After our night in the cave, we did not have a long rest until we reached a large stone on a hill top almost a week later. We rested here for a day before continuing the treacherous journey that lay ahead of us. As we rested, the young Merry and Pippin sparred with Boromir while Estel sat nearby and coached the two young hobbits. Gandalf stood by and looked towards the mountain with a worried look on his face. As Gimli walked over to him I heard something about the Mine of Moria and shivered. That place, and the creature it kept, was enough to frighten even a powerful wizard such as Gandalf. I had a right to fear the place.

"Cold, Lúthien?" Legolas had apparently walked up behind me when I had shivered.

"I am alright, Legolas," I responded as I turned to face him. "The mention of an awful place just sent a chill through my spine."

"Ah, not scarred are we?" He teased.

"No," I retorted bleakly as he smirked down at me. "I do not fear the place, only the creature it keeps within it."

"Ah, I see," Legolas's faced turned serious or a moment as I revealed to him a small and menial truth. "Hopefully, we will not step foot into that place."

"It is not within Gandalf's plan," I admitted. "However, I fear something may happen to drive us off our planned course." Legolas nodded solemnly. As a moment of silence passed over us, we heard a shriek of a fierce creature.

"Crebain from Dunland," Legolas shouted to the others. I had no idea what the creatures were, but I sensed Legolas's fear. As Estel told everyone else to hide, Legolas dragged me behind a rock. While I hid against the rock's surface, Legolas crouched behind me as if to protect me from the creatures. Once they had passed overhead, Legolas got up slowly, as did Estel, to make sure they did not turn around.

"The way is clear, Lúthien," Legolas confirmed for me as he reached out a hand to help me off the ground. I nodded my thanks as we all reconvened in the center of our make shift camp.

"What were those?" I asked trembling again for I could still hear the beast's far of cries. Only Legolas saw the tremble and he lightly laid a hand on my shoulder. I did not retreat for the hand nor did I acknowledge its presence on my shoulder. I merely let it be.

"Spies of Saruman," Gandalf answered me as he looked up at the ominous mountain above us. "Our path to the south is being watched. We must take the path that takes us through the pass of Caradhras."

From the way Gandalf was looking towards the mountain, I assumed that that is the pass he was referring to. The peaks were high and covered in what seemed to be feet of snow. This detour would add days, if not weeks, to this journey. Our one days rest was cut short as we decided to make our way up the mountain as soon as we could. We all slept for a short while before we were all up and moving again.

The trip up the mountain was quick moving until we reached the snow covered area. Legolas and I still sprinted forward to scout out paths for any signs of danger. The hobbits were buried almost chest deep within the snow and there relatively large hobbit toes were turning blue with frost bite.

A cry of Frodo's name from Gandlaf caused me to turn around and see as the young hobbit had tripped and started to roll back down the mountain. Estel had stopped the hobbit, but the ring had fallen from around Frodo's neck as he rolled. Before Boromir could be too transfixed by the ring's appearance, I grabbed it by the chain and ran it down to Frodo.

"Here you are, Master Hobbit," I said as I put the ring back around his neck. As Frodo looked up at me with a thankful look in his eyes I smiled and turned my back to him. "Climb onto my back, Frodo, I will carry you for a time," the defeated hobbit didn't argue as Estel wrapped his numb arms around my neck and I lifted him from the snow and onto my back. I quickly caught up to Legolas as the hobbit had managed to find a way to fall asleep on my back.

From then on, we periodically allowed the Hobbits to rest on the backs of Legolas, Estel, Boromir, and myself. This allowed for swifter movements and lest rest stops as the rest of us were accustomed to long journeys with little rest and did not need to stop as frequently.

The further we climb up the mountain, the worse the conditions became. It snowed in blizzard like conditions for days on end. Legolas and I gave up scouting because it was of no use anymore. We could hardly see the hands in front of our faces. Though we were not scouting, Legolas paused and held up a hand to stop me.

"What do you see," I asked quite concerned.

"I see nothing," Legolas replied. "But I hear a voice on the wind." He paused and listened before he called out, "Get against the mountain, now!"

Before I could comprehend what was happening, Legolas had pinned me between the wall of the mountain and his chest and the mountain crumbled down around us. We were buried in snow past my head but I could not tell how deeply Legolas had been buried for he was at least a foot taller then I. I soon felt hands digging to bury me out.

As my face resurfaced, a worried voice asked if I was alright. Although I could not tell whose voice it was, I nodded my answer and moved away from Legolas's arms.

"Gandalf," Estel called as he shielded Sam and Frodo from the falling rocks. "He is trying to bring the mountain down! We must turn back!"

"No," Gandlaf called out his response as he slipped away from the mountain's side and uttered words in an ancient elven language in an attempt to counteract Saruman's attack on us.

"Why do we still stand here," Boromir called as he continued to shield Merry and Pippin. "We must turn around or it shall be the death of us all!"

"What foolishness," cried GImli, "and add more days to this trip. Gandlaf, we should go through the Mines of Moria. It is faster and far safer then up here!"

As Gandalf ceased his retaliation against Saruman, he turned to Frodo. "We shall let the ring bearer decide," he decided.

All eyes, including my own turned to Frodo as we awaited his decision. "We shall go through the mines," he decided after a short while. Gandlaf's face turned even more downtrodden as he agreed with the Hobbit's decision and started towards the path that led us down the mountain to the mines. My own eyes widened in a sense of fear I could conceal from all but Legolas who laid another hand on my shoulder in comfort.