Hello to whom ever is reading this,
You're at chapter four and I'm hoping you're enjoying the story. If you're reading this to make fun of it, let me know and I will laugh alongside you. I do wish you are reading this for the first reason though.
Anyways, read and review. Suggestions are welcome. Same with mostly constructive criticism or criticism in general.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Only my own character(s) and plot twists.
Hope you enjoy.
The snow grows heavy and the wind draws thick as we made our way higher up the mountain pass. I hardly have any feeling in my hands and feet as the cold snow clings to my shivering body and the freezing air hits my face, stinging the exposed skin. Turning down towards the packed snow, I grasp my worn cloak tighter against myself even though I know it's useless against the cold.
Gandalf leads us with Legolas's guidance while Aragorn and Boromir carry the hobbits along. Legolas tends to wander between different spots in our company but he's usually with the wizard. Also, I'm not entirely sure where Gimli is, but he's definitely not behind me as I've made sure that I am the last in the line.
I hold onto Bill's reins and blindly follow the trail left by the fellowship ahead, catching a glimpse of the elf lightly walking towards me as if checking up on me. He's seemingly unaffected by freezing temperature. 'Legolas is dressed in such light clothing and yet he's looks fine.' I think to myself. 'Damn elfs.' Of course I don't actually mean it but, sometimes I think elves have it way too easy. He turns back to the front and once he in the lead, he pauses in front of the wizard and stares out over the edge of the cliff as if looking for something. I follow his gaze and see nothing except the clouds in the sky and the mountains ahead. His lips move but the voice is drowned out.
"It's Saruman!" Gandalf suddenly yells above the roar of the wind.
A loud crash comes from above and I only watch for a second as the large chunks of snow and rock fall before I quickly dive to the wall of ice, silently hoping that I won't get injured or thrown off the narrow cliff. The thundering sound of the hard blocks hitting the rim of the mountain vibrates through my chest as I try to slow my racing heart. For the next few moments, nobody moves and nothing is heard except for the whistling of the wind.
Moving back on the path, I brush the white snow off of my cloak while still trying to calm my nerves. I do a quick scan of Bill to make sure he's alright and pull his reins closer to the group.
"He's trying to bring the mountain down! Gandalf! We must turn back!" Aragorn declares urgently. I agree with the ranger. We can't go on much further, even without Saruman trying to stop us. The fellowship is exhausted and freezing and if we continue, I fear that the halflings won't survive.
"No!" Gandalf responds firmly and raises his staff towards the gloomy sky.
"Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho I ruith." He chants slowly. I recognize his words although I do not know what they mean, they're in the elven language of Sindarin.
Another loud bang is heard and immediately I throw myself against the wall for a second time. A chunk of snow slams into my upper body and I'm lost underneath the frozen blanket of snow.
The first thing I notice is the weight barring down on my chest, and my limbs being compressed in a coffin of snow and ice and the inability to move. I open my mouth to breathe but I inhale snow. There's no air here. Taking a few seconds, I close my eyes and calm mind knowing full well that if I panic, I will die. Forcefully, I push my arm in front of me praying that I am face up. My hand is so numb that I can't tell if I have broken the surface or not. I drag myself to where I hope the surface is. With every second that passes, my lungs feel like they're going to explode and I desperately push forward breaking the cover of the snow. Pulling the rest of my body up, I lie gasping and shivering, drained at the amount of work it took to free myself. Slowly, I catch my breath and I peel myself from the ground, watching the hobbits getting rescued by the two men.
"We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the West road to my city." Boromir suggests.
"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard." Aragorn implies.
"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria." Gimli says proudly. Gondor, or Moria? From what I've heard of Moria, I'd choose Gondor even though it takes us close to Isengard. From the look on Gandalf's face, he agrees with me. All of us wait for the wizards choice.
Then, the unexpected happens. "Let the ring bearer decide." I turn my attention to Frodo and watch as he tenses under Gandalf's words. 'Why would you put that much pressure on the person who already has a lot to bear?'
"Frodo?"Gandalf asks, waiting for his answer.
"We will go through the mines." My heart and hope dropped when I heard Frodo's decision.
"So be it."
The light of the moon is hidden in the clouds as we arrive at spot on the mountain where the snow doesn't touch. The air is cold (although not as cold as the freezing air further up the mountain) a pool of murky water lay in front of the entrance to the mines. I don't know how we plan to get into the mines because this so called 'entrance' is just a wall of rough stone.
I hand Bill's reins over to Sam and watch as the fellowship follows after Gandalf.
"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed." Gimli says while we start searching for the entryway.
"Even their masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten." Gandalf adds. 'Then how are we supposed to find it?' I think to myself, annoyed at our current plan.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas says and I grin at his comment.
"The walls of Moria." Gimli says with aw in his voice. Gandalf raises his arm and presses it against the wall, slowly tracing small veins of silver running in the stone. He turns, looks at the moon and then mumbles something about starlight and moonlight. And as if the moon was listening, the clouds cleared and the beam of light shone down onto the rocky surface.
The intricate designs grew broader and clearer revealing beautiful designs lined with ancient symbols.
"It reads, The door of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter." Gandalf reads aloud while following the script with his staff.
"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked.
"It's quite simple. If you are a friend, speak the password and the doors will open." Gandalf replies confidently. He knows the password then?
Gandalf places his staff against the gateway and starts speaking. "Annon edhellen, edro hi ammen!" Anticipation grows as we wait for something to happen. After a moment, Gandalf tries again. "Fennas nogothrim, lasto beth lammen!" And just like last time, it had no effect.
"Nothings happening." Pippin says stating the obvious as Gandalf tries pushing against the door. A cold chill passes over us, adding to the growing disappointment.
"I once knew every spell in all the tongues of elfs, men and orcs." The wizard mumbles quietly.
"What are you going to do then?" Pippin asks.
"Knock your 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." Looks like we're going to be here for a while. And with that, everyone dispersed and went to do their own things while we waited.
Taking out my dagger and examining it, I make sure it's still it good condition when I hear footsteps and a gloved hand on my shoulder. I spin around, aiming my blade up at the person's neck on instinct. I stop my dagger right at the man's neck and watch as he stares at it in shock with his hands raised to say that he's not armed. I let out a sigh of relief, sheath my weapon and look up at Boromir.
"I'm sorry for what I did." He begins, the look of shame hinted on his face. "Back when I grabbed you, it was not right of me and I didn't mean to do it. I couldn't control myself. Please forgive me." I smirk at his apology. I never imagined I would get one.
"It's okay." I say quietly. "I am sorry as well. I was a fool and I should have found a better hiding place so I can't blame you for your actions. I put all of us at risk." I look down at the ground my voice catches, I can't believe what I'm about to say next. "I forgive you."
He smiles and puts a hand on my shoulder. "You are forgiven as well. I'm glad we have this settled." Giving me a quick pat on the shoulder, he flashes me a warm smile and walks towards Aragorn and Sam who are getting Bill ready to go off on his own.
Silently, I walk past Legolas and stand in the shadow of one of the trees, out of sight. Now to do something I've dreaded for a long while. I hold out my covered arm and stare at it, I know I have to check it but, I'm afraid at what I'll see. Taking a deep breath, I slowly reach down towards the light cloth that hides the black print. I close my eyes and quickly pull the sleeve up past my elbow. A quick peek at the writing shows me that nothing different, so I move my arm to the light, just to make sure. Then I notice it. The numbers bled thin branches of dark ink that wrapped almost completely around my arm, like thin black branches on my skin. Almost reminding me of multiple spider webs. Staring at the symbols, I start to shake as I get lost in the horrifying image of the thin lines tracing over my entire body, consuming it in darkness.
Closing my eyes, I instantly I pull my sleeve down, take another deep breath and head back to where the others are. I place myself on the rough shale and look out onto the cloudy water, trying not to let my mind wander on what appears to be my terrifying future. Something small catches my eyes near my feet. A small smile forms on my face as I pick up the white flower and hold it gently in my hands, keeping the good memories near.
Suddenly, I'm knocked out of my thoughts as I hear a loud sound and instantly I'm on my feet, dagger raised. Another splash is heard and I look over at Merry and Pippin who are throwing stones into the water. I sheath my weapon and watch as the rippling in the water fans out over the surface.
"Do not disturb the waters." Aragorn warns as he catches Pippin's arm mid-throw. He looks over at Boromir, who I'm guessing is thinking the same think as the ranger.
"What is the Elvish word for friend?" Frodo asks unexpectedly.
"Mellon." Gandalf's says slowly. We all watch in amazement as the large doors of stone swing open revealing an endless wall of black. The wizard places a crystal on top of his staff as he leads the way. I wait until everyone has passed before me and then I head into the dark cavern myself. I walk forward slowly, not wanting to trip over anything. I breathe in the air. Something doesn't smell right.
"So, master elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves; roaring fires, malt beer, red meat off the bone. This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call this a mine... A mine!" Gimli says this like it's a joke. To me, this place doesn't look like it's going to have a roaring fire and meat off the bone because I can't hear any noise but the footsteps of our own company.
Gandalf's staff lights up the room and I instantly see the lifeless corpses lying on the stair way and scattered across the dusty ground. My reflexes take over and I draw my dagger.
"This is no mine. It's a tomb." Boromir speaks quietly and that's when the rest of the fellowship notice the bodies with arrows sticking out of them. Gimli runs across the room, not believing his eyes.
"No... No!" He shouts.
Legolas picks up an arrow from one of the corpses. My senses are on high alert and I can feel the adrenaline pumping through me as I wait for something to happen.
"Goblins." He announces with disgust as he draws his bow.
"We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here. Now get out of here. Get out!" Boromir shouts and the hobbits scurry towards the entrance, everyone has their weapons out and are backing out of the mine and the halflings cross into safety.
I've barely moved from my spot when trouble strikes again. "Strider!" Sam shouts out desperately over the voices of his friends. To my horror, I watch as a giant tentacle reaches out of the water and wraps itself around Frodo, swinging him high into the air. Aragorn and Boromir rush out of the mine and start hacking their swords at the tentacles while Legolas shoots one with an arrow.
Sprinting towards the pool, I take out my bow and notch an arrow. Quickly, I aim for a tentacle, guessing at which one holds Frodo and then I fire. The arrow flies through the air and sinks into one of the monster's many limbs. Damn it! There's too many! I keep shooting, trying not to get too close to the water's edge. The monster rises out of the water to meet its prey as Frodo screams in fright, or pain as he dangles closer to the jaws of the giant creature. I've shot about five arrows when Boromir slashes his sword and Frodo is dropped into his arms.
"Into the Mine!" Gandalf shouts. Boromir carries Frodo and dashes towards the open doors as Aragorn rushes the other hobbits in. Legolas places a well-aimed shot on the monster and then runs after the group with me right behind him. The monster climbs out of the water and pulls itself against the entrance. I keep running as I feel a gust of wind and the ground beneath my feet shake. Looking behind me, I watch as the creature gets crushed underneath the weight of the heavy boulders. Everyone is still and nothing is heard except the sound of us gasping for air.
"We now have but one choice." Gandalf says, instantly taking control of the situation. He thumps his staff against the ground and the stone provides us with our only light. "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." I follow at the back as the wizard walks up the stairs, cautious of his every step. "
It's a four-day journey to the other side." He continues. "Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."
Thank you for reading.
Before I go into anything else, I want to mention the part when she speaks of her fear; "I get lost in the horrifying image of the thin lines tracing over my entire body, consuming it in darkness.". This is by no means racist. If you have interpreted it in that way, you have my deepest apologize for offending you and it was not my intention.
Let me know what you think of the story.
For those of you who want the original version of this chapter, let me know and I will send it to you via Private Messaging.
Thank you for reading.
~Nighthief