Celeste's POV:
So, we ended up walking up Caradhras, in two feet of snow. And it kept getting deeper as we got further up.I'm normally a huge fan of snow, but after what happened last time I was in it, I wasn't that keen to step in it again. I kept myself calm, but on the inside, I was honestly freaking out. And not coming from a Mary Sue position, but I just don't want anything bad to happen, or for anyone to get hurt. In most of the silences that followed, I kept reliving the moment on the school grounds, over and over again in my head.
"Are you okay?" Ron asked me, snapping me out of reliving that moment for the 20th time. I looked at him, and I didn't respond. He continued. "You look kind of uncomfortable."
I looked forward and continued trying to get through the snow and harsh incline. "Snow is ruined for me." Is all I whispered to him.
"Yeah, me too." He replied, and I understood entirely. He kept thinking what happened was his fault.
"It's not your fault, what happened, you understand that, right." I state to him, as I focus on untying my plait, to cover my neck from the harsh winds. He looked at me, as I brushed my hand through my scarlet hair. "It's mine. I take full responsibility."
"No you don't, Cel. Don't be stupi-" He began, but I cut him off.
"I don't remember it being you who ran outside." I snapped, and I felt terrible. Tears stung my eyes, and in the uncomfortable silence that followed, one discreetly fell down my face.
We were all about halfway up the side of the mountain now, and the snow was still deep. I pulled my hood up, as I wiped the tear away, but my footing slipped. My left foot didn't get far enough out of the snow and I fell on my face. Well, almost.
Ron, who reacted quickly, managed to grab me under my arms, so I didn't fall entirely into the snow, only up to my knees. I quickly stood up again, thanked Ron and carried on walking.
"Hey." Ron said, grabbing my attention. "I've been thinking about something..." He drifted off, and I braced myself for the questioning. "Since when have you been able to fight with a sword, and a bow and arrow? I've never seen you practice." I sighed. Not the question I've been dreading.
"Well, my Aunt Hayley and her husband taught me." I explained. "She married a muggle martial arts instructor, who also teaches sword fighting and archery. They've both been teaching me every summer since I was turned 7."
"Why?" Ron asked. I shrugged, wrapping my arms around myself, to try and make myself warmer.
"No idea." I admitted, racking my brain. "Although my mum said it was so I could defend myself if anything happened. Convenient, really. I also practice at Hogwarts, too."
"I don't think I've ever seen you practice though."
"That's because I sneak out of Gryffindor tower every Saturday and Sunday I have free, and head to a hidden, deserted classroom on the third floor. It's near where Fluffy used to be hiding."
Fluffy was Hagrid's 3 headed guard dog. He was one of the obstacles we had to get past in our first year, to save the Philosopher's stone from Voldemort.
"People still don't go near th-?" He's cut off from answering, as there was a shout from behind us and we both turned around to look.
We looked in time, to see Frodo fall over in the snow, and roll downhill a little before Aragorn stopped him from rolling any further, and helped him sand up again. Instantly after rising to his feet, Frodo began checking under his shirt for the chain with the Ring on. his searching became frantic; his face showed terror, and I realised then, that while he was rolling in the snow, the chain cam off from around his neck.
Something small glistened in the snow, quite close to where Boromir was standing, which he noticed, and he picked it up. The Ring.
"Boromir." I heard Aragorn warn, his eyes fixed on Boromir.
"It is a strange fate, that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing." He muttered to himself, but it was loud enough so that we could all hear it. "So small a thing." He muttered even quieter, and pulled the Ring closer to himself.
"Boromir!" Aragorn snapped again, and this time, I could see Boromir snap out of his trance. He lifted his head to look at Aragorn. "Give the Ring to Frodo." He stated, with an expression set like stone. Boromir stepped backwards, hesitated for a second, before finally giving back the Ring to Frodo.
"As you wish." He states, holding the chain out. Frodo quickly snatched it away, and slipped the Ring back around his neck. "I care not." Boromir ruffled Frodo's hair, before turning around, and beginning to walk up the mountain again. Everyone stared at him for a few seconds before we began walking too.
The winds grew harsher and the light snow turned into a full on blizzard the higher we climbed up the mountain. It wasn't long before the snow was past the heads of the Hobbits, meaning they had to be carried.
Gandalf led the way, charging through the snow with Boromir behind him, carrying Merry and Pippin, then me, the Aragorn carrying Sam and Frodo. Ron brought up the rear, leading Bill who had Gimli on his back. Legolas walked on top of the snow (Which I thought was unfair) so he would scout ahead, giving directions.
My hood was over my head, but the wind keeps pulling it down again. Half of the time, I was trying to hold it up, or keeping myself warm.
When we were almost reaching halfway over, Gandalf slowed to get us past a really big snow drift, with Legolas looking out over the edge of the path - into a ravine we knew was there, only it wasn't visible in the snowy conditions. The wind was at its all time highest, and we had to keep staring at our feet with our heads bent, to stop the snow from flowing into our eyes. I kept my hands glued to the sides of my hood, and just focusing on self control, to stop myself freezing to death. That tactic lasted about a millisecond. My lips were cracked, my teeth chattering away, and I had to wrap my arms around me, to try and avoid pneumonia. I heard just over the wind, Legolas shout something to us.
"There is a fell voice on the air." Was on the lines of what he said.
"It's Saruman!" I heard Gandalf roar in response. I heard a crack - like thunder - above us, and I looked to see massive chunks of rock from the top of the mountain tumble down towards us. Everyone slammed themselves into the cliff face to our left, with the debris that fell past us moments later only just missing us all. If this actually was Saruman, then he is a total Bastard.
"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn shouted from behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder to see him. " We must turn back!" He yelled to Gandalf.
"No!" He replied, looking pretty desperate. He turned back around, and stood higher out of the snow, abandoning the snow drift, before raising his staff and chanting something into the wind. It didn't do anything.
Another crack sounded, and a bolt of lightning struck the snow on the top of the mountain. And a loud rumbling sound made Sam look up. He gasped, and I turned to look at him. He wore an expression of panic, and his eyes were wide with fear. Following his gaze, my eyes looked up to the sky to discover what made him gasp.
Tons and tons of snow was falling towards us; we were all standing under an avalanche. "Oh shit." I muttered, and at the same time, everyone else looked upwards. Once again, we all lurched into the ragged mountain side with a yell, and took a massive breath, as the snow fell on top of us, cutting off the air, and the light that I had. The coldness hit me first; the wet slush dripped around me and down my back, and I cringed, catching my breath and temporarily freezing in shock.
After I got over it, I began clawing up in the dark, to try and get out. I stretched and found the top of the snow pile I was buried in. I had a split second's light and air, before the snow fell around my arm, and blocked it out again, dropping my body temperature in the process. I clawed my left hand out, and attempted to get rid of the snow from the outside.
But I was losing oxygen, yet I kept going. I didn't manage it. I could feel myself going light-headed, seconds away from passing out. But before I could, someone grabbed my arms and pulled me out of the snow. I gasped in air, when my head and shoulders cleared the drift, and the cold winds brought me back to my senses. I was so cold, I thought I was going to cry. I closed my eyes to fight off the feeling. I was shivering uncontrollably, and the person who pulled me out of the snow, wrapped their arms around me, and pulled me closer.
I kinda felt better instantly, but I wasn't out of the woods yet, and neither anyone else. I heard a distant debate over where we'd go next; Boromir suggested heading near Isenguard - to Gondor - but Aragorn dismissed the idea. Gimli suggested heading to Moria (again...) and I opened my eyes to see how Gandalf would take it. I could only see his face- seeing as how we were all still (to an extent) buried in the snow - and he looked pretty frightened. As if he knew something about Moria that we didn't. He was silent for a moment, thinking I guess, before he spoke again.
"Let the Ring-bearer decide." He responded. Oh that's kind(!) Passing on all the weight onto Frodo's shoulders. We all glanced over to him, and he stared back at us all, wide-eyed and panicked. He began thinking quickly, debating with himself. The silence from him was painful, and my mind strayed to other things; mainly the fact that I was freezing! I pulled my hood over my head, and all the snow that was caught in my hood, fell down my back, once again lowering my body temperature.
I squealed quietly and tears brimmed my eyes, as the feeling of cold returned. My nose burned, and just when I thought that it was going to be fine, I sneezed. Great, a cold(!) I opened my eyes again, and glanced up at who was holding me. Legolas was who I saw, and he didn't glance back, he was just looking at the others- though we were all standing in a sort of line.
I glanced back at Frodo, just as he began to speak again, giving us his decision. "We will go through the mines." He stated clearly, and I snapped my head back to Gandalf, to see him sigh in fustration (though it was well hidden).
"So be it." He stated. Legolas let go of me, and we all began walking back down the mountain, with us all freezing in the snow, that had somehow managed to return to where it started off.