To: DreamingIn2Eternity (awesome name by the way) Yes, you did make me smile XD, and I hope i make you smile with this next chapter ;)
Chapter Six: The Mines of Moria are an...Interesting Place
Naomi had been thinking about her conversation with Frodo the whole morning, and it occurred to her that she may (in a round about sort of way) have admitted that she fancied Legolas, and Frodo told her (also in a round about way) that she should go for it. Naomi flushed red and to hide it, pushed her face into Bill's neck. Turning her head slightly she looked to Legolas' back and sighed before turning her face back into Bill's neck.
'It's the middle of a deadly quest, in the middle of a world war! There's no way such a thing can happen,' Naomi's heart banged harshly against her chest, so badly that she raised her hand to her chest and coughed...and coughed...and coughed. Until finally her throat felt clear and she was left a little dizzy, her heart beating fast.
"Miss Naomi, are y'alright?" Sam asked looking around Bill as she patted her chest.
"Fine, just coughing on air," She croaked as she grabbed her water flask off the pony and took several deep gulps.
"Coughin' on air eh? My ol' Gaffer used to do just th' same thing after he'd had a couple of drinks!" Sam said merrily, remembering old times.
"I miss the Green Dragon," Pippin sighed with a smile on his lips as he looked into the distance, Merry nodded next to him a smile also on his face.
"The Green Dragon?" Naomi asked with a raised eyebrow as she placed her water flask back.
"Merry, she hasn't heard of the Green Dragon!" Pippin said in horror, Merry shook his head sadly.
"The Green Dragon is our local tavern, best ale around, great service...," Sam drifted off, a cheesy grin on his face.
"He's talking about Rosie," Frodo whispered to Naomi who giggled at Sam's flushed face.
As the four hobbits chittered on about their ale, Naomi smiled. The landscape soon grew rockier, misty and large stone structures would suddenly loom over head when one was close enough to see them. Gandalf called Frodo up to help him. The pressure down here with the water vapor was heavy in Naomi's chest, and she found herself coughing more and more. Moss grew on most boulders and water slicked all others, and it wasn't normal water either, it was freezing cold glacial water from off the mountain. Naomi found herself falling to the end of the line when Bill started to have trouble climbing over the rocks, and Sam was on his other side keeping her company.
"Ah! The walls of Moria!" Gimli called in awe, a large cliff faces that went straight up stood before them, stretched out to both sides out of sight.
"Woooooow," Naomi gasped as she looked up, this mere wall was bigger than any building she had ever seen and it made her feel tiny. The Fellowship crossed a river that ran next to the wall at a shallow point, so that Gandalf could look for the entrance.
"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed," Gimli stated tapping his axe against the rock, listening for some indication of an opening.
"Yes Gimli, their own Masters cannot find the, if their secrets are forgotten!" Gandalf called from the front of the line.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas mused, Gimli grumbled angrily at him.
"Sheesh, what is it with you two?" Naomi asked out of breath, after she had finished another coughing spree. The two looked to her, looked to each other, and then walked away.
"Okay then, ignore my question, I wasn't that interested anyway," Naomi mumbled sarcastically as she kept Bill away from the water's edge. A splash and a surprised grunt sounded up ahead, Naomi raised her head to see Frodo staring out across the water, which had grown into a lake as they had progressed along the wall. Gandalf stopped between two twisted tree trunks and was rubbing his hands over the rock, reading some invisible inscription. After he muttered a few words and looked to the sky (the clouds conveniently parting) the stone started to glow with at first feint lines, then bright silvery white lines. It was a door shaped as an arch, with trees wrapping around both of the pillars (looking suspiciously like the two like trees next to them). At the top of the arch was an inscription in a beautiful writing, and below it was a crown and a series of stars. In the middle was another star; this one much larger than the others. Naomi smiled as Gimli watched on in awe, whilst Gandalf read the writings out loud.
"It reads 'The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria, Speak Friend and Enter'," He recited whilst pointing to the writing with his staff.
"What do y'suppose that means?" Merry asked watching intently/
"Oh it's quite simple, if you are a friend you simply speak the pass word and the doors will open," Gandalf turned back to the door and held his staff up to the large center star.
"Annon Edhellen, edro hi ammen!" (Gate of the Elves, open now for me!) Pippin grinned widely in anticipation, but it faded as it occurred to everyone that nothing was going to happen. Gandalf stared for a moment confused before clearing his throat and trying different words, this time holding up both his hands instead of his staff.
"Fennas Nogothrim, lasto beth lammen," (Doorway of the Dwarf-fold, listen to the words of my tongue). Nothing happened again and Gimli grunted, whilst Pippin turned to Legolas.
"Northin's happening,"
"I once knew every spell in all the tongues of elves, men and orcs…," Gandalf muttered mainly to himself as he walked to the door and tried pushing against it. When that didn't work he stood back and stared hard at the door.
"What're you going t'do then?" Pippin asked innocently, though it did nothing for Gandalf.
"Knock you head against these doors Peregrin Took! And if that does not shatter them and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions I will try to find the opening words,"
And so everyone found a place to sit and wait, whilst Gandalf muttered spell after spell after password after password. Naomi meanwhile was waiting close to tears as Aragorn unpacked Bill.
"The Mines are no place for a pony, even one so brave as Bill," He said gently to Sam and her.
"Buh bye Bill," Sam said giving the pony's nose one last scratch. Naomi flung her arms around the pony's neck for hugged him gently, before kissing his head.
"Have a safe journey," She whispered before steeping back next to Sam.
"Go on, go on," Aragorn encouraged, pushing Bill in the right direction.
"Don't worry, he knows the way home," Aragorn said placing a hand on Sam's shoulder as the hobbit watched in dismay.
Ploop-splsh….Ploop-SPLSH…
Aragorn rushed off to tell Merry and Pippin to stop disturbing the water, meanwhile Gandalf threw down his staff before he slumped down onto the rock next to Frodo, having close to given up on finding the password. Naomi walked over herself to investigate the door, and when she found nothing helpful at all she turned around and lent on it, closing her eyes and letting her skin soak up the moon light that shone onto the door.
"It's a riddle," Frodo remarked standing, as he stood in front of Naomi looking up, he could only read the words "Speak, friend and enter", the rest of the writing hidden from view.
"Speak friend, and enter…what's the elvish word for friend?" He asked turning to Gandalf.
"Mellon…," The old man wizard replied, his interest peaked. With a great, stone on stone creak the doors swung outwards, heaving Naomi forwards so that she fell flat on her face. Naomi spat rocks and dirt out of her mouth and wiped at her eyes as the rest of the Fellowship passed her by to walk into the Mine, Gimli chatting on to Legolas about the hospitality of the Dwarves. The water rippled violently and Naomi froze, the ripples formed to waves that washed up against the pebbled shore and she swore she saw something move.
"Guys…," No one was paying attention to her however as they spoke in the darkness, when a bright light turned on behind her Naomi found herself staring at something that was slowly rising to the surface of the water.
"Guys," She tried again, her voice a little more urgent as she moved up onto her knees slowly. Suddenly Gimli cried out from behind her, an anguished cry followed by the sounds on swords begin drawn.
"Guys I think you should see this!" Naomi called urgently as the surface of the water bubbled, she was on her feet by now.
"Now get out of here! Get out!"
"NO!" Naomi cried, but it was too late. A tentacle shot out from the water and gripped something behind her, as Naomi twisted around she found Frodo gripped by the leg being dragged back to the water.
"Strider! Ah! Get off him!" Sam cried as the four Hobbits pulled out their swords and hacked away at the tentacle. It retreated back past Naomi as she ran forward to help him to his feet.
"Quick! Inside!" Naomi called pulling her swords out as she turned to the water and backed up. A scream left her lips however when more tentacles sprang out and grabbed a hold of her around her waist and Frodo by the leg. The two were quickly pulled out over the water, Naomi's swords dropped on the beach in her panic and surprise.
"Strider!" Frodo called out as Aragorn and Boromir ran forward, hacking their swords through tentacles. Yet it seemed the more they hacked, the more appeared.
"URGH! PUT ME DOWN YOU WANKER!" Naomi screeched out, pushing and pounding her hands against the tentacle wrapped securely around her waist. She couldn't reach either of her daggers, so Naomi figure the next best option was her teeth.
"Oh this will be so gross!" Naomi whined before leaning forward and sinking her teeth into the monsters limb. Naomi was bitterly disappointed when nothing happened and struggled even harder. The monster had had enough of her struggling apparently, as it dragged her under the water. Naomi's startled cry turned into a watery bubble, before she smartly closed her mouth and struggled yet again. A silvery glint caught Naomi's eye and she reached forward to grasp the handle of a rusty axe, then brought it down hard on the tentacle. She heard the beast howl in pain before she was thrown from the water as a reflex from the nervous system of the creature. She hit the beach and barely registered anything, just grabbed her swords and was promptly hauled up over Aragorn's shoulder as he and Boromir with Frodo rushed into the Mine, the creature's large tentacles slithering after them. Finally through the door Naomi was relieved, until the creature's bulk brought tones of rock down over the doorway.
The moonlight vanished and all that was heard was the desperate panting of the Fellowship.
"Holy Shit," Naomi managed breathlessly as Gandalf light up a crystal on the end of his staff.
"We now have but one choice, 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, quietly now, It's a four day journey to the other side, let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed," He warned as he walked off to lead the way. Aragorn softly lowered Naomi back to her feet and she re-sheathed her swords.
"Well…that went well," she whispered to herself as she gripped anything loose on herself before wringing it out. Strands of her blonde hair fell into her face and her hands throbbed yet again, though as she looked at them in the light she found no blood seeping through the bandages. Two large pale hands covered hers and she looked up to see Legolas inspecting them.
"There's no blood, so I presumed there was no further damage," Naomi said as she formed a large puddle around her, Legolas placed both of her hands together before letting go and looking to her face.
"I am glad you are safe," He nodded before turning to leave.
'Oh no you don't!' Naomi thought stubbornly before smirking.
"Legolas? Perhaps you could help me, my legs are still a little shaky after everything," The blonde elf blinked a few times before holding out his elbow for her. Naomi took it with a small smile before speaking in a soft whisper to him again.
"So, do you think now you'd tell me why you and Gimli don't get along well?" Legolas gave her a quick glance before returning to stare intently at their surroundings.
"He is a dwarf, and I an elf. We shall never get along,"
"I think someday you guys are gonna be best chums," Naomi said grinning as she leaned into him. The darkness seemed to close in all around them, as if trying to hide their existence from prying eyes.
...thsssssssss...THUMP!
Boromir looked over his shoulder in surprise, seeing an arrow sticking out of his shield.
"The door!" Aragorn said looking to the direction from where the arrow had flown from. One of the many turn offs was directly in line with the shot and a scuffling in the dark proved it.
"Quick! Before it get's away!" Gandalf said ushering Legolas, Aragorn and Boromir forward, while pushing the hobbits and Naomi to either side of the door.
"If it is a trap theres no need for us all to be caught," He said before following the men in. Naomi chewed her lip nervously while she and the Hobbits waited silently. She took in a startled breath when the sound of metal on metal clashed through the air, followed by the sound of startled gasps and Gandalf telling the three males not to harm it.
"I dare-say this creature could bring us some use," He told them before calling for Naomi and the Hobbits to come in slowly.
And slow they were, after hearing the sound of metal meeting Naomi didn't want to face this creature of the dark, not matter how handy it may be. Once they were all in the small room Gandalf called her forward. The room was only small with many pillars a large chunks of the roof lying everywhere, providing much cover for whatever was hiding from Gandalf's light.
"We shan't hurt you, please come out," Gandalf called softly. A crude helmet popped up from behind one of the boulders, and Naomi felt a gasp escape her lips as her jaw dropped. Shining brown eyes glinted from a slit in the helmet, dark copper brown hair stuck out from the bottom of the helmet and a human hand was raised against the light of Gandalf's staff. Naomi couldn't even speak as tears started pouring down her cheeks.
"Who are you?" A sob tore through Naomi's throat as she listened to the rusty voice of what she had thought was her dead best friend. And that friends eyes had adjusted enough for her to see the group standing in the middle of the room.
"Naomi?" Tess asked as she stood up completely, Naomi nodded her head before walking forward slightly, only to be bowled over as Tess jumped the large rock and crashed into her as a hug. Metal armor jabbed into Naomi's arms, legs and torso but she didn't care, in her arms was her ALIVE best friend. Naomi's legs gave out and she left it up to Tess to lower her to her knees, she was sobbing so much she almost couldn't breath and she gathered Tess was feeling the same breathlessness (mainly because Naomi was hugging her so tight).
"Wh-What are you DOING here?" Tess asked a little while later when Naomi had stopped sobbing.
"What am I doing here? What are YOU doing here!?"
"I don't know! One minute i was staring at the hail the next thing I know i'm waking up here!" Tess explained, utterly confused.
"I thought you had died!" Naomi said as another sob tore through her throat, she was ashamed at the tears but she just couldn't stop them, she was too happy.
"Well I'm not!" Tess laughed as she hugged Naomi again. Naomi wrapped her arms around her and smiled. It was about then that she realized just how thin her friend was.
"How long have you been here? How did you survive? Are you alright? Are you-,"
"Shhh!" Tess halted Naomi's questions by placing a grubby hand over her mouth.
"Stay here," Tess told her before jumping up and running to the door way and sticking her head out. Everyone in the room had frozen and remained so until Tess breathed out and smiled.
"It's alright, they went the other way," She said smiling as she stuck her head out one last time. Naomi took this as an opportunity to observe her friend. Her normally tanned skin was paler (at least that's what Naomi guessed, there seemed to be several layers of dirt over the top of her) and she was much thinner. The night the hale storm had hit Tess had been wearing a thick strapped tank top and her favorite pair of army print cargo pants. Naomi found that underneath layers of dirt, grime, armor and (she noticed with mild horror) dried blood that Tess still wore her cargo pants (her torso was covered with chain main that reached the middle of her thighs and reach down to just above her elbows).
"So how did you end up here? Where are you going?" Tess asked smiling from under the helmet, which came down to her chin. A metal band ran across her face, protecting her nose, with two large gaps for eyes.
"No! You're explaining first! And...just gimme a minute to finish looking at you," Naomi muttered holding her friend at arms length and inspecting what appeared to be injuries. It was hard for Naomi to tell since most of it was hidden under amour, Tess wore a lot of it over her old clothes though most of it was old and rusty looking. Gauntlets covered both her forearms with extended bits to cover the top of her hands but left her fingers and thumbs free. Her right shoulder was covered by a rusty metal spaulder, and her left was covered by an old leather one. A thick belt wrapped tightly around her waist held up a sort of leather skirt that protected the sides of her thighs and the back of her legs, though the front was still open to allow her to run. Finally her dirty cargo pants and feet were stuffed into, perhaps once shiny, leather boots that looked two or three sizes too big. The mismatched rusty armor, the old leather, the bow and quiver strapped to her back filled with black, feral looking arrows, the discarded orc weapon on the floor, the cuts and bruises all over Tess' body.
Naomi burst into tears again.
Tess smiled gently, the cut on her upper lip stretching slightly, before she wrapped an arm around Naomi's shaking shoulders.
"Why don't I take you to where i've been hiding out? The creatures haven't found it so it'll be safe for you to rest there while you tell what you lot have been up to then I'll explain what i've been up to these past few months,"
"Months!? How long have you been here for!? Are you sure!?" Naomi bubbled desperatly and rather incoherently, her head throbbing with all the new information and her eyes burning as tears cascaded down her cheeks. The only other time she'd cried this much was when she first woke up in Rivendell.
"I believe that would be a wise decision," Gandalf said nodding with a small smile, Tess grinned back before taking Naomi's hand and pulling her towards what everyone had thought was a dead end, instead there was a thin and short door that was hidden from view.
"You'll have to watch your head and your step," Tess warned as she led Naomi up, everyone else following single file. After a little while they emerged through a trap door into a room with a high ceiling and once everyone was up Tess closed the wooden trap door and locked it.
"It's very unlikely they'll find us but...just in case," Tess explained as she took off her quiver and bow. Before she turned to the group whom were marveling at the room.
"Why, it be one of the storage rooms! Clever girl!" Gimli stated taking a seat on a pile of furs, the others following his lead. The furs were old and dusty, but were more comfortable than the ground and stone they'd all been sitting on for weeks.
"Not really, I stumbled on it when I was running from those things that-,"
"Goblins," Legolas put it, looking out a small opening in the wall that looked down at the hall.
"Yeah, Goblins and...there are some other ones as well, what are they called?"
"Orcs perhaps?" Boromir offered, Tess scrunched up her nose.
"Probably, they all smell bad and look disgusting," She shivered before she pulled her helmet off, dark copper, brown hair tumbled out and down her back to her waist, matted together with grime, dried blood and grease. Brown eyes glinted even in the dark, cheerful unlike their emotionless state before.
"So, what have I got here? Title and race if you please," She asked propping her hands on her hips and surveying the Fellowship. She was short, only came up to Boromir's shoulder, but looked strong and had commanding presence.
"I am the wizard Gandalf the Grey, though I go by many titles, this is Gimli son of Gloin," The old wizard said nodding towards Gimli, who nodded his head.
"You are a dwarf," Tess stated tilting her head and crossing her arms.
"That I am," He stated proudly, Tess suddenly softened
"Sorry about your people, it hurts to lose people you care about,"
"Oh keep on with the intro's already! You're gonna make me cry again," Naomi said pouting. Chuckling Tess looked to the next person.
"Boromir of Gondor, first son of the Steward of Gondor," Boromir said bowing from where he stood next to Merry and Pippin.
"He's human," Merry told her and Tess smiled.
"And so's Aragorn," Pippin said looking to the ranger leaning against the wall near Frodo and Sam, he nodded his head in a bow before Tess looked to the two Hobbits next to him.
"And you guys are?"
"Hobbits!" Pippin cried running to stand next to Frodo, Merry next to him.
"We are the proud folk of the Shire," Merry said bowing and smiling to her.
"And what are your names, Proud Folk of the Shire?" Tess asked grinning at the their antics.
"I am Meriadoc Brandybuck, though you can call me Merry,"
"And I am Peregrin Took!"
"Pippin for short," Merry added in, and Pippin nodded before turning to Sam.
"Samwise Gamgee, Miss, just Sam is fine mind you," He said quietly, before he smiled quickly and turned to Frodo.
"And this 'ere is Mister Frodo,"
"Frodo Baggins, pleasure to meet the woman that Naomi has talked so fondly about," Frodo said smiling to Naomi, who looked back innocently.
"Whaaaat?" Tess chuckled before turning to the last person in the room.
"Legolas Greenleaf, an Elf of the Woodland Realm of Northern Mirkwood,"
"Well it's very nice to meet you all, but I have to ask, what are you all doing here and how did you end up with Naomi in your wake?"
"Give 'em a break, Tessabell, we'll explain after you have," Naomi said waving her hand as she wiped at her nose.
"Tessabell? Then that is your full name?" Legolas asked after watching Naomi concerned for a minute.
"No, my name is Tess Pedlar, and if you really wanna hear it I'll tell you my story," She said plonking herself down next to Naomi.
"Oh nooo, my best friend come back from the dead, missing for several months! Who'd wanna know that story," Naomi said sarcastically, although it wasn't picked up by most in the room.
"I'd like t'know!" Pippin said excitedly, Merry and Sam nodding.
"For a wee lass to wind up in the halls of Moria, it should be an interesting tale indeed!" Gimli said pulling out his pipe.
"Alright then, where should I begin?" Tess said twiddling with her fingers whilst thinking.
"My first impression of, Moria did you call it, was that it was a very...interesting place,"
Author's Note: WOO! Tess is HERE! Found not an hour after they entered Moria! For all those who read this thinking "Naomi is such a wuss, crying that much," you wake up one day, find yourself in middle-earth your Best Friend gone and lost for several MONTHS then find her in a deep dark hole, it is very overwhelming! Anyways, to anyone who is actually READING this I A: Thankyou and B: hope you are enjoying the story XD (cos I am lol)
Reviews will make me smile!