All that day, the Company remained in hiding as the dark birds continued to pass over now and again, but as the westering Sun grew red, they disappeared southwards. At dusk, the Company set out, and turning now half east they steered their course towards Caradhras, which far away still glowed faintly red in the last light of the vanished Sun. One by one white stars sprang forth as the sky faded.
Guided by Aragorn, they struck a good path. It looked to Frodo like the remains of an ancient road, that had once been broad and well planned, from Hollin to the mountain-pass. The Moon, now at the full, rose over the mountains, and cast a pale light in which the shadows of stones were black. Many of them looked to have been worked by hands, though now they lay tumbled and ruinous in a bleak, barren land.
It was the cold chill hour before the first stir of dawn, and the moon was low. Daisy looked up at the sky. Suddenly, she saw or felt a shadow pass over the high stars, as if for a moment they faded and then flashed out again.
"Did you see anything pass over?" Quake whispered to Gandalf, who was just ahead.
"No, but I felt it, whatever it was," Gandalf answered. "It may be nothing, only a wisp of thin cloud."
"Well it was moving fast then," Quake muttered. "And not with the wind."
"Be on your guard," Gandalf recommended. "Otherwise, you have no idea what will happen when we walk directly into enemies far beyond this world."
"What do you mean?" Quake asked, concerned of Gandalf's advice.
"Your not the only in Middle-Earth who knows much," Gandalf answered.
Nothing further happened that night, but in the next morning, dawn was even brighter than before, but the air was chilly again, and already the wind was turning back towards the east. For two more nights, they continued to march on, climbing steadily, but ever more slowly as their road wound up into the hills, and the mountains towered up, nearer and nearer. On the third morning, Caradhras rose before them, a mighty peak, tipped with snow like silver, but with sheer naked sides, dull red as if stained with blood. There was a black look in the sky, and the sun was wan. The wind had gone now round to the north-east. Gandalf snuffed the air and looked back.
"You know, for a place like this, it feels good to walk," Agent Fortunov heavily breathed while walking beside Soo-jin.
"Reminds me a little of Mount Everest," Bangs recalled.
"Ah, you mean the mountain of death," Agent Fortunov scoffed. "Its the reason why my dad never wanted me to go there and he was right."
"No way I'm doing that again," Bangs chuckled.
"Did you pack any of those flares?" Agent Baines asked her partner and friend Dennis.
"As much as we can carry," Agent Red answered.
"Good, cause we may need one incase if our director receives word of a rescue," Agent Baines informed.
"You serious?" Agent Red asked, sounding surprised.
"I'm serious," Agent Baines shrugged. "So is the director."
"Okay, will let's hope we keep ourselves in the loop," Agent Red sighed. "I don't want to die here."
"Winter deepens behind us," Gandalf said quietly to Aragorn, Barbara Morse, Lancelot Hunter, and Erik Selvig. "The heights away north are whiter than they were. Snow is lying far down their shoulders. Tonight we shall be on our way high up towards the Redhorn Gate. We may well be seen by watchers on that narrow path, and waylaid by some evil, but the weather may prove a more deadly enemy than any. What do you think of your course now, Aragorn?"
Frodo overheard these words, and understood that Gandalf, Aragorn, Barbara Morse, Lancelot Hunter, and Erik Selvig were continuing some debate that had begun long before. He listened anxiously.
"I think no good of our course from beginning to end, as you know well, Gandalf," Rifleman answered. "And perils known and unknown will grow as we go on."
"Yeah, well we have go on and it is no good our delaying the passage of the mountains," Mockingbird said.
"Then further south there are no passes, till one comes to the Gap of Rohan," Doctor Selvig said.
"I do not trust that way since Gandalf's news of Saruman," Aragorn sighed. "Who knows which side now the marshals of the Horse-lords serve?"
"Who knows indeed," Gandalf said. "But there is another way, and not by the pass of Caradhras: the dark and secret way that we have spoken of."
"But let us not speak of it again," Aragorn suggested. "Not yet. Say nothing to the others I beg, not until it is plain that there is no other way."
"We must decide before we go further," Gandalf answered.
"Okay, but lets just weigh the matter in our minds, while the others rest and sleep," Rifleman said.
"Good idea," Aragorn approved with the decision. "Lincoln and I will take the first watch."
"Bobbie and I will do the second watch if she's well enough to do it," Rifleman said.
"I don't sleep to well," Mockingbird scoffed.
In the late afternoon, while the others were finishing their breakfast, Gandalf and Aragorn went aside together and stood looking at Caradhras. Its sides were now dark and sullen, and its head was in grey cloud. Frodo watched them, wondering which way the debate would go. When they returned to the Company Gandalf spoke, and then he knew that it had been decided to face the weather and the high pass. He was relieved. He could not guess what was the other dark and secret way, but the very mention of it had seemed to fill Aragorn with dismay, and Frodo was glad that it had been abandoned.
"From signs that we have seen lately, I fear that the Redhorn Gate may be watched and I have doubts of the weather that is coming up behind," Gandalf explained to the group. "Snow may come. We must go with all the speed that we can. Even so it will take us more than two marches before we reach the top of the pass. Dark will come early this evening. We must leave as soon as you can get ready."
"I will add a word of advice, if I may," Boromir said. "I was born under the shadow of the White Mountains and know something of journeys in the high places. We shall meet bitter cold, if no worse, before we come down on the other side. It will not help us to keep so secret that we are frozen to death. When we leave here, where there are still a few trees and bushes, each of us should carry wood, as large as we can bear."
"You know, Boromir does make a solid point," Agent Fortunov agreed.
"Still, I don't admire the guy," Bangs said, disliking the Gondorian.
"And Bill could take a bit more, couldn't you lad?" Samwise said as Bill looked at him mournfully.
"We must not use the wood C not unless it is a choice between fire and death," Black Widow warned.
"I agree with Miss Romanoff here," Agent Fortunov sided with Romanoff's warning.
"Yeah, you and me both," Pat nodded too in agreement. "We can't make more fires like this. It's too risky."
"Risky or not, we need to find some place, like a cave that could be good for us to settle every night if we're spotted," Black Widow added.
"So far, none of us see a cave," Agent Fortunov said, looking around. "Is that a cave? No!"
"I'm pretty sure will find one during our travel across the Caradhras," Black Widow hopefully sighed.
The Company set out again with good speed at first, but soon their way became steep and difficult. The twisting and climbing road had in many places almost disappeared, and was blocked with many fallen stones. The night grew deadly dark under great clouds. A bitter wind swirled among the rocks. By midnight they had climbed to the knees of the great mountains. The narrow path now wound under a sheer wall of cliffs to the left, above which the grim flanks of Caradhras towered up invisible in the gloom; on the right was a gulf of darkness where the land fell suddenly into a deep ravine.
Laboriously they climbed a sharp slope and halted for a moment at the top. Everyone on the Fellowship began to look up and saw the dim white flakes of snow settling on his sleeve. As the white flakes continued to slowly pour down like rain, the group continued to go on at hast, but before long the snow was falling fast, filling all the air, and swirling into their eyes.
"I don't like this at all," Samwise panted just behind.
"I share your thoughts Sam, but we need to do this to avoid being seen," Doctor Foster said. "Who knows if Saruman sent his little goons to do his dirty work."
"Snow's all right on a fine morning, but I like to be in bed while it's falling," Samwise explained. "I wish this lot would go off to Hobbiton. Folk might welcome it there. Except on the high moors of the Northfarthing a heavy fall was rare in the Shire, and was regarded as a pleasant event and a chance for fun. No living hobbit could remember the Fell Winter, when the white wolves invaded the Shire over the frozen Brandywine."
"No one in the Shire has ever told me about the Fell Winter," Doctor Foster sounded a bit surprised.
"Well, I just did," Samwise muttered.
Throughout the aftermoon, the group had been walking up the snowy slopes towards the mountain, clambering through rock and snow. Some were a bit exhausted when they walking upwards, making this task a bit difficult than before. Frodo, on the other hand, was even more exhausted than the others and felt as if he was about to pass out. He breathed really heavy, but at the moment of when he lost focus, he had accidentally fell backwards and was rolling back down the slope.
Barbara Morse, who was not that far behind Frodo and was the first to notice. "Frodo!" She cried as she rushed up to catch the hobbit in time.
The others in the group, who were up ahead, had to make a sudden stop and turn around to see if the Ring Bearer was alright. Barbara Morse, on the other hand managed to help him up and check on him.
"You alright?" Mockingbird whispered.
"Exhausted," Frodo breathed weakly.
"Is everything okay?!" Black Widow called out.
"What's the problem?!" Linc called out too.
"Let's just stop for a bit!" Mockingbird loudly responded. "Frodo needs something to drink." She looks into her bag and passes some water.
Just as Aragorn, Lancelot Hunter, Jerry Fortunov, Soo-jin Smith, Piper Baines, and James Davis were walking up from behind and made an immediate stop once they saw what was going on, Frodo continued to drink as much as he wanted since he was still exhausted from all the walking he and the group were doing all day. Once once he finishes, he then starts to brush the snow off and gave Barbara a nod, giving her an indication of a thanks. However, Frodo began to realize that something was missing. Barbara was about to ask what was wrong, but then realized that the One Ring wasn't around Frodo's neck. Out of fear, they realize that the Ring must've slipped away from Frodo when he fell.
"Where is it?" Mockingbird whispered in a panick.
"Is there a problem?" Agent Baines asked.
"The ring's gone," Mockingbird responded in a panic.
"What?!" Rifleman exclaimed.
"Oh c'mon seriously," Agent Fortunov scoffed.
"It has to be somewhere where he fell," Mockingbird continued to panic.
"Well whose complaining, let's find it!" Rifleman exclaimed, using his own eyes to scan the are around him for something small and made out of gold.
"I had it, it was here," Frodo panicked too.
Agent James Davis was the first to notice something shiny on the snow and points. "I think its right there."
Aragorn, Barbara Morse, Lancelot Hunter, Jerry Fortunov, Soo-jin Smith, Piper Baines, and James Davis, and Frodo turn to see that the One Ring was gleaming in the snow, and were very relieved. Just as Frodo was about to walk back to recover it, he made a sudden halt when Boromir bent down and picks it up on its chain. Everybody in the Fellowship froze and eyed on Boromir suspiciously and fearfully on what he was doing. Bobbi's eyes narrowed, as did Hunter and Aragorn's. Boromir was staring at the dangling ring in awe.
Barbara Morse warily approaches Boromir, seeing as if he was under some sort of trance, and cautiously responded. "Boromir?"
Boromir didn't appear to hear her at all, for his full attention seemed to be focused on the One Ring. He was motionless as he continues to stare at the One Ring, as if transfixed. Lincoln Slade and Daisy Johnson looked at each other in fear. Gandalf had explained to them on what the One Ring was capable of and how it could corrupt the minds that are too weak to resist. Hunter noticed that Aragorn grasped onto the hilt of his sword. Natasha, on the other hand, was strong in her mind and knew that the One Ring would never corrupt her at all. She really didn't want Boromir to be holding the ring and slowly reached for her batons, and walks over to him quietly from behind.
"Boromir, can you give the ring back to Frodo?" Black Widow said, trying to get the Gondorian's attention to release his hold over the ring as she continues to walk slowly and be ready to strike him.
"Ah, what's going on?" Agent Fitz asked, confused.
"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing," Boromir quietly remarked, having a look of desire upon his face which was almost as similar to the one had during his time in Rivendell. Mesmerised, he slowly reached out his other hand to touch it. "Such a little thing."
"Boromir!" Aragorn urgently shouted.
This time, rather than hearing Bobbi Morse and Natasha Romanoff, Boromir managed to hear Aragorn's voice, something that snapped him away from his trance. His hand lowered from the ring and moves his eyes directly over at Aragorn.
"Yes," Boromir responded immediately.
"Can you please give the ring back to Frodo?" Mockingbird said, moving her hand towards her gun that she kept during the journey.
Boromir was silent at first as he just stared at Aragorn, Bobbi, Hunter, Dennis, and Piper blankly for seconds and then looked down at Frodo, who was worried and had a look of desperation in his eyes. Natasha was still walking slowly from behind Boromir, wanting to take the ring out of his hands and hand it to Frodo herself.
"As you wish," Boromir shakingly responded with a grin on his face as he slowly walks down the hil towards Aragorn, Barbara Morse, Lancelot Hunter, Jerry Fortunov, Soo-jin Smith, James Davis, Piper Baines, and Frodo Baggins. Once he held the ring out to Frodo, the hobbit immediately snatched it away from his hand and puts it around his neck again. Boromir focuses his eyes on Barbara Morse and grins. "I care not." He hestitates as Aragorn, Barbara Morse, and Lancelot Hunter gave him awarning glares, but it didn't disturb the Gondorian at all. He look like he wanted to say something else, but instead, he let out a chuckle and ruffles Frodo's hair before walking back up the hill.
Barbara Morse, Lancelot Hunter, Jerry Fortunov, Soo-jin Smith, James Davis, Piper Baines, and Aragorn continue to stare at Boromir as he walks away from them. They began to see that Boromir was not a man to be trusted in the group. Natasha Romanoff looks at Boromir as he walks pass her and gives her a grin. Daisy Johnson, Lincoln Slade, and Legolas Greenleaf didn't trust Boromir at all, for they too had witnessed what he was doing. Barbara Morse, on the other hand, moved her hand away from her gun, but she was also surprised that Aragorn had held his grip on his sword, willing to use it to either threaten or strike down Boromir if he was foolish in taking the One Ring away from Frodo. Once Boromir was out of reach, Aragorn releases his grip from his sword.
"We should watch him," Quake whispered to Lincoln.
"Agreed," Linc whispered back.
After that was handled, the group took a long pause when they began to notice the clouds were slowly building up over the mountains.
"Looks like a storm is coming," Black Widow warned, scanning the sky. "We should keep going if we are to ever find shelter."
As the Fellowship of the Ring continued on with their journey in taking a different route to the Gap of Rohan, the storm was stronger when the clouds merged together and created a very violent blizzard, something that would make it difficult for the Fellowship to pass through in order to reach their destination. Natasha instructed that the four hobbits were to be wrapped up in the warmest cloaks possible. With all their stuff in their packs, the Fellowship were getting closer towards the roots of the mountain. No one in the company was happy to welcome a blizzard and almost all were having a bit of trouble trouble moving forward as tones of snowflakes were blowing straight into their faces. The Fellowship were on the side of a mountain, crossing through deep snow, strong winds, and heavy snowfall that ths storm created.
The Fellowship didn't stop to take breath when they were reaching the bottom of the mountain, but now they came to realize that the path they were climbing up on was almost a bit steep with snow. It was very difficult for the Fellowship to climb up the path with so much snow in their way. To ensure that no one slipped, Jane, Darcy, Boothby, and Selvig held each together as they were walking through the snow. Bobbi and Hunter volunteered to hold on to Frodo. Samwise Gamgee needed a lot of help as possible, and so Piper and Dennis were the ones to volunteer in helping him move on. Boromir, on the other hand, volunteered to handle Merry and Pippin. Gimli was fierce in his heart, resisting the wind blowing through his face, but was struggling to keep up.
Gandalf had been leading the group through the steep, snowy path of the mountain, moving his way through the snow with the might of his staff. Daisy would've been happy to use her power to clear it up a bit, but since the path was narrow, she didn't want to take chance in sending someone off the edge by accident. Inhumans may have powers, but some powers that are very strong, can sometimes be dangerous in killing someone by accident. FitzSimmons were huddled together and were having a hard time with the blizzard and hetting their legs through the snow. From behind them, Jerry Fortunov and Sou-jin Smith focused on helping them. Gandalf made a sudden halt. Snow was thick on his hood and shoulders and it was already ankle-deep about his boots.
"Ugh, this weather!" Darcia groaned unhappily about having to pass through this. "Man, this sucks. Feel like I can't move my ass any further! Oh forget it, just leave me to die here."
"Darcy, don't even think about it!" Doctor Foster exclaimed.
"Well, this weather is messing up my glasses and I feel cold to the bone!" Darcia argued. "You can't do anything about it!"
"Yeah, whatever, but maybe if you had some superpower, I vote fire," Doctor Foster imagined.
"What, you think I'm a person who can developed pyrokinesis or something?" Darcia asked. "Hmm, never thought of that, but Daisy Johnson, oh she's one of a million."
"Oh this is fantastic," Agent Fitz pretended to sound amused by this. "Since when do we ever have to cross through snow during a bloody storm!"
"This is what I feared," Gandalf said and spoke to Natasha Romanoff and Lincoln Slade. "What do you say now to this?"
"T-That we f-feared it t-too," Linc deeply shivered.
"We knew the risk of snow, though it seldom falls heavily so far south, save high up in the mountains," Black Widow loudly responds.
"I wonder if this is a contrivance of the Enemy!" Boromir shouted as he held Merry and Pippin. "They say in my land that Sauron can govern the storms in the Mountains of Shadow that stand upon the borders of Mordor! He has strange powers and many allies!"
"Wow, is he serious?!" Doctor Foster exclaimed.
"I think maybe he is!" Darcia loudly agreed.
"If that is true, then that means his bloody arm has grown long indeed!" Rifleman exclaimed and spat. "If he can draw snow down from the North to trouble us here three hundred leagues away!"
"I think his arm has grown long enough, Hunter," Mockingbird said.
"You know Jemma," Agent Fitz exhaled in exhaustion. "I feel like I'm about to lay my face on the snow."
"Oh c'mon Fitz!" Agent Simmons exclaimed, helping Fitz move. "Don't quit right now!"
"How can I quit when the snow is blowing through our bloody faces?!" Agent Fitz yelled.
"Fitz, stop whining for once and just keep moving!" Agent Simmons shouted as she held his hand for comfort and support. "Better yet, lets just hold on to each other and keep ourselves warm."
"You know, we should've stayed in Rivendell," Agent Fitz sighed heavily.
"We're too far from that now, Fitz," Agent Simmons claimed. "Will get out of this."
While almost everyone in the group continued to struggle through the snow, the only one who wasn't having trouble was Prince Legolas Greenleaf. To their amazement, the elven prince wasn't even sinking into the snow like they were. He was actaully walking on top of it, as if he had no weight at all.
"He's lucky," Doctor Selvig remarked.
"Not fair," Darcy muttered in complaint through her chattering teeth. "S-Show off."
For a couple of hours as the Fellowship continued to walk along the side of the mountain, the snow had now risen up to their wastes and kept on coming. Legolas was still at the head of the group with Gandalf following not that far glanced back at them and watched for a couple of seconds as they moved through the snow. The Company halted suddenly, as if they had come to an agreement without any words being spoken. They heard eerie noises in the blizzard around them. Due to the blizzard striking their faces, they believed it may have been only a trick of the wind in the cracks and gullies of the rocky wall, but it wasn't. What they heard was someone shouting in the distance.
"Am I hearing things?" Agent Fortunov asked.
"What is that?!" Quake loudly called out to anyone in the group. "Do you hear it?!"
"I hear it too!" Doctor Selvig loudly answered for Daisy to hear.
"What the hell is that?!" Darcia called out. "Where's it coming from?"
"Its coming from the distance I think!" Bangs shouted, making an assumption.
"Yeah, he's right!" Agent Fortunov called out too.
"I don't think we're alone," Black Widow said, staring at the distance of the mountains.
Legolas listens as he hears the echos on the wind and then yells out all of a sudden to the group. "There is a foul voice through the air!"
"Whose voice is that?!" Rifleman shouted across, hoping if Gandalf or Legolas heard him.
Gandalf's eyes widen in horror, for he was the first to recognize the whose voice it was and let out a huge bellow for the entire group to hear him. "IT'S SARUMAN!"
Agent Baines, who didn't hear anything from what Gandalf had said, responded back in confusion. "Wait, who?!"
"Saruman!" Doctor Foster called back as loud for the wizard to hear her during the snowy storm. "What the hell is he doing?!"
"He's controlling the weather!" Doctor Selvig openly stated. "He knows where we are!"
"Well that's great news for us to hear!" Agent Fitz bellowed in sarcasm.
"Sounds like he's performing some kind of spell to do all this!" Quake loudly stated her fact.
"Well if that's true, then we may have come the wrong way!" Black Widow shouted too. "We need to go back!"
While Natasha had spoke out her words of warning, stones began to fall from the mountain-side, whistling over their heads, or crashing near the path beside them. Every now and again they heard a dull rumble, as a great boulder rolled down from hidden heights above.
"Ah, that doesn't sound good," Burnett murmured in horror.
"LOOK OUT!" Doctor Foster screamed.
"Take cover!" Boromir yelled, covering Merry and Pippin for protection.
Saruman's power over the storm caused a lot more chunks of rock to fall down from the mountain top, narrowly missing the Fellowship as they try to take cover. Daisy looks up at the sky to see lightening shooting out from the clouds. It wasn't hard for the group to realize that this was a deadly spell of some kind. One rock was falling down towards where Jane, Darcy, Selvig, and Boothby were. It was so big that was ready to smash them down like pancakes. She closes her eyes and uses her power to hurl the large rock away from them, thus saving their lives.
"What's he doing?!" Agent Simmons cried out fearfully.
"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn exclaimed in horror and calls out to the wizard. "Gandalf, we must turn back!"
Gandalf shook his head. "No!"
"What are you crazy?!" Quake shouted in utter shock and confusion as to why the gray wizard was not allowing her and the group to turn back from where they came.
"Are you bloody mad?!" Rifleman bellowed in fury. "Your former buddy of yours is trying to kill us! He'll bring down everything on our heads and you still want us to press on?!"
"Hunter's right, we need to get out of here before its too late!" Mockingbird cried, huddling Frodo tightly like a mother holding a child.
"Gandalf, we don't have another option!" Black Widow shouted. "If we keep going forward, will all be dead before we can ever reach other side of the mountain!"
"Not for long!" Gandalf shouted back as he looks towards where the storm was coming from.
"Are you crazy?!" Pat yelled out in confusion.
Now, everyone in the group began to wonder what Gandalf was going to do now while they continued to hear Saruman's clearly now. Whatever the traitorous wizard was doing, he was chanting a spell that was making the blizzard even worse than before.
"The hell is he you doing now?!" Agent Fortunov cried.
"He's trying to get us killed!" Agent Fitz screamed in a terrible panic.
"Fitz c'mon, let's turn around now!" Agent Simmons cried.
"I'm already moving, hurry up!" Agent Fitz cried back. "Red! Piper! Let's go! Now!"
"Yeah what he says!" Agent Baines panicked.
"Wait for me!" Agent Red cried.
Gandalf lifts himself up with his staff and steps out to the edge of the path, chanting a counter spell on his own. "Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith! (Sleep, Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!)
"Wait, what's happening?!" Doctor Foster loudly asked, confused as to what was going on now. "What's he doing now?!"
"He's trying to stop Saruman's power over the storm!" Doctor Selvig shouted in assumption.
"Well I don't think its working, we need to get out of here!" Doctor Foster shouted back. "We didn't travel all the way from Rivendell to get killed!"
Everyone in the group watched as Gandalf continued to chant the same words in order to prevent Saruman from bringing the mountain down on him and the Fellowship. While some in the group wanted to go back where they came, the others stayed and watched as Gandalf's power over the storm began to change a bit. Some were hoping that Gandalf had the power to rid the storm, but it seems that Saruman was gaining the upper hand due to his spell being stronger than Gandalf's counter spell. Gandalf wasn't willing to give up in allowing the Fellowship to fall, but it was too late. A great streak of lightning strikes the very top of the mountain, creating an avalanche a massive amount of snow rains down, about to land on top of the company. Daisy knew it was pointless to use her powers to hold as much snow above her and the group. Everyone in the Fellowship tries to move to the side as the snow slams down on top of them.
Moments later, Legolas was the first of the group to emerge slowly from the snow. He looks around to see if any of the others were doing the same thing. Daisy was the second person to emerge and looks around also to see if any person that managed to get themselves out of the deep snow.
"Is everyone alright?!" Quake called out during the blizzard.
"Yep, I'm fine!" Doctor Selvig called, waving his hand.
"Man that bites," Agent Baines groaned.
"Uh, make that two and three," Agent Red groaned too as he and Piper Baines were able to slowly take a moment in getting themselves out.
Soo-jin Smith turns to see Jemma Simmons and Leopold Fitz having trouble getting themselves out. "Let me help you!" She said as he was successful in pulling them up from the snow.
"Thanks," Agent Simmons responded with a nod.
"Don't mention it," Bangs nodded back. "Its good to be back in S.H.I.E.L.D. and it wouldn't hurt if you call me Bangs."
"Oh, of course," Agent Simmons responded, shivering.
"I... hate... snow," Agent Fortunov shivered as he helps Soo-jin out of the snow.
"Snow is so dull," Bangs spat.
Just as every member in the Fellowship of the Ring were slowly emerging from the pile of snow, Gandalf looks around and saw that Saruman was no longer chanting anymore. However, he knew that Saruman was willing to make matters difficult for him and the group, and might already be planning his next move by setting up a trap once they reach the Gap of Rohan. He even suspects that Saruman is planning to lead him and the Fellowship somewhere else, but of where, he did not know.
Gimli, on the other hand, growls in utter fury as he gets himself out and his beard was completely covered with snow.
"I can see as to why Caradhras was called the Cruel for a reason," Mockingbird deeply sighed.
"Do tell, how can we beat off his attack?!" Rifleman loudly asked.
"Yeah, what can we do?" Darcia cried miserably as she was leaning on Joey Burnett.
"This is some way your taking us," Burnett remarked.
"We need to go back!" Agent Fitz cried out too. "This path is too dangerous for us! Whoever the hell this Saruman is, he's not going to stop chanting with this magic storm he's making!"
"We cannot stop or go back," Gandalf loudly warned the group. "I know its no good going on. If I remember rightly, this path leaves the cliff and runs into a wide shallow trough at the bottom of a long hard slope. We should have no shelter there from snow, or stones or anything else."
"And it is no use in going back while the storm continues to hold us in!" Doctor Foster loudly said.
"Yeah, I agree with everyone here, we have passed no place on the way up that offered more shelter than this cliff-wall we are under now!" Pat cried.
"Well if there is shelter, then one wall and no roof can ever make a house," Agent Fortunov said.
The Company now gathered together as close to the cliff as they could. It faced southwards, and near the bottom it leaned out a little, so that they hoped it would give them some protection from the northerly wind and from the falling stones. But eddying blasts swirled round them from every side, and the snow flowed down in ever denser clouds. They huddled together with their backs to the wall. Bill the pony stood patiently, but dejectedly in front of the hobbits, and screened them a little as the drifting snow was above his hocks, and it went on mounting. If they had had no larger companions the hobbits would soon have been entirely buried.
"We must get off the mountain!" Boromir yelled out to the group. "Make for the Gap of Rohan, and take the west road to my city!"
"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn argued against the idea, fearing that Saruman may already set up a trap for the Fellowship if they do.
"Aragorn's right!" Mockingbird agreed. "We can't risk it!"
"If Saruman knows where we are, then he may try to find us when we reach the Gap of Rohan," Doctor Selvig truly stated.
"We have no choice!" Boromir argued back against them.
"But what choice do we have?!" Quake shouted, disagreeing with the idea. "We can't keep on going through this storm!"
"We'll all die if he tries to send out another avalanche!" Linc loudly agreed.
"So why don't we just turn back?!" Agent Fitz angrily suggested. "Will die if we move on!"
"At least can anyone listen to Fitz for once, we need to find some other path that is less dangerous then this!" Agent Simmons loudly agreed.
"Yeah, but where?" Doctor Foster asked, tilting her head. "I thought Gandalf told us that this was the only way we could take!"
"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it!" Gimli eagerly suggested. "Let us go through the Mines of Moria!"
Upon hearing that, Gandalf made it clear that it wasn't the right idea to go to Moria since there was no word from Balin and his colony at the time when they reclaimed the ancient city that belonged to their forefathers a long time ago. As his expression became dark, he didn't say a word as everyone in the Fellowship turned to look at Gandalf, waiting to see what he'll say into agreeing with Gimli's idea in taking the road towards Moria instead of the Gap of Rohan. Gandalf heard stories about this realm and wasn't pleasant of it.
"Let the Ring Bearer decide," Gandalf answered.
Everyone then focused their attention towards Frodo, who was confused. He didn't know what to sat and just glanced at them worriedly. Frodo knew that everyone was having a hard time with this terrible weather.
"This will be the death of the halflings, Gandalf!" Boromir cried. "It is useless to sit here until the snow goes over our heads!"
"We gotta do something to save our asses, that's what we gotta do!" Agent Fortunov cried out also.
Frodo could tell everyone was suffering and so he came to an absolute decision, even if it meant that Gandalf might not approve to this idea.
"We will go through the mines," Frodo answered.
"So be it," Gandalf nodded in sigh.
"So its to Moria then?" Doctor Selvig deeply sighed. "I wonder what welcome will get when we meet the dwarves."
A cold wind flowed down behind them, as they turned their backs on the Redhorn Gate, and stumbled wearily down the slope. Caradhras had defeated them.