Chapter 7

Samantha had always wondered how she would die. In her sleep. Murder. Drowning. Falling down the stairs. Car accident. But one thing that never occurred to her was being eaten by a giant tentacle monster.

Never occurred to her.

Not once.

But, that was the reality she faced. Samantha could feel the wet and slimy tentacle wrap around her shin, the suction cups leaving nasty bruises on her leg. It happened so fast her legs were pulled out from under her and she got a face full of dirt. The others in the company sprang into action when they turned and saw both Frodo and Samantha get dragged out of the mines and toward the water. Samantha tried to claw at the dirt before she was hoisted into the air, her heart hammering against her rib cage as she let out another scream. She could hear arrows whizzing through the air but she could only focus on the other tentacle that began looping around her midsection and began squeezing like a vice.

As air became harder and harder to get into her lungs the world around her seemed to slow down. The world became silent as she thought about her life. She was going to die. This was the end for her.

Looking down she saw the creatures head rise out of the water. It certainly did look like the Kraken. The monster exposed its teeth, ready to have its meal and Samantha didn't have enough air to scream. Her vision was becoming blurry and the pressure on her chest made her lungs burn for more oxygen. She closed her eyes and wished for her death to be quick. She didn't want to die. She wanted to go home, to be away from this. Maybe she would wake up in her bed when the Kraken inevitably ate her. Maybe she would wake up right now and it would all just be a very bad dream.

The beast brought Samantha towards its mouth but before it could get too close the Kraken shrieked. The creature flung her into the air and its grip on her loosened enough to where she was soaring through the air. Samantha immediately took several deep breaths and began coughing now that she could breathe. She expected a hard impact with the ground and a fractured skull but instead was caught in the sturdy arms of Boromir.

Aragorn was able to slice off the tentacle holding Frodo and pick him up into his arms. Gandalf saw no other choice but to flee, "Into the Mines!" He yelled to them.

As the Fellowship fled into the mountain the beast was enraged at the loss of its food. It lashed out at them and the force it put on the mountain was enough for the doors of Moria to collapse. Within the darkness there was no sound other than the labored breathing of Samantha and Frodo. As the two were regaining their senses the rest of them knew they had just traded one danger for another.

Gandalf tapped his staff on the ground again to shine light. "We have but one choice. 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."

He allowed them all a few moments before they moved on. Boromir placed Samantha on her feet, one of her hands still clung to his tunic. "Are you alright?" His hand rested on the back of her head as he asked her looking into her wide eyes.

Samantha couldn't bring herself to speak. Tears were running down her face and it was plain for all to see that she wasn't alright. Boromir felt his heart tighten at the sight of her and brought her in for a firm hug, letting her cry for a minute to let it out. His hand stroked the back of her head as he said to her, "It's alright, you are safe." His grip tightened for a moment before letting go.

She was going to thank him but Legolas cut her off, "We must be moving." Samantha noted that his gaze was icy. What happened to make him so upset?

Legolas glared at Boromir and the two shared a cold stare, neither backing down from the other.

Aragorn looked between the two and it sparked a thought in his mind. He could only shake his head. "Legolas is right, we should get moving."

The stand off between the elf and the man ended as they walked through the mines after Gandalf. "Quietly now." Gandalf spoke, "It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."

The Company was quiet throughout most of the trek through the mines. The hobbits and Samantha were mesmerized by the sheer size of the caverns. If not for the decayed bodies, this would be an interesting place to explore.

Legolas followed behind the Company, looking over the vast caverns with his superior vision. Although, he couldn't keep his eyes from drifting to the fiery red hair of his female companion. When he first heard her scream his blood ran cold and his body moved of its own accord. All he could focus on was getting her out of harm's way. He was so close to losing her and Frodo, the two he swore to protect. He couldn't allow such a thing to happen again.

His eyes then fell on Boromir. The man irked him. He tried to heed the words of Gandalf but he found it troublesome. Legolas was a stubborn elf and could not easily let go of these emotions he held toward Boromir. Especially when seeing the two together. He acknowledged he was protective over her, he was not blind to that. But, even he didn't know what to make of the heat in his chest, it only enhanced the negatives Legolas saw in Boromir. You would think as an elf with immortal life that he would be able to forgive and forget far more easily.

Samantha wished that she had a clock. Without the sun it was impossible to tell how much time has passed. They had already stopped one time to take a break and sleep. Now it was what she assumed was day two. After what was sure to be hours and hours of walking, Gandalf came to a corridor containing three passages.

The Wizard stopped and said something that made everyone internally groan, "I have no memory of this place."

It was decided that they would make camp again, for what they assumed was the night. Gandalf sat in front of the three paths and dug deep within his mind to try and figure out the correct way. One wrong turn could mean the death of everyone in the Company.

A small fire was started and the group had a small meal of rations. Boromir sat next to Aragorn, "Are we lost?"

"No." Aragorn answered simply. He trusted Gandalf with his life. He would remember and show them the way.

"I think we are." Boromir said before taking a bite of the dried jerky in his hand.

"Shh," Aragorn said, "Gandalf's thinking."

A little further away the rest of the company sat. "Merry?" Pippin whispered.

"What?"

"I'm hungry." Everyone rolled their eyes at that comment.

"You're always hungry." Samantha sighed.

Pippin shrugged.

Samantha looked back at the other men in the company. Legolas was sitting on a stone examining one of his arrows, deep in thought. Her gaze drifted over to Aragorn and Boromir as they talked amongst themselves. She couldn't help but think that the two were very handsome. And, not including the time he had gotten drunk in Rivendell, he was acting very gentlemanly and sweet. At that moment Boromir seemed to feel eyes on him and their eyes met. Samantha felt a heat rise to her cheeks and quickly looked away to focus on the Hobbit's conversation about potatoes.

Boromir looked at her and a small grin spread across his face. He had noticed her looking over at him a few times since they had been in the mines. At first he was against having a woman in the party, but maybe, it would be more interesting than he thought it would be. All he hoped was that she wouldn't get in the way and get hurt.

After that minor embarrassment, Samantha looked down at her hands and occasionally gave input on her opinions of food to the hobbits. At one point she looked up and this time her eyes landed on the elf of the party. He was still lost in thought looking at his arrow. Before going to bed that night she thought about how the elf's beauty had a different sort of allure than Boromir's rugged appearance.

On the third day not much had changed. She showed the hobbits a game called rock paper scissors and the five of them decided to gamble using rocks on the floor. At some point Frodo had gotten up to talk to Gandalf who had not moved from his spot all night.

Merry was winning with the most rocks and stones when we all heard it, "Ah, it's that way."

All heads turned to the wizard in excitement. "He's remembered." Merry said getting up and gathering his few belongings.

"No," Gandalf said, "but the air doesn't smell so foul down here." He looked back at the hobbit, "When in doubt Meriadoc, always follow your nose."

At this time the group descended into an even darker part of the mines. How it could be any darker, Samantha couldn't understand. At one point she lost footing and nearly fell, but a firm hand grabbed her by the arm and stopped her. She looked back at Legolas and gave him a smile in thanks. After quite some time of following Gandalf, the group came into an obviously more open corridor.

"Let me risk, a little more light." The wizard said before illuminating the huge corridor they now stood inside. "Behold, the great realm and dwarf-city of Dwarrowdelf."

Most everyone looked on in awe, even Gimli. It had been years since he had seen the magnificence of the halls. As they walked Samantha couldn't believe that this was a city. Would this have been the market place or just some giant room for events? She wished she could have seen the place in its heyday.

After walking for a while and admiring the hall, Gimli noticed an entrance to another room that was surrounded by dead dwarves and debris. He gasped and Gandalf called after him, "Gimli!" He didn't listen and continued to run. When he entered the room he saw the grave of his loved one.

"No." He fell to his knees in grief and began to cry for the loss of his people.

The rest of the fellowship entered the room and looked around. A battle had surely happened. The ground was littered with bodies long dead. Samantha, feeling for her friend walked over to the dwarf and placed a hand on his shoulder. All Gimli could do was nod to her in thanks, too grief stricken at the moment to thank her for her sympathy. When they had entered the mines he had known this to be true, but he had hoped to find some survivors.

Gandalf walked past them and read the tomb stone, "Here lies Balin, son of Fundin. Lord of Moria." He gave a pause, "He is dead, then. It's as I feared." This only made Gimli sob worse, the reality of it sinking ever deeper into his mind.

The wizard noticed a book sitting in the lap of a dead dwarf. He gave his staff and hat to Pippin to hold as he grabbed it and opened the book, blowing off the accumulated dust.

Samantha heard Legolas whisper harshly into Aragorn's ear, "We must move on, we cannot linger."

Before anyone could comment on the elf's words, Gandalf began to read. "They have taken the bridge, and the second hall. We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums, in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out... they are coming."

Most everyone could feel a chill run down their spines. Gandalf's ominous reading did nothing to quell their anxiety. It only heightened it. These were someone's last words. The hopelessness they must have felt to know they couldn't get out. That they were going to die there. It made Samantha want to cry with Gimli, it was a fate she wouldn't wish on anyone.

Just as Gandalf finished reading everyone whipped around to look at Pippin. He had jostled a skeleton just enough that it's head fell back into a well. The loud clatter it made as it fell had everyone holding their breath. Perhaps the worst was over? No, the whole body and the bucked attached to it fell as well. The noise traveled throughout the mines reverberating against the stone walls. Finally, the noise stopped and everyone stood still for several agonizing moments, listening. Listening for the drums Gandalf had read about. When none came, there was a collective sigh of relief from everyone.

Gandalf closed the book and looked at the hobbit with extreme disappointment and anger. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time, and rid us of your stupidity." He said aggressively as he grabbed his things back from the hobbit. Pippin said nothing, he only looked to the ground. Too ashamed to even apologize. As Gandalf turned away from the young hobbit he stopped and turned around toward the well in horror.

Drums.

They could all hear the drums echoing and they were becoming louder and louder. Everyone looked around and Sam noticed Frodo's sword glow, "Frodo!" Frodo pulled the blade out by just a few inches and it was glowing a soft blue. Solidifying their fears that they had indeed been detected

Loud maniacal laughter could be heard in between the Drums and Legolas knew the sound instantly, "Orcs!"

Everyone sprung into action. Boromir ran toward the door to survey the situation and quickly had a few arrows shot his way. He pulled back just in time as they were embedded into the door. Aragorn pushed Samantha toward the hobbits and Gandalf, "Get back! Stay close to Gandalf!" He and Legolas rushed toward the door to help Boromir in pushing it shut. Boromir looked at Aragorn, "They have a cave troll."

Lovely.

Samantha took out her sword along with the others. She wasn't yet capable enough to wield a bow in a fight like Legolas could. As the three men barricaded the door Samantha noticed the book Gandalf had read from on the top of the tomb. Thinking of Gimli she quickly grabbed the book and shoved it in her pack, forcing it to fit. She couldn't read the language, but she would wager there were other passages in the book that Gimli might appreciate. Perhaps it would help him in some way. Even if a few pages were about its demise. She hastily put her pack back on and picked up her sword, as ready as she could be to fight.

"Let them come!" Gimli growled from on top of the grave. "There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath."

The hobbits and Samantha stood in horror as the doors began to break apart and both Aragorn and Legolas shot through the openings. The shrieks sending a shiver down their spins. Once again Samantha felt as though she was going to die, but adrenaline kept her on edge and as hopeless as this situation seemed, she had hope. This time she could fight. This time she wasn't helplessly being dangled in the air.

The Orcs bust through the doors and all hell broke loose. Samantha never thought that these creatures would be so ugly. They were the stuff of nightmares. The hobbits around her had more courage than she did, they soon ran forward screaming and began to fight as well. She couldn't sit there and watch as everyone else risked their lives. She too followed into the fray and complete adrenaline took over. All she was focused on was the lessons that Boromir and Aragorn taught her. They seemed to be doing their job since she was holding her own, until a larger Orc caught her by surprise and pushed her against the well that the dead body had fallen into.

Samantha was dazed for a moment until she noticed that it was going to stab her in the face. She moved to the side and felt a burning sensation on her jaw and neck. The orc pulled away and she looked into its eyes. It looked so happy to be killing her. Before it could take another swing an arrow was embedded into the side of the orcs skull and she knew it had to be Legolas. Samantha had no time to look for him and thank him, or to even try to inspect her wound to see how bad it was.

The cave troll burst into the room, literally. It took down part of the wall when it entered, breaking the door apart and sending splinters everywhere. Everything seemed to stop before Legolas shot an arrow at it and it went berserk. The troll killed several of the orcs to get to them and Gimli seemed to be a target for the troll. Maybe because he was a dwarf like many he had killed before. When the troll lost sight of Gimli it went after Legolas who handled it well. The elf was able to get on top of the thing and tried to give a killing blow, but the arrows ricochet off of the trolls head and it moved frantically in pain.

Samantha couldn't watch anymore as another orc came toward her and she just so happened to be close to Sam, who hit the thing in the head with a frying pan. An image of Flynn Rider popped into her head for a moment. 'Cool, but what happened to his knife?' The two of them fought back to back. Her with her sword and Sam with his trusty frying pan. They were occupied until they heard a frantic Frodo, "Aragorn! Aragorn!" He was being dragged on the ground by the cave troll.

"Frodo!" They yelled frantically for their friend and they tried to fend off the orcs around them so they could get to him. Just as they moved closer they saw the troll impale Frodo with a large pike. Time seemed to slow down and everyone went into a frenzy to get to the Hobbit.

Sam and Samantha ran to the cave troll as Merry and Pippin were on its back. They slashed at the trolls legs until Legolas made a marksman shot into the upper jaw and through the skull of the troll. Killing it. The troll hobbled for a moment, raising a hand to its face. Like it knew something wasn't right, but wasn't sure how to fix it.

Once the troll fell to the ground the fellowship all rushed toward Frodo who they thought had to be dead. Aragorn looked at the hobbit in defeat and rolled him over. To their surprise and delight, he moaned. Sam was next to him in an instant, inspecting him and a wave of relief washed over all of them. "He's alive." Sam stated, tears in his eyes.

"You should be dead," Aragorn said in disbelief, "That spear would have skewered a wild boar."

Gandalf stepped forward with a knowing gaze. "I think there's more to this hobbit than meets the eye."

Frodo looked down and revealed the stunningly beautiful undershirt he wore. "Mithril." Gimli said under his breath. He was genuinely shocked to see it. "You are full of surprises master Baggins."

Samantha was relieved to see her friend alive and well. She didn't have much time to focus on that too long before Legolas grabbed her shoulder and turned her toward him. His hand pushed her hair aside and inspected the wound she now had. Samantha could see the worry etched into his perfect face and frowned, 'It can't be that bad, right?'

Another shriek filled their ears and Gandalf motioned for them to move, "To the bridge of Khazad-dum!"

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Edited: 5-10-2020
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