined the ground. No paw-prints, no marks at all in the snow. Strange.

"That's odd." I muttered to myself.

"What is?" Legolas asked, clearly unable to guess why I had dragged him over here.

I stood and took a deep breath. "Legolas, last night I saw a, well it looked like a, like a huge wolf."

"Where?" Now he was interested. Did he seem slightly worried? Concerned for the others safety? Or mine perhaps...

"Over there. It's eyes glowed slightly and when it looked at me, it was like it was looking into my soul. I felt something touch my mind and then the wolf was gone."

Legolas bent down and looked closely at the snow.

"I've already done that." I told him. "There's no paw-prints, nothing. That's why I'm worried. That was no ordinary wolf. We need to be on our guard."

"Who else have you told?"

"I told Aragorn and he just told Gandalf. Aragorn said that I should tell you, but not the others."

"Good, you're both right. We shouldn't tell the others and we need to keep on our guard. As elves, we can hear and see something coming long before the others. You especially, I know about the mind powers you possess." He smiled. "You were brave to not run from the creature."

I snorted. "I am not afraid of a wolf, no matter what magic it has. It would have to be very powerful to beat me. Though, unfortunately, there are probably more."

We turned and walked back to the others who were getting breakfast.

After we had eaten, we continued on our way. We had not gone far how ever when I noticed that Frodo was lagging behind. I slowed down to wait for him and help him along.

"Frodo, are you okay?" I asked quietly.

"Yes Arya. I'm just tired and hungry, that's all."

I smiled at him and kept walking.

Suddenly, I noticed some black birds of some sort in the distance. Though, I was not the only one to have seen them.

"It's those birds again!" Aragorn called.

"That cannot be helped. Whether they are good or evil, or have nothing to do with us at all, we must go down at once." Gandalf replied.

I nodded in silent agreement, though I still kept watching the birds. Something about them was not quite right...

We soon made it to the bottom of the mountain. A cold wind flowed down behind us as we walked wearily onward, out backs to the Redhorn Gate. Caradharas had defeated us.

It was evening now and we decided to stop and rest for the night, the attempt at the mountain had left us very tired.

"Where are we going to go now Gandalf? We cannot go over the mountain. Is there another way?" I asked

"Well, we cannot go back, that is obvious. We must complete the quest and to go back would be admitting defeat." Frodo exclaimed.

"You are right Frodo," Gandalf said. "to go back would be admitting defeat. Once we go back to Rivendell, we may never leave again and soon after, Rivendell would be destroyed."

"Then we must go on, if there is a way." said Frodo with a sigh.

"There is a way that we might try, but it is dark and unpleasant. That is why I have not mentioned it before. Aragorn knows and is against it. I do not know what Arya says."

"If it is worse than the Redhorn Gate then it is evil indeed." Merry said.

"The road that I speak of leads to the Mines of Moria"

The was mutter of fear at that name.

"The road may lead to Moria, but how can we hope that it will lead through Moria?" Aragorn said darkly.

"Who will follow if I lead you there?" asked Gandalf.

"I will" said Gimli eagerly.

"I will go." Aragorn said heavily. "You followed my lead to almost disaster in the snow. I will follow you through Moria, if this last warning does not move you. I say to you Gandalf, if you pass the doors of Moria, beware!"

"Arya?" Legolas asked. "What do you think?"

"I have never been to Moria, I am a stranger to this land. My guidance and advice is not needed." I said quietly.

"Arya, you have my permission to see what Moria is like. We need you judgement, you are an equal member of this Fellowship." Gandalf said.

Gandalf touched his finger to his temple and I took it as a sign that I had permission to enter his mind, he knew that I could look into other's thoughts. I quickly and gently looked into the wizard's mind. Gandalf stiffened a little, being unused to people doing this. I paused, then gasped quietly as the wizard's thoughts hit me. His mind was so vast, so full of knowledge and wisdom, he made me feel tiny and insignificant in comparison. I found the memories and quickly looked at them, then left the wizard's mind. I did not like contacting him that way.

They all looked at me expectantly, waiting for my answer (though only Gandalf, Legolas and Aragorn knew how I had seen Moria.)

"I agree with Aragorn, we should not go there. I need to see the moon and stars, and Saphira would not be able to go down that path. Being away from her pains me." I said clearly. "However, I will follow. One spell-caster will be enough to get us out, but two are better. If there's anything down there that tries to harm my companions, let it beware!" I finished my sentence in a low growl, to let them know that I mean what I say.

"I will not go!" Boromir said "unless the whole vote of the Fellowship is against me. What do Legolas and the hobbits say?"

"I do not want to go to Moria." said Legolas simply. I walked over to stand by his side. Out of all of the Fellowship, he was the one I liked the most. We were good friends.

The hobbits said nothing. Then, at last, Frodo spoke.

"I do not want to go to Moria," He said. "but neither do I wish to refuse the advice of Gandalf.I think that we should have no vote, until we have slept. Gandalf will get votes easier in the light of day than in this cold gloom. How the wind howls."

"It is howling with wolf voices!" Aragorn cried. "The Wargs have come."

"How far is Moria?" Boromir asked quickly.

"There was a door south-west of Caradharas, about 20 miles from here." answered Gandalf grimly.

"Then let us start as soon as it is light," Boromir said. "The wolf that one hears is worse than the orc that one fears."

"True!" called Aragorn, pulling his sword from his sheath. "But where the wolf howls, there also the orc prowls."

I darted forward, staring out into the night.

"The is a small hill, with a ring of trees at the top. If we can make it there, then it might prove some protection from the Wargs." I called to Gandalf and Aragorn.

"How can you see that, it's pitch black?" asked Gimli

"I can see clearly on all but the blackest night." I replied.

We quickly got to the hill and made a fire in the middle of the ring of trees. I went and stood on the outside of the hilltop.

Suddenly I saw the eyes of wolves all round me.

"Aragorn!" I screamed. A wolf jumped at me and I felt it's huge jaws close around my chest.

OOOHHH, EVIL CLIFFHANGER!!!! What will happen to Arya? If I told you now, I would spoil the story and take away the point of the next chapter, so don't ask me, cause I won't tell you!!! Yet!!! Review and I might update!!! :P