Something So Beautiful

{Word Count:1273}

  The Fellowship cross a precarious bridge above deep mine workings. " Quietly, now. It's a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence will go unnoticed." The wizard whispered

" With the dwarfs stench we won't ." Tari joked but Gimli just grunted in protest she earned yet another glare from the wizard. They enter a chamber with old ropes and ancient ladders, Gandalf began to touch a shiny substance on the wall.

"The wealth of Moria was not in gold or jewels but mithril." The wizards says as he holds his staff over the expansive drop beside them, they all look down.

The endless depth of the mine. A faint blue glow issues from its depths. Tari couldn't help but think it looked abandoned, but she kept quiet and The Fellowship continues onward.

Gandalf continued to speak to whoever was listening. " Bilbo had a shirt of mithril rings that Thorin gave him." The dwarf gasps and looks at the wizard, his mouth slowly agape. But you could barely tell from the mustache that sat on his upper lip.

  "Oh, that was a kingly gift." Gandalf nods and sneaks a look at Frodo then back to Gimli with one eyebrow raised and a smile on his face. It was one Tari and her siblings had yet to receive. " Yes. I never told him, but its worth was greater than the value of the Shire." The four hobbits eyes widen.

The Fellowship continue in silence, until they reach a fork in the tunnel. The path splits into three passages each disappearing into dark tunnel. The grey wizard pauses, his face forming a frown.

"I have no memory of this place." Gandalf says placing himself down on a rock, leaving the rest to set up camp for however long it takes him to remember.

They are nervously waiting while Gandalf sits, staring intently at the 3 tunnel mouths in front of him. He appears to be in some kind of trance, Tari turns at sound of Pippins voice beside her.

" Are we lost?"

" No, I don't think we are. Shh, Gandalf's thinking." Merry reply's as Tari laughs at the two, they were by far her favorites from the Fellowship -Besides her brothers of course.

" Merry!" Pippin whisper yelled

" What?!"

" I'm hungry."

Tari laughed at the two once again. " It may be awhile, you need to rest." They both looked at her with a smile and nod, Pippin leaned on her shoulder and Merry on his.

A few minutes later they both fell asleep, not long after Tari layed her head on Callon's shoulder and followed them.

Legolas watched the interaction from his place, and he couldn't help but think of his mother. They were so much alike, their kindness, their stubbornness, and it hurt to see her, to hear her. He couldn't get close to her, he couldn't lose the one reminder of his mother.

Aegnor caught him staring and the look of love on his face, he smirked before showing Callon who was looking over the book to make sure they had not missed anything. The younger brother returned the smirk and slightly shook his head trying not to wake their sister.

<•*•>

Tari woke up to someone shaking her, her head now rested on Callon's lap. She slowly raised her head to see the Fellowship all waiting on them so she scrambled to her feet with the help of Aegnor and followed after them. Callon handed her bow to her with a nod.

They continued on for awhile through the tunnel, it felt as if they farther they went the longer the tunnel became.

The Fellowship pass under an arched doorway into a black and empty space. Gandalf pauses, "Let me risk a little more light." Gandalf taps his staff for a brief moment a light blazes like a silent flash of lightning. Great shadows spring up and flee.

"Behold! The great realm and Dwarf-city
of Dwarrowdelf."

At the brief sight of a roof, far above their heads, upheld by many mighty pillars of stone. Before them stretches a huge empty hall, with black walls, polished and smooth as glass. The Fellowship stare in awe at the scenery.

" Never thought dwarves could have something so beautiful." Aegnor said absentmindedly, as Sam also commented on the sight.

Ahead of them, a wooden door has been smashed. Black arrows are embedded in the timbers. Two goblin skeletons lie in the doorway, Gimli rushes ahead. The wizard called out for him but he didn't even slow down if anything he sped up.

So the Fellowship ran after him, Callon, Legolas and Aegnor said some choice words in elvish but continued anyway.

Gimli rushes into another vast empty chamber lit with a narrow shaft of sunlight, beaming in from a small hole near the roof. Dwarf and Goblin skeletons are piled high. In the far corner sits a stone walled well.

A shaft light falls directly onto a stone table in the middle of the room: a single oblong block, about 4 feet high, topped with a great slab of white stone. Gimli falls to his knees.

"No...no...oh, no!" He sobs

Gandalf quietly reads an inscription of runes, carved onto the white stone slab "Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria."

"He is dead, then. It's as I feared."

Tari squeezed Callon's bicep as she watched Gimli mourn, she knew that feeling all too well. He placed his hand on hers and squeezed, Aegnor placed his on both their shoulders. They all knew what the others were thinking, it had always been like that for them.

Gandalf carefully lifts the rotting remains of a book from the white stone slab. It has been slashed and stabbed, it appears to be covered in dried in blood. The pages crack and break as he opens it.

Tari watched as Legolas made his way over to Aragon. "We must move on. We cannot linger." He whispers urgently but the wizards voice pulled her away from the conversation.

"They have taken the Bridge and the second hall: we have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long, the ground shakes, drums drums in the deep, we cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. Will no-one save us? They are coming." Gandalf reads aloud.

The Fellowship become unnerved, Pippin backs away nervously. He stumbles against the well, sending a precariously balanced armored skeleton tumbling down. Merry and Tari reach out, grabbing hold of Pippin before he falls.

The Fellowship freeze in stunned silence as the armored skeleton clatters down the deep well, every time they thought it was over it hit again making them flinch as it echoed loudly.

Gandalf turns angrily to Pippin. " Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time, and rid us of your stupidity!" This made Tari's blood boil, it was an accident. But before she could do anything she was interrupted.

They fall silent. A low rolling boom rises from the depths below growing louder ... BOOM ... BOOM ... as if the caverns of Moria were turned into a vast drum. A great horn blasts nearby, answering horns ... running feet, harsh cries.

A blue glow came from Frodo's belt made Tari groan, Sam noticed to and informed him making everyone look to him.

" Orcs." She and Legolas say at the same time, neither noticed and pulled their bows from their back, nocking an arrow.

{Authors Note}

• uhm so a new Tari and Legolas moment what do you think?But anyways I hope you guys enjoy and have a great day or night!!!