"I'd say we are taking the long way around. Gandalf, we could pass the mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome."

Gandalf shook his head.

"No, Gimli. I will not take the pass of Moria unless I have no other choice."

Aéd stopped watching the little hobbits' training and looked at Gandalf, suspicion in his eyes.

"There is something in there you are not telling us, wizard. What is it?"

Titus laughed as he saw Merry and Pippin take down Boromir. Rin, who was sitting beside him on a rock, was calmly smoking her pipe. He could see a small smile make it's way to her face.

"Alright, that's enough."

When Aragorn tried to get the two off Boromir, Merry and Pippin turned around and pulled on his legs and sending him to the ground.

Titus laughed harder at that and Rin's smile turned into an all-out grin.

Meanwhile, Legolas stood atop of a rock and stared at something from afar.

Sam saw it too.

"What is that?"

Gimli dismissed it.

"Nothing. It's just a wisp of cloud."

Boromir rose from the ground with Merry and Pippin under his arms.

"It's moving fast." The smile on his fave vanished and was replaced by a frown.

"Against the wind."

Titus and Rin stood as well and noticed it too.

"Last I checked, wisps of clouds doesn't look like a flock of birds."

Legolas' eyes widened.

"Crebain! From Dunland."

"Hide!" Aragorn ordered.

"Merry, Pippin!" Boromir said as he pushed the hobbits to a hiding spot.

Everyone worked frantically to hide any signs of their presence. They hid under rocks and shrubs, waiting for the Crebain to make a pass.

Soon, a flock of black birds, similar to crows, stormed around their campsite. The sounds of cawing and flapping wings were all they heard as the Crebain flew above them.

When they passed, the Fellowship wearily left their hiding place.

"Spies of Saruman. The pass on the south is being guarded. We must take the Pass of Caradhras." Gandalf said as he looked up at the mountain.

Titus shook his head.

"If I knew we were going up a snowy mountain, I would've brought longer sleeved tunic and a scarf."

Rin stared at the mountain and sighed.

"At least you have a cape to at least keep you from getting cold."

Titus knelt down and opened his pack. He then pulled out a dark, green cloak.

"Here, Lord Elrond gave it as a parting gift. Something to replace my tattered cape."

Rin took it and nodded.

"Thanks."

The Pass of Caradhras

As the Fellowship climbed the snowy path of Caradhras. Frodo stumbled and rolled back down.

Aragorn and Titus saw this and managed to catch him before rolling further.

Titus brushed away a few snow off of Frodo's shoulders as he and Aragorn helped him to his feet.

"Took a little a tumble there, my friend?" He jokingly asked.

Frodo shook off the dizziness and his eyes suddenly widened. He couldn't feel the Ring. He looked up just in time to see Boromir pick up the ring by it's chain and stare at it, as if he was in a trance.

"Boromir." Aragorn called out.

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over such a little thing."

Boromir's gaze never left the Ring.

"Such a little thing." He repeated as his hand slowly went to touch it.

"Boromir!"

The Gondorian snapped out of his state and looked at Aragorn, bewildered.

"Give the ring to Frodo." Aragorn ordered.

Boromir walked towards them and held the ring out to Frodo.

"As you wish. I care not."

Frodo snatched the ring back and placed it back around his neck.

Boromir turned around and went to rejoin the others.

No one noticed it but Aéd did. Aragorn had a hand to the hilt of his sword. So did Titus.

Titus saw it in Boromir's eyes. The temptation of the Ring's power, slowly lulling him into it's embrace. Although, he himself can hear the whispers of the Ring in his mind but he managed to block it out to see the bigger picture. He will not be made as a puppet by a little ring. He refused. He will see this ring destroyed.

Caradhras

"There is a fel voice in the air." Legolas said as he stood over the others.

The other members of the Fellowship, save for Aéd, were struggling to walk knee-deep in the snow.

Gandalf knew who the fel voice belonged to.

"It's Saruman!" He yelled.

Then the rocks and fell above them, nearly crushing the hobbits.

Rin glared at the wizard.

"Can you yell a little louder, please? I can't hear you over the mountain that is trying to kill us!"

"Gandalf! He's trying to bring down the mountain. We must turn back!" Aragorn yelled as Frodo held onto him.

"No!" Gandalf yelled back as he stood up and started yelling in the air to counter Saruman's spell.

A flash of lightning struck the mountain top.

"Everybody down!" Aéd yelled

Then the Fellowship was buried in snow. It was a while before everyone managed to dig themselves out.

"We must get off the mountain!" Boromir yelled "Make for the Gap of Rohan!"

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn contradicted.

"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it. Let us go to the mines of Moria." Gimli stated.

"What will it be, wizard? Shall we continue the path in the mountain that would kill us, the gap takes us closer to the enemy or the mines you fear so much?" Aéd asked.

Gandalf looked at Frodo and said "Let the ringbearer decide."

"We cannot stay here!" Boromir yelled "This will the death of the hobbits!"

"Frodo?"

Frodo looked at Gandalf and decided "We will go through the mines."

The Grey Wizard felt dread seep into his heart but accepted it "So be it."

The Walls of Moria

"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed." Gimli said as he tapped his axe on the wall.

"Yes, Gimli. Even their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten."

"Why doesn't that surprise me." Legolas stated.

Gimli's response was grumble.

Gandalf placed his hands on a smooth part of the wall and started mutter something.

He looked to the sky to see the clouds uncovered the moon and let the moonlight shine to the wall, illuminating a door on the wall.

He pointed his staff on the writings on the door. " It reads." He said "The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter."

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

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

Gandalf pointed his staff in the middle of the door and started saying different passwords in Khuzdul, the Dwarven Tongue.

"Nothings happening." Pippin pointed out.

Gandalf decided to try and push the doors open.

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

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

"Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took, and if that does not shatter it. Then it would allow me a little peace from these foolish questions." He sighed and sat down, tired.

Later, Gandalf kept trying. Aragorn and Sam were by Bill the Pony.

"Mines are no place for a pony." Aragorn said as the two of them took off their supplies from their mount.

"Goodbye, Bill." Sadly, Sam let the pony go.

Aragorn heard a splash, then followed by another. He saw Merry and Pippin throwing pebbels on the water. He grabbed Merry's arm and stopped him from throwing another.

"Do not disturb the water."

Titus, who was drinking from his waterskin that was filled with wine, looked at the water and saw a dark spot move. His eyes widened before looking at the drink in his hands.

"I think I've had enough for tonight."

He put away the waterskin but kept a weary eye on the water. His hand unconciously held the hilt of his Gladius.

Rin, who was leaning back with her Kasa lowered, saw this in the corner of her eye and lowered her crossed her arms near hair waist. She made sure her hands were close to her Katanas.

Aéd hefted his Claymore and tightened his grip on the handle. Something didn't felt right. He walked closer to the ringbearer in case something bad happened.

The three of them were spooked and they didn't like it.

Back to Gandalf. The Old Wizard was sittng down on a rock "Oh, it's useless."

Titus stood from his rock and knew his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. He saw something moving in the water. Moving towards them.

He was joined by Rin, Aragorn and Boromir.

Frodo, who sat beside Gandalf, stood up and looked at the doors.

"It's a riddle." He realized "Speak friend and enter."

"What's the elvish word for friend?" He asked.

"Mellon." The wizard answered.

Suddenly, the Doors of Durin opened but was the Fellowship was only met with darkness.

Gandalf took the lead and put a small crystal on the top of his staff. The rest followed after him.

"Soon, Master Elf. You will enjoy the famous hospitality of the Dwarves. A brewing fire, molt beer and red meat of the bone."

Gandalf gently blew on the crystal and it illuminated the room.

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

Boromir looked around and realized something.

"This is no mine." He said in a voice filled with dread. "It's a tomb."

The hobbits looked down on their feet and saw bones. Dwarven bones.

Titus looked to his right and came face-to-face with the skull of a dwarf filled with an arrow sticking out in his forehead.

Rin saw the room was littered with skeletons. She used one of her Katanas to shove the skeletons away from her path.

Aéd took a step forward and felt something crunch under his boot. He didn't need to look down to know what he stepped on.

"Noo!" Gimli wailed as he saw the arrow-riddled skeletons of his kin.

Legolas knelt down and pulled an arrow out of a skull. He knew what made arrows like these.

"Goblins!"

Everyone drew their weapons.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan." Boromir said. Hands firmly gripping his sword. "We should never have come here."

The Four Hobbits backed away from the entrance. Suddenly, Frodo was pulled from his feet by a giant tentacle.

"FRODO!"

"Strider!"

Aragorn turned around and the hobbits trying to stop the tentacle from dragging Frodo underneath the water.

Sam raised his sword then brought it down on the tentacle. Forcing it to let Frodo's leg go and retreating back to the water.

More tentacles jumped out of the water and slapped away the hobbits before grabbing Frodo again and hanging him upside down, beyond the reach of his companions.

"Strider!"

Everyone began cutting off the tentacles.

Soon the monster revealed it's ugly head and Titus saw this.

Titus widened his eyes at the sight of the monster.

"By the Gods. It's a giant octopus."

Rin twirled her blades with smile on her face.

"We are having squid tonight."

"I just said it's an octopus."

"The two of you shut up and save the hobbit!" Aéd yelled as he swung his Claymore and cut the tentacle holding Frodo.

Frodo fell and was caught by Boromir.

"Legolas! Into the cave!"

Legolas nodded before firing an arrow at the monster's head.

The monster roared and used it's tentacles to rise out of the water.

It grabbed on the pillars that held the doorways entrance. It pulled and let the Doors of Durin crumble and fall, blocking off the Fellowship's entrance and/or exit of the mines.

The world was plunged to darkness when the Doors of Durin collapsed.

"Who's touching my butt?"

"No one."

"We have but one choice. We must face the long dark of Moria." Gandalf said as the crystal on his staff illuminated and acted as a lamp in the dark.

"Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in th deep places of the world."

Everyone followed Gandalf as he led them along the darkness that is the path to Moria.

"Older and fouler than Orcs? I'd rather not find out is fouler than an Orc." Titus said as he wiped the tentacle's slime off his Gladius.

Rin nodded and wiped her swords before sheathing them. She made sure her Kasa was still firmly on her head and took off the cloak Titus gave her.

"Agreed."

"Becareful, now." Gandalf started "It is a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope in the darkness that we may go unnoticed."