*slinks in, drops Chapter*
Been a few busy weeks. Work. School. Re-Started Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver. Caught Three Shinies on this playthrough (two in one day even). Still have to finish Fallout: New Vegas.
Alex was really glad they were off that mountain. It didn't matter that they back-tracked for a bit to get to a different route, as long he'd never had to be stuck in another blizzard again.
The second the night temperatures were above freezing again, he let the modified Armor sink back under his skin and took several moments just to stretch and breathe freely. It felt so good to be no longer confined inside the shell, to be able to see again, to move the way he wanted to. He didn't care too much about the reaction of the remaining group, he was just so glad to be off that mountain.
There were more trees now too, and hopefully a few larger animals. Because he was starting to get hungry- after all, he didn't get anything to consume that actually mattered ever since the river- and the stint up the mountain hadn't exactly helped. He hadn't thought that moving around in his Armor for longer stretches of time would actually increase his metabolism, but here they were. (And, at least, he hadn't burnt through so much Biomass as he would have if he'd tried to heat himself without the additional insulation)
And, to be honest, he wanted to see Moria himself. There was something that scared Gandalf, a wizard, and it interested him. He was also aware that it was a bad strategy if he actually wanted to survive, but at this point he just wanted to keep going to see how far he could go.
The nights were calm, asides from one pack of wolves that got too close. Alex had been tempted to consume them, but Strider and the others already scared them off and it would have looked weird if he'd chase after them.
He was going to have another chance- wolves had to be close to prey animals, no?
Besides, he could be patient. The hunger wasn't as bad at the moment, just a minor gnawing at his stomach, but nothing he couldn't handle.
Currently, he was following behind the Fellowship, only half listening to their conversation. Gimli was telling stories about how the Dwarves were going to welcome them, Boromir kept muttering about how they should have gone to the Gap of Rohan, Gandalf was telling Frodo to keep vigilant.
The foothills had long since turned into steep crags and deep valleys. At some point, they passed a huge ancient aqueduct that towered above them. And just after the sun set, they reached a massive cliff that rose at a near ninety-degree angle skywards.
Gimli stopped with a wide grin. "The walls of Moria!" He jogged to the front, excitedly waving his arms as the group marched along the edge of a large dark pool. Alex eyed the water warily, brows furrowed. This was the first time he encountered such amounts in one place. He would bet it was pretty deep, too, and had been created through the damming of the river that ran through here.
The Dwarf had continued talking, knocking his ax against the smooth rock facade. "Dwarf doors are invisible when closed", he boasted to the two youngest Hobbits.
Gandalf walked past him, barely containing a smirk, "Yes Gimli, even their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten."
"Why am I not surprised?" Legolas added deadpan as he walked past too. Gimli puffed up and glared at the two of them.
Aragorn spotted the two trees first, brows furrowing. "Holly trees", he pointed out the moment he stopped besides Alex, "They do not live in this part of Hollin."
Alex cocked his head. The entire area was completely barren of any trees. But there, exactly in front of the rocky wall, were two big trees, around seven feet from each other. Both looked like they were the same age, too, so they'd been planted there. And, come to think of it, the wall between them was unnaturally smooth, compared to the remaining cliff.
In video games, this was a dead give-away for a 'secret' entrance. And, sure enough, when he stepped closer and brushed his hand against the stone, he uncovered thin silver lines beneath the dust.
Gandalf hummed. "Ithilidin." He approached Alex and dusted the surface off with a lighthearted sweep of his palm. "It mirrors only starlight. And moonlight."
Like on cue, the clouds darkening the sky slid away to reveal the bright moon above. The thin silver lines in the door reacted immediately, starting to glow with a bright blue light. Out of nowhere appeared the image of a door on the smooth rock. The Hobbits aahed and oohed, Boromir and Strider seemed reverent, Gimli was beaming across his entire face, and even Legolas was speechless.
Alex took a moment to mourn the fact that this special application just didn't make sense since starlight and sunlight were basically the same, and moonlight was just a reflection of sunlight. (Well, he supposed, it could be that this Ithilidin would always glow when in contact with light, but the light it gave off was weak enough so it could only be seen at night.)
He shook his head with an amused snort at his own attempt to explain magic with logic, and turned his attention back to the door. There was an image of a star beneath the upper doorjamb, with an inscription on looped Elvish just above.
Gandalf knocked his staff lightly against the inscription, translating. "It reads 'The Doors of Durin- Lord of Moria. Speak friend and enter'."
Merry cocked his head like a little bird. "What do you suppose this means?"
The Wizard smiled. "It is quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password, and the door will open." Without waiting for another reaction, he spread his arms and raised his voice, commanding Gate of the Elves, open now for me! in Elvish.
The doors remained closed.
Alex blinked. Glanced back at the Elvish scripture while Gandalf tried another phrase. The door remained closed.
Then he snorted, and quickly disguised it as a cough, though Legolas noticed it and turned to him when Gandalf tried to shove the door open. "You already figured it out, did you?"
The Runner smirked. "I did."
The Elf furrowed his brows. "Then why don't you tell us?"
The smirk became razor-like. "It's much more fun to watch Gandalf flounder about."
Legolas arched his eyebrows, looked back to the Wizard who was trying another phrase with no success, then turned back. "It is amusing I admit. But please, don't draw this out too long, or he might never forgive you."
Alex hummed. "Just let me have this."
Time passed. The Fellowship had settled down besides the door while Gandalf was still desperately trying to figure out the password. Gimli was just smoking his pipe, glancing around bored. Aragorn and Sam were with Bill, taking off his bridle and gear to send him off into the wild, with the Ranger claiming that the Mines were no place for the pony. Sam seemed heartbroken when the horse walked off, though the ranger's next words of encouragement that Bill was clever and would find home on his own were enough to comfort him.
Merry and Pippin were throwing small rocks into the water from boredom until Boromir stopped them from doing so. Alex let his gaze sweep briefly over the pool, and his brows came down. Out there, in the dark, was there something moving?
Come to think of it, it was kind of suspicious there was no animal near the pool. No ducks, no fish he could see, not even water skaters. There wasn't even any sort of plant growth.
It sent chills down his back, and he made the split decision to cut things short. With a huff, he walked towards the Wizard who was sitting in front of the door with a defeated expression. The old man glanced up at him. Alex glared back, then jerked his head towards the door. "It's a riddle", he pointed out, "And whoever made it was also some kind of joker. The password's painfully obvious, if you think about it."
The Wizard sighed, obviously at the end of his patience. "Then why don't you enlighten us?"
Alex shrugged and turned towards the entrance, barking out a single 'Mellon' at the door.
It slid open immediately.
The others stared, then Gandalf turned his astonished gaze to the Runner. "'Friend'?"
Instead of answering, Alex lifted his hands and hooked his fingers. "The text was 'Speak "Friend" and enter'."
It took them a moment to settle, but then the Hobbits groaned in understanding. Gandalf was very close to slapping his own face with his palm. "How did you figure?"
"My sister does something similar", was all Alex replied. Dana's password to her laptop was literally 'your Password', because the computer Log-in stated 'Please enter your Password', which she'd done. Simple, and mean.
He took a step back, gesturing to the now open entrance. "After you lot, I insist."
Gandalf fiddled with his staff as he got up, placing a crystal into its top while Gimli, Legolas and the two youngest Hobbits took the lead. "...soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone", Gimli chattered to Legolas, oblivious to the air smelling of dust and stagnation, and not what he just described. "This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine. A mine!"
Aragorn was glancing back over his shoulder towards the lake, and Alex couldn't help but notice that the smooth surface rippled slightly.
Gandalf had finally managed to light up the crystal atop his staff, just as Boromir stepped on something that crunched beneath his boot. The sound was loud like an explosion, and the entire group froze as they took in the area.
"This is no mine", Boromir breathed. The light illuminated just a small portion of the entrance room, but that was enough to spot the dozens of skeletons lying strewn about. "This is a tomb."
"No" Gimli gasped, storming towards the closest set of remains that had once been a Dwarf. "No! Noo!"
Legolas grabbed arrow shafts poking out of another dead Dwarf and yanked it out, examining it and the not-Dwarven bones nearby. "Goblins."
Aragorn and Boromir had their swords drawn in an instant, Legolas had his bow ready.
As if the Goblins would descent upon them the moment they became aware of their presence. "We make for the Gap of Rohan", Boromir hissed like he was afraid to be too loud, "We should have never come here."
"Why?" Alex asked and the Gondorian jerked back like he'd just been slapped. He understood their fear, he really did. It was just- "There's no-one here", he said, "And going to the Gap of Rohan would take too much time now. We're almost past these goddamn mountains, let's just keep going." He could be patient for a lot of things. But right now, they were almost on the other side, almost close to Lórien- to where this Galadriel Gandalf said was- he couldn't be patient any more.
Gimli cleared his throat and grabbed his ax harder. "He's right. And I need to know how Balin is."
Likely dead from the looks of the skeletons around, Alex thought but didn't say out loud.
"It is too dangerous in here", Aragorn went on to argue.
"It's dangerous in Isengard", the Runner pointed out simply. He crossed his arms, glaring at the group that seemed to be rather pale. "If we don't draw attention in here, we should be able to go through and look for Balin-", he nodded towards Gimli and the Dwarf exhaled in relief, "-without much problems. Out there we'd have to face the weather, another bunch of crow spies, and likely the entire might of Isengard. Not sure about you, but I'd rather take my chances with Moria-"
He cut himself off, eyes narrowing when he snapped his head around to glare at the water outside. Those were definitely ripples, and they were coming closer fast. Without any warning, he spun to the side to stomp down on a tentacle that had been slithering along the ground. It jerked with a surprising amount of strength, yanking back and nearly overbalancing him.
He turned fully to face whatever had tried to ambush them, paying no attention to the group's startled gasps at his back. The thing that rose from the churning waters had a dozen tentacles that were whipping through the air and curling in on nothing. A giant maw split open in the center of its body to reveal a whole lot of teeth as it roared at them.
Alex's eyes flicked towards the water the thing was inside, then the squid thing, then back to the water. He was so hungry, but there was water everywhere.
Hunger? Or Water?
A savage grin split his face just as his Claws slid into existence with a metallic shriek.
Hunger won.
Aragorn had to admit that Alex offered some valid points- the way to the Gap of Rohan would throw them back for a month at least, and they'd had to pass Isengard. And- He glanced back at the Dwarven and Goblin remains that lay around in the first chamber- something had happened here. He would by lying if he said he wasn't curious about it.
But then the man suddenly cut himself off, and his eerie focus snapped away, back to the unsettling pool of dark water just outside the doorway. Boromir and him had already suspected that there was something foul within those waters, but to actually see the beast rise from their depths was something else entirely.
It was huge, the size of a cart at least, with endlessly long arms stretching towards them. Its maw was filled with rows of massive teeth, and its eyes were tiny and sunken.
His heart had jumped painfully in his chest, and he was certain every member of their Fellowship had experienced the same.
Except for Alex. The man had been staring at the monster first, before he started to smile maliciously. Then suddenly his claws replaced his hands and the only thought that ran through Aragorn's mind was 'He's going to attack the thing'.
Because instead of trying to hide deeper inside the entrance chamber, Alex stalked towards the beast in the water, claws scraping together with the shriek of metal.
"He's not going to fight it, is he?!" Boromir hissed in terror.
"He is", Aragorn muttered. "By the Spirits, he is." Because the man-Wraith?- lunged towards the many-armed beast without any sign of fear. It flailed its limbs into his direction, yet he easily avoided them while even in mid-air. Changing course and slamming into the thing with a force comparable to the boulders at the Caradhras.
The thing snarled and attempted to slam its arms into the smaller being, to either crush him or throw him off, but Alex dodged to the side like he was a simple breeze of wind.
Aragorn yanked his sword free, eyes wide. "We must help him!" He didn't wait for any of the others to react, just sprinted out and towards the beast, sword raised. At the same moment, an arrow zipped past him and struck the thing near its maw, making it scream. An arm swung into his direction and he whirled on his heel, slamming his sword down to hack it off, though the tough hide prevented an instant separation. It was immediately yanked back however with a pained screech of the thing.
"I doubt he needs any help!" Boromir shouted as he hacked away at another arm, ducked quickly to avoid it flailing over his head before he swung again and actually succeeded in slicing off the very tip of the appendage. The water monster screamed again and its arms writhed in a poor attempt to hit Alex, who was tearing his claws through its skin. His efforts were doing way more damage to the thing's arms than their blades, though his talons weren't long enough to actually cut through.
He leapt backwards to hit the shore they were on and casually sliced his claw through the arm the Ranger was working on. It fell to the ground with a soft thud, but continued to writhe and squirm. The water monster screeched and thrashed, and fell back when Legolas landed another arrow into its eye.
"Oh, ew", Boromir grunted in disgust, stabbing the still moving limb to impale it on the ground.
"Octopus limbs tend to do that", Alex said dismissively, "They got brains in their tentacles along with the one in their heads."
"Wonderful", Aragorn hissed, grabbing the other man's arm, "We need to get away, while it is distracted!"
Alex didn't move, just stared at him.
"Alex!" Aragorn snapped. Boromir hurried over to grab him as well, try and pull him back, "It will recover-"
The Wraith shook them both off like they were hardly anything more than rain droplets. "If this thing doesn't get dead, the entrance to Moria will remain blocked", he said simply, like it was logical. And sure, it was- this was one of the few paths across the Misty Mountains, and they couldn't really need a giant water monster guarding it.
"Besides", Alex's voice was deceptively joyful so Aragorn feared the next words he was going to say, "I've never tried Calamari before. You might want to stand back." His left claw twisted and turned into the giant sword he had at the council, and the man casually strode towards the creature that had recovered.
It roared at him, swiping its remaining arms at him, but Alex simply catapulted his body straight upwards to leave the limbs to tangle up. When he dropped back down, it was right on top of the water creature, and with the blade angled in a way it was going to hit the thing first.
The impact was so powerful, it sent the entire thing splashing back beneath the surface of the pool. Its arms thrashed, churning up the water and raining it down on the two men on the shore.
And then more of those limbs rose, black and red, glistening in the pale moon light, and Aragorn remembered Warg bodies being torn apart, flayed as they were dragged into darkness.
Only the water monster was still mostly alive for it, and it was screaming the entire time, even as black engulfed and swallowed its flailing arms, even as multiple horrible cracks broke its body to pieces, even as it was dragged beneath the frothing surface of the pool like a fish did with an unfortunate insect.
Then Alex rose from the water like the Wraith Aragorn had suspected he was, his unnaturally bright eyes locking on the men at the shore. The Ranger felt pinned like a rabbit under the gaze of a wolf, unable to move while the other closed in on them- sloshing through the water like it didn't slow him down at all. Sinking into the soft ground like he was weighed down, though he marched on without showing any signs of exhaustion.
And he just walked past them. His body quivered with countless tiny limbs that shook off the liquid still clinging to him, and that was it.
Aragorn...wasn't too sure what he had expected. A part of him had always been waiting for the Wraith to turn on them, had been counting down the hours until the inevitable happened. Another part had been insisting that they could trust him- but that part had been silenced when Alex attacked the water creature.
That part of him had been right, in the end.
He just stared blankly after him as he made his way back to the Doors of Durin, watched how Legolas and Gandalf gave him a wide berth. Gimli himself actually seemed more surprised and the Hobbits likely hadn't noticed anything of exactly how Alex dispatched of the creature (it was dark out here, after all). His own mind was not able to catch up with the realization that the creature he brought along, who just erased an enemy neither of them ever faced (and hopefully never would again) and could erase them just as easily, had no intentions to actually do so.
He didn't realize he was staring when Alex suddenly stopped halfway through the doorway and craned his head back to glare at them with his unnaturally bright eyes. There was a scowl on his face before he picks up his voice. "So, you coming along or what? I mean, if you really want to go through the Gap of Rohan, be my guest, but I just about had it with taking detours when there is a perfectly passable way right there."
Then he turned and walked right into the darkness of Moria. Uncaring of the Evils that will be lurking inside (but, judging by how quickly he dealt with the creature, he suspected there wasn't anything he feared).
Boromir made a noise, drawing his attention. "I never thought I'd say this, but I think he's right." The Gondorian grimaced briefly, then set out to follow.
They spent the night in a small room just off the path, barely out of view of Moria's Doors. It must have been a tool shed or the first storage room Aragorn suspected, and then huddled closer to the flames. Since he and Boromir were still sopping wet, Gandalf had the Hobbits build a fire so they could dry off before they got sick in these drafty halls. Gimli was glancing around the darkened halls with a forlorn expression on his face- he likely realized what all of the others already suspected, namely that everybody was already dead. The idea of finding Balin had never been a quest of rescue, but of recovery.
Legolas stiffened like a startled cat, eyes narrowing at the sound of heavy footsteps. Too heavy to be those of a goblin- or of a Man. And he knew he only walked this loud on purpose so they would notice his approach, because he usually tended to move silent.
(And Aragorn realized that he hadn't been moving with such heavy steps before he fought the water creature)
"The way forwards is clear", Alex said once he approached the storage shed, standing casually leaned against the door frame.
"How deep did you venture?" Gandalf inquired.
"Two miles, maybe. Not sure, didn't stay on the path too much", was the reply, "But this place has definitely seen some heat. Didn't encounter any opposition nor any more remains, though."
The wizard nodded. "It appears the battle had been confined to the entrance of Moria then. Maybe the Dwarves encountered the creature you've slain, and the goblins took their chance to ambush them. Or it had been the other way around." He hummed for a moment. "In any way, this should allow us to travel undetected- if we avoid drawing attention to ourselves."
"Might be easy for this part", Alex claimed, "Place is huge, mostly steep drops and wide-open cavern systems. Also, no enemy activity as far I can tell."
"They might be confined to the eastern parts of Moria", Gimli pointed out, "Durin and his followers came from the East and began establishing the Great Halls there first. The western mine shafts had been established at a later time. Shortly before they had to abandon it."
"Why was it abandoned?" Merry questioned then.
Aragorn froze, watching how Gandalf did the same. The Wizard grimaced. "This is not something to be discussed about here and now", he claimed in a hushed voice. "It is something best spoken of in safe lands. Not here."
Merry blinked and tried to argue, but Frodo cut in. "If Gandalf does not wish to talk about it, we should obey his wishes, Merry. It's only polite."
The younger Hobbit still grumbled, but let it go for the moment.
The night was spent quietly and undisturbed. Sure, the Fellowship's minds were heavy with questions about the fate of the Dwarves that had went to Moria, but the journey here had left them exhausted enough so sleep was not hard to find.
Aragorn was the first of them to rouse, though he was certain both Legolas and Gandalf were also awake, just didn't show it. Alex, like always, hadn't slept, and had moved to the outside of the storage room during the night.
Which was where the Ranger found him once he made sure the rest of the Fellowship were awake and preparing breakfast.
"You noticed any sort of opposition?" He asked. The question he meant to ask was 'Did anything try to sneak up on us in the night?'
The Wraith shrugged. "No Goblins around here. Outside was calm too, asides from some thin little guy sneaking about. First sign of life I've seen."
The Ranger's head snapped up. "Thin little guy?"
"Kinda pale. Skinny. Not much larger than a Hobbit, really."
That was...that was Gollum, wasn't it? Aragorn inhaled once. "It took me weeks to track and find him, take him to Lord Thranduil. He escaped there-"
Alex inclined his head. "Shall I go out there and nab him?"
"There is no need. This wretched creature is a poor soul. He might alert the enemy, but I doubt it- he fears Sauron just as much as he fears the Elves."
"He could also alert the enemy just by being careless", Alex pointed out with a hiss in his voice.
Aragorn only shook his head. "He is too careful for that. He can disappear from even my eyes- the foul creatures serving Sauron won't even notice his presence."
The other man furrowed his brows like he was still considering going after Gollum. The Ranger lifted his hand. "You can leave him be, the creature is mostly harmless. To us in any case, as long we stay in this group. We don't need wasting time chasing after him."
Alex held his gaze for a bit, before he huffed out. Aragorn let his hand drop. "Why were you in any position to see the outside, though? I doubt you already found the other side."
"I went back to Durin's Door", the Wraith admitted, "Destroyed the dam the squid thing had thrown up just to make sure it didn't have any offspring." He shrugged. "Meaning the West Gate's clear so far."
Aragorn hummed. "That's good." He tilted his head towards the rest of the Fellowship. "I'd ask if you'd come along and eat with us, but-", he tried to smile, though it was likely more of a grimace, "I'd wager the water creature had been more than enough to satisfy you."
Alex grinned. "Last time I had a meal that size I fought two Leader Hunters at the same time."
Aragorn fought back the shudder that ran down his back like every time it did when he was reminded of his companion's nature even as his grimace became a teasing smile. "Well, then you won't complain if you are to start packing up our camp while the rest has breakfast."
The Wraith glared at him like a cat that had just been bathed and held his gaze for several moments until he threw his arms up and headed towards the Fellowship. "Walked right into that one."
It must have been early noon when the group finally set out. Without daylight, Aragorn could only suspect what time it was. He hoped it wouldn't take too long, for the deep dark of Moria was unsettling- it was different to a moonless night, since here there was no light at all. He wondered, not for the first time, how Dwarves could stand it, because Gimli was almost giddy to walk the Mines of his ancestors.
His spirits certainly lifted once they entered a great cavern of raw rock. The ledge they were on was barely enough for a cart to pass along, while one side was a steep drop and the other was a cliff with signs of mining work on them. Huge chains hung suspended from the ceiling somewhere above them, and discarded tools lay in alcoves along the path.
Aragorn squinted through the dark, wondering just how large this cavern was- the air felt all wrong, not like a mine should feel, but more like open space. Then he remembered what Alex had told them the night before. "Two miles", he whispered, then turned to Gandalf, "Alex said it was two miles he ventured into the mines."
"And I know I wasn't anywhere near the end. So it is really large", the Wraith threw in.
Gandalf nodded slowly, guiding the small group along the ledge with only the crystal atop his staff giving off any light. His hand ran along the rocky face of the wall, revealing thin silver lines beneath century-old dust. "The Dwarves of old had dug deep", he explained, waving his staff above the drop to the side. And what drop it was once the magic revealed a larger area- he didn't see a bottom below them, but hundreds of scaffolds and ladders, all worn with time but seemingly still stable. The Fellowship was collectively leaned as far to the front as they dared, blinking at the depths.
"They had dug deep", Gandalf continued, "For the greatest wealth of Moria was not Gold or jewels, but Mithril."
Alex made a noise, brows furrowing as he pulled his attention away from the chasm. "Mithril?"
"The reason Durin founded Moria", Gimli explained before Gandalf had a chance to speak, "Mithril- lighter than any other metal, glitters like silver without tarnishing with age, and soft and malleable like copper when mined-but the Dwarves know how to temper it so it is harder than steel. Armor of Mithril can fend off the strongest blows with nary a bruise on its wearer's skin." He chuckled briefly, "Not that you'll ever see armor made of Mithril, for in the past it had been ten times more worth than Gold. But in these days, with the only source of Mithril in all of Middle-Earth inaccessible to the Dwarves, its worth is immeasurable."
Alex nodded with a hum, and the motion allowed Aragorn to spy a glimpse of Frodo's face- it looked surprised, and kind of guilty.
Gandalf's expression eased slightly. "Bilbo used to own a shirt of Mithril rings", he pointed out, "Gifted to him by Thorin."
Gimli's eyes widened in awe. "That truly was a kingly gift."
The Wizard chuckled even as he drew his staff back and continued the journey. "I never told him, but that shirt was of greater worth than the Shire."
Frodo was looking uncomfortable now. Aragorn wondered whether Bilbo had given it away because he was not aware of its worth and Frodo was just realizing it now. Knowing what he did of the older Hobbit, it was most likely.
Not that he could find time to ask, because the narrow ledges soon turned into steep staircases that made the Pass of the Caradhras look like a walk along even ground in comparison. More than once one of them nearly slipped and slid back to the bottom- or straight into the yawning abyss below.
Legolas and, surprisingly, Gimli weren't struggling as much as the others, but still seemed strained as they climbed the contraption. Alex however, didn't even seem to realize the angle they had to climb at and just strolled after the rest of the Fellowship.
Aragorn felt they were lucky the staircase ended in a large platform just in front of three doors. He wasn't sure how he would have handled climbing another hour.
Gandalf stared at the three doors, and the grip on his staff slackened for a brief moment before he turned to the Wraith. "Alex, will you please see which door leads most likely outside? For you are fast, and I have no memory of this place."
The other frowned. "How far should I go? Straight through, or just until I'm sure?"
"Until you are sure, as I do not wish to draw too much attention."
Alex nodded. "You got it." He glanced at the doorways for a short moment, picked one at random, and was off the next heartbeat, dashing down the first tunnel without so much as a second thought.
Gandalf exhaled and sat down, and the rest of the Fellowship followed suit. At least they got to rest after this arduous climb.
Frodo didn't know how long they've been sitting here in the dark. Without the sun or stars to watch, his sense of time was all skewed. Merry and Pippin were whispering with each other, impossibly loud in the silence of the hall they occupied.
And maybe he'd finally gotten used to the darkness, but he spotted something move in the gloom below. Something small and pale.
He startled and quickly moved towards Gandalf, tugging on his sleeve like a lost child. "Gandalf", he hissed, "There is something down there!"
The Wizard didn't even look up, or react in any way that indicated alarm. "That's Gollum", he said instead.
"Gollum?" Frodo knew that name. The name of the creature Bilbo took the Ring from.
Gandalf nodded. "He's been following us for three days."
"But"- The Hobbit's brows came down, "Strider told me he'd been imprisoned. In Barad-Dûr? He escaped?"
"Escaped? Or set loose perhaps?" Gandalf questioned. His eyes bored into Frodo's. "The enemy knows he will always be drawn to the Ring. He will never be rid of his need for it. He loves and hates it, just as he loves and hates himself."
Frodo glanced back to the creature skittering along at the bottom of the stairs, and disgust filled him. Gandalf sighed, shaking his head. "Don't be too harsh on him, Frodo. Sméagol's story is a sad one." He nodded again, "Yes, Sméagol was his name, before the Ring found him. Before it drove him mad."
"Wouldn't it have been mercy if he'd been killed then?" Frodo blinked, because he just thought the same, yet it hadn't been him who voiced those thoughts. Alex was leaned against one of the doorways, arms crossed and head inclined to the side.
Gandalf glanced up sharply. "Mercy?"
Alex shifted his stance slightly. "Seems like the best way to proceed, don't you think? This poor thing down there won't be suffering from its madness, and we lose the tail that could very well draw too much attention to our position."
The Wizard shook his head. "I would by lying if I told you you were wrong. But there was a reason Bilbo showed pity on him so long ago. My heart tells me Gollum has to play a role in this before all is over." He inhaled slowly. " Even the Wise can not see all ends, so neither of us should deal out death in judgment too quickly, for many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life."
The three watched how the creature slunk into the shadows below them, vanishing with nary a trace. Gandalf exhaled another cloud of pipe smoke. "The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many."
Alex sighed. Scuffed his shoe against the ground. "Part of me wants to tell you that I don't care, that there is always another way. But then I remember Cross, and fuck it. My sister would be dead if I had just killed him like the fragile human he is on our first meeting." Then he suddenly bared his teeth in a grimace. "But if I had just, I don't know, crushed him, he wouldn't have tagged me with that cancer weapon and I wouldn't have lost my powers, so I could have defended her better. So I guess every thing you do is a double-edged sword anyways."
Gandalf nodded again. "You are telling it how it is. Every action we do can help us- or hurt us."
Frodo mulled these thoughts over, before slumping next to the Wizard. "And I don't want them to hurt me, or you. I'm not sure I want having to decide." Because it meant being directly responsible for when things went sideways. He sighed. "I wish the Ring would have never found me. I wish none of this would have happened."
"So do all who live in such times", Gandalf spoke with a soothing voice, "But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." He gestured to the Fellowship. "And do you think there is only the Will of Evil at work here? Think about it, Frodo, all these men, all from different places and with different goals- united now. This is no mere coincidence either. Forces greater than Sauron have drawn them together for this purpose." He smiled at Frodo. "Which means Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, just as it means you were meant to have it, and that is an encouraging thought."
"For better or for worse", Frodo mumbled.
Gandalf's hand was a solid weight on his shoulder, squeezing it in an encouraging manner. His attention though was on the Wraith. "You found anything?"
"The middle one seems most promising", Alex replied with a nod towards the doorways. "Left just ends at a digging site, and right keeps going down. Middle keeps pretty even the entire time. Went through for a while, and it just keeps going." He huffed out. "Also, air smells a bit fresher down there."
"That's good", Gandalf claimed. He got to his feet, rousing the rest of the Fellowship. Frodo saw the way they were struggling, however- the climb had been exhausting after all.
He cleared his throat, setting his eyes on Alex. "And...did you find...some place to stay?"
The other man nodded. "An alcove. Large enough for the entire group, and hidden from the main path. Not more than a mile away."
Good. That was good. Frodo exhaled in relief. After they spend the day climbing, and discovering Gollum following them, he felt more than ready to fall asleep standing.
It took another eight hours for the group to stop snoring and get ready for the last leg of their trek through the mines. Gandalf had mentioned it would take four days at least, but Alex knew the path wasn't too long anymore. It was likely the old man forgot how long it had taken the last time, or he simply went the scenic route- the doorway that had been on the right possibly lead back to the surface too.
Another possibility was that he simply lost his feeling for time down here. It was common in humans who existed any length of time without natural light. Alex himself had different systems for telling time- he was aware it was still early in the morning when the group set out. If he wasn't mistaken in his estimation of the distance left, then they would leave Moria before dusk settled.
They were already approaching the doorway Alex stopped at when he went exploring yesterday- he'd just taken a quick glance at the room beyond to make sure it was safe before he'd turned back. But even from the one glance he could say that this place was easily larger than any other room he'd seen so far in Moria, the once-active mining pit being the sole exception.
When the group stepped across the threshold about three hours after setting out, Gandalf stopped for a moment and lifted his hand to the crystal on top of his staff. "I believe I can risk a little more light", he declared, and the crystal began to shine. It had been a little more than a flashlight before, but now it was like a search light of calm white light, illuminating the hall they were in. Alex hummed in surprise- the ceiling was higher than in any cathedral he'd ever seen, rising to almost impossible heights above them. It was supported by massive pillars every few yards, running down the entire length of the massive hall. He felt his body twitch with the memories of scaling skyscrapers and leaping from building to building. He remembered being chased down by gunships while doing so, remembered the way the glass shattered beneath his feet. That had been 126 days ago.
Felt like a lifetime.
"It's amazing, isn't it?" A voice said besides him. Alex just tilted his head a little to see Gimli stare at the hall around them. "The great realm and Dwarf City of Dwarrowdelf. Once thousands of crystals lit up all of the Halls, and even the Elves were drawn to our crafts."
He sighed suddenly, shoulders slumping and he turned to the Runner as they walked the halls. "It's a shame, you know? Durin the Deathless, the First of the Dwarves, found and founded Dwarrowdelf. And his descendants held the Kingdom for thousands of years, against Sauron's forces."
"Then why was it abandoned?" Alex heard himself ask, "The Mithril ran dry?"
The Dwarf gave a startled laughter. "Ah, no! They were cast out, banished from their home by..." He thought for a moment, "A dark creature the stories say. Durin's Bane. Likely armies of orcs and trolls, because Sauron had send those wave after wave after wave to finally wear the folks down." His lips twitched into a frown. "Guess steady water does wear down even the hardest of rocks."
Alex inclined his head, glanced around the great halls. "I'd say that your people have put up a good fight. And anyways, a little Spring Cleaning here would work wonders." And the Squid Thing was already gone, though the question remained just how many other critters still dwelled in the dark.
Likely not enough to withstand Blacklight. If it came down to it, that was. Alex had no illusions that it was possible they would pass Moria without seeing any other opposition. At least that was what Gandalf intended.
There was a light to the side, and he stopped to glance into the direction of it. Light in the dark usually either meant an exit, or enemy activity.
But this was daylight. Not flames. And it came through an open door settled in the side wall of the hall. Gimli spotted it too, squinting briefly, and paled the next second.
Then he was off, rushing straight towards the doorway with an agonized sound. Several of the Fellowship called out after him, though he didn't hear it. So they followed him quickly, only to find him kneeling and sobbing in front of a stone sarcophagus.
Alex scanned the room they were in- a low ledge was on either side, some pillars, a chute that let in fresh air and light, the aforementioned sarcophagus in the middle of the beam- and dozens of skeletons and weapons strewn about.
A massacre had happened here, with the Dwarves having been the clear losers. Boromir was trying to comfort Gimli with a hand on his shoulder, though his wailing only increased when Gandalf leaned over the tomb and read the inscription out loud.
Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria
It was as all of them suspected- there was nobody they could have met or rescued, all of them were dead. For decades even, from the looks of it. (So no matter how fast they'd moved, they would have been too late anyways)
Gimli was softly chanting something under his breath, while Legolas turned to Aragorn with wide eyes, hissing that they should leave fast. Nobody moved however, too shocked about the scene they entered. Gandalf made a soft noise when spotted a massive damaged book clutched in the hold of one of the Dwarven skeletons. He handed his hat and staff to Pippin and went on to carefully pry the tome out of the skeleton's hold.
"This must be the record", he declared and carefully opened it. The parchment stuck together in places, and there were stains and tears that erased entire sections. "Ah, badly damaged. I hope it can still tell us what happened. Let me just translate..." Gandalf trailed off for a moment, then began reading out loud.
Alex only listened with half an ear- the first three pages described how the Dwarves arrived from the East entrance and began erasing the Orcs that settled within Moria with only one loss so far. It also described how they settled in and began using this chamber as their main headquarters for their exploration of the mines.
All in all, a good beginning, until Gandalf had to skip several pages and settled on the entries that had been written five years later: Balin had been killed and his body interred.
He glanced at the bones strewn about. It was kind of sad to see them scattered like this.
"We cannot get out", Gandalf continued, drawing his attention. "They have taken the bridge and the second hall. Frár and Lóni and Náli fell there bravely while the rest retreated to Mazarbul-"
Alex drew closer curiously, glimpsing into the book from over Gandalf's shoulder. He couldn't read the words, but he could see the way the letters began to grow scraggly and uneven. "-the Watcher in the Water took Óin-" Gimli's sobs cut off, and his glassy eyes widened in terror at the mentioning of the name. Gandalf exhaled slowly, tilted his head and squinted when he read the last entry, the one that looked like the writer's pen eventually just slipped down. "-We cannot get out. The End comes soon, the shadows are moving. We hear drums in the deep. They are coming."
CLONK
CLONK
THUD
CLONK
The Fellowship jumped like startled cats, several hands flying to the hilts of their weapons; while Alex just snapped his head up to locate the source of the noise. (He'd survived too many Air Strikes to know better than to leap before he looked)
The source was...Pippin. Standing guiltily next to a well and a Dwarven skeleton that used to have, until short time ago, a skull.
Then the remains began tilting backwards and Alex hissed through his teeth, because he knew what was coming as the thing tipped over and disappeared down the well. Dragging along a bucket and chain.
It hit several walls on the way down, possibly overbalanced one or two scaffolds with enough force to break them, and slammed against ledges with clearly audible thuds. Pippin winced every time, clearly aware that it had been his fault. The cacophony was deafening, especially in the silence of Moria.
It took several minutes until all of it stopped and quietness settled again. Gandalf scoffed and snapped at Pippin for his stupidity, but Alex wasn't listening to them.
Because from the bottom of the well echoed a dull thud. Then another, and another and another and it was quickly picking up pace. His eyebrows arched up when he identified the sound, and he took a step back. "Guys? I think we might have a little problem."
"A problem?" Gandalf snapped, obviously still worked up about the situation, "What kind of-"
The sound was now loud enough to be heard by humans too.
Drums in the deep.
Alex grimaced. "I think we've been discovered."
Finally we're going to see some action. I'm saying this here, because there were a lot of complaints that Alex didn't use his powers until now- and I'd like to remind you that until the second Book/Movie, there wasn't really anything worth of noting going on. So no actual need for Blacklight to come out and lay waste to swathes of enemies, simply because there hadn't been any enemies.
As a side note: I'm using the Movie-Verse Storyline. Simply because a) It was the first LOTR I encountered. b) The books we have are the most crappy German translation available. And c) I found this awesome blog that explains the Director's Cut edition of the movies scene for scene.
I am sprinkling in Book references though by using the LOTR Wiki.
Just that you know.