- - CALINA - -
The morning had finally come for the Fellowship to depart. The group, dressed and packed for their journey, stood in a small glade at the edge of the city beneath a magnificent stone arch as they waited for their host to see them off. Leaves were falling and scattering to the ground around them. Other members of the city had come to witness their departure, Arwen among them. However, Legolas and Lord Elrond had yet to appear.
Their extended absence caused a certain Dwarf's temper light. "What's taking those Elves so long?" Gimli grumbled. "Just because they live forever doesn't mean they should waste any more of our time." Calina giggled. Boromir shook his head.
"They will be coming along shortly." Aragorn announced, leading a small chestnut pony that had numerous packs strapped to its sides. "Lord Elrond had something he wished to discuss with Legolas."
"Most likely matters for his father, I presume?" Gandalf suggested. Aragorn only shrugged, coming to stand by the rest of the group.
"Who's this?" Merry asked, having come to inspect the little pony.
"This is Bill." Aragorn ruffled the animal's mane. The pony shook its head in response.
"He's rather sweet." Sam said, patting the pony's side while Bill proceeded to nibble on some of the grass. Aragorn handed Sam the reins. This earned a smile from the Hobbit.
The ranger was correct in his guessing, for not a moment later Legolas and Elrond arrived. The Elf Lord stood just apart from the crowd as Legolas took his place among the Fellowship. Elrond's words were serious as he said the last goodbyes.
"The Ring-bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom. On you who travel with him no oath nor bond is laid, to go further than you will. Farewell. Hold to your purpose. May the blessings of Elves and Men and all free folk go with you." With his final words spoken, Elrond spread his arms wide as a last gesture of parting. Legolas and Aragorn both bowed their heads to him. Calina nodded slightly, thankful to have survived her visit to the Elvish City.
"The Fellowship awaits the Ring-bearer." Gandalf said, a hand on his staff while looking at Frodo.
The Hobbit in question then turned and began to walk under the arch with the rest of his company in tow, the Ring now resting on a silver chain around his neck. While his eyes were uncertain, his feet kept along. Although, after soon coming to a fork in the road, he whispered to the wizard beside him, "Mordor, Gandalf, is it left or right?"
The wizard whispered, "Left." And so the Fellowship followed Frodo along, beginning their journey together as the Fellowship of the Ring.
.
For days they walked, traveling through the woods, across wide-open plains and over rolling hillsides with Gandalf always in the lead. Given their keenness of sight, Calina and Legolas brought up the rearguard, and they were often chatting with one another. Should anyone's spirits begin to dip, the Prince would liven them with song.
One evening they set up camp in a small glade. Sam was at the fire working on their dinner, and Boromir was working with the rest of the Hobbits on their swordsmanship. From her seat against a nearby tree, Calina saw her brother egg the Half-lings on, watching them scurry against his attacks. She smiled at the sight.
"You are happy to be back in your brother's company." Legolas had sat down beside her, following her gaze.
"Yes. Prior to Rivendell, I hadn't seen him in months."
Gimli came over, sitting down beside them, "So tell me, lass. How did you end up mixed up in all of this?"
"With the Hobbits?"
"Aye."
"It's a long story."
"I think we have time."
She laughed, "This is true." Calina then regalled him with her backstory, omitting nothing. Aragorn's pursuit of her, the birthday incident, their journey to Bree, the skirmish at the Watchtower, their flight to Rivendell and all that had transpired there.
By the time she had finished, dinner had concluded and the others had laid down to sleep. "That's quite a tale." Gimli said, his expression indicating he was still absorbing the depth of her story. Legolas had remained with them the entire time, listening as well. At the conclusion of her tale, the Dwarf nodded with a yawn. A billow of wind cut through the campsite, and they all bristled, "Blast this chill. I'm off to bed." Gimli rose and strode across the campsite, throwing his blanket haphazardly over himself before dropping to the ground to sleep.
Another cold wind invaded the campsite and Calina shivered, "I need to grab a blanket." She made a move to rise, but the Prince put a hand on her shoulder.
"Let me." He insisted. Legolas walked across the campsite before swiftly returning with two blankets in hand. He kneeled down and draped one of them around her before sitting back down beside her.
She smiled at him gratefully, snuggling into the blanket, "Thank you."
"Of course." He said as he wrapped the other blanket around his shoulders. A pleasant silence drifted between them. For a time, the only conversation came from the crackling of the fire and the occasional rustle of leaves as the wind continued to filter around them.
Calina yawned and let her head rest against the tree behind her, eyes drifting closed, "Goodnight Legolas." She murmured, already half asleep.
"Goodnight Calina." The Prince replied.
.
What exactly pulled Calina from her slumber she couldn't rightly say, but when she did, she froze. Her head had lolled onto Legolas's shoulder and they were now leaning into one another, their blankets pinned between them. She would've pulled away, but the Prince's head had dropped to the side and was resting against her hair, so she was locked in place, unable to move lest she wake the Prince.
She was immediately red-faced. 'What do I do?!'
Her eyes snapped across the dark campsite. While the fire had dimmed, it had not yet been reduced to embers and everyone else was still asleep. Her frantic thoughts were interrupted as her blanket fell off her other shoulder, exposing her to the cold night air. Her breath hitched as a chill rocketed through her.
Legolas lifted his head, "Are you alright?"
His breath was warm against her ear. "The blanket fell." She answered lamely, still panicking internally.
To her words, he carefully shifted his arm behind her and pulled the blanket back up. But rather than pulling away, his hand remained comfortably where it was on her shoulder, keeping the blanket securely in place. "Is that better?" He asked smoothly.
"Mhmm." She murmured, not daring to lift her head, afraid he'd see her flush face.
"Good." He said, leaning his head back against her hair.
Her heart was pounding in her ears and she was certain he could hear it. The Prince then began to take slow, deep breaths. She became aware of the faint rise and fall of his shoulder as he breathed, its rhythm lulling her back to a state of calm. Eventually, her eyes began to get heavy and she relaxed completely, leaning into him as she fell back asleep.
.
When she woke again, the fire had been reduced to ash and the sky was lighting up with the approach of dawn. She was also acutely aware of the fact that Legolas was no longer beside her, for his warmth had since gone. 'Perhaps it was a dream.' She mused. However, this thought was squashed when she realized she now had two blankets wrapped around her. 'Definitely not a dream then.'
She sat up, the blankets falling away at the motion. She then grabbed them and put them back in the packs. As she turned, her eyes traveled around the campsite. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gandalf were conversing quietly with one another and her brother had begun to stir. The Hobbits and Gimli were still sound asleep.
Calina walked over to the Half-lings and Gimli and began to wake them. With large yawns, they all rose, stretching and getting to their feet while groggily returning things to their bags. Her brother had since risen as well and joined the others in their conversation. A few moments later, the campsite had been packed up and they were off once again.
.
The sun was high in the sky later that same day when they came to a stop on a large outcropping on the side of a mountain. The Hobbits had begun to mutter about their current state of being (which, in Merry and Pippins' case, had been positivity starving) so it was decided that they would stop for a short time to eat before continuing on their way.
Sam was at the fire cooking up sausages and tomatoes while Boromir resumed swordsmanship lessons with Merry and Pippin. Aragorn was nearby, watching the scene play out as Pippin moved up to take his turn to practice.
For every motion, Boromir called out, "Two, one, five. Good! Very good." As the lesson moved on, there was a continual clashing of blades.
With his pipe teaming with smoke, Aragorn spoke out to the Half-ling. His words were encouraging, "Move your feet." Pippin did as instructed, and was once again dancing along the dirt to avoid Boromir's attacks.
Through a mouthful of food, Merry spoke to his friend, "Good job Pippin."
The other Hobbit didn't have time to look away but breathed a small, "thanks" before having to counter another strike from Boromir. The man gestured to Merry, encouraging him to join in the lesson whilst continuing to spar with Pippin. The other Half-ling swallowed his last bit of tomato before picking up his sword and joining in. Calina sat on a large rock, happily watching the Hobbits practice.
"I trust you slept well?" A smooth voice said from beside her.
Calina turned to see Legolas side down beside her, "Yes. Also, thank you. I appreciated the blanket." She paused, wringing her hands together, a shade anxious, "Actually, I wanted to ask you about that."
"Of course." He looked at her with a smile, "You were cold."
"I did want to ask…" He only looked at her, puzzled. She had to fight the crimson she felt rising in her face, "Why didn't you pull away when I woke you up?"
He looked contentedly out across the landscape, "I didn't want to. Besides, you didn't wake me."
She was then exceptionally grateful he was now looking away from her, because she could no longer stop the redness she'd tried to suppress as it quickly spread across her cheeks.
However, the familiar cool prickle suddenly began to dance beneath her skin and immediately erased her embarrassment. She turned, expression now dire, and stared off to the south.
"Is something wrong?" Legolas asked, noticing her shift in demeanor.
Her eyes were drawn to the sky. She then lifted a hand and pointed out across the horizon, "There." They both stared at a black wisp that had appeared, drifting across the midday sky.
"What's that?" Sam asked, having noticed it as well.
Gimli let out a bellowing response, "Nothing, it's just a whiff of cloud."
"It's moving fast." Boromir stood, pulling the Hobbits up with him. "Against the wind..."
"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas yelled, finally realizing what the dark mass was.
"Hurry, hide!" Aragorn commanded.
In a flurry of motion, the Fellowship grabbed their things, doused the fire and bolted for places to hide. They took cover under rock overhangs and bushes, all of them managing to conceal themselves just as the birds arrived on top of their camp. The Crebain cawed loudly, their blackness scarring the light of the midday sky. But as soon as it all began, it ended. After having circled the hill, the Crebain returned to the higher parts of the sky and flew back from the direction they had come. Once their cries finally died away, the Fellowship emerged from their hiding places. They all looked to one another with a new sense of worry.
"Spies of Saruman! The passage south is being watched." Gandalf proclaimed, his staff in hand. "We must take the pass of Caradhras." All eyes turned towards the white mountain looming above them. Pippin visibly cringed, Sam groaned, and Gimli let out an huff.
"You alright Calina?" Merry asked suddenly.
As all eyes fell on her, she cracked a small smile, one corner of her lips tilting upwards, "I'm fine." Her eyes shot towards the sky towards the malevolent black cloud that was drifting away from them, "Those things were just unsettling."
"I'm sure they would bring a chill to even the most hardy of adventurers." Pippin chimed in. He then picked up his pack and began to walk off ahead of everyone towards the mountain. While the others did the same, Boromir paused, watching his sister. His lips had drawn into a thin line as he lingered, still staring off at the Crebain as they faded against the sky.
"You seem troubled." Legolas voiced quietly, standing beside Boromir.
"She is lying." Boromir stated plainly.
"How can you tell?"
"She always smiles like that when she lies. Though why, or what she is lying about, I cannot rightly say." While the man's words were nonchalant, his expression looked no less concerned.
"I take it she's stubborn when it comes to telling others what trouble her?" The Prince guessed.
"You have no idea." Boromir answered, the wind against their faces already beginning to chill as they approached the foot of the mountain.
.
Before long, the dirt and grass gave way to snow that was as pristine as it was blinding. With the expansive clear blue sky above them, the Fellowship pressed on, making a single path through the snow. The Half-lings, save for Frodo, had taken their place near Gandalf as the wizard continued to lead them across the slopes of the mountain. From her usual place in the rearguard, Calina walked, still lost to her thoughts.
"It has come to our observation that something is troubling you." She jumped in surprise, nearly tripping headfirst into the snow. Legolas put a hand on her shoulder to steady her, "Forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you."
She shook her head, embarrassed for having been caught so off guard, "No, it's alright. I was just thinking."
"Of whatever has been bothering you since the Crebain?" The Elf pressed gently as they began to walk again.
She nodded, but for a moment remained quiet. As the silence between them dragged on, Legolas wasn't sure that she was going to give him a proper answer.
But then she surprised him, "Those Crebain. Gandalf said they were spies of Sarumon?" He nodded. She continued, "I know this may sound crazy, but I could sense them." She tentatively looked over to the Prince, hoping he wasn't going to be looking at her like she was a complete lunatic.
To her astonishment, his expression became much more relaxed, enlightened even, "That would actually make a great deal of sense." Calina's jaw half dropped, and one of her eyebrows had shot up. He let out a soft chuckle, "You seem surprised at my response." He chimed.
"Sorry, but how does that make any sense?" She asked.
"To say you can sense the presence of creatures of darkness is no stranger than me saying I can speak to trees." Calina's other eyebrow shot upward. The Prince laughed whole-heartedly at her crazed expression, his eyes sparking in mirth, "For one who wanders, you know very little of Elvin kind."
"I mean, I know the basics, but after what happened with Elrond, the Elves of Rivendell wanted to drag me back to face justice, and the rest avoided me altogether."
"Those of the Woodland Realm tend to keep to their own to begin with, but yes, those are both ultimately correct assessments."
A breeze twirled between them, "Which were you?" She asked quietly as she peeked over at him.
"Neither."
Calina looked at him quizzically. The cold air tousled their hair. "What do you mean?"
"When I heard Lord Elrond tell the tale of what had transpired between you, it was clear that his pride was the root of his anger. Furthermore, Aragorn's relationship with Lord Elrond made his fury run hot over what had happened to both Elrond, and myself. When it comes down to it, both of them were biased in their own way. But I prefer to believe what I see with my own eyes. After meeting you, I believe my assumptions were correct."
"And what were they?" She dared ask.
"That they both were indeed prejudiced and that you are far from what the world claims you to be." He paused, eyes skirting away for a moment as a curious look overcame his fair features. It lasted a split second, but she noticed it: a flash of guilt. But to what, she could only guess. He then met her gaze, "In truth, there's something I've been meaning to–"
There was a sudden crash of snow from behind them, and their conversation was immediately dispelled. All heads turned to see Frodo tumbling back down the slope. Luckily, Aragorn wasn't too far behind him and kept the Hobbit from falling further down the mountainside. As soon as he was steadied, Frodo reached for the chain on his neck, only to find it not in its place. The Half-ling's eyes turned upward, catching the Ring glistening a short ways up the slope as it sat resting in the snow.
Boromir, who was nearest to the Ring, retraced his steps and picked it up by the chain. Without so much as a second thought, he continued down the mountain and held it out to the Half-ling. "Here, Frodo." The Hobbit looked to him gratefully, taking the chain and returning it to his neck. "Careful not to lose it now. Goodness knows what would happen if the Ring fell into the wrong hands." He nodded in agreement before beginning to follow Boromir back up the mountain, Aragorn in tow behind them.
The bright day quickly morphed into a chaotic blizzard the further they trekked up the mountain. Soon, the entire Fellowship was trudging through massive snow drifts and nearly blinded entirely by the snow as it whipped around them. Gandalf was doing his best to carve a path for those behind him, but their travels were exceptionally slow going. Calina had an arm wrapped around Frodo, trying to keep even the smallest bit of cold away from him.
As her feet pressed down against the white powder, the familiar tickle began to dance under her skin. She dared to lift her head up against the raging winds, looking for whatever could possibly be causing this strange sensation to happen again. It soon became clear that, in the midst of the raging blizzard, nothing was physically coming towards them. Not even the Crebain could navigate this storm.
A pair of boots had then appeared on top the bank of snow beside her. She lifted her chin to see Legolas, whose feet remained light on the snow. "Is something wrong?" He inquired.
"I can sense something again. Can you see if there is anything going on?" She answered. Legolas nodded and Calina began to move Frodo forward again. The Hobbit looked at her curiously as she ushered him along the snowy path.
From on top the banks of snow, Legolas moved out in front of the group and near the mountain's ledge. Looking out into the storm, a crease formed on his brow. "There is a fell voice in the air!" He shouted above the storm.
"It's Saruman!" Upon Gandalf's cry, numerous boulders loosened themselves from their places on top of the mountain and fell towards the Fellowship. With what strength they had, they threw themselves flat against the cliff wall, hoping to keep from being crushed as the rocks rolled past in a roar.
Fortunately, they got out of the way in time. Though the deadly boulders had passed, the Fellowship knew this would not be the end of their troubles. Aragorn was the first to recognize this, "He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!" From beside him, Sam was quivering like a leaf against the cold.
"No!" The wizard replied immediately. Gandalf trudged through the snow and stood on the ledge of the mountain. From here, he began to shout words of magic in hopes of calming the mountain.
But the mountain had already been won.
Lighting then struck the very top of the peak, sending an avalanche hailing down on them. With the swiftness and agility his race was famed for, Legolas pulled Gandalf away from the ledge and back against the cliff wall just as the snow and ice was dumped on them. For a moment, the mountain was still, save for the billows of wind and snow.
With waning energy, the Fellowship managed to pull themselves out from underneath the snow. This time, it is Boromir who is adamant, "We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to Minas Tirith!" Besides him, Merry and Pippin were frighteningly pale, their teeth chattering against the cold between their blue lips.
"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn said, yelling over the wind.
Gimli offered a suggestion, "If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it." Snow and ice stuck to nearly every inch of the Dwarf's vermillion beard. "Let us go through the Mines of Moria."
Calina and Frodo stood in between everyone. Even through the blizzard, Calina can see a quiet and unannounced fear creep into Gandalf's eyes. "Let the Ring Bearer decide." Gandalf finally said.
"We cannot stay here!" Boromir was insistent, "This will be the death of the Hobbits!"
The wizard turned his gaze to the blue-eyed hobbit, "Frodo?"
The Half-ling looked to his friends, and seeing their misery, decided. "We will go through the Mines." He declared.
"So be it." Gandalf said softly. With the decision made, the Fellowship turned around and began to make the trip back down the mountain. Gandalf once again moved to the front of the group with the Hobbits practically running after him. At the news of being able to get off the mountain, the Hobbits seemed to find the will to keep going.
As Calina watched the rest of the group begin to descend, she remained behind for a moment, her eyes trailing after Gandalf. From on top of the snow and ice, Legolas crouched down beside her. Upon seeing her stare, his eyes followed her gaze. His face then turned puzzled and he stepped down onto the carved path where she stood. "Is something the matter?" He asked.
"I'm not sure." She answered, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders with stiff hands, "But I feel Gandalf is keeping something from us." To this comment, the two of them glanced at one another, both now curious and wary of the secrets their wizard friend was hiding.
.
Much to everyone's relief, the journey down the mountain was swift and uneventful. They had passed south and were now trailing along what was left of an ancient aqueduct, following a small stream as they walked.
The two siblings of the group walked side by side, talking with one another. Calina had just finished telling Boromir of what she had discussed with Legolas regarding their concerns about Gandalf when the Dwarf in front of them stopped abruptly.
"The walls of Moria." Gimli let out an awestruck breath. The remainder of the Fellowship looked up, seeing a vast cliff face towering above them.
"It really is magnificent." Calina said in amazement. The wall disappeared into the misty haze above them, making it seem as if the wall went on forever into the sky.
Gimli's chest puffed out at her compliment, "Dwarf doors are invisible when closed." He boasted, tapping his ax against a rock, picking up his stride yet again. The Fellowship all then continued to trail along the cliff wall, searching for the door.
"Yes, Gimli, their own masters cannot find them, if their secrets are forgotten." Gandalf added, running his hand along the wall as he walked.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas commented. Those who happened to overhear the Elf's comment couldn't help but snicker. The Dwarf shot a glare towards the Prince, grumbling under his breath about snobbish Elves before continuing on.
The stream they were following had emptied into a small pool that shimmered like black glass against the moonlight. A splash was suddenly heard, and heads turned to see Frodo hastily pulling his foot out of the water. For an instant his eyes scanned the water fretfully, hoping he hadn't disturbed anything that might've been lurking beneath the inky water. Aragorn put a hand on his shoulder, nodding him forward and away from the waters edge.
Gandalf, who was still running his hand along the rock wall, suddenly came to stop at a large stone between two trees. He then began to mutter, "Now… let's see. Ithildin." With a hand still trailing across the cliff face, silvery wisps' began to appear on the rock wall. "It mirrors only starlight… and moonlight." The wizard then turned his gaze to the night sky, which, after the shifting of clouds, revealed the moon. The silvery lines then became brighter, revealing a massive door framed by two columns beneath an arch. A star was imprinted at the very center of the door, glowing just as brightly as the moon.
From behind him, the rest of the Fellowship gathered, listening to the wizard as he spoke, "It reads 'The Doors of Durin – Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter.'"
"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked.
Gandalf, who was obviously pleased to have found the door, answered swiftly, "Oh, it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open." Gandalf then took a step towards the doors, lifting his staff and pressing it against the glowing star in the middle of the door, "Annon Edhellen, edro hi ammen!" After a few seconds, all remained still and the doors, still closed.
Although now slightly off put, Gandalf stepped back, lifting his arms high towards the doors and trying again, "Fennas Nogothrim, lasto beth lammen."
"Nothing's happening." Pippin commented, which earned a somewhat agitated stare from the wizard. Gandalf pushed against the doors, but it was clear that they remained tightly closed despite his efforts to open them.
Having taken a few steps back, Gandalf spoke, "I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves… Men… and Orcs."
"What are you going to do, then?" Pippin's question was an innocent one, but Gandalf's patience had grown thin.
"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." The wizard snapped, causing the Hobbit to flinch ever so slightly at the harshness of his tone. The rest of the Fellowship looked to one another before each moving about to find a comfortable place to rest while Gandalf tried to solve the mystery of the door before them.
.
Some time had passed, and the Fellowship had all found places to wait. Gandalf was still uttering countless spells and words in many tongues in efforts to try and get the door to open. Despite his valiant efforts, none of them proved to be the right ones, and the door was still sealed shut.
Calina sat on a small stone, watching Aragorn unhitch the pony from its bridle, sending it off back down the path they'd come. Sam was beside him, his expression a crestfallen before the ranger set a hand on the Hobbit's shoulder, offering a small but comforting smile as the pony began to walk back the way they had come. As the pair began to head towards the rest of the group, Merry and Pippin began to throw stones into the water. As Aragorn walked past, he grabbed them both by the arms, "Do not disturb the water."
"Oh, it's useless!" Gandalf suddenly proclaimed, tossing his staff and hat onto the ground before sitting down beside Frodo.
Calina got up and walked over to the seated pair, looking at the door. Frodo decided to join her in further observing the quizzical markings. "This thing is proving to be quite the puzzle, isn't it?" Calina said offhandedly, her eyes following the intricate words across the top arch.
"Puzzle…" He muttered, the gears of his mind beginning to turn, "It's a riddle. Speak 'friend' and enter." He looked back to Legolas, "What's the Elvish word for friend?"
The Prince uttered a single word, "Mellon." To their great astonishment, the stone doors began to move, rumbling deeply as they swung open. They revealed a seemingly endless black pit that disappeared into the side of the cliff face. Gandalf was not deterred by the darkness, and quickly gathered his things and stepped into the Mines.
With quiet steps, the rest of the Fellowship followed in tow behind him. Aragorn and Boromir came in last, both of them taking watchful looks over their shoulders. Gandalf placed a crystal on top of his staff as Gimli began to banter about the Mines, "Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone." The look of eagerness was clear on Gimli's face by this point, "This, my friend, is the home of my cousin, Balin. And they call it a Mine." He laughed, "A Mine!"
But as Gandalf breathed light onto the stone on his staff, it was clear that they would never enjoy such luxuries. "This is no mine…" Boromir proclaimed, taking in the horrid sight that surrounded them, "It's a tomb."
An endless number of corpses littered the ground all around them, all belonging to the Dwarves who once called the place home. The state of their decay and the vast weavings of spiderwebs sent a dark chill down each of their spines. The darkness somehow became even more oppressive.
"Oh, no! Noooo!" Gimli howled in anguish.
Everyone became dangerously tense and hands began to fall onto the hilts of swords. Legolas pulled an arrow from the body of a Dwarf, scanning it over. His face twisted to disgust before tossing the arrow away, "Goblins."
To this announcement, Boromir and Aragorn drew their swords. Legolas notched an arrow and all eyes began to search the darkness for any oncoming threats. Calina began to urge the Hobbits hurriedly out of the Mines. But as her eyes glanced over the heads of the four Half-lings, she couldn't help but notice that the water of the like had begun to churn.
"We make for the Gap of Rohan." Boromir proclaimed, deadset. "We never should have come here. This place is not safe. Now get out of here. Get out!"
Calina had stopped just beneath the archway of the door, the Hobbits bumping into her, not having noticed that she had stopped. "Boromir!" She yelled, not daring to take her eyes off the water. She put her hands up, shielding the Hobbits behind her as the surface of the water erupted into chaos.
Reflexively, Calina knocked an arrow and shot at the giant tentacle that was now headed straight for them. Her arrow struck, and imbued with her magic, earned a wild cry of anguish from the beast as it yanked its limb back underwater.
Unfortunately, another three tentacles burst from the water, hurling straight for her and the Half-lings with a new level of ferocity. Calina managed to shove the Hobbits out of harm's way just as the slimy black arms had reached them. But in a split second, the slippery tentacles wrapped tightly around her, yanking her clean off of her feet submerging her underwater.
It had her from both ankles and a wrist, and it quickly became apparent that the creature was set on drowning her. She thrashed against it, but try as she might, it held her tight. Using her free hand, she grabbed onto one of the tentacles, desperately trying to get it to release her. She concentrated, and a glow appeared from her right hand. The light erupted and died almost instantly. Before it had even dissipated the tentacles flinched away, finally letting go.
With a few kicks, she broke the surface. She heaved in gulps of air, her vision spotty from having nearly drowned. A voice from the shore called out to her, "Calina! Duck!" Although she could not see him, she knew the voice belonged to Legolas, and she dipped her head down. She heard an arrow whiz above her head, which was instantly followed by an angry roar from the monster.
She then scrambled out of the water, completely drenched. Looking over her shoulder she saw that they were still in the thick of pandemonium. Arrows and swords were flying every which way and water was splashing violently.
"Calina!" She turned around to see Merry, Pippin and Sam all gathered back under the archway, ushering her over to them. She sprinted over, each of them talking so fast she could hardly keep up.
"We saw you go under the water—" Merry started.
"And then there was this light—!" Sam interjected.
"It was a strange color—" Pippin carried on.
"But then you reappeared!"
"We were so relieved."
"We'd thought you'd drowned!"
"And then the monster got Frodo—"
"It WHAT?!" She flung herself back around, eyes instantly finding the missing Half-ling hanging precariously from one of the beast's tentacles.
Aragorn leapt forward and in a single blow, tore clear through the tentacle that was holding Frodo. The beast wailed in agony, and Boromir managed to catch the falling Hobbit before he fell into the murky water.
"Into the Mines!" Gandalf hollered, having run up to the little group before pushing them under the archway and back into the darkness.
"But the others!" Calina protested.
The voice of her brother suddenly yelled out, "Legolas!" The remaining members of the Fellowship sprinted towards the doors as Legolas continued to fire off arrows, sending one into the beast's eye. With a roar of pain, the creature recoiled for an instant before lunging all its remaining limbs after the fleeing company, tearing at the stone door in efforts to reach them as they ran further into the Mines.
The massive stone slabs quickly began to crumble against the beast's rage and soon the roof around the door collapsed. Within seconds, the last rays of moonlight vanished and the Fellowship was plunged into darkness.
"We now have but one choice." A familiar light emerged from the stone on Gandalf's staff, "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 then began to walk further into the darkness with the rest of the company trailing after him, their feet scuffling along the dusty and corpse-ridden ground.
"Quietly now." Gandalf proclaimed softly, "It's a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence goes unnoticed." And so, the Fellowship crept into the swallowing blackness, their steps light as they dared to tread ever deeper into the depths of the hallowed Mine.