The Protector in the Shadow

* So, ten chapters in total, but nine actual chapters. How fun! That makes this the longest story I have ever written on FF! Aren't you proud of me? If not that's fine I don't mind! I just hope all my readers are content with the story so far! Thanks again to my readers, and those who review I simply love the feedback you give! Enjoy the new chapter! Hopefully another will be posted later tonight, but I'm pretty sick right now so I'm not sure if I'll feel up to it. - Ze*

Disclaimer: No change in my "owning" status, but Fëa is still under my protection! No touchy!

*Fate*

*Normal*

Chapter Nine: Into Moria

Something pulled her awake a few hours later. Her eyes opened and closed a few times to still feel her head on Aragorn's lap. His hand was gently placed atop her skull, though unmoving as he slumbered. Her eyes fluttered to the horizon, the sun still hours from rising over it, she could tell by the location of the moon, and the milky color of the sky.

She let a small whine escape her maw but did not dare move. She caught Legolas staring out of the corner of her eye and turned slightly to look back at him. A full mix of emotions hidden deep in the Elf's eyes, she tilted her head with a raised brow before returning her attention to the man who kept surprising her. Everything about the creature interested her something about him made it so she could not look away. Everything from his finely shaped face, to his piercing grey eyes captivated her, and she was afraid of that fact.

"Why are you so taken by him, Wolf?" Legolas whispered harshly, he had refused to call her Fëa simply because he did not believe that to be her name. Her eyes fell from the King's face and landed on a tree far in the distance. She was going to ignore Legolas at first but she just needed to say it quietly. Just to get the Elf off of her back, she meant no harm; honestly she was so happy for the calming friendship to such a grand and kind man. Though she still felt unworthy to be a said "friend" of the king.

"I myself cannot answer such a question, Legolas." She thought lightly looking at Legolas from the corner of her eye, no smirk or smug expression crossed her face only one of pure sincerity her eyes darkened as they returned to the man who slowly started to wake with a slight groan, obviously uncomfortable but still unmoving his hand started to stroke her soft pelt once more as she knew now he was fully awake and looking down at her. She opened her mouth and allowed a large wolfish yawn to escape her mouth. Slowly lifted her skull to gaze at him, careful not to move too much for fear she would dislodge Frodo from her leg, and Pippin from her back. "I know he would not defile my trust for him. Just look at his eyes, Elf." She said turning her head to look at the Elf before back at Aragorn. "I will not break the trust he has for me either.

Legolas didlook into the eyes of his friend and instantly saw the expression the wolf had, suddenly understanding the meaning of her words. He shook his head looking down to the bow at his feet, chuckling with a bright smile at the wolf. "Then you are safe in my mind, my friend." Legolas had shocked her so willingly accepting friendship with her; perhaps from the beginning he was simply worried for his friends.

Aragorn looked between the two with a confused expression but said nothing, something in his mind told them that he should be glad they were at least getting along, but he couldn't help the sting of jealousy that erupted in his chest. He did not understand what the feeling was at that time, but it would soon bring to light feelings he had hidden much longer than anyone had realized.

The time it took to get to the western gates of Moria was horribly hard on Fëa, she was lagging behind, and at first the Fellowship ignored the lagging, but soon they gained to realize it was more for protection then anything. Her carelessness of the shift was extremely dangerous, if she had done that at any other time Frodo could have been hurt, or even Pippin. The closer she grew to both, the more she hated herself for what could have happened. What would have happened if she had popped out of the snow and not realized? She could have changed the course of time! Fate would have erupted and nothing would have ever been the same.

The shame she continued to feel almost made herself sick, the quiet mourning over her stupidity soon came to an end, no matter how far away she walked from the group, Frodo was always by her side, asking what was wrong, what ailed her. Such a caring little hobbit did not realize what a beast she could be, what a beast she was.

Soon enough she was out of her rut, the hobbit had shown her that it hadn't mattered what was wrong They still needed her, and she needed to stop fretting over the past, they hadn't found her, she hadn't been discovered so what did it matter. She still remained silent, walking close to the hobbits and away from the men, and the Elf. When they finally did arrive, it was nothing like Gimli had described, there was a flat wall, before a pool of dark murky water. Even Ava was unable to determine how deep the pool actually was.

The feeling that was coming from the water made her want to run, run as quick as possible and never return to that pool, there wasn't even door, though almost as soon as she thought that the moon flooded into the cavern and a large door appeared. Elvish words were inscribed onto the top of the door, which Gandalf quickly translated as "Speak friend and enter", it seemed easy enough, though as he went more into detail it did not seem so easy the more words the wizard tried, the more Ava's felt hope was fleeting. It was not that she didn't believe in the grey creature, she was still so worried about the vision that was to pass. It frightened her, and she could not nor would not deny it.

Not long after the ineffective feat of attempts the wolf looked to see Aragorn unhitching Bill's bridle, Samwise standing not far behind bidding the Pony a sad farewell. She had to admit, she was very saddened to see the quaint little creature go, strong and proud the equine had been, and he had remained such all this time, all the days on little food they had for him, grazing the little times they had given him to do such and he was still a plump, happy animal indeed. Sam had grown quite close to the animal but Aragorn posted a rather good point.

"These mines are no place for a pony, even one so brave as Bill." He reasoned with Sam, but also with himself. Even though the creature was no good with riding, it had carried their packs with no stubborn complaint, and no hesitation.

"Buh-bye Bill." Samwise sniffled lightly, a crestfallen expression on his face as he slowly turned away.

"Go on, Bill, go on. Don't worry Sam, he knows the way home." Again Aragorn spoke for more himself then for Master Gamgee.

She lay quietly on her stomach, her back legs tucked beneath her head arched lightly as if she was a lion. Gentle pools closed in rest, but harks twitched as she heard something in the pool of water and twitched once more as the sound repeated. Her azure pools flicked open and a snarl escaped her maw causing Peregrin to jump, though Aragorn caught his arm before he could toss another rock into the unholy water. Fëa soon stood her ice eyes scanning as there was movement in the water. "Do not disturb the water." He hissed looking into the dark pool noticing the same disturbance that Lyavain had only seconds before. She and the other stared intently at the movements, her attention flicked once to Frodo and Gandalf who looked flustered and frustrated.

"Oh, it is useless!" He exclaimed reluctantly settling beside Frodo and removing his pointed hat from atop his skull. He glared at the door in disgust and huffed out of frustration as his hand came to wipe over his eyes.

Frodo stood almost as a last hope, staring at the language which Bilbo had introduced to him on his twenty second birthday, the year he moved to Bag End, with his uncle. He stared for a moment before making a revelation his eyes widened with understanding as he looked closer. "It's a riddle." He said slowly at first before turning towards Gandalf who stared at Frodo as if he was a wild animal.

Her eyes dashed around the water taking a step back pushing Merry and Pippin to do the same, things would be less stressful as soon as they were in the company of the Dwarfs. If they were anything like Gimli, it should be a might interesting. She was looking forward to getting away from this demonic pool of filthy water. It bothered her most that whatever was moving in the water was unknown, she couldn't see how big it was, only that it was there. Her face snapped to Frodo who was calling her name, confused at first, but seeing the door open passed relief through her entire soul. She couldn't keep herself from loping quickly; leaping over rocks and over puddles of the water that had leaked from flooding due to rain. But on reaching the entrance brought her to a skidding halt. She did not know if anyone else could smell, but a scent like that even faint was too much for her sensitive nose. Though she would not stand being left behind, she built her mind up and took the plunge, fallowing closely behind Frodo.

Gimli was rambling on to Legolas about the warm welcome they would get, but the sinking feeling in her stomach just kept freefalling. She remained composed, though soon that composure broke when her hark twitched on her skull, swiveling round to catch wind of a sound she could have sworn she heard her head shifted to look behind her, she was ignoring the sights that her enhanced eyes had already seen in the darkness. There was shouting, so much shouting, but the high pitched squeak that came from Frodo caused her to be on full alert. She watched in horror as he vanished towards the water. She snarled barking out like a vicious beast leaping forward after the hobbit. Sam hot in pursuit calling for Aragorn to help as well. They hacked at the tentacle that claimed their Ring bearer, between Sam and Lyavain they got the creature to release Frodo, and vanish back into the depths; relief did not last long though as the creature came back with twice as many arms.

They hit the hobbits who stood to protect Frodo and grabbed the Ring bearer once more pulling him into the air whipping him around like a ragdoll, the face of the beast soon showed, opening its large mouth to consume her Frodo. Not thinking, her thoughts died, only actions over took her body she leapt into motion, closing in on the tentacles, it was a good think she was so tall, simply leaping through the water with east avoiding the violent deadly and wild arms of the beast as they flew. She found the arm holding Frodo and opened her maw as wide as it would go before closing with a snap on the wiggling thing that smelled of fish. The creature dropped Frodo, luckily for all of them Boromir caught him perfectly before running into the mine. She used the momentum from the hit she took from the beast to tap off of a rock, and in one leap springing into the darkness of the mine. Just before the beast come charging in, causing the entrance to collapse under the weight. She stood panting for a few moments, the darkness overtaking her only for a breath before her eyes adjusted; Gandalf had been prepared and placed a milky colored crystal in the top of his staff and breathed life into it before the room was shining again. He knocked it powerfully on the floor and the light brightened. Brightening the room which now lay as a tomb.

"We have now but one choice." Gandalf said grimly with the look of death that passed over his face. Fëa knew exactly why. "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." With that they started moving on their long march through the mines.

Some time passed and Merry accidently kicked something, causing Gandalf to look over his shoulder and silence the hobbit with a finger. "Quietly now. It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed." No words were said much the rest of the night, they would not settle for a few more hours. What would have been morning time, no one knew, the darkness of the mines, and the sheer exhaustion seemed to make the stop more welcoming.

Silence seemed to echo, Lyavain, who had only ever been to Moria twice, did not know it to ever stand so quiet. It always at least had the noise of working, the sound of Dwarfs partaking in ale. She remembered the welcome they had for her, her, the screwed up "demonic" creature she was. She had been an Elf then, visiting with Gandalf just after they met all those years ago. They passed tomb after wreaking tomb, climbing impossibly steep staircases and winding through the darkness of the mine. She knew that it was only a few hours into the venture, not looking forward to the next four days in the lightest. The hobbits kept mentioning on how hard it was to see her in the shadows. Though she simply scoffed at the notion, she bided to climb last, because of how steep the cliff faced steps were hard to climb up as a wolf, even with long legs she was having a hard time with it. Though she was still able to snatch Pippin who only a few seconds earlier lost his footing and saved him from a dangerous fall.

They were on the edge of the cliff face when they were finally bedded down. And for one reason or another this place seemed highly it wasn't until she noticed the location did she feel the heat of the situation. Raised voices. Sheer realized the situation she was about to be put in. Everything was the same, down to the location of every creature. A dark cave surrounded the group of ten, rocks dipped from the roof of the cave like teeth from the mouth of a demon. The darkness was all around, the only source of light was from the old wizard's staff, it was cold, and the dampness brought annoyance to the entire group.

She had attempted to sneak away but as in the dream, tempers seemed to flare left and right, she stayed out of it, allowing her body to be the pillow of the small band of hobbits. Frodo had offered her to the Dwarf as well but he was much too proud and hurt to accept the offer of the hobbit. She was sleeping calmly until Boromir approached, attempting to push and pick a fight with one of the well mannered hobbits. Her slight rumble of a growl seemed to stop his approach. "Who do you think you are? Growling at the son of the Steward of Gondor," the man croaked with anger in his voice causing her to snarl louder. "Why? Stop that incessant noise before I use force, beast." He was growing louder than before. Aragorn came to intervene, but Boromir was having none of it. "Look at it! Why is it even here? The beast does nothing! What are you? Show yourself." By the last words his voice was coursing with authority and command, challenging her to deny him. "If you're not dangerous then prove it." Commands, even by someone whom she hated, could not be denied. She could fight the shift but that would result in almost certain death.

Those words rang in her ears, the snarls increased as her body started to tremble, quaking heavily enough to wake Frodo. "What is going on?" the Ring bearer questioned with a surprised expression.

Nothing escaped her mind, not a thought at the retching pain in her stomach, that horrible eating feeling as she was pulling off something that could kill her. Why would she even try?

She did not wish to betray her friends…

*I've finally gotten ideas for this story, I love getting ideas from friends and from you guys. You just have no clue how much you inspire me! If I find the strength I shall update around midnight, if not early in the marrow I shall do it! R&R, I hope you liked it! - Ze*