Chapter 8: Deep Places
Tess was silent for a long time, her brown eyes down cast while she sucked on her bottom lip in deep thought. Naomi watched her carefully trying to see into friend's mind, the Fellowship also watching tensely in fear that she might try to take the Ring. So when she suddenly popped her lips everyone but Aragorn and Gandalf jumped.
"Well it seems this is a dangerous journey you're all making; no doubt you have and will run into things worse than me,"
"Thanks for the heads up Captain Obvious," Naomi muttered sarcastically, earning a whack on the back of her head, Tess continued on, hardly paying attention to the blonde's grumbles.
"Anyway, I believe we can all benefit from the current situation"
This was where Naomi stopped rubbing the back of her head and raised an eyebrow at the new business like tone Tess' voice had taken on.
"If you let me travel with you it will get me outta this hole and I can put someone else between Frodo and harm," she proposed looking to Gandalf, everyone ignored Pippin's question of 'who?' and turned to the wizard. But it was the Ring Bearer that responded.
"You offer to protect my life, even though the journey may cost you your own. Why do you make such an offer to help those you do not know?" Frodo questioned with a frown. Tess gaze shifted to him; her brown eyes burning with an inner fire, a small smile holding her plump lips.
"Because, Mister Baggins, I can tell you are good people, each of you protecting things that are dear to you; Middle Earth is my home now and I will protect it to the best of my abilities. You are the last hope my new home has and if I die keeping that hope alive…then I will consider myself to be a very lucky person," Tess lips were parted now in a bright smile that had grown throughout her speech, and for an instant Naomi could imagine her best friend bravely facing off entire armies to her last dying breath.
"Of course the other reason is that I'd like to be by Naomi's side in case she gets in trouble and needs me to save her ass," the imagine in Naomi's mind evaporated as Tess childishly wrapped her arm around Naomi's neck and twisted her fist in her hair, effectively making it stand up in clumps.
"Hey hey hey!" Naomi protested wiggling in an attempt to get away, but they both knew it was futile against Tess' new iron like grip.
"I give!" she admitted at last and Tess lifted her arm, a grin showing her delight at beating her friend. Naomi meanwhile was fanning her face as her blue eyes watered.
"You need a goddamn bath," the complaint was met with an unlady-like snort. Tess couldn't get rid of the smell of blood and grime mixed with sweat even if she wanted to, the chance of stumbling upon a hot bath in Moria was a rather….improbable notion.
"Well, now that the matter of Miss Tess has been handled, I do believe it is time for us to be heading on," Gandalf said whilst placing his hat back on his head and tucking his pipe into his robes. The others followed his example and packed in a few new supplies that Tess had lying around while she created her own pack and collected her weapons. Naomi watched fascinated as Tess re-attached everything she'd taken off before; belts with knife looking weapons were wrapped on each leg, the thick leather belt around her waist holding two slightly rusty axes and the misshapen orc blade. Finally the quiver full of savage black arrows on her back, the bow slung over her left shoulder. Noticing the pair of eyes on her Tess flashed a quick smile to Naomi, before disappearing down the stairs to the black room below.
"It's a wonder, she hardly makes any noise," The velvet voice behind her made Naomi's heart thump and butterflies soar in her stomach.
"I'm just waiting for her to trip, she was really clumsy in our old world…," Legolas chuckled once before following Gandalf and Aragorn down the steps, the four Hobbits and Naomi following after with Boromir and Gimli taking up the rear.
Tess meanwhile was hissing like a cat at a dog with annoyance as she waited in the darkness for Gandalf. The light from Gandalf's staff had ruined her ability to see in the dark, and she was NOT happy. Finally the wizard was coming down the stairs and the light from his staff slowly started to fill the destroyed room. It was in the faint grey glow that something moved in the very edge of Tess' sight. The instinct that she'd been clinging to for the past few months kicked in and she immediately retreated a few steps back, her hand flying to the blade at her waist. Nothing else moved however as Gandalf arrived behind her.
"Have no fear, child, that creature is no threat to us,"
Yet…was the word left hovering as the grey man moved passed her.
"Not a child," Tess mumbled under her breath whilst she tucked her hair up into her helmet. But it was still caught by the ever observant Aragorn.
"Gandalf has many more years than perhaps all our ages put together, we are but children in his eyes," The ranger whispered with a faraway look as the rest of the Fellowship entered the room.
"That doesn't make me a child; that makes him a reallyold man…though he doesn't quite look it," she retorted and Aragorn grinned at her.
"Looks can be deceiving," He stated before gesturing her to fall into the line. Tess raised a suspicious eyebrow and reminded herself to ask again when silence wasn't a key part of survival.
The company moved quickly and quietly. Since the long break they had taken in the storage room they had not stopped, walking, jumping and climbing quietly for hours in silence only broken by footfalls, breathes and the odd rock or book slipping from its hold. Everyone was on edge, eyes darting to the shadows at the edge of Gandalf's staff and Aragorn's newly lit torch. The line was single file with Gandalf at the front, followed by Legolas, Gimli and Tess. Behind the less jumpy dwarf and woman, their months underground allowed them some relief in the constricting darkness, were the extremely jumpy Naomi, Frodo and Sam. Boromir was next, looking over his shoulder to constantly make sure Pippin and Merry were safe. Trailing behind them was Aragorn, his torch giving the needed light for those at the rear. At one point the group was stopped as Gandalf explained where the wealth of Moria came from, the silver veins running through the rock known as Mithril. His example included him raising the intensity of light and letting them see the colossal cavern that was once the great mines of Moria. Naomi recoiled and pushed herself as far into the wall away from the drop as possible, her stomach churning at the thought of the rock beneath them giving at any moment. A steep set of stairs was next to be conquered, large stalactites hanging from the roof beside them like long forgotten spears. Pippin slipped a few times on dusty old books that were thrown about the staircase. Naomi watched her brunette friend despair at the sight of them, Tess loved books and the sight made her heart squeeze. Naomi meanwhile was observing her surroundings, the lack of sound and movement freaked her out a little and the thought of hundreds of dwarves being ambushed and killed…she stopped thinking about it right there. She lifted her foot above the stairs to the landing and gasped out as a fairly large spider ran across the exact spot she was going to step. She leaned back out of surprise and almost screamed when there was nothing to step back to. She didn't fall too far as four arms flew out and grabbed her.
"And you think I'M the clumsy one," Tess berated as she lead Naomi away from the stairs.
"There was a spider-," Naomi started, earning an eye roll and a muttering of 'hopeless' from Tess as she walked away. Then seven words that no one should ever wish to hear from Gandalf were uttered in confusion.
"I have no memory of this place…," A small set of stairs that circled around provided somewhere for the group to sit whilst the Grey Wizard sat at the top and smoked, looking at the three possible doorways. Several of the males pulled out pipes also as they waited, Pippin complained about how they were lost and that he was hungry. Naomi sat on a rock beside Legolas, who kept watch with his sharp elf eyes, Boromir and Aragorn both sat at the top of the stairs looking at nothing in particular. Tess however was making use of this time and after grabbing a few of the books lying about sat next to Gimli and asked him to translate. All but two were about different styles of mining and held little interest to Tess, but the others interested her greatly. One was a small book, as big as her hand spread out, and it was about different jewels and where they could be found. Illustrations with faded ink colouring were on every second page, showing gems, jewels and crystals in their natural and polished versions. The second book was the same size and was filled with dwarf poems and songs, though Gimli assured her that there were far too many to all be written in one book. When Gandalf eagerly pointed in a direction, both books were swiftly tucked into Tess' pouch on her belt (something she'd found in rubble they'd passed). The line formed again and the fellowship followed some more steps down a curving path, emerging in a colder place.
"Let me risk a little more light," The light on Gandalf's staff lit up once again and revealed a vast chamber filled with massive rock columns reaching far beyond the line of sight.
"Behold…the great realm and Dwarf-city of Dwarrowdelf," The wizard announced grandly as everyone looked about themselves.
"There's an eye opener and no mistake," Sam admitted in awe, Naomi nodding in agreement. Tess' eyes sparkled as she imagined the halls filled with dwarves going about their business, the emptiness of the mines was really started to hit her as she travelled further around without seeing any orcs or goblins. Gandalf's light faded as they walked on, and Naomi shivered. Anybody could see them walking out here and there was little protection, so it was explainable when the Fellowship grouped in a clump rather than the previous single file. Naomi walked a little easier with Legolas on her left hand and Tess on her right. The pitter patter of feet was interrupted with a startled gasp and the heavy footfall of Gimli as he broke into a run towards a side room. The skeletal remains of goblins, orcs and dwarves lay thrown about the outside of the wooden double doors and a strange light shone from the inside. The group entered to find Gimli kneeling before a large rock tomb, sad moans and dry sobs shaking the distressed dwarf.
"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria," Gandalf read the rhunes carved into the top of the tomb, for they were in dwarvish and not all could read the bad news.
"He is dead then…it's as I feared," the wizard said gravely as he removed his hat. Aragorn laid a comforting hand on Gimli's shoulder as Tess and Naomi bowed their heads in respect, for they had both experienced the pain of losing someone precious. Something caught Gandalf's eye and he passed his hat and staff to Pippin to pick up the very thick and dusty book. Pages and dirt crumbled and fell from the book as Gandalf lifted it and he had to blow dust away before her could examine it.
"We must move on. We cannot linger," Legolas muttered to Aragorn, only to be interrupted by Gandalf reading from the tattered book.
"They have taken the bridge…and the second hall. We have barred the gates…but cannot hold them for long…," Everyone was paying attention as the words filled the room eerie room.
"The ground shakes…drums…drums in the deep…," The wizard paused to look up, before turning the page, Naomi's heart pounded against her rib cage as she swallowed, though her mouth was dry. Everyone was looking around as the darkness seemed to close in around them.
"We cannot get out…A shadow moves in the dark…," Naomi reached out and grasped Tess' hand tightly, trying not to vision the last terrifying moments of the dead around her. Tess meanwhile was watching Pippin out the corner of her eye as he stared intently at a skeleton holding a bucket with chain, sitting on the edge of a well.
"We cannot get out...they are coming…," Gandalf looked up, his mouth set in a grim line as he watched everyone's expressions. Pippin however had reached out a twisted the arrow protruding from the skeleton's chest ever so slightly, but it was enough for the fragile neck to break and the head to slip backwards down the well. Tess' arms flew around Naomi's face as she let out a terrified scream. It was just in time and what would have been heard for miles was muffled. The clattering of the head, followed by the entire body, bucket and chain, down the well was not so quiet. Pippin winced at every crash and thud, an anguished look on his normally relaxed face. Everyone held their breath as the skeleton found a resting place, and sighed out when there was no other sounds to follow it. Gandalf was not happy.
"Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time, and rid us of your stupidity," The wizard said angrily as he snatched back his staff and hat. Naomi had never seen Pippin so forlorn, but his face froze as a soft thud was heard. Gandalf also paused to look back at the well, as another dull thud rang out.
Dum-dum…..dum-dum-dum… dumdumdum-dumdumdumdum-dumdumdum…
But the drums weren't the only bad thing, they were soon followed by a screeching that Tess knew all too well. She lowered her hands from Naomi's head to allow her access to air should she wish to scream, it didn't matter now that all bad things knew where they were. Tess broke the Fellowship's silence with something that made all their hearts sink to the pits of their stomachs.
"…They are coming,"
Dun-dun duuuuuuuuuun.
Yes, another short chapter I know, but the next one WILL be longer because it's the fight scene, and it's kinda why this one is so short, I wanted to have the fight in its own scene :)
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