Chapter 9 The Ring goes south.

(Warning drug use in here!)

It was dawn the next day as the Fellowship along with Elrond, his children, Flame, Ember, Hunter and several elves stood outside of the cityas the half-elven lord gave a speech to the Fellowship.

"The Ringbearer is setting out on the quest of Mount Doom and you who travelwith him, no oath nor bond is laidto gofurther than you will."He said solemnly.

As he said this Aragorn looked to his love and nodded farwellwhile she lookeddown trying to hide the tears that were forming. "Farewell. Hold to your purpose and may the blessings of elves,dwarves, men, and all Free Folk go with you."Elrond said as he raised his right hand in a sign of goodbye to the Fellowship.

"The Fellowship awaits the Ringbearer."Gandalf said to Frodo who slowly turned and began to lead the band of heroes that swore to aid him out of the hidden Valley. Nervously he whispered to Gandalf who was behind him: "Mordor, Gandalf, is it left or right?" He asked.

"Left." said the wizard as he guided his small friend.

As the Fellowship went on through the empty lands of Eriador and Hollin Gandalf soon stopped the group of heroes near several boulders before calling for a meeting.

"What path shall we take Gandalf?" Asked Legolas.

"We shall continue our path near the footholds of the Misty mountains for forty days before getting to the Gap of Rohan and then we shall head east towards Mordor." Answered the wizard before everyone went to do their own thing.

"Get away from the blade, Pippin...on your toes now." Boromir said as he instructed Merry and Pippin in swordfighting.

"Move your feet Merry." Aragorn said as he smoked his pipe watching the two.

Merry dodges a strike while Pippin swings back at the seasoned soldier. "Good. That's good you two!" praised Boromir

"That's good Pippin." said Merry as he swung his blade at Boromir.

"Thanks!" said the younger troublemaker as he steps back.

Meanwhile Frodo and Sam were busy cooking a meal for their friends enjoying the quiet time while Gimli soon cornered Gandalf.

"If anyone were to ask for my opinion, which I note they have not, I would say we are taking the long way round. Gandalf, we can pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin, Balin, would give us a royal welcome." He said trying to persuade the old Maiar.

Gandalf looks at the warrior from Erebor warily and spoke in a stern voice. "No, Gimli. I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice." He answered as Aranthis entered the conversation "Moria would bring us to our destination faster whether it is to Lothlorien or to the Eagles nesting ground." He said as he watched Spyro and Cynder practice their fighting. Suddenly Boromir accidentally nicks the young Took's hand causing him to drop his blade.

"Gaah!" Exclaimed the hobbit.

"Sorry about that!" said the soldier before he is tackled by the rambuctious two who started to wrestle with him! while Aragorn laughs at them.

Soon the exiled heir of Gondor stands up and walks over to the laughing boys in men's bodies and tries to break up the horseplay. "Gentlemen that's enough now." He said in a half serious before he to was flipped onto his backside!.

Meanwhile during this short time of peace Legolas who had been keeping watch soon spots a strange black cloud coming towards them...

"What's that?" Asked Sam as he too spots it

"Nothing... it's just a small wisp of a cloud." Gimli grumbled in his deep voice while Aranthis shook his head. "Yet there are no other clouds in the sky." He said also confused.

"It is moving fast...against the wind." Boromir said as he finally managed to get out from under the rascals.

Legolas soon looks alarm and exclaims: "Crebain from Dunland!" to the Fellowship causing Aragorn to order everyone to hide causing the fellowship to scatter into bushes and large rocks while the three Thu'um users shouted "Feim!" and their bodies became ethereal causing them to look like they had disappeared into the background and just in time too as a massive swarm of large crows flew over the now abandoned camp cawing relentlessly as they circled the area once, twice, thrice times before flying to the southeast not a single one looking back as the Fellowship soon got out of their hiding places.

"Spies of Saruman. The south passage is being watched." Gandalf said to his comrades grimly before looking towards a massive and jagged mountain. "We must take the pass through Caradhras!"

After three days of relentless climbing the Fellowship soon found itself in the icy snow while Spyro and Cynder flew above them acting as scouts. Meanwhile the dragonborn had a childish smile across his face as he plowed through the snow faster than any of the other mortal two legged members of the band who stopped and looked at the half nord in exasperation and confusion.

"You call this deep friends?" He asked his friends laughing as he felt glad to be in a bit of land that was similar to his adopted homeland before his childish smile turned into a look of shock as he sees Legolas walking atop the snow as if he weighed less than the trillions of snowflakes that dot the mountains.

"Blasted no good elves always one upping men..." He muttered half darkly half playfully while the blond prince smiled slyly at the dragonborn's cursing.

Frodo who was behind the others suddenly stumble to the snow causing Aragorn to run back and help him. "Frodo!" He exclaimed as he helped up the frigid hobbit up who felt less weight on him. Shocked at this he tries to feel for the Ring but finds the chain that it was on a few feet behind him and in the hand of another.

"Boromir." Aragorn said tersely as the prince from the south looked longingly at the cursed item.

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing...Such a little thing" He said so entranced by the Ring that he moved to touch the golden band.

"Boromir...Give the Ring to Frodo." Aragorn said sternly as the others watched.

The captain chuckles and gives the Ring to the Ringbearer who yanks it away from him "As you wish... I care not." He said as he walked ahead while the ranger king in exile slowly let go of Anduril's hilt.

That night they stopped for the night when suddenly a massive blizzard blew in from the east chilling them to the bone with it's harsh winds and spearlike flakes of snow.

"Brr..It's cold here...Much colder than even Dante's Freezer!" Spyro said as he tried to use his fire abilities to keep himself and his friends warm.

"This a most unnatural storm Gandalf...In Gondor we say that the Enemy can control the weather." Boromir told his friends as they braved the storm.

"Then his reach has grown long, and we must hurry before it grows longer!" Gandalf said as he held his hand in a clawing motion holding it out longer.

"I wish we were back home in Hobbiton with a nice bowl of Ma's chicken soup and some warm cider." Pippin moaned as he shivered while Aranthis who came back from scouting dropped several small bottles to each of his two legged friends.

"Brother what's this?" Aragorn asked him with an eyebrow raised while Aranthis chuckled.

"Skooma, made by the best khajit brewers in all of Tamriel. This will keep you all warm during this blizzard." Aranthis said as he passed the last bottle to Gandalf.

"What about you Mr. Ysmir?" Sam asked the half dunedain who chuckled. "Don't worry about me. My Nord blood was made to handle this and far colder lands." He answered the stout hobbit as he and the others drank the sugary, warm drink. When suddenly they each shook their heads and began to act differently...

Legolas was the first to stand and began to pace in front of Gimli and Pippin who got up on their knees and Legolas began a speech:

"It has fallen to us to defend Jerusalem and we have made our preparations as well as they can be made. None of us took this city from Muslims. No Muslim of the great army now coming against us was born when this city was lost. We fight over an offence that we did not give, against those who were alive to be offended. What is Jerusalem? Your holy places lie over the Jewish temple that the Romans pulled down. The Muslim places lie over yours. Which is more holy? The wall? The mosque? The sepulchre? Who has claim? No one has claim. All have claim. We defend this city, not to protect these stones but the people living within these walls." He said as Gimli took off his helmet in respect to Legolas before he spoke to them:

"Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth even if it means your death. Safeguard the helpless. That is your oath." Legolas still high from the drug told the dwarf and halfling who nodded solemnly as they to were caught up in the hallucination. Suddenly Legolas backhands Gimli and Pippin rather harshly as he gave them a stern glare. "And that is so you remember it. Rise a knight." Legolas said in a clear voice to the two.

Meanwhile Aragorn stood up and began whistling loudly into the wind. "Hildalgo where are you boy!" He yelled making another shrill horse whistle while Gandalf gave the dragonborn and the dragons a evils smile. "We Mutants shall conquer the world!" He said waving his hands around like a charlatan mage would do.

Merry on the other hand began to strum an imaginary lyre and singing:

You all, everybody

You all everybody

Acting like you're stupid people wearing expensive clothes.

You all, everybody

You all everybody

You all everybody!

He sang before plopping down in the snow.

Sam suddenly stood up to the Fellowship and said "Goonies never say die!" He exclaimed proudly while Frodo watched thoughtfully.

"I wonder where my friend the dolphin is right now?" He said thoughtfully while Aranthis and the dragons laughed heartfully at their high friends.

After the long night of acting ridiculously the nine Ardaian members of the Fellowship woke up with the largest hangovers they each had felt all the while Aranthis chuckled at their misfortune while giving them some potions to heal their headaches.

They were soon through the Redhorn pass when a massive storm blew around the thirteen members of the Fellowship as they climbed through the treacherous mountain with Legolas in front to scout ahead on the treacherous path as a blizzard buffets them. The prince of Mirkwood stops as e hears a strange and dark voice chanting through the storm ridden air. "There's a fell voice" He told Gandalf as the mountain groaned under them.

"It's Saruman!" Yelled the grey wizard as rocks and snow fell from the mountain around them.

"Gandalf he's trying to bring down the mountain! We must turn back." Aragorn yelled at the maiar while Spyro and Cynder destroyed the larger rocks from crashing onto them while the wizard soon stood ahead of the company atop a ledge and began to chant. "Losto Caradhras, sedo, hodo, I ruith." He said in an archaic tongue imploring the spirit of the mountain to hold it's wrath. Yet instead of calming the storm worsens with lightning striking all around the Fellowship before Aranthis steps forward and shouts "Lok Vah Koor!" And with the combined strength of Dovah magic and Maiar powers sent the blizzard away from them yet the fallen maiar cursed and doubled his spell causing a lightning bolt to strike the peak of the mountain sending mountains of snow to cover the fellowship.

After the avalanche the Fellowship slowly but surely pop out of the snow freezing to the bone.

"We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!" Boromir yelled to his comrades through the icy wind while Aragorn shook his head.

"The gap of Rohan takes us to close to Isengard!" Aragorn yelled back while Cynder shook off the snow on her wings, "What about calling the dov to pick up a part of the Fellowship and we fly over the mountains?" she asked

"Nay. The damned wizard may zap us out of the sky and the dov don't want to be anywhere near the Ring." Aranthis said as Gimli spoke up.

"If we can't travel over the mountains or through the skies then we mus travel under them. We should go through the Mines of Moria." Gimli suggested as snow covered his beard.

Gandalf shook in fear as he thought of going through the mines before he answered: "Let...the Ringbearer decide." He answered.

Boromir looked at the younger hobbits who shook in the deep snow and yelled toward the leaders: "We can't stay here...it will be the death of the hobbits!"

"Frodo?" Gandalf asked his young protege who looked towards him. "We will go through the mines." He answered as the old spirit sighed. "So be it." He said with finality as the Fellowship went back to the path they came from. Caradhras defeated them.

(Anyone who can name the references that were made in this chapter gets to have their OCs in this or any of the other stories in this saga and they can share with me five ideas for this or any of the other stories that connect for this saga which includes: Star Wars:the rise of Mandalore, Elder Scrolls: Brothers reunited, or Tales of the Blades. Have fun guessing the references and add them into your review!)