It was a terrifying notion.
Caleigh's pulse starting to rise at the simple thought of opening her eyes; petrified that the darkness she saw in her dreams would be out matched by reality.
Those visions were too vivid to not be factual.
She jerked slightly at the loud pop the burning wood gave off only a few feet to her right. Her sudden movement reminding her of the soreness residing in her neck and shoulder; it was the memory of those injuries that chased her fears away in a hurried flash.
She wasn't alone.
Caleigh released a slow breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Keeping her eyes closed she took note of how she lay. She was positioned on her back, her arms folded over her abdomen with a bundled up bit of cloth beneath her head.
If she didn't feel so rested already she might have been lulled back to sleep by the crackling fire. It's warmth enveloping her form, and soothing the ache still lingering in her body. She could breathe without pain, however she was certain speaking wouldn't be so easy.
As the sound of soft mummers reached her ears, her eyes slowly sit open. Her emerald and stone gaze seeing nothing but the inky blackness of the immense mine.
Closing her eyes again, Caleigh took in a slow breath past her parched lips before holding it within her chest as she attempted to sit up slowly, not wishing to dizzy herself by moving too fast.
However before the action could be completed she was halted by a hand upon her shoulder, one that applied a bit of pressure to insist she lay back down.
Open her eyes once she had laid back, she found Boromir kneeled next to her.
"So you've woken. How does your shoulder fair?"
Shifting her gaze to her left shoulder, she slowly went ahead and sat up, giving Boromir a scowl when he attempted to stop her.
Once she was upright, she began moving her arm in a few circles as well as tensing the muscles in her upper and lower arm.
"It's a bit sore, but not enough to hinder me."
She barely could recognize the hoarse voice that fell from her lips as her own.
"That's good."
He was silent for moment, the light smirk on his lips falling, before he finally reached up to pull Caleigh's hair back from where it had fallen from her braid, offering him a good view of her neck.
"How bad is it Boromir?"
"Visually it's just a nasty bruise. You'll have to gauge the rest."
Moving her hand up, she slowly trailed her fingers over the tender flesh, flinching at the feel of it.
"Surprisingly enough, it hurts worse on the outside as well."
The frown that had darkened his features lifted at the sight of a smirk curving her lips.
"I wasn't asleep too long was I?"
"Long enough that we all had to take turn in carrying you."
A mad blush blossomed over her cheeks as Gimli came up from behind Boromir with a water skin in tow.
He released a hearty chuckle as he handed her the water.
"Don't fret; we've been held up here for quite a while and this is where you've done the most of your resting."
"You needed the rest."
Boromir words were quick to cut off Gimli's playful harassment as he simultaneously made her sip the water slowly.
Retrieving the water skin from Boromir, Gimli released another chuckle before heading back to where he had been seated.
Offering her a reassuring smile, Boromir also rose to reclaim his spot near Aragorn by the fire.
Caleigh's gaze shifted to see that all but Gandalf and Frodo had noticed her to be awake.
However the other three Hobbits where quick to their feet so that they could move over to sit next to her, Sam of course being the first to greet her.
"Well Miss Caleigh how do you feel?"
"Not suffocating any more I hope."
Her gaze found Pippin, but before she could comment Merry had popped him over the head.
"What?!"
Caleigh couldn't resist laughing; however it came out more as a wheeze than anything else.
Coughing a bit, her sight caught azure eyes peering in her direction. She shook her head to motion to Legolas that everything was fine, her attention soon returning to the Hobbits.
"Make me laugh any harder and I might be! Do not worry, I'm feeling fine now."
Moving her hands to her hair, she slowly pulled the braid loose, working the tangles free with her fingers. She didn't quite feel like going through the trouble of retrieving her comb from her rucksack wherever it might have been placed.
"We haven't stopped here on my account have we?"
Merry shook his head as he took a swig from his water skin whilst ignoring a grumbling Pippin.
"No, Gandalf's forgotten which one of those three passages to take so we are waiting for him to search out his thoughts."
Caleigh gave a nod as she left her hair to hang free over her shoulders. Hoping to keep the bruising on her neck from view considering she wasn't a fan of being coddled.
Besides Gandalf's and Frodo's hushed conversation, silence fell over the group. She had taken it as her opportunity to marvel the vast expanse of the mine. How she would have loved to have seen such a place while it was still in operation.
"Oh! It's this way!"
"He's remembered!"
Merry had been quick to jump from his seated position, an obvious show of his boredom.
"No. But the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."
Caleigh was relieved to finally be back on her feet as everyone began preparing to continue on. When she saw it to be Pippin retrieving her rucksack, she stepped over to relieve it from him.
"Thank you, but I have it now."
He nodded as she slung it over her right shoulder.
Falling in step behind him, they joined the others as they began to head down the dark stairwell with Gandalf's staff as the only light to follow.
It took quite a long while to reach the end of that dark stair well, but finally the entrance was revealed, and it led to quite a large open area that was hard to make out due to the darkness.
She took to standing next to Aragorn as Gandalf moved ahead.
"Let me risk a little more light."
Caleigh's head was made to tilt back in order to take in the remarkable feat of colossal archways and pillars sculpted out of the rock, all leading up to a high ceiling.
"Behold...the great realm and Dwarf-city of Dwarrowdelf."
"There's an eye opener, and no mistake."
To say she was impressed was a serious understatement. At the sound of a chuckle her gaze shifted to Gimli who stood in front of her with a grin.
Smiling she nudged his shoulder.
"Very nice sir Dwarf."
"Why thank you M'lady."
She couldn't help but grow even fonder of Gimli. He was certainly proud of his ancestry and for very good reason.
For long hours the Fellowship travelled through the massive halls of Dwarrowdelf, the scenery remaining much of the same, with all but the Hobbits keeping silent. Caleigh had been marveling at the vastness of the surround, when her attention was stolen by Aragorn.
"I'm surprised that you are so in awe of this place, have you not seen such grand architecture in your travels?"
"No. I've always steered clear of the bigger cities. I've only marveled at the silhouette of Rohan from a distance. The closer you get to Gondor is the closer you also get to Mordor where the land dies. I prefer the vegetation of the forests; plenty of wild game to hunt as well as shelter to find."
"Well, if you decide to continue to travel with us, I guarantee that you will see even grander sights."
She noticed his smile fall a bit, however since he made no comment as to what was currently darkening his thoughts, she decided not to pry.
"I would have loved to have seen this place while it was still inhabited by the Dwarves."
Caleigh smiled at the thought, her gaze shifting towards where Boromir walked up ahead, studying his strong frame before she lowered her gaze to the ground.
"Can you tell me of Gondor?"
If Aragorn was surprised by her curiosity, he never showed it, he simply crossed his arms as he began to search his memory.
"It's been a while, but I-"
Aragorn's words were interrupted when suddenly Gimli broke off from the group to run towards a doorway, its doors hanging ajar while corpses lay scattered across the ground in front, she could only assume they had died protecting that room.
Gandalf made to call him back; however Gimli paid him no heed.
Caleigh and the others were quick to follow him into the room which looked to once been some type of notary due to the number of books and ripped pages that soiled the floor.
"uh…no…No!..."
She could feel her heart aching for Gimli as he dropped to kneel in front of a stone sarcophagus, his small frame racking with soft sobs.
Caleigh's first instinct had been to comfort Gimli, however she found herself routed to the spot. There was something ominous in the air. She took a few steps back nearly colliding into Legolas however he was far more mindful then she at the moment, and easily stepped out of her way.
She made to apologize, but when her eyes found his, she read the same warning in those azure depths; he also was made uneasy by this place.
"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria. He's dead, then."
Finally she moved forth, kneeling behind Gimli while placing her hands upon his shoulders, hoping to offer him comfort in proximity as he mourned. He paid her no notice and she knew nothing else she could do; her experience in loss was limited.
"It's as I feared."
Another sob burst as Gimli's lips and Caleigh took it as sign to leave him be. However she strayed only a couple feet away, not wishing to completely desert him.
Her eyes remained upon the Dwarf as she heard Gandalf move past her left, barely catching sight of him hand his staff and hat to Pippin before he bent down to lift up something from the other side of the tomb.
When he returned to his full height she shifted her gaze to see his hands held a rather ancient looking book that hung in tatters.
"We must move on. We cannot linger."
She turned to look to the two males; Aragorn's gaze finding her and reading the same look of foreboding in her emerald and stone eyes.
"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."
Her breath came quicker, the air itself seeming to thicken as she anxiously played with the laces of her right arm bracer.
A gasp nearly escaping her lips when Boromir planted his hand upon her left wrist to ease her. Much more twisting and she had been liable to break laces.
"A Shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming."
She shifted her gaze from her wrist to Pippin just as he turned an arrow that was impaled into a skeleton that sat precariously on the edge of a well, her eyes widening as the skeleton's head fell off.
Pippin was quick to jump away, turning his back to the well as the skull began to crash down the well. The sounds soon followed by the rest of the skeleton and a wooden bucket that was chained to the skeleton.
The combined objects continued to clash and bang, echoing through the mines for what seemed like eternity, leaving the entire Fellowship as still as stone as the sounds reverberated, but finally all fell silent.
Pippin stood still, mortified, Boromir on the other hand let out a relieved breath.
Gandalf on the other hand appeared righteously furious as he slammed the book shut and set it down.
"Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time, and rid us of your stupidity."
The old wizard's words were bitter as he snatched his staff and hat from Pippin and she found herself feeling pity for the poor little hobbit. He seemed genuinely daft.
The sound of a drum boomed throughout the emptiness.
All eyes fixated on the well, breaths being held by all.
As feared, the drumming continued and began to grow louder; her form twisting around to see the others as alarmed as she was.
"Frodo!"
All eyes shifted to Frodo as he withdrew a fraction of his sword from its sheath, revealing the blade and the blue glow it was emitting.
Caleigh partly wished she hadn't already been informed of the meaning to this; it would have afforded her a few moments longer of blissful ignorance.
"Orcs."
Boromir quickly headed for the door, Caleigh at his heel to help gauge the coming assault.
Once again she found herself grateful to the bit of Elvin blood that ran through her veins. Her sensitive hearing catching a distant whizzing sound and she managed to grab hold of Boromir's cloak just in time to pull him backwards as two arrows embedded themselves in the old wooden door.
"Get back. Stay close to Gandalf!"
The breath was nearly pushed out of her lungs when Boromir forcefully shoved her backwards.
"That goes for you as well."
Caleigh moved forth in disagreement however he had already turned around and started to assist Aragorn in closing the wooden door.
"They have a cave-troll."
She was once again interrupted when Legolas rushed past her and began picking up fallen axes and tossing them to Aragorn and Boromir to barricade the door.
When the task was complete they moved back from the door; Boromir once again moving to push Caleigh back with Aragorn at his side motioning as well.
She slapped his hands away; twisting out of his grasp when he made another attempt to grab her.
"There is no time for this! Stay back with the hobbits."
"I will not. Give me my arms!"
She felt nine pairs of eyes upon her in response to her brazenness; her own gaze was upon Aragorn.
Moving her left hand to her neck, she did her best to clear her voice of any residing hoarseness. Her posture straightening and her eyes narrowed.
"Please! This is no small brawl we face. Or is it that you still do not trust me."
The seconds seemed to slow as she waited for response, a response that came in the sound of rustling near her.
Turning to her right, her eyes softened at the sight of Legolas as he moved over towards her, quiver and bow in each extended hand.
"Thank you."
After haphazardly tossing her rucksack to the side, she took the quiver first. As she worked to buckle the straps, Boromir moved towards her, having already removed her sword belt from his own side, he went to buckle it around her waist while she finished clasping the quiver on her back.
In any normal circumstance she might have blushed, however things were too dire for such joviality.
She finished just as Boromir slipped her dagger back into the side her boot, moving her hands down, she shifted her sheathed sword to hang comfortably at her left side, taking her long bow from Legolas and for the first time in a while, she felt truly like herself.
The silence was disturbed as Gandalf released a mild battle cry while unsheathing his sword, the little hobbits mimicking as they drew their weapons.
As Gimli climbed upon on his deceased cousin's sarcophagus, his axe in hand, Caleigh took stance next to Legolas.
"Let them come. There is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath."
Knocking a an arrow to her bow, she took aim towards the door, her eyes level as she let her senses focus on the task at hand. Noting Boromir to be just a few feet behind to her left with sword and shield at the ready.
She made sure to keep that in mind in case he decided to battle charge while she was firing. Aragorn on the other hand took to archery with Legolas and Caleigh.
Banging was soon heard upon on the door as axes and swords began to break through the aged door; small chunks of wood giving away until a small opening was formed from a thrust of a lance, which Legolas took as his opportunity to fire, striking down the orc.
Two more sections gave way, and it was Caleigh and Aragorn who fired this time. A frown twisting her lips as she quickly reached back, grasping another arrow and bringing it forth to the ready just in time for the doors to burst open in a spray of splinters.
She only had time to fire two more arrows before the flood of orcs were upon her.
Slinging her bow over her back, Caleigh quickly drew her sword parrying a strike meant for her chest, and sending the beast stumbling into his comrades, which she took as her chance to send a thrust through his back till the tip of her sword burst from her chest.
Pulling her blade free, she felt her jaw literally drop as a large cave-troll came smashing through the doorway, his eyesight landing immediately on Sam. Stabbing the end of her sword into the ground, she immediately took aim at the troll's arm hoping to force it to drop its club before he could swing it at Sam.
She was relieved that her fruitless efforts did not end in tragedy; the little hobbit was smart enough to roll underneath the troll's legs to avoid it.
Boromir and Aragorn at his aid as they took hold of the chain latched to the troll's neck, pulling it away from Sam.
In frustration the troll turned around swinging, everyone in the vicinity ducking as she returned her bow to her back, taking hilt in hand just as Boromir was slung into a wall by the chain he had neglected to drop.
Caleigh felt her chest constrict as a debilitated Boromir struggled to move back from an oncoming orc.
She went in a sprint to assist him; luckily the oncoming orc was downed by Aragorn's knife. Even still, she made sure to ward off any nearby enemies as he reclaimed his stance.
It was by luck she glanced to her right just as an orc made a mad slash at her head, twisting on her heel; she fluidly brought her sword back around decapitating the orc. It's foul blackened blood staining her right side.
She barely had the mind to pay attention to the cave-troll. With the amount of orcs surrounding her, she only had time to note that the others were not in danger, and Legolas was displaying some rather impressive archery prowess.
Avoiding the troll as he stumbled backwards from the Elf's assault, she headed towards a fresh group of orc coming through the doors.
Dropping low, her left hand sought out one of the many fallen swords that littered the ground, now baring two blades, she put herself in the center of a group.
"Caleigh!"
She brushed off Gimli's call for concern, though she took a fraction of a second to appreciate it. More importantly she needed to prove her handiness in conflict.
Side stepping she dodged the first attack, slamming both of her blades upon the extended weapon to propel herself over another attack. As soon as her feet were planted she spun back around, cutting down both offenders.
She parried on her left, diverting the orcs attack into one of his fellows as she liberated head from neck.
As Caleigh moved through her assault as eloquently as a dancer on display, her auburn locks shining brilliantly about her, she couldn't help but grow troubled. Although she never desired combat, whenever thrust into it, she relished. Her movements natural and fluid, and more than once she could feel a smile grace her lips.
"Frodo!"
She had just dropped to her knee, slinging her borrowed sword straight into the cranium of an orc that had made attempt to strike a distracted Sam.
As she took hold of another discarded sword nearby, the source of his distrait state came clear as she caught sight of Frodo on the other side of a pillar, his small body impaled by a rather large spear with the troll on the other side of it.
Sadness fell over the Fellowship like a thick fog as the hobbit collapsed to the ground. The fog igniting to a burning rage as everyone sought to finish the battle.
Merry and Pippin threw themselves on the troll as Gandalf and Boromir began to ferociously cut through the remaining orcs. However she began a relentless assault on the troll.
Ducking low as the troll swung Merry through the air. She dually slashed at every area of the troll she could reach while keeping out of a dangerous position that could end with her being injured.
Soon the others joined in; however it was Legolas's arrow that managed to pierce through the troll's mouth and into his brain killing it.
Merry and Pippin falling to the ground with a thud as the troll collapsed, but they were quick to scramble to their feet to run over to where Frodo lie motionless.
Caleigh on the other hand was slow in her movements, her exertions cutting her breath short and uneasy, causing her to flinch against the ache still residing in her bruised fleshed. More so than that, she was fretting to see the dead hobbit.
Aragorn was first to Frodo's side, his voice of regret barely audible.
He shifted his hands to the hobbits shoulders, rolling him over just as Frodo sprung to life startling everyone.
The heavy atmosphere lifting in a flash as Sam ran forth smiling.
"He's alive."
Caleigh chanced a glance to her right as Legolas stepped forward to view the scene, noting the small smile lingering on his lips.
"I'm alright. I'm not hurt."
"You should be dead. That spear would of skewered a wild boar."
Gandalf smirked as he walked over, placing his weight up on his staff.
"I think there's more to this Hobbit then meets the eye."
Her gaze dropped to Frodo's chest as he pulled open the top half of his shirt revealing what had preserved his life.
"Mithril. You are full of surprises, Master Baggins."
Caleigh could hear the amusement in Gimli's voice as she spoke. Smiling she turned away, tossing the sword in her left hand to the ground and kneeling so she could use the clothing upon a fallen orc to clean her main blade.
"As are you M 'Lady."
Standing, she turned on her heel, sheathing her sword to find the many of others smirking.
"Pardon?"
"What Gimli means to say is that, although we didn't doubt you knew which end of a sword went into an enemy, we didn't quite comprehend your true dexterity."
Her gaze shifted to Aragorn where he remained kneeled by Frodo, though Boromir stole her focus as he stepped up to her, his noble upbringing coming to play as he offered a light bow before standing tall.
"I'm sure I am not alone when I offer my apologies in doubting you. The skill you displayed will surely assist us a great deal."
"No need to be so formal. I haven't given much reason to believe otherwise. You and Legolas disabled me before I had any opportunity to retaliate."
Fearing that came out in a manner other than she intended, she quickly corrected as she shifted her gaze past Boromir to Aragorn as a smile lifting the edges of her lips.
"And I am happy they did."
Aragorn was about to speak but the sound of oncoming orcs echoing in the distance silenced him.
Gandalf frowning as he looked amongst the group.
"To the Bridge of Khazad-dum!"
