The Fellowship
Into The Mines
Frodo stood up and looked at the writing on the gateway. "It's a riddle." he said after some thinking. The water continued to ripple; Aelinaras watched it do so as it looked to be getting closer to shore, while the rest of the fellowship watched Frodo."Speak 'friend' and enter. What's the Elvish word for friend?" Frodo asked as the water shivered again. "mellon" Gandalf said in that why not tone. The stone doors slowly swung open, rumbling deeply. Aelinaras stood still looking at the water while everyone else entered. Gandalf placed a crystal into the top of his staff; Aragorn followed last, casting a last glance at the water seeing Aelinaras still watching it ripple. The silvery moonlight flooded into the dark dry entrance to Moria. "Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone. This, my friend, is the home of my cousin, Balin." Gimli boasted with pride. Gandalf brung his hand around his staff, blowing upon the crystal. It started to glow giving the room more light. "And they call it a mine. A mine!" Gimli continued with a horrible joke not seeing the graveyard before him. "This is no mine, it's a tomb!" Boromir called backing away after stepping on an skull. Light reveals rotted, broken and battered forms strewn about, casting long shadows across the room. "Oh! No! Noooo!" Gimli cried in angst at the sight. Legolas reach over and pulled an arrow from the decayed body of a fallen dwarf. He looked at it carefully and tosses it away from him in utter disgust. "Goblins!" he said as if it were poison on his tongue. Aragorn and Boromir drew out their swords. Legolas fitted an arrow to his bow just in case there was an ambush. "We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here." Boromir said as the four hobbits backed up towards the door something stirred in the water closer to the entrance and was moving to shore. Aelinaras saw this and inched her way over.
The company started for the door. When Aelinaras, seeing a tentacle coming for the hobbits legs, it was now slithering across the rocky ground. "No!" she cried running to stab it with her sword but another on took her around the waste and lifted her into the air. Caught off guard Frodo also was taken by a tentacle and lifted in the air. The slimy thing around Aelinaras' waste was squeezing her to death she tried with everything she had left to cut it. "Frodo!" "Strider!" "aim for the tentacle!" "you'll hit her!" "Help!" was buzzing through her head as she was losing consciousness and air. An arrow whizzed through that air the hit the tentacle. She started to fall but another one caught her she hacked at it. Frodo fell to when the tentacle holding him was pierced by an arrow only to be caught again to. Sam bravely hacked at one of the tentacles. "Get off him! Strider!" he called to Aragorn who had ran into the water a little ways to reach Frodo. It was successful and Frodo was freed. The Hobbits clutch at Frodo, attempting to keep him away from the water as more tentacles wrap around him. Aelinaras saw this and with as much energy as she could find chucked her sword at the monsters slick arms slicing them in half but know she could not fight herself and was once again losing air. "Aragorn!" merry cried seeing this and pointing up at her. Legolas readied his bow and shot an arrow at the tentacle which held her high up in the air. Aelinaras took this time to throw a dagger into the creatures head. It hit though not a lethal attack the creature cried out in pain fling its tentacles around wildly. Seeing her fall Boromir ran to catch her. Wrapping her arm around his neck tightly Aelinaras allowed him to carry her to shore. After sitting her back down the company made a mad dash for the door. The creature recovered and reached for them yet again. Aelinaras saw it reaching for Frodo and jumped in the way, the tentacle wrapped around her ankle and there was a sick snap. She cried out in pain and fell to the ground. The creature’s tentacles whipped at the walls to the entrance causing a rock slide. The rocks fell on the tentacle and it unwrapped itself from around Aelinaras' ankle. But know the fellowship were stuck and had to take the catacombs of Moria.
Gasps and heavy breathing echoed in the darkness. Aelinaras suppressed a cry as she tried to stand up. She succeeded only to fall to seconds later on her ankle letting out a loud cry into her arm not wanting to be heard. Legolas looked back at her in worry. " Mani marte?/What happened?" he asked. She shook her head and stood up ignoring the pain. "Nothing I am fine" she said with a fake smile. He didn't look convinced. "We now have but one choice." Gandalf said as light appeared from his staff showing the startled and frightened faces of the Fellowship. "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." Gandalf said as they began to walk deeper into the mines. Aelinaras took a step but soon regretted it as there was another stomach tossing crack in her ankle. Everyone looked back at her. "It’ll fair well until we make it out of these catacombs let’s keep going" she said walking ahead of everyone with a slight limp. "Quietly now. It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed." Gandalf said fallowing her.
Time passed and he Fellowship enters a great cavern. "The wealth of Moria was not in gold or jewels" The wizard tilted his staff down towards an endless pit "but Mithril." Gandalf said as the light illuminated the Fellowship's faces. A vast rock wall drops into the hallow depths below them. Row upon row of ladders and scaffolding, old and disused, disappear into the mining shafts. Aelinaras let out a small grunt in pain and lend back on the wall as everyone is busy looking down the pit or so she thought. Boromir glanced at her but did not do anything. Merry leaned forward slightly to look closer, Pippin put a warning hand in front of him, and Frodo stared down in awe until the light faded away. "Bilbo had a shirt of Mithril rings that Thorin gave him." Gandalf said reminiscing. "Oh, that was a kingly gift." Gimli said in awe. "Yes! I never told him, but it’s worth was greater than the value of the Shire." Gandalf said was they continued to walk. Boromir walked up to Aelinaras and picked her up bridal style. "You do not have to do this I can walk fair enough on my own" she said casting her eyes to the ground. She still sensed death on him, and Galadriel's words of warning stung her ears. He just smiled a small smile and kept walking. They then climbed up steep steps on the side of a cavern they were very thin and worn out. Aelinaras rode piggy back on Boromir’s back after great protest. Pippin lost his footing and slipped onto Merry. "Pippin!" merry snapped .Aelinaras turned back and asked if everything was okay. The two nodded.
The Fellowship climbed another flight of stairs to a crossroads in the mine. Three dark aged doorways loom before them, each one as haunting as the next. Boromir sat Aelinaras down and leaned her against the wall. "Thank you" she whispered looking away from him he nodded, sighed and sat on the edge of the steps they just climb. Gandalf glanced from one to the other and back. The Fellowship took this time to rest a bit. Aragorn sits beside a trobbled looking Boromir. Legolas walked over to Aelinaras and sat at her side. "How are you fairing? He asked in a low voice, just soft enough to penetrate her ears. “It could be better or far worse” she said looking down at her malformed ankle. "You need to set it or it will form back that way" he said she nodded. Legolas reached down and grabbed her ankle lightly he glanced up at her and she nodded putting a rag in her mouth. Frodo glanced at the two and quickly turned his head as Legolas snapped her ankle back to its normal place. Aelinaras’ rag drowned out her scream.
"Are we lost?" Pippin asked Aelinaras smiled he always made things lighten. "No..." merry said annoyed. "I think we are." he said again. She giggled and shook her head. "Shh! Gandalf's thinking." Sam said as she turned her gaze to Gandalf. Who was sitting on a rock in front of the three doorways with is hat off. "Hmm he is thinking rather hard it shall not be pleasant to be stuck in here though I am grateful for the rest" Aelinaras thought. "Merry?" she heard pippin ask 5 seconds after Sam hushed him. She cracked a smile. "What?" merry sighed with a hint of annoyance. "I'm hungry." pippin said. Aelinaras let out a short laugh. Pippin looked at her and gave a sheepish smile.
Frodo looked down into the unfathomable cavern and saw an undersized figure leaping from stone to stone. Startled, he walked over to where Gandalf was sitting. "There's something down there!" he said to him. "It's Gollum." Gandalf replied with much less surprise. "Gollum?" Frodo asked in question. "He's been following us for three days." Gandalf said in a tiny hint of humor in this voice. "He escaped the dungeons of Barad-Dr!" Frodo said in shock as he looked up at Gandalf. "Escaped? Or was set loose?" Gandalf said giving Frodo a serious look. "And now the Ring had drawn him here. He will never be rid of his need for it. He hates and loves the Ring, as he hates and loves himself." he continued. Dark and dirty fingers clasped a stone implement. From the distance below, Gollum looked up, his large yellow amber-grey eyes piercing the darkness. "Smeagol’s life is a sad story. Yes, Smeagol he was once called. Before the Ring found him before it drove him mad." Gandalf finished. "It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance!" Frodo said spitefully. This surprised Aelinaras he didn't seem one to sound to spiteful. Glancing sharply at Frodo Gandalf replied "Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo?” Aelinaras glanced at Boromir for reasons she didn't know. Frodo looked down, silently. "Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill" Gandalf pressed on. Aelinaras glanced over at Aragorn and Boromir but between the noise of the moaning of the rocks, Legolas and Gimli talking and the three hobbits talking she could not hear them. “What is troubling you my friend" Aragon said to Boromir who gazed down at the blackness below. Boromir sighed and took one glance back at Aelinaras. "Oh I see" he said with a nod. “I don't understand her, I have done nothing to scorn her yet still she will not look at me..." Boromir said looking to the side. "I sense there is more reason for that than either you or I know of" Aragorn said looking into the darkness of the mines lower levels.
Gollum slunk back into the darkness, wrinkling his nose. "Gollum” he croaked hoarsely as he slithered back into hiding. "Before this is over." Gandalf said with a short pause "The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many." he finished as Frodo sat down next to Gandalf. "I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened." he said hopelessly. "So do all who live to see such times 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. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you also were meant to have it" Gandalf said as Aelinaras mouthed the words remembering when they were told to here when she was younger. “And that is an encouraging thought." he said looking towards one of the doorways. "Oh! It's that way." he said with a rather amusing look on his face. "He's remembered!" merry said in glee getting everyone attention. The Fellowship started down a dark stairway. Gandalf putting on his hat said in humor "No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here." and resting a hand on merry shoulder he smiled "If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."
The company started for the door. When Aelinaras, seeing a tentacle coming for the hobbits legs, it was now slithering across the rocky ground. "No!" she cried running to stab it with her sword but another on took her around the waste and lifted her into the air. Caught off guard Frodo also was taken by a tentacle and lifted in the air. The slimy thing around Aelinaras' waste was squeezing her to death she tried with everything she had left to cut it. "Frodo!" "Strider!" "aim for the tentacle!" "you'll hit her!" "Help!" was buzzing through her head as she was losing consciousness and air. An arrow whizzed through that air the hit the tentacle. She started to fall but another one caught her she hacked at it. Frodo fell to when the tentacle holding him was pierced by an arrow only to be caught again to. Sam bravely hacked at one of the tentacles. "Get off him! Strider!" he called to Aragorn who had ran into the water a little ways to reach Frodo. It was successful and Frodo was freed. The Hobbits clutch at Frodo, attempting to keep him away from the water as more tentacles wrap around him. Aelinaras saw this and with as much energy as she could find chucked her sword at the monsters slick arms slicing them in half but know she could not fight herself and was once again losing air. "Aragorn!" merry cried seeing this and pointing up at her. Legolas readied his bow and shot an arrow at the tentacle which held her high up in the air. Aelinaras took this time to throw a dagger into the creatures head. It hit though not a lethal attack the creature cried out in pain fling its tentacles around wildly. Seeing her fall Boromir ran to catch her. Wrapping her arm around his neck tightly Aelinaras allowed him to carry her to shore. After sitting her back down the company made a mad dash for the door. The creature recovered and reached for them yet again. Aelinaras saw it reaching for Frodo and jumped in the way, the tentacle wrapped around her ankle and there was a sick snap. She cried out in pain and fell to the ground. The creature’s tentacles whipped at the walls to the entrance causing a rock slide. The rocks fell on the tentacle and it unwrapped itself from around Aelinaras' ankle. But know the fellowship were stuck and had to take the catacombs of Moria.
Gasps and heavy breathing echoed in the darkness. Aelinaras suppressed a cry as she tried to stand up. She succeeded only to fall to seconds later on her ankle letting out a loud cry into her arm not wanting to be heard. Legolas looked back at her in worry. " Mani marte?/What happened?" he asked. She shook her head and stood up ignoring the pain. "Nothing I am fine" she said with a fake smile. He didn't look convinced. "We now have but one choice." Gandalf said as light appeared from his staff showing the startled and frightened faces of the Fellowship. "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." Gandalf said as they began to walk deeper into the mines. Aelinaras took a step but soon regretted it as there was another stomach tossing crack in her ankle. Everyone looked back at her. "It’ll fair well until we make it out of these catacombs let’s keep going" she said walking ahead of everyone with a slight limp. "Quietly now. It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed." Gandalf said fallowing her.
Time passed and he Fellowship enters a great cavern. "The wealth of Moria was not in gold or jewels" The wizard tilted his staff down towards an endless pit "but Mithril." Gandalf said as the light illuminated the Fellowship's faces. A vast rock wall drops into the hallow depths below them. Row upon row of ladders and scaffolding, old and disused, disappear into the mining shafts. Aelinaras let out a small grunt in pain and lend back on the wall as everyone is busy looking down the pit or so she thought. Boromir glanced at her but did not do anything. Merry leaned forward slightly to look closer, Pippin put a warning hand in front of him, and Frodo stared down in awe until the light faded away. "Bilbo had a shirt of Mithril rings that Thorin gave him." Gandalf said reminiscing. "Oh, that was a kingly gift." Gimli said in awe. "Yes! I never told him, but it’s worth was greater than the value of the Shire." Gandalf said was they continued to walk. Boromir walked up to Aelinaras and picked her up bridal style. "You do not have to do this I can walk fair enough on my own" she said casting her eyes to the ground. She still sensed death on him, and Galadriel's words of warning stung her ears. He just smiled a small smile and kept walking. They then climbed up steep steps on the side of a cavern they were very thin and worn out. Aelinaras rode piggy back on Boromir’s back after great protest. Pippin lost his footing and slipped onto Merry. "Pippin!" merry snapped .Aelinaras turned back and asked if everything was okay. The two nodded.
The Fellowship climbed another flight of stairs to a crossroads in the mine. Three dark aged doorways loom before them, each one as haunting as the next. Boromir sat Aelinaras down and leaned her against the wall. "Thank you" she whispered looking away from him he nodded, sighed and sat on the edge of the steps they just climb. Gandalf glanced from one to the other and back. The Fellowship took this time to rest a bit. Aragorn sits beside a trobbled looking Boromir. Legolas walked over to Aelinaras and sat at her side. "How are you fairing? He asked in a low voice, just soft enough to penetrate her ears. “It could be better or far worse” she said looking down at her malformed ankle. "You need to set it or it will form back that way" he said she nodded. Legolas reached down and grabbed her ankle lightly he glanced up at her and she nodded putting a rag in her mouth. Frodo glanced at the two and quickly turned his head as Legolas snapped her ankle back to its normal place. Aelinaras’ rag drowned out her scream.
"Are we lost?" Pippin asked Aelinaras smiled he always made things lighten. "No..." merry said annoyed. "I think we are." he said again. She giggled and shook her head. "Shh! Gandalf's thinking." Sam said as she turned her gaze to Gandalf. Who was sitting on a rock in front of the three doorways with is hat off. "Hmm he is thinking rather hard it shall not be pleasant to be stuck in here though I am grateful for the rest" Aelinaras thought. "Merry?" she heard pippin ask 5 seconds after Sam hushed him. She cracked a smile. "What?" merry sighed with a hint of annoyance. "I'm hungry." pippin said. Aelinaras let out a short laugh. Pippin looked at her and gave a sheepish smile.
Frodo looked down into the unfathomable cavern and saw an undersized figure leaping from stone to stone. Startled, he walked over to where Gandalf was sitting. "There's something down there!" he said to him. "It's Gollum." Gandalf replied with much less surprise. "Gollum?" Frodo asked in question. "He's been following us for three days." Gandalf said in a tiny hint of humor in this voice. "He escaped the dungeons of Barad-Dr!" Frodo said in shock as he looked up at Gandalf. "Escaped? Or was set loose?" Gandalf said giving Frodo a serious look. "And now the Ring had drawn him here. He will never be rid of his need for it. He hates and loves the Ring, as he hates and loves himself." he continued. Dark and dirty fingers clasped a stone implement. From the distance below, Gollum looked up, his large yellow amber-grey eyes piercing the darkness. "Smeagol’s life is a sad story. Yes, Smeagol he was once called. Before the Ring found him before it drove him mad." Gandalf finished. "It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance!" Frodo said spitefully. This surprised Aelinaras he didn't seem one to sound to spiteful. Glancing sharply at Frodo Gandalf replied "Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo?” Aelinaras glanced at Boromir for reasons she didn't know. Frodo looked down, silently. "Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill" Gandalf pressed on. Aelinaras glanced over at Aragorn and Boromir but between the noise of the moaning of the rocks, Legolas and Gimli talking and the three hobbits talking she could not hear them. “What is troubling you my friend" Aragon said to Boromir who gazed down at the blackness below. Boromir sighed and took one glance back at Aelinaras. "Oh I see" he said with a nod. “I don't understand her, I have done nothing to scorn her yet still she will not look at me..." Boromir said looking to the side. "I sense there is more reason for that than either you or I know of" Aragorn said looking into the darkness of the mines lower levels.
Gollum slunk back into the darkness, wrinkling his nose. "Gollum” he croaked hoarsely as he slithered back into hiding. "Before this is over." Gandalf said with a short pause "The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many." he finished as Frodo sat down next to Gandalf. "I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened." he said hopelessly. "So do all who live to see such times 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. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you also were meant to have it" Gandalf said as Aelinaras mouthed the words remembering when they were told to here when she was younger. “And that is an encouraging thought." he said looking towards one of the doorways. "Oh! It's that way." he said with a rather amusing look on his face. "He's remembered!" merry said in glee getting everyone attention. The Fellowship started down a dark stairway. Gandalf putting on his hat said in humor "No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here." and resting a hand on merry shoulder he smiled "If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."