Author's Notes: Hello people, I'd like to say thanks to Seriya Silvermist for becoming my Beta. Those of you who are English, you need to watch The White Queen. It is the most brilliant historical drama TV series ever made.
The Ground, Under A Mountain
The nothingness and the anxious wait till a path was chosen faded away into memories of my last minutes of having an awake conscience. The moment, but when the fading seconds ended I found myself lying on a cold hard ground of stone. On top of me were two cloaks that were not my own. My head rested on my quiver which was stuffed with my cloak. My arrows sat up against a rock, all bound together by a thin bit of rope. My knives, Thsan and Drethan sat in their harness on the floor near by a sleeping Aragorn who was missing his cloak.
My muscles ached and my skin felt bruised and stretched. Without a single word but a slight groan, I sat myself up and shrugged off the cloaks that had been placed upon me, whilst I drifted in a land of nothingness.
One was black and weather beaten and smelt of rain. The other was holly green carrying the scent of the woods where I would feel relaxed and at ease, it was considerably thinner than the first but had a softer feel to it. I knew the owners of each of the cloaks. The first one belonged to Aragorn and the second was the cloak of Legolas.
I picked them up off the ground and stood up.
"Don't, I'm fine. You still could get hyperthermia" It was Legolas who spoke. He was not asleep as I had thought. He was as still as stone and was looking at the ceiling of the hall that had gems stuck on it so it looked like a moonless sky.
I stepped over Gandalf's hat and placed the black cloak on Aragorn.
"My temperature is naturally over the average and someone told me to look out for Estel... I mean Aragorn." I wondered why on earth he could be bothered if I was to get ill. Sure, serve hypothermia could kill a mortal but it was more like a four hour cold to those of us who are Immortal.
He murmured "Arwen" under his calm breath. A thin smile was on his face.
"Alas, two people have told me to look after you. So keep my cloak till I believe you to be well enough. Before you ask I shall not say their identities to you." He turned over, putting his back to me. I huffed and tossed his cloak at his head. He pulled it off his face and sighed. Though, he held no annoyance with me.
"No need, I know who spoke to you. Well, I have a theory or…. theories. By my guess I am going to say Elladan and Elrohir were the ones who told you to look after. You spoke to them before we departed and they had threatening faces. Ooh and I think I can look after myself, if you don't mind"
I went to my quiver where I took out my cloak from my quiver. I wrapped my cloak around me then filled my quiver with arrows once more. My hair was wet and my clothes were damp, sticking to my skin. I must have looked an absolute mess.
I stepped over the sleeping bodies of my comrades and I walked round the camp fire. Legolas sat up with a troubled look on his face. "Where on earth are you going? We need to stay in a group, it is not safe in these mines. Have you not heard the stories or took in the warning we found in the form of dead Dwarves?" He asked as he went to pick up his bow and quiver.
I laughed. "Yes, I know the stories and I have heeded the warning given to us. That is my why I am only going round the corner. Do not try to be a guard, you and I both know how frustrating they can be." I moved away from the camp and into the dark. I heard him call after me and scramble to his feet. He obviously wanted to act like a prat then. I sighed and slipped behind a pillar.
My heart beat fell from its rapid drum and into a slow beat. Flames of sapphire and white passed down me, from head to toe. It did not burn my clothes, only dried them. They passed away quickly. I moved out of the shadows and saw Legolas stood alone in the darkness looking around. His eyes, bright as stars were seeking into the darkness, trying to seek me out.
"See, told you I would not die if I went alone." I called as I walked beside him, trying to sort my hair out so it looked less like I had been dragged through a bush, backwards.
"I don't trust you when you run off, who's to say you won't do anything reckless, like yesterday night?" He said with a laugh of joy.
The chamber suddenly plunged into complete darkness. I swore a few times, the fire at the camp must have blown out or been put out.
"Follow the pattern in the gems on the ceiling. The camp was set a group of blue gems that made a perfect circle." His hand wrapped around mine as he led me in to direction of the camp. He let go quickly and drew an arrow in his bow.
A Halfling like creature with pale skin that stretched across its bones crawled on all fours towards Frodo. "Thieves, the thieves, how dare they? The thieves! It's ours. Ours. Our pretty little Precious, Gollum, Gollum" The creature croaked with malice.
A rag hung about its groin. Wild strands of hair sat on its head. "We needs to kills, 'em. We needs to kills them, the horrid thieves. Yes; yes! We kills 'em in their sleepses." It jumped up and down in joy. "We'll throttles their throates! We'll breakes their neckes" The creature's eyes lit up in joy and lust.
I held my hand up at Legolas to tell him to hold fire.
"But where the Elf and the sleeping woman? Oh well, we stops their 'earts, later. First, we gets our Precious back of the thieves" The creature questioned himself as he looked at the space where Legolas once laid in.
It was clearly mad. I crept to my bow and quiver and notched an arrow. I pulled back the bowstring and pointed the arrow at the back of the creatures head.
"What do you think you're doing, Gollum?" Legolas asked with threat and warning. The creature hissed and turned to us with a crazed glint in his eyes. More hisses and snarls came from the wretched creature. "Answer me, Gollum or I will not show you the kindness like I had shown before, whilst you were a prisoner of Mirkwood." Legolas demanded. The creature hissed at us once more then looked down at Frodo in hatred.
"You thieves. It's ours, it is our precious not yours...Gollum...Gollum." It coughed then spat in Legolas's direction.
A laugh crazed giggle and laugh came from the creature as it rolled on the floor. The bowstring on Legolas's bow strained, the arrow pointed at the center of the creature's forehead. The creature stopped and shuffled away.
"Be gone, you horrid creature. If I ever see you haunt any of our steps, again. I shall shoot you dead without a second thought...I said be gone!" Legolas' threat was cruel but also wise.
The creature heeded Legolas's warning and bounded off into the darkness never to be seen by our eyes again. We lowered our bows and set ourselves down again. I relit the fire and looked deep into the flames.
"Catch" Legolas said as he tossed half of a small loaf of bread. I caught it in my palms and found it too be stale and hardened. "You need to eat" He pleaded. He bit into his half and pulled a face of disgust. "Though, this does taste like Gandalf has sat on it for six weeks."
I laughed then took a bite. He was right it did taste like someone had sat on it. I forced myself to swallow the bite and wheezed at the dryness of the loaf. "More like it's been kept under Aragorn's armpits or all of Bill's sweat has been absorbed into it." I mumble as I made myself take another bite. Legolas sniggered and also forced himself to finish off his half of the loaf.
"What's all this noise about, eh? Some Dwarves are trying to sleep!" Grumbled a very agitated Dwarf.
Gimli looked at Legolas then at me waiting for an answer. "Oh, you're awake." He said with surprise. "Not dead then I take it... Right, that'll make Legolas a very happy Elf, indeed." He looked long at Legolas almost amused by himself.
I shrugged, so what if Legolas was happy at my survival? Wouldn't most my friends be happy? I mean they wouldn't have to tell Lord Knox who could freeze them in solid ice. "And I am very happy Dwarf, I won't have to hear Aragorn or Master Elf speak Elvish gibberish. Nor will I have to carry your loads."
Everyone soon awoke and seemed surprised to see me already awake and moving. Legolas muttered quietly to Aragorn and Gandalf about the spotting of the creature, Gollum. It seemed earlier Frodo had noticed the creature with Gandalf, though Aragorn had not.
Once those of us who had not eaten finished their breakfast we packed up the camp and made our way under a large arch of grey stone into a black space. Gandalf paused and went no further.
"Let me risk a little more light." He tapped his staff on the ground a flash of light filled our eyes like silent lightning. The great shadows of the room sprang up and fled in fear. The whole Fellowship gasped in awe. "Behold! The great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf!" Gandalf cried.
We were stood in a great all with walls polished like glass. The great roof was upheld by pillar hewn of stone.
"Well, that's an eye opener, no mistake" Sam Gamgee spoke to himself looking at the smooth, polished stone.
We moved onwards but suddenly Gimli sped ahead, towards a broken wooden door that was embedded by black arrows, Goblin and Orc arrows.
"Gimli, wait!" Aragorn shouted as he ran after him.
At a quick pace we entered the chamber lit by a single shaft of sunlight. A well sat in the corner of a chamber but in the center was a tomb about 4ft tall. At the foot of it knelt Gimli who cried the words of disbelief.
Gandalf comforted Gimli then read the inscriptions on the white stone slab. "'Here lies Balin, son of Fudin, Lord of Moria.' He is dead, then. It's as I had feared."
Gandalf picked up a rotting book that was covered in blood and began to read it aloud. I looked at the ground in respect. "'They have taken the Bridge and the second hall: we have barred the gates. But we cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums, drum in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. Will no one save us? They are coming'" He stopped.
There was suddenly loud clatter from where the well was. There, stood by it was Pippin. He was looking down into the well. The skeleton of an armored Dwarf was no longer there. There came the echoing rattles and clatters as the skeleton tumbled down the well.
A minute passed, Gandalf glared at Pippin. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" Never had any of us seen this side of Gandalf. A troubled look was on his face, he wasn't telling us something.
No. He wouldn't do that... Would he?
"The temperature has gone up. The air currents have changed and I hear a nearing beat of drums." Horus said as he looked down the well at Pippin's left.
What Horus had heard soon became audible to weaker ears. There was a drumming in the deep. There were cries like sharp nails running down steel and there were booming horns answering the cries.
"Mr Frodo!" Sam cried as he looked down at Frodo's gleaming scabbard.
Frodo looked down and pulled out the sword, Sting. It glowed with a magnificent blue that was almost blinding and hard not to notice.
"Orcs!" Legolas shouted. The Fellowship became alert.
"Stay with Gandalf" Aragorn told the hobbits.
Together he and Boromir barricaded the door with wooden poles and anything at hand, even if that did mean shields, rocks, and a sleeve of chain mail that they used to tie the doors together. Though they knew that was a lost cause. It was our only exit and the Goblins could always siege the chamber and wait for our supplies to run out.
A loud booming voice filled the air. Boromir turned away from the hole in the door and looked at us with a humored smile. It seemed he got high of the excitement of the pending fight.
"They have a cave troll! And a big ugly one at that."
"Oh damn it. And I thought I could do its hair and makeup seriously, Boromir? Did you really think you'd see a pretty little cave troll with bows in its hair?" I asked sarcastically hinting on the fact that it was a rhetorical question that did not need an answer. A huff came from Boromir as he slid a large axe threw the door handles
.
Behind me, Gimli jumped onto the tomb baring two axes in each hand. "Let them come! There is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!" He shouted loudly.
I rolled my eyes at Legolas as I took out my bow and nocked an arrow. The breaths of the Fellowship slowed down and calmed. All had their eyes fixed on the door. The drums, sounded outside of the door. Piggish squeals came from the Goblins.
Then came the rapping at the door. But, these were not the calls to open them
"The cracks, aim for the cracks!" Gandalf shouted at those of us who held bows.
I fired an arrow threw a crack along with Legolas and Aragorn. Death cries screamed and the doors smashed open. Twenty odd Goblins charged into the chamber followed by a huge Cave Troll who was particularly ugly and fat. I ducked under the attempted strikes and blows and let my bow sing.
A club came crashing down at my left squishing two unlucky Goblins. I ran under the Troll's legs then turned to fire an arrow into its neck rolls. Green blood seeped from the injury but still the creature fought.
"Oi! You punched me! That's cheating!" Shouted Merry angrily at a Goblin who had just punched him in the gut. The Goblin froze for a second trying to work out what Merry meant. Merry's sword lied at the Goblin's feet.
'Horus, help out Merry and stay close to him, it seems his sword fighting lessons aren't really paying off' I called out to Horus as I kicked a Goblin into the foot fall of the Troll.
Horus swooped down at the Goblin who had cornered Merry and clawed at its eyes and face. Merry thanked Horus and picked up his sword again this time he skewered the Goblin's gut and yanked it back out.
I ducked another slash of a sword and swept my leg under the attacking Goblin's feet. It fell to the ground. I jumped to my feet and looked at the Goblin laid on the ground. Blood was spilling from it's head onto the floor. The chances of it getting back up were low. I moved away from the body and turned my attention to the Cave Troll.
Time seemed to slow down. A spear had been thrown by the Cave Troll and was heading towards Frodo. He shouted for help but it was too late, time had caught up with its self. The tip of the spear made contact, throwing Frodo up against the wall. He slumped to the ground with his eyes closed. The faces of the Fellowship turned cold and lifeless.
The Hobbits regrouped. They had gone into a heated killing frenzy for their lost friend. They slashed at Cave Troll's legs and somehow Merry and Pippin managed to get on its back. Repeatedly they thrusted their swords into the Cave Troll. But soon the Troll flicked them to the ground.
"Tara, block the door!" Gandalf ordered as he one of the few remaining Goblins.
"I won't be able to hold it up! What if the flames turn wild?" I shouted knowing that there was a reason why Nymph parents feared if their child became gifted with the elemental power of pyro kinesis.
It was a dangerous power, known to kill if uncontrolled. And, there was reason why most Men were not allowed in or near the Castdeian borders. If they were to see what one child could do when angered, who's to say they won't take anyway to be used as child soldiers in the Wars of Men?
"You can do it and you will do it, understand?" Gandalf said sternly.
I looked at the group in dismay. Couldn't I bare knowing that I caused them to be burnt or killed if this idea of Gandalf's went wrong? But I turned and jumped over the dead bodies of Goblins then stood at the doorway.
I closed my eyes. 'Be at one with the element, you are its tamer but not its master.' I thought to myself, remembering what Nymphs are told about their element that they can tame.
I created a small blue fire under the doorway and forced to it to grow and fill in the gap. The flames emitted waves of hot air.
Though, the wall of fire was translucent the images behind it were distorted. I only hoped I could keep the wall of flames tamed. If this was to turn wild and free it could result in the death of us. To be honest I feel sorry for the poor sod who was the first ever Nymph to control fire. I cannot imagine how much distraction must have happened due to his or her lack of control over his or her element.
I looked over my shoulder I saw that Frodo was in fact alive and intact. I smiled then turned back. It was becoming difficult to keep the flames at bay. Like any flame they wanted to be free from their tamer which held them in order.
"Hurry up, please" I said as I held up my hands so I had more control over the wall of fire.
I heard the faint answer but it was not clear. The flames crackled above the Fellowship's voices that were being overwhelmed by the sound of the wall of blazing fire.
"You can bring it down now." Spoke the old calm voice of Gandalf as he stood at my side gazing at my creation. A small smile lied on his wrinkly brown skin that resemble a dried out grape still hanging on the vine. His eyes brows were knotted together still not completely with the present times.
I choose to ignore his troubled looks and brought down the wall of fire. I shrank it down and held the round ball of fire on my hands before extinguishing the flames, by pushing my hands together.
Suddenly, the ground shook beneath our feet and the drumming began, coming up out of the depths of the mountain.
"To the bridge of Khazad-dum!" Gandalf shouted at us with command like an old king readying his army.