"We must hold this course west of the Misty Mountains for forty days. If our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. From there our road turns east to Mordor," Gandalf said.

Sam was cooking sausage and other food over a fire, and then he climbed up onto a rock beside Frodo. We were resting on an outstretched arm of the mountains. I was stretched out on a rock soaking up the heat from the sun, Danaë once again acting as my pillow. Boromir was sparring with Merry and Pippin, tutoring them on sword fighting. He took a turn battling with Pippin. To each move of the sword Boromir said, "Two, one, five. Good. Very good."

Aragorn was sitting nearby on a rock, smoking a pipe. He spoke encouragement to the hobbits, "Move your feet!"

Merry said, "You look good, Pippin."

Pippin replied, "Thanks."

"Faster!" Boromir said as the hobbits encouraged each other. I sat up looking out over the plains into the sky. Something was wrong. As the Hobbits sparred with Boromir, Gimli approached Gandalf.

"If anyone was to ask for my opinion, which I note they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way round. Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin, Balin, would give us a royal welcome." Gandalf took a pipe he was smoking from his mouth. Faint surprise registered in the old wizard's eyes.

"No Gimli, I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice," Gandalf said.

"Legolas," I called. He came to stand beside me, "Do you see what I see?" I asked. Legolas looked intently towards the South with me.

"I do Allie," he replied placing a hand on my shoulder. I suppressed a growl, being touched by another of my kind in my experience never amounted to anything good. It was Legolas's father that had thrown my family out of his realm, condemning us. I could hear Boromir and Pippin as they continued their mock battle.

"Come on. Good," Boromir said accidentally nicking Pippin's hand. Pippin let out a yelp of pain. "Sorry!" Pippin kicked Boromir on the shin. Boromir grunted, "Ahh!" falling to the ground.

Merry yelled, "Get Him!" Boromir went down in a mock battle. Boromir and Aragorn laughed with the Hobbits.

Pippin said, "For the Shire! Hold him! Hold him down! Merry!" Aragorn walked over to them.

Aragorn said, "Gentlemen, that's enough." He laid a hand on either Hobbit's shoulder. Pippin and Merry grabbed his legs, pulling him down on his back, knocking the wind out of him.

Pippin still in a mock battle yelled, "You've got my arm…you've got my arm!" Legolas and I continued to look to the South, where a strange cloud has appeared more clearly than it was before.

Sam took notice of Legolas's and my observation. "What is that?"

"Nothing, it's just a whiff of cloud," Gimli said in a gruff voice.

Boromir getting up from the ground, a hand on either Hobbit's shoulder said, "It's moving fast…against the wind."

Legolas in a worried voice said, "Crebain from Dunland!"

Aragorn yelled, "Hide!" The whole Fellowship scrambled about trying to hide the evidence that we were here.

Boromir yelled, "Hurry!" Aragorn rushed around, getting the Fellowship out of sight. I was running around trying to help him.

Aragorn yelled next to Frodo, "Frodo! Hurry! Take cover!" We were scrambling to gather our things, and Sam put out the fire. We hid behind rock outcroppings and under bushes. We waited, in a burst of darkness against the light of day, a flock of black birds rushed overhead, cawing loudly. They circled the hill, then turned and flew back Southward. We came out from our hiding places. I rolled out from underneath a brush almost taking Legolas off his feet. He pulled me to my feet, "Thanks," I said. He just gave a curt nod.

Gandalf working his way out from behind a rock said, "Spies of Saruman! The passage South is being watched. We must take the Pass of Caradhras." He turned, looking up at a great, snowy mountain on high. I shook my head, I hated the cold. I didn't see much of a choice though so I jumped on to my horse for the climb. As we climbed through the glistening, fresh snow beneath the great blue sky, Frodo lost his footing and fell, rolling down the slope toward Aragorn and I.

Frodo as he rolled let out an, "Ungh!"

Aragorn and both called out, "Frodo!" He helped him to his feet. Frodo regained his footing and instinctively put a hand to his neck for the Ring. Finding it missing, he looked back up the slope. The Ring lay in the snow, its gold glistening. Boromir saw the Ring in the snow and picked it up by its chain.

Very quietly Aragorn said, "Boromir." But Boromir was oblivious, riveted by the Ring. His face seemed sad.

Boromir speaking softly said, "It is a strange fate we should suffer so much fear and doubt…over so small a thing. Such a little thing." He reached out a gloved hand to touch it.

Aragorn and I yelled, "Boromir!" By now the rest of the Fellowship was watching. Boromir looked up, pulled from his trance, dropping his hand that had been reaching for the ring.

"Give the Ring to Frodo," Aragorn said. He had moved his hand to his sword, ready to use it if need be. Boromir walked slowly down the slope to the Ranger and Frodo.

Boromir held out the Ring, "As you wish…" Frodo did not wait, and grabbed the Ring sharply, a tormented expression on his face. " …I care not." Boromir jokingly tousled Frodo's hair, turning to resume climbing, pulling his shield up higher on his shoulder. Frodo looked on suspiciously; Aragorn released his grip from his sword.

We were now several feet up from where we had started, and it was snowing. I couldn't see where I was going and I was now too cold to walk. I didn't think I would be able to get off my horse even if I tried. God! I hated the cold! Gandalf's was driving his staff into the snow, forging a way through a growing blizzard, guiding us along a narrow ledge on the Pass. As we labored onwards through the high snow banks, Legolas ran out ahead. His step was light and he moved with ease across the top of the snow, staring into the blinding storm. I pulled out my blanket and wrapped up in it and leaned into my horse's neck to try to get out of the cold.

A cruel voice rose on the wind. It was chanting, "Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; nai yarvaxea rasselya!" (Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your horn be bloodstained!)

Legolas said, "There is a fell voice on the air!" He was perilously close to the edge.

Gandalf yelled, "It's Saruman!" With a rending echo, a horde of rock slabs and boulders fell from the mountain side. We shoved ourselves flat against the sheer cliff wall to avoid the onslaught of stone.

Aragorn yelled through the storm, "He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!"

Gandalf shook his head, "No!" With determination Gandalf stepped out onto the ledge, chanting a counter command to Caradhras. The old wizard's voice bellowed into the air, attempting to calm the rage of the mountain. "Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith!" (Sleep, Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!)

The wizard's voice was drowned out by a more terrible cry in the maelstrom. Saruman continued to command Caradhras, eliciting the mountain's anger. Away above us, a great black wall-cloud towers over Redhorn, a byproduct of the magic from the two wizards. Saruman continued with the spell, "Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; Nai yarvaxea rasselya; taltuva notto-carinnar!" (Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your bloodstained horn fall upon enemy heads!) Lightning struck the tip of Caradhras, sending a second avalanche of sheer white ice onto us, who were unfortunate enough to be waiting below. As the storm of snow fell, Gandalf continued to command the mountain, to no avail. Legolas snatched Gandalf from the edge, pulling him against the cliff just before the ice and snow hit. The avalanche cascaded over us, and snow buried us completely. After a moment, we emerged.

My horse popped out of the snow with me still on him. "Gandalf we can't go this way!" I yelled pulling Danaë from the snow.

Boromir yelled over the wind, "We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!"

Aragorn yelled back, "The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!"

Gimli wanting to get his two cents in said, "If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria." I looked at Gandalf; in his eyes there was a shadow of doubt, of fear that remained unsaid. He was conflicted. I knew someone was communicating with him in a way the rest of us could not hear, but what was being said, I could not guess at.

"Let's get off this mountain then we can discuss the best path further!" I shouted over the wind.

Grimly Gandalf said, "Let the Ring bearer decide."

Boromir shouted through the snowstorm, holding Merry and Pippin to him. Both were cold and extremely pale. At this point I lost consciousness, but I could still hear everything around me for some reason.

Boromir called through the storm, "We cannot stay here! This will be the death of the Hobbits!"

"Frodo?" Gandalf asked.

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

Gandalf replied, "So be it." So the journey back down the mountain began. It was then that Aragorn noticed I had fainted.

"Allie!" he called. I did not stir. I could hear him and everything around me, but I could not respond to it.

"I will ride with her, Aragorn, you help Frodo and Sam," Legolas said swinging up behind me. Then everything fell silent.