"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." - Martin Luther King Jr.
Chapter 9
Gandalf led them with the light of his staff glowing in the darkness. As Amber's eyes were particularly good for seeing in darkness that others couldn't, she found herself walking close-by the hobbits, head swivelling to take in as much of the dim surroundings as was possible. Legolas, who before even entering the deep place had seemed to fear it, stayed close to her, his eyes, though not so superior in the dim light as hers, also flicking to each shadow and cleft in the rock, trying to spy any danger.
They passed many passages which led off from their main path. Gimli walked in the front with Gandalf, deciding together which way to go, though Gandalf, as the only one of their party who had ever ventured into Moria before now, made the final decisions.
At times there were great cracks in the path which the company had to leap across. Although the larger folk managed without difficulty, the hobbits were often hesitant and Pippin needed encouragement more than once to get across safely.
The further they marched, the more they lost sense of day or night. No light besides the glow from Gandalf's staff was visible, so in time it became impossible to tell how far into the day or night they had walked.
After what felt to be many hours, if not a day, they came to a fork in the path with three possible roads to take. Here Gandalf halted, seeming to have no memory of the place from his previous journeying from the other side.
In the end it was decided that here they would rest, and give the wizard time to cast through his memory for the way to go. They entered an enclosed chamber which stood beside the crossroads, for here they would feel more sheltered than in the open passage.
As they entered with caution, they saw a deep chasm opened in the centre of the floor. As the others stepped around it cautiously, the youngest hobbit, Pippin, crawled to the edge of the pit and dropped in a small stone. The long pause as none dared speak was followed by a low plopping sound as the stone entered a pool of water, seemingly very far below.
Gandalf was enraged at the hobbit's foolishness. Although usually easier with the young hobbits, perhaps for having grown up with several brothers; Amber could not help but agree with the Wizard's censure. No disturbance they had yet made besides their quietly moving feet; and she preferred it that way.
After a few moments of quiet had passed, to Amber's horror, she heard a faint knocking sound, coming from deep below them. She looked to the faces of the others and saw that they had heard it too. Gimli recognised the sound as that of a hammer.
What had they awoken in the deep place? This thought raced in Amber's mind, the walls now feeling as if they closed in around her; knowing that there would be no way out if they were attacked in this place.
After a time, the deep grew quiet once more and the company set themselves up in the four ccorners of the chamber to sleep for the night.
As they settled, Amber following Legolas, as he she felt most safe with; she felt as tense as an elf's bowstring, waiting to hear another sound from the chasm in the floor.
Once it seemed that all were relatively settled, Gandalf stopped the light in his staff, and now the only thing to be seen was the soft glow of Gandalf's pipe as he smoked by the doorway, keeping watch. Even Amber's keen night vision could not see much beyond him, her own hands invisible to her in the almost perfect darkness.
She remained crouched, ready at a moments notice to spring into action, should the source of the deep knocking come to disturb them.
She started at a soft hand laid upon her shoulder, but kept from making a noise, so great was her fear of alerting foes to their presence. Legolas, who's hand had startled her, gently pulled her closer into their corner, and sensing her fear, bid her to lay down beside him.
He had not thought much in the action, beyond providing his friend with comfort; but as she acquiesced, he was remindedof the impropriety of such closeness with a woman to whom he was not wed. He considered whether it would be best to slide away from her, despite the dark so absolute that he was sure no one could guess at their position; but as she pressed herself between his body and the cold, stone wall, he felt her trembling. In light of her fear, and acting on instinct, he removed his arm from between them and wrapped it around her back, pressing her close to him. Despite the tension he could feel in her muscles where he held her, she seemed to still, and quickly the trembling subsided.
There in the dark, marvelling at her trust in him, he held her; willing her fears to leave her so that she could sleep. Unaware of how much time passed, he felt her slowly relax, and eventually her breathing, which had been shallow and rapid, finally slowed into slumber.
He felt himself falling into sleep beside her, still holding her close to his side, her warmth spreading throughout his body until he could have sworn that the chamber had a roaring fire inside it, pleasurable and frightening away the anxiety that he had felt since they had first decided to take this road.
Just before he drifted into oblivion, so that in the morning he could not be entirely certain it had truly happened; he felt Amber Bury her face into his body, fingers curling in the fabric of his tunic as she pulled herself closer.
As the first sounds of the wizard awakening the hobbits roused Legolas from his sleep, he first was not aware of his position, and the way that he had spent the night. As his thoughts and feelings began to focus, he became alarmingly aware of how his body was curled around the still sleeping woman's.
In the night, it seemed, she had turned to face the stone wall; and he, perhaps having missed her warmth, had followed, wrapping himself around her as if they were two spoons in a cupboard, his front pressed against her back and arm holding her to him.
Carefully, willing himself not to wake her with his movements; he removed his arm from where it lay over her side and around her stomach. He then shifted himself until he was a more decent foot away from her side.
As Gandalf lit his staff, and the others began to stand and stretch out their aching bodies from the hard stone floor; Legolas gently shook Amber by her shoulder, sending his thanks to the valar that she had nor awoken while he had been so indecently pressed against her.
She stirred, stretching out before opening her eyes. Legolas forced himself to avert his gaze as she arched her back in a way that too quickly drew his attention. When she sat up, yawning, he could not help but observe her, gaze lingering on her tousled mess of orange curls and sleep-wrinkled clothing. The site brought back to his mind the way she had smelled when he was pressed against her, face buried in the hair at the top of her head. Despite their long journeying and lack of opportunities to bathe, he could not help but feel drawn to her scent, so much it reminded him of the woods and grassy fields that lay not far from his homeland. Something else, too, of a more carnal nature, stirred in his gut as he remembered it.
Such thoughts were far from appropriate to have about any person, especially one whom he called friend. He chastised himself in his head, readying himself for the day's journey without looking her way again.
Once they exited the chamber, Gandalf told them that in the night he had decided on the path which appeared to wind upwards, higher in mountain. Up they climbed, for what felt like a long day, until finally the floor levelled out. By the quality of the air, it felt to Legolas is if they had entered a large open space, although part of him wondered if that impression was only a foolish wish, so great was his desire to be free of the tightly enclosed passages they so far had taken.
Gandalf raised his staff, and with a flash of light revealed an enormous cavernous space, lined with tall pillars of stone. It was decided that there they would camp, in the hopes that the morning might bring a chance for daylight, as Gandalf guessed that there would be light shafts in the ceiling, now to dark to see.
Before they lay down to sleep, this time Legolas putting far more distance between himself and the Beorning for fear of moving towards her again in the night; Gimli told them a long tale of the history of Moria, and of Durin, the first dwarf.
In the morning, to Legolas' delight, he woke to find light streaming down from places in the ceiling. It was their first glimse of light for days and he found himself glad of heart for the first time since waking the previous morning with Amber in his arms.
As Gandalf wished for further information to decide their next path, some of the company walked over to one end of the great hall, where a door lay ajar. Gandalf hoped to find a window in which to spy their location in the mountain and hoped to find one their.
Legolas, reluctant to leave the small patches of daylight now about them, remained in the large hall, wandering over to the nearest light shaft and standing beneath it.
Amber watched him, curious to find her gaze once again tracking him as he moved. She recalled the night before last, when fear had frozen her limbs and she had despaired for sleep until the elf had brought her to lay beside him. She had taken comfort in his presence, not managing to care overmuch when her fear caused her to press herself into his side, despite the indecency of such an action.
He had held her that night, chasing away her fears without question or motive, besides comforting her. Although the night just passed had not allowed for the same, unless they had wanted to brazenly hold one another beside the rest of the company; she had felt again at peace, just for knowing he lay close.
Now, as he stood in the ray of light that looked down from the high ceiling; she could not help but take in his radiant beauty, made more so to her for his kindness and friendship.
A foreboding feeling crept upon her as she stood, watching him, and she found herself looking around at the exits of the cavern, listening for any sound of disturbance, though none she could hear.
Just then a drumming noise came from the west end of the hall, down the passage they had climbed the day before.
Looking towards the sound in alarm, Legolas ran to Amber and grabbing her by the arm, pulled her with him at a run, racing for the chamber where the rest of the company had gone.
They entered, the faces of their fellowship turned to them in alarm, the sound of the drums having just reached their ears. There was some light, from a shaft on one wall, and the contents of the chamber filled Legolas with dread; piles of ruined chests and weapons surrounding a tomb of stone.
He had not the time to ask of their findings, but from the dwarven runes carved atop the tomb could read "Here lies Balin, lord of Moria".
Before there was chance to give his condolences to the dwarf, the drumming sounds grew closer and the sound of many feet came from the other side of the doors they had just come through.
Legolas released Amber, who's arm he still held, and readied his bow for attack.
Those who had not already drew their swords, the elvish blades of Gandalf and Frodo glowing blue, proving beyond doubt that orcs were near. Gandalf strode to the door that Boromir now held shut and called to the apparent hoard that marched upon them. Orc and goblin voices could be heard on the other side, speaking in the black tongue of Mordor.
Thrusting out his staff, Gandalf sent out a flash of light, allowing him to see that they were many, and had at least one cave troll with them.
As arrows were shot towards him, bouncing against the opposite wall, he stepped back, allowing Boromir to bar the door with broken blades.
Aragorn checked the passage on the east side of the chamber which seemed quiet. They could not flee yet, with the hoard on their heels. They needed to fight, and make the attackers fear to follow them, if they were to hope to escape.
With a crash, a large troll started to force it's way through the door, defending by Boromir, and, astonishingly, Frodo. They managed to shut the door again but it was not long before, with several crashes, the door began to crack, and the foes were upon them.