THE FORGOTTEN

A Journey Under the Mountains

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings.

Author's Note: Pretty sure I'll wind up with at least a couple direct book quotes in this chapter, both dialogue and some descriptions because in a couple places, it's almost unavoidable if I'm going to do this any justice. As well, I shall continue to use italics for translated elvish because I still don't know Sindarin. Alas…

When the full light of morning came, Legolas and Lothril went in search of their arrows. Once found, they returned to the others and were on their way. They made their way to the Mines of Moria. Gimli was happy to be going under a mountain, while Legolas was loathing it. Lothril wasn't thrilled about it either, but not for all the same reasons.

When they reached the West-door, Gandalf made a mention of the friendship that was once between Dwarves and Elves.

"It was not the fault of the Dwarves that the friendship waned," said Gimli.

And Legolas replied, "I have not heard that it was the fault of the Elves."

Lothril snapped, "It was both of your kindred's faults. Now please, act friendly towards each other if nothing else!" Legolas looked at her slightly hurt. How could she defend a dwarf? As if reading his thoughts she gave him a look that said, 'Do you really want to go there?'

He turned away from her and began looking around and then went over to Bill and began petting him. She was clearly in a mood and talking with her would be useless; and poor Bill seemed a bit nervous. He couldn't blame him. The howling of the wolves still rung in his ears also, and he well imagined the poor horse either couldn't go underground or wouldn't want to.

"Thank you Lothril!" Gandalf said. "Now help me find the doors. Night is coming and I do not wish to be left out here in the dark."

With a nod she walked briskly between the two holly trees and began wiping away dirt from the ithildin. She honestly felt bad about snapping at Legolas and Gimli, but she had started the day feeling rattled from the night before; and the whole hike from the Stair Falls onward had given her that unsettled feeling and it had been growing. The feeling was stronger now that they were so near the door and their petty bickering over something that honestly didn't matter at all at the moment was too much for her nerves and she had snapped at them.

Gandalf thanked her and spoke a word and the doors began to glow. Both Gimli and Legolas were astonished to see emblems of Durin and the High Elves upon the doors. Lothril went over and sat down against the wall. For as much as she didn't want to encounter a water monster, she suddenly found herself in no hurry to meet goblins, orcs, or balrogs either. She closed her eyes and tried to figure out what exactly about all this made her uneasy. What did she need to do? She looked sad as she sat and thought, but she always looked sad when she was thinking. Her face at rest always looked sad. Legolas thought his remarks earlier were the cause of it though and so tried talking to her mentally.

She got so carried away in conversation with him that she almost didn't see Boromir pick up a stone to throw. Suddenly she knew what bothered her and she stood and cried, "Drop it, Boromir!" The cry startled him and because his arm was in motion, he dropped the stone prematurely in the throw so it only went a couple feet into the water.

She ran over to Gandalf who was standing beside the door and said loudly, "Mellon!" All eyes were on the strange maiden now, wondering why she seemed so urgent. She looked towards Gandalf and said, "We need to get inside now!"

Boromir tried a word of protest, but Lothril cut him off with a commanding, "Now!" Immediately everyone gathered up their packs as Lothril drew her knife. She ran over to Bill and sent him off with a word. With a quick scan of the wall to make sure nobody left anything she darted inside.

"Gandalf, I think it would be best if we shut the doors behind us," Lothril said earnestly.

"Very well," Gandalf replied and tried to think of the closing word. Lothril heard the water stirring and her head snapped to the lake.

"Further up and in! Further up and in!" she cried. They started to move forward when the tentacles started emerging from the water. The Fellowship moved far enough in that the creature couldn't seem to reach them, but instead smashed anything it could touch. The doors were slammed shut and they were shut in.

"What was that thing, or were there many of them?" Frodo asked, his voice echoing even though he did not speak loudly.

"Something old and foul that would have grabbed you," Lothril replied very quietly.

Shaken but unharmed, the Fellowship collectively gathered themselves and Gandalf lit his staff and on they went. They climbed what Lothril figured was the longest stair, but second longest uphill climb she had ever done in her life and then took a brief rest and ate then continued on. The place smelled weird to Lothril. She had been in caves before, but not ones that were actively inhabited by goblins, orcs, balrogs, and dead Dwarves. Nor ones that had been mined. The air was still and at times smelled dusty or musty and other times just like rock or rock and dirt. It was also hot and stifling and this unnerved her more than anything else. Weren't caves supposed to be cool? Gandalf and Gimli though did not seem at all alarmed and Glamdring and Sting weren't glowing, so she chalked her unease up to nerves and knowing what was coming. If there was one benefit of traveling in the dark, it was that no one could see the look on her face. Legolas could feel at times nervousness rolling off of her, but no one was exactly comfortable in there, including himself. On and on they traveled in the dark. They stopped where the path forked in three directions for the night. They went into an empty guard room and everyone made their bed along the edges of the room.

She settled down near Legolas which was now a firmly established habit that the others didn't even blink at. At first they had supposed the only girl in the group of guys would naturally gravitate towards one of her own kind, but as the weeks had rolled on and they learned about her past and that she was part elf and part human, subtle little looks started being exchanged between Merry and Pippin. She noticed them giving each other looks, but then they seemed to be in possession of a hobbit variation of ósanwe at times. They were definitely the close sort of friends who knew what the other was thinking with naught more than a look, so she thought nothing of it. Regardless, this evening she was tired from not sleeping much or well the day before and the uneasy feeling at the gate, and now the creeping dread of knowing what would happen soon and then of course Pippin being drawn to the gaping hole in the floor – it was too much and she was exhausted. She laid down against the wall, her head next to Legolas' and she simply didn't care if Merry and Pippin exchanged looks. She curled up in her bedroll and pulled her blanket up over her ears so she could muffle the sound a little when he dropped the rock down the well. She was half asleep when she felt Legolas' mind brushing against hers.

"Lothril, there is something evil that dwells here," he said mentally.

"There is evil here," she replied. "But do not worry about it this night. No harm shall befall us, yet." The words had no sooner been thought when Pippin dropped the rock. They all heard the echoing plunk. Pippin confessed to his deed right away and the ominous tom-tap, tom-tap was heard.

Lothril cringed and kept herself facing the wall. Despite knowing they would pass the night safely, she slept fitfully and in the end woke up much sooner than she wanted to and just waited patiently for the call to get up. In the morning, which looked remarkably like the middle of the night in that part of Moria, they ate a quick breakfast then they marched on, and became increasingly aware that there were other wider and more open corridors around them despite the fact the only light was the soft glow of Gandalf's staff and it revealed very little. After a long day of marching, they reached a place where they could feel the warm air of the passage behind them and the cool air of a larger place before them. Lothril realized before Gandalf said anything this had to be Dwarrowdelf. For a brief moment he allowed a proper amount of light to shine from his staff and they all got a solid glimpse of the place and Lothril gasped. Admittedly, she hadn't gotten a very good look at Thranduil's halls, but she well imagined that hill couldn't possibly have something this huge in it. Gandalf told them that if he was right in his guess of where they were they would see daylight come morning and Lothril found herself anxious for dawn. She did not much like the inky darkness of Moria, and the prospect of not only daylight but also a real genuine look at the place beyond that brief flash. They decided to rest there and found a corner that escaped the draughts fairly well.

Lothril sat down against the wall and stretched her legs out in front of her. Now that she was out of the wicked winter cold, she started feeling more elven again. She wasn't tired or sore at all after two long marches up and down stairs. Now that she had a minute to think about it, she hadn't been sore or stiff during any of the hike, which she most assuredly would have been a few months ago. She certainly had had moments of tired sore stiffness on the way to Rivendell. She had been tired on their mountain hike, but she was starting to wonder if it was more the cold than the hiking. Her musing was broken off when Gimli began to chant a song about Khazad-dum. The sound of his deep, rich voice with the rhyme and meter almost made the empty, desolate city come to life. She could almost see and hear the hammers ringing, the bustle of Dwarves and Elves, the songs of minstrels and harp strings; and then it ended. She paid little heed to the conversation that followed.

Legolas had settled beside her before Gimli had started singing. It was dark and he couldn't see her, but he could feel her. She seemed quite calm; at least, her breathing was steady. He was unsettled though. Every sense he possessed told him this place was rife with orcs and goblins and foul things and though he knew they needed to rest, every moment they were not moving made him uneasy. They had slipped through so far without being cornered, and though he strongly suspected Pippin had alerted the orcs that someone or something had wandered in, he hoped rather than believed they might sneak out and away without incident. He was certain if they saw one goblin they would see an army and what chance did ten have against an army? And then there was something else. He couldn't place his finger on what, but there was something else and it unsettled him, far more so than any threat of orcs but he couldn't place it. He considered asking Lothril about it but when he reached out to her mind he found her sound asleep and briefly considered staying up a while as he had the second watch, but decided against it and laid down with his head next to hers and slept until it was his watch.

In the morning they were all pleasantly surprised to see sunlight filtering in through high windows and were glad Gandalf had been correct. It felt dazzling bright after the days of unending night. Lothril got a good look at the place and wondered how many Dwarves used to live her and what it must have looked like at its height. They explored a little and found the tomb of Balin. As soon as they entered the room Lothril smelled the air and it reminded her of an old mausoleum. It was a little unnerving but also sad to realize what happened in this room and what was about to happen. She looked at the runes on the top of Balin's grave and wondered how the inscription would sound in Dwarvish. Gandalf found the book of records and began to flip through it as Gimli looked over his shoulder. As he read it, Lothril looked about the room and could very nearly envision the final moments. She shuddered. What a horrible fate! Suddenly they heard a great, rolling BOOM that seemed to well up from beneath them that made the floor vibrate. Doom, doom, doom beat the drums in the darkness and harsh cries were heard farther off with the sound of many feet.

"They are coming!" cried Legolas. He had feared this would happen, and now it seemed they would be reenacting the end of that Dwarvish record book.

"We cannot get out," said Gimli.

"Trapped!" cried Gandalf.

Lothril took out her bow and an arrow. "We have a chance."

"How do you reckon that?" Boromir asked, drawing his sword. "If they come in the east door, we shall be trapped."

"They won't come from that direction. They are coming from the main hall," she replied.

Aragorn began ordering the doors shut and wedged as best as they could, but Gandalf told him to leave the east one open. The cries and horns came closer and they readied themselves as best they could. Aragorn said their best bet would be to make them afraid to enter the chamber and then run for it.

The orcs drew closer and she steeled her resolve. She knew this could turn hand to hand and she almost felt like she was going to be sick, but this wasn't the time or the place. Before the doors were shut, Gandalf sprang forward and yelled a challenge and let out a blinding flash of light. Arrows whined down the corridor and
Gandalf ducked back in and they began wedging broken swords and spears into the door to keep it shut. They retreated to the back of the chamber.

A troll foot came in through the door and Lothril blanched. Boromir tried to stab it to little effect, but then Frodo cried and stabbed deep with his elvish blade to a much greater result. After that came more horn blows and cries and they were clearly trying to ram the door down. Each thud against the doors made her heart leap into her throat, but she stood, bow and arrow ready. Then they came.

The enemies were many but the defense was fierce. Legolas shot two through the throat, and Lothril got one. The melee was brief and heart pounding and as soon as the attackers fled before them, Gandalf cried that this was the time to flee down the corridor, but Lothril suddenly grew confused. Frodo hadn't been struck by the spear yet. Had she changed something somehow? Legolas realized Lothril hadn't moved and returned to grab her just a huge orc chieftain appeared with his followers. Lothril managed to shoot one of his followers, but they did not flee until Aragorn had struck down their chieftain.

"Now!" shouted Gandalf. "Now is the last chance. Run for it!"

Aragorn picked up the fallen Frodo and herded Merry and Pippin before him. Lothril saw Gimli kneeling by the tomb of Balin despite the fact that their own deaths would come if they did not hurry. She called for Legolas, who turned and saw the dwarf. He rolled his eyes as he sprinted back and dragged him away. Boromir shut the eastern door behind them.

"I am all right," gasped Frodo. "I can walk. Put me down!"

Aragorn nearly dropped him as the rest of the Fellowship turned towards them in surprise. Gandalf quickly shooed them down the stairs, despite Aragorn's protests. After doing what he could at the door, Gandalf caught up with them and they slowly made their way forward in the dark. Never in her life had Lothril been in such want of a flashlight as she was in that moment. She would have settled for the little battery tester her father had made that consisted of a tiny lightbulb, twisted wire, and whatever battery you were trying to see still worked.

"Oh for a D battery," she muttered as they went down another flight of stairs.

"A what?" Merry, who was right in front of her, asked.

"Never mind," she answered, somewhat distracted sounding. Her improved elven sense of balance was coming in handy now. Before, she would have been nearly choked with fear of losing her balance and toppling down the stairs or worse; heights always making her feel heady. Now, she felt grounded and sure footed; far more so than she ever had as a human. Steadier on her feet though she may be she was still finding herself more than a touch unnerved by the fact that every step was into darkness and she had no real idea where her foot would fall. At least the steps were even.

At the bottom of a flight of stairs Gandalf halted. It was getting hot. Lothril knew why and was grateful for the dark as she could only sink down on the step she was on and put her face in her hands. As Gandalf explained his encounter at the door, everyone listening with rapt attention, Lothril could only sit and think. She could not spare Gandalf the encounter. That she knew with certainty. Carefully and desperately she was wracking her memory. Was there an inch of pain she could spare the rest of them? No. The coming events would happen in quick succession. She could tell them, but what would that accomplish besides dread to most and confusion to everyone else. That would not be helpful. There was nothing to be said and nothing to do and that strange unsettled feeling was no where to be found; just the dread of seeing the inevitable coming.

They continued on, the air growing hotter and the dim red light glowing stronger. Quickly they made their way through the hall; a growing realization coming over everyone that danger was drawing closer by the minute. They soon reached a black chasm with nothing but a slender bridge of stone connecting them to the otherside. Gandalf had Gimli lead the way across the Bridge of Khazad-dum, Arrows were falling among them as what seemed like hundreds of orcs brandished spears and scimitars that were glowing wicked and red in the firelight. The flame and smoke were growing thicker, the rolling sound of doom, doom, doom was growing louder. She kept on as Legolas turned to make a long shot, knowing what he would see. The arrow slipped from his hand to the ground and gave a cry of fear. She wasn't as afraid as she thought she might be in a minute because she knew what was coming. There was no fear of the unknown because she knew exactly what it was.

The ranks of the orcs and trolls opened and a thick, black form in the midst of shadow appeared. She could feel the terror and power emanating from it and it threatened to crush her. It came to the edge of the fire and with a terrible roar the fire seemed to swirl about it.

Legolas suddenly cried "Ai! Ai! A Balrog! A Balrog is come!"

Never in her life had she felt such an intense and evil presence. It seemed to oppress her very soul and yet despite the dread and fear, a spark grew hot within her and flamed to courage and wrath despite her fear. All at once she realized she was facing an abomination; a willful corruption of good. She knew that Gandalf's doom was come, and though she wanted to flee, part of her rebelled at the notion and wanted to see it was destroyed. Gandalf commanded them all to fly over the bridge, and all but Aragorn and Boromir did so. When she reached the other side she turned and was half tempted to run back, but Legolas grabbed her arm and said, "The others shall need us if they fall."

She knew Aragorn and Boromir would be fine, but still she turned to Legolas wide eyed with the heavy realization of his words. He was looking back at Gandalf though and didn't heed her. His bow and arrow were in his hand, as he watched the scene unfold.

The rest of the Fellowship watched as time seemed to stop and the balrog approached. Gandalf raised his staff and cried aloud as he brought it smashing down on the bridge before him. A moment of horrible silence fell and then the bridge cracked and the balrogs began to fall. And then it happened. She saw the whip, she wanted to scream but couldn't. She watched it lash around his knees and drag him to the edge of the crack.

"Fly you fools!" Gandalf cried and fell into the abyss.

It was strange to watch. She knew it would happen, but to see it unfold was surreal. As the bridge had cracked, Aragorn and Boromir had turned and charged towards the Fellowship. Aragorn cried for them to follow him, and she immediately turned and began running. As they ran the light grew as the windows let in daylight. Now that it was done, Lothril almost felt like a weight was lifted from her chest. The others were weeping ahead of her as she was acting as rear guard with Legolas who was himself looking sorrowful. The light grew as they ran, and she became aware that a small company of orcs were attempting to block their escape. Aragorn though didn't even break stride as he struck down the captain on his way out the door. The rest fled before his wrath and the Fellowship ran until they were a bow shot from the entrance.

Lothril stood guard over her friends as grief overcame them. It was strange. The balrog had been horrifying, and she didn't run in abject terror. She had stayed. She had wanted to run back and help destroy the foul thing. Perhaps she was braver than she thought – or utterly foolish. She sighed and stared back at the thin wisp of smoke coming from the door and a wave of weak-kneed fear after the fact washed over her but she shoved it aside. Her friends needed a moment of grief and it was only sensible someone keep watch just to be safe. She sighed and looked up; she had never been so glad to see the sun in her life. She pitied Gandalf, falling in the dark with an evil creature of flame. It was still morning, though it was passing. It wasn't very long after that Aragorn roused them and Lothril turned and gazed ahead and saw the forest of Lothlorien. Her heart swelled with excitement and a strange giddiness grew within her. Suddenly she had a strange premonition.

"What is it?" Legolas asked her he walked up beside her. She had a strange look in her eyes he couldn't read.

"I have a strange feeling. Almost like – I am not sure I can describe it. I feel like my doom is in that forest yonder."

Aragorn had heard her and he paused what he was doing and turned to her and said, "You may not be wrong. Few may enter Lothlorien and remain unchanged. You need not fear any fell thing happening to you there, unless you bring wickedness in with you."

She glanced at Aragorn then back at the forest and shook her head. "I hold no wickedness in my heart, yet it seems to me my doom approaches with the sound of waves on the shore or else the wind in the trees. Can you not hear it?"

Aragorn looked at Legolas who looked just as bewildered as he felt. If Legolas could not hear the wind in the trees at that distance, then Lothril was clearly having a moment of some sort of foresight. "I did not know you were so gifted," the Dúnedain said quietly.

"To be honest, I didn't know either," she said with a far away and thoughtful look in her eye. "We should hurry. We want to be far from here come nightfall."

"You are right," Aragorn said. By now everyone was assembled and Aragorn pointed out the mountain they tried to climb and the path they would have taken if Caradhras had been less cruel and then gave a brief sketch of the road immediately ahead. They continued on until Gimli saw Durin's stone and then he, Frodo, and Sam went to go see it. Lothril thought about going as well, but decided to stay behind. A few minutes later though, Lothril received what might have been the second biggest surprise of her life when she saw Gimli, Frodo, and Sam returning, but a fourth person being carried by Gimli. She rushed forward, followed by Legolas and Aragorn.

"Who is – what?" Lothril stammered. At a glance three things became immediately apparent to her. This was a human, a woman, and she was not from around there. "Lay her down, gently if you please," she commanded. Lothril and Aragorn knelt beside her. Aragorn was checking to see if she was sick or wounded, Lothril was trying to see if she had a phone or wallet or some sort of identification on her. Nothing, just eleven cents in her pocket consisting of an old dime and a penny, neither date matching her clothes. She paused and considered her clothes. They definitely weren't from 2004 or earlier. She was wearing skinny jeans and a sweater, but the jeans were definitely stretch denim and her hair definitely wasn't teased, curled, or hair sprayed. It was tied back in a low ponytail, but that was about as generic as it gets. "This doesn't make sense."

"What part?" Legolas asked, confused at the whole thing.

"She's wearing skinny jeans, but these aren't like Mom's old… I think she's from the future. We were wearing throwback Seventies flares, it only makes sense the Eighties would be next throwback in the fashion cycle."

"Lothril, I do not understand," Legolas said.

"I will try to explain it all later. Gimli! Frodo! Sam! Was there a bag anywhere near her?"

"No, Lothril. Nothing," Frodo answered.

"Curses! Well, until or unless further evidence is produced, I dare say this girl and I are from relatively the same place. Though, I'm fairly certain she is from a few years into what would have been my future. That is to say, when Legolas fetched me, the year was 2004. She's from something later than that… aha! A class ring!" she said as she reached for the woman's hand. The stone in the middle was blue and had the name of a small college a few hours from her house and 'class of 2012' written on it. She slid off the ring and examined it closely for a few minutes before handing it to Gimli. "Is it just me, or does this ring look rather worn?"

"Aye, it does. It is a strange metal though, neither silver nor pure gold. This stone is also strange."

"I think it is white gold, so gold mixed with nickel, if I am remembering rightly. And the stone is probably fake. But if it's worn, that means it's not new, which means whenever she came from, it's probably past 2012. Eight years at least into the future. This is strange. Extremely strange."

"Be that as it may," Aragorn said, "We need to get going."

"Yes, we do," she agreed. "Legolas, could you carry the girl?"

He agreed and gently picked her up and they resumed their journey.

Lothril's mind was reeling. It was weird enough she had showed up, but now another? For what purpose? Why? Her purpose for being there wasn't fully known. She thought back to something she had been reminded of when she first arrived in Middle-earth. Something from the Narnia series when Aslan was explaining how the Telmarines showed up in Narnia at all. Maybe that was what happened with this girl. She wasn't brought here half so much as fell here. Briefly she wondered what she should do, and decided that her best course of action would be to try contacting Galadriel. She was closest and Lothril might be able to extend her mind that far. She tried but was met with a barrier and decided perhaps after they crossed into Lothlorien it might be easier.

They continued on at a sharp pace until the hobbits began falling behind. Legolas noticed this and alerted Aragorn to the trailing Frodo and Sam. They halted and Aragorn and Boromir ran back and scooped them up, carrying them for a while more. Aragorn kept having to shove aside the myriad of questions that kept coming to mind and the fact that Gandalf's council would be invaluable right now, what with this strange new woman they found. Lothril's story was strange enough, but she had been sent for. For a person from seemingly the same place, but years later, showing up right there and right around the time they would be there… it was too much to worry about. If he hadn't been considering heading towards Lothlorien before, he certainly would have now. Council he needed and a moment of rest and peace he craved. And if perhaps the Lady could help with either, he would be all the more grateful for it.

They quickly came to where a small stream joined the Silverlode. They crossed it and found a nice little level place to rest and tend the hurts of Frodo and Sam. Aragorn, Boromir, and Legolas set down their burdens. The woman they laid down next to the small fire near Aragorn and Sam, and put a blanket over her. Aragorn tended to Sam and as soon as he pulled out the athelas, the woman breathed deeply and seemed to shift from unconsciousness to sleep.

"Do you think you should try reaching her mind?" Legolas asked Lothril.

"Best not. I'd hate to startle her. And judging from what Gimli said, she probably just passed out from shock. She seems to be sleeping now though, so I suspect she'll come around presently. And if she comes around before we reach Lothlorien, I would think it best that I'm the first person she sees. A strange man might frighten her whereas a fellow woman, probably not as much." She added, talking loud enough for Aragorn to hear.

"I agree," the ranger said. "Whatever she has been through has clearly unsettled her." He turned his attention towards the Ringbearer. "Now it is your turn, Frodo."

Lothril smiled as Frodo tried to dodge being examined. Of course she knew why, and when Aragorn would not relent and the mithril mail shirt was revealed, she turned her attention to Gimli. She thought the dwarf could have been knocked over with a feather. Such a magnificent piece of workmanship he had never seen. Although Lothril wasn't terribly familiar with the forging of chainmail shirts, even she could recognize at a glance that whoever made this had exceptional skill.

Once everyone had eaten and they had put out the fire, Legolas picked up the strange woman and they resumed their journey.

Author's Note: Whoa! Who is this strange new woman? What's going on?! If you want to find out, you have to go read the new fanfic I put up entitled, "She Was So Normal". Shameless plug? You betcha! Why the cross over – you'll just have to keep reading.