A Light From the Shadows Shall Spring

The sky had grown considerably darker and Gandalf still had not been able to produce the proper password. Everyone had scattered slightly along the bank, and were talking quietly amongst themselves. I didn't feel like socializing much, so I walked away from the group slightly.

I sat with my back against the mountain, the water still giving me an eerie feeling. As I stared out at it, half watching for something out of the ordinary, and half letting my mind wander in hopes of sorting out some of the buzzing thoughts that had been pushed to the back of my mind.

I hadn't had any flashbacks or developed any sort of new knowledge about this place, my life here, or any of my previous lives. I wondered if Aragon, Gandalf, and Lord Elrond had been mistaken. As far as I could tell, I hadn't been of very much use throughout this entire journey. In fact, I sometimes felt like I was simply just another person to look out for, which was never something I had wanted to be to these people- my friends.

Downstream I saw Aragorn and Sam unpacking Bill the Pony's pack and undoing his saddle. I heard Aragorn tell Sam they would have to send him away. The mines weren't somewhere he should be going. They removed his bridle and then Aragorn sent him away. Sam looked deeply worried for the creature, as well as sad to see him go. I felt the same. But Aragorn assured Sam that Bill knew how to get home.

Sam went to sit down with Frodo and Aragorn was about to go speak with Boromir when he saw me sitting by myself. He slowly walked over and quietly said, "You choose solitude, Cecilia? Does something trouble you?"

I hadn't wanted to spill everything I had been thinking about, but his caring eyes drew me in and I couldn't stop myself.

"What if everyone was wrong about me? I haven't been any help at all this entire time, and I haven't had anymore flashbacks or whatever they are. I just… I feel like something isn't right here. I feel like I'm missing some vital piece of information that no one's telling me, and I just don't know what to do."

He stared at me for a moment, contemplating. Finally, he leaned in closer to me and said gently, "There are still things you do not know yet. But now is neither the time nor the place for you to know those things. You must trust that everything will be known to you in due time. For what you do not yet know will serve you no purpose in these mines."

I honestly couldn't think of anything to say to him, but I was saved from having to answer by Merry and Pippin throwing rocks into the lake. My heart started pounding at the sound, and Aragorn immediately stood and rushed over, grabbing Pippin's arm as he warned, "Do not disturb the water."

At the entrance to the mines, Gandalf had become too frustrated to continue. However, Frodo stood and looked as a lightbulb had gone off in his head. In front of me, I watched nervously as the water began to move. Aragorn and Pippin stood frozen to the spot.

Frodo called out to Gandalf, "What's the Elvish word for 'friend'?" Gandalf quickly answered, "Mellon."

At the sound of the word, another sound was heard. The entrance to the mine was opening, and everyone hurried over. I stood quickly so I could get away from the water, which was undoubtedly disturbed now. Aragorn waited only a moment before following, and I looked back and met his eyes. I felt we both knew there was something unpleasant in that water.

We hurried into the dark entry way of the mine, the moon barely letting any light in for us to better see our surroundings. Gandalf lead everyone in, and Gimli was right on his heels as he boasted, "Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves. Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone!"

As Gimli continued, Gandalf had somehow managed to produce light from his staff, and I marveled at it for a quick moment. I had to admit to myself that I wished I could do something as brilliant as what he was able to do.

I faintly heard Gimli say, "And they call it a mine. A mine!"

As everyone looked around, it was evident something horrible had happened here, and Boromir spoke next, horrified. "This is no mine. It's a tomb."

Upon hearing his words, everyone began noticing skeletons scattered everywhere, and the further in we walked, the smell of rotten flesh and hundred year old blood became stronger. Gimli began crying out in disbelief and ran further inside while the rest of us began to scoot backwards a little.

Legolas said something about goblins and the men all drew their swords as he readied his bow. My heart pounded in my chest, the danger suddenly seeming very real, as well as the possibility of having to fight. I stood farther back from the men, unable to make myself draw the sword I still had holstered to my side.

Boromir stated, "We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here."

They began moving backwards towards the entrance again, and Boromir started shouting for everyone to get out. I quickly grabbed the hobbits and pulled them out of the mine with me. We stood back against the edge of the water as we waited for the rest of the Fellowship.

Suddenly, Frodo was pulled backwards and landed on his back. He began crying out and we all turned to grab him as Merry drew his sword and cut what I realized was a tentacle. We pulled him back up the bank a bit and as I began to turn around, something slimy snaked around my ankle and before I knew it, I had been pulled on my back as well and had the wind knocked out of me. I felt the sharp pain of the rocks under my back, but the pain only lasted for a moment, because I was abruptly pulled into the air, dangling by my right foot.

I involuntarily closed my eyes as I felt myself travel higher up in the air. I was quickly becoming disoriented, but I was too afraid to open my eyes. I could hear Frodo yelling over to my left and I heard the men shouting frantically below me. I was being jolted around, and I immediately regretted not paying attention to how close we were to the water when we came back outside. I knew I needed to help Frodo so I forced myself to open my eyes and reach for my sword. I was still out of breath, but I could still function well enough.

I began swinging my sword at the tentacles holding me, but realized quickly that if I was dropped into the water, I wold have very little chance of getting close enough to Frodo so that I could actually help him. I didn't see any other option so I quickly holstered my sword so that I wouldn't drop it.

I was about to call out to Frodo when I felt as if I was falling. Looking down, I saw that the creature was about to smash me into the water face-first. I was travelling so quickly that I only got my arms half way up to my face before I felt the unmistakable sting of my flesh blatantly coming in contact with the water.

The tentacle had still not released my leg and was pushing me farther down into the water. I began to panic. I needed air. I tried to release myself from the creature's grip, but it wouldn't let me go. My lungs burned as I frantically tried to escape. The precious little air I had was beginning to escape from between my lips as I desperately tried to free my leg. A faint ringing began in my ears and I started to see black spots in my vision.

I then felt a vibration in the water, and it sounded as if the creature was crying out. I felt the grip on my ankle loosen and I desperately tried to swim away as quick as I could. Just as I reached the surface, I felt someone pulling me out the rest of the way as I gasped for air. I couldn't get a good footing in the water, and I didn't have the strength to stand up, and I felt myself being quickly picked up. Everyone was shouting and I finally realized Aragorn had picked me up and was following everyone back inside the mine.

Behind us the creature screamed out and I saw its tentacles flailing, trying to find someone to pull back in. To my horror, it began to lift itself out of the water and its limbs gripped the walls around the entrance to the mine. Aragorn ran faster and as the creature pulled itself onto land, the walls of the mine began collapsing behind us, thankfully blocking the creature from entering.

However, that left us with only one choice. We now had to go through the mine.

For a moment, there was no light, and the only sound was everyone's heavy breathing. Aragorn held me tightly into his chest and whispered, "Cecilia, are you alright?"

The affects of the wind being knocked out of me were subsiding, and although my breathing was ragged, I managed to wheeze out, "Yeah, I think so." I started coughing after I spoke and I could feel Aragorn trying to look for a place to set me down. Gandalf used his staff to produce a little more light and I was eventually placed gingerly on a step leading to the archway where the mines began.

Aragorn checked me over with help from Merry, and I smiled reassuringly at them both to let them know I was fine. Merry pulled out a sack that had water in it and offered it to me, and I took it gratefully and had a sip. The water eased the pain in my chest a little and I finally felt like I could breathe normally. I looked at each of them in turn and said, "Thank you. Both of you." Merry smiled at me and Aragorn simply gave a slight nod.

My clothes were soaked, but there was no time for me to lay them out to dry and change. Gandalf insisted we move on, and I figured that if I kept walking, the clothes would eventually dry. Despite the darkness of the mine, it actually felt somewhat humid and hot where we were.

Aragorn offered a hand to help me up and I took it, waiting for the majority of the group to go ahead of me. As we began to walk Gandalf said darkly, "Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world."

The hobbits looked back at me as Gandalf spoke and I tried to give an encouraging smile, but Gandalf's following words wiped it away.

"Quietly now," he said in a voice barely above a whisper. "It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."

His words sent an involuntary shiver up my spine and I hesitated slightly, only to have Aragorn place a hand lightly on my lower back and steer me forwards.