Chapter 7

"Frodo, come and help an old man." Combeferre frowned as the small hobbit went over to assist the wizard. Gandalf was much taller than Frodo was, if he really needed assistance, why not ask Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, or even a member of Les Amis de l'ABC for help? Why one of the hobbits? He watched them carefully and was sure from the way they huddled close as they walked that Gandalf hadn't really needed help, just an excuse to talk to the ring-bearer.

Either way, he was relieved to be off the mountain, and quite grateful that his glasses hadn't been lost in the avalanches. Being practically blind in a strange world did not appeal to him at all, and he wasn't sure how successful he would be in finding replacements, or a place to have them repaired, as he had yet to see a single person in Middle Earth with a pair of their own. Hopefully my glasses won't be an issue... I can't imagine that this will be an easy adventure at all.

"The walls of Moria!" Gimli exclaimed suddenly, reverence in his voice. Combeferre looked around, trying to understand what Gimli meant by his awed words. All he saw was a large cliff face ahead of them in the dim evening light. Of course, Gimli did call Moria a mine earlier, as part of his suggestion that we go under the mountain, he thought as they climbed over the hill that stood between them and the supposed entrance to Moria. So it would make sense for the cliffs to be 'walls'.

"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed," Gimli explained as they continued their trek to the entrance, going around the edge of a small lake. The scenery wasn't very nice, Combeferre decided. The lake looked miserable and foreboding, and the rocks and cliffs they'd been climbing around to even get that far were just as dreary. Nevertheless, the obstacle course they had to cover in order to reach the entrance to the mines still beat being buried alive under an avalanche.

"Yes, Gimli," Gandalf replied, pulling Combeferre back out of his thoughts. "Their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas commented dryly. Gimli shot the elf a dark look as Frodo slipped, nearly stumbling into the lake. The hobbit quickly hurried away from the edge.

As the sun finished setting and the sky grew dark, they finally stopped. Combeferre studied the surroundings. It wasn't as grim as it had been on the way there, there were two nice trees growing a couple feet from each other. Gandalf stood between them, studying the rock wall before him.

"Well, let's see," the wizard was saying to himself. "Ithildin. It mirrors only starlight and moonlight."

As if on cue, the clouds parted to reveal the moon, and the rock wall was illuminated. Silver engravings began to shine in stark contrast with the rest of the cliff face. Combeferre was astounded. The writing upon what he assumed was the door they'd been looking for was unlike anything he had ever seen, not just because of the way it had to be read, but because it was an entirely new script for him. He had studied hieroglyphics quite intently, but this writing was entirely unfamiliar to him. This really is an entirely new world.

"It reads 'The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter,'" Gandalf told them.

"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked.

"Oh it's quite simple," Gandalf replied. "If you are a friend you speak the password and the doors will open."

Combeferre raised an eyebrow. That seemed almost too simple.

"Annon Edhellen edro hi ammen!" Gandalf declared. The door did nothing. Combeferre's attention was entirely captured. This was a language he had not heard before, and between that and the fascinating door, his curiosity was piqued. "Fennas Nogothrim lasto beth lammen!" Gandalf tried again.

"Nothing's happening," Pippin commented, stating the obvious.

Gandalf continued trying, even pushing on the doors, but they would not budge. The Fellowship and Les Amis looked around while they waited, and Gandalf finally stopped and sat on a rock near the doors.

"I once knew every spell in all the tongues of the Elves, Men, and Orcs," he stated.

"What are you going to do, then?" Pippin asked.

"Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took!" the wizard replied sharply, his patience clearly too short for the terribly curious hobbit. "And if that does not shatter them and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions I will try to find the opening words." He looked back at the doors. "Ando Eldarinwa a lasta quettanya, Fenda Casarinwa!" The doors continued to remain closed.

Combeferre sighed and looked around. It appeared that it was going to be quite a while before the doors would open. Aragorn was with Sam and the pony that had accompanied the group so far, removing the supplies from it before sending the pony away. Probably for the best, God only knows how long we'll be down there, Combeferre thought. Assuming we even get in.

He walked over to where Enjolras was standing with Courfeyrac.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself," Enjolras commented.

"Well, you have to admit, the magic door and the new languages are very fascinating," Combeferre replied, adjusting his glasses slightly.

"Well, it's certainly better than the snow storm and the avalanche on the mountain," Courfeyrac put in, grimacing at the memory. "I did not care for that one bit."

"I don't think anyone did," Combeferre agreed.

"Pointy ears did," Enjolras replied.

"You mean Legolas? I don't think so." Combeferre looked over at the elf. Legolas had a rather neutral expression, and Combeferre couldn't figure out whether he was looking at something or if he was just in deep thought.

"He looked rather content prancing around on the snow while we all struggled," Enjolras muttered.

Combeferre sighed. "When we first got here, you seemed excited that we might still have a purpose after dying in France, mon ami. Yet that somehow only lasted two days. What happened?"

"It's just all too strange," Enjolras replied. "Kings, traditions, magic... And no one questions any of it. They just blindly go along with the idea of monarchy."

"Maybe here the monarchy isn't so corrupt," Combeferre replied.

"All monarchy is corrupt," Enjolras retorted.

"I think you're just homesick," Courfeyrac cut in with a grin. "Why else would you ever lose your sense of excitement and adventure, your drive and passion for revolution at any cost?"

Enjolras frowned. "The initial drive was due to it sounding like there was a huge threat to this entire world. Then it turned out that the so-called threat was a bit of jewelry that once belonged to someone that has been dead for thousands of years."

"And there are elves and dwarves," Courfeyrac reminded him. "Have an open mind. We're not in our world anymore, that ring could be as dangerous as everyone says."

"I agree with Courfeyrac," Combeferre added. "We've only been here for a little over a week. They've all spent their lives here. I think they know better than we do."

Their conversation was cut short as splashing sounds drew their attention. Merry, Pippin, and Gavroche were all throwing rocks into the late.

"Do not disturb the water," Aragorn warned, grabbing Pippin's arm, stopping him. The trio quickly backed away as Gandalf threw his staff on the ground in frustration.

"Oh, it's useless!" the wizard sighed.

Combeferre, Courfeyrac, and Enjolras walked over to where Aragorn and Boromir were watching the water.

"What is it?" Courfeyrac asked.

"I think there's something moving," Boromir replied. Aragorn nodded, his eyes scanning the surface of the lake. Something did appear to be moving.

"It's a riddle," Frodo said suddenly, drawing Combeferre's attention back to the door. "Speak "friend" and enter. What's the Elvish word for friend?"

"Mellon," Gandalf replied. The doors suddenly began to move, slowly opening. Combeferre glanced at Enjolras and grinned slightly as he saw his friend's amazed expression. Maybe he is starting to come around.

"Soon master Elf you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves," Gimli bragged to Legolas as the large group entered Moria. "Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone!"

"Hopefully cooked meat," Joly muttered. Combeferre shot him a look as Gandalf's staff began to illuminate the large cave they had entered.

"This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine. A mine!"

"This is no mine," Boromir said suddenly. "It's a tomb!"

Combeferre blinked as his eyes finally adjusted to the lighting, and he realized that the ground was littered with dead bodies. The corpses of many dwarves were everywhere he looked.

"Oh! No! No!" Gimli was horrified, and Combeferre felt a pang of sympathy for the dwarf. He just said his cousin lives here...

"Goblins!" Legolas hissed as he inspected an arrow. The elf quickly knocked an arrow on his bow as Aragorn and Boromir drew their swords.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan," Boromir said decisively. "We should never have come here."

They slowly began to move backwards towards the doors, their eyes still focused on the inside of the mines, keeping watch for any goblins.

"Now get out of here! Get out!" Boromir shouted.

"Frodo!" three of the hobbits yelled suddenly.

"Strider!" Sam shouted.

"Help!" Frodo cried.

Combeferre's eyes widened as he took in the scene before him. Some creature in the water with tentacles had grabbed Frodo, and the poor hobbit was being dangled in the air above them.

"Get off him!" Sam yelled, slicing a tentacle. Frodo was released briefly, but a second later several more tentacles burst out of the water, flailing everywhere, grabbing Frodo once more and hoisting him back in the air as he cried out for help.

The Fellowship quickly rushed out of the mines towards the hobbits, Les Amis following, but waiting just inside the doors instead. Legolas shot arrows at the creature as Aragorn and Boromir raced forwards, swords drawn, and began slicing at the tentacles, quickly freeing Frodo.

"Into the Mines!" Gandalf yelled. The hobbits obeyed instantly.

"Legolas!" Boromir shouted as he rushed towards the doors. The elf was still shooting.

"Into the cave! Run!" Aragorn yelled. The elf shot one last arrow, hitting the creature in the eye. He, Aragorn, and Boromir quickly rushed through the doors as the creature lashed out angrily, breaking the doors. Rocks fell from above the entrance, and in moments they were trapped inside, a wall of rubble before them. They were surrounded by darkness.

"Great," Éponine muttered. "Now we're dead again."

Combeferre turned in the direction her voice had come from. "Didn't you want to die at the barricade?" he asked her.

She made a small sound of annoyance at him in response, and he made a mental note to have a better conversation with her another time.

"We now have but one choice," Gandalf said, drawing everyone's attention back to him as the end of his staff began to glow. "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."

Combeferre shuddered, his curiosity gone for once. As much as he loved learning, he wasn't sure he wanted to know what the wizard was referring to.

"Quietly now," Gandalf continued as they made their way up the small, carved flight of stairs tat led deeper into the caves, picking their way past the bodies of fallen dwarves. "It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."