As always, I do not own Lord of the Rings, sadly.
I'm not dead, I promise! I know I said I'd try to churn these out quicker but...I fail epically at keeping up with myself.
But thank you to those that reviewed. I will try, try, try! to do the next one soon.
I don't know if I've mentioned this before but Striding Leaves is a mixture of AU, book verse and movie verse. This chapter has quite a bit of dialogue and action from the movie really. Just thought I'd let you know.
Okay? We good? Then enjoy, chapter six of Striding Leaves!
Chapter 6: To Moria, To Khazad-dûm
"Edro, edro!" the aged wizard cried, banging his staff against the door to Moria. Boromir sighed, thoroughly frustrated by the failed attempts to enter Moria. If only they had just listened to him and dared to try the Gap of Rohan, then they would not be sitting here, by some foul, wretched, stinking pool, waiting for the Wizard to open the door, or for someone, perhaps, to see sense.
"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn had protested. It was not safe, they thought, brave the Gap but to wander mindlessly into Moria, where all knew an ancient evil slept and terrors lurked in the dark, that was safe? Boromir shivered; no, he had no wish to venture in Moria.
He looked around with a vague sense of hope that one of his companions had realised their folly and would help him change Gandalf's mind. Gimli and Aragorn he dismissed immediately. Gimli would not be turned away from these old Dwarven halls and Aragorn would follow Gandalf's decision. Frodo too would not listen to him, only to Gandalf, and Samwise would follow Frodo no matter where he went.
But what of the others? Merry and Pippin he might sway if he could convince them to speak out against Gandalf. And Legolas…he glanced at the Elf, leaning against the towering holly trees as silent and still as the trees themselves. Legolas would not wish to venture in Moria. An Elf surely would prefer the path of the open air than a journey underground. He approached Legolas quietly, not wanting to be noticed, lest he change his mind.
"Yes, Master Boromir?" Legolas asked as he approached. Boromir was startled for a moment but quickly regained his composure as he thought he saw the Elf's lips twitch into an amused smile. He cleared his throat.
"Legolas, I was wondering…" He began, but the Elf swiftly cut him off.
"No, Master Boromir. I do not wish to go into Moria, but I shall follow the wishes of the Fellowship." He fixed Boromir with his blind blue gaze. "As should you."
Boromir squirmed uncomfortably. This conversation was not going as he had hoped.
"But surely, don't all Elves hate being underground?"
"That," Legolas replied, "is true in most cases. We have a tendency to panic, believe the walls are closing in and that the ceiling will collapse. I have no such fear." A dark look passed across his face, hinting at something he was not telling.
A soft plop made them both turn. But it was only the young Hobbits, Merry and Pippin, throwing stones into the water. Boromir watched as Aragorn caught the arm of Pippin and spoke softly to them, his keen gaze never leaving the water.
"Mellon!" Gandalf's abrupt command startled them all, but they were even more startled when the ancient stone doors of Moria scraped open. The Fellowship quickly gathered up and made their way into the Dwarven mine, eager to get out from under the exposed sky, but froze in horror at the sight of the skeletons that littered the floor with arrows scattered around them. Gimli's cries of grief echoed around them, full of sorrow for his fallen kin. Aragorn bent down to inspect the arrows.
"This is no mine." Boromir spat in disgust. "It's a tomb."
"Goblins." Aragorn clarified, straightening up and drawing his sword. Everyone bristled, readying their own weapons, watching warily for danger and half-expecting goblins to burst out at them, bristling with weapons.
"We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here," Boromir ordered. "Now get out of here, get out!"
The Fellowship began to back away towards the exit when Frodo gave a cry, fell, and was dragged backwards by a long slimy tentacle.
"Mister Frodo!" Sam cried, leaping after him. The Hobbits tried to grab Frodo and pull him back as the tentacle dragged him towards the pool. Aragorn leapt after them as well, hacking at the tentacle with his sword. Boromir found himself frozen in horror for a moment before recovering his courage and joining Aragorn. They had come too far to lose the Ring to some creature in the water.
A horrendous screech pierced the air as more tentacles burst out of the water, battering at the Fellowship. Frodo was lifted high into the air as Aragorn and Boromir hacked their way towards him. Aragorn sliced through the tentacle holding Frodo high above them and Boromir caught the falling Hobbit securely and turned back to Fellowship, moving as quickly through the water as he could.
"Into the mines!" Gandalf commanded, ushering the other Hobbits in. Boromir set Frodo down on the shore, pushing him ahead while he slashed at the tentacles around them. He glanced around briefly; the others were making their way in, save Legolas, who was slicing at the tentacles that resolutely barred his way.
"Legolas!" Boromir cried and leapt to his aid, neatly slashing his way through and roughly pulled the Elf into the mines with him. With a ferocious cry, the creature in the lake raised its tentacles and crushed the massive stone doors with little effort and trapped the Company inside the cold emptiness of Moria.
Boromir stared at the ruined doors with a sinking heart. They were trapped. He passed a hand over his eyes as Gandalf made a light at the top of his staff. If only they had listened to him and taken the Gap of Rohan; they could be safely on their way to Minas Tirith by now. But here they were in Moria, trapped.
He looked around bitterly at the Fellowship and softened slightly when his gaze took in Legolas's trembling form. The Elf had sunk to the floor and curled up, shaking. Boromir knelt down beside him.
"Legolas? Are you alright?" He placed a hand gently on Legolas's shoulder. He jerked away as if burned but nodded.
"I am fine, Master Boromir." Legolas's voice was but a whisper. Boromir looked around and beckoned to Aragorn, who made his way over and knelt beside Legolas as well.
"Legolas?" the Ranger's voice was full of concern. "Mellon, are you injured? Can you walk?"
"I'm fine, Estel." Legolas finally looked up, his face deathly pale. Aragorn helped him to his feet, where he wobbled unsteadily. Boromir grabbed his arm to steady him.
"Easy now," Boromir murmured, supporting Legolas without difficulty. Aragorn nodded his thanks and headed back over to Gandalf. The two spent a few tense moments talking before Gandalf began to lead them deeper into Moria.
"Quietly now," he warned. "It is a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."
Boromir followed the rest of the Fellowship, supporting Legolas, and he could not help feeling that each step they took into Moria was a step closer to their deaths. They could be as silent as the cats of Queen Berúthiel and still he had the feeling that it would be in vain. Something lurked in the dark of Moria and that something would find them, that much he was certain of.
And then, they would all wish they had listened to him and would curse their folly at dismissing the Gap. Oh yes, they would regret this choice deeply. He knew it already and soon, he was certain the others would as well.