After much more walking and shivering, the group reached the base of the mountain and saw the walls of Moria, proudly pointed out by Gimli. Skirting a small lake, the group followed Gandalf to an engraving on the wall. Gandalf read the inscription, and said what he assumed as the password, but to everyone's dismay nothing happened. After a few more tries, the rest of the group settled down to rest and wait for Gandalf to solve the password of: Speak friend, and Enter.

Sam and Aragorn were removing the bags from Bill the pony, Aragorn explaining that the "Mines are no place for a pony." Bill slowly walked away, Sam sadly watching. Aragorn tried to comfort the small figure, telling him that Bill knew the way home.

Merry and Pippin were throwing stones into the lake, bored, until Aragorn stopped them with a caution not to disturb the water. They turned to him, confused, but received no further instruction.

Gimli sat, smoking, next to Boromir in silence. Legolas sat away from the group, lost in his own thoughts. Leaza sat near Boromir and Gimli, trying to stop her shivering under her cloak. The night air was chilled, adding to her discomfort.

After many tries, Gandalf sat next to Frodo, giving up. As Frodo and Gandalf puzzled out other solutions, Boromir joined Aragorn and the two troublemaking hobbits as ripples spread across the lake; they watched with a mixture of fear and wonder as to what it could be.

Frodo suddenly stood, "It's a riddle. Gandalf, what's the elven word for friend?" Upon Gandalf's reply the doors swung open, the riddle solved. Legolas stood, looking inside as Gandalf led the group into the dark interior. Leaza jerked to her feet, determined not to let the others see her pain, and followed quickly; fortunately for her Gimli was too excited to get inside and the rest too focused on the lake to see her move.

As the ten moved into the room, Gandalf lit his staff, illuminating not a welcoming chamber but the scene of a slaughter. "Goblins," said Legolas. The warriors prepared for a frontal assault, blind to the danger behind. The four hobbits stood just inside the doorway, in front of the shocked Leaza.

Boromir shouted for everyone to get out, and the hobbits began to shuffle back towards the entrance. Leaza moved with them, turning to face the outside, only to be grabbed around the throat by a tentacle as Frodo's foot was caught with another.

"Strider!" shouted Sam as he cut at the tenctacle. The hobbits were unaware that Leaza had already been dragged beneath the cold surface. As Sam cut the tentacle away and Aragorn began to run to the aid of the hobbits, more tentacles shot from beneath the surface toward the four. Sam, Merry, and Pippin were flung away and Frodo dragged into the air above the lake.

Leaza, fighting her own battle beneath the surface, tore her cloak off to reach her twin blades, sheathed with the hilts upon her lower back. She grabbed one blade in her right hand and chopped at the offending tentacle that held her throat. She couldn't breath; she was not only being choked but was also being held underwater. Finally she sliced through the tentacle and swam toward the churning surface. She reached the air as Frodo was pulled high into the air.

She realized the danger he was in despite Legolas' arrows as well as the chopping attacks by Aragorn and Boromir. She dove back under, searching through the bubbles for the center of the creature. Fortunately for her the creature was surfacing at the time and she found herself beneath the creature shortly. As the others attacked from above, she slashed from below.

On the surface, Boromir and Aragorn finally freed the struggling hobbit; Boromir caught him as he fell from the creature's grasp. Legolas laid down cover as the three hobbits and two men ran into the mines with Gandalf's urging.

Leaza below, was running out of breath and began swimming back to the surface, only to find herself grabbed around the waist by another tentacle. Before she could react, she was flung from the water into the walls of Moria, the breath knocked from her. Legolas saw her limp body fall from where it had hit the wall and luckily for her she was near the entrance, giving him enough time to lift her limp body and jump through the entrance of the mines as the creature tore down the doors from the outside, locking the group inside.

The group sat, gasping in the darkness as Gandalf's voice washed over them, "We now have but one choice. We must face the long dark of Moria." He brought light back to his staff, and the companions slowly caught their breath, turning to each other to ensure everyone's safety.

Leaza stirred in Legolas' arms, regaining her senses. Her sword was slick with water and blood, a testament to her actions beneath the surface. She made a move as to ask to be put down, but found her body didn't respond as well as it should and let her arm fall. Her sword hit the ground, making the hobbits jump. The other eight realized with a shock that not only had she put herself in the most dangerous, but effective, position for distracting the creature, she no longer wore her cloak.

Merry was the first to react, and moved forward to pick up the fallen weapon, looking to Legolas as to what should be done with the weapon. Aragorn moved next, taking the short blade from the hobbit and wiping off the shining metal with a piece of cloth from a dead dwarf. Boromir and Gimli watched in silence, Gandalf full of impatience and anxiety. Leaza thanked Aragorn quietly and found the strength to tell Legolas to put her down. Her feet were unsteady, but she stood.

She held out her hand for the blade and sheathed it, upside down to most but perfect for her fighting style. Now the group could see what had been hidden beneath the cloak. Leaza covered herself from neck to toe in soft, black leather, but the leather was tight and left little to the imagination. Her long arms were covered as well, leaving only her dark fingertips bare. Her boots were black, knee highs, made very well. Combined with her dark hair and skin, she could blend into shadows as easily as a stalking panther.

After an awkward silence as she sheathed the sword and thanked Legolas for his help, she turned to the others, and breaking the tension, asked lightly, "What, never seen a woman in pants before?"

Gimli sputtered, and Boromir colored; despite his age and experience, seeing a woman so lightly covered was a shock to him. Aragorn took the joke best, though, and shook his head as he walked away. Legolas smiled to himself, knowing what Leaza wore from his past with her. The four hobbits were the most uncomfortable, though, and tried to look everywhere but at her. Gandalf snorted from where he stood away from the group.

Leaza tried to turn toward Gandalf and continue the journey, but was hit by a fit of shivering; she was soaking wet and no longer had the comfort of a cloak. She rubbed her arms furiously as she started walking, and looking at her reflection in a pool of what she hoped was water saw her blue lips and drawn face. Boromir moved, pulling off his own cloak and draping it over her shoulders as he passed her. She looked up with an unreadable expression, whether from the cold or confusion he couldn't tell. She wrapped the large cloak around her leaner frame gratefully, though.

Legolas moved beside Gimli, behind Gandalf. The four hobbits huddled together as Boromir and Aragorn brought up the rear. Leaza jumped in behind Legolas and focused on putting one foot before the other. For the moment she would let the men do all the work and keep an eye out for danger.

The walk was long, and the dark walls and confusing paths made the time impossible to gage. Gandalf led the way the entire time, being to only one to have traveled the mines before. The first break came when the group came to a crossroads.

Gandalf compared the separate tunnels, but was stumped as to which to take. For all their fear that they were lost, the group sat down heavily to take what rest they could. Digging through the bags, Leaza found a smaller cloak and returned Boromir's in favor of the new one. Now that she felt the need to have her swords close at hand there was no point in hiding them. The group sat close to one another, none willing to stray far from the welcomed heat of a small fire, with the exception of Gandalf; he sat contemplating the different passages.

"You have yet to tell us what you a princess of, Leaza." Boromir spook, humor dancing in his voice. Aragorn, sitting beside Boromir, looked over at the man. Leaza moved from where she stood beside Legolas, coming around Boromir to stand before him. She leaned down, bringing her green eyes level with his. Smiling she cupped his face in her hand, "Aren't we the curious little boy," she tipped his head up, bringing his face closer to hers. "I am a princess of a kingdom you can never have." She finally replied sweetly, then resumed her position beside Legolas. Gimli barked a laugh, "I think you've been tossed aside, lad." Boromir gave a tight smile, but said nothing. Aragorn was smiling at the good humor, as well as at the hobbits innocence as they laughed with Gimli; they didn't quite understand the deeper meaning of Leaza's words but they knew Boromir had been the brunt end of a joke.

Frodo turned to look behind him and discovered with a shock that the companions were being followed by a small creature. He rushed to Gandalf, but learned that it was Gollum, and that he had been following Frodo for three days. They discussed Gollum's behavior, and moved onto the subject of Frodo's regret that he carried the ring. Before Frodo could sink too far into depression, Gandalf stood, calling out that he had found the right path. The group followed the wizard quickly, straining to see what lay in the darkness beyond.

After walking down countless stairs, Gandalf finally led the group into a huge hallway. He shed more light into the hall, taking the breath away from all, even Gimli. The group began their walk through the great hall, Gandalf and Gimli leading with the two humans and Legolas trailing. Suddenly Gimli shouted and peeled away, running to a side chamber, ignoring Gandalf's protests. The group caught the dwarf, mourning for his cousin, at the end of a tomb. Gandalf reached to a skeleton and removed the tome held.

Legolas and Aragorn, standing in front of where Leaza had stopped, were whispering that they had to leave. Gandalf toned from across the chamber, "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, deep. We cannot get out. The shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming."

Pippin chose that moment to show off his intelligence by knocking a skeleton into the deep, creating a loud sound as well as giving away the position of the group. Gandalf chastised Pippin, but soon a new sound could be heard: drums and the cries of orcs. The warriors turned to the doorway, but Boromir was the first to reach the open door. An arrow missed his face by inches, and with the help of Legolas and Aragorn barred the door; but not before crying "They have a cave troll." The hobbits took refuge behind Gandalf, and Gimli growled threats. Leaza slunk into a defensive position, twin swords bared. All the warriors prepared for the battle ahead.

A/N:

Cliff hanger! Though any LOTR fan will know what happens next to the original group, but what will Leaza face, and how will she fare…