(Disclaimer: I own or claim none of Tolkein's work or characters, the only character that I claim is Brenna.)

Saving the Past

Chapter 5

The wind was howling, with the bitter cold reaching their very cores as they trudged back down the treacherous mountain. With frozen limbs and disheartened spirits they pushed through the descent. Brenna kept close to the hobbits keeping a cautious eye on Frodo. She could tell that the burden he carried was already slowly taking its toll on him.

The group weary and cold came to the realization that they had no choice but turn back and find another way. Brenna, thinking on what Gandalf said to her before they set out on this journey, is struggling with what she knows and what she knows must happen. She follows them quietly, with an all-consuming dread. The pain she felt at what she knew was to come was nearly crippling.

Legolas kept a careful eye on her. He could feel her grief and didn't know why. They had all heard that she knew things that were to come, but he also knew that she couldn't do anything to change the outcome of things. He wanted to help her but he wasn't sure what to do or say. He had come to respect her and see her as a good friend.

Brenna feeling someone watching her turned and saw Legolas watching her and tried to give him a small smile to reassure him that she was fine, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She switched shoulders on her pack as the sun was setting. Darkness was beginning to fall and she had a foreboding feeling about this night.

"Brenna, come here," Gandalf implored.

She walked towards the front of the group, hearing the others talking quietly amongst themselves. She smiled as she passed the hobbits. Reaching Gandalf and Aragorn at the front of the group they walked silently for a little while. Moments passed before Gandalf seemed to collect his thoughts.

"My child, you know what must come to pass," Aragorn was about to interject, but Gandalf continued, "you know that there are things that must happen. You cannot change things. Do you understand what I'm telling you?" He asked looking at her firmly.

With tears welling in her eyes she replied softly, "Yes I understand," and walked ahead of them silently.

Aragorn turned and looked at Gandalf questioningly, but Gandalf shook his head and continued on. He paused and turned towards Aragorn and quietly said, "Things are going to happened that must happen Aragorn. Please don't ask her to tell you, for she must not. She is struggling, and carries a burden as great as Frodo's. Do not blame her for what will come to pass." And with that he continued ahead.

Aragorn continued on pensively and sadly as he watched Brenna and Gandalf speaking. Legolas caught up to him and looked at him with concern. He had heard the conversation and knew that something big was coming that they didn't quite understand yet.

As darkness fell around them there was howling in the distance. Brenna felt a cold chill run up her spine. She looked to the others and knew they had heard it as well. Everyone had set up camp and now was preparing to fight whatever was tracking them, they were being hunted.

Brenna's heart pounded and her breathing came is great gasps, the terror she felt shook her to her very core. In her mind she heard screams and flashes of light; voices from the past with the familiar sound of the howling. Flashes of memories imprinted, hidden deep within her mind. Her hands shook as she held her sword in front of her with unseeing eyes.

Gandalf moved quickly to her side and knew what she was reliving. He ached for the loss that he himself was reliving. Years before his son and his wife were hunted and with them Brenna. The treachery of Saruman ran deeper than he originally thought it had just taken him too long to realize his greed for power.

Calanon and his wife Eruraviel had been gone for nearly twenty years and their passing still haunted him. For years they had resided in Lórien before they were blessed by the Valar with little Brenna, the light in all of their lives. Eruraviel was from a powerful blessed old family line, she carried the ring that Brenna now had for years as had those before her in her line.

Gandalf was shaken from his musings as he felt Brenna shaking in his arms more as the sound of the howls got louder and more steadily. He rocked her quietly letting the memories wash over her, so she could begin piecing together her past. He knew this would be difficult for her to face, but it was also something that she needed to do.

Brenna was lost in a nightmare, but she knew that it was more than that. She knew what she was remembering and felt sick from it. She knew she was getting the answers of who she was and why she was left "home" to be raised by her adoptive parents. She was seeing the last moments of her parents, her mother running with her wrapped tightly in her arms, her father defending their backs as they were surrounded.

Calanon began using every ounce of his powers casting a spell so powerful that it used everything he had. Eruraviel lent her strength and own power, quietly taking off her ring and tucking it in her daughter's blanket. They were doing everything that they could to keep their daughter safe and protect, even if it meant sending her into the unknown.

Just as she saw her parents cut down there was a bright flash and she ended up in Earth, on the doorstep of her "adoptive parents" house. Everything made sense and yet confused her all the more. She physically hurt from the truth of her loss and silently prayed for the strength to see this trough.

The howling became closer as the others kept watch, silently glancing from Brenna toward the perimeter of their camp. There was nowhere to run, they had to stand and fight and hope that they'd make it through the night.

With tears pouring down her face she steeled herself against what she'd have to face and what she'd have to do, both this night and forward. The others watched her as she stood, still shaking from the invisible ghosts from the past. Legolas looked like he was going to go to her but she shook her head, they all needed to be alert.

Aragorn spoke quietly with Boromir and Gandalf about what course of action they would take. They decided to take shifts to conserve energy so that they could get what rest they could during the night. Before their discussion was finished a loud howl sounded nearby. It would the beginning of a very long night fighting off large, savage wolves.

As day broke they quickly broke camp and made their way to the Mines of Moria. They quickly made their way following the mountains towards the entrance of Moria, with Gandalf taking the lead. The tired band of travelers moved quickly, even though they had survived the dangers of the night before they were still being hunted.

Brenna was solemn and contemplative, lost in her own musings. She had glimpses now of who her parents were and the sacrifice that they had made to keep her safe. She played with her mother's ring on her left hand silently humming the song from the Valar she had heard when she first met them. The soft notes brought some comfort and hope to her companions.

Aragorn approached her deep in thought and unsure of how to help the poor girl. He had seen what had happened to her when the wolves began hunting them. Gandalf explained to him what it was that she saw and remembered and he couldn't help but feel that she needed some comforting words, even if words couldn't heal the ache of loss.

"Brenna," he began quietly. "I wanted to make sure that you're alright."

"I'm fine Aragorn-"

"Please don't try to push this aside. I know that you're going through a difficult time with everything that's happened. I just want you to know that if you need to talk I'm here for you." He said sincerely.

"Thank you, I'm a little better than I was yesterday, and I'll be better once I get more answers, but I'm not sure when there will be time for such things."

The others had overheard much of their conversation and while some of them knew what it was that they were talking about, most of them were confused by the cryptic conversation. Gimli eyed the young woman speculatively, not quite sure about what to make of her. Boromir had seen her episode the night before and felt that he understood her terror, but he only had an inkling of what was really happening. The Hobbits knew that their new friend was sad and scared, but they were also concerned with where they were going as the reality of their situation was really sinking in. Legolas overheard many of the conversations with his elvish ears, so he knew what had happened and what it meant. He felt for his friend and hoped that she would be ok on their journey.

Rounding the next corner they reached a shear rock wall with a black, murky, unmoving lake to the front of it. The group carefully made their way along the edge of the waters and wall of the mountain towards what Gandalf told them was the entrance to Moria.

With daylight burning with each passing step, the group crept closer towards the next phase of their journey. Finally reaching where Gandalf knew the entrance was the group sat waiting for Gandalf to remember the password for entrance.

Brenna sat near Gandalf, watching him quietly, knowing that what would come next could turn the others against her. She struggled and fought with what she'd have to do and let happen. There was still so much that she didn't know and now there was no time for her to learn. It would be a long while before she'd see her grandfather again, if ever. A lump formed in her throat at the thought of being alone yet again.

Gandalf turned to her, seemingly knowing her thoughts and took her hands in his own. "Brenna, you must trust in what you know. It is imperative that everything happens the way that it's supposed to, you know this."

"I know, but that doesn't make it any easier." She replied.

"You know that you cannot change anything, for who knows the consequences it will bring." He explained.

Brenna looked at the man she had come to care a great deal about over the past weeks and months. He was her only surviving family and soon she would say good bye to him as well. She nodded in agreement, but looked like she thought otherwise.

Legolas watched the exchange silently from across their temporary resting spot. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but knew whatever it was would be happening soon. He was fetching more arrows keeping his hands busy while his mind raced at the possible meanings. Looking to Aragorn he realized his friend had overheard as well and was having similar thoughts.

Brenna stood and walked to the water's edge feeling the taint of evil. She knew what was down there as uneasiness crept up her spine. Every fiber of her being pulled towards making it right and cleansing the blackness and pollution of evil from the waters. She knew that at this moment in time she couldn't change it, but once the fellowship succeeded, if she were still alive, she'd come back and cleanse the water if she could.

Sighing she turned back and saw Gimli sitting with the Hobbits talking about the wonders of the Mines. She felt a bit ill knowing what lay there as well, but fought it off and smiled sitting down next to him. She began asking him questions about his people and their culture. She wanted to genuinely know each of these men, hobbits, elf, dwarf and wizard and not just what books and movies told her about them.

As they were chatting Gandalf gave the password but not quickly enough, as the evil in the lake erupted from the waters grabbing Frodo. They quickly fought it off, Brenna ushering the Hobbits in before her, stumbling on the debris and corpses she knew were strewn about her feet. Not looking down she helped the hobbits carefully make their way further in the entrance as the wall behind them collapsed, trapping them in the darkness that was Moria.