Sequel: A Burden ›
A Mistake
A Fell Voice
Several days later, once the weather had become absolutely awful, was when the Fellowship came to their second bit of excitement.
They were being slowed up by snow that was then past the Hobbit’s heads, winds that were holding back even the strongest, and ice raining down upon them.
Raina struggled to keep up with Legolas, who seemed jumpy that day.
He looked out over the edge of the mountain, looking to the east.
“What is it?” Raina asked, pushing her way through the wind.
It was then that she heard it. An evil voice was carried by the wind from hundreds of miles away.
"Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; nai yarvaxea rasselya!" It called, only loud enough for Raina and Legolas to hear.
He turned around to face the other eight. “There is a fell voice on the air!” he called to Gandalf over the storm.
“It’s Saruman!” Gandalf yelled back.
Just then there was a horrible rumble as rock and snow was moved off the top of the mountain and down to them.
Raina stared at it a moment too long, and if Legolas hadn’t grabbed her arm and threw her between himself and the mountain, she would have been crushed.
“He’s trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!” Aragorn called from behind them.
“No!” Gandalf called back, turning to the edge of the mountain.
"Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith!" He called to the heavens. (Sleep, Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!)
But before Gandalf could finish, a more terrible voice drowned him out.
"Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; Nai yarvaxea rasselya; taltuva notto-carinnar!" Saruman yelled. (Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your bloodstained horn fall upon enemy heads!)
And with that, an onslaught of snow was upon them.
Raina covered her face from the snow as it covered everybody.
After it had all come, she kicked her way to the top of the snow, gasping for air. Around her, the rest of the Fellowship was emerging from it, Legolas right beside her.
"We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!" Boromir yelled hoarsely from the back of the group.
"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn reminded Boromir.
"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria.” Gimli said, still buried partly in the snow.
After a long moment, Gandalf spoke. “Let the Ring-bearer chose.”
Everyone turned to Frodo.
“We cannot stay here! It will be the death of the Hobbits!” Boromir called, wrapping his arms around Merry and Pippin. Raina really looked at them for the first time in a while. She felt ashamed that she had been too caught up in her own thoughts to have paid attention to the little folk; they seemed too close to frostbite for her comfort.
“Frodo?”
“We will go through the mines,” Frodo decided, looking up at Gandalf.
He looked wary, but said, “So be it.”
And with that, the Fellowship headed back down the mountain.
They were being slowed up by snow that was then past the Hobbit’s heads, winds that were holding back even the strongest, and ice raining down upon them.
Raina struggled to keep up with Legolas, who seemed jumpy that day.
He looked out over the edge of the mountain, looking to the east.
“What is it?” Raina asked, pushing her way through the wind.
It was then that she heard it. An evil voice was carried by the wind from hundreds of miles away.
"Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; nai yarvaxea rasselya!" It called, only loud enough for Raina and Legolas to hear.
He turned around to face the other eight. “There is a fell voice on the air!” he called to Gandalf over the storm.
“It’s Saruman!” Gandalf yelled back.
Just then there was a horrible rumble as rock and snow was moved off the top of the mountain and down to them.
Raina stared at it a moment too long, and if Legolas hadn’t grabbed her arm and threw her between himself and the mountain, she would have been crushed.
“He’s trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!” Aragorn called from behind them.
“No!” Gandalf called back, turning to the edge of the mountain.
"Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith!" He called to the heavens. (Sleep, Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!)
But before Gandalf could finish, a more terrible voice drowned him out.
"Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; Nai yarvaxea rasselya; taltuva notto-carinnar!" Saruman yelled. (Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your bloodstained horn fall upon enemy heads!)
And with that, an onslaught of snow was upon them.
Raina covered her face from the snow as it covered everybody.
After it had all come, she kicked her way to the top of the snow, gasping for air. Around her, the rest of the Fellowship was emerging from it, Legolas right beside her.
"We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!" Boromir yelled hoarsely from the back of the group.
"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn reminded Boromir.
"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria.” Gimli said, still buried partly in the snow.
After a long moment, Gandalf spoke. “Let the Ring-bearer chose.”
Everyone turned to Frodo.
“We cannot stay here! It will be the death of the Hobbits!” Boromir called, wrapping his arms around Merry and Pippin. Raina really looked at them for the first time in a while. She felt ashamed that she had been too caught up in her own thoughts to have paid attention to the little folk; they seemed too close to frostbite for her comfort.
“Frodo?”
“We will go through the mines,” Frodo decided, looking up at Gandalf.
He looked wary, but said, “So be it.”
And with that, the Fellowship headed back down the mountain.